Interview Howard Shapiro

1) How and why have you started to write? Were there something or someone that gave you an impulse?


I've been writing off and on since I was about 8 years old. I loved the "Encyclopedia Brown" books when I was that age and that started my love of reading. I also wanted to be a sportswriter back then and so I kind of focused on that in school. Eventually, I kind of migrated onto songwriting and then because that was difficult, I moved onto short story and novella writing. So, writing has always been something I enjoyed doing but didn't really become serious about trying to get published until I was 40. The impulse to try and get published came from my Dad being very sick and I wanted to get my first book out before he passed away so that he could see it and hold it. I feel very fortunate that he was able to do that.





2) Tell me something about your book The Stereotypical Freaks .


Thanks, "The Stereotypical Freaks" is a very special story to me. It was inspired by a young man named John Challis who died from cancer but his courage and wisdom at such a young age (18) inspired me to create a character (Jacoby) who had that same spirit and who I could build a story around. I tend to write a lot about friendship and interpersonal relationships and I had become obsessed with graphic novels and so I decided to find an illustrator and bring this story to life. Its about four very diverse high school seniors who are united by a love of music and that love of music bonds them as they try and win a battle of bands at their school. There is a twist in the story and it causes the guys in the band to reassess their friendship and their lives in general. The book has received very positive reviews in magazines such as Library Journal, School Library Journal, VOYA and Library Media Connection.


3) While youre writing, have you discovered a character that you where developing feelings of love for? And was there a character that gave you headaches?


Excellent question!! Actually, throughout my 5 books one character has been consistent through them and that is character I named Tom Leonard in honor of my good friend Tom Cochrane and my late dad (Arnold Leonard Shapiro) and throughout the books, Tom has grown up. Basically, the character was created as an extension of myself. From his adolescent years throughout high school (and onto to College in the sequel to "Freaks") Tom is me and I am him! But all of the characters are like my kids and so I love them all, even the bad guys, as they all played a role in some ways in my real life. So, I couldn't really say any of them gave me headaches... they are all a joy to write and I try to write them all to NOT be one note... I like them all to have depth and when the reader thinks they will act one way, I try to make them act differently!



4) How have you done your research for this novel?


I actually did some research about the area Jacoby comes from (Nunavut in Canada). That was really about it, most of the story was mapped out and the story was basically written before we started with the artwork.

5) Is there a book that inspired your writings?


Good question, everything I write could be traced back to "Catcher in the Rye"... its is my favorite book of all time and everything I do will always be because I read and so loved "Catcher in the Rye" when I was 16. I am also very inspired by Neil Gaiman's work, as well as two graphic novelists, Neill Kleidd and Gipi.

6) In the end, would you like say some words to your fans from Romania?


I'd like to say thank you so much to everyone in Romania who has taken the time to check out any of my books! It's a great honor and privilege for me to be able to share those stories with you. If anyone would like to contact me, please feel free to do so at hockeyplayer4life@gmail.com Very special thanks to you, Simona, for the opportunity to reach out to your fans and readers! Hope to talk to you guys further on up the road!

Pretty Little Liars volumele 5-11!

Originally written under a pseudonym, this thrilling novel of passion in post-World War II London was banned upon its publication in the late 1960s, and is only now being republished under the author’s real name. Edith Templeton creates an indelible character in the smartly dressed Louisa, a savvy young woman in the midst of a divorce who meets a charismatic man in a pub and within an hour has been sexually conquered by him on a garden bench. Thus begins her baffling but magnetic love affair with, and virtual enslavement to, Richard Gordon.

Gordon, a psychiatrist, keeps Louisa in his thrall with his almost omniscient ability to see through her and she, in turn, is gripped by the deep, unexpected pleasure of complete submission. As they venture further and further into the depths—both psychological and sexual—she begins, for the first time, to understand her troubled history and the self that has emerged from it.

In her clean, precise style, with every social nuance and motive exquisitely observed, Templeton delivers a tightly wound drama, unsparingly forthright in its description of how this form of love can bring incomparable rapture. Louisa’s unsettling story has more than the ring of truth to it: it is told with urgency and
relish, and its outcome, which leaves Louisa enlightened and changed forever, is profoundly satisfying.

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Pretty Little Liars 5: Wicked

In idyllic Rosewood, Pennsylvania, four very pretty girls just can't help but be bad. . . .





Hanna will do anything to be Rosewood's queen bee. Spencer's digging up her family's secrets. Emily can't stop thinking about her new boyfriend. And Aria approves a little too strongly of her mom's taste in men.


Now that Ali's killer is finally behind bars, the girls think they're safe. But those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it. And they should know by now that I'm always watching. . . .






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Pretty Little Liars 6: Killer

In picture-perfect Rosewood, Pennsylvania, ash-blond highlights gleam in the winter sun and frozen lakes sparkle like Swarovski crystals. But pictures often lie--and so do Rosewood's four prettiest girls.

Hanna, Aria, Spencer, and Emily have been lying ever since they became friends with beautiful Alison DiLaurentis. Ali made them do terrible things--things they had to keep secret for "years." And even though Ali was killed at the end of seventh grade, their bad-girl ways didn't die with her.

Hanna's on a mission to corrupt Rosewood's youth, starting with a very attractive sophomore. Aria's snooping into her boyfriend's past. Spencer's stealing--from her family. And pure little Emily's abstaining from abstinence.

The girls should be careful, though. They thought they were safe when Ali's killer was arrested and A's true identity was finally revealed. But now there's a new A in town turning up the heat. And this time Rosewood is going to burn.

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Pretty Little Liars 7: Heartless

In picturesque Rosewood, Pennsylvania, neighbors gossip over picket fences, and gleaming SUVs sit in every crushed-granite driveway. But recently, friendly smiles have been replaced with suspicious glares and accusatory whispers and it's all because Hanna, Aria, Emily, and Spencer just can't keep their mouths shut. . . .



First they claimed they found a dead body in the woods behind Spencer's house, only to have it vanish without a trace. Then when the same woods went up in flames, they swore they saw someone who's supposed to be dead rise from the ashes. And even after all that, the pretty little liars are still playing with fire.


Hanna's trading in her Dior trench for a straitjacket. Aria's trying to contact the dead. Emily's dumped her boyfriend and is skipping town . . . again. And Spencer thinks someone in her family has gotten away with murder.


The friends insist they're telling the truth about what they saw, but all of Rosewood thinks they're simply out for attention and nobody likes a girl who cries wolf. So when the big bad killer comes after the girls, will anyone believe them . . . or will they be the next to disappear?


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Pretty Little Liars 8: Wanted

In Rosewood, majestic estates sprawl for acres, and Tiffany toggle bracelets dangle from every girl's wrist. But not all that glitters is gold, and the town harbors secrets darker than anyone could imagine-like the truth about what really happened the night Alison DiLaurentis went missing. . . .

Back in middle school, Ali plucked Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer from obscurity and turned them into the beautiful, popular girls everyone wanted to be. Ali was the best friend they ever had. But she also made them do terrible things and taunted them with their worst secrets. Now, three years later, all their questions about Ali have finally been answered and they can put this awful chapter of their lives behind them. Or so they think.





Not every story has a happy ending, especially when four pretty little liars have done so many wicked things. Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer could get everything they've ever wanted-unless A has one more horrifying twist in store.


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Pretty Little Liars 9: Twisted

It’s been a year since the torturous notes from A stopped and the mystery of Alison DiLaurentis’s disappearance was finally put to rest. Now seniors in high school, Aria, Spencer, Hanna and Emily are older, but they’re not any wiser. The Pretty Little Liars have more secrets than ever - twisted secrets that could destroy the perfect lives they’ve worked so hard to rebuild.




Aria’s jealous of her boyfriend’s new exchange student. Spencer’s getting a little too cozy with her soon-to-be-stepbrother. Hanna’s one scandalous photo away from ruining her dad’s Senate campaign. And Emily will do anything to get a swim scholarship.




Worst of all: Last spring break in Jamaica, they did something unforgivable. The girls are desperate to forget that fateful night, but they should know better than anyone that all secrets wash ashore … eventually.


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Pretty Little Liars 10: Ruthless

For years scandal has rocked Rosewood, Pennsylvania--and high school seniors Aria, Emily, Hanna, and Spencer have always been at the center of the drama. They've lost friends, been targeted by a ruthless stalker named A, and narrowly escaped death. And it's not over yet.





Aria's love life is on the fritz. Emily's exploring her wild side. Hanna's kissing the enemy. And someone from Spencer's past--someone she never thought she'd see again--is back to haunt her.




But none of that compares to what happened last spring break. It's their darkest secret yet and guess who found out? Now A is determined to make them pay for their crime, and the only thing scarier than A is the fear that maybe, just maybe, they deserve what's coming to them.






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Pretty Little Liars 11: Stunning

In Rosewood, Pennsylvania, four stunningly beautiful girls are haunted by a very ugly past. Spencer, Aria, Hanna, and Emily want nothing more than to forget Alison DiLaurentis, their former best friend who tried to ruin their lives. But someone refuses to let her memory die. A is still out there, lurking in the shadows and digging up the pretty little liars' newest secrets.




Emily's reconnecting with an old flame, one baby step at a time. But is she headed toward true love or another bundle of heartache? Spencer's learning about the highs and lows of campus life on a trip to Princeton. Aria's seeing a whole new side to Noel's dad--and it could drive a wedge between her and Noel. And, for better or worse, Hanna's getting in touch with her inner A.




Secret by secret, lie by lie, the girls get tangled in A's dangerous web. A knows about everything, from their tiniest transgressions to the awful incident in Jamaica. Soon A will have enough ammunition to pull the trigger and end the pretty little liars, once and for all. . .


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Descoperiri şocante!

Dear Shatterings! Nu ştiu cum veţi fi voi după ce veţi afla ce am descoperit, dar eu încă sunt şocată. Aparent există o autoare acum în vârstă de 34 de ani, care a scris "Diary of Submissive", o carte care pare să fie asociată de mulţi cu adevărata poveste a cărţii Fifty Shades Of Grey sunt sigură că acum v-am captat atenţia. O să vă las descrierea cărţii mai jos şi date găsite pe wikipedia. Eu una deja aştept cu nerăbdare să pun mâna pe ea voi ce spuneţi?

Sophie Morgan is an independent woman in her thirties with a successful journalism career. Intelligent, witty and sarcastic, she could be the girl next door. Except that Sophie is a submissive; in the bedroom she likes to relinquish her power and personal freedom to a dominant man for their mutual pleasure.

In the wake of Fifty Shades of Grey, here is a memoir that offers the real story of what it means to be a submissive. From the endorphin rush of her first spanking right through to punishments the likes of which she couldn't begin to imagine, she explains in frank and explicit fashion the road she travels. But it isn't until she meets James that her boundaries are really pushed. As her relationship with him travels into darker and darker places the question becomes: where will it end? Can she reconcile her sexuality with the rest of her life and is it possible for the perfect man to also be perfectly cruel?

Racy, controversial, but always warm, fun and astoundingly honest this is a fascinating and thought provoking look at a seemingly paradoxical side to human nature and sexuality that no man or woman will be able to put down.




Sophie Morgan's first book, Diary of a Submissive, is an erotic memoir which has been likened to a real Fifty Shades of Grey, and purports to be a true-life story of female submission. Her “diary” follows Sophie’s story of her sexual life, from the early days in college to the present time, and describes her experiences with dominant men. Her memoir was published in 2012 byPenguin Books[6] and on Kindle/iTunes. The book is on the Sunday Times Best-Seller List.(Wikipedia Source)!





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Blog Tour: Guest Post: Most Stubborn Character – Zack from Butterfly

Over the years I've had my fair share of stubborn characters. I've had characters that were irritatingly stubborn with their peers but also characters who were purely stubborn with me. Occasionally, most frustratingly, I have one that refuses to cooperate with anyone, me especially. Mary from Secrets Clad in Light was particularly stubborn with me, refusing to cooperate whatsoever, and although she had stubborn streaks within the novel she seemed almost agreeable there when compared to the run-around that she gave me.

It seems there's always a competition between my characters for the one that is most difficult and stubborn to work with and in my latest novel, Butterfly, young Zack became triumphant.

I almost don't even know where to begin with him. It was required for him to be a little stubborn and, knowing what I did about his background when I first started writing him, it was perfectly understandable also. For a while it was tolerable because it served the story in the way I had imagined but no matter how long I wrote him, or what point in the story we were in, some way or another he was always fighting something.

In his defence, I would say that if anyone had any reason to fight it would be him. Zack endured a lot in his childhood and from the beginning it is easy to tell that, as much as he acted like things were fine and he was in control, he was someone with turmoil in his head,  someone with shattered trust that left shards around a heart that had endured irreparable damage. Zack was the most resilient when it came to the changes that were forced upon him at the start of the book because he had somewhat gotten used to the misery he was living and he had created all the necessary defences inside himself to cope with them as much as possible. He wasn't ready to let those defences down and he certainly knew what letting them down meant; it would give people the chance to get close to him, hurt him, and leave.

Zack was not only stubborn when confronted but also when he was the one doing the confronting. When he sensed that something was wrong with Alex and that the person he was closest to was suffering silently he was very strong and adamant in his approach and he would not give up. While previously his attempts were to protect himself from further pain, this time his stubbornness was used to protect the only person that he ever felt was worth caring for. He wasn't going to give up on someone he loved do deeply, though never would he have accepted the same type of response from the other either. There are a few things that Zack finds worth protecting; those things take all his determination and strength, especially if it means persisting the way he does with Alex.

With me, I suppose Zack's stubbornness was also well-founded; he refused to do things he wasn't ready to do and at times that halted what I had planned for him. However, it made way for more interesting, sometimes heart-breaking, moments as everyone struggled to get through to him and as Zack broke slowly but surely...

A small taste of Zack's resilience...

Ellis turned him around harshly, looking him deep in his eyes. He wasn’t fine now and he wasn’t going to be fine later. “You know that this is more than you can handle by yourself.”

“That’s not true.”

"You're worried about yourself and you're worried about how you're going to take care of Alex with this. Why are you fighting us when you know we can help with both?” Zack held firmly onto the windowsill, his body beginning to shake from repressed sobs. Ellis reached out and touched his back gently, "It's alright to be scared and worried, Zack; you're human."

He turned the boy around slowly and pulled him closer, taking small subtle steps to close the last of the distance. "No," Zack began pushing him away, his strength wavering, "stop."

"Zack, it's alright to be scared."

“I’m not scared!!” He shouted out and with that went his remaining strength; he collapsed into Ellis’ waiting arms.

Noutăţi LEDA!

O POVESTE PLINĂ DE VRAJĂ… DE VRĂJI ŞI VRĂJITOARE!


CÂND EŞTI VRĂJITOARE…, de Carolyn MacCullough


Emoţionantă şi fermecătoare de la prima până la ultima pagină!
Atât de fascinantă, încât îţi vei dori să continue într-un al doilea volum – pentru că atunci…


CÂND EŞTI VRĂJITOARE…
…RĂMÂI VEŞNIC VRĂJITOARE!


*


Fiica ta va fi una dintre cele mai puternice vrăjitoare pe care le-am avut vreodată în familia noastră. Va fi ca un far călăuzitor pentru noi toţi.

TAMSIN GREENE face parte dintr-o familie de vrăjitoare cu lungă tradiţie. În ziua în care s-a născut, bunica ei a prezis că va fi cea mai Talentată dintre ele. Dar Talentul lui Tamsin nu s-a confirmat.
Acum, când are şaptesprezece ani, îşi petrece cea mai mare parte din timp la şcoala cu internat din Manhattan, unde măcar poate pretinde că este normală. Însă, în timpul vacanţelor de vară, este obligată să revină acasă şi să lucreze la librăria magică a familiei sale.
Într-o seară, un tânăr foarte atrăgător, profesor la Universitatea New York, intră în librărie şi o confundă pe Tamsin cu sora ei mai mare, extrem de Talentata Rowena. Pentru prima dată în viaţa ei, Tamsin se simte privită cu respect şi admiraţie, şi, înainte de a apuca să se gândească mai bine, acceptă să caute pentru acesta un obiect valoros şi vechi pe care familia lui l-a pierdut cu mai bine de un secol în urmă. Dar căutarea se dovedeşte a fi mult mai ciudată decât părea la prima vedere.


„Cu acest roman al său, Carolyn MacCullough aruncă o vrajă uluitoare. Secrete de familie şi rivalităţi între surori, călătorii în timp şi Talente magice – toate urzite laolaltă pentru a crea o poveste supranaturală, captivantă pentru cititorii tineri. La toate acestea se mai adaugă lupta dintre bine şi rău, precum şi momentul încântător al primului sărut, astfel încât ajungem să ne dorim ca acest roman fermecător să aibă o continuare.” - Megan McCafferty


“Cu un ritm rapid, plin de suspans, cu un punct culminant bine pregătit, acest roman va fi pe gustul adolescenţilor, pasionaţi de poveşti dramatice şi de aventuri magice.” -The Bulletin


“Un roman urban fantasy elegant, pasionant.” - Publishers Weekly


Cartea are 320 pagini, formatul 13×20 cm, ediţia este broşată şi preţul de listă 29,90 RON. La precomandă beneficiaţi de 25% reducere şi transport gratuit.


Carolyn MacCullough s-a născut şi a crescut într-un orăşel liniştit din Connecticut, dar a visat dintotdeauna să călătorească în locuri exotice. În cele din urmă, dorinţa i s-a împlinit – a vizitat Scoţia, Sicilia şi Islanda, înainte de a se stabili la New York.
Dacă ar fi să-şi aleagă un Talent, aşa cum şi personajele sale din Când eşti vrăjitoare… au câte unul, atunci probabil că şi-ar alege Talentul de a zbura. Sau poate Talentul de a citi ce e în minţile oamenilor. Ori poate Talentul de a face ca în copaci să crească bani. Sau cel de a face ca toate legumele să aibă gust de ciocolată cu lapte. Oh, aţi înţeles voi care e ideea!
S-a îndrăgostit de cărţi de la o vârstă fragedă şi şi-a dorit dintotdeauna să devină scriitoare.
Totuşi, au existat perioade în care şi-a dorit să se facă: a) doctor veterinar; b) balerină; c) pilot; d) prinţesă într-un turn. Cu timpul însă, a descoperit că: a) nu-i prea plac orele de zoologie; b) este cam neîndemânatică; c) are o relaţie de dragoste/ură cu altitudinea (în principal, o suportă doar teoretic, când se află cu picioarele pe pământ); d) nu se prea mai caută prinţesele din turnuri.
Între timp, a scris: ode închinate copacului aflat în curtea din faţa casei sale, poeme despre surorile ei, poveşti cu balauri şi, da, cu prinţese închise în turnuri.
Publicarea primului său roman, Falling Through Darkness, în anul 2002, i-a transformat viaţa
într-o poveste magică, după cum mărturiseşte însăşi autoarea. A mai publicat Stealing Henry şiDrawing the Ocean, precum şi seria formată din romanele Once A Witch şi Always A Witch(titlurile celor două volume completându-se unul pe celălalt: Când eşti vrăjitoare… Rămâi veşnic vrăjitoare)..În prezent, scriitoarea locuieşte la New York, unde scrie şi ţine cursuri de scriere creativă.


Pentru teste, informaţii amuzante despre vrăjitoare şi detalii despre autoare, vizitaţi www.onceawitch.com

.....................................................................

VIAŢA CA O AVENTURĂ ÎNCĂRCATĂ DE ADRENALINĂ


Când există CHIMIE PERFECTĂ,
se declanşează atracţia.
Iar LEGILE ATRACŢIEI nu pot duce decât la…
o REACŢIE ÎN LANŢ!


REACŢIE ÎN LANŢ, vol. 3 din seria CHIMIE PERFECTĂ de Simone Elkeles


Premiul pentru CEL MAI BUN ROMAN DE DRAGOSTE PENTRU TINERI,
acordat de Asociaţia Scriitorilor de Romane de Dragoste din America


BESTSELLER NEW YORK TIMES


BESTSELLER USA TODAY


BESTSELLER PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Când Luis mi-a zâmbit şi am simţit fiorul atracţiei, am intrat în panică. Nu-mi permit să las garda jos, iar un tip ca Luis e la fel de periculos ca Marco. Îmi dau seama de asta după felul cum surâde. Arată destul de inocent, dar nu mă păcăleşte el pe mine. Poate pe alte fete, dar nu pe mine…


Teoretic, Nikki are dreptate. Dar practic…
În viaţă, ea încearcă să se conducă după trei reguli: băieţii mint ca să-şi atingă scopurile, să nu te încrezi într-un băiat care îţi spune „te iubesc” şi să nu ieşi niciodată cu un tip din cartierul de sud al orăşelului Fairfield. Chiar dacă părinţii ei s-au născut în Mexic, Nikki, în calitate de fiică de doctor, are mai multe în comun cu vecinii săi din nordul oraşului decât cu colegii de şcoală din banda Latino Blood. Dar când îl cunoaşte pe Luis, este tentată să-şi încalce toate principiile.
Sunt conştient că am în mine o anumită doză de nebunie – plăcerea de a înfrunta pericolele… simt adrenalina curgându-mi prin vene – recunoaşte Luis. Pentru el, cea mai mare provocare cu care s-a confruntat vreodată este cum să o convingă pe Nikki să-i dea o şansă unui intrus din cartierul de sud, asta până să devină, la rândul său, ţinta noului lider al bandei Latino Blood.
Vor fi oare sentimentele sale pentru Nikki suficient de puternice pentru a-l opri să intre într-o lume întunecată şi brutală şi a trăi periculos tot restul vieţii?
Acest ultim volum al seriei Chimie perfectă vă dezvăluie răspunsul la întrebare!


Cartea are 384 pagini, formatul 13 x 20 cm, ediţia este cartonată, fără supracopertă şi preţul de listă 39,90 RON. La precomandă beneficiaţi de 25% reducere şi transport gratuit.

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Dexter: Darkly Dreaming Dexter

TV tie-in edition of the novel which introduced Dexter Morgan - a serial killer to fall in love with...


Dexter Morgan isn't exactly the kind of man you'd bring home to your mum. At heart, he's the perfect gentleman: he has a shy girlfriend, and seems to lead a quiet, normal life bordering on the mundane. Despite the fact that he can't stand the sight of blood, he works as a blood-spatter analyst for the Miami police.


But Dexter also has a secret hobby: he is an accomplished serial killer. So far, he's killed 36 people and has never been caught because he knows exactly how to hide the evidence. And while that may lead some people to assume he's not such a nice guy, he tempers his insatiable hunger for brutality by only killing the bad guys.


However, Dexter's well-organised life is suddenly disrupted when a second, much more visible serial killer appears in Miami. Intrigued that the other killer favours a style similar to his own, Dexter soon realises that the mysterious new arrival is not simply invading his turf but offering him a direct invitation to 'come out and play'...

Buy it HERE!

Mortal Instruments 5: City of Lost Souls

The 'New York Times' bestselling Mortal Instruments continues - and so do the thrills and danger for Jace, Clary and Simon. Clary and the Shadowhunters struggle to piece together their shattered world after a betrayal by one of their own leaves them reeling. This is the follow-up to the international number one bestseller City of Fallen Angels. The Mortal Instruments and its prequel series, The Infernal Devices, have been sold in more than thirty countries. The books have also appeared internationally on bestseller lists, including in the USA, Germany, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. It has film rights optioned, with Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower cast as leads Clary and Jace.

Buy it HERE!

My Sister's Keeper (Flipback)

'In my first memory, I am three years old, and I am trying to kill my sister. Sometimes, the recollection is so clear I can remember the itch of the pillowcase under my hand, the sharp point of her nose pressing into my palm...'


Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and injections to help her sister, Kate, fight leukaemia. Anna was born for this purpose, her parents tell her, which is why they love her even more.


But now she can't help but wonder what her life would be like if it weren't tied to her sister's . . . and so she makes a decision that for most would be too difficult to bear, and sues her parents for the rights to her own body






Published for the first time in flipback - the new, portable, stylish format that's taken Europe by storm.

Buy it HERE!

Total Recall

Philip K Dick's classic short story tells the story of Douglas Quail, an unfulfilled bureaucrat who dreams of visiting Mars, but can't afford the trip. Luckily, there is Rekal Incorporated, a company that lets everyday stiffs believe they've been on incredible adventures. The only problem is that when technicians attempt a memory implant of a spy mission to Mars, they find that real memories of just such a trip are already in Quail's brain. Suddenly, Quail is running for his life from government agents, but his memories might make him more of a liability than he is worth...

Buy it HERE!

Butterfly Tour: Author Interview with Kyra Gregory

Thank you Ms. Gregory for the opportunity of participating on this tour!

Interview for Shattering Words

1) Please tell me three qualities and three defects.

Good Qualities: I have a good understanding of emotions so I convey them quite clearly. I'm a perfectionist so I try to keep the quality of my work high. I'm very open-minded, and a little shameless, so not much holds me back when trying to portray realities in novels.

Defects: I've got quite low self-esteem so thinking of three good qualities actually took me some time. I'm not used to getting a lot of positive attention so when I get it I almost don't know how to react. I naturally give myself a very hard time with the result of everything I do.

2) How do you find inspiration?

Many stories manage to come to me naturally but human emotions are what inspire me the most. Although I have a lot of difficulty with people I find them extremely interesting because of their unpredictability, the way they act, the way they feel and how that determines the way they deal with things.

3) Tell me something about Butterfly.

Butterfly is the first novel in the Forgotten Children series; each book follows a different child, or children, all of whom are tied together by their background. In Butterfly, an Abbey full of children has burnt down; some are hurt and linger around the site, watching as all they've ever known comes crashing down, while others run as fast as they can from a life they long to leave behind.

4) What song makes you feel better?

Yasashii Uta (Gentle Song) by MUCC, a Japanese band. If I have tears running down my face then half way through this song I'm drying them, smiling and, by the end, singing along.

5) Do you  have a special playlist when you write a book?

Not a particular playlist, no. I usually let stories flow by themselves so I don't have a predetermined playlist for a novel but tend to choose some music that suits the mood of the scene I'm writing at the time. For Butterfly I listened to a lot of Linkin Park, a few songs by Ayumi Hamasaki and the GazettE.

6)      You can say a few words about Ellis McGowan, the main character?

Ellis has been in his profession long enough to know that not every case gets the ideal, happy ending that he wants for everyone he works with. That doesn't stop him from trying his utmost to make it happen though. It can make things more disappointing for himself, and for others, when he doesn't succeed but he knows that if he doesn't give it his best he can't motivate those he's trying to help. He's certainly a very loving and caring character and that trait, however amazing, can sometimes forces him to make choices that can be questionable to some. 

Nu pierdeti ofertele RAO + noutăţi!

În China antică "cititorii de cadavre" erau o elită de medici legişti aflaţi în serviciul împăratului care aveau sarcina de a rezolva, chiar şi riscându-şi viaţa, orice crimă, pentru ca niciun criminal să nu rămână nepedepsit.  Aceasta este povestea lui Cí Song, un tânăr de origine umilă care datorită pasiunii şi ambiţiei sale a reuşit să ajungă în această poziţie invidiată, de "cititor de cadavre".  Cí Song este considerat azi primul medic legist din istoria medicinii, recunoscut pentru metodele sale inovatoare de cercetare, dar şi pentru rezolvarea unor cazuri spectaculoase de crimă de la Curtea Imperială.  Un captivant thriller istoric, foarte bine documentat, în care ambiţia şi ura merg mână-n mână cu iubirea şi moartea în exotica şi fastuoasa Chină medievală.

Precomandă AICI! 

Gabriel's Inferno by Sylvain Reynard!

Enigmatic and sexy, Professor Gabriel Emerson is a well respected Dante specialist by day, but by night he devotes himself to an uninhibited life of pleasure. He uses his notorious good looks and sophisticated charm to gratify his every whim, but is secretly tortured by his dark past and consumed by the profound belief that he is beyond all hope of redemption. When the sweet and innocent Julia Mitchell enrolls as his graduate student, his attraction and mysterious connection to her not only jeopardizes his career, but sends him on a journey in which his past and his present collide. An intriguing and sinful exploration of seduction, forbidden love and redemption, "Gabriel's Inferno" is a captivating and wildly passionate tale of one man's escape from his own personal hell as he tries to earn the impossible...forgiveness and love.



"Gabriel's Inferno" -- semi-finalist for Best Romance in the 2011 Goodreads Choice Awards

Professor Gabriel Emerson has embarked on a passionate, yet clandestine affair with his former student, Julia Mitchell. Sequestered on a romantic holiday in Italy, he tutors her in the sensual delights of the body and the raptures of sex. But when they return, their happiness is threatened by conspiring students, academic politics, and a jealous ex-lover. When Gabriel is confronted by the university administration, will he succumb to Dante's fate? Or will he fight to keep Julia, his Beatrice, forever? In Gabriel's Rapture, the brilliant sequel to the wildly successful debut novel, Gabriel's Inferno, Sylvain Reynard weaves an exquisite love story that will touch the reader's mind, body, and soul, forever

Walking Disaster (Beautiful #2) by Jamie McGuire

Finally, the highly anticipated follow-up to the

New York Times bestseller Beautiful Disaster. Can you love someone too much?
Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder.

In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. But just when he thinks he is invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees.

Every story has two sides. In Beautiful Disaster, Abby had her say. Now it’s time to see the story through Travis’s eyes.

John Green books!

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.


Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.


Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. Then he heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.


After. Nothing is ever the same

John Green's first novel, Looking for Alaska, won the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award presented by the American Library Association. His second novel, An Abundance of Katherines, was a 2007 Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His next novel, Paper Towns, is a New York Times bestseller and won the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best YA Mystery. In January 2012, his most recent novel, The Fault in Our Stars, was met with wide critical acclaim, unprecedented in Green's career. The praise included rave reviews in Time Magazine and The New York Times, on NPR, and from award-winning author Markus Zusak. The book also topped the New York Times Children's Paperback Bestseller list for several weeks. Green has also coauthored a book with David Levithan called Will Grayson, Will Grayson, published in 2010. The film rights for all his books, with the exception of Will Grayson Will Grayson, have been optioned to major Hollywood Studios.


In 2007, John and his brother Hank were the hosts of a popular internet blog, "Brotherhood 2.0," where they discussed their lives, books and current events every day for a year except for weekends and holidays. They still keep a video blog, now called "The Vlog Brothers," which can be found on theNerdfighters website, or a direct link here.

Interview with Kylie Scott the author of Flesh series!

Ali has been hiding in an attic since civilisation collapsed eight weeks ago.


When the plague hit, her neighbours turned into mindless, hungry, homicidal maniacs.


Daniel has been a loner his entire life. Then the world empties and he realises that being alone isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.


Finn is a former cop who is desperate for companionship, and willing to do anything it takes to protect the survivors around him.


When the three cross paths they band together; sparks fly, romance blooms in the wasteland and Ali, Daniel and Finn bend to their very human needs in the ruins of civilisation.


Lust, love and trust all come under fire in Flesh as the three band together to survive, hunted through the suburban wastelands.


NOTE: This story is rated "Hot" (4 out of 5 flames) and contains M/F/M and F/M pairings.

Six months since the zombie plague struck, former librarian Roslyn Stewart has been holed up in a school with eight other survivors. But now the shelves in the school canteen are bare. The stranger at the gate has supplies that will ensure the group’s ongoing survival, but at a cost. He wants a woman.


Nick is a man with a plan. He’ll treat Roslyn like a Queen, devoting the rest of his life to protecting and providing for her. In exchange, of course, for sexual favours. It’s the deal of the century given the state of the world. But Roslyn doesn’t see it that way. The first chance she gets she attacks the ex-army man and attempts to escape, forcing Nick to contain her. And so begins his awkward courtship of the woman, with her chained to the bed for security reasons.


Chained like a dog and forced to spend her every waking moment with a creep, albeit a good looking one, Ros is determined to escape. When circumstances force them to band together against a common enemy their very survival depends on their ability to learn to trust each other. An uneasy partnership develops, but can a relationship with such a difficult beginning ever have a future?


The hotly anticipated sequel to Flesh, Skin is set in the same universe with a different set of characters.


NOTE: This story is rated "Hot" (4 out of 5 flames) and contains F/M pairings.


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Thank you Ms. Scott for letting me read your amazing works!

1) How and why have you started to write? Were there something or someone that gave you an impulse?

I got serious about six years ago when I went to a pop culture festival in Brisbane, Queensland. A fantasy writer who was singing a couple of books for me asked if I’d ever thought of writing myself. I said I’d played with the idea a few times. Then she asked me which stories were the one that got published. I said the lucky ones. She said no, they’re the ones that get finished. It was a surprisingly simple idea, but it got me thinking. I started on my first book the same week. It’s hidden under my bed never to see the light of day.

2) Tell me something about your book Flesh.

Flesh is about people surviving a Zombie Apocalypse. I always wanted to explore what life would be like after the downfall of civilization. If we didn’t have electricity to heat things, and law and order to help keep people in line? How would people behave if they were left to their own devices?

3) While you’re writing, have you discovered a character that you where developing feelings of love for? And was there a character that gave you headaches?

I love Daniel. He’s terrible and funny and hot. Ali gave me headaches. Women are so hard to write. I know what I want from a man, so they’re much easier. Women are a more precarious balance.

4) How have you done your research for this novel?

I watched a stack of b-grade zombie movies growing up and read Stephen King’s ‘The Stand’ too many times to count. There were a couple of survivalist type books that I took a look at but the bulk of the book is me making stuff up.

5) Is there a book that inspired your writings?

Yes, ‘The Stand’ by Stephen King is just perfect to my mind. ‘Beauty’ by Robin McKinley is also a favourite. Romance wise there are just too many to name.

6) In the end, would you like say some words to your fans from Romania?

That someone on the other side of the world might have picked up my book and enjoyed it blows my mind. Thank you so much. That’s awesome.

Interview with Kristen Simmons the author of Article 5

Thank you very much Ms. Simmons for the opportunity of having you on our blog today!

1) How and why have you started to write? Were there something or someone that gave you an impulse?

I began writing at a young age, but it wasn't until college that I actually finished a full length novel. I was inspired to write Article 5 after witnessing a protest outside of a bookstore. I wondered what would happen if people in America lost the freedom to read what they wanted. I started thinking of other freedoms we might lose as well - the freedom of speech, to marry who you wanted, to have a child with someone you loved... From that I created a world where the government was able to ban our previously enjoyed freedoms, and in their place, create a set of moral principles called the Moral Statutes.

2) Tell me something about your book Article 5.

Article 5 is the story of a girl who is frantically trying to find her mother after the love of her life arrests them for a violation against the Moral Statutes.

3) While youre writing, have you discovered a character that you where developing feelings of love for? And was there a character that gave you headaches?

Ha! Yes, I do love some characters - Chase and Ember included. Others did give me a headache - Tucker Morris for one!

4) How have you done your research for this novel?

I spent a lot of time reading historical texts about the creation of the Bill of Rights, and other American documents granting personal freedoms. I did some really fun things too - I rode a motorcycle and went to work with a police officer to get a better feel for what the characters might experience.

5) Is there a book that inspired your writings?

There are many books that inspire me for different reasons. Cormac McCarthy's The Road inspired my obsessions with dystopia. The Handmaid's Tale inspired me to write about the unfair treatment of women. I love reading romance novels too - they inspired me to write the love story between Chase and Ember.

6) In the end, would you like say some words to your fans from Romania?

Thank you for reading this interview, and I hope you enjoy my books! You can find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.kristensimmons, on twitter (@kris10writes) or visit my website (www.kristensimmonsbooks.com) for more updates on me or my writing. Have a great day!

Interview with Merry Jones

Elle finds the body of her soon-to-be-ex husband, Charlie on her sofa, stabbed to death with her kitchen knife. Elle's close friends stand by her through the difficult funeral, but Elle alone must face the loss of the man she'd loved. Except that the loss is not total--Charlie is still around. Elle feels his presence, smells his aftershave. Hears him accuse her of killing him. And even though she doesn't believe in ghosts, she argues with him, asserting her innocence. Oddly, Elle has a gap in her memory; she can't account for her activity during the time of his murder. As she tries to clear herself by finding out how Charlie died, she discovers that she had plenty of reason to kill him. Charlie had secrets. Infidelity. Unsavory business associates. Involvement with an international organization of sex abusers. The more she learns, the more danger she faces. As unscrupulous people begin to fear she'll expose them, Elle races against time to avoid arrest, fight off attackers, solve the murder, and make peace with Charlie's spirit.

Pregnant Harper sees danger everywhere in the chilling third Harper Jennings mystery, but can she keep herself and her baby safe when no one believes her? Surely Harper Jennings can survive a visit from her mother and her new boyfriend while Hank’s on his first business trip since his accident? But she has more on her mind when she glimpses a nude young man being dragged into the woods near her house. Everyone – police included – concludes it was either kids playing around . . . or Harper’s hormones talking. But Harper can’t let it go; suspecting that her mother’s boyfriend might be hiding something, soon even her own home no longer seems a place of safety . . .





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Thank you very much Ms. Jones because you granted me this interview!

1) How and why have you started to write? Were there something or someone that gave you an impulse?

I've always written, ever since I learned to print. Teachers encouraged me, but I was already writing before I was even in school.

2) Tell me something about your books.

I'm not sure which book you want me to talk about--There are seventeen. The two newest are THE TROUBLE WITH CHARLIE and WINTER BREAK. Both came out in 2013; both are thrillers.


THE TROUBLE WITH CHARLIE is about a woman who comes home to find her soon-to-be ex-husband murdered in her family room. WINTER BREAK is about a female Iraq war veteran, now married and studying for her PhD, who discovers murders on a college campus.

3) While youre writing, have you discovered a character that you where developing feelings of love for? And was there a character that gave you headaches?

I have affection for Charlie, the murdered husband in THE TROUBLE WITH CHARLIE. And for the husband in WINTER BREAK. Most of my female characters get on my nerves from time to time--What does that say about me?

4) How have you done your research for this novel?

All of my novels require research. In WINTER BREAK, the heroine has PTSD from the war. I did a lot of research on line about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I also interviewed a psychologist who works with war vets and got some statements from former soldiers about what their daily lives were like in Iraq.


I also did research on murders similar to the ones in the book (eg.Leopold and Loeb were young upper-class men who killed a boy in Chicago in the 1920s). And I visited Ithaca, NY, where the story takes place, to get the exact locations and the feel of the scenes.


Each novel requires its own research. I rely on a combination of internet searches, interviews with authorities or experts, location visits--whatever is needed.

5) Is there a book that inspired your writings?

A book? Not really--Maybe all the books I have loved encouraged me to want to create books myself. But not one single book.

6) In the end, would you like say some words to your fans from Romania?

I was in Romania years ago, traveling with my sister and a group English and Australians. We were camping and visited Bucharest. I remember meeting a young couple who were wonderful to us. They took us for coffee and pastries, and the woman styled my sister's hair.

It was a long time ago. But now, it's good to make new friends there. Books, writing and reading can connect people even half a world away. Thank you for contacting me. I am honored to hear from you! All best, Merry Jones.