Guest Post on Hero Creation with Atonus Perry

Hey guys! As part of a blog tour we have a fun guest post from Atonus Perry, the author of Sinexia : The Mark of Perillius.

Sinexia is a bastard world that never should have existed. Its birth was an accident. Born of war and anointed with savagery, its lands were conquered by magicians, monsters, and creatures that some would revere as gods or demons. Just as Earth holds Sinexia's Origin, Sinexia holds the fate of the Earth. The Sinexia series chronicles the events that bond Earth and Sinexia. Read them and become engrossed in the tales of honor, love, despair, and action that cycle in a ring of creation and cataclysm. The Mark of Perillius follows the adventures of a young orphan who inherits the powers and abilities of his fabled ancestor. He is taken from the only normalcy he has ever known and tossed into a world of mystery and magic. Once there, he must learn to master his newfound abilities while encountering a host of rich characters, places of wonder, and dire situations.

HERO CREATION

I keep getting asked how I came up with the protagonist for Sinexia: The Mark of Perillius. I do enjoy talking about it, but I am going to write it here so that I will still be able to answer this question when old age starts to claim my memory.

I wanted to write about a hero, but I wanted to show his progress in a gradual kind of way. When I was in junior high and high school, Dragonball and Dragonball Z was a very popular animated series. One of the things I really enjoyed bout the series was that it chronicled the events surrounding a young boy and continued to follow him when he reached adulthood. I liked the way it was done so much, that I did a similar thing in The Mark of Perillius. The exploits in the first Sinexia span nine years. The protagonist begins as a teenage orphan and has reached adulthood by the book’s end.

Although I write about beings with fantastic super powers, I felt it was vital for me to show traits that are not typical for heroes in my protagonist. So, I made him rash, impulsive, and selfish. Those traits, along with a tendency to wallow in his own self pity, earned him the disdain of even me! He was very un-heroic. Through the events in The Mark of Perillius, he grows into someone worthy of the title hero. Disdain turns to adoration and a hero is born.

I really just tried to make him human. I gave him faults, goals, and secrets. I also gave him passion, and love.

This is a progression that I have witnessed first hand. I have cousins who were hellions and have turned into upstanding pillars in their community. Everyone is given the opportunity to rise to the occasion. It how we meet these challenges that determine the titles we are worthy of.

Sinexia book trailer

A big thanks to Atonus Perry! Make sure to go check out his book, Sinexia: The Mark of Perillius!

xoxo and love always,

Shelbie and Amanda

Guest Post - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Very much like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 Lauren agreed to do a second post with her thoughts on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 which we saw at midnight. I hope everyone enjoys her guest post and be sure to post your thoughts in the comments.
-Shelbie

SPOILER ALERT!!!

Hello again everybody! Lauren here with a Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 review! I'm going to warn you that I just watched the movie for a 2nd time and am sort of an emotional wreck so I might ramble.

I'm going to start by saying this movie was incredible, phenomenal and fantastic. Every part of the film made it this incredible piece of art that I could watch all day long. The music, acting, sets, colors, tones, sounds and themes were all amazing. The beginning to me felt a little rushed, as it was only about 5 minutes before they were at Gringotts but then the action started and never ended. The battle scenes were so incredible; the special effects work on the magic and dueling was really great. One of my favorite parts of the battle was the Giants, they weren't overdone and I thought they worked really nicely. Then Ron and Hermione went down to the Chamber of Secrets and they kissed. It was really adorable and for the rest of the film the whole Ron/Hermione dynamic was adorable.

After the Room of Requirement, things started getting really emotional for me. We were taken to the boathouse where Voldemort and Snape had their final confrontation. When Harry went in and sat knelt down to Snape I lost it. Alan Rickman, who plays Snape, did an absolutely phenomenal job, the way he portrayed Snape's emotions had me completely broken down. The Prince's Tale was my favorite chapter of the entire series and I felt the film did it a justice. Again, when Snape was holding Lily I just bawled. After this scene, Harry went to the forest, another very well done part with his parents, Sirius and Lupin.

The rest of the movie was really good as well, Neville was awesome, the final battle was amazing, the Draco-Voldemort hug was awkward, and Voldemort's death was good. The epilogue was also good but I wish they had included more of the dialogue from the book. Overall the movie was awesome; there were a few things I didn't like however;

1. Young Lily's eyes were brown. "You have your mother's eyes" was such a great thing, but it doesn't work when young Lily's eyes were brown.

2. They didn't include much of Aberforth telling Harry about Dumbledore and his past.

3. The Deathly Hallows were a very minimal part of the movie, Harry asked Ollivander about them and we heard the story but there wasn't much else on the topic. It is called Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is it not? And in the book one of the big conflicts was will Harry become overtaken with the desire to attain the Hallows like Dumbledore? or will he stick to destroying the Horcruxes?

4. I though it was too short. They could have easily put in more from the book without making it too long.

5. Finally, Harry didn't repair his wand in the end. Harry's wand is such an important part of him, it saved him from Voldemort so many times and we never got closure on it in the movie.

In conclusion, the movie was awesome, Neville and McGonagall are awesome, Voldemort shouldn't hug anyone, Harry wins, Ron and Hermione belong together, none of the cast members should stop acting because they are awesome and Alan Rickman deserves every acting award out there.

Ratings on a scale of 1-10

Movie Overall- 9.7/10

Emotional Trigger- 10/10

Acting- 10/10

Music- 10/10

Special Effects- 10/10

Book to Movie Adaptation- 9.5/10

Just a little side note, I saw this movie at midnight and it was amazing but the fact that I saw it with some of my best friends just made it all the better. I ended my childhood with my favorite fictional characters and my favorite real characters.

Thank You Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Snape, Dumbledore, all other HP characters and JK Rowling, But also Thank You to those who sat with me at the end, you know who you are.

-Lauren

(A little side note from me, Lauren and I videoed a lot of us waiting in line before the movie on my phone, so I'm planning on doing a little vlog with it but it probably looks like crap and might not be up for a while)

Guest Post: Looksie Lovitz from Books and Wits

Yello! My name is Looksie and I blog over at Looksie Lovitz: Books and Wits where I review books, tell you about phenom music and help you recognize my awesome. Shelbie and Amanda clearly already recognize my awesome since they were kind enough to invite me to come to talk to you about some of my favorite books released this year as well as books I’m looking forward to. And by the way, this was very hard since there are so many good books out there.

These aren’t in any particular order and I tried not to include the same series more than once so here it goes…

*** Note: The stuff in blue (this color) is my (Shelbie) interjections :) ***

Books I loved in 2010

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Because really, who didn’t love this book? Steampunk and shadow hunters. Yup. Clockwork Prince is going to be ah-mazing. That book comes out August 2011.

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead (Book 6)

Best series EVER. I might be a teensy bit obsessed so I’m sad this series is at an end. But there is a spin of series called Bloodlines due out August 2011.

Minder by Kate Kaynak

This is an obsession worthy series. Book one had me hooked and the author is totally phenom. Book 2; Adversary is already out and book 3; Legacy comes out January 28th, 2011. Read it if you haven’t. Trust me.

Zombies vs Unicorns By Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

This is an anthology, which I don’t normally read but the collection of authors in here was awesome. I kept wanting all the stories to be their own 300 page book. Definitely worth reading.

White Cat by Holly Black

This was one of those books that I had no idea what was going to happen and the plot twists took me by surprise every time. Phenom, phenom, phenom. The sequel, Red Glove, comes out April 5th, 2011.

The Deathday Letter by Shaun Hutchinson

I laughed, I cried, and I absolutely loved this book. It’s a short read but you’ll be surprised how attached to the main character you will be by the end and get this- Both guys and girls will like it! That’s rarer than you think.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

I think I read this book like 10 times. That’s how much I loved it. The mystery had me guessing til the end but the romance had me swooning from the beginning. Jay Heaton needs to be for real. Book 2, Desires of the Dead comes out February 15th, 2011. And since I've read ARC I can tell you the sequel is also bomb.

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (You can WIN THIS!!)

This book was nothing short of intense. A girly girl badass? Yes please! Romance you say? Winner! And the sequel, Supernaturally, comes out September 2011.

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

A completely original premise. Ghosts, romance and a mystery involving the entire world? Yeah. Nuff said. Book 2, Shift, comes out May 3rd, 2011.

Crave Melinda Metz and Laura J Burns

A totally different kind of vampire romance. Who doesn’t love vampires? And also, who doesn’t love these fabulous authors? They make a great combo. The next book, Arise, comes out September 2011.

Books I’m looking forward to in 2011

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

I’ve already read the ARC and I can tell you, it rocks. Shortened life spans mean intense things. For real. This book comes out March 22nd, 2011.

Timeless by Alexandra Monir

Also read This ARC. Phenom. There really aren't enough time travel romances. A “timeless” romance. Get it? Or was that too corny? Haha. Comes out January 11th, 2011.

Delirium Lauren Oliver

Love is considered an illness and in this world, they have a cure. BUMMER! And yeap, read the ARC. Romance happens anyway and it’s super cute. This book comes out February 1st, 2011.

Unearthly Cynthia Hand (I agree, this was great! I was kind of sad to give it away!)

I read this ARC too but I was hesitant cause I was getting a little sick of angel books at the time but I was happily surprised at the awesomeness of this book. It’s worth a read. Comes out January 4th, 2011.

Half Blood by Jennifer Armentrout

Ever since I heard about this book, I’ve been excited for it. It reminds me of Vampire Academy with a badass heroine. This book comes out September 15th, 2011.

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare (Mortal Instruments Book 4)

I loved the first 3 books so I can’t imagine this book being anything less than amazing. I don’t think I need to say anything else here. This book comes out April 5th, 2011.

Clarity by Kim Harrington

This chick sees things no one else can. Secrets. Who doesn’t love secrets? It always means crazy things. This book comes out March 1st, 2011.

Die For Me by Amy Plum

Oooh, this paranormal romance takes place in Paris. I’m all over it. This book comes out May 10th, 2011.

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

This gal is a little different from everyone else and she needs to find out why... Or else. Sounds like something I need to read. This book comes out February 22nd, 2011.

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer (Book 2)

This is the sequel to Nightshade. Haven’t read it? There’s werewolves. there's romance. It's complicated. Read it. Wolfsbane comes out July 12th, 2011.

Guest Post: Jenny from Supernatural Snark

Hi Everyone!

I’m so excited to share with you the books I’ve loved in 2010 and the ones I absolutely cannot wait for in 2011 (well the first half of 2011 anyway)! I have a couple main genres I read and review, so I broke my favorites into those categories. I’ll try not to go overboard and list every book I’ve read this year and every release coming out next year, but I make no promises;) I can’t wait to see what everyone else has loved and is waiting for!

2010

Paranormal Young Adult
Matched by Ally Condie
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel
Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy
Lover Mine by J.R. Ward
Twice Bitten by Chloe Neill
The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook
Alpha by Rachel Vincent
Double Cross by Carolyn Crane
City of Ghosts by Stacia Kane
Venom by Jennifer Estep
Dead, Undead or Somewhere in Between by J.A. Saare

2011

Paranormal Young Adult
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
Entwined by Heather Dixon
Enclave by Ann Aguirre
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
Stolen Nights by Rebecca Maizel
Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins
City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy
This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning
Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward
Hard Bitten by Chloe Neill
Drink Deep by Chloe Neill
Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh
Tangled Threads by Jennifer Estep

Blog Tour with Sybil Nelson!

Were on Priscilla the Great's Blog tour and we were lucky enough to have Priscilla's interview with Sybil Nelson, enjoy!

Hey, hold up. Before click away into cyberspace, I gotta tell you this is
not religious or anything. My creator is none other than Sybil Nelson, author of
Priscilla the Great. And I’m Priscilla. I’m a lean, mean, tween, machine and I
want to tell you all about my world. But I thought a more fun way to do that
would be to interview the person who created me. I think she might know me
better than I know myself. So here it goes:

Priss: Hey Sybil. What’s up?

Sybil: Not much.

Priss: Quick, tell the people at The Mortal’s Library five interesting
things about yourself.

Sybil: Okay, let’s see. I’m a wife and mother of two little girls. I’m a
PhD student. I love to write in my spare time and create new realities. I taught
high school math and dance for nine years. And I love Justin Bieber.

Priss: Whoa. Wait. What? You love Justin Bieber?

Sybil: And not just Justin. I love all pop music. I was just “whippin my
hair” to the latest Willow Smith song this afternoon.

Priss: For future reference, I would just like to request that you do not
have me singing any pop music in future books.

Sybil: Not a problem. You’re a horrible singer anyway.

Priss: Good point. So where did you get the inspiration for my character
and my powers and my quirky little town of River’s Bend?

Sybil: Well, you are actually a compilation of two of my students named
Helen and Ellen. They were two hilarious girls that I taught a couple of years
ago. Helen especially would come to class each day with a new story of something
weird that happened to her or that she did. Your personality came from her. And
you looks came from Ellen. As for your town, I like to think of it as a kind of
Stars Hollow from the TV show Gilmore Girls. It’s small, quaint and tight nit.
Everyone knows everything about everyone…well, except for the fact that you can
shoot fire out of your fingers.

Now your powers, that’s kind of a crazy story. Originally, Priscilla Maxine
Sumner was a girl who got super powers along with her first period.

Priss: Wait. What? Is that why my initials spell PMS? How embarrassing!

Sybil: I know. It was a funny story, but an editor talked me into taking
out that angle. So instead of The Adventures of PMS Girl, we now have Priscilla
the Great.

Guest Post: Harry Potter 7

For those of you who don't know Harry Potter 7 came out this weekend and Lauren, a fabulous friend of mine suggested that I do a post comparing Harry Potter 7 the book to Harry Potter 7 the movie. Which I thought was a wonderful idea, however I don't really remember the 7th book, so I asked her to do a guest post with her thoughts. ***NOTE THERE ARE SPOILERS OF BOTH THE BOOK AND THE MOVIE***

Here it is:
Harry Potter. A name known around the world and with the newest film installment just hitting theatres, fans across the world are rejoicing, or at least I am. I'm just going to start by saying that seeing the movie at midnight with my friends just added to the overall excellence of this movie. If you haven't read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows the book, not only should you go read it but also this review may not make very much sense as this review is a lot of book-movie comparison than it is a review of the movie as whole.

Going into this movie knowing that the book was my favorite in the series, I had pretty high expectations and they were almost all met. This movie was, in my opinion, the best of the series. It followed the book very closely with a few changes and exclusions added for various reasons. The exclusions were kept to a minimum and I believe this was why I enjoyed the movie so much. Ok, here is what I liked and didn't like about the film.

Starting with likes.

• Dobby. I loved him throughout the entire film funny, adorable and heroic. The scene where Dobby dies was so emotional. I have never cried in a movie until this scene.


• The Ministry of Magic scene was awesome, I loved the guy who played Runcorn, super awkward but perfect for the part.


• The scenery throughout the entire movie. During the period of time that the trio was camping, the places they went to were just beautiful


• The music was really well done, I thought it fit really well in the movie and sounded excellent.


• Seven Potter's scene was just as I imagined it and Dan Radcliffe did a really good job being Harry, yet being the person who was transformed into Harry.


• My favorite scene by far was when everyone was returning to the Burrow and Lupin grabbed Harry to make sure it was really him. This minute of the movie just summed up how much everything has changed and how scared everybody is of everything that's happening


• The lady playing Bathilda Bagshot was perfect. Super creeper, every time I saw her I got chills


• When Hermione obliviated her parents, this really shows the sacrifices she made for Harry.


• The Three Brothers animation was really cool


• I thought they chose the perfect spot to end it, not a huge cliff hanger but yet makes me really excited for part 2


• The actors and actresses did fantastic, my favorite being Emma Watson. She. Was. Superb.

Dislikes.

• Not including Kreacher's tale or Potterwatch, I really wanted to see this on screen


• Harry and Hermione's dance scene. This was cute but I found it sort of weird and unnecessary to the overall story. This extra time could have been used for something from the book


• Not explaining the Voldemort-name taboo or the mirror. I feel like people who haven't read the book would be very confused.


• The beginning. I didn't like how they started with Scrimgeour's speech; it didn't seem like a good introduction to the movie.


• The whole sequence of camping seemed really slow and long.
  

Overall I would say I really enjoyed this movie. Here are a few ratings I would give it on a scale 1-10, 10 being best.
Overall: 9/10
Book to Film adaptation: 9.5/10
Acting/Casting: 10/10

Just a piece of advice for part 2. See it at midnight in a big group of friends. I had such a great time and the movie was fantastic, one of the best nights of my life. Super pumped to see part 2 in July! Mark your calendars for July 15th 2011!

Guest Post: Kris from Voracious YAppetite

We're now wrapping up Fantasyfest :( This is our last guest post for the month and it's Kris from Voracious YAppetite who we thank for beinging our last guest post-er!

To the post!

Name/Alias: Kris

Blog Name/URL: Voracious YAppetite (www.rebloco.com)

Favourite Fantasy Book (standalone): Wow, this is a hard one, as pretty much all of the fantasy books I read are part of a series. Do Kristin Cashore’s books count?

Favourite Fantasy Series: A few favorites include Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling and The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.

Favourite Fantasy Author: Gah! I cannot bring myself to name just one. But in addition to the authors I’ve already mentioned, I absolutely love the work of Carrie Ryan and Rick Yancey.

If you could be a fantasy creature what would you be and why? Either a dragon or a werewolf! A dragon because I’d be a fire-breathing bada** that could fly around and basically rule the sky. A werewolf because I could still be a human most of the time, but I’d also get to experience heightened senses, speed, and strength. Werewolves rule, vampires drool!

What would be your dream fantasy character boyfriend/girlfriend? Why? Probably Brigan from Kristin Cashore’s Fire. He’s a brilliant military commander, totally loyal, and stands out among the YA fantasy romantic interests of late as being sexy without being perfect. I was utterly enthralled by him. *sigh*

What would be your dream fantasy character best friend? Why? Three that come to mind as possible “best buds” would be Rose from Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, Lake from Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and Clauda from Libyrinth by Pearl North. Those girls would be so much fun to hang out with and they would have your back no matter what.

What fantasy character would you like at your arm during a party? Why? Jace from The Mortal Instruments, because he would make snarky comments about all the guests that would have me laughing the whole night. Also, he is hot. (Sorry, Clary.)

What fantasy character do you think is the most like you? Why? Hmm, probably someone like Chloe from Kelley Armstrong’s Darkest Powers series. She’s got her share of flaws but she’s also got a quiet strength about her and would do anything for her family and friends.

What is the last fantasy book you read? The Thin Executioner by Darren Shan.

What fantasy character would you not get along with? Why? Any of the passive/co-dependent/too dumb to live female leads from the recent crop of YA paranormal romances. I would want to beat them over the head constantly.

What is your favourite badass fantasy villain? Why? Lord Voldemort. *shivers!* He is so wrong, he’s right.

What is your favourite fantasy hero/heroine? Why? Alanna. Tamora Pierce’s first literary female lead proved that girls can do and be everything boys can do and be. Hurrah!

What fantasy character would you like to be if you could be anyone? Why? Katsa from Graceling by Kristin Cashore, because I could kick anyone’s a** and survive through pretty much any kind of disaster, natural or otherwise. She is too cool for school.

What fantasy character would you like to play in the movie representation? Why? Hermoine Granger from Harry Potter because she is an intelligent, bold, and empowered young woman who gets fly around on a broomstick and shoot magic from a wand. Love her!

Hope everyone is having a great Fantasyfest and it's not over yet! You can still get your entries for the ultamite swag bag giveaway in until the 31st! Go enter now!

xoxo and Love Always
Shelbie and Amanda

Book Soulmates Guest Post!

Hey guys it's time for another guest post! This guest post is Isalys and Vanessa from Book Soulmates

(Well, actually it's Isalys from Book Soulmates, because I never recieved Vanessa's answers :) )

Name/Alias: Isalys & Vanessa or Vanessa & Isalys, either way we're Book ♥ Soulmates :)

Blog Name/URL: Book ♥ Soulmates at http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com/

Favourite Fantasy Book (standalone):
Isalys: The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller {release date August 24, 2010}. It's a beautiful and complicated story about soulmates that fight to hold on to each other lifetime after lifetime.

Favourite Fantasy Series:
Isalys: My very favorite fantasy series are: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, Soul Screamers by Rachel Vincent and The Parasol Protectorate Series by Gail Carriger. Each of these have new books coming out in the next few weeks/months and I'm practically foaming at the mouth for them, haha.

Favourite Fantasy Author:
Isalys: Suzanne Collins because she wrote The Hunger Games (enough said!). I also love Rachel Vincent's writing. She has a way of conveying emotions that make you feel everything right along with the main characters.

If you could be a fantasy creature what would you be and why?
Isalys: I know this is totally cliche, but I probably would be a vampire. I love their sex appeal, the allure and their strength. I've always been fascinated with them...long before Stephenie Meyer came along, haha!

Who would be your dream fantasy character boyfriend/girlfriend? Why?
Isalys: Someone who is strong, sexy, sarcastic, funny and a little arrogant. One of my favorite male characters is Jace from "The Mortal Instruments". He is one of my choices for ideal fantasy boyfriend ;o)

Who would be your dream fantasy character best friend? Why?
Isalys: Someone who is dependable, smart & incredibly funny. Someone who is optimistic and can cheer me up when I'm down. And definitely someone who is honest and will tell me what I need to hear even when I don't want to hear it. Luckily, I have one of these in real life...but as far as my books go, my fave BFF characters are: Vee from "Hush, Hush" by Becca Fitzpatrick and Izzie from "Need" by Carrie Jones. Oh and I LOVE the fairies from "Eyes Like Stars" by Lisa Mantchev (I really wish I had fairy sidekicks, lol.)

Which fantasy character would you like at your arm during a party? Why?
Isalys: There are two guys that I would definitely not mind having on my arm. One is Jace (as per previously answered question, hehe) and/or Gideon from "Lords of the Underworld" by Gena Showalter, which is a paranormal adult series. There's just something about a man with electric blue hair *wink*

Which fantasy character do you think is the most like you? Why?
Isalys: One of the characters I connect most with is Kaylee from "Soul Screamers" by Rachel Vincent. She's pretty in a simple way and ordinary without being dull. She has a best friend that gets more attention than she does, but is not resentful (I definitely had that growing up). She doesn't go looking for trouble and she doesn't go shooting off at the mouth, but she doesn't let herself be walked all over either. One of my favorite things about her, which is very like me, is that she's very rational. She wants to do the right thing, but she's smart about it. She's not overly emotional and behaves appropriately based on the situation. And I love her relationship with Nash.

What is the last fantasy book you read?
Isalys: My Soul To Lose (novella in the Soul Screamers Series) and Linger by Maggie Stiefvater.

Which fantasy character would you not get along with? Why?
Isalys: I would have to say Ever from "The Immortals" by Alyson Noel. It's not so much that I wouldn't get along with her, but I would probably need to slap her around a bit so she would stop making so many of the same stupid mistakes, lol. Another character that I didn't bond with was Jem from "Numbers" by Rachel Ward. We're too different and I wouldn't be able to relate to her.

Who is your favourite badass fantasy villain? Why?
Isalys: The one that immediately came to mind was Cam from "Fallen" by Lauren Kate. He is deliciously deceptive! I wanted to trust him, but there's that little voice in that back of your mind telling you to proceed with caution.

Who is your favourite fantasy hero/heroine? Why?
Isalys: One of my all-time favorite female leads is Rose from "Vampire Academy". She's a "take no prisoners" kind of girl. She's strong, fearless, and loyal to a fault. I would want her to have my back in a fight! As far as the boys go, I really like Sam Roth from "Shiver" and "Linger" by Maggie Stiefvater. He's sweet and sensitive, which is the extreme opposite of Rose and it's what makes him so endearing. I like characters that are NOT stereotypical and break the mold of their gender.

Which fantasy character would you like to be if you could be anyone? Why?
Isalys: Honestly, I wouldn't mind being Grace also from "Shiver" and "Linger" by Maggie Stiefvater. She is so incredibly likable! One of my favorite things about those books is that there is so much love and admiration between Grace & Sam...and what girl wouldn't want that?!

What fantasy character would you like to play in the movie representation? Why?
Isalys: Alexia Tarabotti from "The Parasol Protectorate" Series. I would love to put on Victorian gowns and prance around old London *le sighhh*. I would definitely need to work on my British accent though, it's quite shameful!

Isalys & Vanessa
Book ♥ Soulmates

Make sure to check out their blog Book Soulmates and come back on Monday for the start of a new contest!

Guest Post: Kersten Hamilton

Hey guys, our blog is part of the Novel Noise Tyger, Tyger tour. And in honor of the tour, we have a guest post from Kersten Hamilton herself! Want more info? Visit:

Kersten's site: http://www.kerstenhamilton.com/
For more tour stops: Tyger, Tyger tour on Novel Noise
Amanda's review of Tyger, Tyger HERE.

Anyways, enjoy the post!


Five Characters I wish I’d Created—because I love characters who do something completely and unexpectedly good.



!!!Spoiler warning!!! If you have not read the book, don’t read the blurb! I love these books and I want you to read them and love them too, in all their unspoiled splendor!

Two From Harry Potter: Snape, one of my favorite characters of all time. He was tortured and tormented as a child, and did not win the love of the girl he loved. He watched her marry his tormentor instead. Snape played a dangerous game because of his friendship with Dumbledore, and ultimately gave his life to protect his students.

And, in a hat’s off to J. K. Rowling’s sheer writerly prowess, a second character from the Harry Potter series: Fleur Delacour, for the scene at Bill’s hospital bed after he’s been mauled by Fenrir Greyback. Pure awesomeness.

From To Kill a Mockingbird: Boo Radley. He was trapped in his house by his own fears and society’s judgments, struggling with a broken mind. But Boo was there when Scout and Jem needed him.

From A Tale of Two Cities: Sydney Carton. An alcoholic, a blackmailer, and a cynic…who has just enough strength to keep a promise to the woman he loves.

From Les Misérables: Monseigneur Bienvenu, who treated one ragged and very guilty convict as if he were more costly than silver, more precious than gold.

Guest Post: Fantasy Profile with Jeremy West

Hey guys, in honor of Fantasyfest, each Friday we will be having themed guest posts, and our theme for the month is a Fantasy Profile! Our guest posts have answered questions on all things fantasy so we can see their fantasy profiles. This week we have Jeremy West from Novel Thoughts. Make sure to check out the schedule for the rest of the month HERE.

*** We'd also like to wish Jeremy a happy belated birthday! His birthday was three days ago so if you haven't already, what are you waiting for? Go forth and wish him a happy birthday now! Tell him Shelbie and Amanda sent ya. :) ***

This is for you Jeremy:

Name/Alias: Jeremy West

Blog Name/URL: Novel Thoughts (www.novelthoughtsblog.com)

Favourite Fantasy Book (standalone): Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Favourite Fantasy Series: Harry Potter

Favourite Fantasy Author: JK Rowling

Last fantasy book you read: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

If you could be a fantasy creature what would you be and why? Nephilim (Shadowhunter) from The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare because they fight demons and they're half angel!

Who would be your dream fantasy character girlfriend? Ridley from Beautiful Creatures

Who would be your dream fantasy character best friend? Harry "freakin" Potter! Because I'm the Ron to his Harry...I'm the redheaded friend!

Which fantasy character would you like at your arm during a party? Lena Duchannes because no one would mess with me.

Which fantasy character do you think is the most like you? Jace Wayland...because he is strong-willed, powerful, and independent. He's also just flat out cool when he fights downworlders!

Which fantasy character would you not get along with? Why? Jacob Black...because he can tan and I can't.

Who is your favourite badass fantasy villain? Sarafine from Beautiful Creatures! Read the book and you'll find out how badass she really is!

Who is your favourite fantasy hero/heroine? Lena (Beautiful Creatures) because she is misunderstood yet battles things that no one will ever have to.

Which fantasy character would you like to be if you could be anyone? Dumbledore...why not? You tell me :)

Which fantasy character would you like to play in the movie representation? A redhead version of Ethan Wate.


Thank you Jeremy for doing a guest post with us! Be sure to visit his blog, Novel Thoughts.

Guest Post: Fantasy Profile with Rebecca Maizel

Hey guys, in honor of Fantasyfest, each Friday we will be having themed guest posts, and our theme for the month is a Fantasy Profile! Our guest posts have answered questions on all things fantasy so we can see their fantasy profiles. For the first week of August, we have the amazing author of Infinite Days… Rebecca Maizel! We hope you enjoy her fantasy profile and be sure to check out the schedule for the rest of the month HERE. And don't forget to go buy her debut novel, Infinite Days!

Name/Alias: Rebecca Maizel (Author of Infinite Days)

Blog Name/URL: Rebeccamaizel.com OR Rebeccamaizel.blogspot.com

Favourite Fantasy Book (standalone): Toss up. Beating Heart – AM Jenkins or Un Lun Dun – China Miéville

Favourite Fantasy Series: Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter Series

Favourite Fantasy Author: JK Rowling (hands down)

Last Fantasy Book Read: Beating Heart by AM Jenkins. INCREDIBLE. Go run and read it NOW

If you could be a fantasy creature what would you be and why?

I’d be a mermaid. I want to swim in the sea, check out the fish, see what dolphins do when humans can’t watch them. I want to see sharks in action and baby seals.


Who would be your dream fantasy character boyfriend/girlfriend?
Aragorn from Lord of the Rings. Tough, kinda sexy but he’s also smart. I also love Cedric Diggory!


Who would be your dream fantasy character best friend? I think Alice from the Twiight series would be a pretty amazing friend. She can see the future, is really generous and is very caring.



Which fantasy character would you like at your arm during a party? Why?
Peeta from the Hunger Games. Eye candy! And you know he can take care of himself if you want to go dance with your friends. :)



Which fantasy character do you think is the most like you?
The main character of my new novel, Infinite Days. I thought I could relate to her the best – I should hope so! I wrote her!

Who is your favourite badass fantasy villain?
Dolores Umbridge. I still grit my teeth when I think about her!


Who is your favourite fantasy hero/heroine?
Katniss – for sure.



Which fantasy character would you like to be if you could be anyone?
Katniss. She is so brave and can take care of herself.

Thank you so much to Rebecca for being our first guest post-er! Make sure to go buy her debut novel Infinite Days, in stores now!