The Otherborn by Anna Silver: Review, Interview & Giveaway!!

Otherborn
(Otherborn, #1)
by Anna Silver
Published: April 4, 2013
Published by: Sapphire Star Publishing
Formats: Paperback, eBook ~ 300 pages

Book Blurb:
London and her teenage friends live in a reprocessed world.
Confined within Capital City’s concrete walls, London has done the impossible and the illegal. She’s created something New- a song. But her mentor, club owner Pauly, is not impressed. Since the historic Energy Crisis forced everyone behind walls generations ago, the Tycoons have ensured there is truly nothing new allowed under the sun. Pauly warns London to keep her song to herself, if she knows what’s good for her.
What he doesn’t know is that London is keeping an even bigger secret: she dreams. And she’s not alone. London’s band-mates and friends have begun dreaming as well, seeing themselves in “night pictures” as beings from another world. As Otherborn, they must piece together the story of their astral avatars, the Others, in order to save their world from a dreamless, hopeless future.
When Pauly is murdered and an Otherborn goes missing, London realizes someone is hunting them down. Escaping along the Outroads, they brave the deserted Houselands with only their dreams to guide them. Can they find their friend before the assassin finds them? Will being Otherborn save their lives, or destroy them?

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When a song is dangerous and ideas are forbidden, what do you live for? London has the ability to create something new and is told by her friend Pauly, to never let anyone else know. The world lives in the past. No new aspirations for the future. But why? And why doesn't anyone dream anymore? I had to know the answers to these questions. Then when London reveals that she is able to dream and that her band mates also started to dream I knew there was something big happening. From the first few pages I was hooked. I had to know what happened to this world and what the Energy Crisis had to do with everything. There were just so many questions in my head that I could not put this book down.

London is a great protagonist. She is not one to whine or sigh at the circumstances in front of her. She is a rule breaker and a character that is enigmatic and real. Her reactions were true to the plot and she is well rounded; she cared for her friends and is compassionate, but she never let anyone push her around. However, just like a real person, she is flawed and rushes into action without thinking things out first. Not to mention she is supremely stubborn. But London has a purpose and she is going to fulfill it no matter what. The other characters are well crafted too. I found myself immersed into their band of rebels and dreamers and I cared about each of them as well, which is a great feat for an author: to create characters that are likeable and genuine and are not just names on paper. And when one of them ended up dead, I was just stunned.

There are so many things that Otherborn bring to the table. The novel is dystopian so there is the whole semi-apocalypse that put them in the situation they are in, but there was more to it, almost a Sci-Fi theme that ran through the plot as well. The world in which they live is completely controlled by the Tycoons and the landscape is harsh. People are starving and living in squalor and gangs are running rampant (there is even a gang that rides around in old Ice Cream Trucks!) And Ms. Silver is brilliant at describing everything from the stink in the polluted air to the giddy feelings from the first twinges of love. I was able to see the world vividly and feel the oppressed nature of their lives.

The Otherborn, the dreamers, the ones that believe they are from another world. Why else would they have the ability to dream when others can't? The Otherborn band (literally they are a band) together and use the astral planes. I can't really go on about the whole astral realm as it is too much to explain in a review, but Ms. Silver does a great job walking you through the whole idea. What I didn't like was the lack of planning - like I said before - from London. They threw themselves into some pretty dicey situations that could have been avoided, but that is what makes the whole story exciting and infuriating at the same time!

Overall, I would recommend this book to both dystopian and science fiction lovers. There is a tiny bit of romance so those who are looking for a full blown love story this isn't it. I love that it isn't though, sometimes a book needs to be about friendship and how actions have consequences both in the present and the future and that not everyone is who they seem. I can not say enough how much I loved this book and even though there were some points that I was confused about, I found my way again. Now, there is a cliffhanger and the last exchanges with the characters have left me not only longing for the next book, but intrigued about where Ms. Silver is going to be taking us. A must read!!

FTC Advisory: I was given a copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. No backroom deals or whispered promises were made.

1. First, a quickie: give us the genre of your book/series and tagline in 30 words or less.
OTHERBORN is YA dystopian/sci-fi In a reprocessed world, London and her friends must dream their way to a New hope.

2. What gave you the idea to write a Young Adult series?
We didn’t have YA when I was growing up per say. But I always imagined writing characters who were “coming of age”. Then, as an adult, I began reading YA with my daughters. And I still pictured all my characters in that age range. YA is great because there are things you can write for that audience that it’s much harder to write for adults. Kids and teens are much more open-minded and imaginative. They’ll accept things in the work that an adult might struggle with. Plausibility means something totally different when you write YA. So, any book idea I’ve had, I’ve always fitted to YA characters and the YA audience.

3. What inspired you to write the book/series, specifically?
Two things blended together to inspire OTHERBORN. First, my research on the Otherkin subculture, people who relate more closely to being nonhuman than human. These people believe they were or are actually nonhuman beings, i.e. fae, vampires, elves, shapeshifters, etc. Some express having vivid memories of past lives as these different beings. It’s really fascinating. The second was my research on dreaming. Our culture doesn’t give dreaming the powerful, transformational position it deserves, but many other cultures, past and present, view dreaming as an integral, extremely important part of their lives. There’s a wonderful author on the subject, Robert Moss, who talked about shamans meeting in the astral realm to help one another regardless of what place or time they lived in.

4. How did you come up with the title of your first book in the series?
Originally, my title was a little different. It was OTHERKIN, which I pulled from my research on the Otherkin subculture. But after I’d made my deal and was working with my publisher on production, I discovered quite serendipitously that another YA book by the same title would be coming out before mine. I decided then to switch titles and I came up with three alternatives and ran a survey online to see which one was most liked. OTHERBORN won out and I truly feel it is a better fit than my original title. As a side note, I befriended the author of that other book, OTHERKIN, the fabulous Nina Berry, and I highly recommend her series. It’s quite good and very different from mine.


5. Are experiences in the books based on people you know, or events in your own life or are they completely organic?
Nothing in OTHERBORN is based entirely on anything or anyone in my life. That said, I do pull from some things. For example, Kim is sort of my comic relief throughout the book. He’s a little less serious and little more goofy than the other characters. And that aspect of him reminds me of my husband, who is a complete goof and the comic relief around our house. So, probably I pulled from that experience to flesh Kim out, without even realizing it. Also, Capital City is actually Houston after it’s been walled. I’m from Houston and still live in the area and certain things in Capital City are loosely based on real Houston landmarks. The Ten is Interstate 10. The tunnels are a dystopian version of downtown’s actual tunnel system which many people don’t know about. Things like that. Of course, oil and gas is BIG business here, so that fits in with the Tycoons too.

6. What is the hardest part of writing?
Starting. Once that flow kicks in, it’s easy. But forcing yourself to sit down and start can be a daily challenge. Also, in OTHERBORN and its sequel, I encountered difficulty mid-plot. I’m a pantser, which means I don’t plot everything out ahead of time, I write it as I go along. So, I encountered that middle of the novel quagmire where you suddenly aren’t certain how you’re going to get from where you are to where you need to be at the end.

7. Which character is your favorite? Will you miss them the most when the series ends?
Si’dah is actually my favorite character and I will miss her the most when the series is over. I loved writing in her voice, which had a rhythm entirely different from the rest of the novel. It inspired the voice of my next project considerably. So, even though I’ll miss Si’dah when she’s gone, I’ll still have the character from my other series inspired by her to write in.

8. Tell us a little bit about your cover art. Who designed it? Why did you go with that particular image/artwork?
An artist named Roser designed the cover. She was someone my publishing company had worked with before and I really liked the covers she did most. Her work is typically more fantasy oriented, but I believed she could bring our vision to life beautifully. And she did. We batted some ideas around, but the one that gave us all goosebumps was this mirror image idea. Where you see London on one side, but her reflection is revealing Si’dah. It’s a little creepy, but I think it should be. It’s a dark story in a lot of ways, and I always felt these kids, as well as my readers, should find their Otherborn a little unsettling.

9. What books have most influenced your life most?
There are so many! Okay, I’m just going to run some titles off in no particular order. These are books that changed the way I looked at writing or even at the world: The Last Unicorn, A Wrinkle In Time, The Handmaid’s Tale, Mists of Avalon, Lord of the Rings, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Youth In Revolt, Wuthering Heights, The Alchemist…to name a few.

10. If you could be a supernatural, what kind would you be and why?
Well, I’m Wiccan. So, I would be a witch of some kind. Preferably one who lives in a dark, secluded forest and has psychic oracular powers. The “Witch of the Wood” archetype has been a powerful and influential one for me since I was a very little girl.


11. Do you have any unique talents or hobbies?
I’m also an artist! I do oil paintings and I craft Fairy Houses. I love art, it’s as important to me as writing. But my art is very personal, so it plays a different role in my life than my writing career.

12. How can readers contact you or find out more about your books?
First and foremost, visit my fabulous website! www.annasilverauthor.com You’ll find my contact info there, email, as well as a newsletter you can sign up for, and my blog. Also, all my announcements and info on my work is there too. Next to that, you can find me on Twitter (@saysannasilver) and on my author page on facebook (www.facebook.com/authorannasilver ). I have a goodreads author page too (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6862122.Anna_Silver ), and a pinterest account (http://pinterest.com/AnnaSilver/ ). Links to all of these and more are on my site!

13. What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?
This is a wonderful question! I wished more people asked it. The absolute best thing you can do for an author is leave a review. Goodreads and Amazon are the two main places for this, but some authors might also like one on another site and you can check with them if you’re not sure. Aside from that, blog about the work. Host a giveaway. Tweet it, facebook it, anything to help spread the word. Smell press authors like myself absolutely depend on social media and the love of our readers to grow our careers. Truly, big press authors do too. Never, never think that an author doesn’t need your review or help!

14. Do you have any tips for readers or advice for other writers trying to get published?
I always tell aspiring authors to cultivate persistence. It is the single most important thing they can do to further their own success. After that, get out and mingle. Which is hard. We writers are often introverts, but conferences and signings and other events are great ways to get discovered and learn more about your craft. And finally, keep writing. When you finish one thing and are submitting it, don’t wait around for that glorious acceptance letter you just know is coming. Start writing the next thing.

Anna Silver is an author and artist living in the greater Houston area with her family, pets, and overactive imagination. Her art has been featured in the Houston gallery Las Manos Magicas. She studied English Writing & Rhetoric at St. Edward’s University. She's freelanced for private clients and small publications like the Hill Country Current. OTHERBORN is her first published novel. She is represented by Rebecca Podos and Nicole LaBombard of Rees Literary Agency.

Website  -  Facebook  -  Twitter  -  Goodreads  -  Pinterest

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Freak of Nature by Julia Crane Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway!!

Freak of Nature
(IFICS, #1)
by Julia Crane
Publication Date: February 2, 2013
Published by: Valknut Press
Formats Available: eBook, Paperback ~284 pages

Book Blurb:
Donate Body to Science. Check.

When seventeen-year-old Kaitlyn checked the box, she never suspected she’d have her life–and her body–stolen from her. She awakens one day in a secret laboratory to discover that her body is now half-robot and is forced to hide her own secret: that she still has human emotions and a human mind. If the scientists who made her find out, they’ll erase what remains of who she was.

Kaitlyn finds an unlikely ally in Lucas, a handsome, brilliant scientist who can’t get over the guilt he feels knowing she was once a vibrant, beautiful young woman. He never expected a science project to affect him the way she does. As he tries to help her rediscover her past, he finds himself falling for the brave girl struggling to find her place and acceptance between the human and computer worlds.

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Despite owning many of Julia Crane's novels, this is the first one I have actually read and I am so glad I did! The first thing that caught my eye about this novel was the cover. It seems that Julia Crane is incapable of having a less than stunning cover. I love cover and the picture of this pieced together girl who has been split at the seams. And the pale skin tone and teal colors, while I didn't know at first, have meaning to the novel. The second thing that caught my eye was the title: Freak of Nature. I know at times I have felt these very words and I had to see what they meant to this girl on the cover.

Within the very first chapter the author had me questioning the consequences of something that people contemplate everyday: to put the check the box or put the donate sticker on your driver's license or not. Well our main character Kaitlin checked yes. And that one tiny check mark changed her fate forever. Instead of dying like she should have, she was given to science and has been turned into something quite unnerving: a cyborg girl that still looks like Kaitlin, but there have been a few changes made. And after each operation to turn her into this thing, she lost more and more of what made her human.

"By the second operation she stopped laughing. By the fifth, she stopped smiling entirely."

She has no pain sensors or taste buds, but with her new body she can do extraordinary things: run like the wind, fire a gun with precision, and processes everything in her newly programmed brain with ease. However, there is still something left inside; a piece of Kaitlin is still inside and she has to hide it or else she may die a second time. But there are feelings left and that is something quite unacceptable. She shouldn't feel anything, not sadness nor happiness, not the way her skin tingles when she is around Lucas, or feel like she has a best friend with Quess. But it is there and she is keeping the one thing she has left of her old life to herself.

The IFICS and their experiment make me sick. And the people that worked for them were worse. How did they justify this experiment and how could you take a teenage girl do that to her without being a monster - or worse - someone who just cares about progress. But then there is Lucas, a super-smart kid who just wants to do cool things, but has a conscience - one that lacks in action, but it is there. He feels for Kaitlin and regrets the loss of a girl he never knew when she was truly alive. And I loved that we got to see what things are like through his eyes too. And through him we see his feeling for Kaitlin, ones that make him feel weak in the knees.

"How could you possibly think I'm beautiful? I'm repulsive - a freak of nature."

I loved the burgeoning romance between Kaitlin and Lucas. And though she finds herself a freak, they are both broken in some way. What I loved about Freak of Nature was that it wasn't just a Science Fiction novel or a YA Romance, there was more depth to it that is so hard to explain. Julia Crane has created a world full of mad scientists, hormonal teenagers (robot or not), and gave the readers something to think about well after they finish: what do our choices really mean? There is light action, but the book is about strength, love, and friendship. There are a few things I could get nit-picky about here and there. One of which is that Kaitlin is supposed to be super intelligent, but when given an iPhone or the idea of Facebook and she completely goes blank. Um. shouldn't the super machine know about technological advances? But aside from that I enjoyed reading Freak of Nature and am curious to see what will take place in book two.
*For mature teens due to some sexual content.

4.5 Candles for Freak of Nature

FTC Advisory: I was given a copy of this book from the author for an honest review as part of a blog tour. No backroom deals or whispered promises were made.

Q) Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

A) I do some research, but mainly I just go where my mind takes me. Ideas come out of nowhere it seems.    Like for Freak of Nature, I saw my daughter making a cyborg image on photoshop and I though I’ve got to write a book about a cyborg.


Q) Is there a message in your novel/novels that you want readers to grasp?

A) I don’t think of that when I write. I’ve always believe that any book opened there is at least once sentence written for the reader. I hope there is something that makes my readers think about it later even if it’s just one line that reached them.


Q) What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing your characters to life?

A) I can’t think that deeply into writing if I did it would freeze me up. I’ve gotten to know a lot of different personalities over my lifetime and I draw from that. I’ve also been lucky enough to travel extensively so I think that helps.

Julia Crane is the author of the Coexist: Keegan’s Chronicles. She has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Julia has believed in magical creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Growing up her mother greatly encouraged reading and using your imagination. Although she’s spent most of her life on the US east coast, she currently lives in Dubai with her husband and three children.

Website - Blog - Twitter - Pinterest - Facebook - Goodreads

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The Last Year Series Tour: Series Review & Giveaway!

Welcome to my stop on The Last Year Series Tour! This tour is brought to you by AToMR Tours. Thank you to Trisha Leigh for providing the books to review. There is also a tour-wide giveaway for some nifty goodies so make sure to enter the Rafflecopter linky below.

**Note: I am providing reviews for each book in the series thus far. Each book builds upon each other so if you have not read the previous book there may be spoilers just in the synopsis. However, I do not include spoilers of each book in my reviews because what fun would that be?

Whispers In Autumn
The Last Year, Book One
by Trisha Leigh
Published July 24, 2012
Format Reviewed: eBook

Synopsis:
In 2015, a race of alien Others conquered Earth. They enslaved humanity not by force, but through an aggressive mind control that turned people into contented, unquestioning robots.

Except sixteen-year-old Althea isn’t content at all, and she doesn’t need the mysterious note inside her locket to tell her she’s Something Else. It also warns her to trust no one, so she hides the pieces that make her different, even though it means being alone.

Then she meets Lucas, everything changes.

Althea and Lucas are immune to the alien mind control, and together they search for the reason why. What they uncover is a stunning truth the Others never anticipated, one with the potential to free the brainwashed human race.

It’s not who they are that makes them special, but what.

And what they are is a threat. One the Others are determined to eliminate for good.

Amazon • Barnes & Noble

My Thoughts:
Althea is an anomaly. She has emotions; she can be happy or sad and can do what the vast majority of humans cannot. She can cry. She also smells like Jasmine, like Summer nights. What makes her different is a secret. She can't tell anyone or even express any feelings other than contentment when she is around people. The Others are always watching. And although Althea hasn't had any reason to fear the Others, she knows that something is wrong. The only thing she has is a necklace with a letter hidden inside that tells her she is different, a Dissident, and to trust no one except for those who are like her, and that she will know them when the time comes.

Althea can also Travel. She can jump from one place to the next, from one season to another, except for Summer. She has awoken in Connecticut with the Morgans, her Autumnal family. Each season Althea has a different family. They do not realize she is gone during the other seasons and when she returns, life continues as normal. When she meets Lucas, a boy she can sense, a boy that smells like Winter, she must decide who is trustworthy and who isn't. Especially when another boy shows up, one that smells like earth but doesn't act like a Dissident should. Althea has to learn to trust herself and muster up strength she didn't know she had to find the answers she so desperately needs.

The aliens in this book are scarier than some because they are able to take over everything so seamlessly and without resistance. How did they come into power? One thing I noticed that was absent was religion. There isn't anything other than the Others and what they say. No deviating thoughts, well, no individual thoughts at all. One thing I don't quite understand is why they have corralled humans away from all other living things? The fact that they can't even cook their own meat, it is brought to them is weird. What purpose does it serve other than being taught to fear? I also think that the name for school is very apropos. School is Cell and the classmates are Cellmates and the teachers are just talking monitors.

Both characters Althea and Lucas are likable and genuine. The world building is creative and believable. I could imagine life being exactly as Trisha designed. I think that is another thing that is unique about this book, that it wasn't some far-out story. The twists and revelations were surprising, but yet had truth to them. Everything in this world is connected in some way and no strings are left untied.

I have to say that this is one of my most favorite dystopian books and I recommend it to everyone! I love everything about Whispers In Autumn. The genre is a mix of dystopian and science fiction and is pure awesome! I immediately fell into the story and could not stop reading until I turned the last page. Even then I had book two on hand so I didn't have to wait long for more!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Winter Omens

The Last Year, Book Two

by Trisha Leigh

Expected Publication Date: September 25, 2012

Format Reviewed: eBook ARC

Synopsis:

Althea and Lucas barely escaped the Others’ clutches in the autumn, and were separated in the process. Alone and on the run from the cruel alien race determined to exterminate her, Althea struggles to adapt and survive in a world she never imagined. 

When a boy named Pax appears out of nowhere, he quickly recognizes Althea for what she is – a human/Other hybrid just like him. Althea begs him to help her find Lucas, but Pax refuses, intent on following his own mysterious agenda. 

The Others’ presence continues to devour the planet’s resources, and if history is an indication, they won’t leave until Earth is destroyed beyond repair. Althea and Pax sense the only way to save themselves – and maybe their home – is to understand the powers simmering inside them. 

Together they push the limits of their capabilities in the quiet Wilds, but are soon confronted with a terrifying fact: no place is safe from the relentless pursuit of the Others.

Least of all their own minds.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

My Thoughts:
Picking up right where Whispers In Autumn left off, Althea is on her own. Cadi has Lucas and he is safe...somewhere. Althea has traveled to Iowa and must get away so that the Others don't find her. She starts trekking to Portland and finds a friends along the way. Pax smells like apples and cinnamon; he is Autumn. Now Althea knows of the four, but where is Lucas and what have the Others done with the real Deshi?

The friendship that develops between Pax and Althea is sweet. She has to examine her feelings for him, but this isn't what I would say is a love triangle. It reminds me more of the friendship between Harry and Hermione; they love each other and rely on one another, but it isn't more even though it may feel like it in the moment. It is also beautiful to see the way they cling to each other after having to hide and never really having friends all their lives. Also, she now has a pet, which is unheard of in this world as the Others have eliminated interaction between animals and humans.

As they travel through the Wilds to Portland, Althea is being targeted mentally by the others. If they can't find her body, they will find her mind. More insights into the world and its inhabitants are revealed and so many things change and just Ahh! I can't even tell you what I am excited about! I think this book is even better than the first, if that is even possible. I can't wait to see what is next and what we may fight out about the other characters. And we still have Spring and Summer to go...

Winter Omens is a touching, insightful, and beautifully written book. I really loved the way the song/Bible verse "To Everything There is a Season/Turn, Turn, Turn" weaves together the events in both books. Everyone should check out this series, not just YA readers or even Sci-Fi/Dystopian fans. This is a book that will get inside you and stay there! The Last Year series is one that I will be adding to my shelves in all forms. Plus, the covers of both books are gorgeous and represent the Seasons well. I think when all the books are finished, all the covers together will create something special.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Favorite Quote: "People don't question the Others. They rule us, maintain a pleasant society, employ us, but they are not us. They are Other." -Whispers In Autumn

FTC Advisory: I was given a copy of each book from the author for an honest review as part of a blog tour. No backroom deals or whispered promises were made.

About the Author:
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Trisha is an author of Young Adult fiction from Kansas City, MO. She’s currently writing/revising/cursing her next novel.
Raised by a family of ex-farmers and/or almost rock stars from Southeastern Iowa, Trisha always loved to tell stories. After graduating from Texas Christian University with a degree in Film, she began to search for a way to release the voices in her head. Trisha wrote a thriller and a couple of ghost stories, getting her feet wet and learning with each discarded manuscript. When she attempted her first YA novel, which would become Whispers in Autumn, she was hooked. Trisha knew then her heart lay with telling stories about and for young adults, and for anyone who loves to read and recapture those fleeting “first” moments.
Her spare time is spent reviewing television and movies, spending time with a large, loud, loving family, reading any book that falls into her hands, and being dragged into the fresh air by her dogs Yoda and Jilly.
Like everyone, Trisha’s had some ups and downs, but life is good. She’s writing. She’s happy.

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