Welcome back to the first YA Indie Carnival post of 2012. Today, the blogger/authors sponsoring this collaboration are sharing books they are thankful for. I could easily let this post get out of control. There are millions of great books to read, hundreds of authors who have impassioned me, and just as many new authors to discover. In fact, if I don't concentrate on one book at a time, I become completely overwhelmed with my to-be-read list.
As an author, I'd be lying if I said my books were not the first ones on my Thankful List. It never occurred to me that I could write a book when I was a young child. In my mind, becoming an author was an unattainable goal. At no point did it occur to me that one day I would be one of 'those' people who wrote exciting and addicting stories.
With all that said, I'm thankful for Warriors of the Cross because it gave me and my readers the opportunity to get to know Allison La Crosse and her entourage. I'm thankful for Guardians of the Cross because it allowed me to continue Allison's journey toward learning who she is and what God's preordained plan for her is. I'm also grateful for Guardians of the Cross because it gave me the chance to introduce two books from my next series, Worth Living For, Underwater Series #1 & Worth Dying For, Underwater Series #2. Finally, I'm in the middle of writing Enemies of the Cross. I'm thankful for the fresh direction of this series...the chance to introduce greater characters, new villains who are so evil they put the others to shame, and a magical setting that will be unlike anything anyone has ever created.Now, I'm going to include other books which have inspired me with their words, their characters, and their storyline (first in the series when applicable). I should mention that none of these are indie books for two very simple reasons: 1) I'd never heard of indie books until I became an indie author - an opportunity I will forever be grateful for - and 2) I have to do a lot of my 'reading' through audio books which generally lends itself to traditional publishers.
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .
Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.
Sookie Stackhouse is just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. Until the vampire of her dreams walks into her life-and one of her coworkers checks out....
Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend isn't such a bright idea.
The Night Circus byErin Morgenstern AMAZING! Really, I'm not sure I've ever read a book where every sense is completely satisfied. Erin Morgenstern's descriptions are so flawless you know exactly how foods you've never eaten taste. She details fragrances in such a manner that - while they are nowhere near - they waft around you and awaken your senses. She makes places, which are absolutely foreign, feel like home and complete strangers seem like trusted friends. In other words, she is one of the rare authors who can perform magic with her words...similar to the way her characters perform their illusions within The Night Circus.
Twilight (Twilight #1) byStephenie MeyerIsabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife-between desire and danger.Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite.
Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) byRichelle MeadVladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .
Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever...
Marked (House of Night #1) byP.C. Cast, Kristin CastThe House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's world, vampyres have always existed. In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire -- that is, if she makes it through the Change. Not all of those who are chosen do. It's tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny--with a little help from her new vampyre friends.
I could really, really go on for days, and I'm sure that later today I will remember dozens more authors/books that make me want to be a better writer and story-teller. Until I have time to blog about others, join me in finding out which books my fellow indie authors are thankful for.
I'm right there with you! As much as I am so grateful for the books that captivated and shaped me as a child and a young adult, it's the books I've written, the worlds I've created that mean the most now. :)
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