Blog Tour: How to Get Your Heart Broken by Rose Fall (Giveaway&Interview)

I'm so excited and thrilled to get to be part of the blog tour for How to Get Your Heart Broken by the love and super talented Rose Fall. From the moment that I read the synopsis for this book, I have been itching to read this one and I just haven't had the time to do it right now, plus I'm so behind on other book review commitments that it's unreal. 

(I PROMISE THIS ONE IS ON MY LIST.) 

This is exactly the type of book that I need in my life, RIGHT NOW! But, unfortunately, it, like a few other things has to wait it's turn. One thing I know for sure, is that I will definitely be picking this book up the further we get into Spring and the closer we get to Summer, because it's that perfect kind of book to just soak up the sun in or spend a long lazy day just sipping on some cool ice tea and reading in the warm Spring breeze. I do love a beautifully written, self-discovery, swoon-worthy, coming-of-age romance with all of the emotional attachments and baggage that comes along with it. 

So, pull up a seat, and let me tell you a little more about this book that I'm desperately wanting to sink into. (Seriously, I may or may not be bumping this one a little further up on my list of "must read now" books.)

New Adult Romance

How to Get Your Heart Broken

by Rose Fall

Published: March 11, 2016

Self Published

Age Demographic: New Adult

Pages: 398

Amazon | Barnes&Noble

A self-proclaimed cynic, Eli is unsurprised by her boyfriend’s betrayal. Yet, its impact goes beyond what she realizes; a cruel bet, an array of secrets, and a thousand lessons not yet learned teach her how to trust again as an unlikely boy shows her a kind of love she never knew existed.

After Eli finds her boyfriend cheating on her, she seeks an escape. She heads to the beach to spend the summer before college with her two best friends. When Eli is unable to move past the betrayal, the girls devise a distraction; a bet about their handsome neighbor. Yet their thoughtless competition goes too far and their friendships are tested as they began to wonder how much they really know about each other and themselves. In the chaos, they manage to learn the truth about love, self-acceptance, and the journey back from rock bottom. 

I love unpredictable love stories and this book has everything that I crave for in a New Adult romance novel than I could possibly want. It has girls lifting each other up, girls fighting with each other and working their problems out, a hot swoon-worthy guy who comes into a girl's life and just turns it all upside down landing sideways askew and then puts her back together again without even realizing it, and a girl who nearly screws everything up until she realizes this is exactly what she's been needing all of her life and where she should be standing. It's about life and love and the unpredictability of things. Seriously, this is the book that you'll want to be reading this summer wherever you are. 

And.....the absolute best part: IT ALL TAKES PLACE ON THE BEACH!

In a way, I sort of feel like this book was totally written with me in mind, which is why I'm kind of excited to have the awesome fabulous and terrifically talented Rose Fall on the blog with me today. So, I think I'm handing this one over to her.

Chatting with the Author

Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?

It was fan fiction. It was about One Tree Hill which is still one of my favorite shows in the world. I used to write it by hand and then give it to one of my best friends to publish online, because we didn’t have internet at home. Medieval times…

Who are your favorite authors?

KIM HOLDEN! I’ve never before felt the way I did while reading Bright Side and Gus. It didn’t feel like reading a book, the devastation was so real. I feel like I came out of that a different person! I also love John Green, Lauren Oliver, Rainbow Rowell… 

What inspires you to get out of bed each day?

One of the mottos I live by is a quote I read once: “Don’t take life too seriously; no one makes it out alive anyway.” My friends happen to think I have a pretty morbid sense of humor, but to me this idea is very liberating. It means I’m free to do whatever the h-e-double hockey sticks I want!  None of the mistakes I make are going to bring about the end of the world, and since I already know how this story ends (with death) there’s no need to worry about screwing it up…Yes, my friends are right. 

When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?

I certainly have no shortage of hobbies. There are two categories for me; there are those hobbies I pick up and put down almost as quickly and then there are those I'm relatively committed to. In the past the former has included fencing, knitting, yoga, running, swimming, you can probably see a pattern with sports. Also on this list is ballroom dancing but that's something I would like to pick back up because I actually really enjoyed it. The other category includes baking, songwriting, reading, and travelling. 

Quick. Something weird… 

I've always dreamed about having a cooking show and sometimes when I'm cooking alone I talk to myself and explain all the steps, pretending there's a camera there.

What is your writing process?

It depends on the story. I have one short story called "Easy as 1, 2, 3" that came about in that strange state that's somewhere between dreaming and awake. Once I woke up all I had to do was write it! A lot of them begin with "What if..." then I play out a loose sequence in my head and try to decide if it's interesting enough that I would read it. Sometimes I'll write down a quote or song lyric I found interesting and months later revisit it to see what comes to me.

Where can your readers connect with you?

I have a blog, rosesarecool.wordpress.com for anyone that wants to leave comments, questions, pictures of their cats…

I also have a twitter (@rosesarecool) though I'd be lying if I said I'm an active twitterer. 

A word that you use way too often? 

“Absurd.” Because everything is absurd. 

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About the Author

Website | Goodreads | Twitter

Rose Fall was born in New York City to Senegalese immigrant parents. She is currently studying Communication and Global Studies at UNC Chapel Hill. 

Her debut novel How to Get Your Heart Broken is set to be released Spring 2016. You can find her at her blog on rosesarecool.wordpress.com.

Blog Tour & Author Interview: Truest by Jackie Lee Sommers

"Rescue wears masks, you know. It's why people say it's darkest before the dawn."

*Truest ;; Jackie Lee Sommers*

I'm excited to be a part of this blog tour, for such a compelling, raw, and realistic young adult contemporary romance novel. Jackie Lee Sommers completely puts me away, with the bare bones of this story, the twist thrown towards the end, and the breaking of stereotypes all too commonly associated with young adult literature. I'm lucky to have her with me on the blog today, sharing some insight into what she would love to see more of in YA novels, more on the characters and the concept behind Truest and why she wrote it, and just general things to share. 

But first, I'd love to share a little bit more about the book with you guys. 

Truest
Jackie Lea Sommers
Published: September 1. 2015
Age Demographic: YA Contemporary
Pages: 384

Silas Hart has seriously shaken up Westlin Beck's small-town life. 

Brand new to town, Silas is different than the guys in Green Lake. He's curious, poetic, philosophical, maddening-- and really, really cute. 

But Silas has a sister-- and she has a secret. 

And West has a boyfriend. 

And life in Green Lake is about to change forever.

Truest is a stunning, addictive debut. Romantic, fun, tender, and satisfying, it asks as many questions as it answers.

To purchase Truest by Jackie Lea Sommers please visit:

Amazon * Barnes&Noble

An Interview with the Author

Jackie Lea Sommers

Hi Jackie, thank you for joining me today on the blog, it's nice to have you here. I'm really excited about reading your debut YA novel, Truest. From the synopsis alone, there's an air of mystery to this tender romance novel that has definitely gripped me, can you talk a little bit about that without giving too much of it away?

Thank you for having me here! Yes, while this book has a lot of sweet romance between Westlin, the pastor’s daughter, and Silas, the new guy in town, the mystery in the book surrounds Laurel, Silas’s twin sister, who is battling against a little-known mental disorder. All three teens try to help one another with their individual struggles, but the summer still surprises them.

I know with some authors, they draw inspiration and feeling from personal events and various moments of their lives, was there anything in particular that motivated you when you were writing Truest?

Yes, actually! The mental disorder that Laurel is facing is one that I’ve dealt with at various times in my own life, though at those times, I never knew it had a name. When I learned its name, I knew I would write about it eventually.

It seems that with YA fiction all of those tropes and cliches seem to come along, if there were anything that you could change about the genre or explore more of within the genre what would it be and where would you like to see YA within the next three to five years?

Wow, this is an amazing, deep question! I hope my answer is duly thoughtful. What would I like to see YA look like five years from now? I’d love to see YA fiction continue to embrace the realistic contemporary path. I once read this quote from a fantasy author who said that fantasy literature was exciting and magical and full of color and victory cries, and then he compared real life to paying taxes and white walls and the buzz of the lawnmower. And I just found that quote so faulty. I think that real life has so much magic in it-- and that’s why I love to write realistic contemporary YA, to show that. There are already so many tremendous authors writing contemp in ways that are literary and magical; in five years, I hope there’s even more.

Getting back to the book, Truest, I have just a fun little question for you. If the rights to Truest were ever optioned to become a feature adaptation film and you had the chance to cast the the two main roles in it, who would you choose and why would you chose them?

West would be Emma Watson BECAUSE EMMA WATSON.
Silas would be Grant Gustin from The Flash. He’s tall and cute and a runner. ;-)
Laurel would be played by Elizabeth Olsen; I look at that actress and see Laurel.

Since Truest is your debut novel into the YA market, what have you learned or experience that you think might be helpful to another author that might just be starting out?

I’ve learned just how much work it is, even post-book deal. I guess I had once assumed that all the hard work came before getting the contact, and then after that would be mostly gravy. I couldn’t have been more wrong! The book deal was the starting line to another year of tremendously hard work on Truest. I’m so grateful to my incredible editor at HarperCollins; she pushes me past my own boundaries in such beautiful, thoughtful, brilliant ways. I am so proud of her and so delighted I get to work with her again on my next novel.

Thank you, so much for being on the blog with me today Jackie, I really do appreciate you dropping by and sharing your thoughts and insights into the world of YA and what it's like writing a book for the first time and putting it out there. Is there anything else that you would like to say?


Truest is a labor of love, and the characters you’ll encounter are so real and dear to me. I hope you’ll fall in love with them too.

Spotted: A Super Awesome Giveaway

One signed and annotated hardcover of Truest

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About the Author

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Jackie Lea Sommers lives and loves and writes in Minnesota, where the people are nice and the Os are long. She is the 2013 winner of the Katherine Paterson Prize. 

She dislikes OCD, horcruxes, and Minnesota winters. She likes book boyfriends, cranky teenagers, and Minnesota springs. 

Truest is her first novel.

Don't forget to visit Jackie on Goodreads.

Release Week Blitz & Interview: Falling Deep by Diana Gardin

I'm legit excited to get to be a part of the Release Week Blitz for Falling Deep, by Diana Gardin. It's the next book in the Nelson Island series, a fantastic New Adult contemporary series that is edgy, sexy, and full of many swoons and heart stopping moments. From looking at reviews for the other books in the series, it looks like it's going to be a great series to pick up during the Spring and Summer months and just fall in love with. 

I'm lucky to have Diana on the blog with me today, talking about her relationship with her husband, where she draws her inspiration for writing, what inspired her to write the Nelson series and the fact that each of the books can be read as a stand alone and you can start anywhere in the series, and so much more fun stuff! So, definitely stick around and check that out, leave a comment showing some love for her below, and check out the awesome giveaway that's going on. 

First, I want to tell you a little bit about Falling Deep...

Falling Deep

Nelson Island Series

Diana Gardin

Published: April 7, 2015

Publisher: Forever Yours

Age Demographic: New Adult

Pages: 320

Reed Hopewell is a lot of things to a lot of people . . . 

To his parents, he's the son who needs to get serious. To his friends, he's the player they all want to be. And to his fans, he's the hottest rocker in Charleston. But never has Reed been anyone's hero-until the night he finds Hope.

Hope Dawson can count the number of men she trusts on one hand. Definitely not the guys she goes out with or the stepfather who treats her like property. She'd be out of his house tomorrow if not for the need to protect her little sister. But when things at home go from bad to worse, Hope has to act fast-and Reed is the only person she can turn to . . . 

To purchase a copy of Falling Deep by Diana Gardin plese visit Amazon and Barnes&Noble.

Interview with Diana Gardin

The Nelson Island series is a gorgeously written love story that looks like it would be an amazing read. I personally can't wait to tuck into it myself. I'm curious, what was your inspiration for the story you set out to tell with this series?

First, thank you for the compliment! “Gorgeously written” is an amazing quality to have! My inspiration for the series is really Southern, coastal living. The setting is really what makes the series special, and then the characters just naturally flow out of the place itself. I was raised in Coastal Virginia, and now I’m a Carolina girl; there are so many quirks living in the South that make for a great story.

I love how each book in this series sort of builds on each of the characters from book to book, you get to see what life is like through their eyes. My question for you is can each of these books be read as a standalone or would you suggest reading them in order?

Thanks so much for asking this! I really want readers to know, especially with the release of FALLING DEEP, that this is a series that can start anywhere. It doesn’t matter which book you read first, because each story can standalone. The characters carry over from book to book, but the plot and story is brand new each time. Even with EVER ALWAYS (the novella) Sam and Ever’s story is told from different points of view so they can be read in any order.

All writers have struggles with their writing at some point, would you mind sharing some of your best highs and lows in your writing process have been and what you think of your current written body of work vs. your debut into the world of writing?

Yes, writers block is a living, fire-breathing dragon that rears its ugly head from time to time in my life. Both WANTING FOREVER and FALLING DEEP flowed smoothly for me. The writing and editing process went off without a hitch. And then I had to write EVER ALWAYS. I was a mess! I didn’t know where to begin the story, and I wasn’t really sure where the plot was going to go. It was just much more difficult to figure out than the others. My debut novel, a self-published YA called COLOR BLIND, is something I’m still really proud of. But I can definitely see that my writing has improved immensely over time, and I think I write characters and plots with more depth now versus back then.

As creative individuals, we all draw upon inspiration from various outlets, what have been some of yours while writing?

Hmm, I think I pull a lot of inspiration from my relationship with my husband. I had a very unhealthy relationship before I met him, and when he came into my life it was suddenly filled with a light I’d never had before. He inspires many of my male characters, especially the sweeter ones. Pain and loss are also an inspiration, because my books are extremely emotional and angsty. I dive into my memories from my younger years for that. It’s not always pretty, but it’s always honest.

If you were trapped on a desert island and you could only have three things with you, what would those three things be?

The first one, without a doubt, would by my kindle loaded with all my favorite books and a whole bunch of books I haven’t read yet. Second, I’d need to have a lifetime supply of French fries. I cannot survive without them. Lastly, I would make sure I had 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Diana Gardin is a wife of one and a mom of two. Writing is her second full time job to that, and she loves it! Diana writes contemporary romance in the Young Adult and New Adult categories. She's also a former Elementary school teacher. She loves steak, sugar cookies, and Coke and hates working out.

Author Interview & Giveaway: Dangerous Reflections by Karla Tipton

This year, I want to really shake things up on the blog, and start introducing more NA/Adult and even some Middle Grade books into the mix. It's already predominantly YA/NA, so there's going to be a little more diversity and not just in the age demographic bracket either, there's also going to be diversity in the genre's as well. I want to start reading and reviewing more LGBTQ books, as well as reading books that feature various different race, cultures, gender-bending, and characters from other backgrounds too. 

I have plans to get caught up on The Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson, to read and review The Black Jewels series by Anne Bishop, among others. Today, I'm going to be sharing with you an NA Historical Fantasy novel that involves time travel and mystery, written by a new-to-me author, Karla Tipton. I was contact by her publicist and asked if I wouldn't mind sharing an interview with her and a giveaway for a copy of Dangerous Reflections. Of course, I immediately jumped at the chance because 1.) I want to try new things and introduce them on the blog and 2.) it's a time travel mystery fantasy novel and how could I not?!

I love how she was inspired by JK Rowling and the Harry Potter series, you'll see that she talks a good deal about that in the interview below and some really other cool things that you might want to know about her writing. She makes her books sound so uniquely interesting, full of adventure, romance, and lots of mystery. Oh, and the time travel. We can't forget that, because for me, it's the thing that really drew me into it!

Okay, so that about sums up the portrait of my excitement right there! No one says it better than Ten! (Oh, Tennant I miss you so!)

So, let me tell you about this book...

Dangerous Reflections

by Karla Tipton

Published: January 27, 2015

Self-Published

Age Demographic: NA Fantasy Time Travel

Buy Links: Amazon & IndieBound

It's a mystery Martie Harris must solve, because her comatose grandmother left the strange request to save "Doctor Uncle" in a letter from her lawyer — and that letter came with a surprise heirloom: a magic wand.

But the only man in town with expertise in the occult is her former Ph.D. advisor Marcus, who put the moves on her when she was working on her dissertation. The professor informs her she's a wizard. It's in her blood. And she can time travel through mirrors. He admits he knew about her unusual heritage the whole time.

He offers her a deal: he will teach her how to use the wand to go back in time to find "Doctor Uncle," a wizard in possession of the Philosopher's Stone, under the condition that after they use the elixir to revive her family, she must hand it over to him.

Refusing to work with a man she loathes, Martie decides to try the wand on her own. She stumbles through the mirror into Edwardian London and the arms of a sexy but sarcastic wizard named Alastor. The two get off to a contentious start, as her magical powers go awry whenever they are in close proximity. Operating on the information gained from her professor, Martie intends to steal the elixir from Alastor that will save her family's lives. What she doesn't plan on is falling in love. 

An Interview with the Author

Karla Tipton

Dangerous Reflections is an Edwardian London-based story about a graduate student who travels through time to help save her dying grandmother. What inspired you to write a time travel book that features mystery and magic?

I’ve always written stories with time travel and paranormal elements since elementary school. The time travel element was most likely inspired by watching the gothic TV soap, Dark Shadows, and Christopher Lee vampire movies. My mother handed me a collection of Edgar Allen Poe short stories when I was about 10. She hoped I would learn the dangers of keeping secrets from The Tale-Tell Heart. But what really caught my attention was the plot device of having a dismembered murder victim buried under the floorboards. 

Dangerous Reflections came about after I discovered the Harry Potter books in the early 2000s, when J.K. Rowling was still writing book 5 out of 7. Losing myself in “Potterverse” helped me escape my day-to-day life, inspired my hope, and stirred my creative imagination. I began writing fan fiction based in that world, and when my stories earned over a thousand positive reviews on a fanfic website, I decided to develop a magical world of my own. Whereas Rowling’s magic world was entirely imaginary, mine is set against the backdrop of history.

Your first novel, Rings of Passage, is also a time-travel novel about King Richard III. How did writing that novel contribute to the story in Dangerous Reflections? 

I wrote Rings of Passage, which features Richard III as the romantic hero, about 20 years ago. In the mid-1990s, Rings of Passage was agented and pitched to New York publishing houses, but at that time, romance publishers weren’t interested in books that blended romance, time travel, fantasy and history all in one. When Richard III’s skeleton was excavated from under a parking lot in England in 2012, I dusted off my novel, updated it, and sold it to a small e-publisher, LazyDay. It seemed miraculous to me that the medieval king I had written a novel about so long ago was suddenly all over the news. Richard’s reburial in Leicester Cathedral is scheduled for March 26, 2015, and I plan to be there.

Although the magical conventions are different in Rings of Passage and Dangerous Reflections, there are definitely similarities. Themes that always seem to appear in my novels are that soul mates do exist and that destiny can be altered if the love is strong enough.

Another similarity between my two novels is my incorporation of the Philosopher’s Stone, a magical substance produced by alchemists, who were ancient sorcerer-scientists. In Rings of Passage, the magical rings are made of it. In Dangerous Reflections, it’s the substance the heroine seeks to heal her sick grandmother and father.

What other background and experience do you have as a writer that led to you trying your hand as a novelist?

I began writing fiction at about age 9. I was inspired by paranormal stories early on, and one of my first short stories was about zombies created by voodoo. I continued to write fiction, but became involved in the rock music scene as a listener, bedroom musician, and observer of trends. I enjoyed the writing styles of rock journalists such as Lester Bangs, and decided I wanted to write about the music. I joined my high school newspaper so I could publish my rock concert reviews, and went to college for a journalism degree. After graduating from Kent State University in Ohio, I took a job at the Antelope Valley Press in California. In addition to writing historical feature articles about the local area and residents, I continued developing my rock journalism chops by interviewing musicians and reviewing albums and concerts that took place in nearby Los Angeles. Many of my articles are posted on my website. 

There are strong elements of romance in both of your novels. How did you develop the male love interests’ characters and are they based on any individuals that you know personally? 

The male love interests in my stories truly are built upon my imagination and my ideal dream lovers, not on any real person or relationship I’ve ever had. Don’t I wish! .I do like antiheroes, and both male leads are haunted by darkness and self-loathing within. They are curmudgeonly bad boys with hearts of gold. It’s a favorite archetype of mine. I also like dark-haired English guys with long noses. Go figure.

What do you find the most fascinating about the fantasy, historical, romance, and time-travel genres? 

It’s the blending of the fantasy, historical, romance and time travel genres that I enjoy most. I “genre-bend” without even trying. Writing a formula romance? Now that’s hard. Really hard. 

When writing romance, it’s developing the relationship dynamics between two characters that is the most gratifying for me. When life throws them a curve ball, or they find themselves in incredible circumstances, or under extreme pressure, I like to see the extreme lengths of courage and strength they can muster.

What would you like readers to remember about you and your books?

I want readers to be moved by my themes of sacrificing for love, and how trust between lovers is hard won but easily lost through betrayal, or perceived betrayal. There’s the idea in all my novels that soul mates might be destined for each other, but not necessarily destined to be together. The world is a harsh place, and external forces can keep two lovers separated no matter how right they might be for one another. 

I also want readers to be so gripped by the plot twists and cliffhangers in my novels that they stay up too late, totally engrossed, and are sleepy all the next day at work, but never doubt that it was totally worth it.

Are you working on a new novel and, if so, what can you tell us about it?

I’m working on a novel called Potionality Crisis. It’s a modern day tale and does not involve time travel. The story revolves around two scientists: the hero, Silas, is a curmudgeonly yet sexy university professor and chemist renowned for developing natural healing compounds, of which the patents are sold to fund the university. The heroine Ellie is his graduate student assistant with a secret: Her mother is a witch and Ellie, too, practices magic. Ellie’s professional aspiration is to merge magical methods of healing with the hard scientific techniques that Silas is famous for. But Silas has a secret, too – one that he is not even aware of himself.

And the Giveaway is...

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More About the Author 

Karla Tipton

Website * Twitter * Facebook 

Karla Tipton cut her literary teeth on gothic romances, Edgar Allan Poe and the vampire soap “Dark Shadows.” Long before there were sparkly vampires roaming through the cultural consciousness, she wrote about ordinary women time traveling through history and falling in love with powerful men of myth and magic.

“Genre-bending” came naturally. Despite publishing industry advice to find a genre and stick with it, Karla shamelessly mixed it up, blending history, paranormal, time travel, fantasy and mystery into her novels.

When she became fascinated with Richard III, she made a research trip to England, so she could lend authenticity and historical detail to her novel about a romance between a modern woman and her favorite medieval king. “Rings of Passage,” a time travel romance set in medieval England, is Karla’s first published novel.

Time travel and magic are also at the heart of the project she’s just wrapping up, “Dangerous Reflections,” a romance about a twenty-first century post-graduate student and an Edwardian-era wizard. Karla is a member of Romance Writers of America, and her writing has earned top honors in several RWA chapter competitions. When not at her government job or writing novels, Karla plays guitar in a classic rock band. 

Book Blitz + Interview: The Queen's Gift by T.R. Allardice

I'm excited to be a part of this book blitz for The Queen's Gift by T.R. Allardice, because it's a dark fantasy novel that's centered around genies. I've only read one other fantasy where that was the subject and it was Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios. It was one of my favorite books that I read last year, so I thought this book looked really interesting and I have high hopes that it's going to be as good. T.R. Allardice is a new-to-me author and I'm hoping that I'm going to end up really enjoying this book, which I plan on reading in the next few months. 

There's so much that happens in this novel from reading the synopsis alone, that I'm chomping at the bit to starting reading it soon. Buried secrets, choices to be made, incredible powers, and an unwanted Monarchy that could possibly return makes The Queen's Gift look absolutely amazing in theory. I'm happy to have T.R. Allardice here on the blog today, to share a little more insight into Jean's world and how she came up with the idea behind her world building in this interesting YA dark fantasy. So, I think I'll let her take over from here.

Interview with T.R. Allardice

Author of The Queen's Gift

Out of all the characters in The Queen’s Gift who is your favorite?

I’d have to say Karen Kim. She’s so conflicted and desperate to fit in, when there’s no chance of that happening.

Why place the book in Tokyo?

Because it’s one of the coolest cities I’ve ever been to by far. The scale of the city is mindboggling. It’s the only place I’ve ever traveled that you cannot see the end of the city no matter what direction you look. I also really like the Japanese people, though that may not come through in the first book.

Will the other books be set in Tokyo, too?

It’s funny, but I’m actually trying to decide that now. When I originally planned The Queen’s Gift, I intended to change the location for each year she’s in school. There would be specific mythology based on each location. I even have the other cities picked out, photographs and all. When I entered a writing contest—The Queen’s Gift won First Place YAY—one of the things the judges brought up was keeping the book in Tokyo. It came up enough that it made me wonder if I was doing the right thing with changing locations. Ultimately, I think it will be up to the characters.

How did you come up with the lead character, Jean?

Jean started with one question: What would happen if you were a Genie and couldn’t grant wishes? To make it worse, I made her mother one of the most skilled Genie’s in the world. 

How did you come up with the idea for Jean’s world?

I wanted to write a story that poked fun of a lot of books that I’d read over the years. I looked at all the characters that have populated books and noticed most were portrayed in a positive light. What I mean by that is that most were super cool, amazing looking, great at everything, love triangles, etc.

No characters seemed to be suffering from typical school issues like zits and other maladies. None of the characters really had to face not getting the guy or girl of their dreams. Every time I read one of these books, I thought about my high school experiences. I realize I was reading fiction, but it made me go in another direction.

For example, Karen Kim is a ghoul with greenish colored skin who dreams about being a super model. She’s the size of a linebacker. She will always be the size of a linebacker. Stefan is a fainting vampire. He’s always forgetting to get his iron shots from the school nurse. Chloe has to worry about bursting into flames every time she sneezes or farts. Like I said, I wanted to write something a little different, so I did. 

You said that you wanted to make fun of the tropes you’ve read about, yet there is a love triangle in your book. Why?

I do have a sort of love triangle happening in The Queen’s Gift. The big difference is that it’s resolved by the end of the book…maybe. ;)

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

I have so many places I want to travel to right now. My top six are: Thailand, Vietnam, New Zealand, China, Egypt, and Jordan. Given the unrest in the entire Middle East, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to make it to Jordan and Egypt, but I’d really love to see Petra and the pyramids before I leave this place.

Do you have any travel plans?

I spend quite a bit of time in the United Kingdom. I’ll be hitting it again in the summer.

What are you working on now?

I am currently working on the first book in a new young adult series. I’ve had the idea for quite a while and I need to get the first book done so the characters stop bothering me.

inal question. 

What do you do for fun?

I read. I go to the movies a lot. And I travel.  Thank you for having me.

About the Book

The Queen's Gift

by T.R. Allardice

Publisher: Self Published

Published: December 15, 2014

Age Demographic: YA Fantasy

Pages: 294

Buy Links: Amazon + Barnes&Noble

Fifteen-year-old, late-bloomer Jean Elliott dreams of becoming a Genie like her mom. When her family relocates to Tokyo, Jean is forced to use sleight-of-hand tricks to fool everyone at school into believing that she’s a normal Preternatural or risk expulsion. When her power finally appears, it comes in the form of the Queen's Gift--an unspeakable magic that strips power from all Preternaturals and heralds the arrival of the new queen.

After an absence of two hundred years, not everyone wants the monarchy to return and they're willing to go to great lengths to keep the status quo. When buried secrets rip Jean's family apart, she has a choice to make: Walk away and hope for the best or embrace the power that's known to lead to madness in order to save her family.

Jean's greatest dream has turned into her biggest nightmare and no matter how hard she tries, there'll be no wishing the Queen's Gift away.

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T.R. Allardice writes young adult, new adult, and humorous horror stories. Most of what she writes incorporates several genres. The content won't always be 'safe'. What's the fun in that? She is a member of the Horror Writer's Association, Novelist Inc. and the Author's Guild. She has thirty-one books published under another pen name. To find out more about her upcoming work, please visit her website.