25 | January | 2012 | Happy Tails and Tales Blog

HELLOOOOOOO everyone!!! Today is my stop on the Half Black Soul Blog Tour!! YAY, I am so very excited, as this is my first blog tour that is to release a book 🙂 I need to say that this is the first time I’ve held a review back. Normally I post my review with the stars and all IMMEDIATELY on goodreads, but since I knew I had this stop on the tour, I figured that I would post my review here first, for you guys to read, before the GRers get to see it 🙂 So, here’s a little snippet of book one, Blood Warriod, from goodreads, so you know a lil sum-tin…

When her home is attacked by murderous vampires, 17-year-old Alexa is forced to leave her mother for dead in order to save her sister. She soon learns that she is the last known member of an elite race of supernatural Warriors, and is thrust into a world full of vampires and werewolves who all seem to regard her as some sort of savior. Meanwhile, Alexa battles a monster within herself that seeks to gain control; a monster that seeks blood.

The hidden city she finds herself in appears perfect, but Alexa’s instincts tell her that all is not right within its walls. When she is asked to attend a school of fighters, whose exams consist of gladiator-style competitions, she must decide who she can trust among the smiling faces. And, when she meets Kayden, a vampire she feels undeniably drawn to, she must decide if she can trust herself.

Blood Warrior (The Alexa Montgomery Saga #1)

Now, with that, let’s discuss this book & characters first, then… MY REVIEW & my interview with NELLY!

Alexa: First, this kid is so bad @$$, it hurts! Everybody looks at her small frame, and thinks she is a typical girl, and boy does she kick theirs… I feel like I wanna hug her (but won’t cuz she scares me) but I think we’d get along, or she’d kill me 🙂 I want her to find some sense of peace.

Nelly: I wanna wrap her up & stick her in my pocket! She is fun, bubbly, happy, and always knows when Alexa is full of….. yeah, you know. But at the same time, I feel like she is still hiding something… maybe that’s just me, but I do love her 🙂

Jackson: *sigh, I love you, sigh* yes, I am team Jackson, against everyone else (so I guess that means he’s all mine, as long as Alexa can share)… He is the PERFECT best friend, and the sweetest boyfriend… yes, we all know that everyone loves the bad boy (I DO TOO) but the good one is the one you should hold on to with every thing you’ve got! I wanna hold on to Jackson 🙂

Kayden: *drools a little* yeah, he’s hot, he’s mysterious… he mostly makes me wanna kick his shin… sorry, but he is the PERFECT BAD BOY… I mean, he is ALL of it, in one HOT, yummy, sexy package… I know he has a good heart in there somewhere, but if you are gunna be a bad boy, you are supposed to rebel, and they only thing that he is rebelling against right now is Alexa… Stand up for something, kid!

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Soraya: without giving anything away… I LOVE HER!!!!

Now, let’s get this out… THIS IS A GREAT BOOK! I love the fights and the cries and the laughs, and the yummy guys all over!!! I mean, come on! Who doesn’t love this stuff! I think Ms. Gordon did an excellent job when she would say certain little details, it gives you enough to go on, but kept some things secret until the end… I am so stuck on who Alexa is gunna choose, because everyone seems to want something from her, so (we know) Jackson loves her, but can she chose her best friend… & what about Kayden, does he love her, or does he need her, since she is the “savior”…. I just dunno who is a bad guy in here, other than the lamia, and for some reason, I think there is something going on in that too! I can’t say enough about the way Ms. Gordon writes, it is EXCELLENT. & yes, I LOVE cliff hangers… so this one was PERFECT!!! I need to say that I have some crazy emotions right now… because I was reading the blog posts & other’s reviews and was almost certain I was going to feel one way, and ended up feeling the OPPOSITE!! How can this happen, you say… well, thank Ms. Gordon because her writing has instilled in me some excellent life questions… like, would you chose to do the right thing if it mean giving up your life, or possibly the life of the one person who means the entire world to you? Or would you follow like a good soldier, when the people you care about are still getting hurt? You’re still getting hurt…. Yeah, this book was THAT GOOD!!!

Now, enough of this, let’s get to my WONDERFUL interview with Nelly, who is Alexa’s sister and one of the lead characters in this series!!!

Maghon: Hi, nelly, I’m so unbelievably honored to have you as a guest interview on my blog. It’ll be out little secret that you are my very first guest interview! EVER! So this is extra special to me… Now, on to the big show-

Nelly: Thank you so much for having me! Honored to be here!

Maghon: Q1. What’s it feel like in the beginning of the first book to keep secrets from your big sister? I can tell by the way she talks about you how much affection she has for you, so I assume it’s gotta be hard?

Nelly: Well, I don’t like lying. However, I understand the necessity for secrets, and my Mother and I discussed the issue many times, and we just thought it was best to let Alexa live as normal a life as possible. But, you’re right, it was hard. Actually, that was an understatement; it was horrible, and despite me wishing that these things could have come to light under different circumstances, it was a huge relief to have all of the secrets out in the open.

Maghon: I think I would feel exactly as you feel about that!

Q2. Alexa talks about her dislike toward her mother, how do you feel, knowing that’s it’s for a reason, but still bad, that your mother puts Alexa through some pretty horrible “training”?

Nelly: I understood my Mother, and her reasons for doing things, and I loved her very much. I’ve seen into the souls of many people over the years, and I’ve come to the conclusion that at any given time, most people are just doing the best they can with the hand they’ve been dealt. I knew in my heart that our Mother only wanted what was best for us, and no matter how much I hated to see Alexa hurt, I couldn’t find it in myself to fault our Mother for the way she raised us. But, yes, the training was more than difficult for me to stand by and watch, and there were many nights that I would go to bed crying over the pain my sister endured, but she was strong, and she never so much as shed a tear over it.

Maghon: I’m sorry, I know that’s something painful to talk about…

Q3. I know that you’re a “searcher” but could you give us a little more description of what that means and how you feel about this?

Nelly: Well, how would you feel if you could know all of the deepest, darkest, and most guarded parts of someone? When I Search someone’s soul, I not only know their struggles, I feel them. It goes a long way in being able to understand people, why they do the things they do, and exactly where they are coming from. It humbles you to your own situations, and changes you every time. Sometimes, not for the better.

Maghon: I would feel horrible most of the time… I think it would be over-whelming to have all of that in my head and heart…

Q4. I feel like on the outside you’re a happy beautiful bubbly personality, but who are you really? Is this just a facade to hide that little secret if yours? Or are you still pretty much like that on the inside?

Nelly: I guess I try to be kind to people because I know what they are going through. You know how when someone is rude to you, or just mean for reasons you can’t understand, and you say, “Well, you never know what they’re going through”? Well, I do know. And, if you did too, you would be a little nicer to everyone as well. I understand pain. I understand anguish. I try my best not to add to anyone’s. Everyone carries enough around with them already.

Maghon: I completely understand, I try to have that same outlook on people (even though sometimes it’s crazy hard) 🙂

Q5. Alexa holds you up in pretty high regards, do you hold her up quite as high? I mean I know you love her, but what do you think about her choices and decisions?

Nelly: Alexa is my hero. It’s as simple as that. She’s my big sister, my best friend, and the person I care most about in the whole world. As far as her decisions go, I trust her judgment. Despite how she may feel about herself, she has a quality that is so very rare among everyone. Trust me, I know. She’s altruistic to a fault, and her the choices she makes usually reflect that. And, like everyone, she’s entitled to her mistakes.

Maghon: that you are correct in saying, everyone has their faults & mistakes, we are only hu… errr, we aren’t perfect 🙂

Q6. So tell me a few things about Daniel, cuz he seems to be pretty awesome… And seems to make you happy too 🙂

Nelly: Oh, Daniel’s great. He has a kind soul, and genuinely likes to see people happy. He listens to me, and gives me advice, but never tries to force his opinions on me. He makes me want to be a better person, and to me, that is a very important quality.

Maghon: I think we should all try to be better people in life 🙂 so Daniel gets a big high five from me!

Q7. Are there any times when you feel jealous of Alexa or wish you had some of her gifts instead of yours?

Nelly: I’ve always been jealous of Alexa. I mean, how could I not be? She’s so strong and brave. She’s loyal and beautiful. Who wouldn’t want to be like that? I envy her because she holds all the things that I lack. And, truthfully, if people truly understood what my abilities were, and what all came with them, no one would want to be like me. “Gifts” is a very generous word.

Maghon: Well, I am glad you try to keep a positive outlook on those “gifts”, you never know, they may come in handy! but I am jealous of her too 🙂 but we won’t tell LOL

Q8. How do you feel about being at Two Rivers? And do you think there’s a “big conspiracy” there?

Nelly: I feel the same as anyone would feel after they’d been ripped from their home and send to a place they know nothing about. Change is always hard, for everyone, and I’m no exception. It’s scary and emotionally wrenching, but we either adapt or die, right? I’m just trying to adapt, and conspiracy theories would do nothing to aid that.

Maghon: I cannot tell you how sorry I am that you are in that situation… No one understands, unless they are in your place… if you ever need somewhere to hide out, you gimme a call… I have plenty of room (for the whole group) and lots of land, so you wouldn’t be too close to anyone! *sending hugs*

Q9. Last, and probably my most curious question…. At the end of the book, knowing all the events that have occurred, who do YOU think is better for Alexa? No, her feelings don’t count here, this is just how you feel about those lovely, eye candy, yummy-licious hot guys she’s got all around her! I know who I want her to pick -wink, wink- and which “team” are you on?

Nelly: I’ve seen the souls of both Kayden and Jackson, and even Tommy, and I can say without a doubt that they each care for her in their own ways. I think that Alexa needs someone who can lift her up, and support her when she needs it, because as strong as she is, she needs someone to look out for her. As far as Kayden goes, I can honestly say that I didn’t expect him to hurt her in the way that he did, and I wasn’t in the least kidding when I told him that I would kill him if he ever did it again, but there’s no denying that their souls… match. Perfectly. Jackson would be a good choice too, though, and Tommy is a good guy as well, so I’m being honest when I say I don’t know yet. I just want Alexa to be happy.

Maghon: Thank you so very much Nelly, for taking precious time out to stop by and say hello!! If there is anything you wanna tell your fans?

Nelly: Thanks again for having me. And, to the fans? Uh, hang on to your seats, because it’s going to be a wild ride.

Oh boy, what do you guys have to say about THAT?!?! I needa get me a seat belt LOL… I cannot thank Nelly enough for her WONDERFUL interview… I know it was my first, but I don’t know how I am ever gunna top this one! I think Nelly was the perfect person for me to get in touch with… She made me so comfortable 🙂 And THANK YOU SO MUCH HD Gordon for writing this book, so I can get to know this wonderful young woman I just met… and all the other characters 🙂 I cannot tell you how great this ride was for me, and I cannot wait to do it again in Book 2-HALF BLACK SOUL, which releases January 31, 2012…

Now for those of you who want to know, you can get book one on Amazom, Smashwords, and you can see all the reviews (from us) at Goodreads… You can now also get it in paperback at Createspace.com

& NOW THE GIVE AWAY

The give away is to help support the release of book 2… so here’s the directions 🙂 FOLLOW EVERYDAY, LEAVE A COMMENT ON EACH BLOG FOR THE TOUR & YOU COULD WIN A SIGNED-& PERSONALIZED- PAPERBACK COPY OF BLOOD WARRIOR… Dude, if you don’t win, just buy it cuz it’s less thank $1!!! Here’s the blog stops :

January 16th – Kay @ K-Books

January 17th – Shieka @ Doctor’s Notes

January 18th – Cecelia @ Cecelia Robert’s Written Word

January 19th – Tana @ Tana Rae Reads

January 20th – Vanya @ YA Story Teller

January 23rd – Karla @ Book Addict

January 24th – Tt @ Never Ending Stories

January 25th – Maghon @ Happy Tails and Tales YOU ARE HERE

January 26th – Erica @ Ink Spots and Roses

January 27th – Lissa @ The Book Nut Reviews

January 30th – Taneesha @ A Diary of a Book Addict

January 31st – HD Gordon