Won Books

Fairy Tale Catchall

2015-08-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

Woven Pages Card

2015-05-10T22:34:00.001-07:00

And the winner is...

2015-05-01T17:59:00.001-07:00

Congrats to the winner of the signed, first edition copy of "The Buried Giant" - Brianie G.!

Our 2nd place winner of the spout bookmarks is Carolyn I.

Thanks for all the entries. Happy reading!

Bookish L.A. - Venice Beach

2015-04-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

On a trip to Los Angeles we decided to head to Venice Beach for some Peruvian Cuisine at El Huarique (which was delicious, by the way). We came across a really neat bookstore called Small World Books. It's behind the seating area of a cafe and can be accessed by a door that doesn't look like much on the surface.

Once inside the whole place opens up. There are both new and used books, some quirky and others bestsellers. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. I loved the shelf of Staff Picks at the front of the store. It's a great way to discover your next favorite book!

Venice Beach is amazing for the people watching, vendors, music, and lounging. Now it will also be on my list of great places to go to pick up my next vacation read.

Book Spine Poetry

2015-04-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

Happy National Poetry Month! To celebrate, my public library is holding a book spine poetry competition. Basically one just stacks books to that the titles make a poem.

I am going to head to the library to look at books for poems but I thought I would give it a try at home first. I limited myself to choosing books from my downstairs bookshelf only for my first attempt. It was interesting how many meanings could come from rearranging the same books. I think this would be really fun to make a cute poem and hang a photo of it in a kid's room.

A Discovery of Witches Book Review

2015-04-01T06:13:00.000-07:00

Book: A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy: Book 1)

Author: Deborah Harkness

Given by: No one. I checked it out from the library.

Rating: 4/5 Won-derfuls (I loved it)

Blurb:
"A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together.

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell."

This was a great book! I have only one eye-twitching observation before I sing its praises. There was quite a lot of obnoxious dominance cloaked in valor from our handsome vampire. I get where this was coming from and understand this part of his character but it bugs me that our strong, brilliant heroine falls for this crap. There are times when she appears to be standing her ground, but is really just negotiating for things and decisions that should be non-negotiable. Diana will glare and protest but eventually gives in when she has moments of feminine weakness. It drives me nuts.

My pet peeves aside, this is a fantastic book. I mean magic in the Bodleian? Nerd girl fantasy! The manuscripts and texts described sucked me in immediately. I can feel my own fingers tingle at the thought of holding such precious historical literature in my hands. Mmmmm... Alright, back to reality.

Deborah Harkness uses brilliant language without ever seeming pretentious. The story flows and is easy to escape into. There are many unique scenes that held me throughout this book. My favorite involved witches, vampires, and daemons doing yoga together. Very cool! There are close calls, magical discoveries, and a bit of saucy romance. I already have the next book in the series on hold!

Interested? More about the book here.

Morse Code Bracelets

2015-03-29T22:58:00.000-07:00

Have you ever ever wanted to carry your favorite bookish quotes with you throughout the day? Morse Code jewelry is the answer! These bracelets and necklaces are super fun and easy to make. I use fishing line, small glass beads, and clasps from the craft store when making mine.

Step 1: Choose a favorite quote.

Step 2: Change it into Morse Code (I use a free online translator).

Step 3: String beads with round beads for dots and long beads for dashes. I use slightly larger beads for spaces between words.

Step 4: Feel stealthy and awesome wearing your words.

Visiting F. Scott Fitzgerald's Grave

2015-03-22T21:35:00.001-07:00

When I was looking for bookish sites to visit in Washington D.C. I had a little bit of a challenge ahead of me. It's not that there aren't many sites to see, but that I was only able to look around in the evenings because I was in town for a conference that occupied most of my days. Imagine my excitement to discover that F. Scott Fitzgerald was buried a short metro ride away!

Turn left out of Rockville station

Rockville, the second to last stop on D.C.'s Red Line, stops very close to St. Mary's church where Fitzgerald is buried. When leaving the station you turn left toward the line of newspaper dispensers and the tall building with the clock on top.

Follow Church Street until you see the cemetery on the right. The church and cemetery are less than half a mile away.

I did not see a single person on this visit but found tributes left by those who visited before me. There were flowers, coins, pens, liquor, and a copy of The Great Gatsby. It was odd to be in this tiny graveyard surrounded by traffic and buildings while still feeling quite alone. If you're in the area this is definitely worth the stop.

Giveaway: The Buried Giant - signed first edition

2015-03-16T21:02:00.000-07:00

Enter for your chance to win a signed first edition of The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro! Just for fun I'm also throwing in a set of my favorite "sprout" bookmarks to a second winner. There are three ways to enter and you can enter once per day - so come back often!

Here is the description of The Buried Giant from Goodreads:

"An extraordinary new novel from the author of Never Let Me Go and the Booker Prize-winning The Remains of the Day.

'You've long set your heart against it, Axl, I know. But it's time now to think on it anew. There's a journey we must go on, and no more delay...'

The Buried Giant begins as a couple set off across a troubled land of mist and rain in the hope of finding a son they have not seen in years.

Sometimes savage, often intensely moving, Kazuo Ishiguro's first novel in nearly a decade is about lost memories, love, revenge, and war."

I began reviewing books several years ago. I enjoyed it so much that I later started this blog. From the time I started I have received more than 100 books from publishers and authors, had 150,000 hits on my reviews, and 10,000 views on my blog. This may be small potatoes in the larger internet world, but it's fun for me. To say THANK YOU I am hosting this giveaway.

Complete the entry form below for your chance to win. Selection of winners will take place on May 1 and be posted to the blog (I will post first name and last initial). Individual winners will also be notified by email. Only entries from the US and Canada will be excepted. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stitch it Simple Book Review

2015-03-15T18:19:00.001-07:00

This is a (kinda) book review for Stitch it Simple: 25 hand sewn projects to make and share by Beth Sheard. What makes this a "kinda" book review? I wasn't able to access the templates on the digital version that was given for review via NetGalley so I couldn't actually make any of the projects. This would not typically be a problem because this book is sold as a paperback. I still wanted to complete a review, however, because it has some really cute, simple projects.

The beginning of the book features information about supplies, preparing to sew, cutting fabric, and how to do a variety of stitches. The pictures of each stitch help the reader interpret the written directions. This would be a great section for people who need a refresher on stitches or people learning for the first time. It also helps figure out what stitch is most appropriate for the task at hand. I learned ways to applique and attach binding than what I have done previously.

While I was not able to complete any of the projects without the templates, it seems that the step by step directions are thorough and simple. It also helps that each pattern has pictures to help understand the steps. Patterns include stuffed letters, a butterfly mobile, adorable pillows, and much more. You can check out the book, pictures of the projects in the book, and information about the author here.

Reader Recommends: Ghost Stories

2015-03-12T21:01:00.000-07:00

Ramblings on Readings has started hosting a weekly "Reader Recommends". Readers "choose up to five books or series you would recommend based on the topic or genre. If you haven’t read the topic, you can post books you are interested in reading based on the topic. Add your post to the Link-up at the bottom of each Reader Recommends post to see other bloggers’ suggestions, and make some new friends!". Sounds fun, right? This week the topic is ghost stories.

I haven't read a lot of good ghost stories. I think this is partly out of cowardice. I see one that looks good and put it on my "to read" list rather than actually reading it. I'm not as scared to read those with lower ratings. Embarrassing? Yes. But there you have it. Here are three I have enjoyed and three I will someday get the courage to read.

Read

I absolutely LOVE the Charlie Davidson series by Darynda Jones. There are lots of ghosts, but the books are more mystery than scary. The main character, Charlie, is the Grim Reaper. Ghosts, including a ghost dog, cling to Charlie day and night. Lots of supernatural with a dose of the sexy (it gets pretty steamy!) means my kind of series.

The spirits in Dante's Inferno are probably closer to souls than ghosts, but they have still terrified me from the first time I read this book. I like this one because it is a classic I actually enjoy reading every time. Plenty of creepy in this one!

Rooms by Lauren Oliver is a ghost story in the more classic sense as the living and the dead share the same residence, but it's still not creepy. The dead observe and comment on the living but can only communicate through the house itself - creaking walls, etc. Lots of family drama from both the ghosts and those still alive dominates much of the book.

Want to Read

Want to join in on the fun? Link up your post with your favorite ghost stories here.

Half a King Book Review

2015-03-10T22:38:00.000-07:00

Book: Half a King (Shattered Sea Book One)

Author: Joe Abercrombie

Given by: Random House Publishing Group

Rating: 5/5 Won-derfuls (Amazing!)

This book was great! My review sat in Drafts growing dust long after I thought I had posted it. For shame! Anyway, I can now say that months after reading this book it has stuck with me. Here’s the review I failed to post earlier:

Half a King was fast to catch my attention and reluctant to release it. I quickly found myself cheering for our hero, young Yarvi, who made a promise: “I swore an oath to avenge the death of my father. I may be half a man, but I swore a whole oath.” In his own mind and in the minds of others Yarvi is weak – too weak to become the king he was meant to be. A crippled hand makes many physical tasks impossible, but Yarvi comes to find that strength comes in many forms. We follow him on his quest for revenge and watch him grow into a courageous man worthy of respect.

Abercrombie possesses incredible skill at bringing the reader into the setting. I can hear keys click in locks, smell the sweat of oarsmen, and feel the betrayal in the air when immersed in the pages of this book. Every paragraph is saturated in detail without becoming tedious. The characters are human and multifaceted, the lines of good and evil are not always clear, and the emotions palpable. I am recommending this book to everyone I know. I want them all to read it so I have someone to talk to about all the twists and turns! If you are searching for adventure, look no further. Abercrombie delivers again!

Interested? Find out more here.

Bookish Paris: Shakespeare and Co. Bookstore

2015-03-07T19:17:00.001-07:00

On our honeymoon my husband and I had a nine hour layover in Paris during which we completed a whirlwind tour of the city. Many of our stops were bookish (of course!). One of the first sites we went to was Shakespeare and Co. bookstore.

This place has been on my bucket list for ages! The store's close proximity to Notre Dame made the stop doable on our tight schedule. I would have loved to see the original store that was open prior to WWII, but the more recent one was still really neat. Many English language speakers were gathered discussing literature and food. The Bohemian feel was palpable. One of my favorite parts about going to the store was seeing the Wallace fountain out front.

These beautiful and functional water fountains give me some faith in humanity. Combined with the atmosphere of the store, this structure and its water are downright magical. Affordable clean water and quality conversation for all. My heart was full! I would love to spend more time there when we aren't in such a rush. This is definitely worth the stop if you find yourself in the area.

Healthy, Happy, and Back!

2015-03-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

Planning a wedding, getting married, going on a honeymoon, surgeries, hospitalization, and job change led to a year of mostly silence for the blog. I am happy to say that I’m back and well (and married)! In addition to reviewing books, talking about bookish travel, and completing bookish crafts I will be adding posts in the “Randoms” section that have nothing to do with books at all. Succulents! I have been succulent and cactus gardening like mad. This has absolutely nothing to do with books, but I am dying to share my pictures, successes, and failures somewhere. This new micro-hobby of mine isn’t enough to make a blog nor am I knowledgeable enough to provide information on more formal sites – so random posts on Won Books it shall be! As I finish non-bookish crafts I may start adding those as well. Time shall tell. If not a person reads a single post I will feel good know that my pictures and thoughts are out in the world at large instead of nesting in my mind. Happy reading to all!

Bookish Wedding Flowers

2014-05-31T10:55:00.001-07:00

I'm super excited about our bookish wedding flowers! You can check them out here.

Harry Potter Graffiti

2014-05-28T18:59:00.001-07:00

I couldn't help but giggle when I saw this at Arizona State University when I went to speak.

Makeup Makeovers Book Review

2014-05-22T16:53:00.000-07:00

Book: Makeup Makeovers in 5, 10, 15, 20 Minutes

Author: Robert Jones

Given by: Quarry Books

Rating: 4/5 Won-derfuls (I loved it)

I loved a lot of things about this book. First, it was immediately apparent that there were a variety of faces in this book. The many face shapes and skin tones made it a much more inclusive book than many. There were tips throughout to accentuate whatever features a woman's lovely face has.

Second, the beginning of the book had great information. Different types of makeup and tools were described. Recommendations were made for building up one's makeup supply with the right products. This was really helpful to me because my makeup experience is next to nil. I felt like I had a good enough grasp to move into the actually tutorials.

I put the lessons listed to good use. I used them to complete my makeup for a wedding I was in and for the save the date pictures for my own wedding. It is nice to have a handbook to be able to choose out of and then have the right information to complete the look.

I don't think I would complete any of these for my every day look because there is a lot that goes in to the contouring and it is just not a priority to me. However, I will use this for all kinds of special occasions and for nights out.

On a different note, these looks certainly took me much longer than it said, but with practice I know I will speed up. I also did not want to spend the money to buy a whole new set of makeup, so I purchased a few essentials and moved forward with what I already had. Over time I can build up and be able to complete more of the looks in the book.

If you are looking for a great reference book for complete makeup makeovers, look no further. Natural to dramatic, you will find it all here. Jones is very talented and I think it is just fabulous that he will share his knowledge. It makes me want to be famous so that he will come do my makeup! Check the book out. I think you'll like what you see.

Interested? You can find the book here.

DIY Bookish Mother's Day Card

2014-05-07T09:22:00.000-07:00

My mom is the one who started my love of books. When I was a kid she read to me, took me to the library as often as I wanted to go, and looked the other way when I read long past bed time. Now we recommend books to each other, talk about what we've read, and exchange paperbacks. In short, my mom gave me a lifelong love of books! I can access adventure, love, suspense, and philosophical thinking whenever my heart desires. What better gift could a mom give her daughter?

When I was thinking about what kind of Mother's Day card to make this year I decided it should be bookish for sure. I remembered coming across this tutorial a couple years ago and decided to use it. I added a few elements of my own to make is more personalized. Below you can find pictures of my process. They'll make much more sense after watching the video I linked above.

The Word Exchange Book Review

2014-04-20T00:00:00.001-07:00

Book: The Word Exchange

Author: Alena Graedon

Given by: Doubleday Books

Rating: 2/5 Won-derfuls (It was okay)

I was so excited when I read about this book and even more excited when I was approved for an ARC! For a while it was interesting. A "word flu" breaks out and kills language as we know it. The days of print and even electronic reading are long dead. Instead society uses Memes for everything under the sun. These machines are so in tune with their owners that they order food and taxis with the merest hint from the human's mind.

One man, Doug, stands against this change and has the foresight to see the damage being done to society. He works against those trying to profit from the death of the language he loves so much. That is until he mysteriously disappears. Sounds exciting, right? Let's just say it has a lot of untapped potential.

First of all, our heroine is a bloomin' idiot. As Doug's daughter I would hope for a strong, intelligent young woman. Not so much. I love a good character flaw as much as the next person but there is only so much stupidity I can take. She's basically in love with a sociopath and frequently goes against the warnings of those she trusts most, i.e. dear old dad. I wanted to punch her right in the dome the third time this happened.

Second, the book got really confusing around the whole word flu thing. Cool idea, but deadly? There were links made between human viruses and computer viruses that were kinda cool, but really they didn't make much sense. Then people started dying. From nothing. The word flu caused mysterious fevers and eventually death but I couldn't quite figure out why. As far as I can tell there was not a virus as we know them that effected the brain and, therefore, speech and language. I could see that becoming septic and killing someone. But I don't know how having a device controlling one's language would lead to their death. Did I miss a key part of the story? Am I thinking too much about it? I don't know. What I do know is that I wanted the book to end long before it did.

Basically, awesome idea. Great potential. It didn't hit the mark with me.

If you want to check out the book yourself or see what others have to say look here.

DIY Bookish Birthday Card

2014-04-13T21:43:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make a card for my fabulous, book-loving cousin's birthday. I have a few books that I got from the library's used book section that aren't in great shape. Instead of letting them be thrown out I have been making things with them.

For this card I used one piece of scrapbook paper and a book page. I cut large petals and a circle from the book page and small petals from the scrapbook paper. They glued together nicely to make a cute flower. I love the circle which says "was it a bird... was it a fairy..." which suits my cousin beautifully.

This inside is half a piece of scrapbook paper folded in half. I picked this piece because it had lines on it for my message and needed very little adornment. Finally, I cut "Happy Birthday" from paper scraps from a different project.

This was quick and fun to make. I'm excited to mail it off tomorrow :) Next up: Mother's Day card!

Sally's Baking Addiction Book Review

2014-04-09T16:06:00.001-07:00

Book: Sally's Baking Addiction

Author: Sally McKenney

Given by: Quayside Publishing Group

Rating: 5/5 Won-derfuls (Amazing!)

Love! Love! Love! I am a decent baker, but not anything particularly spectacular. With the help of this book I was baking like a pro without any special equipment or complex instructions. The directions are short and simple. The pictures are gorgeous and the pages high quality. The baked goods are DELICIOUS. In short, this is a great cookbook.

The 77 recipes in this book are divided into eight sections: Breads and Muffins, Breakfast, Brownies and Bars, Cakes Pies and Crisps, Candy and Sweet Snacks, Cookies, Cupcakes, and Healthier Choices. I made three recipes from different sections before writing this review.

First, I made lemon poppy seed muffins to take to work. Twice. They didn't make it to the office. Twice. Start to finish they took me less than 30 minutes to make and the outcome was scrumptious! I had plenty of help in my house testing these babies out. We all approve!! I plan to make these whenever we have company stay the night.

Next I tried out a recipe from the Breakfast section... crepes! With Nutella! YUM. I only made these once and they were easy peasy as well. This basic recipe is easily customizable, so we're going to try out some different toppings this weekend. This is another great thing about Sally's Baking Addiction. There are tips throughout about ways to modify or customize the recipes to make them more versatile.

The final recipe I tried out (for now) was for Blueberry Almond Oat Squares. Mine did not turn out pretty, but that is because we gave in to temptation before letting them cool fully. Maybe next time I'll give them a chance to settle before stuffing my face with deliciousity, but probably not.We had these filling squares for breakfast throughout the week and enjoyed every bite.

I highly recommend this book. It would make a great for any who enjoy baking because it is not a cookbook that sits out for show (although it is lovely). It is functional, practical, and perdy.

Want more information? Check out the book and blog here.

Printing Press Adventures

2014-04-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

To celebrate National Poetry Month, Phoenix Public Library hosted an open house with their printing press! The Washington Press (circa 1895) made by the Ostrander Seymour Company of Chicago and donated to the Library in 1988.

I took advantage of this great opportunity and printed my very own page to take home. I learned a lot and got to experience the energy that went into printing a single sheet. This was a very fun and unique experience!

The Here and Now Book Review

2014-03-31T20:20:00.000-07:00

Book: The Here and Now

Author: Ann Brashares

Given by: Random House

Rating: 3/5 Won-derfuls (I liked it)

The Blurb:

An unforgettable epic romantic thriller about a girl from the future who might be able to save the world . . . if she lets go of the one thing she’s found to hold on to.

Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.

This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins.

Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth.

But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves.

From Ann Brashares, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, The Here and Now is thrilling, exhilarating, haunting, and heartbreaking—and a must-read novel of the year.

My Review:

This was a story about young love trying to survive against all odds. The disease that wiped out future populations seemed believable but there were some parts of the time travel that didn't make much sense when I thought about it too much. This might be my brain and not the book...

I really enjoyed the twists, turns, and surprises in this book. It was over before I knew it because I was cheering so much for our heroine that I couldn't put the book down. The bad guys are easily hated and the good guys are easily loved. The problem is that sometimes it is hard to tell who is who!

I would recommend this book, especially to teens. I would have loved this book when I was in high school!

Interested? Find out more here.

Arizona Library Tour: Flagstaff Public Library

2014-03-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

There is something about a library with fireplaces that makes me want to stay forever! Flagstaff Public Library is full of them. It was a lovely respite from the cold.

War of Wings Author Q&A

2014-03-21T20:46:00.000-07:00

TANNER McELROY

Author of War of Wings

Raised in Dallas, Texas, by a devoted Christian mother and a father with a more broad view of religion, Tanner McElroy grew up knowing the significance of making his own decisions. While gaining a deep understanding of the Bible from his mother and a passion for epic stories from his father, he was able to combine the two for his saga, “War of Wings.” McElroy attended Texas Tech University with an academic scholarship from 2000 to 2005. There, he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and was awarded Male Student Athlete of the Year in 2005 for his accomplishments in the classroom and on the baseball field. In 2006, he packed up his bags and headed to the West Coast to study at Howard Fine Studio in Los Angeles where he gained much understanding of the depth of characters. It was there he realized “everyone justifies his/her own actions, even serial killers,” which defined Lucifer’s actions, conversations with God, and persuasiveness in his rebellion. McElroy is a member of the Screen Actors Guild as well as the Romance Writers of America and the Writers’ League of Texas. McElroy lives in Dallas, Texas. When he’s not writing stories, he spends time painting, acting, songwriting and playing his guitar.

Q&A with Tanner McElroy

Q: A former professional baseball player and actor, how did you end up writing a book?
A: Writing is very much a passion for me. And I was able to pursue that while playing baseball for the Texas Rangers, as odd as that may sound. Long bus trips and hotel stays provided lots of down time when I could write. It was studying at the Howard Fine Studios in Los Angeles where I learned how to add depth to characters realizing that “everyone justifies their own actions, even serial killers.” If this was true then Lucifer himself had to believe he was right or he would have never challenged God before the war in Heaven. Acting is something that I believe can really help writers gain a deeper understanding of their characters because you always have to know objectives in a scene as well as each character’s overall super-objective. I am by no means a good actor, but the lessons I learned studying it were priceless for this novel.

Q: Tell us about the years of research you did.
A: I was raised with a Christian mother who believes in spiritual warfare and greatly respects the Bible. From a young age I was exposed to verses and read the Bible in order to have my own opinion on religion. The fact my father was a little less serious made me really question everything. Before I started writing this novel I did quite a bit of work in order to understand the different views of the major religions on angels and their orders as well as the role of Satan or the devil. It was interesting to see some similarities as well as some major differences. Although, the novel stays true mostly to the Bible since I was raised Christian, I wanted to incorporate a few aspects of other religions as well and also take some creative license. I also used a major motivation for the rebellion of Lucifer that is in sync with one of the major works of all time, Paradise Lost. I really felt to not honor such an amazing piece of literature would have been a mistake.

Q: So is this a secular book or Christian book?
A: This book is secular. I wanted it to be secular for a reason. The message I wanted to send transcends religion and is much bigger than the trivial arguments that occur between the different religions.

Q: What is it that you hope readers take away from your book?
A: The epigraph of the novel is “Some see a hopeless end, while others see an endless hope.” I wrote this to inspire hope rather than a religious agenda. I am not fond of religion when it is used as a mask for segregation or hatred. The overall message is that it is never too late to turn things around and love can change lives as long as we hold on to hope and the positive pieces of each individual’s character.

Q: Which character do you relate the most to in the novel? In other words, which is based on you?
A: I like this question because I truly believe that anyone can write and we all have a story to tell. Everyone is the hero of his/her own story. I wrote this in third person limited in order to tell the story from two perspectives: the protagonist, which is Gabriel, and the antagonist, which is Lucifer. I have pieces of both of them inside me. The inner struggle I battled with my whole life was with the topic of science and reason vs. religion and faith. It has been very real with me and that comes out in both sides. The character of Michael is closely related to my own brother, Travis, as I drew on many situations from our relationship. He is my best friend and sometimes still I want to give him a giant neck hug, if you know what I mean. He is actually a partner with me on this book and helped come up with the idea of writing about the H fall of the angels occurred with a modern spin on it. I drew upon deeper into their souls and objectives. many past relationships in my life for different major characters in the novel, which allowed me to get deeper into their souls and objectives.

Q: Everything down to the numbers used in the book was very carefully thought out in your writing. Can you give us some insight into that?
A: Sure. The number of man is 5, the number of Lucifer is 6, and the number of God is 7. There are parts in the novel that directly use these numbers and others to foreshadow as well as show the different stances and transformations of characters. Like I have said before, I am a huge nerd and I always loved little secrets authors as well as directors and even video game makers throw in their work. They are known as “Easter Eggs” to us out there.

Q: What authors or works have inspired you the most?
A: I’d say the main author that really inspired me to do what I’ve done with this book is Tolkien with the Lord of the Rings series and The Hobbit. I have been obsessed with his world of Middle Earth since I was a little kid. I even originally drew a map of heaven that I was going to publish in the front of the book as kind of an ode to his map and guide to the reader, but decided that I would rather not limit the reader’s mind. We all have an image of what heaven is supposed to look like and I drew from John’s visions in the Bible as well as added many things I think would make up paradise, but I decided didn’t want to limit imaginations, especially since the bulk of the novel centers around The Great Mountain located in the middle but by no means everything. Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” I actually took it probably too far having imaginary friends as a kid. Doidee and Fravel were there names and I guess I loved to escape the reality of my world in order to travel to much more fascinating places, so I also loved Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey as well as Dante’s Paradiso, Purgatorio, and Inferno, which showed the many rings of Hell. There are so many amazing writers and novels it’s hard to say all of the ones that inspired me, but I can also say my favorite storytellers of modern day are John Grisham, Dan Brown and especially Dennis Lehane.

Q: Without spoilers of course, can you give us any sneak peek into book two of the series, “The Reign”?
A: Well, I can say that many of the major angels from the different classes become demons in charge of the seven infamous deadly sins after the fall, and some other unexpected heroes emerge without giving away too much. But honestly, I am just happy to be able to write, which is what I love to do. Hopefully, people will relate to the novel and we will have enough success to allow me to pursue writing full-time. I have many stories to tell in the queue. I really appreciate you inviting me here and taking the time to discuss War of Wings with me.