Stephanie Cage - Writer

Halloween is a great excuse to dig out Nightmare Before Christmas and all my favourite spooky stories, so my contribution to the Halloween blog hop is, in no particular order, my seven favourite magical books (or series - a sneaky way of not quite having to narrow down to seven books) of all time. How many have you read? Follow the hop for more fun, great books, and awesome prizes.  And make sure to read to the end for a chance to win a sneak preview of a magical collection, as well as a hop-wide prize draw for $50 or $100 in Amazon gift cards.   Tamora Pierce: Alanna (Song of the Lioness series) Along with 'Little Women', this is one of my most read books ever.  The story of a girl in a magical land which, sadly, reflects our own in having certain expectations of how boys and girls will behave.  Alanna doesn't want to be a lady and learn to dress prettily and walk nicely.  She wants to fight the bad guys, and both she and her twin Thom are gi...

The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg My rating: 4 of 5 stars I downloaded The Paper Magician on a whim for no better reason than that I was short on fantasy reads and liked the title. I started reading and was instantly addicted. Ceony is a wonderfully kind, funny, likeable heroine. She's feisty and independent (traits which cause her no small difficulties) yet with plenty to learn from magician Thane, to whom she is apprenticed. Being forced to be a Folder (paper magician) when she wants to be a Smelter (iron magician) is maddening, and her attempts to make the best of the situation are both endearing and humorous. As Ceony gets to know magician Thane and becomes more involved in his life, the secrets which emerge lead to some thrilling adventures, as she quite literally explores Thane's heart. I found those scenes the least convincing of the book, but then Charlie Holmberg set herself a huge challenge with them and I still thoroughly enjoyed this very strong f...

Switched by Amanda Hocking My rating: 4 of 5 stars I was all ready to hate 'Switched' on the grounds that I'd heard so much about it, I was bored before I started reading it. By the end of the first chapter, I'd changed my mind. 'Switched' is a thoroughly modern take on a classic idea that's fascinated me ever since childhood, the idea of changelings - human children taken by fairies, or, in this case, trolls (Trylle). It's easy to identify with Wendy, the child who just doesn't belong. Even though few of us can have been rejected quite so extremely, we've surely all had moments when we were certain we belonged anywhere but here. Hocking plays brilliantly on this familiar feeling to make the extraordinary events of 'Switched' seem not only possible but almost normal. IPads, music collections, dresses and nail polish help to ground the story, as does the location of the Trylle kingdom in a backwater of rural America. Wendy...

Today's interview is with multi-talented author Lisa Hannah Wells.  Welcome, Lisa.   You write in a long list of genres, including paranormal and contemporary romance.  Do you have plans to focus on one, or do you enjoy the variety? I truly enjoy the variety. I am never certain “who” will pop up next demanding their story told. Often, the genres are so totally different from one another. Then there is the fun I have of mixing genres. I rarely do things the same. I love the cover for ‘Be Still My Lover’s Heart.’  It reminds me of ‘Avatar’.  What books and films do you think have influenced you as a writer? I have always loved movies that had a paranormal theme, yet romantic. I’m not a horror fan. My favorite books are the “Outlander” series, most things by Christine Feehan and Sherrilyn Kenyon. I also love great YA. Harry Potter, Cassandra Clare, James Patterson.  Tolkien is another great favorite. Furthermore, if I left out Science ...

This is exciting!  I'm starting a series of occasional (and hopefully, eventually, regular) Wednesday writer interviews - a chance for me and my blog readers to meet some interesting people and hopefully discover some great books that we wouldn't otherwise have found.  The series kicks off today with my friend, author and radio presenter Sheila North.   Welcome, Sheila.  Tell us a bit about your writing.  What have you had published? ‘The Woodcutter’s Son’ is my first published novel, and was published for the e-reader market late last year. Around the same time, my short story ‘Perfect for Her’ was selected for ‘Tales from the Circle’, a short story collection published by mywriterscircle.com as a fund raiser. A poetry pamphlet, ‘An American in South Yorkshire’, was published by Smith Doo rstop in the 1980s. I’ve had poetry published in both the US and UK. I worked for two years as a stringer, reporter, assistant editor and editor for a ...

My final choice from this year's kindle reading is another irresistible trilogy.  I took a long time getting around to ' The Hunger Games ', but once I did, it was inevitable that 'Catching Fire' and 'Mockingjay' would whizz straight onto my kindle.  I raced through all three books of Suzanne Collins' compelling young adult trilogy, and then I went back to the beginning and started again more slowly!  Like many young adult books, especially sci-fi and fantasy, 'The Hunger Games' deals with some weighty issues of politics and responsibility, while also keeping the reader on tenterhooks by putting an appealing set of characters through some major challenges.  The heroine of 'The Hunger Games', Katniss Everdeen, is a bit of a misfit, but we instantly warm to her when we see how protective she is of her sweet younger sister, Primrose.  It's because of Prim that Katniss ends up as tribute for her district, taking part in the brutal ...