Friday, January 28, 2011

Blogger interview- Andrainea Silverlite

We have another blogger to interview today. Her name is Andrainea Silverlite. She is a blogger who is currently working on her debut novel.She laos writes paranormal romance reviews on her blog Androlie Writes . To find out more, visit her blog http://thechosendarkness.blogspot.com





Here is her interview

TRIVIA
Favorite color- All shades of blue
Favorite author- Tough question! Right now it would have to be Caris Roane!
Favorite book- Ascension
Zodiac sign- Aquarius
Your motto- I have the perseverance to stand tall in the face of adversity!
City of your dreams- Chicago

1. When did you start blogging?
Ans. Oh dear, if I can remember! I think around 2000 or 2001.

2. What do you love about blogging?

Ans. Books mainly. However, I have been known to blog about anything that strikes my fancy!

3. Tell us about your blog.

Ans. Well, I try to find books others would be interested in. Such as Paranormal Romance novels. I know there is a large love of this genre and I try to find books most would over look.Whether it be for Kindle or paperback.

4. Would you like to read comedy, romance or science fiction/fantasy
(which of these is closest to you interests?)

Ans. Romance. However, I have been known to read a little bit of SciFi and Fantasy. -_^

5. Your favorite books, authors. -

Ans. To many to name, but here is a few off the top of my head: Ascension by Caris Roane, Dark Ecstasy by Gena Showalter, and The Dark Prince by Christine Feehan.

6. Who has inspired you the most?

Ans. A lot of authors have inspired me to actually write. I don't
know if I will ever been in the 'author' category, but they have
inspired me to do something I love. My grandmother is another person.
She has shown me I have to have grit in order to survive this world.
My father who has shown me not to take crap from others. My mother who
has shown it is okay to be a little crazy.

Thanks you so much for the interview and I hope everyone enjoyed it.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Blogger interview- Jennifer K of Clean Romance Reviews

Hello, everyone. This is the first blogger interview on Review Carnival and I am really excited. Our blogger is Jennifer who writes clean romance reviews on her blog-


TRIVIA
Favorite color- blue and brown
Favorite author- Georgette Heyer
Favorite book- wow, so hard to choose.....The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
Zodiac sign- Leo
Your motto- It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness. OR Health nuts are going to feel really silly one day, lying in a hospital, dying of nothing.
City of your dreams- Edinburg, Scotland

1. When did you start blogging?

Ans. October 2010

2. What do you love about blogging?

Ans. I love being able to share my experiences of books with others and help them find those that will interest them.

3. Tell us about your blog.

Ans. http://cleanromancereviews.blogspot.com I do book reviews on romance novels that are clean. I do modern, historic, sci-fi, fantasy, time travel, whatever - as long as it doesn't have sex, I'll review it. I like to include a favorite quote from the book, the summary, my opinion and a link to the book on Amazon. That way you can buy the book if you want, or at least see what the cover looks like if you'd prefer to try to find it at your local library.

4. Would you like to read comedy, romance or science fiction/fantasy (which of these is closest to you interests?)

Ans. ROMANCE. Anything in any other genre that has romance in it. Anything that is nothing but a romance. Anything with a hint of romance where guys and girls end up with each other.

5. Your favorite books, authors.

Ans. Books: The Grand Sophy - Georgette Heyer, Enchantment - Orson Scott Card, 12 Days of Christmas - Regina Scott, The Host - Stephenie Meyer, Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling, Fablehaven series - Brandon Mull, Wizard's First Rule - Terry Goodkind

6. Have you ever thought of writing yourself?

Ans. Yes, I am currently in the (very slow) process of writing my own novel. I hope to someday have it published, but for now, I have to finish it first.


Thank you for sharing your experiences, Jennifer. I hope you all were able to know more about the life of a blogger. See you next time!

Book review- Fess Up, Jessup by KP Wee




Fess Up, Jessup and other stories is a an ebook by KP Wee. It consists of three short stories- Fess Up, Jessup, Mission at the J and Catching Eva.

The first one describes the romantic relationship between English teacher Jessup and his twenty one-year old Korean student Hye Yeong. Jessup is not your idealistic romance novel hero, but a cunning and realistic man. The ending was very surprising and unexpected. Jessup is kicked out of the public school system because he gets a tenth grade girl pregnant.

The love between Jessup and Hye Yeong is very shallow and superficial but this is integral to the plot. He has his eyes on her family's hotel and money while she is fascinated by him, being so young. Many other characters come into the story. This one was more of a thriller with a great surprise element. It deceived me into believing that it was romance story. It suddenly changed colors in the final pages. This is a very different kind of story, one that you should give a try.

Catching Eva is the shortest and most interesting story in this book. It is also a thriller with romance elements, but it has significantly more thriller elements than Fess Up, Jess Up. It is about misunderstandings that kill people and the love of a call centre supervisor with a girl named Eva. Like the other stories, it manages to catch the reader by surprise the reader at the end.

Mission at the J was a reasonably good story, but I felt not as good as the other two.

Overall, Fess Up Jessup, is for those of you who enjoy thrillers. All of these stories start out as romances, but they are not typically romances. If you like unexpcted endings, hidden plots and surprises, Fess Up, Jess Up and other stories is a great book to read.

On thing about this book that I felt was a bit negative was its name. Fess Up, Jess Up hardly sounds like the title of a thriller novel. Catching Eva and other stories would have been a much, much better title. It sounds more intriguing.

Also, the cover art could have been better. The pencils and pencil holder don't really relate to the book so well. More aesthetics could have been used. The use of an interplay of red and black would have been especially good, since it is a thriller novel.

But the content of the book is very good and something that is very unique and one would not come across so often.

Ratings (out of 5)
Story-4.3
Characters-4
Plot-4.5
Style-3
Cover-1

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Author Interview- Renee Hand



Hello everyone, we are already on our second author interview! That is really amazing. This time, I am interviewing author Renee Hand.

Renee Hand writes because it is a passion in her heart. She is a homeschool parent and likes to create books that educate and inspire the children of today. She was born in Michigan and still lives there with her husband and two children. She has a degree in Zoology with a minor in Chemistry. Renee is the author of the amazing mystery series known as the Crypto-Capers Series that encourages children to read by incorporating several topics of interest. The reader participates into the story by solving cryptograms and puzzles to solve the case. She is also the author of the Joe-Joe Nut and Biscuit Bill Series, which focuses on animal detectives. This series is a great way to teach children about animals in a fun and interesting way that captures the reader's attention and yet fills them with knowledge they will be learning about in school. All books are great to use in a classroom setting to supplement various topics or to just enjoy. Renee is an award-winning author, receiving awards such as a Best Book Award, a National Literary Award and a Preferred Choice award for her children's series and adult books. She has just recently won a Seal of Excellence award in Storytelling for her Joe-Joe Nut and Biscuit Bill Series. She has been writing for over twenty years and when she is not spending time with her family or participating in author events, she is coaching and playing tennis, as well as doing research for her books and many other things that keep her busy. Not quite sure what a cryptogram is and want to learn more? Visit the author's website at www.reneeahand.com to learn about cryptograms and how to solve the ones that are in the books.


Here is the interview-

TRIVIA

Favorite color- Fuschia
Favorite author-Gaston Leroux
Favorite book- Mystery of the Yellow Room
Zodiac sign- Virgo
Your motto-Keep moving forward
City of your dreams-Rome

Here are the more serious ones-

1. Is the life of a writer what you imagined it to be?

Ans.Yes, and no. When I first became an author 5 years ago I thought that as soon as your book was in print that you automatically sold thousands of them. That is certainly not true. You sell thousands of them if you work your butt off, which I have throughout the years. Books don't sell themselves, thats the honest truth. It has always been a lot of hard work but I love being an author and I love talking with children about my books. It's lots of fun.

2. What genre do you write and why?

Ans. Children's. I write in this genre because I think it makes the greatest impact on children. I write mysteries and I want them to, not just be entertained, but think about what is going on and learn something about it. I am all about education.

3. Out of comedy, romance and sci-fi/fantasy, which genre are you most likely to read? (Closest to your tastes)

Ans.Suspense Romance

4. Have you ever suffered from the dreaded writer's block? How did you deal with it?

Ans. Sure, at one time or another. I deal with it by taking breaks from my work and doing other things. I like to also do research. Eventually it works itself out.


6. What kind of characters/settings do you like the most?

Ans.I like characters who are strong, not physically, but emotionally strong. I want them to be hardworking, determined, yet caring.

7. What message would you like to give your fans?

Ans. What you will find in all of my mystery books is suspense and adventure, you will also be challenged. My books are interactive and fun. They challenge the reader into thinking about what is going on and to encourage them to ask why things happen. In that you will find the truth. They are also science and history based, and the settings are real places, which enhance the experience.




To know more about her and her wonderful books, visit- www.reneeahand.com
http://thecryptocapersseries.blogspot.com

Monday, January 24, 2011

Author Interview- Ottilie Weber




It is January 2011 now and I decided to start the year by doing something good- promoting authors and bloggers and their websites. So here is the first author who answered the interview questions- Ottilie Weber. Review Carnival is really thankful to her for taking out time to talk to us.

In a fantastical land where the weather is always changing, not too far from the beach and the moon is high in a freckling sky Ottilie lives. This land is call New Jersey where she has lived her whole life and she mostly grew up in Wall Township. Ottilie is currently studying History Education at The College of New Jersey. Writing helps as a procrastination tool and a savior to her sanity. Ottilie has major support from her caring, supportive family along with her loveable, insane friends.



Here is about her new book End of The Line

Asteroids came crushing down at Earth at unbelievable speeds, killing off most of the world as a group of six children ranging from six to seventeen stick together to survive lead by Lauren and Aaron. Even though the two didn’t know each other at school they stay together to find food, shelter, and cover from Dean Manson, a free man from prison who seeks revenge on Aaron. As the two try to stay alive, and hide from this powerful man, many things come their way, starvation, illness and even falling in love with each other as the two try their best to deny it. It is when Dean Manson finally figures out how to get back at Aaron is their emotions finally clear...



Family Ties (coming out April 2011, don't have a cover yet)

Abby was raised with not nursery rhythms by Mother Goose, Fairy Tales, or Asepses Fables, but narratives of her Great Grandmother, Emma. Emma has the dream life that got past down to the family as a story or so Abby thought. During one of the hottest summers in a long time in New Jersey Abby and her best friend Cory are working at a restaurant in town while their peers go to the beach to have fun. All the two do is work and Abby keeps thinking she rather be doing something bigger then her town and be out of the sight of her overprotective family. Abby learns after she is kidnapped that she has to be careful for what she wishes for, because it might come in a form she may not be expecting…


TRIVIA

Favorite color- Purple! Purple has probably been the top color for years, but Green and Blue aren’t far behind!

Favorite author- Ah!! Only one?! Uh…Laura Faria Stolarz

Favorite book/books- Haha wow yikes where to begin, Project 17, Tithe, This Lullaby, Deception Point just to name a few….

Zodiac sign- Sagittarius!!

Place of your dreams- The beach, I don’t care if it sunny or if it is night, the beach is ever calming to me. It is beautiful and I just love it.

Your motto- As long as you are yourself, what does it matter to others.



The serious questions



1. Is the life of a writer as you imagined it to be?

Ans. Yes and no. I knew there would be a lot of waiting, which is another reason I wanted to start young. I never really thought out the marketing part (the naïve part of me!) so that was a little more of a slap of reality then anything else. Otherwise the writing part is fun and I am meeting some other fun authors who are giving me so advice. I have loved the people I’ve been talking to so it helps. Sometimes school gets in the way of writing, but that had to come in mind when I’m still in college.

2. What genre do you write and why?

Ans. I write for Young Adults, but I wrote just about most of my writing when I was in High School myself and I could relate, because that’s what I was going through. I’m in college, publishing those works and still writing new ones because I love the situations, the characters, and the all around spunk and growth that the characters makes the genre so much fun to write.

3. What inspires you the most?

Ans. People, love, random situations all help me want to write. I enjoy the ability to get my overactive imagination to run free.

4. What kind of characters/settings do you like?

Ans. Fun spunky characters, those are different from each other and their interactions! Call it my inner Sagittarius, but the fire characters is probably more fun the writing the plot at times. Settings that can be fun for me, beach, I try not to shove it down everyone’s throat in all my stories, but it’s in some.

5. As a reader, would you prefer to read comedy, romance or sci-fi/fantasy? (The one which is the closest to your interests).

Ans.I like to read a little of everything. I like to read stuff that has a little wit in them, and a little romance I’m pretty good. I read fantasy, sci-fi, fairy tales redone, suspense; I’m pretty willing to read almost everything.



6. Have you ever suffered the dreaded writer's block? How do you deal with it?

Ans.I have and probably will deal with that vial thing forever, I really don’t think there is a way for a person to avoid it and have a creative passion. I have started over 30 stories, so I have to hope if I have a road block with one story that I can hopefully work on another one. Sometimes watching “Shakespeare in Love” or “Alex and Emma” help get the creative juices flowing or reading makes me want to write myself.



7. What message would you like to give you fans?

Ans. Never give up on your dreams, if they mean something to you the dream matters so you should fight for them. That love and hope are key factors in life and will take you far with what you have in store with your future.

You can find more information about her at: http://ottilieweber.blogspot.com


Thanks again to Ottilie and hope you enjoyed the interview.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Inviting all authors/bloggers for interview




Hello everyone,

Review Carnival is sponsoring a grand scheme wherby we will post the interview of every author/blogger who answers the following questions satisfactorily and e-mails the answers to elementswater13@yahoo.com. Traditionally published authors of all genres are welcome. Please attach your photo, bio, links you would like to be included in the post and photo of your book covers (at least 1) with the answers.

All bloggers who review books are welcome too. I might also consider those who write blogs related to beauty or fashion or review fashion products. Bloggers please include link to your blog, photo of you (optional), a pic of your blog (required) and your e-mail ID along with the answers to the questions for bloggers.


Everyone PLEASE include your E-MAIL and PLEASE FOLLOW ME ON Google Connect to validate your entries. Thank you.

Here are the questions for AUTHORS

Favorite color-
Favorite author-
Favorite book-
Zodiac sign-
Your motto-
City of your dreams-

Here are the more serious ones-

1. Is the life of a writer what you imagined it to be?

2. What genre do you write and why?

3. Out of comedy, romance and sci-fi/fantasy, which genre are you most likely to read? (Closest to your tastes)

4. Have you ever suffered from the dreaded writer's block? How did you deal with it?

6. What kind of characters/settings do you like the most?

7. What message would you like to give your fans?

Here are the questions for BLOGGERS

Favorite color-
Favorite author-
Favorite book-
Zodiac sign-
Your motto-
City of your dreams-

1. When did you start blogging?

2. What do you love about blogging?

3. Tell us about your blog.

4. Would you like to read comedy, romance or science fiction/fantasy (which of these is closest to you interests?)

5. Your favorite books, authors.

6. Make a question up yourself and answer it.

Again, please e-mail your answers to elementswater13@yahoo.com.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Book review- Lady Sophia's Lover by Lisa Kleypas


It's been a long time since the last book was reviewed on Review Carnival. I have recently started reading more of Lisa Kleypas. I already read and reviewed her book Someone to Watch over me which is the first book in the Bow Street Runner series. Lady Sophia's Lover is the next book of the series. It depicts the love relationship between Sir Ross- the chief majistrate of Bow Street and Sophia- a viscount's daughter who is poor and comes to work for him.

Their attraction is apparent from the very first page. This book was even better than Someone to Watch over me. The love is more well-rounded. There are also many thriller elements in this book like the previous one and it gets very intersting towards the end. Sir Ross is more like a conventional romance novel hero- rich, good looks, aristocratic family, noble blood, macho than Morgan Grant from Someone to Watch Over Me which made this more generic. But apart from that, this was another wonderful novel in the Bow Street Runner series. I already started reading the last book Worth Any Price and it looks interesting.

Rating

Plot-4.2
Characters-3.9
Story-4
Style- 4.5

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Jpop Review- Wedding Songs


I decided to another random jpop songs review. This time it'll be wedding songs.


Can you celebrate?
A multi-million selling hit wedding song by jpop queen Namie Amuro is a gospel wedding ballad. Namie Amuro's vocals do not shine but carry off the song pretty well. It is composed by Tetsuya Komuro and like most of his ballads features backing vocals and has a gospel and R&B feel to it. It is a pleasant song and can be heard many times. What doesn't make sense to me is the lyrics. Sometimes lyrics of TK songs are bizarre. It was the theme to the hit drama Virgin Road.
4.5/5


Wedding Bell
This is a song by the famous jpop kawaii duo Puffy. It starts with gospel style back vocals and progresses to a kawaii pop tune. Puffy sings it well. The song is quite unique for a wedding song. A variety of unique instruments back the song. Puffy sand a duet with SMAP. I heard that version and fell in love with the song.
4.6/5


Everything
Sung by Misia, Everything was the theme to Yamato Nadeshiko which I reviewed earlier. It has the wintry, wedding song feel although it technically cannot be called a wedding song. It sold over million copies and with reason. Misia belts her heart out in this powerful ballad. From the very first word, the listener knows this song is something special. It is the second highest selling single by a female singer the first being Can You Celebrate?
4.7/5


Say Yes

Say Yes by jpop duo Chage and Aska seems to be the most popular wedding song in Japan (it is the highest selling). It was the theme song of the drama 101st marriage proposal which was a romantic drama with an incredibly high viewership. Say Yes is the song that gave the drama its special touch. Say Yes is one of the best jpop songs ever recorded and one of the best selling too. It is definitely Chage and Aska at their best. It sounds like a wedding song with bells and chimes. The melody is strong and the vocals are good. Defintely one of the best wedding songs in the world.
4.8/5


Love Love Love
Sung by DCT, it remains one of the most popular wedding songs. It starts peacefully with interesting instruments and carries on peacefully until it reaches its climax near the end with back vocals at their loudest and Miwa belting. It is quite a pleasant song which was the theme to Aishiteru to itte kure. DCT did a duet with BOA on Bokura no Ongaku. It has a wintry feel. The lyrics are simple but meaningful.
4.5/5


Kimi wo Sagashiteta ~The Wedding Song~
Keeping to Chemistry's style, Kimi wo Sagashiteta is a gospel wedding ballad accompanied by Chemistry's masculine vocals. The song keeps rising in power and volume as it proceeds. Back vocals are prominent in the song. It is a classic but enjoyable wedding song.
Note- The video embeded is not the official MV.
4.4/5


One Love
It became a hit single for Arashi. It was featured in HYD - The movie. One Love is an uptempo wedding song that is special because it holds meaning in the context of HYD. Instruments used in One Love are unique and the theme and PV are nice. The only thing that is not perfect in this song is Arashi's vocals which seems shallow at times.
Note- Video is not the official MV.
4.5/5