google-site-verification: google935433b691795853.html KRISTY BERRIDGE: 2012

Saturday 22 December 2012



Hi All!
I just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! To all my followers you have been a massive support and to those of you that read my posts regularly, leave comments and amazingly don't die of shock from my sometimes ferociously inappropriate subject matter, I wish you all the very best!
It has been an amazing year with a few more of my books due to be released early 2013, so I'm shutting down until after New Year so I can get all of this finished for the eager Hunted fans. Oh, and there will be zombies on the horizon in the New Year ... lots and lots of zombies.
Anyway, you should probably get your hands on a copy of 'The Hunted' for Christmas either for yourself or for a friend or both. I've been told by one of Santa's big-mouth elves that if you don't have a copy under the tree or sitting on your bookshelf then you will be added to the 'naughty list'.
This is fact. *Maniacal laughter*
So now that you're all on the 'nice' list, I'm going to head off, enjoy my Christmas and bid that you all do the same - be safe, be happy, be merry, and of course do what I'm going to do and eat ridiculous amounts of food despite that I know there will be a week long crying sesh followed by massive regret when the scales whisper to me 'one at a time please'.
Have a good one everyone!

Kristy :)

Wednesday 19 December 2012

Book Review: Personal Demons by Stacia Kane

For me, picking up the first book in this 'demonic' series was a no brainer. It's no secret that I'm a massive Stacia Kane fan, won over by the intricate and confronting stories of Chess Putnum from the Downside Ghosts series. Unfortunately, I didn't love this book as much as I'd hoped. Don't get me wrong, I drew plenty of pleasure from this twisted little tale, but I was left wanting when it came to the writing and almost predictable nature of the story.
Personal Demons is the first book in this series, following the story of Dr Megan Chase, a psychiatrist who is partner in a successful practice and recently signed by a local radio station to psychoanalyze and help burdened souls for ratings. A brazen career move, Megan's success blooms from hidden talents, specifically her psychic senses - her ability to read minds and even seek answers from the past. The only problem with such an extraordinary talent and a new radio label known as 'the demon slayer', Megan now attracts negative attention - attention of the DEMON variety.
Suddenly finding herself victim of a zombie attack and more specifically, under the spell of a fire demon known as Greyson Dante, Megan suddenly has her hands full. Between understanding this new realm and those that are trying to kill her, leading a career unaffected by the torment of her present, and trying particularly hard not to succumb to the charms of Mr Dante, you have yourself a fun, fiery little story with a few sexually entertaining highlights if you're partial to the paranormal romance genre.
As always Stacia Kane is an eloquent writer, a clean mix of descriptive text balanced by on point conversation and clear, consistent characterisation. I never question Stacia Kane's plot deviations or character reveals, knowing that every word planted within her stories eventually unveils the point of its existence.
Unfortunately, I had expectations based on her current popular series. I expected the same level of excitement, twisted horror and sexual tension. I was left wanting despite the fact that Personal Demons was entertaining and relatively action packed. Perhaps it was both protagonists Megan and Greyson, the two interwoven into a story screaming repetitive expectation - their interaction so similar to those already starring in a million other paranormal romance novels. Alas, I can only rate Personal Demons three out of five fangs. I liked it but I didn't love it.

Synopsis:
Megan promises listeners to her new radio call-in show that she'll "slay their personal demons," and they believe her. So do the personal demons... although she doesn't know it, Megan is the only human without a demon on her shoulder Megan and her allies - a demon lover who both protects and seduces her with devilish intensity, a witch with poor social skills, and three cockney guard demons - have to deal not only with the personal demons, but a soul-sucker, ghosts of Megan's past, and a reporter who threatens to destroy Megan's career.

Saturday 15 December 2012

Chick Lit Plus Blog Tour - Donna Joy Usher

Today I have the fabulous Donna Joy Usher stopping by my blog as part of her international blog tour for her latest release novel "The Seven Steps to Closure"
I have persuaded Donna to answer twenty random, silly but sometimes serious questions to delve a little deeper into the mind of this illustrious chick lit author! So please read on and  take a look at the previous review I compiled some months ago when I first got my hands on this great little number.

Kristy :)


Describe your novel in twenty words or less.

With help from her friends, 30 year old Tara goes on a quest to find closure on her failed marriage.
Haha – I did it! *Am jumping around the living room high fiving myself*

What were some of the biggest obstacles that you had to overcome while writing?

The Seven Steps to Closure is my debut novel, so I’m guessing I was plagued by the normal confidence problems of an inexperienced author. Probably convincing myself that what I was writing was interesting enough to make it worthwhile finishing was the hardest part.

Are you also a reader, and if so, what’s your preferred genre?

I’m an avid reader – as you’ll find out in question 15, and although I do love chick lit I also adore fantasy and horror.  The series I am currently working on is YA urban fantasy.

If you could have dinner with one person dead or alive, who would it be and why?


I’ve had a good, hard, 5 minute think about this and I would have to say Angelina Jolie. I really admire her as a philanthropist and humanitarian and I think she would be fascinating to talk to. Plus I’d be hoping hubby Brad might stick his head in to say hi.

Do you have any weird little habits that get you in the writing mood—downing a bottle of wine, eating an entire bar of chocolate, fornicating on a porch swing?

Geez – now you’ve got me thinking about porch swings. Maybe I should buy one? But until I give that a try I would have to say that I love nothing more than sipping a glass of Malborough Sav Blanc while I write in the evening. Ice-cream has also been known to do it for me and chocolate and a hot cup of tea works well. Okay - as long as it’s yummy I’m eating it while I write.

What sets your book apart from others in the same genre?

I think a lot of chick lit novels leave you with the impression that you can’t be happy without a partner, and that marriage is the be all and end all to life. My book is more about my protagonist, Tara, finding herself. Don’t get me wrong, there is some romance in there for her, but she realises along her journey that she has to be able to be happy by herself. I think that is an important message to take home.

Okay, so I bet you secretly hate one of the characters in your novel. Who is it and why?

No secret here – I despise her ex-husband Jake. He’s a downright, dirty, manipulating bastard. I hate those sorts of people.

You’re on death row and it’s your last meal. What will you choose to eat?

Okay – death row – so no need to worry about weight gain or food intolerances.
I’d start with some excellent salty blue cheese and crackers, before moving onto an entrée of seafood risotto with fresh parmesan, served with a bottle of savvy B. (I mean I am about to die, I may as well die happy.) Then for main I’d have a rack of lamb with roast vegetables and a bottle of Claire Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. I’d finish up with my special home-made caramel ice-cream topped with freshly roasted, salted macadamias served with a botrytis dessert wine. 
After that I’d be so full and drunk that I probably wouldn’t even notice my own demise. 

Tell us three crazy things about yourself that you wish no one else knew (I promise I won’t post this … but I lie).

When I was a small child I used to eat sand. I don’t know why – it just tasted good.
If I’ve had visitors staying for a while, when they leave I like to do a nude run throughout the house.
In winter I dress my dogs in fluffy pink jumpers – it keeps them warm and me amused.

Are you a scruncher or a folder? (Yes, this is a toilet paper question)

I’m a fruncher. I start out by folding the length of paper in half, then into quarters, but by then I’m out of time so I just scrunch it and use it like that.

If you had to pick one song to be the soundtrack to your novel, what would it be and why?

‘50 Ways to Say Goodbye’ by Train. I love this song so much, and it’s about having trouble saying goodbye and moving on, which sums up Tara at the start of the novel.




Do you have any future projects lined up that you want to tell us about?

Yep – I’ve just finished writing book 2 in The War Faery Series. I’m pretty excited about this as I love fantasy and it is so much fun to write. Plus I’ve started my next chick lit novel, Cocoa and Chanel, which will also slip into the crime genre.

E-book or paperback, what’s your preference?

I used to be hard core paperback until I got my kindle – now I love e-books. It’s fantastic not to have to lug around 10 books whenever I go on holidays. And as much as I have always enjoyed holding a book and turning the pages, the convenience of my kindle totally overrides that pleasure.

What books or authors have most influenced your writing style?

Marian Keyes and Janet Evanovich made me want to write chick lit. I love the edginess of Janet Evanovich’s books and Marian Keyes’ characters always have so much depth. I’ve also read the Twilight Series a number of times trying to analyse what makes Stephenie Meyers writing so compelling. 

15.          If you were stuck on a deserted Island would you choose:
a)            A total hottie to keep you company over the lonely nights ahead.
b)            A solar powered Kindle with limitless reading potential.
c)            Tom Hanks and Wilson to help get your ass off the Island.

Geez – Hard call…. I’d really like to say a) a total hottie, and make myself sound really exciting, but I’ve been working so hard lately I’d actually pay to be shipwrecked on a deserted island with b) a solar powered kindle with limitless reading potential.

Where can we find you?

Blog/Website: You can find me at www.DonnaJoyUsher.com
Twitter: @DonnaJoyUsher
Facebook: Donna Joy Usher - The Author

Who has been your biggest support on your writing journey, and please, feel free to add my name here …

I’m not brown nosing here but you have been, and continue to be, one of my biggest supports. My Mum would have to be my number one fan though, and she is a huge support always reading my blogs and guest posts before I publish them.

What is one of your favourite scenes from your novel? Feel free to provide a small excerpt to entice the readers.

Hmmmm, there are so many scenes I love in my book - I still get emotional whenever I read the ending,  and there are so many places I still laugh. Here I’ll give you a snippet that won’t spoil the story for you.

(Excerpt)
Ahhhh, the joys of clothes shopping: the smell of the leather shoes, the feel of the fabrics under my fingertips, the sight of my dimpled white ass glowing in the fluorescent lighting. I was a vision to behold in the outfit I had just squeezed into. It had taken me a good five minutes to get the pants up. I had struggled and jumped up and down in the dressing room, until the sales assistant - hearing the moaning and groaning - had come to the door to see if I was all right. 
'I'm just great,' I said in my best now-piss-off-and-leave-me-alone voice.
'How does it look?' asked Elaine brightly, from the other side of the door.
'Fine and dandy, if you like muffin tops.'
'How bad can it be?'
'You have no idea.'
'Are you ready to show me?'
'Promise not to laugh.'
‘You know I can’t promise that,’ she said.
I undid the lock and opened the door just enough to give one of Elaine's eyes access to the disaster in the change room.
'Oh dear,' she said on viewing the pants. 
 I had pulled them up as far as possible but the zip was only one inch long. I mean seriously how were you meant to wear these? 
Exactly what body shape had they been designed for? 
'Jump up and down,' she said.
I jumped about five centimetres off the ground a couple of times. I could feel the part of me flowing over the top of the waistband wobbling on when the rest of me had stopped. It was disconcerting.
'Bend over.’ Elaine was obviously curious as to how far we could push the limits of the shiny, disco club material. I bent over as far as I could without ripping open the back of the pants, which was not very far. When I stood back up, a small amount of pubic hair popped over the top of the pants. I saw Elaine's eyebrows shoot up as she started giggling.
Unfortunately the shop assistant chose that exact moment to join Elaine, and pulled open the door to get a better look. I squealed in horror and held both hands over the offending tuft of hair. Elaine was doing her darndest not to laugh out loud. Her eyes were filled with barely suppressed mirth and her face was turning as red as mine felt. She probably would have made it, if the sales assistant hadn't chosen that precise moment to say, 'Mmmm. They look quite nice.'

If you had to cast your characters, who would you reconcile to play their parts?

This was a hard one but here goes:
Tara – Kristen Wiig (Annie from Bridesmaids)
Jake – Derek Shepard (Mc Dreamy) - he’s got the correct look for this part.
Matt – Without a doubt Daniel Craig - more because I’d like to stalk him on the film set than any other reason. Yummy!
Elaine – Wendi McLendon-Covey (Rita from Bridesmaids)
Dinah – Emily Blunt (The Adjustment Bureau)
Natalie – Katherine Heigl
Tash – Malin Akerman 




Any last words? (feel free to write Kristy Berridge is super awesome right here)

I just want to thank you for hosting me on your blog, even though I know this is not your normal genre. And I want to let your readers know that if they buy a copy of my book during the tour - it’s only $3.99 on kindle - to make sure they send a copy of their receipt to ChickLitPlus.com for five chances in a draw to win a $25 amazon card. There’s two to be won.

Friday 14 December 2012

Follow Friday #51


Happy Friday everyone!
Yes, it’s that time of week again where bloggers unite to participate in the Follow Friday venture. The idea behind #FF is to promote traffic to your own blog, make new friends with other like-minded bloggers and discuss new and interesting topics each week.
Participating is simple. First you need to follow my blog because I’m totally awesome, then you can follow me on Twitter @kristyberridge (actually you don’t have to do this, it’s wishful thinking), but do follow my blog or assassins will get you …
Then you must follow our illustrious hosts Rachel of http://www.parajunkee.com/ and Alison of http://www.alisoncanread.com/ If you want more details on how to enter your own blog in the follow and hop, all directions are on their webpages
Now, once you’ve followed, check out my answer to this week’s questions and don’t forget to leave a comment so I can do the right thing and follow you back!


This week's question: WHAT IS THE LAST BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY? TELL US ABOUT THE SCENE…

My Answer: It's actually an Indie book I read recently called "Impossible" by Komal Lewis. It was an emotionally charged moment between the two protagonists, the bonding over the death of someone they both loved and respected. I definitely got a little misty which I wasn't expecting, and yet, loved the fact that another author could do that to me with only words and they images they created!

Wednesday 12 December 2012

Book Review: Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick


‘Silence’ by Becca Fitzpatrick is the third book in the ‘hush, hush’ series. It’s the steadily beating pulse of intrigue within the set that finally sees you keeping pace with the urgent tension the writer so obviously wishes you to engage.
The novel once again follows Nora Grey, a seemingly ordinary girl endlessly captured in the web of mystery that the world of angels and nephilim cast around her. Interestingly enough, ‘Silence’ begins mostly where the last novel left off, though it appears all the hard won battles of knowledge in the second book have evaded Nora in the third—her mind stolen by an extraordinarily powerful nephilim and the sinister edge of Devilcraft.
Through the first quarter of the story we see Nora regaining a lot of her former self, tossing aside previous doubts that had slowed the plot in earlier novels and actually trusting her instincts. She embraces some of the more interesting, introduced characters such as a nephilim called Scott—an old friend who appears to press for her affections but really just strives for freedom from the oppressive weight of the nephilim army that had recruited him in the past.
With Nora’s help and the slow progress of returning memories, Scott and Nora work to uncover the plot of the nephilim army. They are not alone in this task—Patch a fallen angel turned guardian angel returns to Nora’s side, plagued by ideals to let Nora forget their past, and yet haunted by the possibilities of what a future built together could bring.
Becca Fitzpatrick’s characters were as always consistent in their behaviour and dialogue. Patch, her male protagonist is naturally a show stealer in this series with his dark good looks and mysterious nature. His constant evasion of the truth, or breadcrumb version of it, leaves you feeling unsatisfied yet strangely intrigued. Although Nora does finally begin to show some gumption, particularly towards the last half of the novel, I still think that fleeting appearances from the fallen angel are what really keep you turning the pages on this evenly paced novel.
Action sequences were sparse but there was more than enough injection of plot thickeners to keep the story moving forward. My only criticism in these novels is that there really isn’t enough grit. We are reading stories of fallen angels and their deceitful enmeshing with humanity and yet we are left feeling as if we are reading about superheros rather than sinister outcasts of heaven.
All in all, I am enjoying this series, but again, I will only rate it three out of five fangs as there aren’t many moments that particularly make your pulse race on the action or romantic front.

Snopsis:
Nora Grey can't remember the past five months of her life. After the initial shock of waking up in a cemetery and being told that she has been missing for weeks - with no one knowing where she was or who she was with - she tried to get her life back on track. Go to school, hang out with her best friend, Vee, and dodge mom's creepy new boyfriend.
But there is this voice in the back of her head, an idea that she can almost reach out and touch. Visions of angel wings and unearthly creatures that have nothing to do with the life she knows.
And this unshakable feeling that a part of her is missing.
Then Nora crosses paths with a sexy stranger, whom she feels a mesmerizing connection to. He seems to hold all the answers...and her heart. Every minute she spends with him grows more and more intense until she realizes she could be falling in love. Again.

Sunday 9 December 2012

Blogging vs Tree Trimming vs Videos

Yes, I know, I'm late in posting my Saturday blog again. Ironically, I'm never late in life. In fact, if anything, I show up a few minutes early to occasions. I'm one of the most organised people I know - except when it comes to a Saturday. I don't know what it is about Saturdays but I take one gander at my laptop and for some mysterious reason, opt to go to the video store or invent other reasons to avoid responsibility instead.
Last night, I left you all hanging for a vampire movie with Alicia Silverstone - hold the judgement please, a movie I can't even remember, and one about a hotel in Jaipur hosting a welcoming deathbed for the elderly (that one was actually quite good).
I know, I am pathetic, but I think I might like to watch bad film and television almost as much as I love to read. And, I also love to design and decorate - another reason I missed posting my blog yesterday. Not only is the book-nook area now complete, but I put aside my previous three year state of bar-humbug and donned the Christmas spirit.


Anyway, speaking of lacking organisation, or as the case may be - lacking a pair of bifocals, you will be shocked and dismayed to learn (possibly not) that my newly purchased and erected Christmas tree is not colour coordinated! This may not be a big deal for some of you, but I come from a design background and this is likened to a decorating disaster - one of those moments where I'm certain the world will end because it doesn't match everything else.
I bought the white acrylic set-up to match my coastal look home, and even humored my hubby when he suggested buying a tub of new LED lights to match. Imagine my frustration when we got home, decorated the tree and switched them on only to discover I'd accidentally grabbed the fluorescent blue ones after hubby and I had a massive show down in Big W because I wanted white ones and he wanted coloured ones.
The magical Christmas dance with clapping hands and glee-driven cheers filled the living room - hubby having a field day persecuting me for my blatant mistake. In the end I think we both lose because we have an ugly tree. Hubby thinks it's beautiful. I think it looks like a bug zapper.
Alas, I will suck it up because it's Christmas.
I will also be first one through the door at Boxing Day sales to nab up a bunch of colour coordinated half price decorations for next year.
The blue LED lights may even mysteriously disappear ... just saying.
Happy tree trimming everyone and sorry about the late posting!

Kristy :)

Friday 7 December 2012

Follow Friday #50


Happy Friday everyone!
Yes, it’s that time of week again where bloggers unite to participate in the Follow Friday venture. The idea behind #FF is to promote traffic to your own blog, make new friends with other like-minded bloggers and discuss new and interesting topics each week.
Participating is simple. First you need to follow my blog because I’m totally awesome, then you can follow me on Twitter @kristyberridge (actually you don’t have to do this, it’s wishful thinking), but do follow my blog or assassins will get you …
Then you must follow our illustrious hosts Rachel of http://www.parajunkee.com/ and Alison of http://www.alisoncanread.com/ If you want more details on how to enter your own blog in the follow and hop, all directions are on their webpages
Now, once you’ve followed, check out my answer to this week’s questions and don’t forget to leave a comment so I can do the right thing and follow you back!

This week's question: Activity! Who do you want to be? If you could choose any character from a book. What do you think that character looks like and what do you have in common?

My answer: Truthfully, my character Elena Manory from The Hunted Series is pretty much me as a teenager but with a set of big, brass balls. While writing, I just kept thinking to myself, what would I do? What would I say? I don't think I planned it that way, it's just that this five book series is very close to my heart and I couldn't help but inject a bit of myself into it.


Wednesday 5 December 2012

Book Review: Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Crescendo is the second book in the Hush, Hush series, and thankfully, it does continue on much where the first book left off.
We still follow the story of Nora, a seemingly ordinary girl placed among the most exceptional of circumstances. Angels and the half-breeds known as Nephilim seem to suffocate her world, plaguing her memories of a past unknown and straining to dictate her future. There is no exception to this as new characters of the Nephilim rank are introduced, once again intertwined with the murder of her father and current relationships of a more personal nature intent on shaping her views of the truth. 
Patch, her now guardian angel and the apparent love of her life, continues to keep a myriad of secrets from Nora - some beyond his control due to the restrictions of his new rank among the divine. Naturally Nora is torn between the logic of her blinding affection for Patch and suspicious of these secrets slowly unraveling. No one appears to be trustworthy, including the apparitions of her dead father, the spoken words of her own mother, or perhaps even those she'd considered friends in the past.
Once again Becca Fitzpatrick delivered a stable and consistent story with flowing dialogue and easily relateable characters. Imagery was sedate, though adequate in description. However, there were some aspects that were trying. For one, I didn't enjoy that over three quarters of the book was spent following Nora's inner tirades of jealousy. Some of her thought processes were overly naive and childish given the age group we are following. But what I did appreciate was the author's ability to keep the reader guessing throughout the story, never quite knowing who is who and where the story will end. I can honestly say that I was left guessing right until the turning of the very last page and I very much look forward to diving into the next novel. I rate Crescendo and easy three out of fangs. It would have been four fangs if Nora hadn't become so tiresome.

Synopsis:

Nora Grey's life is still far from perfect. Surviving an attempt on her life wasn't pleasant, but at least she got a guardian angel out of it. A mysterious, magnetic, gorgeous guardian angel. But, despite his role in her life, Patch has been acting anything but angelic. He's more elusive than ever (if that's possible) and what's worse, he seems to be spending time with Nora's arch-enemy, Marcie Millar.Nora would have hardly noticed Scott Parnell, an old family friend who has moved back to town, if Patch hadn't been acting so distant. Even with Scott's totally infuriating attitude, Nora finds herself drawn to him - despite her lingering feeling that he's hiding something.If that weren't enough, Nora is haunted by images of her murdered father, and comes to question whether her Nephilim bloodline has anything to do with his death. Desperate to figure out what happened, she puts herself in increasingly dangerous situations to get the answer. But maybe some things are better left buried, because the truth could destroy everything - and everyone - she trusts.

Kristy :)

Saturday 1 December 2012

Book Review: Impossible by Komal Lewis

Impossible is a YA contemporary fiction, a novel so far outside the realms of my usual genre that you're probably wondering why I would delve into the teenage world of love, angst and sexual inexperience when I'm so clearly devoted to the supernatural/paranormal romance genre.
The quick answer is that "Impossible" was part of a blog tour obligation, one I have found to be surprising, enticing and all together a very pleasant experience!
Impossible follows the story of Ashton and Luca, friends since childhood and next door neighbours now estranged thanks to a life altering event from the past. Ashton is a selfish, acidic-tongued teen with ambitions of popularity and needless attention from the miscreants of her social circle. Luca is a reserved, thick-skinned rocker determined to ignore the stigma of his individuality and the unpoularity that it brings.
A strange twist in fate and the selfish desires of Ashton's whims of highschool sucess see her crossing paths with the neighbour she swore she would never speak to again. A social outcast, Luca is offlimits and clearly unsuitable, but underneath all the gothic make up, clothes and dismissive attitude lies a stud in the making and perhaps Ashton's chance to re-climb the ladder of the school heirachy.
Chemistry soon explodes between these two frenemies and the past is once again uncovered, Ashton and Luca diving deeper into the reasoning behind their initial rift. Bound by combined grief and the promise of a future, we soon see that perhaps Ashton can find substance - Luca being the one to bring it out in her.
Like any teen drama we are greeted with a lot of cliche's but somehow Komal Lewis finds a way to keep this relatively ordinary story of boy meets girl, boy loses girl and then finds girl again adrift with non stop emotional drama. I can honestly say that there were many moments of levity, sadness and even supreme depravity that the author explores through real emotional dilemas and significant reactions from her characters.
Dialogue was realistic and flowed concisely. Characterisation was consistent and interestingly explored via the perspective of two main protagonists - one male, one female - both completely different in thought process.
Congratulations to Komal Lewis on her debut novel, a succinct, entertaining and emotionally lucrative story that I will happily be rating four out of five fangs.

Synopsis:

Ashton Summers is on her way to becoming the most popular girl in school and nothing—or no one—is going to stand in her way. Especially not Luca Byron, her freak neighbour, with his tattoos, loud music, and distracting green eyes.
Luca Byron has three goals in life: get through high school with a low profile, make sure his garage band becomes something more than a hobby, and try to forget about his insufferable ex-best friend, Ashton, who he can’t get out of his mind.
The last thing Ashton and Luca want to do is rekindle their friendship, but when Ashton takes a tumble down the social ladder, Luca—with his new makeover—is the only one who can help her rise up again by pretending to be her boyfriend. At first, being together is unbearable and annoying, but things start to change as Ashton and Luca discover the real reasons they drifted apart seven years ago. 
Now, keeping their hands off each other seems impossible.


Wednesday 28 November 2012

Author Interview with Komal Lewis


Describe your novel in twenty words or less.
It’s about a mean girl, and a “freak”. It’s about childhood friends who grow apart and learn to forgive.

What were some of the biggest obstacles that you had to overcome while writing?
I used to be a HUGE procrastinator and would put off the writing. I also had a few health problems which got in the way. Finally, I was just very insecure. I was scared to let people read my work, and it’s still hard if I happen to see a negative review of my book, but I am learning to let those insecurities go.

Are you also a reader, and if so, what’s your preferred genre?
I love most genres, but lately I have been addicted to Contemporary Romances. They make me so emotional!

If you could have dinner with one person dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Kurt Vonnegut. I would love to pick his brain about his stories, and by the end of the night I would hope that some of his quirkiness would've rubbed off on me.

Do you have any weird little habits that get you in the writing mood—downing a bottle of wine, eating an entire bar of chocolate, fornicating on a porch swing?
I must have a bottle of water. And I need to be sitting in my “spot” which is actually nothing special, just the sofa.

What sets your book apart from others in the same genre?
I wasn't afraid to make my main character mean. Like, really mean. She’s also selfish, makes stupid decisions, and complains when things don’t go her way. Let’s face it, there are people like that in the world and I’m fascinated by what makes them that way. In many Young Adult novels, the “mean girl” is usually a side character, but I wanted to see how readers reacted when they were placed in the mind of a mean girl.

Okay, so I bet you secretly hate one of the characters in your novel. Who is it and why?
I hate Ashton’s dad for what he did to her mum.

You’re on death row and it’s your last meal. What will you choose to eat?
My mum makes THE BEST Mexican food ever. It’s entirely vegetarian because she uses lentils, but don’t let that put you off. It is delicious!

Tell us three crazy things about yourself that you wish no one else knew (I promise I won’t post this … but I lie).
I only drink water (which people think is really weird for some reason). I have the mind of a hormonal teenage boy (I can’t believe I just admitted that!). I say randomly weird things that can be taken out of context (like that “hormonal teenage boy” remark).

Are you a scruncher or a folder? (Yes, this is a toilet paper question)
I’m a folder!

If you had to pick one song to be the soundtrack to your novel, what would it be and why?
With Me by Sum 41. The song really inspired me while I was writing Impossible. And I get to see Sum 41 next year at Soundwave (a music festival they have in Australia) so I’m super excited for that!



Do you have any future projects lined up that you want to tell us about?
I have lots of future projects! My Young Adult Paranormal novel, Runaway Mortal is coming out in February, which I’m super excited for as it’s been in the works for almost two years now. I also have the second book coming out in the With Me series, Falling for Hadie. Don’t worry, it’s not a direct sequel, so it won’t be about Ashton (for those people who don’t like Ashton)! And I’m also working on a secret New Adult novel on the side which I plan to release mid next year.

E-book or paperback, what’s your preference?
If you’d asked me this a year ago, I would’ve said paperback, but I’ve changed my tune. My Kindle app on my phone is my best friend. It’s so convenient (and cheap!) buying e-books, but do love paperbacks too. I can’t decide!

What books or authors have most influenced your writing style?
I do love my Australian children’s authors like Andy Griffiths, Morris Gleitzman, Paul Jennings and Emily Rodda. As for non-Australian authors, I love the randomness of Lemony Snicket (A.K.A. Daniel Handler)! C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, and Philip Pullman are some influences too.

If you were stuck on a deserted Island would you choose:
a) A total hottie to keep you company over the lonely nights ahead.
b) A solar powered Kindle with limitless reading potential.
c) Tom Hanks and Wilson to help get your ass off the Island.
Ooh, we’re getting down to the tough questions now. Well, I need a holiday, so I’d stay on the island with my solar powered Kindle.

Who has been your biggest support on your writing journey, and please, feel free to add my name here …
There’s this wonderful woman named Kristy Berridge who has helped me so much (Kristy Berridge made me say this!). But, seriously, my husband and my critique partners, Erica and Michelle have been my biggest supporters on my writing journey. I don’t know what I’d do without you guys. *Gets all mushy and sentimental*

What is one of your favourite scenes from your novel? Feel free to provide a small excerpt to entice the readers.
This scene is referred to as the “kitchen counter scene”. It’s kinda steamy!

Her hand touched my cheek and she turned my head so I was forced to look at her again. There was a flash of blonde hair, and then Ash’s lips were on mine. For a split second, I thought I was dreaming. She couldn't really be kissing me, could she?
The tension in my mouth eased and I finally regained control of my senses. I pushed her back and crushed my lips against hers. A moan escaped Ash’s mouth as I pressed against her harder. Those sweet lips of hers were hungrily tearing against mine like she might die if she didn’t have me. Her kisses were driving me insane. Sure, I’d kissed girls before, but none of them compared to this. Maybe because none of those girls had been this girl. 
None of those girls had been Ashton.
I pulled away and Ash looked up at me in surprise, her cheeks a deep pink. Placing both hands on her waist, I lifted her up onto the counter top. Before she had a chance to say anything, I resumed kissing her. She sighed deeply against my mouth and wrapped her legs around me so there was no space between us. I could feel every inch of her body and she could feel every inch of mine.

If you had to cast your characters, who would you reconcile to play their parts?
I never once thought about this while I was writing, but a lot of readers have been asking me this question so I finally did a bit of Googling to find the perfect actors. I picture Alex Pettyfer as Luca. Alex has that longish, messy, unkempt hair that I imagined Luca to have, and I’m pretty sure his eyes are green too. Alex would need a lot of tattoos, and his hair needs to be much darker, but I can see him pulling off black eyeliner and a punk rocker wardrobe. Teresa Palmer (an Australian actress who was in December Boys with Daniel Radcliffe) would be great as Ashton!




Any last words? (feel free to write Kristy Berridge is super awesome right here)
Kristy, you ARE awesome! Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog and for the great questions. I really appreciate it!

And now you can stalk Komal at these locations!



Saturday 24 November 2012

Impossible - Blog Tour

Check it out on Goodreads now!
Get the Kindle addition on Amazon for only 99c!
Hey guys,
I'm trying something new - a blog tour stop in support of another author, and to top it off, she's a fair dinkum Aussie just like me, so yay!
Anyway, You all know that I am a massive fan of the supernatural/paranormal romance genre, but I have to say that I quite enjoyed stepping out of the box and reading "Impossible" by Komal Lewis which is more of a contemporary/YA romance.
So stick with me this week guys, because I have a full load for you! On Wednesday the 28th of November you are going to get the author interview with Komal Lewis, followed by a Saturday post which will be the book review of "Impossible". There's also a tour-wide giveaway that you probably don't want to miss, so make sure you bounce back for that one on the 26th of November!
Have a fabulous week guys, support an Aussie, promote good Karma and like my blog while you're at it to receive great big air kisses via secret technical blogging support.

Kristy :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday 23 November 2012

Follow Friday #49


Happy Friday everyone!
Yes, it’s that time of week again where bloggers unite to participate in the Follow Friday venture. The idea behind #FF is to promote traffic to your own blog, make new friends with other like-minded bloggers and discuss new and interesting topics each week.
Participating is simple. First you need to follow my blog because I’m totally awesome, then you can follow me on Twitter @KristyBerridge (actually you don’t have to do this, it’s wishful thinking), but do follow my blog or assassins will get you …
Then you must follow our illustrious hosts Rachel of http://www.parajunkee.com/ and Alison of http://www.alisoncanread.com/ If you want more details on how to enter your own blog in the follow and hop, all directions are on their webpages
Now, once you’ve followed, check out my answer to this week’s questions and don’t forget to leave a comment so I can do the right thing and follow you back!

This week's question: Are you thankful for a fellow blogger? Tell us about him or her.

My answer: This is hard because I love so many people in the blogging world. It still blows my mind how helpful and sweet the relative strangers of this interconnected world of internet communication are. I sometimes think that most of my advertising support for my writing career comes from the word of mouth from my blogging buddies.
So I have to give a shout out for Miss Arianne Cruz of Romantic Maidens Blog Tours and her own personal Site, Arianne Cruz. Not only do I get constant support from this girl, but she also offers me opportunities to blossom in the blogging world - Thanks Arianne!

Happy Friday everyone,

Kristy :)

Wednesday 21 November 2012

Book Review: Destiny Kills by Kerri Arthur

Destiny Kills is an interesting little book following Keri Arthur's usual style of paranormal romance writing. It's short, succinct and follows the story of two leads, one male (Trae), one female (Destiny) - the two inevitably linked by budding passion.
Although there is nothing specifically new and different during the exploration of plot and the unfolding love between Destiny and Trae, I was fascinated by the supernatural elements - elements I've never read about in other similarly penned supernatural fictions.
Destiny comes from a long line of Sea Dragons, better described as the Loch Ness Monster. With her ability to shape shift and commune with the sea and wield powers beyond human control, Destiny makes for an interesting character. Having been locked in a research facility for the better part of a decade, she finally escapes. Her purpose? To free the remaining inmates, see her father before he dies, and avenge the death of her friend.
Trae is a Draman - half human, half Air Dragon. He shape shifts to soar the skies, and wields the power fire with the aid of the sun. He stumbles upon Destiny, not quite by accident. Driven by a promise to his dead brother, Trae feels almost obligated to help Destiny in her mission to free the ones she loves while simultaneously serving a purpose of his own. What neither of them counted on was falling in love, a seemingly quick and easy affair.
What I've loved about Keri Arthur's novels in the past was what made it a little 'blah' for me now. The too fast romance and overly affectionate pet names seemed to roil my stomach. Perhaps my tastes have changed and the simplicity of a 300 page paranormal romance now seems sadly lacking with detail and character connection. I rate Destiny Kills three out of five fangs - enjoyable based on the imaginative characters and constant action that kept the plot moving forward.

Synopsis:

Desire calls. Danger Lurks.
But...
When Destiny McCree wakes up beside a dead man on an Oregon beach, she knows only this: she has to keep moving, keep searching, and keep one step ahead of the forces that have been pursuing her from the heart of Scotland to this isolated spot. Why? The death of her lover has left her alone, with little memory of her past. A glimmering serpent-shaped ring is the one clue she has—and a bargaining chip in a most dangerous game.
Enter Trae Wilson, a master thief with a sexy, knowing grin and a secret agenda of his own. Destiny and Trae both have powers far beyond the human—and both are running for their lives. Together they’re riding a tide of danger, magic, and lust…but with killers stalking their every move, they must use any means necessary, even each other, to survive—until the shocking secret of one woman’s destiny finally unravels.

Saturday 17 November 2012

I'm Back!!!

Mum, me and hubs up to no good ...
Hey Guys,
Did you miss me?
Okay, don't answer that because clearly the answer will be yes.
I have been off, gallivanting up and down the east coast of my beautiful country on a book signing tour for The Hunted Series and attending the Supanova in Brisbane.

The Mad hatter stopped for tea.

Besides a really f@%#ked up GPS that constantly endeavoured to take us only to our hotel, a pancake rear end from over fifty hours of sitting in the car, and of course, the addition of four kilograms to my drumstick thighs - I had a fabulous time!
You know what? I even managed to get my dad to go on a roller coaster with me at Movie World. He screamed like a girl beside me, but to be truthful I could barely hear him over my incessant, terrified squeals.
We ate everything we saw (this has nothing to do with the 4kg gain) and met some awesome people in both the book and comic industry. But to be truthful, the highlight of my entire trip was meeting one of the girls from Big Brother. Yes, my name is Kristy and I'm addicted to reality TV.
So, without further verbal flatulence, I thought I'd just upload my photos and let you take a gander for yourself. I'll be back to regular posting now (stop groaning, I freaking heard that) so feel free to carry on stalking me, especially those of you with eyes - I like people with eyes.
Anyhoo, have a great weekend everyone, and I'll catch you next week!

Kristy

Mum finally met the rest of her family

Movie World - Yes we conquered the coasters!

Nearly bent this Jason Mamoa look-alike over my table - hot, hot, hot!

I swear, I didn't take the blue or the red pill ...

The best haircut in town. I think he stuffed up mine.






Sunday 4 November 2012

The Hunted Book Tour

Hey guys, I have to apologise. I won't be posting as regularly as I usually do as I'm about to head off on a Eastern coast book signing tour between Cairns and Brisbane. I'll also be attending the Supanova - the biggest comic book convention in Australia, so I'm going to be crazy busy.
So if there are any fans who want to meet up with me along the way to have a chat or even bug me incessantly about the release of The Damned, feel free to stalk me at the following bookstores on the following dates:

Sunday 4/11/2012
Signing at Collins Bookstore, Mackay 10.00am – 12.00pm 
(Shop 13-14, Sydney Street markets, Cnr Sydney & Gordon Streets, Mackay)

Monday 5/11/2012
Signing at Another Story Bookstore/Café, Rockhampton 10.00am – 12.00pm
(2B Denham Street, Rockhampton)

Thursday 8/11/2012
Signing at Collins Booksellers, Morayfield 11.30am – 1.30pm
(Shop 62, Morayfield Shopping Centre, Morayfield road, Morayfield)

Friday 9/11/2012
Signing at Dymocks Bookstore, Chermside 10.00am - 12.00pm
(Shop 249 Westfield Shoppingtown, Cnr of Gympie & Hamilton roads, Chermside)

Saturday 10/11/2012
Supanova - RNA Showgrounds - all day long (next to the Dymocks stand)

Sunday 11/11/2012
Supanova - RNA Showgrounds - all day long (next to the Dymocks stand)

Monday 12/11/2012

Signing at Dymocks Bookstore, Carindale 10.00am – 12.00pm
(Shop 2008 Carindale Shopping Centre, Old Cleveland & Creed roads, Carindale)

I look forward to posting you all the details and photos when I get back!

Kristy :)



Friday 2 November 2012

Awesome Author Blog Hop


Okay, so I’m a crazy person participating in yet another blog hop and on the same night that I already roll around with the Follow Friday crowd. But, I’m a big believer in trying new things and since I’ve been tagged as an awesome author, I’m not exactly going to say no, cause let’s face it, I am freaking awesome *shrieks with laughter*.
So the name of the game is to answer the five questions below and then tag another five awesome authors and hope the random spamming doesn’t encourage a slap on the forehead from my writer buddies.
Here we go:

What is the working title of your book?
I’m going to roll with my up and coming release “The Damned” for these questions.

Where did the idea come from for the book?
I’d already written The Hunted, the first in the series but naturally, my wayward fingers kept on going and before I knew it, a second novel was staring at me from my laptop screen. Freaky!

What genre does your book fall under?
Young adult horror

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Okay, I’ve actually done a massive blog post on this before so I’m going to be lazy here and insert a link. There are just too many to write down!

And for the authors I have tagged:
James Garcia Jnr – author of “Dance on Fire” (Blog) @danceauthor
Madison Daniel – author of “Ember” (Blog) @MadisonDaniel13
Nicole Suzanne Brown – author of “Pride” (Blog) @Nicole_S_Brown
John Hundley – author of “The Draculata Nest” (Blog)
Alexia Purdy – author of “Ever Shade” (Blog) @AlexiaPurdy

Follow Friday #48


Happy Friday everyone!
Yes, it’s that time of week again where bloggers unite to participate in the Follow Friday venture. The idea behind #FF is to promote traffic to your own blog, make new friends with other like-minded bloggers and discuss new and interesting topics each week.
Participating is simple. First you need to follow my blog because I’m totally awesome, then you can follow me on Twitter @kristyberridge (actually you don’t have to do this, it’s wishful thinking), but do follow my blog or assassins will get you …
Then you must follow our illustrious hosts Rachel of http://www.parajunkee.com/ and Alison of http://www.alisoncanread.com/ If you want more details on how to enter your own blog in the follow and hop, all directions are on their webpages
Now, once you’ve followed, check out my answer to this week’s questions and don’t forget to leave a comment so I can do the right thing and follow you back!

This week's question: What is a deal breaker for you in a book? For example, do you abhor love triangles? Or can’t deal with bad editing?

My Answer: A shitty story line with so much irrelevant internalising or pointless plot that I want to shove a tooth pick in my eyeball. I hate that some books make me skip whole pages in favour of getting back on track, or worse still, you skip several pages and have missed absolutely nothing at all - a fair sign of a waffler!

Kristy :)

Wednesday 31 October 2012

Book Review: The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

As you all probably know, I am a massive fan of Richelle Mead's writing. I suspect it's mostly because her style is succinct, descriptive and generally highly entertaining. Even her YA novels like this one don't need the flamboyance of violence-riddled action scenes or a series of heavy petting from the pining youths of more gritty, romance-driven novels. Clear structure and an interlaced back story are often cleverly woven within her plots, and thus I find I continue to turn the pages of her novels in desperation to discover the ending.
The Golden Lily is the second book in The Bloodlines series. Again, I was not disappointed to follow the uptight Sydney Sage as we delve back into her recent activities as the head Alchemist protecting a small group of Moroi vampires and Dhampir protectors. 
Taking cover at the Amberwood preparatory school, Sydney continues to clean up the mess of her vampire friends whether personal or professional and hide the Moroi princess known as Jill Dragomir. But a new and seemingly unexpected mission to uncover human vampire hunters as well as balance a personal life presses on the tightly constructed walls Sydney has erected to prevent osmosis of feeling and unsanctioned decisions.
Challenged by the misconceptions of the Alchemists and conflicted by her emotional pull to a certain, entertaining and endearing vampire know as Adrian Ivashkov, Sydney soon sees herself stepping outside the bubble of rigidity her upbringing demands, and branching out into new endeavours.
As always, Richelle Mead does not disappoint. The story carefully follows on from Bloodlines - the protection of Jill and the consistency of their undercover illusion is teamed with all the original characters. Consideration to continue the ongoing research explored between Moroi and Strigoi vampires in the previous novel and this one for me makes the story replete, especially with the introduction of a softer, more flexible Sydney. I will happily rate this book four out of five fangs - another great read.

Synopsis:

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.
Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she’s been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California–tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.
But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age–old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi—the fiercest vampires, the ones who don’t die. But it’s her fear of being just that—special, magical, powerful—that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else—someone forbidden to her.
When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney’s loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.
Should she trust the Alchemists—or her heart?