Insomnia Blog Tour: Author Interview & Critique Giveaway!

Welcome to my stop on the Insomnia Blog Tour! Here you will find my interview of the amazing author, Ms. Johansson, which includes her Insomnia Love List! And be sure not to miss the First-10-Pages critique giveaway at the end!

THE BOOK

Title: Insomnia (The Night Walkers #1)

Author: J.R. Johansson

Release Date: June 8, 2013

Summary: 

Her eyes saved his life. Her dreams released his darkness.

After four years of sleeplessness, high school junior Parker Chipp can't take much more. Every night, instead of sleeping, he enters the dreams of the last person he's made eye contact with. If he doesn't sleep soon, Parker will die.

Then he meets Mia. Her dreams, calm and beautifully uncomplicated, allow him blissful rest that's utterly addictive. But what starts out as a chance meeting turns into an obsession; Parker's furious desire for what he needs pushes him to extremes he never thought he'd go. And when someone begins terrorizing Mia with twisted death threats, Parker's memory blackouts leave him doubting his own innocence.

"Cleverly written and dangerously dark, Insomnia will take you to the brink of insanity. A must-read for thriller and romance fans alike." —Elana Johnson, author of POSSESSION

Goodreads      The Book Depository      Amazon      Barnes & Noble

(You can find my review of Insomnia here.)


THE AUTHOR

J.R. JOHANSSON is a young adult thriller author published with Flux & FSG/MacMillan. Her debut, INSOMNIA, is coming June 2013. She has a B.S. degree in public relations and a background in marketing. She credits her abnormal psychology minor with inspiring many of her characters. When she's not writing, she loves reading, playing board games, and sitting in her hot tub. Her dream is that someday she can do all three at the same time. She has two young sons and a wonderful husband. In fact, other than her cat, Cleo, she's nearly drowning in testosterone.

Site      Blog      Twitter      Facebook      Goodreads

THE INTERVIEW

1. What was the initial spark that created Insomnia? 

It was a dream...but not in the normal sense. I woke up from a bizarre dream and thought about how weird it was, then I started thinking about whether other people had dreams as strange as mine and what it would be like to see other people's dreams...then it just spiraled out from there. 

2. What are some of the subjects you researched for Insomnia? 

I did a ton of research on sleep deprivation and its effects on the human body, more specifically, the brain. Everything that happens to Parker would happen to someone who was sleep deprived, the only difference is that because his body is technically sleeping, I had a bit of freedom to play with how that fact would change the outcome. I decided being what he is wouldn't make him immune to the effects of sleep deprivation, but they would happen slower, over a much greater amount of time. It was really fun to do the research and then get to play with it a little bit. I also researched addiction and its effects on a person. Parker becomes addicted to sleep in Mia's dreams in a very real way. In fact, this addiction and the withdrawal from it sends Parker spiraling faster into the worse problems of sleep deprivation so it becomes an endless cycle of craziness.

3. Insomnia has a wide variety of dreams - did you use any elements from your own dreams in the book?

One dream in the middle is my way of fighting back against a recurring nightmare I had as a child. Other than that, my dreams are more like Finn's than anyone else's.  

4. Insomnia is told from a male point of view (Parker Chipp). As a female writer, what were some of the tricks you used to make Parker's voice more authentic?

Mostly, I just wrote like a person and stuck true to my form and style, then I had some male readers give me feedback. At that point there were a few tweaks I had to make (mostly on the friendship between Finn and Parker) to help stay authentic. Example? Boys use insults as compliments with their friends. If they give each other a hard time, they're probably close. If they are polite, they probably either don't know or don't like each other.

5. What is the best piece of writing advice you've taken?

Never give up, just keep writing and always strive to improve. It seems simple. It seems easy. But when you're facing rejection after rejection or someone hates something you just spent a year pulling bit by bit out of your brain...it's the hardest thing in the world. 

6. J.R. Johansson's Insomnia Love List 

• The cars Mia and Parker drive. They were cars I either owned as a teen or almost owned as a teen. 
• Mia's dreams - I wish she got to paint them (maybe in Book 2?). 
• Parker's determination and strength. 
• Finn's constantly surprising sense of humor. 
• Addie's loyalty and how tough and vulnerable she can be at the same time. 
• Some characters that come into the book later and I can't tell you about. ;-) 
• Parker's mom for being a great mom even through her flaws.

Thanks so much for having me! This was a lot of fun! :)

My thanks to Ms. Johansson for the wonderful interview!

THE GIVEAWAY

And now, the giveaway! Ms. Johansson is giving away TEN First-10-Pages critiques! Enter the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win, and be sure to check out the other stops along the tour for more Insomnia fun and a chance to win an ARC of the book itself! Good luck! :)

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Waiting On Wednesday: Vicious

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine, in which one spotlights an upcoming release they are eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title: Vicious

Author: V.E. Schwab

Release Date: September 24, 2013

Summary (from Goodreads):

A masterful, twisted tale of ambition, jealousy, betrayal, and superpowers, set in a near-future world.

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. 

Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

Why I'm Looking Forward To It: An adult title from The Archived author, Victoria Schwab! I was a little hesitant at first until the full summary was released, and now I cannot wait to get my hands on this book! Boys who learn how to give themselves superpowers, and then become archenemies? Need. This. Now.

So what book are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Review: Insomnia (J.R. Johansson)

(Be sure not to miss the special announcement at the end of this review!)

Title: Insomnia
Series: The Night Walkers, Book 1
Author: J.R. Johansson
Publisher: Flux
Release Date: June 8, 2013
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Psychological Thriller
Rating: Older Teen (disturbing images and scenes, graphic violence, some slightly perverse sensuality, some language)
Told: First Person (Parker), Past Tense
Format Read: Paperback
Find It On: Goodreads

Summary:

It’s been four years since I slept, and I suspect it is killing me.

Instead of sleeping, Parker Chipp enters the dream of the last person he’s had eye contact with. He spends his nights crushed by other people’s fear and pain, by their disturbing secrets—and Parker can never have dreams of his own. The severe exhaustion is crippling him. If nothing changes, Parker could soon be facing psychosis and even death.

Then he meets Mia. Her dreams, calm and beautifully uncomplicated, allow him blissful rest that is utterly addictive. Parker starts going to bizarre lengths to catch Mia’s eye every day. Everyone at school thinks he’s gone over the edge, even his best friend. And when Mia is threatened by a true stalker, everyone thinks it’s Parker.

Suffering blackouts, Parker begins to wonder if he is turning into someone dangerous. What if the monster stalking Mia is him after all?

*          *          *

Three Words: Creepy. Chilling. Tense.

Cover: All manner of spooky and dark and STOP STARING INTO MY SOUL, COVER.

Writing: The style was a little more relaxed than I usually prefer, but the story was engrossing enough that I overlooked our differences.

Setting: A normal urban setting with nothing significant to note.

Story: The story was uncomplicated and had two basic parts: Parker's struggle to maintain his sanity and stay alive, and the mystery of who was stalking Mia. I welcomed the simplicity, not only because it allowed the tension of Parker's struggle to take the forefront, but because I tend to get lost in the complexity of mysteries - and this one was anything but complex. They found out Mia had a stalker, and their basic response was to investigate the people in Mia's life. Simple, easy to follow, and the list was short and diverse enough that I never got the suspects confused. But don't think because the mystery was simple that the reveal wasn't anything but an explosion in the tension department (in more ways than one ;). I had a suspicion of who it was but really did not see that coming, and I was quite happy (although happy is not the right word to use) with the result.

As far as Parker's abilities were concerned, the questions surrounding them were left for the next book. This didn't detract from the story at all, though - consider Book 1 a very tense and dark and engaging introduction.

Characters: Parker was a nice, average guy forced by desperation and an insomnia- and Watcher-induced psychosis to do seriously creepy things to keep himself alive. But even as he spiraled into some a level of madness, he struggled to keep those he cared about safe - from others, and eventually from himself. He had normal, human bouts of strength and weakness and I had no trouble rooting for him, even when he felt like giving into the darkness. Mia was a troubled soul with a horrific past and the worst luck with life. EVER. Poor thing - my heart went out to her, and I'm praying she gets some happiness in the next book because after this book she should seriously be scarred for life in at least four different ways. Finn and Addie, Parker's best friends, were his lifeline to his sanity and good nature, and although I wished they could've come in on the secret a little earlier, they were there when it counted to hold Parker together when he was ready to fall apart. Finn was also the comic relief, which this semi-heavy book desperately needed at times.

Relationships: The relationships were complicated. Parker was obsessed with Mia because he could sleep in her dreams, but it wasn't anything romantic - simply a survival instinct. Parker's romantic interest was his best friend's sister, which meant she was supposed to be off-limits. But this relationship does eventually progress a little, although by the end it truly becomes the definition of the word "complicated."

Conclusion: An engaging and different read. I'm usually not much for darker content - it tends to depress me - but this book was dark enough to give me chills but still light enough not to bring me down. I will definitely be interested to read Book 2 and get some answers!

Special Announcement: I am participating in the Insomnia Blog Tour! Come back Friday for a special interview of the author herself, along with a special giveaway!

Stacking the Shelves (6/1/13)

I'm giving away an ARC of THE TESTING by Joelle Charbonneau HERE - don't miss out!

Time for another Stacking the Shelves, hosted by Tynga's Reviews, where I share the books that I've added to my shelves this week.

• Amy Falls Down by Jincy Willett (ARC - For Review) - A rare adult title. It's about a writer, so I'm definitely game to give it a try!
• A Hard Day's Knight by Simon R. Green (MMP - Purchased) - As usual, a B&N coupon and my desire to be well stocked on my favorite mindless-read series.

This Week on the Blog

Monday Review: The Testing
Tuesday Author Interview: Joelle Charbonneau (& Giveaway!)

Wednesday Waiting On Wednesday: Curtsies & Conspiracies
Friday The Friday Review (5/31/13)

So what books did you add to your shelves this week?

The Friday Review (5/31/13)

Welcome to The Friday Review, a new weekly segment where I share what I've been reading!

CURRENT READ

Transparent by Natalie Whipple (ARC)

I waited too long to review this book and therefore have to read the wonderfully light and fun book again. DARN.

PREVIOUS READ

Just Another Judgement Day by Simon R. Green (MMP)

Had a bit of a book/review burnout, so it was time for a mindless read I wouldn't have to review. My go-to series is Nightside, and what a delightfully dark and delish go-to it is.

NEXT READ

Title by The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (MMP)

I rarely know what I'll read next - it always depends on my mood. But after watching The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie for the umpteenth time this weekend, I'm starting to crave the books once more. Although I'll start with Book 1, it's Book 2, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, that's my favorite - sometimes I pull it down just to re-read the talking cow scene. ;)

So what are you reading this week?

Waiting On Wednesday: Curtsies & Conspiracies

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine, in which one spotlights an upcoming release they are eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title: Curtsies & Conspiracies (Finishing School #2)

Author: Gail Carriger

Release Date: November 5, 2013

Summary (from Goodreads):

Does one need four fully grown foxgloves for decorating a dinner table for six guests? Or is it six foxgloves to kill four fully grown guests?

Sophronia's first year at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing! For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy (won't Mumsy be surprised?). Furthermore, Sophronia got mixed up in an intrigue over a stolen device and had a cheese pie thrown at her in a most horrid display of poor manners.

Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers' quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ship's boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a school trip to London than is apparent at first. A conspiracy is afoot--one with dire implications for both supernaturals and humans. Sophronia must rely on her training to discover who is behind the dangerous plot-and survive the London Season with a full dance card.

In this sequel to bestselling author Gail Carriger's YA debut Etiquette & Espionage, class is back in session with more petticoats and poison, tea trays and treason. Gail's distinctive voice, signature humor, and lush steampunk setting are sure to be the height of fashion this season.

Why I'm Looking Forward To It: Another "what do you mean, I haven't featured this book yet?!" I absolutely adored Book the First, Etiquette & Espionage (you can find my gushing review here), and this sequel can't come quickly enough! 

So what book are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Author Interview: Joelle Charbonneau (and Giveaway!)

As promised at the end of my review of The Testing yesterday (which you can find here), the amazing Joelle Charbonneau has graced me with an interview! Read on to discover the spark that created The Testing, why Homeland Security may have her on their watch list,  the best piece of writing advice she's taken, and of course her Testing Love List!

THE AUTHOR

Joelle Charbonneau

Ms. Charbonneau's Bio

Joelle Charbonneau began telling stories as an opera singer, but these days she finds her voice through writing. She lives near Chicago with her husband and son and when she isn't writing, works as an acting and vocal coach. The Testing, a debut novel in a trilogy, is her first book for young adults.

You can find her online at any of these locations:

Website   Twitter   Goodreads

THE BOOK

The Testing (The Testing Series, Book 1)

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same? 

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career. 

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one. 

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

Again, you can find my review of this book here, 
and links to purchase The Testing are below!

Barnes & Noble   Amazon   Changing Hands


And now...
THE INTERVIEW!

1. What was the initial spark that created The Testing? (If you remember. :)

Funny, but I remember this moment really well.  I teach voice lessons.  A lot of my students are high school students who are hoping to continue studying musical theater or opera in college, so I work closely with them as they go through their college board tests, fill out their applications and get ready for their auditions.  Getting into the top colleges has gotten harder every year and two years ago, I remember telling a student that the process was more difficult than I'd ever seen it. She worried about how much worse it would get by the time the freshman she knew were seniors and I told her that I didn't believe it could get any worse.  That was the moment in which I wondered - what could be worse?  What could the tests our high school students take to get into college turn into if a society couldn't afford to pick the wrong leaders?  That's when I knew I had to write The Testing.

2. What were some of the subjects you researched for The Testing? 

OMG!  I'm hoping Homeland Security hasn't been monitoring my research or I'm on their watch list for sure.  Because my future world was shattered by chemical and biological warfare (not to mention massive natural disasters), my research made me delve into all the terrible poisons and chemicals that militaries around the world have developed into weapons.  I also did a lot of research into antidotes that could neutralize those poisons.  

3. If you were chosen for The Testing, what group would you be put in (star, heart, triangle, etc.) and why?

To be honest, I doubt I would be chosen for The Testing, but hey, stranger things have been known to happen.  As a former professional musical theater and opera performer I'm pretty sure I'd be a triangle, which is the group for the more artistic-minded people.  Which would be good because I'm not always the most mechanically inclined person around.

4. Be honest - how far do you think you'd get in The Testing? 

Um...well, I guess it depends on how they score the first round of tests.  If I did land in the triangle group, less emphasis would be given to my math and science scores.  Phew!  History, reading and writing would definitely be my strengths.  So, I'm feeling pretty confident on that curve grading scale I'd make it to round two.  That's where my confidence in my own skills end.  Especially if anything calculus-related appears.  Me and high school calculus did not get along at all!

5. What is the best piece of writing advice you've taken? 

Hmmm...I think the best writing advice I ever received was from Susan Elizabeth Phillips.  (She is an amazing lady and her comedic romances are incredibly entertaining! If you haven't read them, you should.  And if you like football you REALLY should.)  Susan told me to join Romance Writers of America...more specifically the local chapter near where I lived to which she also belonged.  I don't write romance, but joining that group was the best thing I could have ever done.  They meet twice a month and at every meeting at least one author reads 20 pages of their work aloud and is then critiqued by the attending members.  It is amazing what you can learn about your own writing from studying other people's work.  I could spot mistakes that I was making by seeing them in other stories.  Good storytelling transcends genre and I am certain I would never have gotten published had it not been for the lessons I learned from the amazing writers I was fortunate enough to associate with.

6. Joelle Charbonneau's The Testing Love List: 

• The new potato Zeen created
• Corn cakes (Creepy, I know.  But I can't help it.)
• The Transit Communicator
• Tomas's dimple  (Who doesn't love dimples?)
• The countdown clock
• "They didn't wish us luck"
• The University (which is actually based on Wichita State University)
• Stacia - who is named after my literary agent (True story...you can see her name in the dedication of the book.  She is awesome.)
• Cia's birthday present - I'll leave it to you to decide what I mean by that.

And there you have it! I want to thank Ms. Charbonneau for doing this interview for me - she took time out of her horribly busy schedule to answer my questions, and I greatly appreciate it!

THE GIVEAWAY

I was lucky to get an extra ARC of The Testing, along with some awesome swag! Enter the Rafflecopter form below for the chance to win the ARC, a bracelet, and two temporary tattoos. Good luck!

(Apologies to my international Followers, but this giveaway is U.S. only.)

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