Showing posts with label Fated. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fated. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

BLOG TOUR #66 - SHADOWED by SARAH ALDERSON






















Welcome to our stop of the SHADOWED blog tour for Sarah Alderson.  Today, Sarah is sharing with us her playlist for Shadowed and a few thoughts to go along with each.  Huge thank you to Sarah for sharing this with us :)


FROM SARAH ALDERSON........


The playlist I put together for this book still has the power to make me cry whenever I listen to it. It’s my all time favourite playlist.



As soon as I hear the opening bars to Angus and Julia Stone’s ‘All of Me’ my gut wrenches. It’s the most perfect song to start the book, which picks up about eight weeks after the end of Severed and it’s all from Evie’s point of view. She’s heartbroken and in pieces. This song and the ones that follow, like ‘Under your Spell’ by Desire, perfectly evoke what she is going through.
 





‘Will I make it through another day?... I survive on the memory of you.’
 



La Roux appeared on the Hunting Lila soundtrack and I had to include ‘In for the Kill’ for the first major fight scene between Evie, Risper and Ash and the new army of unhumans taking over LA. Evie is really working out some of her ‘issues’ in these fight scenes. Like the tagline of the book suggests, the way through might be closed but that doesn’t mean she’s got closure.



SPOILER! The fight ends with a really big twist and the return of a major character. “Wizbot” by Sea of Bees is the song that I felt summed up this particular character’s feelings about Evie and his state of mind at that point in time.



“Disappearing World” by Fair is all about the world as they know it disappearing which it is. Unhumans are running rampage throughout LA killing people and things are escalating out of control. The Rogue Hunters are struggling to control the deluge and mount any kind of defense against The Originals.



Lykke Li is an amazing vocalist. Her song “Tonight” is the song that plays in the attic above the bookstore after Evie flees the hospital. It’s my favourite scene in the whole entire book. I really lived that scene, every tiny emotion between all the characters, what every single word and movement meant to each of them. It was so hard because I felt so much for all of them and I really hurt for each of them too. That was a hard scene to write. But this song could be listened to from each of their perspectives.


Ellie Goulding’s “Guns & Horses” is the song I imagine playing at the end of the final fight scene, when Evie sees something she really doesn’t expect to see. And she wishes she could erase the pain she’s caused and take it all away but it’s too late.



“No Rest” by Dry the River, one of my favourite bands. This track for me sums up perfectly the penultimate chapter, especially the lyric ‘I loved you in the best way possible.’ But I’m not going to say who is thinking it about whom as it will give away what happens in the book!




If you want to listen to the songs as you read, then here’s the playlist on Spotify.

ENJOY!
MARISSA 

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

BOOK REVIEW: 4.5 Stars for FATED by SARAH ALDERSON

Title:    FATED
Author:  SARAH ALDERSON
Publisher:   Simon & Schuster
Release Date:  February 2012 (Australia)
Format:  Paperback, 312 pages

Acquired:  For review from Publisher

RATING:   4.5 ENTERTAINING UNHUMAN STARS!

GOODREADS DESCRIPTION:

What happens when you discover you aren't who you thought you were? And that the person you love is the person who will betray you? If your fate is already determined, can you fight it?

When Evie Tremain discovers that she’s the last in a long line of Demon slayers and that she’s being hunted by an elite band of assassins –Shapeshifters, Vampires and Mixen demons amongst them – she knows she can’t run. They’ll find her wherever she goes. Instead she must learn to stand and fight.

But when the half-human, half-Shadow Warrior Lucas Gray - is sent to spy on Evie and then ordered to kill her before she can fulfil a dangerous prophecy, their fates become inextricably linked. The war that has raged for one thousand years between humans and demons is about to reach a devastating and inevitable conclusion. Either one or both of them will die before this war ends.

If your life becomes bound to another’s, what will it take to sever it?

REVIEW:
Having read and LOVED Sarah Alderson's debut novel Hunting Lila - I was excited to get my hands on Fated - Sarah's book 1 of her second series. Thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia for the copy!

FATED is a very enjoyable, entertaining and easy to read novel.  We are introduced to Evie Tremain who has recently found out she is the only Demon Hunter left in her family's bloodline. She has the ability to be a very powerful one - but must make her first demon kill so her powers kick in! Horrid thought that....seeing as she didn't even know that demons - unhumans - existed!

Evie is a very likable lead character. She's pretty down to earth. Had a really crappy time of it lately so her trust level is pretty low.  She doesn't feel sorry for herself - just wants to get on with life and move out of her sleepy town and start fresh.  But then her mother takes in a new boarder....Lucas Gray. There's just something about him that gets her intrigued and wanting more.

Lucas Gray is half Shadow Warrior half human. His parents mingled the bloodline and he was born out of it.  He has terrific skill and also rather dashing!  He has been given the task of killing the new Demon Hunter Evie.  But to do so, he needs to get close to her......which leads to complications he was not prepared for. Neither was Evie!

The romance between Lucas and Evie grows at a nice pace throughout the book. There are no forced or sudden declarations of love .... it is at a believable rate!!  No love triangles here thanks!

From demon hunters and shadow warriors, to vampires, mixens and shapeshifters.....Sarah has given us quite an eclectic mix of powerful humans and unhumans.  What she also gives us are second tier characters that attract just as much interest as the leads do.  Each character I found to be interesting and enjoyed the interaction with each.

There is a whole lot more to come in the sequel and I will be among many, I am sure, that will be super excited for it's release!

Sarah is a great author and also a very lovely person.  Click on the link to check out a fun interview I had with her recently during the Australian Fated Blog Tour.

ENJOY!
MARISSA










Wednesday, January 25, 2012

FATED by Sarah Alderson AUSTRALIAN BLOG TOUR





Welcome again Sarah to Novels On The Run.  Thanks for taking time to answer my questions and hopefully have a little fun on the way!

Today we are the second stop over for the Sarah Alderson – Fated Blog Tour…..WOOT HOO!  Todays interview theme is Choosing Your Own Fate.  Now for those that have read FAQ’s on Sarah, you will know that there is probably not much in her life that she would need to change….well not if I was her!

Many of us grow through childhood wanting to be one thing and turning out to be something else. Was there a career path or family legacy that was expected of you to follow or that was prominent within your family? If so, did you follow in that direction at any stage?

No, my parents never pushed me towards one thing or another, they've always let my brother and I follow our hearts. But I went to the kind of school which didn't provide much in the way of inspiration or ideas beyond becoming a lawyer or doctor. For a while I thought I would become a lawyer but then after university I temped in the private sector and utterly loathed it. I got fired by Accenture (probably the best thing that ever happened to me) and then I decided I needed to work in the non profit sector. It fit my values a lot more. I worked in that sector for 9 years - it was so creative and fun and filled with passionate people all wanting to make the world a better place - I loved it. 

Do you feel you were “fated” to be an author?

It never even crossed my mind to be a writer. And then one day BAM. Just like that the idea came to me and I just knew, once I started, that I could never stop and that I could never do anything else again and be as happy. It's my passion. It's not a job. It's not even work. I love it. And I realise how lucky I am to have discovered that. But I do think that having lived a fair bit and travelled and experienced lots of different jobs makes me a better writer now. I don't think I would have been so good ten years ago. It came at the right time. Is that fate? I think so.

In FATED, Evie is the last in a long line of demon slayers…… she can’t change that fact…..but she can change how she uses this. Do you personally believe that everyone has a distinct fate already mapped out?  Is it just a matter of deciding how your fate will play out even if the outcome is the same?

This is how I imagine it is; we're all sticks on a river and fate's trying to pull us down a particular stream, but sometimes we pull against the current and sometimes we sit and hang out in little cove doing nothing, maybe because we're scared of the rapids up ahead. Other times we take the route that other people pull us down because it looks like that's the path we should be on too or because someone (teachers, parents, friends) tell us it's the only way to go. So we have choice in our lives for sure. But if we sticks listen to our instincts and trust them then we'll end up on the right course, and we'll arrive at the place we're meant to be and life will ROCK! that's my experience anyway. You need courage and commitment to take that path though. That's the deal. (Did you like my little analogy? Deepak Chopra move over right?) 



Now, I thought we could take the interview to a relatively simple (yet I hope fun!) level!!
When I was asked to do a Choose Your Own Fate themed interview, what instantly came to mind was the old Choose Your Own Adventure tales.  So I would love it if you could choose answers to the following questions……which will give us a quirky little short story at the end!!

         Fate has decided the following for you:
           a)      You’re the only one who can save mankind
          b)      You are destined to be with one individual but desire another
           c)      All alone with your cats for company!
          d)      You live a long and uneventful life
          e)      After losing your parents in a house fire, your dog being hit by a car, your best friend having an affair  with your boyfriend, the small town gossip following you everywhere……

     Sarah’s Answer =   a and e) cos that makes a good story ;)

       You decided to sell all your worldly possessions and move to:
           a)      A cabin nestled in the trees around Lake Tahoe
           b)      A villa looking out over the sun drenched beaches of Western Australia
           c)      A cave house built into the cliffs overlooking the Aegean Sea
           d)      Take refuge and solace in Deception Valley (Kalahari Desert)
           e)      Travel back in time to be a senior in high school and have a rocking awesome time!!

Sarah’s Answer  =  b - My next move is going to be to somewhere close to the ocean

          What is your special skill/ability/paranormal affliction!:
           a)      Just plain normal human
           b)      Shape Shifter
           c)      Super speed
          d)      Telekinetic
          e)      X-ray vision
          f)       Energy Conductor
         g)      High school cheerleader with lethal pom poms!
         h)      See the future

           Sarah’s Answer  =  Shapeshifter who is also telekinetic.


         Love……..
          a)      Just the two of us no decisions required
         b)      Triangle
         c)      Square – I like lots of choices!!
         d)      No thanks too busy saving the world!
         e)      Just me and my cats thanks!

      Sarah’s Answer  =  can it be 8-sided? (with all my male characters please!)

        Money…..
        a)      Grows on trees in my backyard!
        b)      Barter systems rock!
         c)      Would love it…..just don’t have it
        d)      Average wage for a normal days work
     e)    Super heroes have no need for money! (We get TV endorsements and book deals!)

Sarah’s Answer = Barter systems rock!

         You decide to change fate by doing this:
         a)      Place a “wanted” ad in the paper for more “super heroes” to join forces
         b)      Move to another destination and try again
          c)      Get rid of your cats and try internet dating
         d)      Write up your ultimate bucket list and live life on the edge!

 Sarah’s Answer  =  b) because I love to travel and d) cos I've done that too



So to sum up we know this of fictional Sarah Alderson……….

After losing her parents in a house fire, her dog being hit by a car, her best friend having an affair with her boyfriend and the small town gossip following her everywhere (stalkers are so annoying!), Sarah admits to being the only one who can save mankind – geez, much pressure?!
Sarah is a telekinetic shapeshifter who just needs a long holiday and break from reality.  So she packs up, sells her belongings and moves to a villa looking out over the sun drenched beaches of Western Australia with her 8 men in her love octagon – choices are a good thing!
Living in an “alternative” village, Sarah and her man candy live off the land and barter their wares for the staples of life – wine, cheese and French sticks!
After living it up and still finding no meaning to her life, Sarah writes her bucket list for life, leaves the lads and the beach behind her in search of another destination and another new beginning.
Where she goes, is anyones guess.  What she looks like when gets there will also be a mystery. At least she won’t have to physically carry her own bags around!

THANKS SO MUCH SARAH FOR INCLUDING NOVELS ON THE RUN IN YOUR FATED BLOG TOUR!

FATED by Sarah Alderson is a fantastic read.  I urge you all to get your hands on a copy and read, read, read!

ENJOY!
MARISSA


Check out the schedule if you haven't already seen it:
24th January: Words on Paper - First Chapter Hosting
25th January: Novels on the Run - If you could control your Fate themed interview
26th January: Shiirleyy's Bookshelf - Video review
27th January: Tales of the Inner Book Fanatic – Fated Top Trumps and Fated Cast Battle Off
28th January: She Known as Jess - Grazia-esque magazine interview with the Fated cast
29th January: Read Me, Bookmark Me, Love Me Giveaway - 5 copies of Lila and Fated with posters!
30st January: Book Probe Reviews - Host video message to Aussie fans from Sarah
31st January: Sarah Alderson live facebook chat on Read Me Love Me Share Me
1st Feb: Eleusinian Mysteries - Evie and Lucas Q&A
2nd Feb: The Rest is Still Unwritten - Wise words interview from Sarah.

Saturday, December 31, 2011

MEET & GREET WITH SARAH ALDERSON



SARAH ALDERSON
AUTHOR OF
HUNTING LILA
&
FATED




Yesterday (30th December 2011) I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Sarah Alderson, author of Hunting Lila and soon to be released Fated, in Perth Western Australia.
WOW! Sarah is such an awesome and lovely gal.


Cherry & Rhubarb Pudding!
A few Perth book bloggers and fan met up at The Greenhouse Cafe Perth for some beverages and pretty amazing desserts!


We all sat around and chatted all things Lila and Fated.... plus all our own fave books, best reads for the year and book flops!  It was enjoyable, casual and Sarah is so easy going.  It still amazes me to see authors in awe!  We all sat there in awe that we were meeting Sarah - and yet she was in awe of us....being people that had read her book, loved it and wanted to meet her!!! And of course Sarah signed our Hunting Lila books - woot hoo!


My Book signed!!

The "Hunting Lila" fans out there will be pleased to know that "Losing Lila" (book2) is in edits at the moment and Sarah is so happy with the book. We all are anxious for its release and Sarah says there is lots for action in Losing Lila.
Marissa & Sarah!

Cheers to you Sarah for being so great and writing Hunting Lila.  Super excited to know that come Monday my review copy of Fated will be in my hands and getting an optical work out!!!  So keep you eyes on the blog for my review which will be very soon!!



For those that haven't read Hunting Lila.....bump it up your TBR list, get a copy and enjoy! Check out Sarah's site for more about herself and her books! http://www.sarahalderson.com/

Special thanks to Caroline at Simon & Schuster Australia who is an awesome publicist and organised the meet and greet with Sarah.

ENJOY!
MARISSA

FATED
Release Date:  5th January 2011
What happens when you discover you aren’t who you thought you were? And that the person you love is the person who will betray you? If your fate is already determined, can you fight it?
When Evie Tremain discovers that she’s the last in a long line of Demon slayers and that she’s being hunted by an elite band of assassins – Shapeshifters, Vampires and Mixen demons amongst them – she knows she can’t run. They’ll find her wherever she goes. Instead she must learn to stand and fight.
But when the half-human, half-Shadow Warrior Lucas Gray – is sent to spy on Evie and then ordered to kill her before she can fulfil a dangerous prophecy, their fates become inextricably linked. The war that has raged for one thousand years between humans and demons is about to reach a devastating and inevitable conclusion. Either one or both of them will die before this war ends.
If your life becomes bound to another’s, what will it take to sever it?


HUNTING LILA
OUT NOW!
17-year-old Lila has two secrets she’s prepared to take to the grave. The first is that she can move things just by looking at them. The second is that she’s been in love with her brother’s best friend, Alex, since forever. Or thereabouts. After a mugging on the streets of South London goes horribly wrong and exposes her unique ability, Lila decides to run to the only people she can trust – her brother and Alex. They live in Southern California where they work for a secret organisation called The Unit, and Lila discovers that the two of them are hunting down the men who murdered her mother five years before. And that they’ve found them. Trying to uncover the truth of why her mother was killed, and the real remit of The Unit, Lila becomes a pawn in a dangerous game. Struggling to keep her secrets in a world where nothing and no one is quite as they seem, Lila quickly realises that she is not alone – there are others out there just like her, people with special powers – and her mother’s killer is one of them…

Monday, November 7, 2011

RANDOM POST #37 - FATED by SARAH ALDERSON

For those that have read Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson....... you might just be as excited as I am that her new book FATED is due for release 5th January 2012......not long to go!!!

Below is the cover and synopsis....keep your eyes out for this one. I'm sure it will be a success for Sarah just as Hunting Lila has been.

FATED
by
SARAH ALDERSON

What happens when you discover you aren’t who you thought you were? And that the person you love is the person who will betray you? If your fate is already determined, can you fight it? 

When Evie Tremain discovers that she’s the last in a long line of Demon slayers and that she’s being hunted by an elite band of assassins – Shapeshifters, Vampires and Mixen demons amongst them – she knows she can’t run. They’ll find her wherever she goes. Instead she must learn to stand and fight. 

But when the half-human, half-Shadow Warrior Lucas Gray – is sent to spy on Evie and then ordered to kill her before she can fulfil a dangerous prophecy, their fates become inextricably linked. The war that has raged for one thousand years between humans and demons is about to reach a devastating and inevitable conclusion. Either one or both of them will die before this war ends. 

If your life becomes bound to another’s, what will it take to sever it?

ENJOY!
MARISSA