Tag Archives: Suzy Turner

Jera’s Jamboree review: The Lost Soul by Suzy Turner

The Lost Soul (The Raven Saga) by Suzy Turner

Format: Kindle Edition

File Size: 368 KB

Print Length: 226 pages

Publisher: Suzanne Turner Publishing (21 Mar 2012)

Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.

Language: English

ASIN: B007NHUEAO

December and Lilly have got their work cut out for them. Not only are they desperately trying to figure out the identity of the Lost Soul, and track him down, they’ve also got to investigate why Powell River’s newest resident has got all of their men falling at her feet.
But when they learn that the Nephilim might be involved, it becomes clear that they’re all in extreme danger…

 

The Lost Soul is the final book in The Raven Saga trilogy which is targeted at a Young Adult audience.

You can read how I found out about indie author Suzy Turner and read my review of Raven (the first in the trilogy) on my blog here.

The second book in the trilogy December Moon was one of my Top Ten Fiction reads for 2011.  An e-copy was provided by Suzy for me to review this time.  You can read my review here.

As soon as I saw Suzy tweet that The Lost Soul was available to purchase I was first in line to buy my Kindle copy.

The final book opens with a man who has been unconscious and wakes to realise that he’s  laying with rotting corpses.  He’s in a deep ditch and has no recollection of who he is and how he got there.  He sees what he thinks is a hummingbird who tells him “You will be safe.  Do not worry.”  And so the adventure begins …

All the way through this story we have action … with December and her headaches and finding out this is a result of ‘the lost soul’ trying to contact her; the vampires trying to find Duran’s legacy he left behind; the man who opens the story who has a quest of his own that runs parallel to those in Powell River and the devastation caused by the new resident.

The way new characters tie up with history/old characters in the book is brilliant.  The strands all weave together so that we realise there is nothing that happens in isolation but is part of the whole story.  The characters all behave as we would expect them to from the previous books so we have continuation.  I absolutely loved the appearance from a certain angel … My notes say ‘OMG it’s …’ even before he was named :)

There were a couple of surprises for me – the new resident of Powell River, Calliope.  I had my suspicions about her at the funeral but didn’t guess who she was.  I also didn’t guess who the lost soul was until it was there in black and white!

I have two favourite scenes.  One is when the Tulugaq family all realise their heritage – made me shiver.  The other is when Ruby (the ghostly mother) finds her love.  I had tears in my eyes!

You could read The Lost Soul as a standalone because it is a different quest and we are told what the characters are.  You would be missing out on the background of the characters though and the journey they’ve been on to get where they are.

For me, the final quest of The Raven Saga brought it all together.  I will miss this world!

Buy it but be loathe to share your copy … it’s a keeper!

Catch up with Suzy on her website and blog.  Suzie has an author Facebook page and she tweets.

The Raven Saga is available to purchase Kindle format on Amazon ~ under £1 for each book!

Suzy Turner on Amazon

I’ll leave you with one of my poems that is relevant to the Tulugaq family:

JOURNEY

Feet are solid 
On the ground 
Dust is swirling 
Round and round

 

Rooted, grounded 
Sacred space 
Sounds are growing 
Cello, bass

 

Energy entwining 
Above, below 
Flowing, merging 
Transformation slow

 

Tempest howling 
Earth steady 
Energy growing 
Physical body ready

 

Casting off shape 
Form is a blur 
Metamorphosis, streamline 
Feathers and fur

 

Hunting the field 
Scaling the height 
Snuffling the underbrush 
Soaring in flight

 

Freedom, fluid 
The web is strumming 
Carefree, unbound 
Daylight is coming

 

Remembrance, pulling 
A drawing down 
Reverence, reluctance 
Cold wind blown

 

The beating heart 
The senses reeling 
Stretching, tingling 
Awkwardness, feeling

 

Joy in memory 
Warm blood, taste 
Physical body 
Is not in haste

 

The wind is quiet 
The moon is low 
Birds are singing 
The horizon aglow

 

A blessing received 
Sustenance given 
Time to leave 
Inspired ……. driven 

My Top 10 Fiction Reads of 2011

Before I do my top reads, I just wanted to say a huge thank you to all the authors in the world for sharing their creativity enabling me to experience lives and journeys without leaving my chair … and also to my readers and the blogging community who are supportive and make book blogging fun.  Without any of you there would be no book blog!

So without further ado … here are my top 10 reads of 2011 (in no particular order):

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness – pure heaven for me – magic, historical, folklore/myth, DNA … and  Matthew and Diana are amazing leads.  (I have had Shadow of Night – the second in the All Souls Trilogy – on pre-order for ages).

A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy 1)

Being Billy by Phil Earle – a YA novel that made me cry – very well written and just made me want to mother Billy!  A story that takes you out of your comfort zone.  Highlights that there’s always a reason behind certain behaviours and we need to look beyond that.

Being Billy

Hurry Up and Wait by Isabel Ashdown – based in the 80′s, a book I couldn’t put down.  Inference and sub-plots kept my interest.

Hurry Up and Wait

Caligula by Douglas Jackson.  Historical.  Caligula took me on a trip to the past and involved me in lives that felt real!

Caligula (Roman Trilogy 1)

The Secrets Between Us by Louise Douglas.  Passion, tension.  Again inference.  The psychological mind games had the hairs bristling on the back of my neck and I had goosebumps.

The Secrets Between Us

December Moon by Suzy Turner.  YA novel, the second in the Raven trilogy.  Another magical world that is populated with brilliant characters.  I couldn’t stop reading – the action and tension builds all the time so that half-way through we have a major crises and the consequences of that cause major rumbles throughout the rest of the story.  (I am eagerly awaiting The Lost Soul Mar 2012)

December Moon (The Raven Saga)

Strings Attached by Mandy Baggot.  Chick lit at its finest.  Plot surprises I didn’t see coming.  Could believe I was there in the UK and Spain.  Also, the best male lead this year for me is Quinn.

Strings Attached

Tears & Laughter & Happy Ever After – anthology.  Not usually a fan of short stories in one book, I was so engrossed I even read at the dinner table!  These twenty-six short stories had me thinking about life.  Loved the ‘meaning’ behind each one.

Tears and Laughter and Happy Ever After

Miracle on Regent Street by Ali Harris.  Chick Lit. Loved the transformation of Evie taking place alongside the transformation of Hardy’s.  LOVED ‘the wardrobe’.  Male leads gorgeous.  The scenes inside Hardy’s just took my breath away.  If this was a movie, I would be watching again and again and …

Miracle on Regent Street

Watch Over Me by Daniela Sacerdoti.  Beautiful and fluid writing.  Poignant love story, traditions, family and belonging.  The difference in this love story is the extra help from ‘beyond the grave.’  One of the best debut novels I’ve read.

Watch Over Me

December Moon by Suzy Turner

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 356 KB
  • Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
  • Publisher: Suzanne Turner Publishing (27 Aug 2011)
  • Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
  • Language English
  • ASIN: B005JOXSZ6

 


Synopsis from Amazon: 
On her 15th birthday, December Moon discovers she is the descendant of a family of witches, kept in the dark her entire life in an effort to protect her. But when Lilly, her best friend, finds herself in danger from one of the world’s most evil vampires, December will do everything in her power to stop him.
December Moon is Part Two in The Raven Saga and is an urban fantasy novel for children and young adults.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In August I reviewed Raven which is Part 1 of The RavenSaga. 
  
In September I interviewed author Suzy Turner as part of her tour to launch December Moon.   One of my questions was ‘What can readers hope to experience as they follow December Moon on her journey?’ and Suzy answered:  I hope they will enjoy the story as much as Raven, if not more.  I actually had more fun writing December Moon as there are some fabulous new characters and a bit more action.
So what did I think about December Moon?
Just before December’s 15th  birthday she wishes for something to help alleviate something that gives her great angst and what she wishes for happens.  She also has a dream.  On the day of her 15th birthday life changes for her dramatically. Leaving her aunt Penelope behind, she journeys to Seattle with chauffeur Monty to live with her mother Moira and ghostly grandmother Ruby and discovers she is a witch, descended from a long line of respected witches.
December and Lilly have stayed in contact throughout the year they’ve been apart but now they both have a secret they’re unable to tell each other.  That is until Lilly witnesses something horrific on her way to her aunt Rose’s home and from that time, December and Lilly’s lives become tangled with each other when the Elders and the community of witches join together to help rid the Powell River community of one of the oldest and most evil vampires – who is focussed on the one thing he wants and is causing utter destruction so that he can get it.
Until they meet, December Moon and Lilly’s lives are told by using alternating chapters.  As each chapter ends, we are left wanting to know more (for instance leaving the reader on a question).  The action and tension is building all the time so that half-way through, we have a major crises and the consequences of that causes major rumbles through the rest of the story.  I have to say the action is totally gripping!
Raven is told in the first person from Lilly’s perspective and has a sombre tone as the foundations are made for the saga to continue.  December Moon is told in the third person and lets us get to know some brilliant characters and experience the relationships that the other characters have.  I really enjoyed the relationship Moira has with her own ghostly mother Ruby.  I found this quite humorous.  Despite the tenseness we also get to see December Moon and Lilly as young adults – the fun aspect of their relationship.  We get to meet many of those who are living with the Elders in their community in the caves as we spend some time with them.    The different style and pace of both suit exactly the needs of the characters and the storyline.
The character that I hoped would return does and wow, what away to have a character re-entering a story J
You don’t have to read Raven to be able to understand December Moon – the author cleverly weaves the important information in at relevant times although with a trilogy, personally I like to read all the books!
One night, after midnight, I was still engrossed in December Moon but I was struggling to keep my eyes open … as soon as I could the next day I had to start reading again because the story just kept flashing into my mind.
We are left with a cliff-hanger – who is the lost soul whose presence has been felt by the girls? There’s still a little time to wait until we can find out as The Lost Soul (final part of The Raven Saga) is coming March 2012.  I for one am waiting …
Again, although December Moon is a young adult novel, I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the supernatural and paranormal.  There is much to absorb you as an adult!
I am giving December Moon the following rating:

Buy it but be loathe to share your copy … it’s a keeper!

I would like to thank the author for providing me with an e-copy to review. 


You can find our more about Suzy on her website and catch her on her blog.  Suzy also tweets and you can find her on Facebook.

 

Virtual Book Tour stop for December Moon by Suzy Turner

Today I would like to introduce you to Suzy Turner who is stopping off at Jera’s Jamboree as part of her virtual book tour tolaunch December Moon (Part II in The Raven Saga).






Hi Suzy,

The Raven Saga is a fantasy journey written for children and young adults. For readers who may not have read Part I (Raven), please would you share with us a brief synopis:

Absolutely! After the inexplicable disappearance of Lilly Taylor’s parents, she has no choice but to move to Canada where she unravels some frightening yet intriguing family secrets…
Her whole life had been based on a lie. Lilly had grown up in a loveless home with a father who she had barely ever seen and a mother who was… well, not very motherly.
After they mysteriously disappear without a trace, Lilly is sent to Canada where she finds a whole new way of life. A life filled with love and people who care for her. But that’s not all she discovers, Lilly also finds out that she isn’t who, or what, she thinks she is.
Lilly has a very special ability and it’s just a matter of time before her true self starts to shine. And when it does, her life will never be the same again.
Raven is a fantasy novel for children and young adults set in the beautiful province of British Columbia.



December Moon is Lilly’s one and only friend in the UK. I wanted to find out more about her as the brief introduction we have to her in Raven intrigued me. Was it always your plan for December Moon’s story to be told?

Not at all! December Moon didn’t actually exist in the first draft of Raven. It was on the advice of a friend (who happens to be a school teacher), that perhaps I should introduce a friend for Lilly, that she was created. The moment she stepped into that school room, I loved her. She’s so quirky! But it wasn’t until after I wrote Raven that I realised I wanted more for her character.



What was the inspiration behind The Raven Saga? Where did your ideas come from?

The inspiration came in Powell River… the place where The Raven Saga is set. It’s a town in British Columbia, Canada. A couple of years ago, I travelled all over western Canada with my husband and some friends. I totally fell in love with the country but it wasn’t until we were sitting having a picnic in a small bay in Powell River that I realised it was the perfect spot for supernatural tales. It was gorgeous, mysterious and eerie… I loved it!



What can readers hope to experience as they follow December Moon on her journey?

I hope they will enjoy the story as much as Raven, if not more. I actually had more fun writing December Moon as there are some fabulous new characters and a bit more action. Raven was more sombre as Lilly made all those frightening discoveries, whereas December Moon is about them coming together in the supernatural world.





How did December Moon’s character take shape? How did she become real for you?

I have to say she was quite an easy character. She’s so quirky and fun, even though she was brought up in an environment with a horrible aunt, she was pretty much left to her own devices so she’s quite grounded. The second I introduced her to the world, she became very real to me. I had such a strong image of her and when I found that photo for the cover, I was so excited because that was exactly how I saw her: unusually pretty with huge blue eyes.






Did you listen to any playlists as you were writing the Raven saga?

Oh yes! I love to listen to music that’s a bit eerie, if that makes sense. I’m isnpired by songs from certain movies, too. Here is a short list of some of the songs:
Cry Little Sister by Aiden (well known from The Lost Boys OST)
Dreamland album by Robert Miles
Dreaming by Aurora
I Fall by Carol Tatum
Bella’s Lullaby from Twilight
Honor Him from Gladiator OST
Cancao do Mar by Dulce Pontes (this is actually featured in Raven)
Paper Wings from Hope Floats OST
Flightless Bird from Twilight OST
Premonition by Klaus Bedelt from the Premonition OST
Eloi by Klaus Bedelt from The Time Machine OST
Raven by Lisa Marie Presley
Possibility by Lykke Li
Is This Real, Practical Magic & Amas Veritas from Practical Magic OST
Caged, Neverending Story, Deceiver of Fools & by Within Temptation
Theme from Harry’s Game by Clannad
Pretty much anything by Roberto Carlos Nakai


Sorry, I got a bit carried away there. I love music and I find it so inspiring. There are so many more I listen to but I ought to stop here!



Where is Raven and December Moon available to purchase?

Amazon, Smashwords, ibooks, Barnes & Noble. All good online retailers!



And finally, is there another story to be told in The Raven Saga?

Yes… the third and final instalment in The Raven Saga is called The Lost Soul and should be out in February 2012.


Thank you for spending time with us today and we wish you success with all of the titles in the Raven Saga J

I’ve had a great time! Thank you!


More information about author Suzy Turner:

Although Suzy is a Yorkshire lass at heart, she left her home town of Rotherham, UK, to move to Portugal with her family when she was ten.

The Algarve continues to be her home, where she lives with her childhood sweetheart and husband of 13 years, Michael, and their menagerie of dogs and cats.
Suzy’s career began soon after completing her A levels when she was offered the position of trainee journalist for a local English newspaper. Her love of writing developed and a few years later she moved on to become assistant editor for the region’s largest English language publisher. Since then she has also worked as the editor of one of the Algarve’s most loved monthly lifestyle magazines. Early in 2010 however, she began her real journey as an author. Suzy writes both YA urban fantasy and chick lit.
Visit her website, read her blog, find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.


You can read my review for Raven here.


















Round up August 2011

Here we are at the end of August already!


This month, Jera’s Jamboree was excited to be given the Liebster Award from Carol at DizzyC’s Little Book Blog and honoured to pass on the award to other new bloggers (you can find out more about the award and see who received the award here).

More exciting news to share … my blog introducing The Light Direction novel series by Ces Loftus won the handcrafted Tri-Love necklace,which was commissioned exclusively for the novel series and crafted by Sarah Marks at Tiny Gems!  Very exciting.



Self-published author Nicky Wells’ interview gained a lot of support from readers and I’m pleased to announce this prompted a virtual book tour for ‘Sophie’s Turn’.  You can read the schedule of interviews and giveaways on Nicky’s website.   Links are on the right-hand side.

Jera’s Jamboree Facebook numbers have increased and I’ve had positive feedback.  Thank you.

Next month, Jera’s Jamboree is pleased to be one of the hosts for author Suzy Tuner‘s virtual book tour to promote December Moon – the second story in the trilogy of The Raven Saga. Mid-September you will be able to read Suzy’s interview and find out more about this YA urban fantasy trilogy.


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The three most popular reviews this month are very different genres!







Caligula by Douglas Jackson


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Book lovers in the following countries have read Jera’s Jamboree reviews:

UK
US
Canada
Germany
Ireland
Netherlands
India
Spain
Estonia
Portugal

Thank you to everyone for your support.  It is very much appreciated.  

Raven (The Raven Saga) by Suzy Turner

Synopsis from Amazon:
  
After the inexplicable disappearance of Lilly Taylor’s parents, she has no choice but to move to Canada where she unravels some frightening yet intriguing family secrets…

Her whole life had been based on a lie. Lilly had grown up in a loveless home with a father who she had barely ever seen and a mother who was… well, not very motherly.
After they mysteriously disappear without a trace, Lilly is sent to Canada where she finds a whole new way of life. A life filled with love and people who care for her. But that’s not all she discovers, Lilly also finds out that she isn’t who, or what, she thinks she is. 

Lilly has a very special ability and it’s just a matter of time before her true self starts to shine. And when it does, her life will never be the same again. 



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Raven is Part I in The Raven Saga and is an urban fantasy novel for children and young adults. 

I first became aware of Suzy Turner on author Mandy Baggot’s new feature on her blog called Meet and Greet.  You may already know that I love video trailers for books so of course I couldn’t resist watching the linked video trailer for Raven …………. and was intrigued enough to download a copy for my Kindle.

Raven begins with Lilly’s day-to-day life, the routine that she has with her parents.  It is very rarely that she has contact with her father and her mother only sees her to feed her – food which is always from tins.  Her parents stay locked in a room.  At school she is a loner and nicknamed ‘Mellow Yellow’ because of the colour of the clothes she always wears.  A new girl starts at school, December Moon, and they become close.  Lilly’s mother is always watching at the window when Lilly returns home from school for lunch and at the end of the day.  One day, Lilly returns, glances up to the window, to see nothing – no mother watching.  It is from this point that Lilly’s life changes dramatically.

At first Lilly stays with the two older ladies in a flat in the same building and she is taught basic cooking skills.  At night, two ravens knock on her window and this gives Lilly a sense of comfort.  I have a feeling that the two older ladies are important in ways that we don’t find out about in Part I.

In Powell River, Canada, Lilly gets to know her family and settles into her life.  Not only does she learn and use the genetic inheritance that has always been hers but also comes to understand why her childhood was as it was.  The relationship Lilly has with her cousin Jo is brilliant.  I loved the bond they had between them and this relationship is central to resolving some issues.  Another character I identified with is the gentle Rose – the maternal role she takes on for Lilly is perfect.

I always enjoy watching a character grow and we certainly get to see that for Lilly.  Due to her strange childhood, Lilly starts off as a very serious and lonely 13 year old.  She has no expectations of life and because she has no contact with other children, believes her life is normal.  She leads a very empty existence.  Once in Canada, we see her accepting the love of the paternal side of her family and she blossoms.  She becomes someone who believes in herself and the roots give her confidence to explore and find herself. 

The quest that Lilly and her grandfather Gabriel make to The Elders intrigued me.  I was waiting for a crisis to happen and when it did, I thought it was brilliant.  I loved the symbolism of the cave and the cage ………… and owls being one of my totems, I was delighted to find an owl as part of the story!  Lilly really comes into her own when dealing with the crisis – I was cheering her on!

Raven ends very cleverly – a resolution for Rose – but we have no knowledge yet of where Lilly’s father is.  We lose two male characters at different parts in the story and I am intrigued to find out if there will be another male character to take their place.  Specifically I’m hoping to see the return of one of them ………….  I am eagerly awaiting Part II of The Raven Saga ‘December Moon’ which is released in September J

Raven is written in the first person from the perspective of Lilly.  This alongside the style of writing works really well.  Raven is easy to read, with tension building and resolution in several places.  The plot and the fantastic characters held my attention throughout.      

Raven is a story that includes family relationships, love, shapechanging, werewolves, witches, vampires and magic.  A fabulous mix for an adventure!

Although children and young adults are Raven’s target audience, I would also recommend Raven for any adults who love the magical and paranormal!

I am delighted to be hosting Suzy Turner at Jera’s Jamboree as part of her virtual book launch for December Moon (The Raven Saga Part II).  Check back on my blog on 12th September.

You can find our more about Suzy and read a sample of Raven on her website and catch her on her blog.  Suzy also tweets and you can find her on Facebook.


http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=jersjam-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=B004ZZJ462&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr