google-site-verification: google935433b691795853.html KRISTY BERRIDGE: 2013-05-12

Saturday 18 May 2013

Symphoni Blog Tour with T.M Scott


Today I have the pleasure of being one of the tour stops for a dear friend and fan, author Tianna Scott. Symphoni is Tianna's first novel, and like all Indie author's, she needs our ongoing support to keep her writing dream alive. So please, take the time to have a read through the synopsis for both Symphoni and her short story, Legend, as well as check out her links. And please, feel free to leave comments or ask as many questions as you like.
Oh - and check out the interview!!!!!

Symphoni: 

Life hasn't been too easy for Greg Daniels lately. When he arrives at school on the first day back from summer vacation, he finds that things are much worse than he could have ever thought.

Stuck in the middle of an ancient feud between the Olympians and the Titans, Greg discovers that the line between good and evil isn't always clear, and his allies might be more dangerous than the enemy.


Legend Blurb:

MY Symphoni. All mine.
All Legend had to care for in his life was his twin sister, Kassandra. They did everything together, including various jobs for the Titans who were their creators.
That is until Legend meets Symphoni. Strong, beautiful and extremely difficult, Legend finds himself wanting to know more and more about his new enemy. But as they get closer, his loyalty is tested and he must choose between his family and the woman he loves.
With Obsession Comes The Ultimate Betrayal. Will  Legend be able to sacrifice everything for Symphoni?


Author Bio:

T.M Scott loves writing. With passion, drive and a taste for the unusual, she enjoys reading and writing new and different things. Doing her best to always think out of the box, her writing usually starts off as an insane scheme of some sort before she works out the finer aspects and turns it into something great! Her heroines and heroes are never the typical 'beautiful' people, meaning they all have some sort of quirk or oddity about them that makes them unique and refreshing characters everyone can relate to.


Symphoni was her debut novel and her work has been featured in the horror anthology, The Withering Darkness. She lives in Los Angeles, California with her daughter Ariyanna.



Buy Links:

Amazon Paperback - Symphoni, Amazon E-book - Symphoni, Goodreads - Symphoni, Goodreads - Legend

Author Links:

Goodreads Profile, Amazon Profile, Facebook, Blog Site



Author Interview:

1. Describe your novel in twenty words or less.

Greg meets his soul mate only to discover that he’s the deciding factor in the war between the Olympians and Titans. 

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

Getting over the worry that people might not like my work and just writing what I wanted to write. 

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

I love Adult Paranormal. Big fan of Kresley Cole and Kerralyn Sparks! 

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

It would probably be a toss up between JK Rowling and Bette Davis. I know... weird choices but I absolutely LOVE Harry Potter and just being around JK Rowling would make me happy forever. As for Bette Davis, I’m a huge fan of her movies and would love to have a chance to talk to her and see how she really was outside of Hollywood. 

5. 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?

MUSIC! Music is a huge part of my writing process and I definitely need music to get my juices a-flowin! 

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

I think what sets my book apart is... the main character Symphoni. She’s strong, beautiful, has a few extra pounds on her, but is completely comfortable in her skin. She doesn’t need someone to save her constantly and I think YA needs that more now than ever. 

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

There’s a character named MJ. She pisses me off to no end. So much so that I considered killing her off but she DOES have some redeeming characteristics that saved her. 

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

Well I WOULD say a food that I’m allergic too... in an attempt to cheat them out of my killin... but since I’m not allergic to anything yet... chicken enchiladas, salad, chicken rice, and tequila. Gotta go? Mind as well just go drunk!!

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

Ok... um... 1) I’m afraid of Nuns. They freak me out. All... judgey and stuff. 
2) My room is insanely messy and I hardly ever clean it. It drives me nuts but I always forget. Lol. 
3) Sometimes when I’m nervous... I speak with an English accent. Lol. A BAD one at that!

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

Definitely a folder. Lol. But I use A LOT of tissue even though I don’t always need it. 

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

For Symphoni it would be... Sugar, Were Going Down by Fall Out Boy.
For Legend... Under The Water by The Pretty Reckless or Slept So Long by Jay Gordon




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

Right now... I’m working on a book called Dragon's Revenge. It follows Kaida Dewi, a Dragon Princess, on a quest for revenge against men who came and destroyed her Kingdom. It should be out later this year hopefully! 

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

Paperback definitely! They have the best scent! The feel of them in my hand is amazing too. I love my kindle and kobo but they can’t compare. 

14. What books or authors have most influenced your writing style?

Ummmm... Gail Carriger maybe. 

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.

Well.. it depends... is this a smart hottie that will help me build a raft to leave?? If he is... then A... lol. If not then... c. 

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

Well other than the AMAZING Kristy Berridge... there’s my mom, dad, my daughter Ariyanna, my cousin Tiarra who helped me name my characters, my cousin Kim who helped me come up with the finer points,  my sister Nesha for just being there. 

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

“Symphoni!” I yelled. “You need to calm down!” She still glared at MJ, her lip curling up at the corner. “Symphoni, you’re gonna hate yourself in the morning!” Finally she turned and looked at me, not looked, glowered at me. “I mean it!” She stepped towards me, dropping her hands, the wind dying down. “There’s nothing going on here, Symphoni. I promise.” The wind was gone and her eyes were turning back to hazel but the tears continued to flow, hopefully we could deal with that next.

“Did you know that we had sex?” MJ said, in her most condescending voice. 

Black eyes. That’s all I saw before all hell broke loose. The hurricane picked up, swirling at full speed. I stumbled backwards onto the bed as Symphoni stepped towards MJ. The air crackled around her as the two faced off, I scrambled to my feet to only be slammed back down by wind. “Symph-” She clapped her hands together and thunder erupted in the room, bouncing off the walls and busting out the windows. I clamped my hands over my ears and ducked as the glass rained down around the room. MJ shrieked and I looked up as she dove to the side. Symphoni paid her no attention as she continued to walk over to the window. 

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

Greg: Michael B. Jordan
Symphoni: Logan Browning
MJ:Elena Satine
Legend: Ben Barnes
Kassandra: Anna Popplewell

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

First things first.. Kristy Berridge is AWESOME!!! lol. And I want to thank everyone for joining me today for the interview!!! 



Have a great one!

Kristy :)

Wednesday 15 May 2013

Book Review: Rae of Hope by W.J. May

Wow. What a surprising little novel. 
Rae of Hope explores the exciting new world of magic for an almost sixteen year old girl oblivious to the world of gifted individuals. Marked by tattoos inherent from a singular parent, Rae Kerrigan is the unknowing recipient of such a mark.
Starting at a new school filled with students at the cusp of accepting these tattoos, Rae soon learns more about her past, the unusual coupling of her parents and the power of each tattoo. Speed, visions, strength, dream domination and the chameleon ability of adapting to others are just a few to name, and naturally everyone expects Rae's to be something extra special.
But with power also comes greed, and since Rae is a suspected prodigy, there are more than few characters at the school trying to muscle in on her gifts and exploit the darkness of her past.
Interestingly, I rather enjoyed reading this novel despite the fact that the plot was not interspersed with hard hitting action, riotous humour or bouts of horror. In fact, it was rather sedate but ironically engaging through character dialogue and the mysterious unfolding of Rae's past. With a touch of simmering romance and plenty of promise for an interesting second collaboration, I happily rate this novel three and a half out of five fangs.

Synopsis:

How hard do you have to shake a family tree to find out the truth of the past? 
Fifteen-year-old Rae Kerrigan has never questioned her family’s history. That is until she accepted a scholarship to Guilder Boarding School in England. Guilder is a very unique, gifted school. 
Rae has no idea what she is getting herself into or that her family’s past is going to come back and taunt her. She learns she is part of an unparalleled group of individuals who become marked with a unique tattoo (tatù) on their sixteenth birthday. The tatù enables them to have supernatural powers particular to the shape of their marking. 
Both her parents were marked though Rae never knew, as they passed away when she was young and never told her. Learning about her family’s past, her evil father and sacrificial mother, Rae needs to decide if there is a ray of hope for her own life.