Wednesday 26 March 2014

#WW Wow Wednesday: Jennifer Loiske

Hi guys and girls! Yep, it's that day of the week again. Welcome to WOW Wednesday. My guest today is Jennifer Loiske, who writes about shapeshifters, vampires and things that go bump in the night. And she has a great gift for everyone -  her spooky novel, Black Diamond, is free until March 28th! 
Read on to find out more about Jennifer and her hot books...


Where you can get Black Diamond for FREE until March 28


All about Jennifer

Jennifer Loiske lives in Naantali, which is a small, sunny town on the southwest coast of Finland. She has written seven books, which can be found on Amazon worldwide, and has three different series: Shape Shifter for YA readers; Immortal Blood for mature YA readers and McLean Twins for teen/YA readers. 

Jennifer is a workaholic author. If she isn’t writing posts for her own blog or guest posts for others, articles for magazines or her novels, she can be found in the forest with her two dogs. She is also very keen on doing charity work and a big portion of her royalties goes to good causes; mainly to help families with epileptic children, but also to epilepsy units in hospitals. Jennifer is part of the author alliance, Authors For Charity, and an active team member of Epilepsy FI.

 

BLACK DIAMOND
Part One of the McLean Twins series

For readers aged 12 and up

After her mum’s sudden death, twelve-year-old Shannon McLean has to move from the US to the English countryside to live with her mysterious father, Connor McLean, whom she hasn’t seen since she was a baby. Soon she discovers he doesn’t want her around and that her moving into his huge manor, Greyman Hill, is nothing more to him than a compulsory deal. But if he doesn’t exactly give her a warm welcome then his servant, Robert, is most likely an incarnation of evil. He runs the house with an iron touch and makes everyone who works there his little puppets.

Weird things start to happen and the whole place scares the crap out of Shannon. Her dad can control her just by looking at her. The walls are full of secret passages and apparently she has the talent to awaken the ghosts in them. Every day is worse than the day before and she badly wants to run away, but discovers it is impossible. If she wants to stay alive, she has to do exactly as her dad says, or she will not only jeopardise her own life but also those of the people around her.

While Shannon struggles to find the magic inside her, Connor is slowly turning into a demon. One carelessly spoken word from her could save or destroy them both. In the end she has to decide whether to save herself and her loved ones, or lose her dad to the darkness and evil that threaten to eat his soul.

What readers say:

“This was a great read and held my attention without a problem. I loved all the different aspects of the plot. The story was very easy to follow and all the characters were well developed. I really couldn’t stand the father in this story at all. You would think that he would have been more caring towards his daughter and it just bugged me that he was so cold. Great book for teen readers and I would recommend to anyone.”

“Black Diamond moves at a pace that can only be described as whirlwind. This is one impressive book. The storyline is unlike anything else that I have ever read. Jennifer Loiske is an author who has the ability to move her readers. I truly cannot wait to see what Loiske has in store for us next.”

“Jennifer has presented a fresh idea with a delightfully independent and strong female protagonist that will keep you cheering for her throughout the story. It kept me guessing until the end. The emotional rollercoaster that plays throughout this novel is one of a kind. Talent is evident in the ability to portray intense emotion without making the story seem cheesy or unrealistic. I am impressed by the ability of this young author and cannot wait to see what she has in store for the future.”

Excerpt (unedited by me):

“Shannon,” Connor said from the doorway. It looked like he had been waiting for her.
Shannon said nothing and tried to pass him.
He blocked her way but didn't touch her. “Shannon,” he said again, but this time danger lurked in his voice.
She swallowed. Connor's eyes were so dark and something horrible gleamed behind them. She froze. She could've tried to push past him, but his eyes warned her not to even try anything like that, so she lifted her head and met his eyes. “Connor,” she said, and was proud that her voice didn't shake.
Connor sighed heavily. “Shannon, Shannon, Shannon. What am I going to do with you?”
“You could start by letting me go,” she suggested quietly.
Connor shook his head. “Can't do that.”
“Can't or won't?” Shannon asked and felt the courage coming back to her body.
Connor was quiet. The air around him seemed so dark. Almost like he was a black hole that absorbed all the light around him. He was dressed all in black and looked more like a devil than a human.
Shannon could see Robert grinning wickedly behind him. Her mind was screaming that she should be deadly afraid of this man in front of her, but she wasn't. She was more afraid of the man behind him and somehow Connor seemed to be the safer choice. There was nothing human in Robert. It was like he was waiting for Connor to strike her down and feast on her dead body. He stared at them with his small, cold, mean eyes and seemed to be encouraging Connor to harm her.
Connor did nothing. After a very uncomfortably long time he shooed Robert away with his hand. “Both,” he said and moved out of her way.
She had almost forgotten what she had asked, but when Connor moved, she moved as well, carefully, from the outside to the inside of the house. He followed. She was scared of him, but there was something so vulnerable in him just then that she couldn’t leave him alone. After all, he was her dad. Robert was gone, thank God, so she dared to speak to him more openly than she had thought possible. “What do you mean? This is your house and I’m your daughter. You can do whatever you want,” she said and hoped she hadn't gone too far.
“I know. It's just that I'm no good with little girls like you, and it's been so long since I remembered what it feels like to be a—” He stopped and looked at her like he was suffering.
“To be what?” Shannon whispered, afraid to hear the answer.
Connor stared into her blue eyes and everything vulnerable was gone from him. He looked even scarier than before. The candles burned brightly around them and when he spoke, their flames flashed like someone had thrown something into them. “Never mind. Just stay away from me and obey my orders. If I tell you to eat, you'll eat and so on, okay?”
“No! It's not okay!” Shannon shouted. Tears burned behind her eyes. “You can't tell me what to do! I'm not a baby anymore!”
“You'll do what I tell you to do or you'll be sorry for the day you were born!” Connor thundered and something touched Shannon's hair. It felt like a spider web but it was really cold. It could've been somebody's bony fingers as well, but whatever it was made her scream.


CLUB NUMBER FIVE
Part One of Immortal Blood Series 

For readers aged 18 and up

Samantha Green wanted only to be normal, have a shallow life with smoking hot Jonathan Blake and an unforgettable senior year at Regents East High. But one morning she wakes up as a vampire. She has no idea who bit her or why. All she knows is she didn’t want it. Now her new life is full of secrets, deceit and fear, not to mention raw meatballs and red nectar that is definitely something else besides strawberry juice. Samantha tries to act normal. She pretends to like her mum’s chicken salad, goes to school and learns how to survive on her own, but what can she do when she finds herself inside a devious conspiracy, faced with strikingly fast hunters, secret clubs and mouthwateringly gorgeous boys – and the only food she can catch is her best friend Kate Walker’s wrist?

What readers say:

“This book was amazing and filled with humour. I read this book in one sitting because I could not put it down. Samantha is obsessed with fellow classmate Jonathan. She stalks him and then everything changes. She wakes up as a Vampire with no one to teach her the rules and way of Vampire life. Sam chases Jonathan around for answers, suspecting he's the one that changed her, but what happens when a stranger appears and seems to know more about her than what she expects? I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a good read and laugh. Jennifer Loiske has done an amazing job.”

“I am a middle-aged man who has never read a book about teenagers and vampires. The wrong person to review such a book, you may think... or perhaps the best. I had no idea what to expect and took it all at face value. I do have some experience in the genre though. I was once a teenager myself and I have a teenage daughter the same age as the main character Samantha. I know how hormone-driven teenagers with big ideas and an inwardly-focused approach to life, crave adventure and acceptance in any world other than that represented by their parents. Jennifer Loiske follows this theme and skillfully uses the vampire scenario as a vehicle to give a tired, old subject vibrancy and bite. Her subtle style (I stared at him, stunned, and tasted the word ‘friend’ in my mouth) is easy to read and helps convey difficult emotions to the reader. The finest quality of any writer is to paint a clear picture in their readers' minds. Jennifer does this.”

“I can say this is the first book that officially pissed me off in a good way. Why? It ended. Don't let the cliffhanger stop you! I have never experienced such a great hook, which by saying I'm still a bit miffed at the author is the highest possible compliment I can pay. I totally recommend this book to lovers of all things paranormal.”

Excerpt (unedited by me):

A quiet knock woke me from my miserable thoughts. I opened the door, sighing, and watched Kate rush onto the couch and look at me with her eager eyes. I sighed again. I could tell she was bursting but I didn't know how to start. Should I just blurt it out or should I smoothen the edges and tell her gently? Oh God! Why did this have to be so difficult? I glanced at her and saw how she was struggling not to talk. Not to ask anything, like she wanted to prove she was worthy of my trust. Oh, what the hell. I decided to spit it out.
“I think I'm a vampire.”
Silence. Kate's eyes widened and she opened and closed her mouth in turns. “You think you're a vampire.”
I nodded and she lifted her finger. She formed questions like what, when, who with her lips but nothing came out. I nodded again and saw an angry flash in her eyes.
“And that's why you dragged me here in the middle of the night?” Kate's voice rose alarmingly.
“Shh,” I hushed. “I don't want to wake my parents and neither do you.”
Kate got up and paced back and forth. “You don't think you're a vampire, Sam. That kind of thing you know.”
“Okay,” I sighed. “Let's assume I know I’m a vampire. Will you help me or not?”
“What kind of help are we talking about exactly?” Kate asked suspiciously. I licked my lips. I couldn't help it, but just the thought of her blood made me crazy. “Oh, no,” Kate backed away. “I'm so not going to let you bite me. Besides, what evidence do you have that you are a vampire besides your new gorgeous look? I thought you didn't believe any supernatural crap.”
“I didn't,” I admitted. “But something happened to me.” I opened my scarf and let her see the small fang marks on my neck. “I got bitten.”
Kate leaned over and looked at my marks. I couldn't help but sniff her heavenly smell and reveal my fangs. She glanced at me weirdly and I felt embarrassed. “Okay,” she said slowly. “So, you have fangs. What other proof do you have?”
I laughed nervously. She hadn't run yet and that was a good sign, right? “I don't have any pimples anymore.” I raised my brow.
“Right,” Kate's mouth tugged. “Anything other than what Clearasil won't cover?”
“My eyes hurt in the daylight and I look like a supermodel,” I grinned. “And I'm hungry.”
Kate went pale. “How hungry?”
“Don't worry, I won't jump on you. I can perfectly control myself.” I think, I added in my mind.
Kate sat down again and eyed me warily. We didn't speak for a while. I pressed my knees together with my hands as if my life depended on it and tried to ignore my ever-so-growing hunger. Five minutes had passed and I couldn't even look at her anymore. My throat was like sandpaper and my fangs hurt.
“Don't lie to me,” Kate said quietly.
“I'm not lying,” I managed to hiss. “I won't bite you. Scout's honor.”
“You're no Scout,” Kate sneered. “Tell me exactly how bad it is.”I glanced at her and shook my head. “Honey, your eyes are already reddish and I bet in a minute or two you’ll drool,” she said gently and moved closer to me.

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