Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Guardian (Creepy Hollow #1) Blog Tour Stop!

Rachel Morgan Interview & Review

1. Which of your characters is most/least like you, and in what way(s)?
Ooh, tough one. There isn’t a whole character that I can identify with. The only aspect of Violet that is similar to me is that she is completely focused on something (graduating as the best guardian of her year), and she’s putting all her energy into that, leaving no time for a balanced life (um, that’s definitely me! I’ve barely had any social life since I started writing!).

The teacher part of me identifies with the character Tora, Violet’s mentor. Tora is organised, hard-working, and dedicated to helping the trainees she’s responsible for (as a teacher, I like to think I display these traits!).

2. What would your ideal career be, if you couldn't be an author?
I absolutely loved creating the CREEPY HOLLOW book covers, and I’ve also really enjoyed creating videos ever since I first discovered Movie Maker about seven years ago. So if I couldn’t be an author I would want to get myself properly trained in using professional image- and video-editing software so that I could create book covers and book trailers for other authors. (Perhaps I’ll do that anyway!)

3. What book are you reading now? 
I just finished The Demon Trapper’s Daughter by Jana Oliver, which I thought was fantastic, and I’m currently reading and enjoying Rising Book 1: Resistance, by Laura Josephsen.

4. What was the hardest part of writing your book? 
There was nothing specifically hard about writing GUARDIAN, but definitely the hardest part for all my writing is trying to do it at the same time as being a teacher. School work (setting tests, marking papers, preparing notes) just keeps getting in the way, and even when I do have time for writing, it’s difficult to mentally move back and forth from the “teaching zone” to the “writing zone”. By the time I’ve settled into one zone I have to move back to the other!

5. What do you do when you are not writing?
Teaching. See previous answer! (What do I do when I’m not writing and not teaching? Sleeping!)

6. What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
In this novelette, the last chapter, when Nate and Vi . . . but I can’t say because that would be giving it away to those who haven’t read it! Out of all the novelettes, though, I am absolutely loving writing number four!

7. If you could have any superpower what would you choose?
Oh, gosh, so many options . . . I’ve always had a fascination with fire, so probably pyrokinesis. Or if I could control all the elements that would be cool!

8. If you could jump into a book and live in that world, which would it be?
Um . . . The Harry Potter world. Post-Voldemort! And only if I get to be a student attending Hogwarts!

9. What is your favorite part about writing in the paranormal genre?
You get to break the rules of the real world, and make up your own. And it’s so much fun writing about characters with supernatural abilities!

Thanks so much, Jennifer, for hosting me on your blog!

~  ~  ~

Rachel Morgan is the author of Guardian, the first novelette in the Creepy Hollow series. She was born in South Africa and spent a large portion of her childhood living in a fantasy land of her own making. These days, in between teaching mathematics to high school children, she writes fiction for young adults.

Buy Guardian from

The Creepy Hollow Series

Author Info

My Review


Guardian 
(Creepy Hollow #1) 
by Rachel Morgan

Release Date: March 5, 2012
Publisher: Self Published
Pages: 55
Genre: YA Paranormal Faeries
Source: Author
Purchase: AmazonSmashwords
Haunt Author: Website | Facebook | Twitter

1. Receive assignment.
2. Save a life.
3. Sleep.
4. Repeat.

Protecting humans from dangerous magical creatures is all in a day’s work for a faerie training to be a guardian. Seventeen-year-old Violet Fairdale knows this better than anyone—she’s about to become the best guardian the Guild has seen in years. That is, until one of her assignments—a human boy who shouldn’t even be able to see her—follows her into the fae realm. Now she’s broken Guild Law, a crime that could lead to her expulsion.

The last thing Vi wants to do is spend any more time with the boy who got her into this mess, but the Guild requires that she return Nate to his home and make him forget everything he’s discovered of the fae realm. Easy, right? But Nate and Vi are about to land themselves in even bigger trouble—and it’ll take all Vi’s training to get them out alive.   (A novelette)

 I loved this from the first two rules and beginning sentence! First rule is to never bring a human into the fae realm and the second rule is to never reveal yourself to a human. "My assignment tonight is cuter than most." Violet is out on assignment to Draven Avenue, doing her duty of protecting humans, when the assignment spots her and follows along back to the fae realm. Well Violet just broke the two most important rules of the Guild. Mr. Draven Avenue, as in human boy Nate, now has to be escorted home and will cause her to be behind in her training. I loved the way she called him Draven Avenue for awhile. This book had such great wit, romance, and action. The perfect combination. 

I loved all the characters and their interactions. Violet also has an arrogant classmate Ryn. He was obnoxious but I still found their fighting entertaining as well. Nate was unbelievably sweet, adorable, and hilariously honest. He spoke his mind and I loved it. Violet was slightly annoyed because she is working extremely hard to be top of her class. She loves the thrill of being a Guardian but it is a dangerous job. She lost both her parents and one of her best friends very young. As Violet leads Nate home they are captured. Violet must figure out a way for them to escape and get Nate home safe. Then she must erase his memory of everything he has seen. Will she be able to do it?

I loved Violet and Nate's journey so much and can't wait to see what they will be up to next. Nate cracked me up with all his questions and shock over the fae realm. I want to go on and on about this novella but since it only has 55 pages I don't want to give too much of it away. It was such a fun read, very easy to squeeze into your reading schedule, so just go ahead and check it out for yourselves! I was sad to see it end so soon. I'll be anxiously awaiting the next novella! I also seriously wanted to pull out like 50 quotes to share but got it down to three. I also loved Nate so much I decided to feature him as my book boyfriend this week! His post is below or HERE with a couple more extra quotes. 

"I guess that could make sense. You are far more attractive than any real life girl who's managed to find her way into my bedroom."

"You can't be a faerie. You're way too big."
I lower my hands, my eyes challenging his. "Excuse me?" I've been called many things in my seventeen years, but big has never been one of them. Quite the opposite, in fact.
"Aren't faeries supposed to be, like, really tiny? With wings and a wand and faerie dust?'
"I'm not Tinkerbell!"

"I was your assignment?"
Wow, you catch on fast. "Yes."
He hesitates a moment, then grins. "That's kind of hot."

Rating: 5/5 Stars! 

13 comments:

  1. Thank you for the 5 stars! That is completely awesome!! And thank you once more for participating in the blog tour :-)

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    1. Sure! It was fun and I seriously absolutely loved your book! I have no complaints so 5 stars it is! Except that I want more...like now please!

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  2. Brilliant review, Jennifer! I love the quotes at the end. :) Those definitely make me want to give this book a try.

    I loved the interview! I completely agree with living in the Harry Potter world... but only POST Voldemort. Going to Hogwarts would be all sorts of fun. ;)

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    1. Going to Hogwarts would be AMAZING fun! I absolutely love the world JK Rowling created.

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  3. Wonderful interview! I would pick Harry Potter's world to jump into as well.

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    1. I think many people would love to experience Harry's (post Voldy) world!

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  4. Great Review! and I Loved the quotes and also the interview. The only problem in school? it's not Hogwarts. And I would also Love to Design Book Covers one day! [currently studying for that] The Creepy Hollow Covers are Gorgeous :D!

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  5. This sounds really cool, Jennifer, and Nate... ohhh, boy, as if I need another fictional crush! (Sure I do!)

    I'm a little scared of fae so I don't always pick up books that have faeries in them, but these don't sound like the scary king (Fever, Unseelie kind) so I think I'll be fine.
    I love it when authors have a good sense of humor and write good dialogues, and it seems that Rachel Morgan has both. Cool. :)
    Maja @ The Nocturnal Library

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