Cassie Jayne Bishop grew up in the sleepy town of New Salem, NC, the only non-believer in the tradition and power of the town Coven. When a stranger comes to New Salem, everything she thought was normal about her life unravels around her. Ethan makes her question everything, even her sister's death in a car crash years ago. As Cassie discovers the full truth about her heritage, and the clues start to pile up, she becomes determined to find out if the Coven was actually involved in her sister's death. What she uncovers terrifies her.
Her fate lies at the very heart of the secret the Coven protects. It's the reason she was born. Now, betrayed on every side, can she find a way to survive or will she be the catalyst that triggers a centuries old act of vengeance.
Review:
I'm always a little hesitant with witch stories. They're kind of like faeries for me, just not quite intriguing enough. The Promise, however, definitely managed to grip me. Baker has an interesting writing style that feels very natural and her characters really pop. She gives each of them very distinct voices.
Cassie, of CJ as she's also called, is spunky and not the sit back and wait kind of heroine. She is determined to figure out what is going on in the town and how her sister's death is related to it. She does make some silly decisions, but they come across as understandable because she's acting like the teenager she is. The romance with Ethan is spicy and there are some steamy scenes with the two, which only help show how Cassie is completely in over her head with the romance and the effects it has on her reasoning skills.
The mystery at the heart of The Promise is slow to build, and Baker does an amazing job of revealing clues along the way at a nice pace. It kept me wondering every page, thinking something is too obvious and then not at all, so much so that when I finally got to the end I was still surprised by who is doing what and why.
You can also check out my interview with Apryl Baker here.
Eden Newman must mate before her 18th birthday in six months or she'll be left outside to die in a burning world. But who will pick up her mate-option when she's cursed with white skin and a tragically low mate-rate of 15%? In a post-apocalyptic, totalitarian, underground world where class and beauty are defined by resistance to an overheated environment, Eden's coloring brands her as a member of the lowest class, a weak and ugly Pearl. If only she can mate with a dark-skinned Coal from the ruling class, she'll be safe. Just maybe one Coal sees the Real Eden and will be her salvation her co-worker Jamal has begun secretly dating her. But when Eden unwittingly compromises her father's secret biological experiment, she finds herself in the eye of a storm and thrown into the last area of rainforest, a strange and dangerous land. Eden must fight to save her father, who may be humanity's last hope, while standing up to a powerful beast-man she believes is her enemy, despite her overwhelming attraction. Eden must change to survive but only if she can redefine her ideas of beauty and of love, along with a little help from her "adopted aunt" Emily Dickinson.
Review:
What? What?! How can I even start? There are so many things about this book that are just completely - Argh! I can't even think of how to describe it.
Revealing Eden starts off with a fairly interesting premise. Radiation is permeating the ozone and has managed to kill of the majority of fair skinned people. Survivors live under ground in a society based on a racial class system with white people at the bottom and black people at the top. Definitely a twist on racial issues I could find new and interesting. Then the author names the whites as 'Pearls'. Yes, Pearls. You know those rare and precious stones? What a horrible name for them. How atrocious. I'm white and I don't think being called a pearl would offend me. And trust me I've been called racist names before. What's even worse is that the first racist comment of the book actually comes from Eden, our Pearl protagonist.
I could have still gone along with the story if it had some kind of focus. What starts as a dystopian, takes an abrupt turn into Fantasy, as one of the characters undergoes a procedure to turn himself into a jaguar hybrid. The story moves out of the combs of their racial society and into the rainforest, where it then becomes a mesh of South/Central American mythology and environmentalist preaching.
On top of this is the total lack of a likeable, coherent main character. Eden is whiny, selfish, racist, self hating and all round bit*h. She is constantly flip flopping between pitying herself, hating herself and hating everyone else. She's a completely unlikable character. I didn't buy into anything she felt that was not negative. Her father is completely oblivious to her and couldn't care a bit about her in any capacity other than how she can help him in his scientific discoveries, yet there is a moment when Eden believes she is about to die that she decides he does care for her and she's been a fool to not see it. What? Like when she nearly drown and he told her it was an inconvenience, or when he chose his research over her life, while she had a gun pressed to her head? But wait! When she comes back alive, he does seem to care, so much he might even shed a tear! There was another moment when she decided she was wrong about her treatment of Bramford, the lead male of the story, simply because she put on a pretty dress, then moments later decides to try escaping him, because she hates him.
Bramford is at least interesting, and I wish the book had actually been told from his perspective. He makes some radical life changing decisions and has a past that makes his choices even more powerful. He's honestly the most human character and it's pretty obvious from the first scene with him that he's meant to be Eden's love interest despite her prejudice and constant hate filled words.
The love story angle is even more What?! One moment Eden can't stand Bramford, then he turns into a half human, half jaguar and she spends the rest of the book lusting after him, breathing heavy, squeezing her thighs, groaning and moaning. I thought it was about to turn into a porn or something. If she wasn't panting then she was blaming him for everything wrong with her life. Then just as suddenly she loves him. But wait! He loves someone else. So, how does Eden treat this person she claims to love? She tricks him into sharing painful details of the woman he loved and then uses them to hurt him. Deliberately. Of course, she kindly lets the reader know every few pages that he is a beast, a selfish beast, so she must be justified, right? Of course, because she's a horrible dirty Pearl, while he's a precious Coal.
I'm really sad to say that I spent about five days reading this, when I could have been doing anything else. I'd only recommend this for fantasy readers not offended by the idea of human/animal relations.
It's all she's ever wanted to be, but it couldn't be further from her grasp...
Dana Hathaway doesn't know it yet, but shes in big trouble. When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides shes had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl, she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.
Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she'll never have a chance with...until she does. Caught between two worlds, Dana isn't sure where she'll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again.
Review:
I have to admit, it's been a while since I read this book, and I can't remember a lot of specific things that made me give it a 3 originally over on Goodreads. What I do remember is that I was attempting to read it at the same time as another book that just seemed to drag on forever. Which incidentally I also rated a 3. I'm changing my stance on this one. I'd go 3.5, because I definitely found it better than that other book I won't name here.
Faeries aren't really my thing. I don't know what it is, but I just haven't been able to really get behind them. Although I am reading a piece right now that is being work shopped over at thenextbigwriter.com that is absolutely hilarious. What did draw me into Glimmerglass was the cover. I absolutely love it. Now, I've been sucked in by covers before, but here I really do think the cover suits the story, no matter if I was vaguely dissatisfied with the writing.
The world building was actually really well done. I had no trouble visualizing Avalon and I love how it is developed as an actual place that has not only Faerie laws but also a human government element controlling the boarders. Things made sense there even if there was a touch of magic. It didn't feel like some fairy tale land, but rather an alternate world that exists with rules that are logical.
Dana comes across as pretty selfish and annoying at first, but she did grow on me. I can remember being really frustrated with her instant attraction to Ethan and that she is quick to judge others despite being a horrible judge of character.
Ethan seems like the extra slick guy, and he is, but halfway through the book he turns kind of creepy by using magic to calm Dana into submission during a make out session. The saving grace of the situation - Dana flips and actually starts to respond in a sensible, normal way. Ethan's a bit less appealing than that, but since he's introduced way before the two other attractive guys that pop up in Dana's new world. Ethan's sister Kimber was plain annoying at first, even more judgmental than Dana, but once we get some back story on her, she becomes very likable.
There were a few nagging things for me. Like how Dana was constantly sleeping. It seemed like every time I turned the page she was just waking up or going back to bed. I wanted to tell the author that it's okay to imply that a day or even two had passed. And it was a bit bothersome how easily Dana's affections strayed. But that is typical of a teenage girl, particularly one who is completely surrounded by hot, HOT guys.
I have to say that I loved the idea of a Faeriewalker. Being a non-Faerie reader I don't know how original that concept is, but I loved how Black described it and what Faeriewalkers can actually see that is different.
I'm not sure if I ever realized that this was the first in a series. Maybe because I forgot to look, but it was actually the cover of the sequel that made me realize it. I am planning on reading the second book Shadowspell (now that I'm aware of it) and I hope that it sticks with me a bit better than Glimmerglass.
The blacksmith would marry her.
The woodcutter would run away with her.
The werewolf would turn her into one of its own.
Valerie's sister was beautiful, kind, and sweet. Now she is dead. Henry, the handsome son of the blacksmith, tries to console Valerie, but her wild heart beats fast for another: the outcast woodcutter, Peter, who offers Valerie another life far from home.
After her sister's violent death, Valerie's world begins to spiral out of control. For generations, the Wolf has been kept at bay with a monthly sacrifice. But now no one is safe. When an expert Wolf hunter arrives, the villagers learn that the creature lives among them--it could be anyone in town.
It soon becomes clear that Valerie is the only one who can hear the voice of the creature. The Wolf says she must surrender herself before the blood moon wanes...or everyone she loves will die.
Review:
When I picked this up, I was doing so under the impression that the movie starring Amanda Seyfried was based on Blakey-Cartwright's book. Not so. Apparently director Catherine Hardwick came up with the idea of turning it into a book during production. Prior to knowing this, I actually enjoyed the book and what I had assumed was an alternative ending. Now that I know this I feel very let down.
The characters were interesting, and it was nice to get inside Valerie's head a bit more. I enjoyed the movie, and thought it was fairly well done. A bit Twilighty, but decent. Valerie's character in the book comes across a bit more selfish and wishy-washy as far as her affections went. Henry was also a bit more developed than he was in the movie and I actually could see why Valerie might have wavered, especially considering how in the book Peter has been absent for years, only showing up right before the wolf attacks the first night.
The slight differences in the beginning of the book were nice, making it at least feel like I was getting something new out of it. The minor differences between the movie and book pop up often enough that it kept me read, if only to find out what else would be changed. Which leads me to the ending. Or what I thought was the ending. Apparently, the library book I borrowed was one of those printed before the movie released, and was published with the ending missing. On purpose. Yeah. So while I thought the author had deliberately left things hanging with a mystery or at least a suspicion that Peter was the wolf, what really happened was the publisher decided to work with the movie production company and not release the last chapter(s) until the movie came out. It totally ruined the book for me. I mean what a way to give in to the movie industry and sacrifice your story for a few extra movie tickets.
If you've seen the movie, then skip this one. At least that way you'll get the actual ending.
I am thrilled to be interviewing the author of The Promise, Apryl Baker. I have known Apryl for over two years and I absolutely love her writing style! The Promise is her debut novel with Black Matrix Publishing.
Can you tell us what The Promise is about in a single sentence?
Armed with kick-ass shoes, can CJ stop a maniacal coven leader, save the town, and still get Mr. Melt In Your Mouth Gorgeous while surviving the darkness coming for her?
Can you tell us a bit more about The Promise and how it came about?
I call The Promise my Post-It Note idea. I was driving home from work and listening to Theory of A Dead Man’s Not Meant to Be. I passed this little community called New Salem and the image of a girl sitting beside a gravestone popped into my head. I couldn’t shake it so when I got home, I jotted it down on a yellow sticky and stuck it on the wall beside my computer. Over the next few days, I kept jotting down ideas and before I knew it I had a complete outline of a book on a wall of yellow, purple, and pink.
It's essentially a story of friendship and the ties that bind us together. Here is a little blurb that will give you an idea of the story:
Cassie Jayne Bishop grew up the only non-believer in the town Coven. When a stranger comes to the sleepy town of New Salem, NC, everything she thought was true unraveled around her. Ethan made her question everything, even her sister’s death. Clues start to pile up and Cassie is determined to find out if the Coven was the real reason her sister died. What she uncovers terrifies her. Her fate lies in the very heart of the secret the Coven protects. It’s the reason she was born. Now, betrayed on every side, can she find a way to survive or will she be the catalyst that starts it all?
The Promise centers around the world of witchcraft, not Wicca, can you explain the difference for us, at least as it pertains to your book.
Wicca is a religion involving deities. In the world of The Coven series, witches practice witchcraft, not Wicca. They use the Elements for their spell crafting and not prayers to gods and goddesses. They also fundamentally believe that true magic is neither white nor black, but a culmination of the two. We get to see both black magic and white magic at work in The Promise.
Was it fun writing the scenes between Cassie and Ethan?
LOL, yes. I laughed, I cried, and I blushed. I blushed a lot. They were very near and dear to my heart. My favorite scene between them is when they are lying on her front porch kissing and her Dad walks up and finds them. One of the seventeen year olds who did a test read for me told me when she read that, she dropped the book and felt her own face flame up...lol. What girl wouldn't die of embarrassment to be caught making out by their daddy?
If your book was being made into a movie who would you envision in the leading roles?
Cassie: Emma Roberts
Ethan: Jake Abel
Kay: Phoebe Tonkin
Jeff: Matt Lanter
A lot of authors have playlists for their books. Do you have one? If so, would you mind sharing a few of the songs?
Here are a few of my favorites and many, many ideas were born out of these songs. Music inspires a person as much as anything else and helps you to figure out sticky parts that give you trouble.
Theory of a Dead Man: Not Meant to Be
Dashboard Confessional: Dusk and Summer
Fall Out Boy: I Don’t Care
Thriving Ivy: Angels on the Moom
Buckcherry: Sorry
Dashboard Confessional: Stolen
Can you tell us a bit about your road to publication?
It was slightly terrifying...lol. You work so hard on your book. Then you polish it up and send it off on its merry little way only to have the dreaded REJECTION letter sent back to you. It was tough getting all those no's, but with each one, I went back to the book and worked on it. I remember the day I got the email offering to publish it. I jumped up and down and I swear the neighbors heard me screaming. It was great. The road here was hard and riddled with rejection, but so worth it in the end if I can make one person laugh or cry when they read my little sticky note idea.
What is your all time favorite book?
That's so hard. I love so many different ones. I would have to say my favorite is an old classic, Pride and Prejudice. Though, Kim Harrison's The Hollows series comes in a close second.
What advice would you give aspiring authors?
No matter how hard it is or how often you find yourself wanting to give up, don’t. When you get told no, go back and just keep working on it. Many agents and publishers will give you good advice on what they didn’t like about it. Find the things that are consistent and rework them. Just keep plugging away and eventually you will find a home for your book. There are great books out there and soon yours could be one of them.
Also find yourself a great writing group. The people there will help you to grow and hone your skills to an art truly worthy of the written word. The best advice I was ever given was to check out www.thenextbigwriter.com. The folks I met there are the main reason I am published today. They are brutally honest, but they will support you and give you the help and encouragement you need to finish your work and make it the best it can be. I owe them a lot.
Where can our readers find you?
I'm always in need of followers on twitter and my blog. All are welcome to come listen to my ramblings and ask questions.
The Promise 
