Author Spotlight | The Very First Author Gena Showalter

Hey guys.. no book reviews up my sleeve. I am reading something at the moment but I've decided to hold off on the review because I'm also creating something to go along with that post that I hope will be a big hit. I'm mashing up the mundane author spotlight. This author isn't just any one among my list of favorites, no. She's my first! She's the very first author that sparked and ignited the burning flame to the reading and blogging community.

About Gena Showalter

Gena Showalter

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld and Angels of the Dark series, two young adult series-- Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles-- and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series. In addition to being a National Reader's Choice and two time RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan (Red Hot Read) and Seventeen magazine, she's appeared on Nightline and been mentioned in Orange is the New Black-- if you ask her about it, she'll talk for hours... hours! Her books have been translated in multiple languages. 

Website | Goodreads 

Books that I've read from her...  

            

14 books from her!! 14 BOOKS!!

I think that's the most I've read from one single author. I will now proceed to show my favorite out of the ones that I've read...

This book is perfection. Just go away and read it and then come back and fangirl with me like a crazy lunatic!

You will like Gena Showalter if...

• You enjoy hot, steamy romances. I swear when you read her work you'll feel like you're in a sauna! It gets so intimate and beautiful. Her writing and romance almost has a lyrical rhythm to it which flows so magically into the story and kick-ass action scenes. 
• You're into YA but want a little more romance and intimacy than a normal YA romance can offer. Her romance and character relationships are really unique, and I can always tell that I'm reading Gena Showalter when I'm looking at a piece of her works. 
• Gena is the Queen of Supernatural. She can whip up a great story of vampires and zombies and make it the most engrossing and interesting story to date. Take her White Rabbit Chronicles series for example. It's loosely based off of Alice In Wonderland and it's honestly hard to tell the similarities. She drops little clues and hints that refer back to Lewis Carroll's fairytale, but that's pretty much it. Then the rest of the story follows a unique perspective of a girl named Ali trying to fight the whole of zombies. But wait.... they aren't just zombies. Gena even takes a whole new spin on zombies and takes us into a world of spirit zombies that can only be attacked in spirit form. 
• You like stories that promise a good fighting scene. Looking for action and death? Read one of her books! 

I think it's safe to say that Gena Showalter is one of my favorite authors. I had such a great time meeting her at the 92Y in NY. She's so beautiful and fun to talk to! 

Have you read anything from Gena Showalter? 

Blog Tour: Fluency by Jennifer

Title: Fluency 

Author: Jennifer Foehner Wells 

Pages: 283 pages
Published: June 18th, 2014 

Genre: YA Space, Science Fiction 

Rating: 

NASA discovered the alien ship lurking in the asteroid belt in the 1960s. They kept the Target under intense surveillance for decades, letting the public believe they were exploring the solar system, while they worked feverishly to refine the technology needed to reach it. 

The ship itself remained silent, drifting. 

Dr. Jane Holloway is content documenting nearly-extinct languages and had never contemplated becoming an astronaut. But when NASA recruits her to join a team of military scientists for an expedition to the Target, it's an adventure she can't refuse. 

The ship isn't vacant, as they presumed. 

A disembodied voice rumbles inside Jane's head, "You are home." 

Jane fights the growing doubts of her colleagues as she attempts to decipher what the alien wants from her. As the derelict ship devolves into chaos and the crew gets cut off from their escape route, Jane must decided if she can trust the alien's help to survive. 

Buy it now! 

Goodreads | Amazon 

**I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review**  

Attention all Sci-Fi and readers!! This is like the closest thing you're going to get from perfect! I don't normally read space novels because they are mostly done incorrectly, but since I received this one for review, I was very excited to jump right in! It was a great page-turner and a create escape from the fantasy world I've recently been in. I don't know if it was just me, but I could really tell that the author was able to illustrate technical concepts so well! She described them in a way that enhanced the book and its plot. 

The thing with space sci-fi books is that they need a ton of world building and explanation. I quite like the info-dumps in the book and they weren't just placed in areas where they weren't needed. Overall I thought the book was an example of modern technology and science. I thought some parts felt really real and true while others lacked the proper information to back up the story and the plotline. Space books and science fiction books are probably the hardest genre to review and read because of how unfamiliar I am with the information that is given, unless the author gives like a ton of background information. There were concerns I had with the amount of background information, like I couldn't spot it because like I said, I'm no science aficionado.

Scientists are never as 'smart and intelligent' as they really think they are. I think the characters were slightly pestering me throughout the book, and I can't get through a book normally when I don't connect with the characters. I can say that 60% of the time, I had no idea what they were talking about!

The story takes you on an exhilarating ride with characters bickering frequently and perhaps an unheard of alien civilization appearing (?). Within the next installment, there definitely needs to be some younger and fresh characters and a mix of action and romance! Basically just watch The Big Bang Theory!!!