A
World Apart
(Shades
Below #1)
By: Oliva L.J.K
I was introduced to Laura at a facebook party. And
it was there that I fell in love with her winning personality. And at that very
facebook party, I won this very book. And when I did, I instantly ask her, can
I please do an interview and review of her, and she said she would be honored.
So here it is!
First, I want to say, I couldn’t put it down. But I
have that problem with a lot of books, especially if they are well written, and
something along a topic I like. And this was one of them. Paranormal romance,
where the world can take you just about anywhere.
Lena Alan is a medium and Jesper Mac Millian is a
private detective that Lena ends up dragging into her life where she can feel,
see, and sense things from the other side.
Lena knows there is something about to be happening
in San Francisco. And she knows she just can’t handle it alone. A recent case
has led her to find a missing child named Jimmy, and what better way to find
the missing, than with a P.I.
What you end up learning about Jesper is that he has
lost his leg and his brother in his past. And the part I like best, though, is
that Jes has no problem taking on ghosts. He accepts them with no problems,
unlike the rest of the world. Jesper himself, is quite a unique person.
But the part of this story that really threw me, is
the character Mark Durban. He seems to not want Mark and Lena to work together,
and even Lena suspects something but can’t quite figure it out.
The book ends as a cliff hanger, but that is meant
to lead you into the upcoming book.
If you have ever watched the TV Show “The Medium”
starring “Patricia Arquette” who plays the starring role as Allison Dubois, you
will end up recalling and even missing that show. I end up picturing Lena as
Patricia and Jesper as “David Cubitt” who played the ever sexy Lee Scanlon.
I found this book very intriguing, and I enjoyed
every little minute of it. It was more than the average paranormal romance, it
is also a mystery thriller too. I give this book: “A World Apart (Shades Below
#1)” to be a definite five star book. If you haven’t read it yet, it’s a book
that will surely keep you on the edge of your seat wanting more!
Here
are my questions for Laura:
1.
What made you want to write this book in particular?
Hey Deneale, thanks so much for having me on your
blog!
A
World Apart initially came to be because this
tough, lonely, one-legged detective named MacMillian waltzed into my brain one
day and introduced himself. We got to
talking, and the more I learned about him, his life, and his hometown of San
Francisco, the more I wanted to ride shotgun with him for a while. Imagine my surprise when a psychic medium
named Lena Alan showed up, and I found out the entire city was haunted!
My life. Go
figure.
2.
Do you have photos or descriptions of Lena Alan or Jesper MacMillian?
I do indeed!
Before I got serious with my writing, I dabbled in drawing and painting,
and visual stimulation (*cough*) is still a huge part of how my brain works. Below are a couple posters I made up that
capture how I see Lena and MacMillian in my head (P.S.- MacMillian's is from
Shades Below, #2: The Devil's Disease,
out in a couple months):
3.
How long did it take you to write this book?
The actual writing took about five months, but I sat
on it for a couple months after that. I
tell myself it was so I could set up a blog tour, but really, I spent the
entire time editing obsessively.
4.
What is your favorite book you have ever read? (This includes even from a
Child's book!)
Tough question!
My first favorite book was Redwall,
by Brian Jacques. My mom read it to me
before I could read on my own, and I still remember it as the book that
introduced me to magic.
A couple more recent favorites would be the Fever
series by Karen Marie Moning, and the Downside Ghosts series by Stacia Kane. Jericho Barrons and Terrible are tied for my
two favorite book boyfriends of all time.
5.
How long have you been writing?
Ever since I realized picking up a pen was an
invitation to go on an adventure. The
earliest story I remember finishing and putting out there for people to read
was in 2nd grade. There was a Young
Author's contest at my school, and I won a prize. I've been pretty much addicted ever since.
6.
Who are/is your favorite Author(s)?
Currently, it's a tie between Karen Marie Moning and
Stacia Kane. I recently discovered Naomi
Novik, though, so my list is getting pretty long...
7.
Have you ever met any other writers?
Absolutely! I
was lucky to be able to attend the Indie Romance Convention a few years back,
and I met some amazing writers- most of whom I'm still in touch with
today. That's also where I met my
fabulous, fearless writing partner/author-wife, Julia Sykes.
If you're reading this, Julia, you complete me.
8.
What is your favorite thing about writing books?
Honestly?
Sharing them! It's a lovely
feeling to put something out into the world—particularly if it's something I've
struggled with, sweated over, bled on, etc.—and see it take on a life and
meaning of its own for the people who read it.
At the risk of sounding like a hippie (cut me some slack, I'm from
California), it makes me feel like we're all connected, man.
9.
What are your hobbies?
When I'm not writing, I spend the majority of my
waking hours wrangling my four-year-old son.
That said, I occasionally manage to find time for gardening, hiking,
cooking, and eating. Especially eating.
10.
Please provide for us your links to your social accounts and books:
Sure thing!
L.J.K. Oliva Links
Twitter-
https://twitter.com/writermama
Goodreads-
https://www.goodreads.com/LauraOlivaBooks
Pinterest-
http://www.pinterest.com/authorljkoliva/
Newsletter
Signup- http://eepurl.com/xRJuD
Websites-
http://ljkolivabooks.com
Shades Below Links
A
World Apart (Shades Below, #1)
Ptolemy's
Tablet (Shades Below Shorts, #1)
Season
Of The Witch (Shades Below, #1.5)
11.
Anything to add:
Just another huge thank-you for hosting me, and if
anyone reading this is considering taking a peek at my Shades Below series, thank you to you as well!
I know your time is valuable, and I appreciate you choosing to spend
some of it on me.
Happy New Year!
A World Apart by L.J.K. OlivaMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was introduced to Laura at a facebook party. And it was there that I fell in love with her winning personality. And at that very facebook party, I won this very book. And when I did, I instantly ask her, can I please do an interview and review of her, and she said she would be honored. So here it is!
First, I want to say, I couldn’t put it down. But I have that problem with a lot of books, especially if they are well written, and something along a topic I like. And this was one of them. Paranormal romance, where the world can take you just about anywhere.
Lena Alan is a medium and Jesper Mac Millian is a private detective that Lena ends up dragging into her life where she can feel, see, and sense things from the other side.
Lena knows there is something about to be happening in San Francisco. And she knows she just can’t handle it alone. A recent case has led her to find a missing child named Jimmy, and what better way to find the missing, than with a P.I.
What you end up learning about Jesper is that he has lost his leg and his brother in his past. And the part I like best, though, is that Jes has no problem taking on ghosts. He accepts them with no problems, unlike the rest of the world. Jesper himself, is quite a unique person.
But the part of this story that really threw me, is the character Mark Durban. He seems to not want Mark and Lena to work together, and even Lena suspects something but can’t quite figure it out.
The book ends as a cliff hanger, but that is meant to lead you into the upcoming book.
If you have ever watched the TV Show “The Medium” starring “Patricia Arquette” who plays the starring role as Allison Dubois, you will end up recalling and even missing that show. I end up picturing Lena as Patricia and Jesper as “David Cubitt” who played the ever sexy Lee Scanlon.
I found this book very intriguing, and I enjoyed every little minute of it. It was more than the average paranormal romance, it is also a mystery thriller too. I give this book: “A World Apart (Shades Below #1)” to be a definite five star book. If you haven’t read it yet, it’s a book that will surely keep you on the edge of your seat wanting more!
View all my reviews
