by SUZY TURNER
REVIEWED BY: Ellen Fritz
OVERVIEW
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.
REVIEW
For many, the world of the supernatural is real. In this novel, you'll meet vampires, werewolves, changelings, witches; and of course, an evil stepmother.
Having grown
up in a cold and loveless home, Lily Taylor never realized how different the
first thirteen years of her life had been, compared to that of other children, until
the mysterious disappearance of her parents.
Travel to
Canada with this shy, yet mature girl, in her quest to unravel the mystery of
her parents' disappearance. Read how she
discovers the delights of being part of a large family whose members have some
very extraordinary gifts. You will truly feel part of the warm circle of friends
and relatives that support Lily on her mission, and which emphasizes the
importance of mutual support in a group where every member is unusual in one
way or another.
This, the
first book in a new series full of lovely characters and thrilling adventure,
made me look forward to the second book, “December Moon”.
A highly recommended read for young and old
alike!ELLEN'S STAR RATING: 4/5
This e-book can be downloaded for FREE from SmashWords at www.smashwords.com/books/view/58513
INTERVIEW with author SUZY TURNER
Q: What sparked the idea for “Raven”?
A: It was during a holiday to Canada in 2009. We stopped for a picnic on a
little beach at a place called Powell River and I was so blown away by the
beauty of my surroundings that it made my imagination go wild! It was easy to
picture vampires, werewolves, changelings and the like there. A few months
later while I was at work, I suddenly got an image of a young girl sitting in
bed watching two ravens tapping at her window and thus, Raven was born!
Q:
Which of the characters in “Raven” are your favourite?
A: I love the main character, Lilly. She goes through such a
transformation throughout the story and is helped enormously by her aunt Rose,
another character I adore. I also think Jo is quite fun. But my absolute favourite
to write was actually in the sequel. Her name is Ruby Madison.
Q:
What was the hardest part of writing “Raven”?
A: Probably the relationship between Lilly and Oliver because, although
she is quite a bit younger than him, I wanted readers to understand the
connection they had. Like her mother and her grandmother before her, they met
their soulmates very young. Not that I'm saying they are soulmates or anything.
Q:
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in “Raven”?
A: I'd like to think that I wouldn't change anything but since writing
Raven, I have learned so much more about the art of writing that there would
probably be some aspects that could be improved!
Q:
What were the challenges involved in bringing “Raven” to life?
A: My main challenge was writing about Canada considering I was so far
away from it. Although I had only visited once (at that time), I do think I
managed to get the feel of it across. Also, because Lilly is essentially an
English girl, it was a little difficult sometimes to convey that. The way she
spoke, for instance, and the words she used to describe certain things would be
very different from a Canadian girl.
Q:
Which of the characters in “Raven” would you most/least like to invite to
dinner, and why?
A: I'd love to have a girlie dinner with Lilly, Jo, Rose, Meredith, Sonya
and Crystal (I hope I didn't forget anyone!). The characters I'd least like to
have over for dinner are actually in the sequel, December Moon.
Q:
Can you share a little about “December Moon” with us?
A: I loved, loved, loved writing December Moon. It was way more fun to
write than Raven and there are lots more new characters. Some intriguing and
some downright scary. The story revolves around Lilly and her best friend,
December Moon, who discovers something quite astonishing about her own family.
Q:
When is “December Moon” due for release?
A:
December Moon is OUT NOW!! I'm currently
working on the final in the trilogy, which is called The Lost Soul and that
will be out in March 2012.
2 comments:
Suzy is a wonderful ya writer and such a lovely person. Fab interview!
Excellent review and interview! I was one of the early readers of Raven and loved it. Congrats Suzy, you are tops!
I haven't read December Moon yet, but it's on my to-read list and I'm looking forward to it.
I was interested to read that you found writing your second book in your Raven Trilogy easier. The same thing happened to me in my Fear of the Past Trilogy. It got easier and faster as I kept writing it. The plot got weirder too with every page I wrote.
Now I've just finished the third book (and sent it to BookBaby for publishing - they're very professional and make a really good job of file conversion and book covers)I've jsut discovered something remarkable: the third book in the Trilogy, where Tony finally "makes" it and finds himself, is actually...a techno-thriller filled with violent Russian hackers...
Oh well...
What is your third book going to be filled with?
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