Guess who stopped by today?

You may or may not know, but Lavinia Urban is directly responsible for this blog. If it wasn't for her introducing me to K.S. Haigwood, the previous author in the spotlight, I would never have gotten into writing book reviews. Cause and effect being what it is, writing reviews led to wanting a blog. See, it's all her fault. 

I met Lavinia through the first book in her Erin the Fire Goddess series. I'm sure we all know language is a fluid thing. It grows and changes much the same way people and nations do. Since we live on opposite sides of the pond (i.e. the Atlantic Ocean) there are some words we define differently. Being the curious sort that I am, I sent her an email asking her to clear up the confusion on a few words. Thus began our Facebook friendship. 

A bit about Lavinia -

           Lavinia grew up in a small town in Cheshire, England, before moving to Scotland in 2000.

She now lives just outside Edinburgh with her husband Ian and their two daughters Erin and 

Kasey-ray.

Lavinia has been writing since an early age, something that both her children have inherited. She started with writing poetry, one of which was turned into lyrics for a song. By the age of 14, Lavinia had written seven books in an unpublished series.

After moving to Scotland she stopped writing for a while. It was only after writing a short story for her eldest daughter's school about anti-bullying and how you should stay in school and learn, that Lavinia felt the yearning to write again; this was also helped by her eldest daughter's thirst for literature when she asked her mother to write her another story. This was how her series, Erin the

Fire Goddess, came about. 

Occasionally, Lavinia has been known to give author talks. If you're interested in attending her next one, you will find her on March 30th this year at WHEC (Wester Hailes Education Centre) in Edinburgh. Let me know if you make it there.

She is currently working on book one of her next series. As her PA, you know I've had a peek. But don't ask, 'cause I'm not telling anything other than it's good. You'll know when it's ready to come out as I plan to shout it from here.

J: Can you tell us what you are working on now?

L: For right now, I am taking a short break from writing the next book in the Erin the Fire Goddess series – which will be epic when done and could be the final book in that series. Currently, I am working on a few new stories but mainly focusing on a new series called ‘Frozen in Time.’ The first title of this will be called Alimanti. Below is a sneak peek:  

Time waits for no man. It has its own schedule and doesn't give you extra seconds or minutes. It doesn't wait for you to say the things you want or do the things you need to. It doesn't wait around for you to say goodbye, to tell someone how much you love them. Before you know it, it is too late and you don't get a second chance for a do over. I know this all too well because last year my mum lost her battle to cancer. She was my rock. She was the most beautiful and loving mother who I loved, and still love unconditionally. But now I'm left with a gaping hole in my chest.

J: Just enough to tease. When can we look for Alimanti?

L: I am hoping that this book will be ready by the end of April (fingers and toes crossed). I have several projects on the go, but after the first book in the Frozen in Time series has been released, I will be going back to work on Erin the Fire Goddess.

Next year (2016), I will be doing my first book signing in Leeds, UK. I've given many book talks to hundreds of people, but I've never been to a signing.

Where to find Lavinia online:

Facebook:
Facebook author page
Erin the Fire Goddess Facebook page

Twitter:
@Lavinia_Missb
@Erinfiregoddess

Pinterest
https://www.pinterest.com/laviniaurban/

TSU

On her website

Google+
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+LaviniaUrban/posts/p/pub

YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/user/laviniamissb/

Blog
laviniaurban.blogspot.co.uk

Amazon (UK, US)

Erin the Fire Goddess: Jo's Story (#3.5) by Lavinia Urban

I love this author. I don't care that she writes books geared for a teen and young adult audience. I know with her name on the cover I'm in for a great read, characters I love to both love and hate, and the unexpected. This book takes us through Jo's childhood and her years of working with Dr. Hammersmith where we finally learn why she's really working for the doctor.

The story opens with Jo telling about growing up in the fairy community hidden in the forest outside Galladale. With her mother dead at her birth and a father blaming her for her mother's death, Jo was living with relatives at an early age. Having seen the good her uncle has done in his job for others, Jo decides she wants to follow in his footsteps and become a lawyer. Fate has other ideas for the immediate future.

Jo goes to work for Dr. Hammersmith, one of her father's more important clients. On one of her days off from working with Dr. Hammersmith, her former teacher tells her there are things she wants to be told of if Jo should learn anything about them. Once the characters from previous books reach their teen years, Urban takes us quickly through crucial events in the first three books from Jo's point of view. We learn what happened to Jessica after Erin's final test of her powers.


Were you paying attention in the first three books? Urban gave clues to some of the characters being more than you thought at first look. Some of those clues culminate in revelations in this book. Jo's history is revealed and we learn Erin is very important, but why? This is definitely not a stand-alone book. You won't get the full impact of this story without first reading the other three. Believe me, you WANT to read all of them. I know book four is coming out next year; is it next year yet?

I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

You can pick up your copy at Amazon.

Interview with an Author - Lavinia Urban

Lavinia Urban is the author of the Erin the Fire Goddess series. She is currently working on a novella and the fourth book in the series. The main character is named for the older of her two daughters, Erin, also a published author in her own right, who was being bullied in a new school. Lavinia wanted to show her daughter that "she is special and to believe in herself and that things will get better." (Quoted from the 'Message from the author' in the beginning of each book.) 

Her portrayal of the new student being bullied is painfully accurate. She brings heartfelt honesty in Erin's responses to her situation as the new kid in school and how she makes a place for herself. Although written with a teen audience in mind, these books are simply good reading. In spite of being a very different type of fantasy, this series captured my interest every bit as much as the Harry Potter series did. Her books have won a place in my box of "favorite authors." You know, that special box you pack so you know where the best books are when you move.

JH: First I’d like to offer my congratulations. I saw your post on Facebook that your daughter Erin has published her first book. That’s a pretty big accomplishment at 12 years. Do you think the two of you may collaborate on EtFG books in the future?
 

LU: Honestly…… NO lol. Gosh that sounds so bad. But my series is my baby and Erin and her sister do inspire me to write with the little things that they do. Erin has written a poem for Kasey-ray in my series. I also print off my work and ask her what she thinks and whether certain things are working but that is it. She is actually working on lots of her own stories.

JH: How long have you been writing?

LU: Feels like all of my life but I would say seriously writing I was 12, I think. I remember in my teen years I had written several books in a series and poems. I had sent them to lots of different publishers and got them all back saying they did not accept unsolicited documents. Quite disheartening when you are so young and it is the exact reason why I have supported my daughter Erin as I want her to know that if you dream hard enough they will come true.

JH: In the message from the author you put in the front of your books, you tell readers you get your inspiration from your daughters. Your character, Erin, starts out very shy and withdrawn because of her birthmark, while Kasey-ray is very outgoing and likes to run. How much of the real life Erin and Kasey-ray find their way into your characters?

Erin the Fire Goddess:The Beginning

LU: Excluding age my girls are very much like their characters and I have adapted the characters on how I see my girls growing and blossoming in real life. For example Erin was bullied at the last primary school she went to but she overcame it. But during this time she became very withdrawn, now she will stand up to anyone. She is still allergic to sport though lol. Kasey-ray is very similar to her character as well especially in the ways where she hates school work and reading and would rather be outside having fun.

JH: Do any other of your characters have real life counterparts?

LU: No just Erin and Kasey-ray

(I also had questions for some of her characters)

JH: Jessica, in Erin the Fire Goddess: the Beginning, you took an instant dislike to Erin as soon as you saw her. Did you really dislike her that much or was it all Justin’s doing?

Jessica: No comment

LU: Hmmm now this I cannot answer ;) You need to read Jo’s Story: An Erin the Fire Goddess novella which should be available as soon as I get a cover made J

JH: Okay, do you think we’ll see you again?

Jessica:  Yes ;)

JH: Any idea when?

Jessica: I’m not allowed to say or I may get killed off ;)

JH: Dr Hammersmith, when you gave Erin the final test, why did you feel it was unnecessary to make sure Jessica didn’t get hurt?

Dr. Hammersmith: It may look like that from a certain angle ;)

LU: Nice try but you can’t speak to this character ;)

JH: Erin, you didn’t trust Dr. Hammersmith after your final test. Why would you trust him to help you at the beginning of Torment?

Erin: Because I have recently uncovered who he really is and I am sure he is trying to make amends and the way I was feeling I just wanted the pain to stop and I didn’t care how.

JH: Louise, why did you decide to continue to pursue Sean after learning he and Erin were a couple?

Louise: I was always told that if you really want something in life then you should not let anything get in your way.

JH: Louise, do you think what your aunt is doing is right?

Louise: Of course. My aunt is wonderful. She’s always been there for me and putting my best interests first.

Joyce: Ms. Forrester, more than once you tell Erin that ‘you see the truth in everything.’ Is that your special talent then?

Ms. Forrester: Possibly

LU: Jo’s Story: An Erin the Fire Goddess novella will give you this answer

Erin the Fire Goddess: Betrayal

JH: Ms. Forrester, I get the impression that you know more a lot more about what is going on than you’re sharing. What can you tell us about what is happening to Sean?

Ms. Forrester: I have been around for longer than you can possibly imagine. Sean is under a spell.

JH: (Ms. Forrester) At the beginning of EtFG: Torment, you tell Erin that Mr. Thomas is just a “big friendly ogre.” I get the feeling there is more to that statement than would first seem to be. Would you care to expand on that?

Ms. Forrester: *laughs* I think I will keep you guessing.

JH: Sean, your feelings for Erin are pretty intense. Don’t you think you’re both a little young to be thinking of each other as soulmates?

Sean: I didn’t plan on this. To be honest I wasn’t even interested in having a serious girlfriend of any kind this time a couple of years ago but when I came into my powers something inside me changed and bit by bit things started clicking into place -Erin being one of them.

JH: Sean, what do you see going forward for you and Erin?

Sean:  I can’t actually see the future but I hope it is happy.

JH: Erin, I'd like to pose the same question to you. Don't you think you're a little young to be thinking of each other as soulmates?

Erin: If I am honest I never expected to ever get a boyfriend. I have had many crushes growing up but that is all they would ever be. I used to dream of having a dream romance like all those ones I have read about in books. I knew when Louise came onto the scene it was all too good to be true.

JH: What do you see going forward for you and Sean?

Erin: I am not sure. I don't want to get hurt again. It's weird to think that I actually love this guy. It is love right? I've never been in love before and this is never anything I have ever felt before and when I saw him kiss Louise it was as if someone has reached inside me and ripped my heart out. I don't ever want to experience that again. Yes Sean was under a spell, but I don't know much about spells or even that much about the supernatural world. I still have so many doubts which I need to deal with. I am not sure if I can ever trust Sean 100% again.

JH: Wow, I'm sorry to hear that. I really hope things work out for you and Sean.

Erin the Fire Goddess: Torment

JH: Erin, why were you so surprised when Scott and Dr. Hammersmith tell you that Jo is part witch and part fairy? I mean, you already believe that part of the townspeople have special abilities because of the meteorite in the lake. Why did you think this wasn’t possible?

Erin: Come on fairies and witches? Growing up I was read plenty of fairy tales and soon realized, at the time, that they never existed. I think before finding out about Jo I was still struggling to deal with the fact that some people actually did possess superpowers. I often expected to wake up and it all be a dream.

JH: Scott, why have you kept your relationship with Jo as secret?

Scott: I didn’t, no-one actually asked if I was in a relationship.

JH: Having learned what your Aunt Linda is up to, do you agree with her?

Scott: *Shrugs*

JH: Are you really only getting close to your sister and aunt to help Erin and Sean?

Scott: *Shrugs*

JH: Jo, will you be staying in Galladale and will we be seeing any of your family in the future?

Jo: *Smiles* Most definitely. 

JH: Back to you, Lavinia. Torment took a couple of pretty surprising turns at the end. What can you tell us about the next book in Erin’s adventures?

LU: I have just completed writing Jo’s Story. I absolutely love this girl. The story stems from her childhood right up until the end of book one in the series. It should hopefully tie up a few lose ends and no doubt open up a few questions.

Now as for the next main book, I have had my characters screaming at me. I know it will have something mentioned about the ground floor. Kate is going to get over her fear of going into Dr Hammersmiths building as well. She realises that she must put Erin first and that she has to deal with the ghosts that haunt her.

JH: When can we look for the next one?

LU: Next year some time. I not sure exactly when but hopefully early 2014

JH: What do you like to do whe you aren't writing EtFG?

LU: I love reading - a lot.  I am also a  big gamer. I love playing games.

JH: Is there anything else you would like your readers to know?

LU: Just expect the unexpected J

JH: So here’s a random, off the wall question for you. If you could be any character from a book you’ve read, who would you be?

LU: I would want to be Hermione Granger from Harry Potter, except I wouldn’t marry Ron ;) I love, love, love Harry Potter. If not I would be a teacher J

JH: What is it about that character that made you choose her? 

LU: Honestly I am not 100% sure. Maybe because I love the way she has grown

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. You can find this series online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Book one is free at all three booksellers.

Erin the Fire Goddess: Torment, Book 3 by Lavinia Urban

So much to say and so much I can't without giving everything away. Urban's growth as an author is evident with each new installment of Erin's story. In her acknowledgements, she tells Lee Clark that "patience is a virtue." I guess she'll be telling me that a lot now, too.

The queen of cliffhangers and anticipation has me antsy for the next book and she's just not writing it fast enough. This is a problem inherent with falling in love with the characters and worldscape of a series. The only distraction from the wait is to read someone else's work until book 4 in the Erin series is finally available. (Do you remember the midnight madness when a new Harry Potter book came out? Yeah, I have it that bad for this series.)

Erin's return to school after the disastrous loss of control at Sean's birthday party is just as bad as she feared. Now she isn't just mocked for how ugly her birthmark makes her, the other students treat her as a pariah. It's only with the support of Kasey-ray, their friends and unexpected support from a couple of teachers that she is able to continue going to school

Louise still has Sean and he seems to be getting worse. Without telling Erin, everyone decides to kidnap Sean, hoping that keeping him from Louise will bring him to his senses. Except there's more going on than they anticipated. Louise is really not playing nice and her aunt is up to her elbows in this mess.

Dr. Hammersmith confirms their suspicions as to what is wrong with Sean. The gang (again without telling Erin) decides to do some investigating. Maybe they can find out how to bring him back to normal. With Justin at the helm, they get their answers. Unfortunately, the answers only lead to more questions. They also increase everyone's fears for Sean.

When I got to the end of the book, I was thinking "really?!" with my head cocked sideways. I thought about what had just been revealed and then about a few statements made by one of Erin's teachers. Urban now has her foot squarely on top of my favorite genre. Fantasy. She was already close with her reveal about the meteor in the bottom of the lake and its effects on the residents of Galladale.

I hope she keeps Erin's story going for a long time. Hey, maybe there will be spin-off. There's some possibilities here, don't you think? Hmm?

At the time of this posting, this book is currently only available on Amazon and Smashwords.

Erin the Fire Goddess: Betrayal, Book 2 by Lavinia Urban

An eventful summer with Sean, Kelly and the twins is quickly over. Erin is still learning to control the fire within. Kasey-Ray has fallen in love with Sean's friend, Justin, and learns she too has a special power. Her great-grandmother's missing diary mysteriously falls from the shelves one afternoon courtesy of an invisible man. Reading from the diary, Sean and Erin learn not everyone in Galladale is who they seem to be.

School has started and change is in the air. The birthmark that has stained the left side of Erin's face has nearly disappeared. So much so that now classmates are talking to her instead of taunting her. Two new students help end another classmates jealous confrontation with Kasey-Ray. In the course of things, they each reveal their own secret abilities and friendship blossoms.

But what good is a story without some kind of conflict. Urban comes through again in flying colors in the person of Louise Clarke. A new girl in school who claims she can have anyone she wants, Louise sets out to prove it during lunch one day, not caring that the boy she uses to make her point is already in a relationship. Now she has her sights set on the one boy who doesn't want her, determined to take Sean away from Erin.

The final year in school brings surprises and reveals long held, painful secrets. Why does Erin feel she can trust the invisible man when he finally reveals himself? Why does Sean not trust him? How far will Louise go and can Erin stop her?

Once again, Urban doesn't disappoint. She shows a deft hand with her character's strengths and weaknesses. I've read this book twice so far, and am certain I'll be reading it again. Book three, Torment, can't come out for Nook soon enough. I've been on pins and needles.This book is available for Kindle from Amazon, the Nook from Barnes and Noble, and other eReaders from Smashwords.

Erin the Fire Goddess: The Beginning, Book 1 by Lavinia Urban

 This is the second time I've read this book and I still really enjoy it.

As the story begins, Erin's parents inform her and her younger sister, Kasey-Ray of the family's impending move to their parent's hometown of Galladale. Urban gives a heartrendingly accurate portrayal of a young girl on the cusp of womanhood, ostracized by society for a birthmark that stains the left side of her face.

Erin has only known love and acceptance from her immediate family. From both schoolmates and society at large, Erin has only ever heard she is ugly, deformed, and not worth befriending, cementing her low opinion of herself. While her sister bemoans in full dramatic fashion how she'll be leaving all of her friends, Erin is cautiously hopeful the move will bring friends at the end.

The opposite proves true as the girls finish the year in a new school. Immediately, a classmate threatens her for catching the attention of Sean, a handsome young man two years older. She's told both not to look at him and to stay away. The torment continues, culminating in an excruciating beating that leaves Erin injured and unable to move.

Erin doesn't understand what this beautiful boy could possibly see in her when he could have any girl for the asking. Painfully confused about what is happening, Erin challenges Sean and her parents to explain. Out of this comes truths about her family she could never have imagined, friends she never believed she'd have, and a love she never thought to experience.

Is she strong enough to believe in herself? Will she learn to control the fire or will someone die from the anger born of her pain?

A beautiful story that parallels how society judges others based on appearance. Heartrending and hopeful with a touch of the paranormal. I would read anything she wrote. Five stars.

This book is avaiable free at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.