Delightful Debutantes #28: Brodi Ashton & Everneath.

Thanks to Brodi Ashton for stopping by the blog today! Everneath is one of my favourite reads and a book I would recommend to anyone! It's so good!

Read on for a Delightful Debutantes interview in which I quiz Brodi about all things Everneath and do a little fangirling for Jack Caputo. Love that guy!

From inspiration to publication:  Can you tell me what inspired you to write Everneath and also give me a quick rundown of your path to publication?

-The story about a girl returning to her high school after a long mysterious absence has been floating around in my head for years, but it wasn't the first book I ever wrote. My first book got me an agent, but not a book deal. While he was submitting the book, though, and all I could do was wait, I decided to work on another book based on that scene in my head- of the broken girl returning home. That book became EVERNEATH. 

-It turns out my first book didn't sell, and my agent at the time didn't like EVERNEATH, so we split ways. For a moment I was in limbo, but then I queried agents and received several offers of representation for EVERNEATH, so I knew it was something worth fighting for. I went with my agent, Michael Bourret, who's vision for EVERNEATH was right on track with my own. He sold it in a pre-empt to HarperCollins as a trilogy.  

-I've made the process seem much shorter than it actually was, because it took me four years. Also, I left out a lot of the rejection, sorrow and angst, because that stuff's boring, and not a little depressing. :) Every day I realize how lucky I am to be getting paid for doing something I love! 

It’s well known amongst readers of my blog that I like YA romances that break the YA Insta-Love mould, which is one of the reasons I loved the relationship between Nikki and Jack in Everneath.  It also helps that I pretty much immediately fell head-over-heels for Jack Caputo. Can you tell me some of your favourite literary romances? Did any of these inspire the romance in Everneath?

-Oh, Jack Caputo. He is an amalgam of so many of my favorite characters. Mostly with Jack, I wanted to make him very real, and layered, with good qualities and some not-so-good qualities. I wanted the romance to be between two people who had no special abilities. I wanted to show that Jack was flawed, and he made mistakes, but sometimes the most beautiful things in life are flawed. 

- Of course, my husband would want me to tell you I based Jack off of him. :)

I have to ask about Cole too. I know I should avoid him, but I can’t help but be intrigued by that Immortal bad boy rocker. I just can’t resist a boy in a band.  If you could pick a theme song for Cole, what would it be?

"Never Let Me Go," by Florence + the Machine, or "Ulysses" by Franz Ferdinand. 

What was your favourite scene to write in Everneath? Do you have a favourite passage or quote you’d like to share?

-My favorite scene was... any scene with Jack and Nikki. Especially the scene in Jack's bedroom where Nikki tries to come clean about where she's been and why she's different. 

-As for favorite quote, I love the one from Mrs. Stone: "Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with." Even though my book is "paranormal", I wanted the heroes to be very real, and very normal. I wanted the heroic actions to be based on choices, rather than strength. 

Can you name three other books that readers of Everneath might also enjoy?

-I'm really bad at comparing my book to others out there. But how about I give three books that I've read lately that I've enjoyed? 1. INCARNATE by Jodi Meadows  2. UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi 3. THE SAVAGE GRACE by Bree Despain

What was your last five star ‘so good I couldn’t put it down’ read?

DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor

So, I’m already pining for book #2 and I know you probably can’t tell me too much about it right now, but if there’s anything you can share, I’d love to hear it and I’m sure my readers would too. 

I can't share much! But I will say that if you've read all of book 1, you will have a good idea of what needs to happen in book 2, and where Nikki needs to go. :)

Thanks so much for having me on the blog! I'm a fan. :)

Thanks so much for answering my questions, Brodi. I can't wait for book #2 already!!

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Book Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton.

Product details:
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK.
Release date: February 2nd 2012.
Paperback, 384 pages.
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Ages: 14+
Source: Received from publisher for review.

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. 

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen. As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

Inspired by mythology and driven by love, Brodi Ashton’s Everneath is a powerful read that perfectly captures the raw emotions of loss and grief.  With a plotline that is as imaginative as it is intense, and a romance that will tug at your heartstrings, this is an outstanding debut, and a must read for YA fans everywhere.

Six months ago, Nikki Beckett succumbed to a moment of weakness, and now her life will never be the same again.  With her home life a mess and her relationship in jeopardy, her new friend Cole offered her a quick fix solution, and in accepting his too-good-to-be-true offer, Nikki made the biggest mistake of her life. Soon realizing that Cole is no ordinary guy, but an Everling, an immortal who feeds on the emotions of others, sucking their souls dry, Nikki wants out. But it’s too late. She’s danced with the devil, and is sucked into an underworld where she lives in darkness for one hundred years, Cole feeding on soul, leaving her empty, broken and alone.

But now Nikki’s back in the mortal world, and though she’s been gone for what seems like forever, in reality just six months have passed. Nikki is shattered, broken into pieces, a shadow of the girl she used to be.  But she has a chance to say goodbye, to her dad, to her brother Tommy, to her best friend Jules and to Jack, the boy who never stopped looking for her, who never stopped loving her.  Nikki has six months in this realm before the underworld reclaims her, this time for good.

I had heard A LOT about Everneath before its release.  From its beautiful cover art, to the enormous amount of publisher and blogger buzz surrounding Ashton’s debut, this book had a lot of hype to live up to.  And I often find, that for me at least, ever the picky reader that I am, books just don’t live up to that hype. But this one did. Everneath lives up to the hype, and then some. I haven’t been really excited about a book in a while, I haven’t swooned over a book boy in months and I haven’t  stayed up all night to finish a book in forever,  but I did with this one. I adored Everneath.

For anyone who has ever lost a loved one, who knows the pain of an aching heart and raw gut-churning grief, this book will touch your soul, and make you cry your eyes out. It’s this powerful depiction of loss and of grief that makes this book stand apart from the pack. The pain of Nikki’s loss in Everneath is so raw.  She’s lost everything. She has nothing, but there’s Jack, that one light at the end of the tunnel, he gave her hope when all hope was lost. And sometimes that’s all anyone needs, that little chink of light, of hope. Brodi Ashton writes from the heart, never skimming the surface of raw emotion.  Her words are full of conviction and of knowing, and will melt the hardest of hearts.

In terms of originality, pacing and plotting, this book is flawless from its sweet little plot twists to the increased sense of urgency we feel as Nikki’s time on earth runs out, and I could talk about all of this at length, but I want to move on the characters, and yeah, the hot boys. The characters in Everneath, are not perfect, but flawed, conflicted, hurting, messed up beyond belief, and oh, so real. These were characters I could connect with, and from Nikki to Jack, and hell, even Cole, I understood them all. I connected.

Nikki has made this huge mistake that impacts on the lives of everyone around her, and it would be easy to write her off because of this, but you never will.  She may be shattered to pieces, but she’s also strong, she’s a survivor, and she never gives up hope.  Then there’s Jack, the boy who gives her that hope, the one she left behind, breaking his heart and leaving him in ruins. I have a major crush on Jack, how him and Nikki were first friends, how he fell in love with her, and how he’s not afraid to ever tell her that, how he never gives up on her, how he’s always there for her, no matter what. So much love for Jack. As for Cole, that bad boy is trouble; you don’t want to get too close to him, because you might get burned.  And yet, you’ll find yourself intrigued by him, his secrets and his conflicted ways…

Everneath gets ALL THE STARS from me.  Thanks, Brodi Ashton, you ripped my heart right out with this book, and that ending left me in tears. If I could rate this book ten out of five, I would. It’s perfect.       

Cover Candy #13 - Recent Swoonworthy Cover Reveals!

So much pretty with the cover reveals lately. I can barely keep up!  Here are my picks of the latest swoonworthy cover reveals. I love them all!

Let me know what you think of the featured covers in comments. Will you be adding any of these to your wish list? 

******************** 

I've been following Brodi's blog for a while now and I was super excited to see her cover reveal for Everneath last week.  Everneath is partially based on the Hades/Persephone myth, and it's got a very pretty cover. I'm also very interested to find out if  Brodi has based either of the love interests here on  our mutual obsession, Rafa Nadal. ;) Can't wait to read this one!

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Publisher: HarperCollins/ Balzar + Bray

Release date: January 2012

Ages: 14+

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

Oooh, how gorgeous is this cover?! So much pretty.  I am a fan of all things witchy, although I usually stick to modern day witchy stuff. Still, I think the combination of witchcraft and history makes this book sound like a winner, and with this cover, I have to see what lies inside!

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Release date: February 2012

Ages: YA


Cate Cahill and her sisters are considered eccentric bluestockings—a little odd, a little unfashionable, and far too educated for their own good. The truth is more complicated; they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it could mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave. Before their mother died, she entrusted Cate with keeping them safe and keeping everyone, including their father, in the dark about their powers. When her father employs a governess and Cate begins to receive notes from her missing, presumed-mad godmother, her task becomes much more difficult. As Cate searches for answers in banned books and rebellious new friends, she must juggle unwanted proposals, tea parties, and an illicit attraction to the new gardener. Cate will do anything to protect her sisters, but at what cost to herself?

There is a lot of buzz surrounding Tempest by Julie Cross.  The movie rights have already been snapped up by Summit Entertainment (of Twilight fame), and it features time travel, romance and all that other good stuff that we all love! This one will also be published in the UK by Macmillan!

Tempest by Julie Cross

Publisher: Macmillan/Thomas Dunne

Release date: January 2012

Ages: YA

Jackson thought he had all the time in the world with Holly. Until time took him away from her . . .

 

Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy . . . who just happens to be able to travel through time. It’s all just harmless fun until the day Jackson witnesses his girlfriend, Holly, get fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years, but it’s not long before the people who shot Holly come looking for him. And these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit (or kill) this powerful young time-traveler. Jackson must decide how far he is willing to go to save Holly . . . and the entire world

This sounds like a great contemp with an edge - just how I like them! I'm hoping this shows up on Galley Grab!

Where it Began by Ann Redisch Stampler

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release date: March 6th 2012

Ages: YA

Gabby Gardiner wakes up in a hospital bed looking like a cautionary ad for drunk driving and lacking a single memory of the accident that landed her there. What she can remember, in frank and sardonic detail, is the year leading up to the accident. 

As she takes us through her transformation from invisible girl to on-trend Girl Who Dates Billy Nash (aka Most Desirable Boy Ever), she is left wondering: Why is Billy suddenly distancing himself from her? What do her classmates know that Gabby herself does not? Who exactly was in the car that night? And why is Gabby left alone to take the fall?

Putting the pieces together will take every ounce of Gabby's strength. As she peels back the layers of her life, she begins to realize that her climb up the status ladder has been as intoxicating as it has been morally complex...and that nothing about her life is what she has imagined it to be.

Check out this cover for Faery Tales and Nightmares, a collection of short stories by Melissa Marr! I'm not usually one for short stories, but this cover is so pretty that I might just need it for my bookshelf!

 

* Please note: These covers may not be  final and may be subject to change.