Book Review: Savor by Megan Duncan and Author Interview!

Publish Date: September 28, 2011
Publisher: Megan Duncan
ISBN: 9781466159211
Pages: ebook, 183
Series: Warm Delicacy. #1
Source: From author for honest review

Goodreads Synopsis:
When Claire Miller turned eighteen all she wanted to do was celebrate her birthday, but after a night on the town with her best friend she awakes to a visitor she never expected. The rulers of her region, a vampire royal family, have chosen her to be turned as their new heir and vampire princess. In a world fueled by the power of blood, Claire quickly discovers the vampire royal family is not what they seem and that she has secrets in her past, she never knew existed.

My Review:
Claire turns 18, goes to donate blood which is the norm when you're governed by vampires. She get's her donor card, and soon realizes that her blood is pure, and she will be reigning over as a princess.
My first thought while reading this, is that Claire is not hesitant at all to become a vampire princess. She totally accepts that she may never see her friends and her mother again and she's fine with that. But then we see that Claire was never really that close to her mother and it makes a bit more sense. But i just couldn't quite comprehend her dropping everything as quickly as she did and starting a new, and very different lifestyle. I think there should have been a little more back story about the relationship Claire has with her mother, or lack of relationship and maybe it would have pieced it together a bit more for me. Claire is not the most up to date with her vampire history either. Admitting that she never paid attention in school. It was hard to imagine her being a princess in the vampire royal family without knowing anything about them. She still believed that vampires had no reflection and they were afraid of garlic, which we soon learn is not the case. I think these two things made me a little apprehensive about the novel at first. I just wished for more background and maybe if Claire was a vampire know-it-all or something, then turned out she was completely wrong abut everything, and faced the horrible truths about the vampire world - but maybe that wouldn't work for the whole series and is clearly not where Megan Duncan wanted the story to go, which is why I'm just a reviewer, not an author.

Once I got passed these minor details, and I accepted that Claire could accept being a vampire princess, I enjoyed Savor. The story line was very interesting, seeing as vampires are the norm and the Rulers, and humans accept them was refreshing to read. Claire is a fun little character, though Robin definitely stood out more to me. She's a fun-loving, kind vampire who would do anything for her friend as we see in her and Claire's developing friendship. Robin knows a lot about the vampire history and is the one who is there for Claire throughout her transformation and gives her the scoop on all the princess duties. We meet Dmitry, a vampire who can literally make you swoon over him . He's a fun, charming vampire with whom Claire immediately falls for, and it's great seeing their relationship develop. Their interactions are easy and he brings out confidence in Claire that she didn't always have.
Near the end of Savor, a lot changes and Megan Duncan reveals that the vampire princess has to go through a ritual that has not been done in ages since it was never deemed necessary, until now. And due to a riot that breaks out and puts the vampire world in danger, this one little notion will change so many things in Claire's new vampire world and I cannot wait to read book #2 to see where things will be headed. 

Author Interview

Hi Megan, thanks so much for coming to my blog and doing an interview with me!

Stellar Book Blog: What inspired you to write Savor?

Megan Duncan: It was actually the main character, Claire. She was the first person that came to mind when I first thought up the series. I wanted to create this realm for a girl, who grew up in a world ruled by Vampires. I didn't want them to live in hiding like they do in most all books. In my mind, Vampires are powerful, and it made sense to me that they would reign over humans; even rule over them as a royal family.

SBB: Why vampires? Have you always wanted to write a vampire story?

MD: Most definitely. I've read tons and tons of Vampire stories and have always wanted to write one, but I held back until I felt I came up with an original idea.

SBB: Describe the Warm Delicacy series in one sentence. Get us hooked!

MD: When vampires rule the world, blood must be shed and when your enemy is immortal; the battle never ends.

SBB: Did you have to do any research for Savor, or is everything straight from your head?

MD: The only research I did was to see if there were any stories like mine out there. My main goal was to create a vampire story that hadn't been told a dozen times over. I wanted, more than anything, for my book to be unique.

SBB: When writing Savor, did you know exactly where your book was headed? Did your characters surprise you in any way and steer you in a different direction?

MD: I started writing Savor on a whim when the idea hit me. I was watching something on TV and the story just popped into my brain, so I grabbed my laptop and started writing. Having only a vague idea of where I wanted to go I just let my characters do their thing, and allowed this new world to grow on its own. It was lots of fun.

SBB: Did you always want to be an author? What would you be if you weren't an author?

MD: Oh yes, I've wanted to be an author since the 4th grade. But, if I weren't, I would want to be a graphic artist. I love the cover design part of being an indie author.

SBB: What do you like most about being a YA author?

MD: I absolutely love hearing back from readers when they tell me how much they love a certain character or story. Getting their feedback really drives me forward and makes what I do all the more rewarding.

SBB: You're a self-published author, was the journey what you thought it would be? Why or why not.

MD: Nope not at all, but I'm still happy I did it. In some ways its harder, and in others it is easier.

SBB: What, if any, are your writing habits? 

MD: My writing habits are strange and tend to change with each book. Since I'm currently writing the next installment in my Dystopia series I am writing at night a lot, mostly in my living room in the dark with either Supernatural on the television or some other scary movie or show.

SBB: Grwoing up, did you read a lot? If so, what were your favourite books?

MD: I read a ton growing up, and my favorite books were by Anne McCaffrey. I love her Dragonriders of Pern series, and Acorna Universe. Simply amazing!

And just for fun, if you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? 

MD: Anne McCaffrey! Her stories inspired me so much and I'd love to know what inspired her.

Thank you so much for coming to my blog and taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions. I really appreciate  it, and had lots of fun!

Facebook * Twitter * Blog * Goodreads 

Be sure to check out Megan Duncan's Warm Delicacy series if you're looking for a fun twist on your typical vampire story, or if you're just looking for a good read!

Come See About Me by C.K. Kelly Martin

Publisher: Self-Published
Publish Date: June 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4776-0514-1
Pages: 235
Series: None
Source: From author for honest review

From Goodreads:
Twenty-year-old Leah Fischer's been in a state of collapse since the moment police arrived on her Toronto doorstep to inform her that boyfriend Bastien was killed in a car accident. After flunking out of university and cutting herself off from nearly everyone she knows, Leah's saved by Bastien's aunt who offers her a rent-free place to stay in a nearby suburban town.
Initially Leah keeps to herself, with no energy for anyone or anything else, but it's not long before her nurturing neighbours begin to become fixtures in Leah's life and a much needed part-time job forces her to interact with other members of the community. And when Leah is faced with another earth-shattering event, her perspective on life begins to shift again. Soon Leah's falling into a casual sexual relationship with Irish actor Liam Kellehan, who has troubles of his own, even as she continues to yearn for her dead boyfriend. Clearly she's not the person she thought she was—and maybe Liam isn't either.

My Review:

Come See About Me is a book about a young girls struggle after losing her boyfriend, and continuing her life without him. Leah and Bastien were meant to be together and everyone could see it. They were happy, young and they were soul mates. Leah planned on spending her life with him and vice versa. That is until the police knock on their door and inform her that Bastien had been in a terrible car accident and didn't survive  Leah's world and heart crumble in front of her. Her worst nightmares have come true. Leah stops living - staying at their shared house to feel closer to him - hours, days, weeks slip away and there is nothing and nobody who can wake Leah from this oblivion she has fallen into. Even her friends that are slowly drifting away cannot get Leah to confront this tragedy and move past it. It's not until Bastien's aunt makes a suggestion that will get Leah away from their apartment and moving ahead. Once away, things start looking up for Leah. She meets a few acquaintances  starts a new job and even meets Liam - a guy who knows what it's like to have to get away from your past. Life is starting to fall into place once again, though it will never be the same, until Leah get's another phone call. Something else has happened.

Come See About Me was a great book. C.K. Kelly Martin writes what seems to be an effortless book. The characters are so well written and the story is real and honest. I often felt as though I could be Leah's friend and help her through her struggles. The devastation she feels on the loss of her boyfriend is so pure and genuine. And the guilt Leah feels for wanting Liam the way she does is all too much to handle but Martin hit's it all perfectly, creating a perfect pendulum of guilt and desire. Leah is not just another character in a story, she is a real person, someone we can relate to on a personal level (whether through ourselves or a friend, we've watched this happen). There is some romance play out in this book, but nothing that overshadows the importance of the rest of the story.

C.K. Kelly Martin set's this story in parts of Ontario, which is where I'm from, so it's nice to read a book set here. With Toronto and Oakville playing a huge part in Come See About Me, I felt a bit more connected to the overall story. It's not considered a YA book seeing as Leah is 20 which is apparently too old a character for this genre but I would definitely recommend it for all ages - teens and adults alike would appreciate the sincerity of Come See About Me.

This book is a phenomenal story of what could happen in a split second that could change your life forever. It's emotional but heartwarming and can make the reader appreciate every minute spent with the ones we love.