Blog Tour: Inception by Teal Haviland {Review+ Author Interview}
by: Teal HavilandRelease Date: April 30, 2013
Publisher: Embolden Press
Genre: Fantasy
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: e-ARC provided by InkSlinger PR and author for a fair and honest review
Page Count: 492 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 3.5/5 stars
The world is in danger. Mankind is sinking deeper into darkness it cannot understand
Demons are easily capturing souls as they lead men and women down dangerous paths from which there is no return, while Javan, one of the Fallen, seeks an ancient book and the power it promises. If he succeeds, humans — and the world as they know it — will be destroyed.
There is someone who is capable of stopping Javan...
If she discovers him in time.
Gabrielle is one of the most powerful angels ever created, her job one of the most important. She has come to Earth to learn more about humans and what influences them, and to fight evil she sees growing at an alarming rate. She soon finds herself carelessly distracted with one human in particular, however. Lucas Watkins holds a promise of peace and love for Gabrielle that she never believed she could have again.
Caught between her new mortal ties and ancient immortal responsibilities, Gabrielle must race against what seems to be an ever-quickening clock to learn what she needs to know, uncover Javan’s plan, and find a way to stop him and all who live in Shadows.
Join Gabrielle and her allies in a story of love — past and present — fantastical beings, hidden realms, magic, fate, loss, and the fight of good versus evil in, The Reaping Chronicles.
Demons are easily capturing souls as they lead men and women down dangerous paths from which there is no return, while Javan, one of the Fallen, seeks an ancient book and the power it promises. If he succeeds, humans — and the world as they know it — will be destroyed.
There is someone who is capable of stopping Javan...
If she discovers him in time.
Gabrielle is one of the most powerful angels ever created, her job one of the most important. She has come to Earth to learn more about humans and what influences them, and to fight evil she sees growing at an alarming rate. She soon finds herself carelessly distracted with one human in particular, however. Lucas Watkins holds a promise of peace and love for Gabrielle that she never believed she could have again.
Caught between her new mortal ties and ancient immortal responsibilities, Gabrielle must race against what seems to be an ever-quickening clock to learn what she needs to know, uncover Javan’s plan, and find a way to stop him and all who live in Shadows.
Join Gabrielle and her allies in a story of love — past and present — fantastical beings, hidden realms, magic, fate, loss, and the fight of good versus evil in, The Reaping Chronicles.
Upon finishing the first book in the Reaping Chronicles, I have to say, I can't wait to see where Haviland takes us next. With Inception, she has created a fantastical world filled with not only angels and demons, but also brings in vampires, shifters, fae, and other paranormal forces, which was a pleasant surprise. I really enjoyed how she weaved all of these groups together to play an important role in the worldbuilding.
The one thing I can say about Haviland's writing style is that she is very thorough in her descriptions. I always seemed to know what was going on in Gabrielle's mind and was able to really connect with her because I was so attuned to her thoughts and feelings. This book is told from multiple POV's: Gabrielle's, Lucas's, and Javan's. I really liked reading about the struggles Gabrielle faced: trying to discern the difference between her human and angel feelings, trying to determine how far she should let a relationship go with Lucas, and above all watching her try to do her duty as the Angel of Karma and serving Yahuwah.
With Lucas, we see the teenage boy who is falling for this beautiful girl who he can't help but be drawn to and want to be around. Yet, he knows he is somehow different and watching him learn who he really is in the grand scheme of things is very enjoyable.
Javan, however. Oh, Javan. Getting into the mind of your antagonist is SO much fun. Javan is one of the Fallen, but before that he was Gabrielle's Reyah (which is kind of like the equivalent of a soulmate in Heaven). To lose one's Reyah, is a devastating loss that Gabrielle will never quite get over. To read about his thoughts, his goals, and above all his twisted idea that he will be with Gabrielle again really kept me interested in reading his POV. (Even though I was definitely read to get back to Gabrielle and Lucas. And the kissing. Oh, the kissing.)
Without a doubt, watching Gabrielle and Lucas form a relationship is by far one of my favorite elements in the novel. Gabrielle knows it is forbidden, and if she pursues this course with him, she would also become one of the Fallen. Torn between her duties as the Angel of Karma and falling for the boy who haunts her mind, Gabrielle must make a decision where Lucas is concerned, as she knows her time on Earth is limited and a great war is about to break out between the forces of Heaven and Hell.
I've heard some people say they were over books dealing with angels, which saddens me, because there are some really awesome novels out there. This one is no exception. Haviland has done a great job and definitely put a new spin on the Fallen, the forces of good and evil, and yet didn't bog us down with too much lore or overdo the religious themes set in the novel.
~Interview with Teal Haviland~
So excited to have Teal join me on the tour today for an interview!
Thanks for the
interview Teal! I am so excited to talk to everyone about the release of your
new book, ‘Inception’!
Thank you! I am so excited to doing
this and truly appreciate you having me!
First off, can you tell us a bit more about
yourself? (I see you live in Tennessee, too? Wooo!)
Indeed, I do! Tennessee is where I
have lived most of my life. I was born in northern Arkansas, and outside of
those two states, the only other one I have ever lived in is Florida where I
lived for two years when I was 12 and 13.
I have an awesomesauce daughter, and
two fur babies—a Siberian Husky and a Snowshoe Siamese. I am also a
photographer and recently began doing cover designs. I plan on delving into digital
art quite a bit more in the coming years.
I am a hopeless romantic who doesn’t
believe in love for myself anymore . . . yeah, try to figure that one out. If
you do, please tell me so I’ll understand. :} (I feel the same way- so I'm right there with you trying to figure it out.)
I love the arts . . . all of it.
My favorite thing to do is watch my
daughter sleeping safely and peacefully.
How did you come up with the idea behind Inception?
Ooh . . . that’s a doozy. I have
always been a firm believer in karma. In the year leading up to me starting
Inception, the first book in The Reaping Chronicles, I was dealing with some
people who are not kind, to put it nicely. They were getting away with things
that they should never have been able to get away with. I watched someone I
care about get their heart completely crushed in the process. Toward the end of
this I began to wish I was able to take care of karma myself. That got me
thinking about karma more, and wondered why it couldn’t be the charge of one
being. When I asked myself who it should be, I thought an angel was appropriate—an
exceptionally powerful one. I liked the idea . . . a LOT, and decided to try
and write a book about her. Gabrielle, The Angel of Karma, was born, and
swiftly took over my life.
I loved reading your interview with
Gabrielle (the main character of Inception) on your blog. It’s very personal
and I have to commend you for being so open and putting it out there for your
readers to see. What gave you the idea to do that interview?
Thank you so much! I am so happy to
know you enjoyed it.
I came up with the idea because I
decided to do an interview for my first post on my Goodreads blog. I figured a
reader wouldn’t really care much about what I had to say unless it had to do
with my writing. I was going to do a mock interview. I’ve heard of authors
doing them and decided to give it a try. While I was trying to figure out the
personality and name of the interviewer, it came to me that it should be
Gabrielle. She would want some
answers from me more than anyone else. It felt right for her to do it. What’s
really interesting for me as a writer and the creator of this character,
though, is how it turned out.
I’m a pantser when I write. So, I
don’t know what’s going to happen any more than the reader who is reading my
work for the first time. I had NO idea how that interview would turn out. I was
writing it and saying out loud as I typed, “WHAT?!!!”, because I was so
shocked.
Gabrielle really caught me
off-guard.
Would you say Gabrielle was your favorite
character to write?
Absolutely. And she will become more
challenging, in a good way, to write as the series progresses. I have to say
that Phalen is a close second.
How would you describe Gabrielle in 5
words? And Lucas?
Gabrielle: Worried. Lonely. Strong.
Caring. And, of course . . . badass.
Lucas: Private. Chivalrous. Loving.
Loyal. Stubborn.
Are there any books that you used as your
inspiration to write Inception?
Umm . . . no. Not directly.
I know a lot of people are a bit worn out
from books dealing with angels. What would you say sets yours apart from the
others?
Are they? Hahaha . . . well, there
you have it.
I would say they have never read
about The Angel of Karma. And my angels aren’t sweet and perfect.
Maybe if I turn her into an
angel/zombie hybrid they would give her a shot?
This is your first published novel,
correct? What thoughts, feelings have you been experiencing these last couple
of weeks, knowing the release date is almost here?
Yes, it is.
Wow . . . they have been all over
the place. I’ve dealt with a lot—tons—of
self-doubt. I have almost put the brakes on several times and delayed the
publishing of it. I know Inception isn’t perfect. I know I, and it, will be
raked over the coals because of that fact. But I also know it never will be.
And even if I think it is, there will still be so many who will think it sucks
frog butt. Those people may be right, but at least I was willing to create
something and had the guts to let it go for people to be able to say it sucks
frog butt. So . . . I win, regardless. Because I know how hard I worked, how
many nights I didn’t sleep so I could keep writing or edit it for the 20th
time, how many times I didn’t go out with friends so I could keep my workflow
going. I’m the only one who can claim this baby as theirs. She’s mine—my heart
and soul. I bled this book out of me, and as much as I’m terrified at how many readers
there will be who will hate it, I am also anticipating the ones who will love
it. So, pride . . . yeah, I’ve felt that, too.
The funny thing is, now that I’m in
the final days leading up to the release as I’m writing this, I have become
calm. I have even caught myself forgetting about it altogether for most of the
day a couple of times. Now, in my defense, I juggle writing, publishing, being
a nail tech, being a mommy, my photography, and my design work throughout the
week. Sometimes I am just too tired to think much about it. :}
Any idea as to when we can expect the
second installment in the series?
My hope is February of 2014.
When you’re not writing, what types of
books are you reading?
Ugh . . . reading . . . oh, how I
miss reading. I don’t have near as much time to read as I did a few years ago,
but when I do you can almost bet the farm that it will have a fantastical
element. I read for escapism from the real world. I need the “make believe”
characters in there somewhere, whether it’s urban fantasy or epic fantasy. I
also enjoy Dystopian books.
And for a little fun:
Day or Night: Night
Angels or Demons: Ooh . . . depends on the angel and
the demon.
Favorite Candy: Reese’s
Favorite Drink: Coffee!!!
Favorite Vacation
Spot: A tropical beach
Teal grew up with a love for anything fantastical or outrageous. After years of dreaming of worlds where fairies, angels, demons, and shape shifters (to name a few) exist, she finally decided to begin writing her stories down. Inception, book one in her series The Reaping Chronicles, is her first published novel.
LINKS:
Goodreads author page ~ http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6548857.Teal_Haviland
Goodreads The Reaping Chronicles ~ Inception page ~ http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16067691-inception
Facebook author page ~ https://www.facebook.com/authortealhaviland
Facebook The Reaping Chronicles page ~ https://www.facebook.com/thereapingchronicles
Twitter ~ https://twitter.com/tealhaviland
Author website ~ http://www.tealhaviland.com/
6 comments
Thank you sooo much for hosting the tour today! I am very happy to see you enjoyed Inception, and I hope you will continue to read the series and let me know how you're liking it. I hope to have book two out in February 2014. :}
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Teal Haviland
I will absolutely continue reading! I can't wait to find out what happens next! And thank you for not doing a cliffhanger! I couldn't have taken it!
DeleteThis sounds really interesting. I haven't seen this around yet. I love stories that focus on more than one point of view and I do love that one of the POVs is the antagonist. Great review!
ReplyDelete-Natalie @Natflix&Books
Thanks Natalie! It's definitely worth checking out if you like fantasy/paranormal!
DeleteThis book sounds really interesting. I love the idea of integrating angels, demons, vampires, shifters, fae...I love all supernaturals! ;) And the premise is very intriguing! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete:D No problem Brandee!
DeleteLeave me some comment love! And I will get around to commenting back!
My blog is an award-free blog, however, as I just do not have the time to follow-up.