Interview with Wendy Higgins

Today I am welcoming Wendy Higgins to the blog for a Q & A. Her novel, Sweet Evil, will be released by Harper Collins on May 1st. To learn more about Sweet Evil be sure to visit the Goodreads page. You can also follow Wendy on Twitter and visit her website.

Describe your book in 3 words

Sensual, dark, and tender

How would Anna describe Kai?

Sexy. Confusing. Tortured. Did I mention sexy?


What drew you to fallen angels?

Angel lore is fascinating to me, especially the idea that angels are capable of revolt. The whole “good vs. evil” thing captures me every time.


Is there anything unique or different about your angel mythology?

I think the big difference in my story is that I’ve chosen to use the traditional Biblical approach to angels, including mentions of God & Lucifer, which I realize might take some readers out of their comfort zone. I’m hoping people can keep in mind that it’s a work of fiction and appreciate the twist I’ve put on it.

Did you do any specific research for your novel?

I researched angel and demon names and what legends say about their power and purpose. I also had to research a lot for the cross-country trip, making certain I got the timing and locations correct.


What are your top three books about angels?

To be honest, I purposely shy away from angel books. I don’t want to be swayed by what is or isn’t in them. I did read Unearthly after I’d finished drafting, and I really enjoyed it. I also recently adored The Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

7 If you listen to music while writing, is there a particular song that describes Sweet Evil?

Oh, man, I’ve got a whole playlist! I think my marketers *might* be adding the playlist to the Amazon page. “My First Kiss” by 3OH3, Feat. Ke$ha is the fun road-trip song that comes to mind at the moment.

If you could go back in time to any time period and any place, where and when would you travel to?

Probably Elizabethan or Victorian England, when women wore elaborate dresses…although the corsets would get really old after awhile.

What has been the most surprising part of getting published?

Every single stage has surprised me. I’ve been surprised by what little control authors have in the process, and how long everything takes, lol. Thankfully I’ve learned to trust HarperTeen. I’ve also been surprised by how amazingly supportive the blogging and online community of readers has been. Love you guys! Thanks for having me!

Wendy's novel happens to have a super sexy cover and I have a few signed

bookmarks showcasing it. I am giving one away with the 2 prize packs being offered during the event, and I am also giving one away with this interview.

To enter simply leave a comment and I will select a winner on April 15.

Mercy by Rebecca Lim

Mercy by Rebecca Lim
Release Date – October 19th 2010
Publisher Website – Harper Collins
Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader
Pages - 281 pages
My Rating- 8.5/10
**obtained publisher for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Mercy ′wakes′ on a school bus bound for Paradise, a small town where everyone knows everyone else′s business -- or thinks they do. But they will never guess the secret Mercy is hiding .... 

As an angel exiled from heaven and doomed to return repeatedly to Earth, Mercy is never sure whose life and body she will share each time. And her mind is filled with the desperate pleas of her beloved, Luc, who can only approach her in her dreams. 

In Paradise, Mercy meets Ryan, whose sister was kidnapped two years ago and is now presumed dead. When another girl disappears, Mercy and Ryan know they must act before time runs out. But a host of angels are out for Mercy′s blood and they won′t rest until they find her and punish her -- for a crime she doesn′t remember committing ...

Imagine waking up in someone else’s life and what that would feel like. Mercy experiences this regularly. She’s an angel who is sent to inhabit the bodies of individuals who need assistance. She’s forced to do this with very little memory of her real existence as a means to make amends for a crime that she doesn’t even recall committing.

Mercy is quite a character. Full of fire, sarcasm and pure awesomeness. She is like a firecracker. The first thing she says to Ryan Daley upon meeting him is that she is considering what he would be like in bed. She doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her, and she isn’t afraid to show that. She was quite tender and caring towards the girls she shares a body with. She wanted to leave them with a better life than what they had when she arrived: helping the abused girl get help, getting the shy girl to talk, etc. This is why she’s there, and she takes that very seriously.

Ryan was equally well developed. His devotion to his sister is inspiring. He doesn’t give up hope even when everyone else does. He has basically put his life on hold to dig, pry and figure out where his sister is. It is a quality that bonds him with Mercy as she is trying to find someone as well - herself.

I almost hesitate to call Mercy an angel novel. While Mercy is certainly an angel atoning for sins she can’t even remember, the novel revolves around the mysterious disappearance of Lauren Daley. A young singer and sister to Ryan Daley. Mercy’s host body Carmen is set to stay with the Daley family and Mercy figures she’s supposed to help solve the mystery.

The novel’s mystery aspect was stellar. Creepy, suspenseful, and packed a punch that you don’t see coming. It made the novel for me. The angel aspect is softly touched upon and the novel would have worked with any paranormal aspect really. The fact that Mercy is sent to make things right plays into the angel aspect but otherwise it is not really developed as much. I am guessing this will be explored more in the subsequent novels. I am curious to find out more about Mercy and why she has been sentenced to atone.

The banter and teasing between Ryan and Mercy is filled with sexual tension, while there is a romantic spark between Ryan and Mercy it isn’t the focus of the novel. They barely get to figure out their feelings for each other with everything else that is happening. It was refreshing to see this take a back seat to the real situations facing the characters. It made it feel more honest and genuine.

The ending is somewhat closed. It makes you feel like Carmen’s story is ending, but Mercy’s story is just beginning and you can only hope that Ryan will play a part in Mercy's life in the future.

A wonderfully unique concept that played out against a brilliant mystery that provided some genuine chills. Mercy is perfect for people looking for an angel novel that is nothing like what they would expect.

Saints and Sinners

I am, of course, referring to those hot angels. Here I divided up some of the Saints and Sinners (my personal favourite) that we've come to love. While I might be partial to a bad boy some of the saintly hotties (looking at you Jackson!) make me want to turn them into sinners.

Saints

Daniel

Where you can find him - Lauren Kate's Fallen series

What makes him a Saint - His desire to do good, his sacrfice for love and his willingness to support his friends all make this angel pretty swoon worthy.

Jackson

Where you can find him - Scott Speer's Immortal City

What makes him a Saint - His honour, him wanting to stick to his beliefs, and the desire to do the best he can. His willingness to protect Maddie, at any cost, certainly ups his hotness factor as well.

Devin

Where you can find him - Jocelyn Davies' A Beautiful Dark

What makes him a  Saint - he's a rule follower (rigidly so) and puts honour and integrity above all else. He is also loyal no matter what, a pretty desiable quality in any hottie.

Sinners

Phoenix

Where you can find him - Jessica Shirvington's Embrace

What makes him a sinner - Hello temptation! Sexy, a little dangerous and gorgeous enough to make a girl get a little out of control! Phoenix lives a little on the dark side, but that just makes him even sexier.

Patch

Where you can find him - Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush Hush series

What makes him a sinner - a bad boy who wears leather and smokes? Pretty sure that qualifies Patch for this category. His fallen status only adds to his allure.

Cam

Where you can find him - Lauren Kate's Fallen series

What makes him a sinner - Bad boy Cam and his fallen angel status fit in best here. While he may show that there are more shades of grey when compared to the saintly Daniel this angel certainly is the sinner of the two.

Asher

Where you can find him - Jocelyn Davies' A Beautiful Dark

What makes him a sinner - A complete disregard for the rules. A knack for mischief and the whole bad boy vibe make him less than angelic, but we wouldn't want it any other way.

There you have some of the hottest angels. The only question left is - which do you prefer Saints or Sinners? Let me know in the comments, and if I left any angels out let me know that too!

Upcoming Angel Books

If you've been following along with my Angel Event you might be wanting some new angel books to curl up with. Here are some upcoming releases that will leave you breathless with anticipation.

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins - May 1, 2012 (goodreads)

A Fractured Light by Jocelyn Davies - September 25, 2012 (goodreads)

Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore - May 29, 2012 (goodreads)

Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick - October 23, 2012 (goodreads)

Rapture by Lauren Kate - June 12, 2012 (goodreads)

While we have no cover for it Jessica Shirvington's Enticed will be released in September of this year. Can not wait as I enjoyed Embrace. 

Which angel novel are you most anticipating? 

Angel Event US/Canada ONLY Giveaway

I feel like sharing the angel love. Here is a US/Canada only giveaway that will run until Sunday April 15 when the event ends.

Up for grabs is a copy of Embrace by Jessica Shirvington and a STUNNING Sweet Evil bookmark signed by the lovely Wendy Higgins.

To enter just follow the Rafflecopter instructions. PLEASE make sure your address is either in the USA or Canada.

Good luck!

Angel Event International Giveaway

I feel like sharing the angel love. Here is an international giveaway that will run until Sunday April 15 when the event ends.

Up for grabs is either a copy of Unearthly by Cynthia Hand, OR a copy of Mercy by Rebecca Lim (winner's choice) and a STUNNING Sweet Evil bookmark signed by the lovely Wendy Higgins.

To enter just follow the Rafflecopter instructions. PLEASE make sure Book Depository ships to your country.

Good luck!

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Release Date –  January 4, 2011
Publisher Website –  Harper Collins
Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader
Pages - 435 pages
My Rating- 8/10
**purchased**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . . 

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy. 

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side. 

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny? 

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

To follow ones heart, or do what is expected of you. A situation most teenagers (heck, even adults) find themselves in at some point or another. Unearthly revolves around a young angel making that exact choice. While this may sound typical of angel novels, Cynthia Hand puts her own twist and fantastic writing to use to create something totally engrossing.

I loved Cynthia’s take on angel mythology. There are varying degrees of angel  - full, half and quarter. Each angel has a purpose, something they are on earth to accomplish and it’s imperative that the angel completes their purpose. Her take on fallen angels, and the varying wing colour was also something I really enjoyed. I am looking forward to diving into this mythology even more in subsequent books. Her writing is well paced, and filled with vivid imagery. I could easily picture the mountains and landscapes of Wyoming.

Clara Gardner is part angel. She gets to deal with typical angel stuff like learning to fly, figuring out her purpose which comes to her in vision form, and navigate high school while doing it. I loved this about Clara. If you take away the angel part to this story it still would resonate with people. Every teenager deals with making friends, crushing on the cute boy and having pressure from parents and others around you. I found Clara to be determined, and quite capable. I was refreshing to see the female character be the supernatural element in the story. Often in this type of story the male character is the angel/vampire/werewolf/etc and the female character falls in love with him. This provided a different perspective that I fully enjoyed.

Clara and her family move when Clara’s visions lead her to Wyoming.  She set out to meet Christian, complete her purpose and hopefully make some friends. Clara’s plans come to a screeching halt when Christian turns out to have a girlfriend, who happens to be a “mean girl” of the worst variety. Her purpose faces further complications when she starts spending time with Tucker. Clara never expected to fall in love with him especially since she is drawn to Christian as well. All of this takes her focus off what is suppose to be the biggest thing in her angel life, which is completing her purpose. With pressure and expectations pushing on her, Clara has to make a hard decision: Can she both love Tucker and Christian? Can she make her mother proud and still be true to herself?

I really enjoyed the secondary characters as well. Clara’s brother Jeffrey is a typical teenage boy who resent having to move. Her new friend Wendy is such a great friend to Clara you can’t help but love her. Clara’s other friend Angela is keeping her own secrets. Each is developed slowly, and fully to make the world Cynthia’s created even more vivid.

The boys in this novel. Sigh, I know my opinion is most likely unpopular but I adore Christian. He is kind, friendly, and has a lot in common with Clara. I had heard about the amazing Tucker and was prepared to be swept off my feet. When Tucker first saunters into Clara’s life my initial reaction was “THIS GUY? This is who you are all swooning over? Seriously? The jerk?” but I quickly changed my mind. Tucker is sweet, caring, and a nice guy. He and Clara have an electric, intense connection that I will admit is sweet. I just think Christian is the better fit for her, and I can’t wait to get to know more about him - especially after that ending!

Cynthia Hand has mixed romance, angel mythology with some pretty typical situations people can relate to and create a highly enjoyable read that will you leave you want to grab it’s sequel Hallowed right away.