As Never Too Old for YA Books and I continue our Indie celebration, we are pleased to welcome author Penelope King for an interview today!
Penelope is the author of the following books:
Title: A Demon Made Me Do It (Demonblood Series #1)
Publication Date: August 1, 2011
Blurb from Goodreads:
Some girls share clothes, a bathroom, or a bedroom. Seventeen-year-old Liora Greyson has to share, too. Only she shares her body--with a demon.
Liora just wants to survive her final year of high school unscathed, her dark secret intact. But the walls she’s carefully constructed to keep people away crack wide open once she meets the sexy and mysterious Kieron, and he lights her world on fire. She can’t let him know she transforms into a demon named "Lucky" at nightfall—a demon with an entirely separate personality who passes out Torment, Justice, and Revenge like Halloween candy.
Turns out Kieron is the one who should be afraid once Lucky discovers his true identity and motivations. Liora wants to love him, but Lucky thinks he’s public enemy number one. And having a demon with a vendetta show up during a romantic date puts a serious crimp in any relationship.
Fighting your demons is one thing. Having one that fights back, messes with your guy, and leaves you with nasty hangovers is quite another.
Being bad has never been so good..
My review:
A Demon Made Me Do It by Penelope KingMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was really great. Nothing that I expected. This is my first reading strictly based on demons.
Lucky and Liora are two parts of a whole. Lucky is the demon side whereas Liora is the human side. Because of a tragic indecent, their soul was split in half and they have been living this way for 5 years. Liora remains human during the day, while Lucky comes out at night.
I really love how the book is written from the two different points of view. We get Liora's side: the caring, loving human who knows she will never live a normal life. The human who hates demons because of what they did to her friends years ago. The human who wants nothing to do with her demon half. Then we see Lucky's side: the frisky demon who believes nothing can harm her or stop her from her mission of finding the demons who killed her friends. She feisty and sexy, all the things Liora is not. And she dislikes Liora because due to her human side, Lucky still feels pain, sorrow and love while she wishes she could just be down with emotions completely. The differences between them are drastic.
They both fall for the same guy, Kieron, who turns out to also be a demon. He's a gorgeous mixture of sex and love. He's a bounty hunter after the same demons Lucky hunts. But, while she wants to slay these demons, he must bring them back alive to receive his freedom. Kieron falls for both Lucky and Liora and they, in turn, fall for him. In the end, he helps them both face their own "demons" and make choices they would not normally have made.
We also meet a few of Liora and Lucky's friends. There's Corrine, the shy, overweight girl that has befriended Liora and never questioned her strange need to always be home by dark. There's Bones, who is Lucky's best friend but also has feelings for her. Corrine kind of annoys me. She's very filled with self-doubt, but we don't see much more of her than that. Bones is easily the most lovable character in this book. He's that guy who is always your best friend but wishes he was more. Gorgeous and seductive, due to him being an inccubus, he's hard for anyone to resist.
Then there's Tatiana, Liora and Lucky's guardian. She is a witch who tries her hardest to steer the girls in the right direction. To help them find peace, love and happiness by showing them they must look inside themselves to see what is really there.
I like that you really see both Lucky and Liora grow during this book. They change and become accepting of their certain fate as two distinct beings living in one body. They learn to love and to open themselves up to the possibility that they can be whole, even while living the two separate lives.
The only issue I had with this book was that I really cannot picture Lucky/Liora in my mind. Aside from the cover picture, I can't see her in my mind. To me she is not described in enough detail. This is something I really like to see in a book. I want to be able to picture the characters in my mind so I know exactly what they look like.
I give this book a strong 3.5, maybe even a 4 out of 5. It was a very enjoyable read and I look forward to the next book in the series.
Title: Fire With Fire (Demonblood Series #2)
Publication Date:
Blurb from Goodreads: December 27, 2011
Book #2 in the Demonblood Series...
It's been over two months since Lucky and Liora decided their fate outside the cave. Over two months since Kieron left to finish his mission.
So why hasn't he returned?
Crushed and confused, Liora finds comfort with a mysterious stranger, a guy whose motives include more than just healing Liora's broken heart. Meanwhile, Lucky finds herself in the arms of an old friend...the one who has always laid claim to her true soul.
When the reason for Kieron's disappearance becomes known, loyalties will be tested, friends will be betrayed, loves will be lost, and hope will be found. Once and for all, Lucky and Liora will have to chose their destiny. And not everyone will survive their choice.
"Fire with Fire" is approx. 70,000 words/ 300 printed pages. It contains scenes of violence and strong sexual situations. It is recommended for mature teens and adults.
authorpenelopeking.blogspot.com
Book #1 in the Demonblood Series, "A Demon Made Me Do It" is available now, and is encouraged to be read prior to "Fire with Fire".
My Review:
Fire with Fire by Penelope KingMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I just love these books! Review to come in a bit...
I was fortunate enough to receive the second book of this series as part of a Read and Review for my Shut Up and Read group. And I'm so glad I decided to participate!
So, I loved this book just as much as the first one. It kept me turning the pages and not wanting to put it down. I love when a book can do this: capture your attention so much that you really just need to find out what happens next.
This book is a great mix of action, adventure and romance.
Once again we see the world from both Liora's (human) and Lucky's (demon) POVs. In this sequel to A Demon Made Me Do It (Demonblood #1) Liora/Lucky are on a quest to find Kieron, who has disappeared. At first, both believe he has left because he did not love them, but it turns out he was captured by the enemy. And this enemy has it out for Liora/Lucky. So she, along with her best friend Bones and a few other Hell Hounds, make their way to find him. We also meet some new characters in Tristin, who Liora falls for but can't understand why when she knows she still loves Kieron, and his sister Cassie, who dislikes Liora from the start. Eventually it is revealed that Tristin and his gang are anything but human and want nothing more than to destroy Liora and her demon side.
This book draws you in right away. It's so great to be able to really see the difference between Liora and Lucky. And it's amazing the way King can actually keep them separated and believable.
Unfortunately, we lose one of the characteres I love the most, Bones. But not before Lucky gives in for her total love for him. And I can see that he is not going to be forgotten in future books, he will always be permanently part of Liora/Lucky's life.
This book takes some nice twists and turns. We learn more about Tatiana's powers and really feel her love for Liora/Lucky. We once again are fooled into thinking Liora has found something great, which turns out to be evil. People Lucky thought she could trust turn on her. And we watch Liora grow into a stronger woman, who fights for what she feels is right and what she needs.
I really have nothing that I did not like in this book. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to read about demons and romance. I cannot wait for the next inastallment!
I give this book a 4/5 as I did the first one.
Title: Witchy, Witchy (Spellbound Trilogy #1)
Publication Date: January 14, 2012
Blurb from Goodreads:
Introducing book #1 in the enchanting SPELLBOUND trilogy...
When Calista McCoy moves from the slums of the Louisiana Bayou to an illustrious beach community in California, she knows her life is going to take a drastic turn. But once she arrives at the beautiful mansion by the sea, dark secrets are revealed...secrets that become even more complicated when she meets the gorgeous neighbor boy, Nicholas, and she feels an unexplainable--and undeniable--attraction. He's everything she's ever dreamed of. Literally.
Her new life seems almost too good to be true. But as everyone knows, when something seems too good to be true, it usually is.
...And in Calista's case, it could be deadly.
Witchy, Witchy is a full length paranormal romance novel. Book #2 in the Spellbound trilogy, Kiss the Crystal Sun, will be available spring
Title: Kiss the Crystal Sun (Spellbound Trilogy #2)
Publication Date: March 15, 2012
Blurb from Goodreads:
Book #2 in the magical Spellbound trilogy.
With Nicholas gone and Justin fighting for his soul, Calista attempts to get back to a normal life. But when Ana reveals a shocking secret about the family's past, and Callie discovers the most important truths in her life are lies, she is faced with a devastating choice...One that will change everything.
And a little about Penelope:
Penelope King is a native Californian who now lives in beautiful South Carolina. She says "y'all" more often than she'd like to admit, eats more fried food than is probably healthy, and still hasn't gotten used to the scary thunderstorms that seem to appear from out of nowhere.
She stays up way too late and does the bulk of her writing in the witching hours. She rarely misses a sunrise, and needs to include a special "thank you" in her book credits to Starbucks caramel frappuccinos.
When she's not writing, she's reading any and all YA out there, swimming, kayaking at the river, doing Zumba and kickboxing, or watching a trashy reality show. She can BBQ better than most men, and if she had to marry a food it would probably be pizza, but she'd cheat on it with sushi.
You can visit Penelope at the following sites:
And now, without further ado, here's Penelope!
1. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
When I was very young (about 8) I wrote my first “book”. I’ve been writing essentially my entire life, but only started really putting my stuff out there for the past 3 or so years.
2. How long does it take you to write a book?
Usually 2-3 months, then another month or so on revisions/editing
3. What do you think makes a great story?
For me, it’s reading about something that makes me feel…makes me care, whatever it is. One that you can’t stop thinking of long after you’ve finished reading.
4. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
During my first draft, I’m 100% one-track mind on what I’m writing. It pretty much consumes my every waking thought, and I obsess. On the second and third drafts, however, I’m much more relaxed.
5. How do you balance family and writing?
It’s really hard…fortunately I have an amazingly supportive family!
6. Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
I’ve had to research a lot of things in writing my books, details and so forth. Google is a writer’s best friend! As far as ideas go, I am just always keeping my head, heart, eyes, and ears open for anything that strikes me as something I want to explore further, or think would make compelling reading.
7. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
That the characters know way better what will and should happen to them than I do! Truthfully, that has been the weirdest part for me…I THINK I know what will happen, but it plays out an entirely different way. And it’s usually better than what I had in mind!
8. How many books have you written? Which is your favourite?
4 complete novels, 2 in progress and incomplete, and countless short stories. I don’t know if I could pick a favorite…it’s like saying choose your favorite child, lol…they each mean something different and are very special to me in their own way.
9. Are your characters based on anyone you know?
Some have certainly been *inspired* by a few people…And I’ll just leave it at that ;)
10. Do you have a favourite place you love to write?
Alone in my office, in my oversized recliner.
11. How hard is is to get published?
Depends on what route you take. For traditional publishing with a “Big 6”, it’s pretty freaking hard. But for Indie writers like myself, we have the opportunity to publish through Amazon and Smashwords and other outlets. The process of getting ready to release a book, along with all the other details that need to be handled is difficult and defiantly time-consuming, but totally worth it.
12. What do your family and friends think about your books?
Well, they tell me that they love them. Maybe they are biased ;)
13. What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I love to work out…sitting so much can really wreck the body if you’re not careful. I love yoga and running…I also like cooking and watching reality TV and old movies. And of course READING!!
14. Do you have any suggestions to help aspiring writers better themselves and their craft? If so, what are they?
Read, Read, Read, Read…and Read some more. Seriously. And then just write…a lot. Even if it’s just for yourself. Find your voice. Join in on some writer’s groups online and maybe even hit up some conferences if possible. There are some amazing books on the craft of fiction writing (Steven King has a great one, as does Donald Maas). Most importantly, just keep going and don’t give up!
15. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
It changed a lot, but probably the most prevalent was a lawyer or teacher.
16. What are your favourite books and which authors inspire you?
Oh wow, we are going to need much more room! Lol I have dozens and dozens, all for different reasons. I adore everyone from Shakespeare to Lord Byron, to Judy Blume and Steven King, Nora Roberts and J.K. Rowling…I’ve been falling in love with authors and books for over 30 years so the list is quite extensive! ;)
17. For an aspiring writer what do you feel are certain do's and don’ts for getting their material published?
Hmmm…DO grow thick skin and learn to take feedback and criticism. DON’T ignore the feedback . DO find some “kindred spirits” you can work with in beta stages and get support from. DON’T be jealous or insecure of other authors who you may think are more successful than you…your time will come. DO write what you are really passionate about, and write from your heart. DON’T jump on a bandwagon and chase trends or try to write what you think will be “in”. It will be “out” before you know it. DO persevere and DON’T ever give up
18. What are you working on now?
I am working on Spellbound #3, “Dawn of the Morningstar”, and outlining/brainstorming Demonblood #3, “The Curse of Shadows and Light”, both available later this year (hopefully).
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me and for supporting my books! It’s readers like you who make it all worth it
Thanks so much for answering our questions, Penelope! We enjoyed having you! If you'd like to purchase Penelope's books, you can find them by clicking on the links below:
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