Interview with J.A. Huss

Julie Huss writes new adult science fiction under the pen name J.A. Huss and non-fiction science under the pen name J. Anne Huss. Her fiction titles include Clutch, Fledge, and Flight - the first three books in the I Am Just Junco series. She also has more than 190 non-fiction titles that cater to teaching science to home learners.
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Thank you so much for joining me today!

Thanks a bunch for having my Komal!  It’s so great to be here.

For those unfamiliar with your work, what is the I am Just Junco series about?

I Am Just Junco is an epic science fiction/dark fantasy series told from the point of view of nineteen year old assassin, Junco Coot.  Junco lives in a futuristic version of North America and the death of her father has spurred a mission to uncover secrets about her past. The first character we meet in the story is a winged alien named Tier. He wants to take Junco off Earth and no matter how hot this winged dude is, Junco is having none of it! The first book is all about Tier and Junco and how they come to terms with each other, and their interwoven futures.

Describe your main character in five words.

Tenacious, mouthy, violent, powerful, crazy

What do you love most about writing in the science fiction genre?

I love that anything is possible as long as you make it plausible, and I love world building.  Science fiction is all about the world and the characters and how the two interact. Junco’s world never stays the same – she’s on Earth in one book, but in space living with the winged aliens in the second.

How did you get your start in writing?

I started writing non-fiction science textbooks about five years ago and all during that time I had this science fiction story building in my head. In January 2012, I decided to make it happen and wrote the first three Junco books last year.

What are you currently reading?

Right now I’m reading an ARC for a friend of mine called SLOW: The Story of Signy and Aden.

What is your favourite science fiction novel?

Woken Furies by Richard K. Morgan. It’s a total military SF novel that most girls would never pick up in a million years, but I love the rogue soldier main character—Takeshi Kovacs—because he’s very complicated and deep.

What is your favourite part of being an author?

Meeting new people in the book world.  I have made so many new friends this past year – it’s been incredible.

Do you have any upcoming projects you are working on?

I do – Junco has two new books releasing on April 1.  RANGE is the fourth book in the series and has Junco struggling to come to terms with her destiny and The Magpie Bridge is a novella that continues the epic where RANGE leaves off—only from Tier’s point of view.

What’s one piece of advice you can give to aspiring authors?

Write every day and release something as often as you can. That’s two!  But they are related, I think.

FUN FACTS

Pen or keyboard?

Keyboard

Science or fiction?

Oh….this is actually tough for me – I have to say both! (I cheat!)

Amazon or bookstore?

Amazon

Coffee or tea?

Neither – I drink Diet Pepsi and water and that’s pretty much it. :)

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To find out more about Julie Huss, please find her on the following sites.

Website
Goodreads
Facebook

Review: Wait for You by J. Lynn

Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threaAvertening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…

My thoughts:

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Jennifer Armentrout. I own everything she has ever written so of course I bought WAIT FOR YOU the day it released but I haven't had a chance to read it until a few days ago and oh my goodness I'm so mad at myself for waiting so long!

I loved Cam right away, how could you not? And I wanted to be friends with Avery (and I wanted to have Avery's friends! Especially Jacob! Oh my goodness! So fun!)

Avery is starting college as far away from home as she can possibly manage. She recently came into a crap-ton of money so she is living alone in an apartment not far from campus....just down the hall from the utterly swoon-worthy Cam Hamilton. 

And while she isn't exactly interested in dating anyone, her dreamy neighbor won't give up that easily. 

Cam makes her eggs every Sunday, bakes and has a pet turtle named Raphael.
He's charming and sweet but still alpha-enough that he won't let anyone mess with Avery.

Cam = Perfection.

I love that J. Lynn gradually reveals Avery's secret. I like it when the information just isn't thrown at you all at once.  I thought the way it was revealed was realistic and then after it was revealed, things weren't immediately resolved. You don't get over something like that just because you finally say it outloud so I thought that was nicely done.

WAIT FOR YOU made me cry but it also made me laugh-out-loud A LOT! I was seriously cracking up with a huge grin on my face throughout most of it.

I saw a review that commented that it seemed more "Young Adult" then "New Adult" and I think people are getting a warped sense of what "New Adult" is since most of it is a little on the smutty side and this book definitely wasn't smutty. Sure there were some pretty steamy scenes but it wasn't porn-level steaminess. I think people are forgetting that "New Adult" features college-age characters whereas YA features teenage characters.

That being said, the language and content is way more intense than would be appropriate for YA, so I would recommend this book for the 18 and older crowd.

 

Book Release: Falling for Hadie by Komal Kant

Just wanted to let all the A Dash of YA readers know that my second novel, Falling for Hadie, has been released! This is the second book in a series, but the books can be read out of order. It's available on Amazon Kindle and there will also be a paperback coming in the next couple of weeks.

Here's the purchase link for it. Also, the first book in the series, Impossible, is currently FREE on Amazon Kindle! Click here to get your free copy of that.

I hope y'all will check it out! =)

Running away from his old life in New York City, Lincoln Bracks ends up in the small town of Statlen, Iowa. He isn’t interested in making friends or getting to know anyone. He just wants to keep his head down and disappear amongst the crowd. That was the plan anyway, until he meets Hadie Swinton.

Nursing a broken heart and the realization that the boy she’s loved her entire life isn’t Prince Charming, Hadie is set against ever falling for the same type of guy again. But when new boy, Lincoln, arrives in town, she discovers that this is easier said than done.

Hadie assumes that Lincoln is a typical arrogant jock—he is good-looking, confident and charming—but when he doesn’t do anything she expects him to, she is intrigued by him against her better judgment. There is definitely more to Lincoln than just a pretty face, but Lincoln is hiding something that he doesn’t want anybody to discover because when they do, they will never look at him the same again.

Falling in love was the last thing Lincoln wanted to do, so how will he convince himself to fall out of it?

Review: Beautiful Creatures

Title: Beautiful Creatures
Authors: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Okay, so I know I'm behind the times since this book is now a movie and has been in theaters for a few weeks now. BUT I just got around to reading it last week. I mostly picked it up because the movie looked right up my alley and I usually like to read the book before I go see the movie (though this doesn't always happen. I watched The Notebook before I read the book and that movie still holds the honor of the only movie I've ever enjoyed more than the book. Ever. Seriously. The movie was fantastic but the book was just okay for me. Probably has a lot to do with the fact that Ryan Gosling is in the movie.)

Anyway, back to Beautiful Creatures. I would say that I enjoyed the book but I don't know if I will ever re-read it. I thought it was entertaining, but it was so long and so detailed that sometimes I got bored and skipped a few paragraphs to get to the good parts. (I know, I know. Bad reader)
There wasn't that "can't-put-it-down-must-read-in-one-sitting" sorta of feeling to it but I did want to finish so that I would know what happened to the characters so that's something.

It was an interesting and unique story which I really like that aspect but it was a little boring at times sooooooo I'd give it 3.5 stars.
I'm sure I'll eventually read the other books but I'm not going to rush out and buy them right away.
I do still intend on seeing the movie. :)
Have any of you read it? What did you think about it? Did you see the movie?

Review: Falling for Hadie by Komal Kant

Title: Falling for Hadie
Author: Komal Kant
Genre: YA, Contemporary Romance
Released: March 2013
 

Running away from his old life in New York City, Lincoln Bracks ends up in the small town of Statlen, Iowa. He isn’t interested in making friends or getting to know anyone. He just wants to keep his head down and disappear amongst the crowd.

Nursing a broken heart and the realization that the boy she’s loved her entire life isn’t Prince Charming, Hadie Swinton is set against ever falling in love. But when new boy, Lincoln arrives in town, she may have to eat her words.

Hadie fears being hurt and Lincoln fears hurting her, so when they begin spending more time together and form a connection, they try to fight it at all costs. When they finally start to give into their feelings, Lincoln’s secret stands in the way of them ever being together.

Falling in love was the last thing Lincoln wanted to do, so how will he convince himself to fall out of it?

Hadie Swinton hates boys. Well, she didn’t used to but she definitely does now after catching her douchebag boyfriend, Bennett, making out with a girl that definitely was NOT Hadie at a party over the weekend.

Lincoln is the new boy in school. He is good-looking, charming and confident—everything that Bennett was, which makes Hadie hate him at first glance.  

And guess who has been assigned to show the new kid around?
Yep—Hadie.

Lincoln doesn’t want to make friends or get close to anyone, especially not a girl like Hadie. But he can’t figure out why she seems to hate him so much…

Hadie assumes Lincoln is a typical arrogant jock. But when he doesn’t do anything that she expects him to do, she finds herself curious about him against her better judgment.

There is definitely more to Lincoln then just a pretty face, BUT Lincoln is hiding something…a secret that he doesn’t want anybody to discover because when they do, they will never look at him the same again.

I L-O-V-E-D this book!

The romance between Hadie and Lincoln was sweet and funny and adorable with just the right amount of steaminess.Oh! And speaking of some of the steaminess….. Hadie’s parents really cracked me up! Especially her dad! OMG! (This might not make sense to you right now, but trust me, when you read the book—which you SHOULD—you’ll completely understand!)

Hadie is very likeable. She is just an all-around nice girl who while she may feel like she is boring and frumpy, she’s okay with that. She doesn’t try to make people like her, but you can’t help but like her because she has such a good heart.  Lincoln is wonderful, a little moody in some parts but in the end you definitely understand why.   
I love that we got to see Ashton and Luca and all of his friends again. I loved Eddie in IMPOSSIBLE and love him even more after reading FALLING FOR HADIE. I have already requested that he get his own story. J
Out of all of Hadie’s friends, Estella was definitely my favorite and I’m excited to read her story next in WRONG SIDE OF TOWN.
Though I had an idea of Lincoln’s secret about half way through the book (Sometimes I think I might be psychic), it was still HORRIBLE when he finally told Hadie and I spent the last 1/4 of the book bawling my eyes out.

Any book that can bring out such strong emotions in me is definitely 5-stars! Komal did an amazing job and I continue to be impressed with the skill in which she can tell a story.   

I highly recommend FALLING FOR HADIE to everyone!

 

 

WAIT FOR YOU by J. Lynn: Cover Reveal

What do early readers have to say about WAIT FOR YOU?

 

“J. Lynn creates a wonderful cast of characters that will make you laugh, swoon, and cry. Cam stole my heart.” – Cora Carmack, NYTimes and USA TODAY Bestselling Author of LOSING IT

“For the love of all that is Cameron without a shirt on! Wait for You will have you laughing out loud, fanning yourself and anxiously waiting to know what will happen next.” – Molly McAdams, NYTimes and USA TODAY Bestselling Author of FROM ASHES and TAKING CHANCES

 “I don't think I have ever read a NA Contemporary novel with as much depth as this one. It really moved me and by the end I was just speechless over how inspirational and uplifting it was as well as being sexy and cute and funny and emotional.” - K Books

 “Wait For You is uniquely different from anything else J. Lynn's written but it might possibly be her best work yet.” – Jenuine Cupcakes

 “For all of you in love with Aiden and Daemon, PREPARE YOURSELVES! Your heart will have to expand a little more for Cam.” Total Bookaholic

“For the love of all things CAM, this book deserves more than 5 stars.” – Mundie Moms

 

Excited? Ready to see the cover for WAIT FOR YOU?

 

 

 

 

Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…

WAIT FOR YOU is available now!

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

J. Lynn, also known as Jennifer L. Armentrout, is the USA TODAY Bestselling author of the adult romance Gamble Brothers’ series, the young adult Lux Series and award winning Covenant Series. She pretty much writes everything—contemporary, paranormal, and fantasy. All of her books have one thing in common no matter the name or genre: kissing… and stuff. When she’s not busy writing, which is never, she’s usually hanging out with dog Loki, watching reruns of The Walking Dead, or procrastinating on the Internet. You can find out more about Jennifer by visiting the following websites:

Twitter
https://twitter.com/JLArmentrout

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/JenniferLArmentrout

Website:
                                                 http://www.jenniferarmentrout.com/

Dashers Panel: Opal by JLA

We are all pretty big fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout. In the months of December and January, we pushed her latest release: Opal into our reading piles. If you were like me (Michelle), it moved to the front of my list, immediately.  But we decided to get together (er, via-the blog) and do another Dashers Panel. Maybe some day we will branch out farther than JLA.

What was your favorite scene with Katy and Daemon? 

Michelle: Any time he flusters Katy. I like the banter and the sexual tension scenes. But when Daemon flusters Katy, I think it's cute. :)

Erica: I love their banter so any time they are teasing each other is my favorite. :)

Dee's and Katy's relationship had dramatically changed. How did you feel about it in this novel? 

Michelle: It's definitely different but JLA would have been remiss if she had kept their relationship light and bouncy. Dee is going through a lot of stuff. And sadly, Katy is right in the middle of it. With no outlet, I think Katy makes a perfect focus point for Dee. I have no doubt that there relationship will get back to normal. *crosses her fingers*

Erica: I agree with Michelle 100%. Dee has a lot to deal with and everything comes back to Katy, so of course that is who she is going to direct her anger at.

Dawson, sigh, he's got some issues, and who wouldn't. But now that we got to spend a little more time with him, what is your take on him? 

Michelle: I am happy JLA didn't bounce him back into a "normal" character. I like that he doesn't adjust right away. And while I know his history and his love for Bethany, there's a certain unstable and creepy element about him. Which, is a great dynamic in the list of characters. 

Erica: There is definitely something "off" about him...I can't put my finger on it but I just have a weird feeling about him....

The ENDING! OMG! Without any spoilers, what was your reaction to it? 

Michelle: I was angry. I said, "Oh! My God!" JLA did it again, she wrote a bang up cliff hanger and I immediately searched when the next installment would be. *Now that I sit here, I'm getting flustered again!*

Erica: I was shocked! I definitely didn't see that coming!

If you had to pick between the Obsidian series or the Covenant series, which one would you pick? 

Michelle: Oh, this is tough! I love Daemon. I do. I love his attitude. But I love Alex. I like the strength of each character, so I would say there are certain books in each series that I love, and depending on which I am reading, my answer would change.
Erica: While I definitely think Daemon is hotter than Seth or Aiden, I like the story of the Covenant series better.

What did you think of Opal?