Best Book I've Read in A WHILE: THIS IS OUR STORY by Ashley Elston

Title: This is Our Story
Author: Ashley Elston
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: November 15, 2016
Source: ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

No one knows what happened that morning at River Point. Five boys went hunting. Four came back. The boys won’t say who fired the shot that killed their friend; the evidence shows it could have been any one of them.

Kate Marino’s senior year internship at the District Attorney’s Office isn’t exactly glamorous—more like an excuse to leave school early that looks good on college applications. Then the DA hands her boss, Mr. Stone, the biggest case her small town of Belle Terre has ever seen. The River Point Boys are all anyone can talk about. Despite their damning toxicology reports the morning of the accident, the DA wants the boys’ case swept under the rug. He owes his political office to their powerful families.

Kate won’t let that happen. Digging up secrets without revealing her own is a dangerous line to walk; Kate has her own reasons for seeking justice for Grant. As she and Stone investigate—the ageing prosecutor relying on Kate to see and hear what he cannot—she realizes that nothing about the case—or the boys—is what it seems. Grant wasn’t who she thought he was, and neither is Stone’s prime suspect. As Kate gets dangerously close to the truth, it becomes clear that the early morning accident might not have been an accident at all—and if Kate doesn’t uncover the true killer, more than one life could be on the line…including her own.

I've had this ARC for months, but I wanted to wait until I was in the perfect mood for it because if blogging has taught me anything, it's that I am SUCH a mood reader. And I also know from experience that forcing myself to read a book when I'm not in the right frame of mind for it can be detrimental to my mental state, as well as reflect poorly on the book itself. And with a book like this, that I've been anticipating for some time, I didn't want to take any chances. But with hunting season -- or I should say, rifle season -- having just started here in Texas, it finally felt like the right time.

I haven't been writing many full-length reviews lately, but honestly, this book couldn't be summed up in just a few short lines like my regular snippet reviews of late. It's near-perfection means that I just have to regale you with just how amazing this story is. And. It. Is. Amazing.

I like sleep a lot. Sure, when I was younger, I used to stay up till the wee hours of the morning to finish a book in one sitting, but those days are pretty much past me. Except when it comes to a book like this one. It's SO rare for me to forego sleep in the name of a good book, but for the past two nights, I have stayed up reading This is Our Story and I haven't regretted a single second of missed sleep. I don't know that I've read a book that kept me on the edge of my seat like this one in ages...maybe ever.

It's not often that a suspenseful book can actually keep me in suspense, but this novel managed it. There were aspects that I definitely figured out beforehand, but the mystery at the heart of the story -- who killed Grant Perkins -- remained hidden for me throughout the story. Sure, looking back now, I should have seen it, but the red herrings and misdirections were so twisty and cleverly-plotted that I never realized I was being misled. That is quite a talent considering I'm usually only 20% into a story before I've figured out everything. I was just so invested, so captivated by the drama unfolding, that I never saw it. And I'm glad for it because it made that ending so much more powerful.

And let's be real...I was also a bit totally distracted by the romance, which was ill-advised at worst and oh-so-sweet at best. Kate took a lot of chances. I think things would have gone very differently, had she not been involved with the case, but then where would the story be? It wouldn't be THEIR story, that's for sure.

A few other things I want to mention before I just start screaming at you to go get this book because you absolutely have to read it and love it and caress that beautiful cover:

- I LOVED the way this story is told, with alternating chapters from the killer's POV and Kate's perspective. I also loved the addition of interrogation transcripts and text messages between Kate and her prospective love interest. Mixed media to tell a complete story is quickly becoming my favorite format. It's so inclusive and really makes you feel a part of the story. Honestly, I was kind of waiting for the audiobook - which apparently isn't a thing yet - but I'm glad I read the book instead because of the format.

- My husband is an avid hunter, so I worried about how realistic this story would be, how true to real-life it would hold. But it's not really about the hunting experience, more the experience of losing a friend and having it pinned on his four closest friends and what that does to a community, especially a small one like the one depicted in this story. I will point out that I find it hard to believe that these kids were hunting for deer with GUNS on October 5th. I know that different regions have different rules and regulations, but I find that awful early, considering that's usually when archery season starts for deer here in Texas. I researched it a little, just to satisfy my own curiosity, but I'm still not 100% on it so I'm not gonna quote facts. Plus, I get that the kids were all dicking around and probably had no intention of actually shooting a deer that morning, plus they were on private property and the rules are often different in those circumstances, as well. So, probably not worth mentioning, lol. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

- The characters in this novel are just all so wonderfully complicated. Their friendships run deep and their loyalties run deeper still. It was kind of heart-breaking to watch it all crumble, but also immensely fascinating.

- This story DEFINITELY got that small town feel right, where everyone knows your business, sometimes even before you do. And I especially loved what the author did with the "good ole boy" system...so gratifying.

This was my first experience reading an Ashley Elston novel, but I cannot sing its praises enough. If you love a thriller that will keep you guessing, that will keep you turning the pages and then turning them back to double-check things, YOU WANT THIS BOOK.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Ashley Elston lives is North Louisiana with her husband and three sons. She worked as a wedding and portrait photographer for ten years until she decided to pursue writing full time. Ashley is also a certified landscape horticulturist and loves digging in the dirt. Her debut novel, THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING, was published by Disney Hyperion in 2013 and the sequel, THE RULES FOR BREAKING, in 2014. Her latest novel, THIS IS OUR STORY, will be published on November 15, 2016.

Find Ashley:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram

Read More

Labels: ashley elston, beautiful covers, contemporary, disney, favorites, murder mystery, must-read, psychological thriller, reviews, this is our story

{Blog Tour & Giveaway} Ellie Marney's Playlist for #EveryWord

Hey, guys! Thanks for checking out my stop on the Every Word Blog Tour to celebrate the US release! You might be living under a rock if you haven't heard anything about this series yet, but that's okay. You're definitely going to want to read it after you check out the author's playlist below! And you'll probably get the urge to dance, too. :)

EVERY WORD

By Ellie Marney

In stores now!!!

Order Every Word: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Fishpond | The Book Depository
Here's the blurb:

James Mycroft has just left for London to investigate a car accident similar to the one that killed his parents seven years ago...without saying goodbye to Rachel Watts, his 'partner in crime'.

Rachel is furious and worried about his strange behaviour - not that Mycroft's ever exactly normal, but London is the scene of so many of his nightmares. So Rachel jumps on a plane to follow him...and lands straight in a whole storm of trouble.

The theft of a copy of Shakespeare's First Folio, the possible murder of a rare books conservator, and the deaths of Mycroft's parents...Can Watts help Mycroft make sense of the three events - or will she lose him forever?

Sparks fly when Watts and Mycroft reunite in this second sophisticated thriller about the teen sleuthing duo.

EVERY WORD SONGLIST

Hi there, and welcome to the Every Word blog tour!

Jen has asked me to put together a little songlist for the book to show you all – that proved to be the easy part, cos I always have a playlist for every book I write.

What is a bit strange, I guess, is that I actually hate listening to music while I write.  I find it too hard to compose words in my head when there’s music-words playing in the background – actually, even instrumental music puts me off!

But like I said, each book always seems to gather its own little playlist that I usually hammer while I’m in the car, driving to wherever (you do a lot of driving when you live in the country), or while I’m doing dishes or something…I do find music inspiring, and great for setting the mood.

So here are the songs for Every Word.  Hope you find some of them enticing enough to add to your own playlist!

Prytania – Mute Math: This is the song I always imagined for the opening credits, if Every Word was ever made into a movie (in my wildest flights of fantasy this happens, lol).  I think it had something to do with the fact that when I first listened to the song, I misheard the lyric – I thought they were singing ‘Britannia’ (instead of ‘Prytania’), which made me think of England, and…yeah, okay, kinda stupid, but it still stuck with me!  Also something about the upbeat action of the music reminded me of Rachel and Mycroft’s journey for this book.

Rocksteady – The Bloody Beetroots: For the roller derby scene, obviously.  It’s actually mentioned by name on page 4.  The Bloody Beetroots are an Italian electro-house outfit.

Gold on the Ceiling – The Black Keys: Mycroft has a little obsession with The Black Keys, you might have noticed – he always has a Black Keys song on the hop, and for this book, he loved this song.

Lay Your Love on Me – Racey: This is what plays on Mycroft’s ringtone on page 18, with the ‘tacky Casio-organ intro’ – it interrupts a rather (ahem) heated moment between Rachel and Mycroft.  I changed my mind a few times about this song, because I thought it was too daggy.  But then I figured, Mycroft is kind of daggy, in an off-beat way.  That’s one of the things I like best about him!  What finally convinced me to include it were the lyrics: ‘Every word you say/ every move you make now…’

Wide Load – Ainslie Wills:  This is a beautiful, mournful song of regret by a singer-songwriter from Ballarat, which is a regional town about an hour away from where I live.  Ainslie Wills’s voice is gorgeous, and the clip for this is unusual too.  I think it sets the mood perfectly for the scene where Rachel sees Mycroft through the window of his room, late at night, on page 34.

London Calling – The Clash: Yeeess – the ultimate song for arriving in London.  What else could you use?  Plus, Mycroft mentions the Clash specifically during one of those hair-raising drives with Professor Walsh, on their way to the Westminster Mortuary on page 120.

Royals – Lorde: This song was massive while I was in London researching the book – omg, it was played everywhere.  On the day I went to visit the Sherlock Holmes museum I caught the train to Marylebone, and there was actually a busker playing it on a saxophone in the tunnel, while I was on the escalator going up…so I wrote it into the scene where Alicia and Rachel visit the Sherlock Holmes museum, on page 161.

Fine Shrine – Purity Ring : This song is for Rachel, swimming back to consciousness after a (no spoilers!) traumatic event on page 258.  It’s a very odd song: sweet but disturbing (listen to the lyrics and you’ll know why).  It sounds like a bubblegum pop song that’s been warped and turned inside out so you can see the entrails – which is a lot like I imagined Rachel would feel at that point.

Burning Down the House – Talking Heads: Omg, this song would not leave me alone during the writing of Every Word.  I love Talking Heads, and I actually wanted to use a quote from this song (‘Strange but not a stranger’) in the front of the book, but later realised that a Shakespeare quote would fit better.  But it’s still a song I associate with the book – especially after what happens on page 269…

Stay – Rihanna: This song is very melancholy and yearning – I thought of it immediately for the scene out in Rachel’s front yard, before the final scene of the book, when she and Mycroft are talking.  It’s mentioned by name on page 327.

Straight Lines – Silverchair : Another song that ear-wormed me!  Silverchair are another indie Aussie band, fronted by this incredibly talented (and gorgeous) guy called Daniel Johns.

(see?  Incredibly talented and gorgeous)

Silverchair are actually a part of a lot of people’s growing up in Australia, I think, because they began releasing music when the guys in the group were all about fifteen or sixteen, so they’ve been going a long time, and they still create amazing music now.  This song is about finding a balance in your life, and I think it would make a great ‘closing credits’ song for the (imaginary) Every Word movie.

xxEllie

About the author:

Ellie Marney was born in Brisbane, and has lived in Indonesia, Singapore and India. Now she writes, teaches, talks about kid’s literature at libraries and schools, and gardens when she can, while living in a country idyll (actually a very messy wooden house on ten acres with a dog and lots of chickens) near Castlemaine, in north-central Victoria. Her partner and four sons still love her, even though she often forgets things and lets the housework go.

Ellie’s short stories for adults have won awards and been published in various anthologies. Every Breath is her first novel for young adults.

Find Ellie:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest

A giveaway, you say!?! Yep, one lucky winner from the US/Canada will receive their very own copy of Every Word!

Rules:

• This giveaway is US/CAN only.
• One entry per household. 
• Entries will be verified. Any entry found to be falsified will result in disqualification of all entries for that participant.
• Please note that if you use your Twitter account solely for giveaway entries and you enter using the Tweet about the Giveaway entry, that entry will be disqualified. Please remember that this entry method is to spread the word about the cover reveal and giveaway, not simply increase your chances of winning.
• Winner will be notified via email. Winner will then have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be selected. Please check your SPAM folder!!! 
• We are not responsible for lost packages. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thank you so much, Ellie, for stopping by and sharing your playlist with us! I love so many of the songs you featured!

Be sure to check out the rest of the Every Word Blog Tour:

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2015
Samantha at Bellsie Books
Mandy C. at Forever Young Adult
Eri at Airy Reads
Heather at Books and Quilts
Nicole at Reading Lark

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015
Shelly at Books and Writing
Michelle at Michelle & Leslie’s Book Picks
Jen at The Starry-Eyed Revue (you are here!)
Amanda at Gun in Act One

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015
Gillian at Writer of Wrongs
Shilpa at sukasareads.com
Sabrina at Hiver et Café
Adrienne at Books and Bassets

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015
Michelle at FAB BOOK REVIEWS
Marie at Ramblings of a Daydreamer
Liz at Midnight Bloom Reads
Amy at Tripping Over Books
Rachel at The Readers Den

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2015
Lauren at Love is not a triangle
Kristen at My Friends Are Fiction
Morgan at Gone with the Words
Leanne at Author Leanne Dyck

You guys absolutely have to check out this series if you haven't already. It's insanely addicting, especially for a Sherlock fan like myself. Plus, it helps pass the time while we wait for the new Sherlock special! :) #Wattscroft forever!!!

Read More

Labels: aussie, blog tour, ellie marney, every, favorites, guest post, murder mystery, random house, sherlock holmes

{Audiobook} Review: Jackaby by William Ritter

Title: Jackaby
Author: William Ritter
Narrator(s): Nicola Barber
Series: Jackaby, book #1
Length: 7 hrs 21 mins
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers/Recorded Books
Publication Date: September 16, 2014
Source: from publisher via Edelweiss, won signed copy, purchased audiobook
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

“Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion--and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.”

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.

Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.

I put off reviewing this book, well, because I'm lazy. And honestly, that summary does a great job of telling you what you're going to get with Jackaby. When it says Doctor Who meets Sherlock, it means it. You've got the paranormal aspects of Doctor Who set as the backdrop for a murder mystery the likes of which Sherlock would love to get his hands on.

Just like the two BBC shows that seem to be at least partly the inspiration for Jackaby, this novel includes a healthy dose of humor to the story to lessen the effects of the grisly tale held within its pages. I love a great mystery novel, but it can't always be murder and mayhem, especially when there's little to no romance to be had to distract you from the gruesomeness.

Much like Sherlock, Jackaby is the type of character to find romance a very unnecessary diversion from the matter at hand…even a complication. So, the romance is left to young Abigail, who seems to have struck the fancy of Detective Cane. Though the thought has been planted, it's unlikely we'll see any real swoons until later in the series. And I applaud that…this isn't really the type of mystery novel to really call for a love story.

Ritter has created such a rich world in Jackaby that I found myself immediately immersed in it, as if I, too, were walking the streets of New England, trying to crack the case. Set near the turn of the century, the depiction of New Fiddleham and what lurked there was elaborate and breath-taking. The story was unique in its execution, and I found myself at the end of the story before I knew what had happened.

Jackaby does, however, remind me of another series I started listening to right around the same time: The Paper Magician trilogy, which I briefly reviewed on Goodreads. If you enjoyed those books, you'll likely enjoy this new Sherlockian series and vice versa. Also, Nicola Barber is a fantastic narrator for this series. I've listened to many audiobooks performed by her, and I've never been disappointed. Her accent also lends an air of authenticity to the story.

And what a story it was! I've always been a fan of Sherlockian-type mysteries, and William Ritter's Jackaby is no exception. I just saw that the cover for the sequel was revealed while I was on vacation last week -- that or I missed it recently -- and I might love it even more than this one. Which was why I was finally inspired to write my review for this amazing book.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

William Ritter began writing Jackaby in the middle of the night when his son was still an infant. After getting up to care for him, Will would lie awake, his mind creating rich worlds and fantasies—such as the one in New Fiddleham. Will lives and teaches in Springfield, Oregon. Jackaby is his first novel.

Find William:

Twitter | Goodreads

Read More

Labels: 2014 debut, algonquin, audiobooks, beautiful covers, jackaby, murder mystery, paranormal, reviews, sherlock holmes, william ritter

Waiting on Wednesday: P.S. I Still Love You & A Madness So Discreet

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selections are...








's Pick:




Title: P.S. I Still Love You
Author: Jenny Han
Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before # 2
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: May 26th, 2015

Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.

She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.

When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I've Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that’s part of makes it so amazing.

I love Jenny Han. Her Summer Series is one of my faves. I really adored To All the Boys I've Loved Before, so I cannot stinking wait until this one comes out! :)






's Pick:



Title: A Madness So Discreet
Author: Mindy McGinnis
Series: n/a
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Publication Date: October 6, 2015

Grace Mae knows madness. She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us.

I loved Mindy's debut and her follow-up to Not a Drop to Drink wasn't bad either. But I think I'm going to love A Madness So Discreet best, and not just because of that gorgeous cover. I love stories involving characters who are thought to be insane, whether there's any truth to that assumption or not. I'm thinking this might be a kind of reversal of Jackaby, and I am delighted by the possibility.


What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

Read More

Labels: a madness so discreet, beautiful covers, grabby hands, harper-collins, Jenny Han, mindy mcginnis, murder mystery, waiting on wednesday (wow)

Review: Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Title: Killer Instinct
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Series: The Naturals, book #2
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: November 4, 2014
Source: ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes has a gift for profiling people. Her talent has landed her a spot in an elite FBI program for teens with innate crime-solving abilities, and into some harrowing situations. After barely escaping a confrontation with an unbalanced killer obsessed with her mother’s murder, Cassie hopes she and the rest of the team can stick to solving cold cases from a distance.

But when victims of a brutal new serial killer start turning up, the Naturals are pulled into an active case that strikes too close to home: the killer is a perfect copycat of Dean’s incarcerated father—a man he’d do anything to forget. Forced deeper into a murderer’s psyche than ever before, will the Naturals be able to outsmart the enigmatic killer’s brutal mind games before this copycat twists them into his web for good?

With her trademark wit, brilliant plotting, and twists that no one will see coming, Jennifer Lynn Barnes will keep readers on the edge of their seats (and looking over their shoulders) as they race through the pages of this thrilling novel.

Do any of you watch The Following? That Kevin Bacon show on Fox that follows his character as he tries to determine a serial killer's next move in an attempt to save the next victim? This book reminded me a lot of that show -- especially the utilization of a criminal mastermind already serving time for over a dozen murders -- and that isn't a bad thing. I really thought I wasn't going to like that series because of all of the gratuitous violence, but as it turns out, I rather like trying to get inside the head of a serial killer. And that's exactly what the Naturals are up to in this sequel.

The gang's all back together and they're still trying to cope with the fact that none of them realized that there was a serial killer in their midst this past summer. To take their minds off of that, there's a new serial killer in town and he's mimicking the murders of one Daniel Redding...who just happens to be Dean's serial killer father who's been locked away in prison for the last five years. As you can probably guess, because of that, this book focuses on Dean a lot, though it's still narrated by Cassie, who spends a lot of her time analyzing Dean while also trying not to push him further away.

And while she pretty much fails at that 90% of the time, she's still got Michael not pressuring her -- but totally pressuring her -- to come to a decision, i.e. pick him or Dean, once and for all. Of course, he obviously thinks she's going to pick him with that kind of confidence and determination, but Cassie is all over the place. This love triangle of doom, while not the focus of these books, drove me a little nuts because one minute Cassie doesn't want to feel anything for either boy, the next she's nearly kissing Michael, and the next she's having a heart-to-heart with Dean, trying to gauge his feelings, if any, for her. It seems pretty well resolved by the end of this novel, but I don't necessarily like the path it took to get there.

Like I said, that's not the focal point of this novel, though. The copycat serial killer is and more is at stake now than ever before. Because of who the killer is copying. Because there's a new agent on the case to replace Locke. Because of said agent's relationship to both Briggs and the serial killer. Because no matter how much the FBI wants to keep the Naturals off the active cases, they need these kids' help because of their special abilities.

Things were slow in the beginning of this novel, with the post-Locke adjustments and the Agent Sterling adjustments, but the plot is absorbing in a way that even the first book wasn't. And yet again, Barnes was able to create some really great twists that I did not see coming. I was excited to see that after The Naturals, there would be a follow-up to Cassie's story. I am even more giddy with the ending to Killer Instinct because it seems like there's quite a bit more story to tell and I'm very eager to get to it.

GIF it to me straight:

Oooh, creepy...but definitely something to keep in mind.

About the author:

Jennifer Lynn Barnes (who mostly goes by Jen) was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has been, in turn, a competitive cheerleader, a volleyball player, a dancer, a debutante, a primate cognition researcher, a teen model, a comic book geek, and a lemur aficionado. She's been writing for as long as she can remember, finished her first full book (which she now refers to as a "practice book" and which none of you will ever see) when she was still in high school, and then wrote Golden the summer after her freshman year in college, when she was nineteen.

Jen graduated high school in 2002, and from Yale University with a degree in cognitive science (the study of the brain and thought) in May of 2006. She was awarded a Fulbright to do post-graduate work at Cambridge, and then returned to the states, where she is hard at work on her PhD.

Find Jen:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Tumblr

Read More

Labels: disney hyperion, favorites, jennifer lynn barnes, murder mystery, psychological thriller, reviews, the naturals

{Blog Tour} Tea Time with Ellie Marney, author of Every Breath

Hey, guys! Today, I have the utmost pleasure in bringing you a guest post from the author of one of my favorite new series. The EVERY series focuses on Rachel Watts and James Mycroft and their Sherlockian-type adventures. This series is written by the immensely talented Ellie Marney, who also happens to be a native of Australia. I'll say it again: I've never met (or read!) an Aussie I didn't like, and Ellie is no exception.

In Every Breath, tea is mentioned -- and consumed! -- a lot. I like tea quite a bit, even hot tea, though it's not really all that favored in my neck of the woods. No, in the South, we drink the sweetest iced tea we can get our hands on. Anyway, because tea was so noteworthy in this novel, I asked Ellie to explore the tea-drinking custom as it relates to Every Breath. And she did us one better...she even provides us a demonstration! But first, a little about the book everyone's been talking about these past few weeks:

EVERY BREATH

By Ellie Marney

In stores now!!!

Order Every Breath: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Fishpond | The Book Depository
Here's the blurb:

When James Mycroft drags Rachel Watts off on a night mission to the Melbourne Zoo, the last thing she expects to find is the mutilated body of Homeless Dave, one of Mycroft's numerous eccentric friends. But Mycroft's passion for forensics leads him to realize that something about the scene isn't right--and he wants Watts to help him investigate the murder.

While Watts battles her attraction to bad-boy Mycroft, he's busy getting himself expelled and clashing with the police, becoming murder suspect number one. When Watts and Mycroft unknowingly reveal too much to the cold-blooded killer, they find themselves in the lion's den--literally. A trip to the zoo will never have quite the same meaning to Rachel Watts again...

‘I can hear [Mycroft] banging around in the kitchen.  He’ll be boiling a saucepan full of water with five extra-strong teabags, then fishing out the teabags and dumping in about half a can of condensed milk before pouring the whole mess into a giant thermos that stands ready on the kitchen bench…’

Tea, glorious tea!

Now you might think that the example I quoted, about Mycroft’s tea-making habits, is a bit unusual – and you’d be right.  Most people here in Australia don’t make tea like that.  We usually stick to the English tradition and make tea the more conventional way.

But what’s the conventional way?  Because Jen told me that in North America, tea isn’t usually drunk hot.  She said that if you want a hot drink, you have a coffee, and you drink your tea iced, and very sweet…which seems practically sacrilegious to me!  It’s certainly not the way I would make it, and definitely not the way that Rachel and Mycroft prepare tea in Every Breath.

I have to confess I was a bit staggered to discover that the manuscript for Every Breath actually refers to tea – in its various permutations – 44 times.  That’s a heck of a lot of tea.  And most of the time it’s used as a way for the characters to chill out, or release some tension.  The act of tea-drinking calms Rachel down after discovering a dead body (p35), while talking seriously with her brother (p214), and while discussing clues with an informant (p181).  It’s also a useful distraction for both Rachel and Mycroft, when conversation gets too personal (p23, p167, p208), and in other situations, apparently just for the hell of it.

So what is this strange tea-drinking ritual?  Well, it’s sort of up to the individual.  Mycroft might be English-born, but that doesn’t stop him from making weird tea.  But here’s the standard way of making tea, in the Australian manner:

1. Fill a kettle with enough fresh water to make a cup for yourself (and a detective friend, if one is on hand).  Make sure you don’t use old water – reboiled water tastes stale.
2. Grab a mug and stick a teabag in it – Lipton’s or Bushell’s, if you really want to do it Australian-style.  Or if you prefer (and you want to go fancy) get a teapot and add one teaspoon of loose leaf black tea (or Early Grey, or English Breakfast, or Lapsong Suchong, or some other special sort) for every cup you plan to make.
3. Pour freshly boiled water over the teabag in the mug, or the leaf tea in the pot.  Let the tea steep – in other words, stand around for a few minutes and let the leaves infuse into the hot water.
4. Pour from the teapot into your cup (use a tea strainer, so you don’t get lots of manky tea-leaves floating in your drink), or remove the teabag from your mug.  Then add fresh milk, if you like white tea.  There’s no point leaving the teabag in after you add milk – once the milk is in, the tea leaves stop infusing.  I see people do that all the time though (philistines!).  Milk removes some of the astringent, tannin flavour of the tea, and some people prefer their tea black.
5. Add sugar if you fancy – usually one teaspoon is enough, but if you have a sweet tooth…
6. Sip slowly (it’s hot!  Or it should be if it’s any good) and enjoy!

So that’s how you do it!  Australians inherited their tea-drinking tendencies from the English (the colonial power who first dropped in…and stayed), and we’ve never really let it go.  Even out in the bush, when you’re cooking over a campfire, you can drink billy tea – which is loose tea or teabags boiled with water in a billy (like a little metal pot with a suspended handle), sometimes with a handful of gum leaves added in to give it a really outback flavour.

Tea is drunk in mugs, generally, or in nice china cups, or if you’re far from civilisation, in tin pannikins.  You can have it with a bikkie (biscuit) or if you want to do it ‘proper’, you can cook damper (which is a kind of bread cooked on the coals of a campfire) and eat damper with butter and golden syrup while you drink your tea (yum!).  And tea is appropriate for almost every occasion – everyone loves a good cuppa!

If you really want the low-down on how to make tea Mycroft-fashion, then check this out - I also made a little home video to show you (you also get some rather embarrassing glimpses into my home and workspace – excuse the mess!):

Anyway, however you prepare it or drink it, I hope you’re enjoying a good cup of tea (or the hot beverage of your choice), and taking the time to curl up with a good book – if that happens to be Every Breath, then even better!  Jen, thanks for having me over to visit at The Starry-Eyed Revue, and have a good week!

Xx Ellie

About the author:

Ellie Marney was born in Brisbane, and has lived in Indonesia, Singapore and India. Now she writes, teaches, talks about kid’s literature at libraries and schools, and gardens when she can, while living in a country idyll (actually a very messy wooden house on ten acres with a dog and lots of chickens) near Castlemaine, in north-central Victoria. Her partner and four sons still love her, even though she often forgets things and lets the housework go.

Ellie’s short stories for adults have won awards and been published in various anthologies. Every Breath is her first novel for young adults.

Find Ellie:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Thank you so much, Ellie, for stopping by and sharing your special affinity for tea with us! I loved the tour of your workspace, too! And don't worry about the mess...as Albert Einstein said, "If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?" :D

Be sure to check out the rest of the Every Breath Blog Tour:

MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2014
Shelly at Raindrops and Pages
Jo Ann at Journey of a Bookseller
Lisa at Bookish Broads

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2014
Jen at The Starry-Eyed Revue (review)
Shilpa at Sukasa Reads
Kristina at Book Club Sisters
Mandy C. at Forever Young Adult (Part 1)

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
Lauren at Love is not a triangle
Priyanka at Priyanka Reads
Rachel at The Reader’s Den
Mandy C. at Forever Young Adult (Part 2)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014
Michelle at Michelle & Leslie’s Book Picks
Christina at The Paperback Princesses
Shanika at Nick’s Book Blog
Yash at The Book Wars (Part 1)

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2014
Ann at Ann Towell
Dani at Refracted Light
Danielle at Love at First Page
Kat at Cuddlebuggery
Yash at The Book Wars (Part 2)

You guys absolutely have to check out this book. You can find my review here if you need further convincing, but this novel is just about perfect: quirky, funny, captivating, and perfect for fans of Sherlock and/or mystery-solving teens.

Read More

Labels: aussie, blog tour, ellie marney, every, favorites, guest post, murder mystery, random house, sherlock holmes