Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Our Wednesday Selections this week are….

The Omen Machine by Terry Goodkind: Book Cover David’s Choice:

The Omen Machine by Terry Goodkind

Synopsis:

Hannis Arc, working on the tapestry of lines linking constellations of elements that constituted the language of Creation recorded on the ancient Cerulean scroll spread out among the clutter on his desk, was not surprised to see the seven etherial forms billow into the room like acrid smoke driven on a breath of bitter breeze. Like an otherworldly collection of spectral shapes seemingly carried on random eddies of air, they wandered in a loose clutch among the still and silent mounted bears and beasts rising up on their stands, the small forest of stone pedestals holding massive books of recorded prophecy, and the evenly spaced display cases of oddities, their glass reflecting the firelight from the massive hearth at the side of the room.

Since the seven rarely used doors, the shutters on the windows down on the ground level several stories below stood open as a fearless show of invitation. Though they frequently chose to use windows, they didn’t actually need the windows any more than they needed the doors. They could seep through any opening, any crack, like vapor rising in the early morning from the stretches of stagnant water that lay in dark swaths through the peat barrens.

The open shutters were meant to be a declaration for all to see, including the seven, that Hannis Arc feared nothing.

#1 New York Times-bestselling author Terry Goodkind returns to the lives of Richard Rahl and Kahlan Amnell—in a compelling tale of a new and sinister threat to their world.

Dragonfly by Julia Golding: Book CoverLisa’s Choice
Dragonfly by Julia Golding
Synopsis:
Princess Taoshira of the Blue Crescent Islands is appalled when she is ordered to marry Prince Ramil of Gerfal in order to unite their lands. And he’s not too pleased, either. They hate each other on sight. So, when Tashi and Ramil are kidnapped, they fear there’s no escape – from their kidnappers or from each other. Can they put aside their differences long enough to survive ambush, unarmed combat, brainwashing, and imprisonment? And will the people they meet on their adventure help them or betray them to the enemy?
A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley: Book Cover A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley
Synopsis:
A summer of friendship, romance, and songs in major chords. . . .

CHARLIE DUSKIN loves music, and she knows she’s good at it. But she only sings when she’s alone, on the moonlit porch or in the back room at Old Gus’s Secondhand Record and CD Store. Charlie’s mom and grandmother have both died, and this summer she’s visiting her grandpa in the country, surrounded by ghosts and grieving family, and serving burgers to the local kids at the milk bar. She’s got her iPod, her guitar, and all her recording equipment, but she wants more: A friend. A dad who notices her. The chance to show Dave Robbie that she’s not entirely unspectacular.

ROSE BUTLER lives next door to Charlie’s grandfather and spends her days watching cars pass on the freeway and hanging out with her troublemaker boyfriend. She loves Luke but can’t wait to leave their small country town. And she’s figured out a way: she’s won a scholarship to a science school in the city, and now she has to convince her parents to let her go. This is where Charlie comes in. Charlie, who lives in the city, and whom Rose has ignored for years. Charlie, who just might be Rose’s ticket out.

Told in alternating voices and filled with music, friendship, and romance, Charlie and Rose’s “little wanting song” is about the kind of longing that begins as a heavy ache but ultimately makes us feel hopeful and wonderfully alive.

What books are on your Waiting On Wednesday List?

P.S. Please be sure to let me know if you are a new follower.

Interview: The Devil’s Game by S.L. Pierce & Maren Kaye

The Devil's Game by S. L. PierceTHE DEVIL’S GAME

by S.L. Pierce & Maren Kaye

Published June 29th 2011 by Pierce-Kaye Books
ASIN: B0058UFEO4

Is a stranger who stalks your stalker a friend or your worst enemy? Rachel Pendelton is determined to break from her small town past and stake out a new life for herself with a dream job in the big city. But hard work and determination are no match for whoever is working against her. When anonymous gifts show up, she’s flattered. When they appear in her locked apartment, she starts worrying. What can she do when everyone she turns to for help looks suspicious? What she doesn’t know is that a game has begun. A game with rules as baffling as they are deadly. A game that will pit her against the criminally insane. And only one can finish alive.

interview with the authors: s.l. pierce & Maren Kaye

Lisa: Where did the idea for The Devil’s Game Come From?

S.L.: The idea came while I was people watching at Starbucks. I saw a couple where the man seemed really into the woman but she did not seem to feel the same way. So I started thinking about him stalking her (my dark writer side) and then I thought about how I was watching them and what if a stalker stalked a stalker.

Lisa: Who was the hardest character to write?

S.L.: For me the hardest character was Patient X. It’s not so easy to keep everything about a character secret but still keep you interested in them. Maren: I agree, Patient X was challenging. I also had a hard time working with Carl. He morphed several times throughout the process, but now I think he’s my favorite character. Maybe because I spent so much time with him.

Lisa: The easiest?

S.L.: Probably Dr. Pike – we just took whatever a therapist might do and then went to an extreme. Maren: Rachel was inspired by one of my kids, so that was the easiest for me. My kids have always been very independent, which is a good thing, but I have to admit, it was fun feeling like I had some control. Even if it was only in my mind.

Lisa: Did you always want to be in an author or was there something else you dreamed of?

S.L.: I spent 10 years getting a PhD in engineering so there was that, I guess. But I never really loved it once I started working. That’s when I started dreaming about becoming a writer. Maren: I never thought I could write, I always struggled in English class. My spelling is very ‘creative.’ I fell into a job as a newspaper photographer when I was 23 and was fortunate enough to have an editor that demanded everyone in the department write. I was too young to know any better so I did what the big scary boss told me to do. I owe him so much.

Lisa: What is harder for you writing or editing?

S.L.: Definitely writing. I find it so much easier to fix an idea than to create the story. Maren: Ditto for me, although and think S.L. is the creative one as far as thinking up new ideas.

Lisa: Tell us about your publishing story.

S.L: Maren and I had started working on the The Devil’s Game last September, but things had stalled with the holidays, kids, life, etc. and we were having a hard time getting motivated again. So, in February, I decided to test the self publishing waters with a book of two short stories I had written called The Hate. Of course I thought it would instantly be a hit (insert laughter). It wasn’t, but it was exciting. And, more importantly, I felt the potential self publishing had. It motivated me to start working on The Devil’s Game, and I think that, in turn, motivated Maren, which motivated me even more and, well, you get the idea. We finished the book in May, had it edited in June, and published on June 31st.

Lisa: Who inspires you on those rough days?

S.L.: Maren – that’s one of the reasons we are so good together. When I’m ready to call it quits, she tells me how great the story is or she comes up with some great new direction which then inspires me. Maren: Same for me! There is no way I would have finished a book without her encouragement. Also, I think knowing someone is depending on you makes all the difference between should I write or should I do something else important, but unfulfilling like dishes and laundry.

Now some quickies:

S.L.’s answers: Dog or Cat? Dog – always Coke or Pepsi? Coke Almond Joy or Mounds? Neither! Mac or PC? PC-I’m used to it. Laptop or Desktop? Laptop-Starbucks here I come Spring or Fall? Fall Movies or TV? Movies Black or White? Black – I have four kids!   Maren’s answers: Dog or Cat? Prrrr… I’m all about low maintenance Coke or Pepsi? They both give me the hiccups Almond Joy or Mounds? Almond Joy Mac or PC? The artist in me loves Mac, the part of me that likes to buy food and clothing prefers PC Laptop or Desktop? Desktop, I need a giant screen to be fully content. Spring or Fall? Tough call. In North Carolina spring is better, mainly because the bugs haven’t hatched yet Movies or TV? Movies, but then TV satisfies my inner addict better. Black or White? Black, it goes with everything

Follow the tour for THE DEVIL’S GAME!

8/14 giveaway @ Jagged Edge Reviews 8/14 author guest post @ Deena Remiel’s Place 8/15 excerpt @ Reader Girls 8/15 excerpt @ Lisa’s World of Books 8/15 giveaway @ Deena Remiel’s Place 8/16 excerpt @ Keeping Up With The Rheinlanders 8/19 author guest post @ Reader Girls 8/17 interview @ Lisa’s World of Books 8/17 excerpt @ Books Glorious Books 8/19 giveaway @ Books Glorious Books 8/23 author guest post @ Keeping Up With The Rheinlanders 8/24 author guest post & giveaway @ Workaday Reads 8/25 author guest post @ As The Pages Turn 8/26 author guest post @ Sugarbeat’s Books 8/27 excerpt @ Sugarbeat’s Books 8/27 author guest post @ Jagged Edge Reviews

Announcement

Hello Everyone and Thanks again for following Lisa’s World of Books.  I wanted to let you all know that I was given the unique opportunity to work with Roxanne from Bewtiching Book Tours as her assistant.  For those of you who are not a part of this group, I would highly recommend it and the opportunity to work with a lot of great authors.  Be watching for my on my Facebook and Twitter for opportunities.  If there is a large one, I will share it here on the blog as well.  I am very excited for the opportunity and I am hoping to learn a lot.  Thank Roxanne for giving me a shot!

Lisa