Prophecy of Stones-Mishka Jenkins Q&A @WriterLifeForMe

prophecy_of_stones_cover.jpg

This was a fun read, a journey of adventure which I’m sure will appeal to YA readers very much. I’m way past that group! but enjoyed this novel even though its the opposite end to most of the fantasy I read. My eldest son is a fantasy reader too, and yet we love books at the very opposite end of the spectrum, only occasionally sharing ones we both enjoy. This is very much in his area, the classic fantasy style that authors such as Eddings and Pratchett write. Just shows how vast the range of books is that span this genre.Jennie ZelosFour Stars out of Five at Amazon

The writing was fantastic. The characters are funny and consistent. Fully fleshed out, they had histories, personalities, stories and even voices that were unique to them. The book changes perspective with the chapters, so it allowed the reader to really understand them.“-Taylor Grace Five out of Five Stars at Amazon

“From the first page to the last Prophecy of Stones had it me under its spell. This fantasy love-story takes place in a beautiful and deadly world where good and evil is controlled by people and beings with immense magical powers. But for the humans, wielding this power comes at great cost. The characters, who begin a quest to defeat their world’s ancient enemies, are finely sketched, their motives and emotions powerful and well-defined. Skilled description of their surroundings with its beauty and danger carries the reader into another place where anything is possible. I highly recommend Prophecy of Stones to YA and adult readers alike.”N. Doyle-Five out of Five Stars at Amazon

 

Tea, Romance, Writing, Fantasy and Matthew Reilly. What do they all have in common? Today’s guest. I don’t think all of those necessarily go together, sorry Matthew. I think he’s just a side interest. So many books for someone so young. Well, I really don’t know my guests age as I never ask that but I see young and then I look at me and then I say “Get up and get it done.” Yes, today’s guest inspires one to get a move on and write. Meet an inspiration, meet . . .

Author

Mishka Jenkins

 

RW: You told me you are from the UK as you put it “a country of interesting weather and teas!”, so I will go ahead and ask my usual question which I am afraid to ask. What is your favorite beverage to drink, any kind?
MISHKA: Well, it has to be tea! Can’t get enough of the stuff, it really is my fuel for life.

RW: One of these days someone will say pickle juice and freak the readers out. Now let’s give the readers a little about your writing. What genre does your book Prophecy of Stones fall into and why do you write in that particular genre?
MISHKA: Fantasy Romance. I write romance because I think it gives the reader a break from the real world. There are many stories out there about war and violence, but the real world can also feel filled with that. Romance gives us an escape, and I like the fact that it shows that not all problems are solved with violence, but sometimes with human connection and emotion.

RW: Give us the history of Prophecy of Stones?
MISHKA: I chose the name because it reflects exactly what the book is about, and gives the right feel for the story within the book. Prophecy of Stones is the tale of three people who are part of a prophecy which states only they have the power to save their world. They must fulfil their destinies in order to defeat the evil that threatens to suck the life from everything. But the prophecy might ask more of these three people than they are willing to give.
It was inspired by reading a few books about characters who are destined to be important or to be part of a prophecy and they always rebel against it. They never want to be part of the prophecy. I was intrigued by the idea of a character that loved the thought of being a hero and of being special, and how they would react against someone who really didn’t want anything to do with their destiny.

RW: I know for me I like to see a character in my mind at times. Sometimes it’s my own images of them but sometimes I’ve seen a movie about the character. Tell us about your main character and who you saw as you wrote him.
MISHKA: The story is told from three different perspectives, from each of those destined in the skandar_keynesprophecy. But I think readers would connect well with Kai, the young boy who starts the journey eager and fresh, but as it progresses the enthusiasm wanes as the reality of the quest sets in.
Everyone has that moment of facing obstacles to get to their dreams, and how we deal with them can really shape our future selves, and that is what Kai has to go through. I always imagined Skandar Keynes would make a perfect Kai!

RW: What message do you think your readers will take away from the Prophecy of Stones?
MISHKA: That sometimes giving into your fear can make you stronger.

RW: What did you learn about yourself from writing this book?
MISHKA: What a good question! I think I learned a lot about myself through writing this book. In real life I can sometimes be quite pessimistic, but writing these characters’ journeys showed me that, deep down, I love the idea of triumphing over the bad.

RW: Describe your book in one word.
MISHKA: Fulfilling.

RW: How do I get a copy of the Prophecy of Stones?
MISHKA: It’s available at all eRetailers and in paperback.

Amazon Barnes and Noble

RW: Well that didn’t work out the way I hoped it would. What other books do you have to share with us and can you tell us a little about them?
MISHKA: My latest release is The Magic Spark  and is a fun, light read about a rom-com obsessed fairy godmother who can’t stop meddling in the love life of her charges.
I have also released a historical romance titled, Heart of the Arena, about a young woman forced into the world of gladiators and her struggle to survive whilst struggling against the wants of her heart.
Another book of mine is The Queen’s Jester, a tale of desire and love with a dash of danger set in a medieval-based world.

Connect with Mishka everywhere, just like I have.

Blog  A Writer’s Life For Me

Twitter @WriterLifeForMe

Facebook Mishka Jenkins

Goodreads Mishka Jenkins

Pinterest Mishka Jenkins A Writers Life

Fun Question Time or rather Ronovan’s Just Really Random Requests!

RW: Who are your favorite authors?
MISHKA: Hm, hard to pick! I’d probably say Matthew Reilly, I always love his work and his writing completely draws me in.

RW: What is your escape from writing when you are at that about to explode point?
MISHKA: I play a lot of video games, I find that they really take my head completely out of writing as I have to immerse myself so much into the game.

RW: What are you working on right now?
MISHKA: I am currently working on a Christmas novella I hope to release in early December.

RW: What book are you reading at this time?
MISHKA: I am reading Hands of Evil by Melissa Barker-Simpson.

**Okay, just read the book description. That just freaked me out. I wonder if an interview is possible. My hands hurt just thinking about that book.**

RW: If you could have written any book that exists, other than your own, what would it be and why?
MISHKA: Lord of the Rings. I love the idea of creating such a detailed world, incredible characters, and an epic quest!

RW: What is your favorite word?
MISHKA: Probably, ‘Blimey’, I use that a lot!

“One of Mishka’s strengths is developing relationships between her characters and, right from the start, you could feel the camaraderie. The kind of love and commitment which embodies the heart of the tale. The world in which they live is described so vividly a picture began to build in my head, further adding to the drama and excitement. They sucked me in, became as familiar as old friends, and I was with them each step of the way.”-Writing Room 101

Now you know about Mishka and her thing with tea and Matthew Reilly. Okay so he’s just her favorite author and I have to admit I went and checked out his site and some of his books as well as Melissa Barker-Simpson. Yes I actually do that when an author mentions who they like or read. I want to know why. I like that Mishka doesn’t write what I see as the average Romance. I don’t either. I think if you’ve paid attention you see that Mishka writes and the story sort of tells her the genre. At least that’s what I get. Of course tomorrow I might read and get another meaning. But for now, follow her everywhere, buy all of her books as gifts for Christmas and give me a copy of them a well.  And as always . . .

Read a Book, Write a Review.

 

Much Respect

Ronovan

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LWI #WeekendDateBookClub

What to do for the weekend?

No date?

Or no date worth the time I should say.

Check out our authors for dates that will last all weekend.

Our first

 

Weekend Date Book Club

 

begins now and you are all invited to join.

Is one of our authors on your dance card for the weekend?

Do you have one that you are hot about and might be a great interview or review for LWI and want to share it in comments?

Tell us about your upcoming date. Share your secrets. Then return to tell us if they were as great as you hoped for.

LWI Authors

Adult Fiction

Jeanne Bannon

PS Bartlett

Cyril Bussiere

Paula Cappa

Oliver Chase

Luccia Gray

Alysha Kaye

Jon Langione

Lisa-Mason

Olga Núñez Miret

Jo Robinson

Orlando Sanchez

Jinx Schwartz

Thom Tate

Sandi K Whipple

Kent Whittington

Middle Grade Fiction

Monica LaSarre

Vashti Quiroz-Vega

New Adult Fiction

Lisa Mason

Amira Makansi

Elena Makansi

Kristina Makansi

Young Adult Fiction

Shannon A. Thompson

Amira Makansi

Elena Makansi

Kristina Makansi

 

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The Blue Diamond – The Razor’s Edge Book Trailer – Wait What?

Our very own award winning author PS Bartlett and her brand new

Book Trailer

for her

Hit Book

The Blue Diamond: The Razor’s Edge.

Author P.S. Bartlett

Take it easy on me friends. I made it myself.

View original post

My BIG Box of BIG Beautiful Books Came This Evening! @PSBartlett

Our very own PS Bartlett shows us what all our dreams look like!

Author P.S. Bartlett

This is when it really hits me.

My first box of books for my book signing next month, arrived tonight.

The Blue DiamondI want to just sit here and read it but I can’t tonight. I will tomorrow though!

There’s just something about holding your very own book in your hands that never gets old no matter how many times you do it.

FullSizeRenderYou better break out your reading goggles kids…here is the last page number.

FullSizeRender (1)Now…go get yours!

Here’s a little funny for you…

jack

Thank you!

View original post

My Review of The Blue Diamond by @PSBartlett.

One thing to tell you about me and the rest of us here at LitWorldInterviews (LWI) is we are going to be honest, even about our own family and by family that includes the LWI Team members. Why, because if we’re not then we might as well not even be doing this at all.

 

If you’ve read the recent announcements here at LWI, then you know award winning author PS Bartlett has joined our team. You also know her latest novel, The Blue Diamond: The Razor’s Edge was released this past Friday.

I read the book.

BD_Poster_w_diamond

I will say here and now that a Historical Adventure Romance was not exactly on my radar, even though I have actually written Romance in the past year and am working on revisions and all of that as I get feedback. But still, I’m a guy, right? Romance? And then the cover? I loved the cover but it just looked so . . . so . . . ROMANCE!

 

 

 

Yeah, my bad.

I’m an idiot. I admit it. Think about it. I have written Adventure novels. I have written Romance novels. I have written novels with Historical elements in them, I am a certified History teacher after all. So you would have thought this would have been something I would have read with no problem. Two Pirate Captains meet and the adventure begins and thoughts and worlds begin to be questioned.

 

I mean you have Pirates, Adventure and a lot more, why would I not want to read it?

 

Yeah, my stereotype manly man side peeked out and tried to show itself.

 

I started reading it and right from the start it wasn’t what I had expected. The more I read the more I liked it. Being a former History teacher I definitely enjoyed the history aspects, which were not in your face. They were there for no other reason than a backdrop to enhance the story. That is one thing I appreciated about the novel. Some people make some historical thing THE reason for the book. Not in this one. I’m not saying a historical thing cannot be the point of a book, but it can be over done.

I also appreciated that Bartlett handled the romance scenes with what I think was an eye to all readers. In my own novels, yes novels, the Romance I am doing is a Trilogy, I am concerned about what I call the ‘scenes’, if you know what I mean. Bartlett handled these with taste and oddly, as I think about it, she lets your imagination do a lot of the work.

 Was the book perfect?

There were some passages between face to face scenes that I could have seen just a little shorter as I got farther into the book. As I said in my Amazon Review, I think this might be partly because toward the end of the book I was ready for more of the action and seeing what was going to happen next.

I at first wondered about the character displayed by Ivory Shepard and her cousins. Ivory “Razor” Shepard is the pirate captain of a ship that is attacked and sunk. The aftermath is where we enter the story. Her cousins are also women pirates. But the truth is they could very well be based on actual women pirates that operated in the Caribbean, one of which particularly comes to mind.

Even if there was no historical basis for a female pirate, Bartlett does handle how Ivory becomes captain well. I do wonder about the final action that makes her captaincy possible, but it is a believable and not fantastical idea. It is just something I might have wanted to see handled in a slightly different way, yet I do understand why it happened the way it did.

What did I really like?

I enjoyed the character of Maddox “Blacksnake” Carbonale a lot. He is a slightly typical Romantic Hero lead type, but with a few extra layers of development added. I’m not one for the typical. Bartlett made Carbonale believable in many ways and as the story progresses you understand more and more.

The supporting cast, which in reality is more than that, was developed well and was given enough attention for you to care about them. There were no unnecessary characters thrown in. There are a few surprises along the way that I enjoyed, and one that I caught onto just in time before a reveal. Bartlett definitely can tell a story and give you just enough to tell you all you need to know if you pay attention.

So what’s the score?

I gave The Blue Diamond: The Razor’s Edge 5 out of 5 stars at Amazon. I give it the same here. Why? I didn’t find the scenes overdone or unnecessary. The plot was excellent. The story was great. And it kept me wanting to read. I also liked the balance of the three genre elements. Historical enough to be scenery, Adventure enough to keep me wanting more, and Romance enough to make it believable and real. And one other big reason for a 5-I want to read the next book in the series. And isn’t that a sign of a successful piece of writing?

 

Since this is a ‘family’ member I reviewed and somewhat said there were some improvement areas, I do hope to see you again at LWI. If not, Bartlett knows where she buried the body.

Remember

Read a Book, Write a Review!

I did!

Much Respect

Ron_LWI

 

 

Ronovan

@RonovanWritesfollowmeonbloglovin

2014 © Copyright-All rights reserved by litworldinterviews.wordpress.com

Q&A P.S. Bartlett-The Blue Diamond: THE RAZOR’S EDGE @PSBartlett

Reviewed by Michelle Stanley for Readers’ Favorite
“It’s not often I read stories about female pirates and I am impressed with The Blue Diamond (The Razor’s Edge Book One). P.S. Bartlett writes an entertaining novel that offers great action, adventure and witty dialogue. The personalities of Ivory and her cousins are complex, but I easily connected with them. These are independent, free spirited women with lusty appetites, especially Miranda. Their sense of humour shines through any situation they are placed in. I liked this romantic story which includes some historical data to make it appropriate for that era.”

*This Book Was Given To Me By The Author In Exchange For An Honest Review* Amanda Masters of Nerd Girl Reviews 5 out of 5 Stars
“Great Story! full of adventure and pirates! P.S. Bartlett is a wonderful storyteller and her characters are full of life and woe and they go from ship to ship plundering and pillaging. I found myself caught up more and more by their story as I got to know more about them and I can’t wait to read more! These are some of the mose interesting pirates I have come across in a long time!”
Kindle Ninja 5 out of 5 Stars
“There’s a feisty pirate at sea and she’s not to be messed with. Swashbuckling Ivory “Razor” Shepard, with three of her equally fearless female cousins, set sail to escape the manhunt, err femalehunt. Forget damsels in distress, you won’t find them in here. Instead, you’re treated to a rampaging story dressed up in the trappings of pirate lore.”
 ps-bartlett

 The Blue Diamond: THE RAZOR’S EDGE

 

History, adventure and a touch of romance. Is there any wonder why I wanted to interview my guest today? Veteran of several novels and a great conversationalist, I might add, P.S. Bartlett was a must as soon as I met her. So now without any more words, meet  . . .

Author_Photo

 

RW: Where does a Pirate Adventure Romance author live?

P.S.: I was born and raised in Baltimore, MD. I grew up in a corner row home in South Baltimore. Now they call it Federal Hill but when I was growing up there, Federal Hill was just a big hill overlooking the inner harbor where we rode our bikes and went sledding because the hills were awesome. It is also a national monument.

RW: Why do you write about Pirates?

P.S.: I love history. I love doing research and learning something with each book I write.

RW: Where did the title The Blue Diamond – The Razor’s Edge come from?

P.S.: The reason for choosing that name is simple; the book is about a big blue diamond. The Razor is the main character and the Razor’s Edge means…well, you’ll have to read it to figure that part out for yourself. 😉

RW: I did read it but I won’t give the reason away. Tell those that haven’t read the book what The Blue Diamond is about.

P.S.: The best way I’ve found to describe it in a simple way is: Charlie’s Angels meet the Pirates of the Caribbean. However, here is the blurb: Ivory Shepard didn’t want to be a pirate when she grew up but she didn’t plan on being orphaned and alone at thirteen with her three cousins either.

RW: Ivory and her cousins were basically orphaned after a Spanish raid, that’s not giving away anything of the story, what happens next that ends up leading them to lives as pirates?

P.S.: Ivory held her cousins together, trained them to fight for their lives and led them to a life of quiet refuge on the banks of the Ashley River. Out of reach of the hands of unscrupulous men, they found life on the farm a tolerable substitute for the traditional alternatives life would force onto them—until the night the pirates showed up.

Setting foot on that first pirate ship was nothing compared to the life of freedom and adventure awaiting them, once Ivory and the girls were through playing nice. Only one man believes he can stop her and he won’t need a ship full of guns to do it.

If it were only that easy…

RW: Is it ever that easy when romance is involved? Tell us what inspired the book?

P.S.: Who knows where my crazy ideas come from, right? I love pirates, adventure and stories about powerful women. I mushed them all together and this is what came out my head.

RW: Ivory and the man Maddox Carbonale are the main, I guess I will say love interests, protagonists in the book. In my review I referred to their relationship as similar to Rhett and Scarlett from Gone with the Wind. Two leaders, strong willed and strong minded who meet and fireworks begin, tell us about them and who else we’ll find in The Blue Diamond-The Razor’s Edge.

P.S.: Ivory is strong, proud and capable but she is also wounded deep inside. She’ll kill or die to protect her family—and has. Fortunately, she and her cousins are survivors. All four women are completely different but I believe they represent women of every century.

Cassandra: The voice of reason and logical thinking.

Miranda: Passionate, willful and loving—and perhaps a bit promiscuous.

Keara: Stern and matter of fact. She’s small but she’s a spitfire and true leader.

The male protagonist is Maddox Carbonale. He is a rival captain and an interesting man. He enjoys the finer things in life, even if he does steal them. He reads Shakespeare and isn’t the sort to engage in down and dirty deeds.

Alphonse Green is Maddox’s Quartermaster and best friend. He’s a native Jamaican and is both Maddox’s right hand and his conscience.

RW: Describe your book in one word.

P.S.: Fearless!

RW: The Blue Diamond-The Razor’s Edge is your first trip into Adventure, but you’ve written two other books, one that has actually won a few awards. Tell us about them.

P.S.: My first two novels: Fireflies and Hope From the Ocean are the first two books in a series about the Whelan family. They are an Irish immigrant family. Both stories take place in the 19th Century and have paranormal elements and tell quite a bit of the family saga.

RW: You failed to mention the Reader’s Favorite Awards for Fireflies. But I just did so we’ll let it go for now. So being a pirate lady, is your favorite beverage rum with gunpowder in it like Blackbeard?

P.S.: Coffee—the darker roast the better. No sugar but I love sugar free flavored creamers of pretty much any kind.

RW: What did you learn about yourself from writing this book?

P.S.: Besides the fact that I can write an awful lot, I suppose that I really am living out some great fantasies through my writing.

RW: What are you working on right now?

P.S.: I am currently writing book three in the Fireflies series and preparing to launch The Blue Diamond.

RW: Tell us about your publishing as it stands right now.

P.S.: I am currently with Ravenswood Publishing but down the road, I would hope an agent could be a possibility. Obviously I want to be a bestseller some day and I know someone is going to have to sell my books up the chain. Right now, I’m very happy with Ravenswood and the owner, Kitty Honeycutt. She’s been a fabulous advocate for my books.

RW: What is your biggest tip for someone to getting published?

P.S.: Write the BEST possible book you can. Learn as much as you can about the publishing industry so you can make the right choices for yourself.

RW: Sometimes our stories or our characters just don’t cooperate with us and we want to tear our hair out. What do you do to let that go?

P.S.: Playing with my three granddaughters or just hanging out chatting and having fun with my girlfriends watching a football game.

RW: What book are you reading at this time?

P.S.: I’m finishing up the first book in the Outlander series. I’m hoping to read book two by Christmas. When you work a full time job, write, have a family, grandchildren and husband, finding precious time to read is a blessing.

RW: Who are your favorite authors?

P.S.: If I’m going way, way back, I’d have to start with the master himself, Stephen king. I loved horror and after I read Carrie in middle school, I was hooked. I also love Anne Rice, Jane Austen and in high school, I was obsessed with William Shakespeare.

RW: If you could have written any book that exists, other than your own, what would it be and why?

P.S.: Gone with Wind. I don’t know why. I suppose because it is a masterpiece of historical fiction.

 

How to acquire P.S. Bartlett’s books at Amazon!

The Blue Diamond-The Razor’s Edge

Fireflies

Hope From the Ocean

 

Where to find P.S. Bartlett online:

Web Site

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

LinkedIn

Pinterest

PUBSLUSH for Blue Diamond

 

 

The Blue Diamond-The Razor’s Edge Book Trailer

 

 

 

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