Giveaway: Remembrandt Series & Ring!

Who's ready for a fast-paced read to get your heart pumping in more ways than one? My book, Remembrandt is a young adult romantic suspense with a Alias/Covert Affairs-like feel, perfect for fans of Ally Carter or just those who wish they could live as a spy.

Photo credit: Folded Pages Distillery

I've partnered with @deliciousreads and @foldedpagesdistillery on Instagram to giveaway the first two books in the series (Remembrandt and Van Gogh Gone), along with a custom ring, only worn by members of the spy organization in the book,The Company. Head on over to Instagram (@AuthorRobinKing) or Facebook (Author Robin King) to enter! 

Here's a synopsis of each book:

"I don't walk down memory lane. I live on it."

Summary: Alexandra Stewart doesn't just walk down memory lane, she lives on it. Her eidetic memory records her experiences and plays them back, DVD style. It's great when you want to ace a test, but not so great when you topple over a cute boy in the hallway and the humiliation plays back over and over and over . . . Brown University seems like the perfect place for the seventeen-year-old to forget her past. Hope for a normal life comes in the form of a handsome new running partner who makes her heart race and body perspire even before she laces up her shoes.

When her Russian professor gives her a puzzle that seems impossible to solve, Alex discovers that he has a secret – one that will catapult her into a world of secret codes and covert missions. As she tries to find a balance between the two different worlds vying for her attention, she wonders if she can have relationships with the ones she cares about while hiding a clandestine life, uncovering the truths of an underground enemy.

One thing is for certain, whatever happens will be forever etched into her memory. And some things are better left forgotten.

Remembrandt #2

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Alexandra Stewart finally has a life worth remembering - a Spanish tutor who gives perfecto a new name, a roommate that could double as her sister, and a special role in a secret spy organization that exists in the basement of Brown University.

But when her colleague, Daly, returns from a recent trip to Moscow accompanied by a man she never thought she'd see again, Alex is ripped away from her life in Providence and sent across the globe in search of a stolen piece of art.  In desperate need to find the Van Gogh painting, she will do anything to find it. Anything.

From Barcelona to Paris with only Daly at her side, the bonds of friendship are stretched as the duo uncover a truth neither one of them saw coming. Finding the painting could mean discovering a part of Alex she is ashamed could even exist, but without it, she could lose everything. The world around Alex threatens to corrupt the memories she holds most dear and the person she loves the most is at stake.

24 Clean Romance Novels

I meant to post this earlier, but life got ahead of me! I spent a lot of time researching and reading these books and finally got the list whittled down to 24 books. These are all PG-rated romance books that adults will love! Check out each book and my criteria for why they were chosen at DeliciousReads.com.

Also, if you missed it, I compiled this list of 40 Clean Reads for Teens. 

Delicious Dish: Mini Fruit Pies - Recipes and Picture Instructions

Everything is better when it's done in the mini version, right? Then why not pie? For our amazingly fun book club for The Devil in the White City, we decided to play off of the idea of the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893. That meant we had to have our very own BOOK CLUB FAIR! And what's a fair without some homemade pie?!

Mini Apple and Cherry Pie

Check on my guest post on Delicious Reads with recipes and instructions on how to make your own mini pies!

Remembrandt Giveaway: Free Book and Gift!

Thank you, everyone, who has been a big support to me throughout this whole getting published process. As a thank you I get to have my first giveaway!!

Even if you have read Remembrandt, still enter for your chance to win it and give it as a gift for Christmas. The framed quote (thanks Delicious Reads) is perfect for any book lover.

Remembrandt Summary: Alexandra Stewart doesn't just walk down memory lane - she lives on it. The seventeen-year-old starts a new semester at Brown University, hoping to leave behind painful memories, which is nearly impossible when her eidetic memory replays everything in her mind in movie-esque detail. Things aren't always what they seem: her new running partner will show up in another important area of her life, her Russian professor is anything but ordinary and Brown University holds a well-kept secret.

The contest ends at 5pm MST Friday night!  Enter below through rafflecopter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winners will be notified via private message and on this page. I'm doing a similar giveaway on Instagram @byrobinking, but you can enter both giveaways for a chance to win 2 copies of each item!

Rules: Only those 18 years and older may enter (Sorry, younger teen friends. Ask your parents to enter!). Only residents of the United States. Participants, by entering the sweepstakes, fully release any entity from liability.

Top 24 Books for Teen Boys

It's sometimes hard to get our boys to read, let alone LOVE reading. I grew up with seven brothers and most of my best friends growing up were boys too. For the longest time I wished I was a boy - I even wrote a poem all about it (that no one will ever see). Now that I have three boys of my own, I realize the importance of finding the right book fit for the male population.

In conjunction with Delicious Reads, I put together this list of books that I think any tween or teen boy (and adult male) would enjoy. They aren't all told from the male perspective and not all filled with gun and bombs. They are just books that have a quality about them that makes them relate-able. Hop on over to Delicious Reads for summaries of each book, but until then, I give you the best books for the boys and men in your life:

The Golem and the Jinni Book Club and Book Review

A few weeks ago I got to host the most amazing group of girls at Delicious Reads. We read The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. This historical fiction/fantasy book sent us back in time to 1899 New York and also across the globe to the Syrian Desert. In honor of the Jinn, from Helene's book, I transformed my house into a "Little Syria". With some beautiful fabric provided by my mom and some props borrowed from Delicious Reads members, my house became an Arabian dream. Syrian food and golem-making made this night worth remembering!

I transformed my house into "Little Syria" for The Golem and the Jinni Book Club 

I love ice cream and had so much fun creating this ice cream bar in honor of Ice Cream Saleh in the book.

To see more pictures from our amazing book club and get ideas on what activities and recipes I used to recreate your own Arabian Nights Party, check out it out at Delicious Reads (Part I and Part II). And a special thanks to them for spotlighting my upcoming book, Remembrandt, coming in October!

MY BOOK REVIEW:

Book: The Golem and the Jinni

Author: Helene Wecker

Publisher: Harper Collins

Year: 2013

Pages: 496

Reading Level: Adult

Genre: Adult, Magical Realism, Historical Fiction

Summary: An immigrant tale that combines elements of Jewish and Arab folk mythology, The Golem and the Jinni tells the story of two supernatural creatures who arrive separately in New York in 1899. One is a golem, created out of clay to be her master’s wife—but he dies at sea, leaving her disoriented and overwhelmed as their ship arrives in New York Harbor. The other is a jinni, a being of fire, trapped for a thousand years in a copper flask before a tinsmith in Manhattan’s Little Syria releases him.

Each unknown to the other, the Golem and the Jinni explore the strange and altogether human city. Chava, as a kind old rabbi names her, is beset by the desires and wishes of others, which she can feel tugging at her. Ahmad, christened by the tinsmith who makes him his apprentice, is aggravated by human dullness. Both must work to create places for themselves in this new world, and develop tentative relationships with the people who surround them.

And then, one cold and windy night, their paths happen to meet.

My Opinion: A fantastic look at 1899 New York through the unlikely eyes of a creature made of clay and a genie. 

4.25 out of 5 Stars

This book was a little bit fantasy, a little bit mythology, a little bit historical and a whole lot of different. Helene's knowledge of New York right before the turn of the century was seriously astounding! I loved the little bits of history that filled the pages while we experienced the story of the Chava and Ahmad.

When I think back on everything I read, I still can't believe all the events that took place. From Chava's creation and trip to America to Ahmad's reawakening and flashbacks to his life in the desert, you never really knew where the story was going to turn next--which would have been annoying if everything wasn't so interesting. It wasn't just the history that grabbed my attention (Why do people of the same heritage gravitate towards one another? How much did language barriers shape our culture over hundreds of years ago?). The mythological elements had me thinking for days (Do Golems have souls? Can the Jinni have kids? Why is Ice Cream Saleh seeing bones where flesh should be? What if evil souls were reincarnated over and over, only to have the same goal/outcome in each life? What would it be like to know everyone's wants?).

(Possible spoilers) I wasn't sure where the story was going when the Golem was first created. I wasn't sure I would come to have a connection with this character who didn't have her own desires and goals. In the end, she ended up being one of my favorite characters because she grew into this woman who had to chose which desires she could fulfill and which ones she didn't need to fill. Though things didn't quite turn out as I would have liked between her and Michael Levvy, I think their relationship kept me on my toes.

The same goes for Ahmad and Sophia. I didn't love how things turned out (Poor Sophia!), but I think that is part of the reason this novel is so different. You have these two magical characters--the Golem and the Jinni--and they have to interact with humans. I like that their relationships twisted and turned in different directions, eventually ending up where they could both help one another.

My only wish, if Ahmad could have granted it, was that I hoped Chava and Ahmad could have found each other sooner. I would have loved to see more of their interactions!

Overall, this was one of those reads that wasn't just for entertainment. I felt culturally enriched. The historical elements interested me and I learned fascinating details about a society that has been forgotten. No matter what walk of life you come from, The Golem and the Jinni is one of those novels worthy of a read.

The Secret to Perfect Homemade Ice Cream

I have a problem. It's a serious problem, one that has cursed my thighs and waistline since I was five.

I am Robin King and I am an ice cream-aholic. 

There. I said it. I love ice cream. Cones, sundaes, shakes, with or without toppings, it doesn't matter. I love it. My favorite ice cream of all time is HOMEMADE! My problem is so bad that I currently have 3 different ice cream makers and I'm always on the lookout for another.

Luckily, our Delicious Reads book this month, The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker, gives me the perfect excuse to pull out my ice cream makers and gain a few pounds. One of the characters in the book, Mahmoud Saleh is an itinerant ice-cream vendor in 1899 New York. Now we all don't need to be old school like Saleh with an old fashioned ice cream churn, but EVERYONE can have successful homemade ice cream.

An old-fashioned wooden ice cream churn
like Saleh used in The Golem and the Jinni (source).

Since I've been around the block a few times when it comes to homemade ice cream, I'm going to give you my best kept SECRET to the perfectly creamy homemade ice cream. It's not the mixer. It's not the cream or sugar. It's not the milk or the vanilla. It's the . . .

SALT!!

Yes, I said SALT. 

Now I'm not talking about the pinch of salt that you add to the actual ice cream. I'm talking about the ROCK SALT that you use with your ice in your ice cream maker. The salt isn't as important as how you use it. In fact, to save money, I buy one of those big 50 pound bags of water softener rock salt for about $5 and keep it in a 5 gallon bucket. It keeps for years and you don't have to worry about how much you use. Because the real key to homemade ice cream is all about using A LOT of rock salt.

All of you science geeks out there know that the reason we use rock salt is to lower the freezing point of the ice to freeze the cream. Now every ice cream maker is a little different, but here is my rule: for every 3 inches of ice, add 1/2 cup of rock salt.  Just keep layering until you reach the top of your canister, but don't cover it.

If you pack the salt and ice correctly (and add a layer as the ice melts), you should get perfectly creamy ice cream in 30-45 minutes for a 4-6 quart canister. Just follow the instructions that come with your ice cream maker!! If you want ice cream that works for a cone, don't forget the RIPENING & HARDENING STEP. This just means that you remove the beater, put the top back on, cork/plug the hole at the top, put more ice and salt around the canister, and cover with a towel.

Here's a good guide as to how much ice and salt you need:

Freezer Size	Ice for Making	Ice for Ripening	Rock Salt Making	Rock Salt Ripening
4 qts.	10 lbs.	5 lbs.	2-1/2 cups	2-1/2 cups
5 qts.	15 lbs.	5 lbs.	3 cups	3 cups
6 qts.	20 lbs.	5 lbs.	3-1/2 cups	3-1/2 cups

Now you may be thinking this all sounds a bit complicated, but once you've done it once, it is super easy and fun. And yummy! 

But, Robin, you may be asking, what about for those of us that are too scared or lazy to use ice and salt. Can we still enjoy homemade ice cream? Why, yes. Yes, you can. In fact, one of my favorite ice cream makers is a 1.5 quart ice cream maker that requires no ice or salt. The bottom part stays in the freezer until you are ready to use it. It has a special solution that freezes perfectly every time. All you have to do is put in your ingredients. It is ready in 20-25 minutes and makes enough for 2-3 people.

My favorite no-ice-no-salt Ice Cream Maker!

So what is my secret for using an ice cream maker like this? Use the instructions that comes with it!! I have found that if I use the recipes that come with my maker and follow it to a T, the ice cream is perfect every time.

My favorite recipe is this one (I double, triple or quadruple this one depending on the machine I use:

Easy Vanilla Ice Cream

(for 1.5 Quart Capacity)

1 1/2 cup whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

dash salt

1 cup half and half

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine milk and sugar. Stir with a wire whisk until sugar is dissolved. Stir in half and half, whipping cream and vanilla. Pour into canister and freeze. 

**If you want to do an Oreo or Candy Bits flavor, just add 1-2 cups AFTER the mixture is thick (I usually do it the last 2-3 minutes). For fruit flavoring, like Strawberry, I like to add 2 cups of pureed fruit at the beginning and then at least 1 cup of chunks AFTER as well. For chocolate ice cream, combine 3 ounces of chopped semisweet chocolate with the milk and sugar, put in the microwave for 2 minutes and stir. Return to microwave in 30 second intervals until the chocolate is melted. Then stir in the half and half, whipping cream, and vanilla. You may want to refrigerate it before using the ice cream maker.

Now pull out that ice cream maker (or borrow one) and make at least one batch of ice cream this summer. Your spouse will thank you, your kids will lick their bowls, and your waistline, well, it will keep you warm in the winter.

Source

XoXo, Robin

P.S. For those awesome people that made it to the bottom of this post, you get to be the first to know that I will be doing a COVER REVEAL next week for my book Remembrandt which will be coming out Fall 2014!!

My Favorite Children's Book Author: Kevin Henkes

As many of you know, I love books. Read 'em. Write 'em. Collect 'em. I know our society is moving into a digital age and I love technology, but there's something about books that makes me happy. About 15 years ago I discovered this fabulous children's book author and illustrator, Kevin Henkes. His fun and quirky books teach lessons and usually make my kids and I laugh.

My favorite of his books is Julius, the Baby of the World where the main character, Lilly, learns to appreciate her new baby brother when she has to stand up for him.

Several of his books have mice as the main characters, including Lilly, which was the feature character at the Children's Book Festival this year.

I want a purple purse too!

To find out more about Henkes and his books, check out my article, Children's Book Author Adults Will Love on Delicious Reads, where I include excerpts, quotes and a video from Henkes.

20 Mother's Day Gift Ideas For Your Book Lover

In collaboration with Delicious Reads, I put together this list to delight that book lovin' mom of yours!

Mother's Day is just a week away. If you're like me, you've probably been thinking about getting that literary mom of yours a thoughtful gift to show her how much you love her.  You've probably even realized that the $10 potted plant staring at you as you walk into Walmart probably won't cut it as the kind of unique present your mom deserves. What do you get the wonderful woman who seems to always know what to get you? Look no further! Check out these creative gifts that are bound to bring a smile to her eye and, dare I say, maybe a tear drop or two of delight.

20 Mother's Day Gift Ideas for the Book Lover:

1. Personal Library Book Embosser - For a bibliophile, there's no greater pleasure than sharing beloved books, but no crueler pain than losing them for good. Press your personalized embossing stamp to all your books to make sure they make it home. 

2. Bathtub Caddy with Reading Rack - Perfect for an evening bubble bath with a good book for complete and total relaxation. Pair it with some bath salts to give your mom a home day at the spa.

3. Book Locket Necklace - This beautiful detailed brass book locket is one of the latest additions to the Secret Message Locket line of jewelry. Highly detailed with floral and leaf engravings this locket includes a strip of accordion folded parchment paper so you can personalize this lovely piece for your special mom.

4. Creative Ways to Organize Your Home - If your mom loves to read, then she probably needs to get organized so that she fit more books on her shelves. Wherever you need small-scale storage solutions - from the kitchen to the bathroom, the bedroom to the study - you will find a stylish, crafty solution in this book.

5. Fables and Feathers Duvet Cover - Read between the sheets! Currently sold out from Anthropologie, but you can create your own by scanning the pages of her favorite book and making a custom duvet cover through CafePress! 

6. Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson - Does Jane Austen grace the shelves of your mom's library? If you have ever seen your mom gushing over a young and lake-soaked Colin Firth, she will love this clean romance that is reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice. 

7. Vintage Book iDock - For the bibliophile on your gift list: this repurposed tome holds a hidden iPhone or iPad charger. From Rich Neeley Designs, who are inspired by a love of vintage books.

 

8. Hand-Woven Palm Carryall Gift Set - With a beautiful bag to carry her favorite books, this set includes essentials for a quick getaway or relaxing retreat: Includes a Hand-Woven Palm Carryall, Calepino Blank Pocket Notebooks and Hand-Poured Travel Candle. 

9. Mr. Darcy's Finest Earl Grey - If your mom can't get enough of the Regency Period and loves a good spot 'a tea, this gift is for her. She'll take pride in her refined side with Mr. Darcy's special Earl Gray. An exquisite black tea accented with chocolate, bergamot and fine silver dragees. Touches of elegance befitting a gentleman, and gentlewoman.

10. Paddywax Library Boxed Glass Candle Collection - The Paddywax Library Collection pairs exquisite fragrance with a quote from a literary great. 

11. Book Scarf - Have her show of her great taste in books with these fabulous scarves filled with words from her favorite book. Reading is fashionable!

12. The Great Gatsby Bowtie Necklace - Your mom will party like Jay Gatsby with this quirky bow tie necklace presented on a postcard print featuring a quote from The Great Gatsby.

13. Ideal Book Shelf Prints - These beautiful prints to hang on your wall or place on a desk can reflect your mother's reading style. You can also have a custom art painted with books from her own shelf!

14. Personal Library Kit - Want to lend out your favorite books, but worried about getting them back? Revive old-fashioned library circulation techniques for fun and book retention with our classic bestseller!

15. One Line a Day - Let your mom bring to life her inner-writer. This classic memory keeper is the perfect way to track the ups and downs of life, day by day.

16. Book of Tissue - Now she can read her favorite tear-jerker and wipe away her sorrows with this unique tissue box.

17. Book Dust Jackets - FREE! Download these fabulous book jackets for your mom (and maybe for yourself as well). Give her a new book creatively covered with these fun dust jackets or print her off several to cover the books already on her shelves.

18. Twisted Pages Book Art - She loves to read - why not give her decor to match her love? These fabulous vintage books are rescued from the landfill & handcrafted into a letter or symbol of your choice.

19. Book Lover's Scrabble: “Good friends, good books….this is the ideal life.” – Mark Twain The Book Lovers Edition of Scrabble features 2 ways to play including traditional Scrabble fun or custom play with a novel twist allowing players to earn bonus points for literary words. Your mom will love this gift if you promise to join her for game night. 

20. Floating Book Shelves - For an ultra-minimal look, this bookshelf mounts to the wall and becomes invisible behind a stack of books, giving the books the appearance of floating in mid-air. 

Show your literary mom how much you love her and unique she is with these great gift ideas for Mother's Day this year. 

Robin

Utah Authors - There's Something in the Water & Review: Blood Moon by Teri Harman

Brooke, Teri, and Me at Delicious Reads Book Club (I was trying to be a water witch) 

I love to meet new authors, especially ones from Utah. It goes to show that Utah grows more than just Mormons and American Idol contestants. There are some amazing writers from here too: Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn), James Dashner (Maze Runner), Marissa Meyer (Cinder), Shannon Hale (Austenland, Princess Academy), Brandon Mull (Fablehaven), Brodi Ashton (Everneath), Ally Condie (Matched), Dan Wells (Partials), and I'm sure I'm missing some other pretty amazing ones.

There must be something in the water here because I've had the pleasure of meeting with one of Utah newest successful authors, Teri Harman. Her recently released book, Blood Moon, is well on its way to adding to the amazing novels sprouting from Utah. She came to our latest Delicious Reads book club and I was able to get some behind the scenes info from this lovely gal (Check out my Q&A after my review).

TITLE OF THE BOOK: Blood Moon

AUTHOR: Teri Harman (www.teriharman.com)

NUMBER OF PAGES: 350

YEAR PUBLISHED: 2013

GENRE: Young Adult

MY SUMMARY: Willa and Simon have grown up feeling out of touch with society because of a magic housed deep inside them - Willa's sees ghosts and dreams future events and Simon feels others emotions and can heal with a touch. It isn't until a chance meeting in Willa's hometown, Twelve Acres, that the two teens find out that they are actually witches. As an unexplained and powerful magic pull them together, they have to choose to put away their simple lives and dreams to become part of true Light Covenant, joined together forever with 10 other witches. If they don't, the Dark witches may send Twelve Acres and the rest of their world back into the dark ages.

Check out the Book Trailer:

MY OPINION: I've read several books on witches and this one had to be one of the most convincing. I loved the different gifts bestowed on the witches and the history surrounding the town of Twelve Acres.

The opening chapter hooked me with the magical pull Simon and Willa felt for each other. Their connection, though improbable, just felt right.

The different view points in the story gave me a feel for each character. The darkness coming off the evil protagonist sent eerie chills through me, while Willa's character felt innocent and light--like a believable teenager.

I had a hard time following the jumps from character to character at first, but by the middle, the story started to come together and I had to find out how the Light witches would overcome the Dark witches. The mystery of their past and how Willa's best ghost friend was connected to all of it drew me in too.

I can already tell that this story isn't going to have a simple ending and I'm excited to see how the Light witches will overcome the Dark (and I really hope that the magic within Simon doesn't make him bad).

ROBIN'S CONTENT RATING: PG-13
CONTENT CATEGORY	RATING	REASON
LANGUAGE/PROFANITY	NONE
SEXUALITY	MODERATE	Kissing, caressing
VIOLENCE	HEAVY	Fighting, killing, abuse, animal cruelty
DRUG/ALCOHOL USE	MILD
INTENSE/SCARY SCENES	MODERATE	Dark magic, lots of suspense
**Robin-approved for teens 13+**

I loved the idea of the 6 magic gifts:

I took the “Which Witch Are You” quiz to find out which type of magic I would have. I'm a WATER witch!

And now onto the part you've all been waiting for . . . the behind-the-scenes info on all things Teri Harman and Blood Moon:

Q & A with Teri Harman

1. Where did you grow up?

Kansas City, Kansas, Miami (for 2.5 years), and Utah (since 12 years old)

2. Have you always enjoyed writing?

Yes! I've always loved writing even as a child. My first story was about a cow, which I dictated to my mom and she typed on her electric typewriter when I was four or five.

3. Where did your inspiration for Blood Moon come from?

A Halloween party. Every year I host a witch themed Halloween party for the women in my family. In 2010, I found an incredible location - a 100 year old school house out in the middle of nowhere. The Camp Floyd School House was so perfect I needed a party to match. I started reading up on witches and magic to get ideas for the party, but was so fascinated by what I read that it soon became inspiration for a novel.

4. What was your publishing experience like?

The first book I tried to publish didn't work out, but I was able to get an agent for Blood Moon. A year later, we still hadn't found a publisher, but my brother was at a BYU conference and saw Jolly Fish Press. We sent my stuff off and they agreed to publish. All together it took me 6 years and over 100 rejections before I saw my first novel published.

5. Tell us what it’s been like to be a “Mom Author.”

It's chaos! But it's also great. I have to be disciplined, but also flexible to get everything done that I need to everyday. I love being at home for my kids, but am so glad I have my own pursuits as well - it keeps me sane. And luckily I have wonderful kids and an extremely helpful husband.

6. Tell us about your other book, “A Painted Life”

This book is very dear to my heart. I wrote it while BLOOD MOON was on submission and I was wondering if my dream would ever be realized. This is Saffron's story. Saffron is a painting - a girl in a painting who is alive. She wants nothing more than to escape her prison of oil and canvas to live a normal life. A normal life with the man she loves, Emmett Charles. The book is set in the late 1890's in Boston and is part literary fiction, part magic realism, part romance. I can't wait for reader's to read it!

7. What other hobbies or interests do you have?

I am addicted to stories. I read a LOT! I also love watching TV series and movies. I enjoy yoga, dancing and biking. We also love to travel and be in the great outdoors. And when the mood strikes me, I love to cook.

8. What are your favorite movies/TV Shows?

Call the Midwife (Netflix), Walking Dead, Sherlock, Downton Abbey, North and South (BBC), Wuthering Heights (BBC with Tom Hardy), The Big Bang Theory. The best witch movies I've seen are Practical Magic and Hocus Pocus. There are so many non-witch movies--its so hard to choose. An oldie but goodie is Sense and Sensibility (Emma Thompson one), The River Wild, The Decoy Bride, Love Actually, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Edward Scissorhands, I'm also a sucker for old movies and musicals.

I'm kind of a geek too so we love Doctor Who, Battlestar Galatica, and some of my favorite movies are the old Star Trek movies. I grew up on them, but I'm sure people who watch them now are saying, "What is wrong with you?!" I watched The Next Generation and probably have seen every episode at least five times.

9. Do you have a favorite witch book? Other than your own ;)

My favorite witch writer is Paula Brackston. She actually has two books out right now The Witch's Daughter and The Winter Witch. The Winter Witch just came out this spring. Her books have natural magic--they are like historical fiction/supernatural thriller. I hope she comes out with lots of them.

10. What books have you enjoyed that you think would make a good book club book?

We have a book club and we've read The Thirteenth Tale, The Book Thief, Big in Japan, Eleanor & Park (watch out for swearing and sexual content), The Snow Child, The Light Between Oceans.

11. Tell us about your book launch at The King's English.

That was one of the surreal, dream days because I go to the King's English all the time. It's my favorite book store. Every time I've stepped in there or gone to an author event, there was always in the back of my head, "I really want it to be me! Why isn't it me yet?" So that day was surreal and perfect. The King's English had a cake made with the book cover image. I didn't even know they were going to do that.

12. Which Witch gift would you choose?

I would have to say Willa's gift because a lot of the scenes in the book were inspired by my own dreams. That's why I gave her that gift. That's where it all began. The hand reaching out - that was a dream I had. I saw that hand. Also, the part where Willa is running through the forest and the sky shatters and falls. That was a dream. When I was thinking of what her magical power would be I thought, "Let's make her a dreamer." She's not me, but that gift is what I would want.