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Showing posts with label tera lynn childs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tera lynn childs. Show all posts

25 September 2012

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs UK Blog Tour: Interview


Today, I'm delighted to introduce Tera Lynn Childs to A Reading Daydreamer as part of the UK blog tour for the first book in her Medusa Girls trilogy, Sweet Venom!  I really enjoyed reading it and it's now available so read the following interview and get yourself a copy!


Hi Tera, welcome to A Reading Daydreamer!  Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi A Reading Daydreamer! Thanks for having me. About myself, hmmm... I'm the daughter of theatre folk. I write teen books about mythology, mermaids, and monsters. I'm semi-nomadic, but I call Las Vegas home for now. I'm addicted to TV, have a dog named Daisy, and I'm vegan.

I personally loved reading Sweet Venom and thought the premise and storyline were both really unique.  What inspired you to write it in the first place?
Thank you! The initial idea actually came from a magazine spread about snake themed accessories. I saw a whole page of serpent jewelry and snakeskin leather goods and, while I'm not a fan of snakes, I was intrigued. I pulled the pages out and started thinking. I was already writing about mythology at the time, with Oh. My. Gods. and Goddess Boot Camp, so it was only a matter of time until Medusa sprang to mind. I love looking at things from different perspectives, which is how I came up with the idea of Medusa being a guardian instead of a monster. From there, everything kind of fell into place.

I adored the Greek mythology element, which myth is your favourite?
Orpheus and Eurydice. I'm not usually such a sucker for drama, but the story of him going into the underworld to bring back his wife and then, at the last moment, losing her because he couldn't keep from looking back to check... it's just heartbreaking. 

Which parts were the most fun to write?  Were there any particularly difficult ones too?
All of them. And all of them! Seriously, Sweet Venom was both the most fun and the hardest thing I've ever written. I loved getting to write about such different characters--Phoebe and Lily, from the Oh. My. Gods. and Forgive My Fins series, are both kind of like Grace, but it was exciting to write about a tough chick like Gretchen and a snob like Greer. But, at the same time, write three distinct first person characters was a huge challenge. Plus it was the first book in my first trilogy, so in the end it was like writing twelve books at once! 

Now that Sweet Venom is finally released over here in the UK, you have the pleasure of marvelling the different covers.  Do you prefer the UK or US cover?
Oh, that's an unfair question. I love them both. I love the mystery of the US cover and I adore the kick-butt colors and cityscape of the UK edition. But, from a purely selfish standpoint, I will say that he cover model on the UK book is exactly what I think the girls look like. She is spot on.

I think Sweet Venom has the potential to be one heck of a kick-ass movie too.  If it was turned into a movie *crosses fingers*, who could you see playing the lead roles?

For the girls, I think Hayden Panettiere has the look and talent to play all three roles. For the boys, I could see Adrian Grenier as Milo, a young Paul Walker as Nick, and Brian J. Smith as Thane. 

Out of the three sisters Gretchen, Grace and Greer, who were you most like as a teenager?
I was (and am) definitely a Grace. I like to pretend I'm a Greer sometimes and I wish I was a Gretchen, but I'm definitely the quieter girl with less confidence--although I'm much better about that now than when I was in high school.

If a sea dracaena turned up on your doorstep, how would you react and what would you do?
Slam the door and run for the kitchen. I'd either hide in the pantry or grab a big kitchen knife and a bag of salt to throw in her eyes.


I'm already desperate to read the second book, can you give us a sneak preview? 
Oooh, teasers... In Sweet Shadows there is a lot more action, more monsters, more kissing, more kidnappings. You'll get to see the monster abyss first hand, you'll learn a lot more about Nick, and you'll learn a little bit about more about Thane. And you'll meet a whole new batch of monsters that makes Gretchen rethink everything she knows about the beastie world.

Thanks so much for being here today, Tera!

Many thanks to Templar for organising the blog tour and Tera for answering all my questions!  

Click HERE to read my review for Sweet Venom and once you've done that, don't forget to get yourself a lovely copy - it's a really fun, kick-ass read :D

Happy reading,
Beverley

7 September 2012

REVIEW: Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

Name: Sweet Venom
Author: Tera Lynn Childs
Publisher: Templar
Release date: 4th September 2012
Pages: 361
Source: From publisher (for review)
Rating: 4 stars

Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.
Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.
Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.
These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.
Beverley's Review

When I heard this book was entwined with Greek mythology, I just knew I had to read it.  And it certainly didn't disappoint!  I've heard nothing but good things about Tera Lynn Childs's books and I hoped this would live up to my expectations (it did!)

What I adored about this book:

  • The storyline.  It's unique, utterly creative and encourages girl power!  This time it isn't the boys out there fighting off the monsters, the girls are showing who's best!  Sweet Venom takes 'kick-ass' to a whole new level!
  • The different POVS.  Sometimes triple POVs aren't great but Tera Lynn Childs works her magic and ensures it will appeal. Because each girl has their own distinct personality, it was refreshing to read each chapter from a different POV.  Even without the girl's names at the start of the chapters, I'm sure I would still be able to tell whose POV it's from as it is so easy to tell them apart.  I'm glad to say it works brilliantly and one of the main things I loved about the book.
  • The Greek mythology.  The beasties which the girls fight aren't any old monsters - they're straight out of Greek mythology.  I loved this element of the book because it's so different from anything else I've ever read and the way the author wove in ancient Greek history into the storyline is just amazing.
  • The girls.  The three sisters are so different yet so similar at the same time and I warmed to them all instantly.  Gretchen is so fearless and caring, and I wish I had a best friend like Grace.  Despite getting off to a frustrating start with Greer, I couldn't help but admire her as much as the others in the end.
  • The boys.  Three female protagonists = three love interests.  Triple the fun!  Even though romance isn't heavy in Sweet Venom, it was still nice to have slight undertones of love throughout. All three boys were really sweet and obviously cared for the girls. 
  • The writing.  Tera Lynn Child's writing style is... lush.  Each paragraph has the ability to entice you and I found myself with the ability to clearly imagine the world in which the triplets live - however unbelievable it may sound in reality.
What I didn't love so much about this book:
  • The pace at the beginning.  It was quite slow and I was a bit confused to start with but this is only a minor fault that you probably won't end up noticing.
  • The wait for the second book.  Fine... that isn't really a valid flaw.  But still... it ends on a cliffhanger and I'm desperate to get my hands on the second book!  My bookshelf already has a reserved space for the next books.
Sweet Venom is one heck of a kick-ass read with admirable heroines saving the unsuspecting human world one monster at a time.  Tera Lynn Child's writing will captivate you from start to finish and you'll find yourself immersed in a world of mythological beasties!

4 teacups for Sweet Venom!
The Sweet Venom UK Blog Tour will also be stopping by on Tuesday 25th so keep an eye out for that!
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