Water Christmas Giveaway

Not read Water yet? Well make sure you enter the giveaway below for your chance to win a copy of the e-book in time for the Christmas holidays.

There's a pretty short time scale for entering as I am away from Friday (Boston and NY here I come!) and I would like to get the prize sent out before I go.

Good luck and Merry Christmas!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

NaNoWriMo

So you may have noticed that the blog has been a little quiet recently... That is largely because NaNoWriMo sort of took over my life during November and I have still been hard at work on the story I have been writing for it. However, all the hard work has been worth it because I did manage to achieve this:

For NaNo, I moved away from Elements of Power and started working on my follow up novel to the series, which is a sci-fi/dystopian story set in a futuristic London. If you are interested in finding out more about my WIP (which is currently titled Amber & Ice) you can check it out over at Wattpad, where I have posted the first few chapters. 

However, now that we are well into December, I am focusing my attention back on Air! I have lots of new chapters to add into it but I am already excited to share it with you - particularly the opening (and Roxy's chapters) which I think you are all going to love. 

While you wait, if you have already read Water, can I ask you to please leave a review on Amazon? I would really appreciate it if you could as the page is looking a little bare and I know that there have been plenty more readers than reviews. 

If you haven't read Water yet, however, keep an eye on the blog as I am going to run another competition next week...

Featured Review: Girl in the Woods Reviews

Today's featured review of Water can be found at Girl in the Woods Reviews.

This is a really lovely review, and it begins like this: 

"I am in love with this book. Heather James has once again broken and satisfied my heart. Every word she wrote, every page was so filled with delicacies that it makes you want to devour the book all at once without even stopping to chew through it. That's what Water is. It's like a favourite food you'll never get tired of eating."

Please check out Elicia's blog to read the rest - it really is a great review!

Featured Reviews: Pure Jonel

Today's review was posted almost a week ago, on Water's publication day. It was written by Jonel from Pure Jonel. You can read it in full here. 

"James’ upbeat writing style keeps you moving forwards while keeping you completely entrenched in the storyline. This is a quick but delightful read that takes you on a journey beyond your wildest imagination while still being put together in a manner that is completely believable."

" I became so attached to some of the characters that I found myself literally crossing my fingers at the end of the novel. My heart aches for some of them and I can’t wait to get back to this wonderful world."

You are nearly out of time to enter to win your own copy of Water in my giveaway, so make sure that you do so now! 

Featured Review: KDH Reviews

Today's featured review is by Kayla at KDH Reviews. This blog was one of the first to review Fire, so I was really interested to see what Kayla thought of Water. You can read her review in full here.

"I’m so glad we were treated to more of James’s world building. I love that every realm so distinctly represents its people."

"While I still like Roxy, Water made it so easy to fall in love with Jasmine."

"I look forward to continuing the series and being treated to more of Heather James’s wonderful writing."

There are only a few days left to enter the Water giveaway, so make sure you do so quickly!

Featured Review: Once Upon A Dream

Another review, this one can be found on Once Upon A Dream. I loved this review because Care hits on a point which is going to become quite crucial in Air. You can read it here after you check out some of the highlights below:

"First off, I loved this book. It had all the things I loved about the first one and new layers were added in to make this book a sequel to be remembered."

"I must admit something, little firecracker Roxy really stole the show in this book. I liked her in book one, but somehow during book two, she put her foot down and became my favorite character."

"Speaking of Tristan, I really, really loved his character. He was so fascinating, and so very much that type of character you would never want to cross. Ever. It was like: which side do we get to see today?"

"And if I thought the ending of the last book was enough to make me want to read a story, this one trumps that. I literally sat there staring at the screen for minutes as if I could will the next book into existence."

Don't forget, you can enter to win a copy of Water on the blog all week. Enter now.

Featured Review: Goodreads

Today's review is over on Goodreads and was written by Nicole. You can read it in full here (complete with a Little Mermaid gif!), but here are a few excerpts: 

"I devoured Water in a matter of hours."

"I absolutely love this trilogy. I can't wait for the next one, my feels are just hurt at the moment. I wouldn't be this sad, if I didn't absolutely love/enjoy/adore these books! "

Don't forget, you can enter to win a copy of Water on the blog all week. Enter now.

Featured Review: Sofia Loves Reading

Water has already been given some amazing reviews and I am going to be promoting them on the blog all week. Today's review is from Sofia Loves Reading and it was the very first review I received from Water. Following the link to it was terrifying and I was not just relieved but overwhelmed when I discovered that Sophia had given it five stars! You can read the review in full here, but these are some of my favourite quotes:

"The second book in the Elements of Power series will blow you away!!!"

"I really really liked this book. Just as Fire, Water has dual POVs, Jasmine and Roxy's respectively. The dual POV worked amazingly as the girls are no longer together and each had its own problems to deal with. Moreover, the dual POV allows us to see what they both go through, it makes us understand better their actions, what they think and finally their emotions! 

Water changes everything! Secrets are revealed and the girls find out that they have more in common except from their love for Brae!!!"

"All in all, I loved this book (ok, I even somewhat liked the cliffhanger as well)and I can't wait to read the third and last book in the series Air (coming out in 2014)!!!

Totally recommend it!!!"

Don't forget, you can enter to win a copy of Water on the blog all week. Enter now.

Smashwords Q&A

To celebrate the release of Water, I have completed an interview on Smashwords. 

Please go here to check it out. 

If there are any other questions you would like to see me answer, post them in the comments and I will add them straight away. 

I hope you are all enjoying Water!

Read Fire for free this week

If you haven't already read Fire, or if there's a friend you would really like to recommend it to, you can download it for free all week from Smashwords. 

Just follow this link then put in the code EP67S.

Happy reading!

Water is now available!

Water pooled around my feet, rising at an alarming rate. I stared - panicked - at the palms of my hands, willing the water gushing out of them to stop as miraculously as it had begun.

I only sneezed!

Jasmine is struggling to control her new powers, causing floods and fires with an accidental flick of her wrist. In a desperate attempt to master at least one aspect of them, she travels to the Brizan Realm, where she comes closer to discovering the truth about her parents than ever before. But not everyone wants their secrets revealed.

Alone, powerless and, for the first time in her life, afraid, Roxy has only one thought occupying her mind: escaping Cinaer's clutches before it's too late. Her flight will take her across the ocean, but not in the direction she is expecting. Before she can try and get back to Brae, she needs to rescue herself.

Despite being on opposite sides of the world, the girls soon find themselves closer than ever.

Excited about reading Water? You can buy it now from Amazon! You can also already check out some awesome reviews of Water over on Goodreads. But make sure that you've read Fire, the first novel in the Elements of Power series, first. 

To celebrate Water's release, I will be hosting a giveaway to win a copy of Water. It's only going to run for a week though, so make sure you enter quickly. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Introducing: Kit

Who:

Kit Delmare

Realm:

Brizan

Protector?

Yes. Kit is Lorelie's younger brother. Remember her? Lorelie is the young Brizan Protector in Fire who was Controlled by the Helians. Kit's powers were only just beginning to develop when the Protectors were called to the summit. He's still a Protector-in-training, which will prove helpful for another Protector-in-training we all love.

Important because:

He and Lorelie look after the Arcans while they are in the Brizan Realm.

You will love him because:

He's struggling to get to grips with his powers and has a number of mishaps.

Introduction:

Beside Lorelie stood a tall boy, whose own sandy blond hair contained only a few streaks of electric blue.

As we stepped ashore, his eyes rested on me - or rather my hair - and I wrung my hands anxiously. On his face was a wide grin of excitement and awe.

``Welcome to the Brizan Realm." Rowan smiled warmly as he stepped forward to greet us. ``Euphrasia and Lorelie you already know, of course," he said, gesturing to the two girls, who smiled politely. ``But this is my newest recruit, Lorelie's brother, Kit." He indicated to the boy who had smiled when he saw me. He was still grinning now, his lively blue eyes glowing with excitement. Kit was a little shorter than Brae and built in the same, muscular way as most Brizans, with glowing, windswept cheeks. He wore dark trousers, high boots and a black shirt, which made him look more like one of the sailors from the ship than the Protectors he was standing beside, in their flowing blue clothing.

You can find out more about Kit and Tristan when Water is released next Saturday. 

Introducing: Tristan

Who: 

Tristan Terra

Realm:

Sephan

Protector? 

Absolutely - like Erica from Fire, Tristan can create earthquakes, communicate with animals and cause plants and flowers to grow.

Important because: 

Tristan has big plans, for himself and his Realm. He is fed up with the Sephan Realm being a laughing stock and wants to show the other Realms that they should be taken seriously.

Strengths: 

Don't get on the wrong side of his bow and arrow.

But bear in mind: 

Tristan has a definite dark streak.

Introduction: 

The speaker was tall and wiry, with a shock of bright green hair on the top of his head and darker, mint coloured eyes. He held a bow in his left hand, a second arrow in his right.

Despite his slight build, he stood like a warrior, brave and firm, and he met Erica's gaze without a hint of fear. He wore the same homemade clothes as the other Sephans, in the earthy colours of the forest. On him, they looked more like a uniform than a necessity, right down to the fur trimmed boots he wore on his feet.

Intrigued? You can meet Tristan in 13 days, when Water is released. 

Water - 19 October 2013

That's right. Water has an official release date! It will be available for sale from 19 October 2013. 

To celebrate, here is a sneak preview of Roxy's first chapter.

Out in the garden, it could almost have been two months ago. The weather was as unchanging as it ever was in the Helian Realm: sunshine, limited breeze and hot. The vegetation on either side of me was thick, green and covered in vibrant, exotic flowers. The scent of pollen was sweet and intoxicating in the air.

And I was alone.

Which was what I needed, but it wasn't what I wanted.

The memory of a low, accented voice was sharp in my mind. I could imagine him coming up behind me, asking me what I was doing and sitting down, uninvited, to chat. I could see him after his fight with Cinaer, fired up, magnetic... and shirtless. And in front of me, rescuing Melaina from the tree she had got herself stuck in.

He should have been here by now, a niggling voice in my head protested unhelpfully. It had been nearly four weeks and there had been no sign of Brae. He'd had more than enough time to get the others safely home and come back for me. But he hadn't. I was starting to think that maybe he never would.

I sat down on the warm, green grass and ran my fingers through my hair hopelessly. Ordinarily, I would have torched a nearby tree, letting calmness wash over me as I watched the flames flicker round the branches, slowly choking the life from them.

I scratched at my wrists, which were red raw from where I had attempted to pull off the gold manacles which subdues my powers. They were heavy, consisting of interwoven swirls, creating an effect that was almost like solid lace, spanning three inches up forearms from my wrists. Difficult to hide in a Realm where the climate didn't allow for sleeves, but they didn't look like anything other than an odd jewellery choice; gold cuffs were popular in Kalme, so if anyone asked, they could easily be explained as a gift from Cinaer.

They were tight though and chaffed my skin whenever they moved. Cinaer and my mother were only concerned with secrecy, however, not my comfort. Mother didn't want the family being shamed if news of my `indiscretion' got out; Cin knew that I was the best chance he had of sitting on the Helian throne, so he needed to keep me around. They both needed me kept under control.

For the hundredth time that day, I tried to make sparks flare in my hands. I didn't feel right without them. I wasn't me.

"I thought I might find you out here." My ears pricked at the noise, my head turned automatically. But it was the wrong voice. Just as familiar, but far more deadly. Cinaer.

"What do you want?" I growled. I was not in the mood for Cin's taunts.

"Now, now, Roxy. Play nice." To my disgust, he sat down beside me.

As if he had been reading my thoughts as he sauntered over, he continued: "You're not still moping around waiting for your Prince to come and save you, are you?  Because that would be incredibly tragic."

I forced myself to keep looking straight ahead. There was no point rising to the challenge, not while I still had his manacles on. The repeated burnings I had endured over the past few weeks had scorched that fact into my mind.

"He left you, Roxy, like I said he would. He wasn't really interested in you. He pretended to be, so that you would help him and his Air-Head friends to escape. He used you. And you let him. Now how weak does that make you, I wonder? It's a good thing I took your powers away - you didn't deserve them."

I lost it, forgetting my earlier patience, I punched him straight in the jaw. The unexpected blow sent him reeling, but he quickly made me regret it.

What do you think? I love the transformation Roxy undergoes in Water - loosing her powers makes a big difference to everything about her personality, as she no longer has a quick fix to ensure that everything goes her way.

If you are as excited about Water as I am, please share this post on Twitter, Facebook or Google +. Email me a link and you may be one of two people to win an ARC of Water as thanks!

Water's cover is here!

What do you think? I love it, but I'm obviously bias! It sticks very much to the theme of the first book, with the blurred figure and the emphasis on the elemental power, but has a distinctly blue tone to it. The photography was all done by my amazing younger brother; we had a lot of fun taking various water pictures while emptying a paddling pool this week. I have also updated the font from Fire, after reading a few interesting articles like this one. Like with Fire, the fill for the title is an image of water, rather than a photoshopped gradient.  

I have now updated the Water page on the site, so make sure you check that out to read the synopsis. You can also read the synopsis and an exclusive excerpt from the first chapter, over at Once Upon A Series, who are running a feature on the Elements of Power series today. 

Please let me know your thoughts on the cover in the comments and feature it on your own blog if you are a fan of the series (in return, I will be more than happy to send you a copy to review!)

Water Update and Angelfall Review

Water is nearly finished! The cover will be revealed very shortly and an official release date will follow. 

In the meantime, here is my review of Angelfall by Susan Ee

5 Stars

“I never thought about it before, but I'm proud to be human.

We're ever so flawed. We're frail, confused, violent, and we struggle with so many issues. 

But all in all, I'm proud to be a Daughter of Man.” 

The book is amazing; I could not put it down and got through it in a day.

I loved the plot as it was very different to the other angel stories I've read. Angelfall is a fusion between an angel story and a Zombie apocalypse. It was dark and edgy, but also offered an interesting take on what it means to be human. I think my awareness of this might have been heightened by the fact that I am currently working my way through Battlestar Galactica, so this sort of storyline - humans surviving against the odds against a religiously motivated super-race - is forefront in my mind! 

I thought that the relationship between Peryn and her sister was very sweet and a powerful driving force in the novel. I really believed that Peryn would do anything to get her back and I liked how it was also highlighted through the twins in the resistance camp.

The romance felt very natural and progressed at a good pace. I loved Raffe, he was a strong male lead, with a decent amount of arrogance and wit (not quite on Jace proportions, but still very promising).

Peryn was also a great protagonist; she was strong and feisty but not perfect (I loved how she struggled to come up with witty responses to Raffe).

I had no idea that this was the first in a series, so was slightly concerned when my Kindle claimed to be 90% of the way through and there was not a neat conclusion on the horizon! I am now eagerly anticipating the release of book two in November.

The cover is also really striking; pretty, but also dark and mysterious. According to Ee's website, it was actually picked following a cover competition, which is pretty cool. 

This one is a must-read for fans of Fallen and Hush-Hush.

Life of Pi Review

5 Stars

"Doesn't the telling of something always become a story...

Isn't the telling of something - using words, English or Japanese - already something of 

an invention? Isn't just looking upon this world already something of an invention?"

The best things about this novel were the writing and the twist at the end. I'm not going to say anything more about the latter - in fact, I'm going to try to say very little on the plot as I think that the less you know about this novel before you start, the more you will enjoy watching the narrative unfold.

The writing was what really sold it to me from the beginning. I loved Pi's insightful observations on life, which make him seem wise beyond his years and also often made me laugh. I particularly enjoyed his initial views on different religions and the way he summarised each in a few neat points.

Life of Pi explores big themes of overcoming extreme adversity and keeping your faith despite the challenges which come your way. It also explores the idea of living in isolation and, of course, has lots of information about animals. These technical details about the life of animals, with lots of 'case studies' thrown in, was another feature of the book that I really enjoyed. Pi was an extremely realistic character; you could see a clear parallel between his upbringing in the first section of the novel and his actions in the second.

As much as I loved this book while I was reading it, once I put it down to do something else, I would often forget about it for a few days and wouldn't feel compelled to pick it straight back up. It just didn't seem as gripping as a lot of the other books I have read and the pace was very slow. Although this did allow for the beautiful language and detail which made me like the book so much; as much as a quicker pace probably would have made me read the book more quickly, I think the message and point of the novel would have been lost.

I haven't seen the film yet - I usually follow a pattern of 'Oh, that book's going to be made into a film. Let's read the book first, but wait until the film is no longer out before doing so, ensuring that I am stuck once I finish it'…

When I finished Life of Pi, I felt as though I had just read something really special. Something that I needed to sit ant think about for a little while, before starting to do anything else. I would really, really recommend it. It would also have been a brilliant novel to read while I was completing my 'Origins of the Modern Novel' module at Uni, due to the way it explores the nature of storytelling - if you are studying anything like this, at school or Uni, you should definitely read this book! 

.Kindred Dreamheart.: DAY 7: Character Fashion Face Off

The Fashion Face Off between Imogen and Avery has been posted  for Novel Fashion Week. Please check it out and comment with your opinion. Plus you can enter to win an e-copy of Fire. I would love to know what you think of the outfits:

Check the feature out at .Kindred Dreamheart.

Sephan Fashion

Slight hint here: the Sephan Realm is going to be very important in Water. For that reason, I wanted to post something which explained a little more about Sephan fashion. 

As the Realm associated with earth, Sephans have a hippy, eco flair. They like wearing browns and greens and most of their clothing is home made, so differs greatly from the tailored finish of the Arcans. It also has to be practical, designed for climbing trees and working outdoors. But flowers can provide a splash of colour and prettiness.

Sephan Style - Wild Child by heatherf-james

Sephan Style by heatherf-james

And because it's not all work and no play, for dressing up:

Sephan Style - Dressed to Impress by heatherf-james

Although that dress wouldn't work for every Sephan - Erica would be likely to stick to something less girly. However, there is another girl making an appearance in Water who would definitely want one...

The theme of this post is also very important for a feature coming up at the beginning of August called Novel Fashion Week, which is being hosted by Kindred Dreamheart. For seven days, three times a day, different novels will be being featured in posts on fashion. 

For Fire's feature on day 7, Imogen and Avery will be debating their differing views on fashion in the Helian and Arcan Realms. Make sure you check out the blog to see the post, as well as all of the other great features lined up. There is a promo video which details all of the authors and books involved here.

Requiem Review

4 - 4 1/2 stars

"Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings.

Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it.

But we have chosen a different road.

And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose.

We are even free to choose the wrong thing."

I was pleasantly surprised by Requiem - I had glanced at a few reviews on Goodreads which hadn't filled me with a lot of confidence, which is the main reason I didn't rush to buy and read it immediately. I am pleased that I wasn't completely put off though, because this is a great season finale. Maybe not quite as amazing as finales like Clockwork Princess or Mockingjay, but still pretty awesome.

I love Oliver's writing style - the way that she constructs her sentences and lets ideas build within them - it creates a vivid yet personal first person narrative. I think that these books would be really great to read aloud in a reading group. 

The quality of the writing has always been one of the big draws of the series for me and is probably why I will rush to buy whatever Oliver writes next. 

What I love about dystopian novels is how different they all are and how individual and creative each series concept is. Reading the back cover of Delirium was one of those 'this is going to be amazing' moments and the series hasn't disappointed. 

However, there was a couple of points at which I thought the concept could have gone a little further - some of the 'zombies' react more emotionally than I expect them to, which was particularly noticeable in Hanna's chapters. 

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who has read Fire that I like stories told from multiple perspectives, so I loved that we saw things from Hanna's POV in Requiem. I think that the story made more sense overall because of it and it was great to see the world Oliver has created from the perspective of someone who has been 'cured'. It provided more depth to the story and it was interesting to see important events described by the other side. 

This next paragraph is all about the ending of the book and the love triangle, so don't read on if you haven't already read Requiem:

I have yet to read a series where the guy I was rooting for didn't win. Maybe I'm just lucky, or maybe I have a knack for picking the right one. Either way, I felt that this series was the closest I've got to thinking that my guy might not get the girl… I think that was probably the reason I couldn't put the book down - I had to know who Lena chose! For this reason, I am mostly happy with the way that Oliver chose to end the series, although there's definitely room for more happiness - it wasn't quite the happily ever after I had wanted which, in a series which is supposed to be all about love, was rather disappointing. Instead, Oliver focuses on dystopian themes of freedom and society and happiness, which is great and sticks well to her genre, but I don't feel that it accurately reflected the stand-out theme which made this series so different. However, it was still a much, much, much better ending than the Julian-centred alternative I had been panicking about, so I'm quite content overall. I also thought that the final paragraph was really powerful and an emphatic way to end.

Summer Reading List

So I am taking some time out from polishing off my entry for the Young Writers Prize 2013 to post my summer reading list. Usually, I only talk about my writing on this site, but over the summer holidays I am going to try and write some review as well. This list is of the first novels I am planning to read this summer: 

Days of Blood and Starlight

by Laini Taylor

I received this book for my birthday, but haven't had time to read it yet. I loved Daughter of Smoke and Bone, so I really can't wait to start. 

Goodreads synopsis:

 Once upon a time, an angel and a devil held a wishbone between them.

And its snap split the world in two.

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a new way of living – one without massacres and torn throats and bonfires of the fallen, without revenants or bastard armies or children ripped from their mothers’ arms to take their turn in the killing and dying.

Once, the lovers lay entwined in the moon’s secret temple and dreamed of a world that was a like a jewel-box without a jewel – a paradise waiting for them to find it and fill it with their happiness.

This was not that world.

Requiem

by Lauren Oliver

Another title which has been sitting on my bookshelf since my birthday in June. I've heard mixed reviews about this one, but I have high hopes (so long as Lena ends up with Alex!)

Goodreads synopsis: 

They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.

But we are still here.

And there are more of us every day.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor.

Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings.

Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it.

But we have chosen a different road.

And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose.

We are even free to choose the wrong thing.

Goddess

By Josephine Angelini

I still need to buy Goddess, but I loved the first two novels in this series so I'm really excited to finish it. (Again, I will only be happy if Helen ends up with Lucas)

Goodreads synopsis: 

After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.

To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores.

In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars. With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched.

Angelfall
by Susan Ee

I downloaded this when it was on a Kindle Daily Deal, although I have wanted to read it for a while. The cover is pretty and I love angel books.

Goodreads synopsis:
It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.



Life Of Pi
by Yann Martel

I started life of Pi a few weeks ago, but haven't had a lot of time to get very far. It's definitely one I'm looking forward to finishing. Then I can watch the film!

Goodreads synopsis:
Pi Patel is an unusual boy. The son of a zookeeper, he has an encyclopedic knowledge of animal behavior, a fervent love of stories, and practices not only his native Hinduism, but also Christianity and Islam. When Pi is sixteen, his family emigrates from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship, along with their zoo animals bound for new homes.

The ship sinks. Pi finds himself alone in a lifeboat, his only companions a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and Richard Parker, a 450-pound Bengal tiger. Soon the tiger has dispatched all but Pi, whose fear, knowledge, and cunning allow him to coexist with Richard Parker for 227 days lost at sea. When they finally reach the coast of Mexico, Richard Parker flees to the jungle, never to be seen again. The Japanese authorities who interrogate Pi refuse to believe his story and press him to tell them "the truth." After hours of coercion, Pi tells a second story, a story much less fantastical, much more conventional-but is it more true?
Life of Pi is at once a realistic, rousing adventure and a meta-tale of survival that explores the redemptive power of storytelling and the transformative nature of fiction. It's a story, as one character puts it, to make you believe in God.

So that's my reading list so far. Two hardbacks, two ebooks and one still to be purchased. What's on your reading list this summer (other than Fire, of course)?

Sorry!

I have just realised that it has been over a month since I last posted something, for which I am very sorry! But a lot has happened in that month: I have got married, although I am still going to be writing as Heather James, to keep things less complicated. I have also moved house and am currently living out of cardboard boxes; an Ikea-trip away from having all of my furniture! I have also changed day-jobs and have become a secondary school librarian (which provides a wonderful combination of lots of books and long holidays to write in!). Summer holidays started today and I have finally found a spare moment for the blog. Hopefully it will be followed soon with lots of updates for Water. 

I had hoped to have ARCs ready by now, but I'm not 100% happy with the manuscript yet, so you are going to have to wait a little longer for the release date and cover reveal, as well as all of the exciting extras and new character introductions I have been planning. Don't forget though - the opening was posted during my blog tour for Fire, so check back through the posts for a sneak peak. 

In the meantime, I have been rather hurriedly working on my submission for this year's Young Writers Prize competition, organised by Hot Key Books and Kobo. If you haven't heard about this competition before, you should definitely check it out. I entered last year and will hopefully be entering again this year (if I can get everything in on time!) Its brilliant to see a Publishing company supporting young writers. 

Once my competition entry is sent off, Elements of Power will become my sole focus again (well, in between more house business, my ever-growing reading list and my desire to get back onto Wattpad and Figment before my accounts become completely dormant...) 

So the upshot of all this is: expect lots of exciting stuff, coming very soon, just please bear with me as I get back into the flow of things after what has been the most chaotic, yet exciting, month of my life! 

The All Authors Blog Blitz

Event two for June is the All Authors Blog Blitz. This is a promotion being run by the Self-Published/Indie Author's Support Group over on Goodreads. Over the course of today, around 80 bloggers (you can find them all here) will be posting about each other's books. Fire is being featured by Valeri Beatrix, author of The Irony of Vengeance. Here blog can be found here. Meanwhile, my blog is hosting romance writer, AJ Williams. Williams' latest book, Bounty for Love, was only released on Wednesday 12 June, but it's already getting some great reviews over on Goodreads. 

Synopsis:

Alek Kairis is a man on a mission to keep those around him safe from the dangers of a lurking dirty cop. But, before he can protect everyone, Alek learns of a deep secret that could not just change his life, but change his ability to protect those around him. 

Tess Michaels only wanted her brother’s safety; she did not realize that she too would be placed in danger. Yet, the danger that is following her is not the only threat she faces. When she learns the truth of who her son’s father is, not only will her life change, but so will her child’s. 

Once the truth comes out, there is no going back for Alek or Tess. What’s worse is that their ever-growing attraction is a distraction that neither of them need. Can Tess and Alek work together, or will danger and secrets tear them apart forever?

Intrigued? You can buy Bounty for Love from the following places: 

Amazon - Barnes and Noble - All Romance Books - Smashwords

You can find out more about Williams and her writing by following these links:

Website - Blog - Goodreads - Twitter - Facebook 

And the Winners are...

The Fire Giveaway has come to an end. A list of the winners can be found here. If you're name is on the list, check your email (and your junk emails, just in case!) as you should have an email from me explaining how to download your free copy. 

Thank you to every one for entering. If you didn't win, head over to Anahera Reads where another giveaway is taking place, and try your luck there. 

One day left!

There is only one day left to enter to win one of 10 e-copies of Fire. All you have to do to be in with a chance, is follow the blog via one of the many options to the right, then click here to enter. It will take you less than a minute, so make sure you follow and enter now, before it's too late.

Indie-Self Published Author Event

So I mentioned this briefly in yesterday's post, but since Fire's first feature was posted today, I felt that I ought to elaborate. 

The Indie-Self Published Author Event is being run by Say It With Books. Throughout June, lots of lovely bloggers will be promoting books by indie and self published authors on their blogs. Check out Say It With Books' blog for more information and a list of the bloggers taking part. I have been incredibly lucky and Fire is being featured on three blogs:

Anahera Reads

Amy Bookworm

Diary of a Book Maniac

Ana posted her review of Fire today, so make sure that you check it out and keep an eye on the other blogs for their features too. 

I am really pleased to be a part of this promotion - the success I have had so far with Fire is entirely down to all of the amazing bloggers who have been willing to give the novel a chance. Events like this are invaluable; without them, no one would ever hear about Fire, let alone read it.