Title: Star Cursed (Curse of the Beast book 2)
Author: Ashley Lavering
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance/Beauty and the Beast Retelling
Tour Host: LadyAmber's Tours
After I finished reading Curse of the Beast, book 1 in the series, I was very excited to read Star Cursed. This book was full of drama and romance; parts that make you cry , gasp and laugh. I really liked the connection between Tayla and Beast. It is so beautiful to watch her struggle with her love, as she thinks it is simply her inner wolf that loves Beast, and not her. Tayla goes through some inner struggles, which I think is important for her to better understand what her Beast, and all the other wolves have to go through.
This book was really well written, had a fantastic story-line, and kept me interested the entire time that I was reading. I give this book 5 out of 5 (stars).
I have recently done an interview with her also. Here it is:
Me: Perfect! First question: Have you always wanted
to be an author?
Ashley: No. Actually, when I was younger I hated
writing assignments. I loved to create and be imaginative but I didn't like
writing it down. I get too impatient. I have to say that I am still impatient,
but am learning how to curve it enough to get my stories on paper. Lol I so
love seeing my book in print and rereading it myself:-)
Me: That suprises me! Most authors liked to write
since they were 4 or 5. How do you put up with it?
Ashley: The love of creating the story has out weighed
the writing part. When I write my goal is as little rewrite as possible:-) I
will think about everything for a while and then write it down. It works but if
you ask my friends I still have those days when I complain. lol I recite:
"I am a writer and a writer writes!" Ha ha:-) It gets easier with
every book I write also.
Me: Interesting. What inspired you to write Curse
of the Beast?
Ashley: I was reading two authors at the same time,
Robin Mckinley and Patricia Briggs. The result was a daydream where I saw a
teenage girl standing in a large city with a growling werewolf by her side that
she was trying to keep from killing a group of guys. From there the story grew
by wondering how she came to have a werewolf in the city and what was making
him so angry.
Me: Really? How did your characters develop?
Ashley: They grew so much. At first I really didn't
know Tayla. I had to write her into scenes before I came to feel how she acts.
Also, when it came to back story, it took time for me to figure out why her mom
had been MIA and why her Aunt would have moved. Beast on the other hand came
very quickly. I wanted him to have a reason for being over in Europe so I had
him be in WWII. That worked out well. I didn't know he had a brother until the
end of book one when his character need more depth:-)
Me: What was Star Cursed to you when you first
started writing it? Was it basically Curse of the Beast but in a seperate book,
or something more?
Ashley: Writing Curse of the Beast, I found that it was
getting too large. So I cut the 20-30,000 words off of it. I was then able to
really tell her dating story instead of just mentioning it in one chapter. I
also got to have so many more scenes with Beast, which I loved! The book grow
to about 88,000 words. Originally, this book idea was only suppose to be one
book but it has a mind of its own and now is going onto book three.
Me: How is book 3 coming along?
Ashley: I sat down to start writing it several weeks
ago and the prologue that came to me surprised me. So I have the prologue
finished and chapter 1 started. I have tons of new characters that I have to get
to know. I am dedicated my summer to writing it. :-)
Ashley: Oh and I think I have a title. After Star. What
do you all think?
Me: The title is wonderful! I am so excited to read
it! Are you going to make another Blog Tour for After Star?
Ashley: Yes. I will do it all. I have a wonderful cover
artist that I just hired (Design by Katt) So I will have a cover reveal,
release day party, and blog tour.
Me: I will definitely be signing up for that one :)
How long did it take you approximately to write Curse of the Beast and Star Cursed?
Ashley: Thanks Alex:-) Together they took me about 2
years. I am getting faster:-) Had to learn my craft that first little bit. I
have been writing for 6 years now. My first novels are needing me to go back
and revise them, but need to grow as an author. Now, I am revising them:-) but
that is a whole other topic.
Me: Are you currently working on any other books or
series?
Ashley: Yes. My first novel that I ever wrote is back
in the picture for me. It is a high fantasy for New Adult. Enslavement is the
first book in the Land Magic Saga. I am currently revising it and will be
sending it to the editor the first part of Summer.
Me: They sound interesting. Can you give us a
little hint on what they are about?
Ashley: Sure. Off of the top of my head: Azika is and
orphaned slave in a mining camp. She is cursed with beauty that she hides under
dirt and filth. But she has a bigger secret that even she doesn't understand.
She feels the earth and what might lie beyond her prison. Then one day she is
sentenced to the darkest deepest parts of the mountain and meets Bear. Together
they struggle to escape. But how do you escape a mountain and the guards
surrounding it?
Me: Sounds very interesting! Are you excited about
it?
Ashley: Very!! I love this story. If I could have a
"soul" book, it would be this one. I love the characters and the
story line is always twisting and unfolding for me in ways I didn't see coming.
I love fantasy, magic, and romance. All of which is in this saga:-)
Me: Can't wait. What genres of book do you read?
Ashley: I love fantasy, paranormal romance, urban
fantasy. I dabble in books outside of those but I don't like horror. :-)
Me: What would you say was your favorite books?
Ashley: The Frog Princess by E.D. Baker, All of Patrica
Briggs and Stephenie Meyers, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, The Poision
Study by Maria V. Snyder, Onyx by Jennifer Armentrout, Vampire Academy by
Richelle Mead, Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce, J.K. Rowling, Rick Riordan.. and
the list continues.
Me: Do you have any advice to new authors?
Ashley: My biggest advice to new authors is study your
craft and set up a writing habit every day. Set aside 15 minutes at least to
write. The more you write and read the better you will become. I took an on
line course in writing when I first started. I was a science major in college
and needed help switching from technical writing to creative writing. So I took
a course in it. A year and a half worth of courses. I also went to writer
conferences. Also find some writing buddies, that helps tons:-)
Me: I can't imagine a better note to end this than
here. Thank you so much Ashley for taking the time to answer some questions :)
I hope you have a great day. (PS: I hope you dont mind if I put this on my
facebook page and blog).
Ashley: Thanks so much Alex! I had tons of fun. I don't
mind at all if you post it. Send me the link and I'll spread it around too.
Also, if you all like Pintrest I have some fun pictures that helped me come up
with some of the things in Star Cursed. http://pinterest.com/
I think that the interview went pretty well. It was fun, and I cannot wait to be part of more blog tours featuring her books!
If you want to read a little more about the book and Ashley, check it out below! Make sure to click on those links and Share :)
Book Blurb:
Seventeen-year-old Tayla will never forget Beast’s fiery-venom spreading through her body like an infection. Now, with her best friend Chel’s help, she must find a human true love before the last petal falls from her enchanted rose or the full moon will transform her into a wolf forever.
But Tayla never expected that her biggest obstacle would come from inside—a wolf presence threatening to take her very soul. At every turn, the she-wolf exploits Tayla’s weaknesses and gains enough control to sabotage her dates. Tayla struggles to control her unruly wolf and her forbidden attraction to Beast. But can she resist his southern charm, the she-wolf’s attraction to his alluring scent, and still fall in love with a human?
Tangled in a web of wills, Tayla must risk everything to break the Curse of the Beast. With failure and possible death looming overhead, Tayla will do anything to find true love. But will one moon cycle be long enough to conquer her wolf and remain human? Or will she become a permanent member of Beast’s pack? Find out in the second installment in the Curse of the Beast series.
A nomad at heart, I currently claim Nevadaas my home. I have a wonderful husband and two young children that put up withmy “writing time.” When she’s not pondering a spell that will magically calmthe ferocious winds that plague the air around her, you can find her, withnotepad in hand, frantically jotting down ideas in those short moments betweencaring for her girls and working full time at the Elko Institute for AcademicAchievement.
Charging into adventures and discovering something new has always been apassion of mine, but as a teenager I used to run screaming from a reading orwriting assignment. Looking back, the irony isn’t lost on me. Now you can’tcatch me without a book in hand or without an open word document. Every time anew idea pops into my mind my heart races and my hand twitch to write it. Inthat moment, I have my writer's high and pray it will sustain me throughthousands of hours of revision.
FacebookProfile link: http://www.facebook.com/ashley.laveringauthor
Twitter Link:https://twitter.com/AshleyLavering
GoodreadsBook link, for each book:
GoodreadsAuthor Page link: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5750992.Ashley_Lavering
Seventeen-year-old Tayla will never forget Beast’s fiery-venom spreading through her body like an infection. Now, with her best friend Chel’s help, she must find a human true love before the last petal falls from her enchanted rose or the full moon will transform her into a wolf forever.
But Tayla never expected that her biggest obstacle would come from inside—a wolf presence threatening to take her very soul. At every turn, the she-wolf exploits Tayla’s weaknesses and gains enough control to sabotage her dates. Tayla struggles to control her unruly wolf and her forbidden attraction to Beast. But can she resist his southern charm, the she-wolf’s attraction to his alluring scent, and still fall in love with a human?
Tangled in a web of wills, Tayla must risk everything to break the Curse of the Beast. With failure and possible death looming overhead, Tayla will do anything to find true love. But will one moon cycle be long enough to conquer her wolf and remain human? Or will she become a permanent member of Beast’s pack? Find out in the second installment in the Curse of the Beast series.
AuthorBio:
A nomad at heart, I currently claim Nevadaas my home. I have a wonderful husband and two young children that put up withmy “writing time.” When she’s not pondering a spell that will magically calmthe ferocious winds that plague the air around her, you can find her, withnotepad in hand, frantically jotting down ideas in those short moments betweencaring for her girls and working full time at the Elko Institute for AcademicAchievement.
Art and science have always been my yin andyang. Throughout my college career, I shifted between the two, but in the end Igraduated with a Bachelors of Mathematics and Science from the University ofWyoming.
Charging into adventures and discovering something new has always been apassion of mine, but as a teenager I used to run screaming from a reading orwriting assignment. Looking back, the irony isn’t lost on me. Now you can’tcatch me without a book in hand or without an open word document. Every time anew idea pops into my mind my heart races and my hand twitch to write it. Inthat moment, I have my writer's high and pray it will sustain me throughthousands of hours of revision.
Ashley's Links:
Amazon Links for Ashley’sbooks:
Curse of the Beast http://www.amazon.com/Curse-of-the-Beast-ebook/dp/B007YVYJUK/ref=la_B007ZXQR0C_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341002105&sr=1-1
Star Cursed (Curse of the Beast bk 2) http://www.amazon.com/Star-Cursed-Curse-Beast-ebook/dp/B00BBRPS4O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361602307&sr=8-1&keywords=ashley+lavering
FacebookProfile link: http://www.facebook.com/ashley.laveringauthor
Twitter Link:https://twitter.com/AshleyLavering
GoodreadsBook link, for each book:
Star Cursed (Curse of theBeast bk 2): http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16155124-star-cursed
GoodreadsAuthor Page link: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5750992.Ashley_Lavering
No comments:
Post a Comment