Bloodmark by Aurora Whittet: Blog Tour
I am ecstatic to be on this tour! I had seen Bloodmark floating around the book community for some time now and wanted to read this for awhile now. I am so very happy that I decided to participate in this tour and had the chance to read this book. It was more fantastic than I expected and I can’t wait to read the rest of this series and share my reviews with you guys. On this tour you will get to read my review, an Interview with the author, and be sure to to enter the AMAZING giveaway at the end. You will have the chance to win a signed hardback copy of Bloodmark, a Bloodmark bookmark, and a set of 3 Bloodmark Saga temporary tattoos. There will be 5 winners! Be sure to check back on October 25th for a review of the second book Bloodrealms and another giveaway, and on October 31st for a review of Bloodmoon and a giveaway. I hope you enjoy today’s blog tour. Be sure to leave me a comment and let me know if you have read Bloodmark or plan to. I would love to hear your thoughts.
Michelle <3
Published November 1, 2013
Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
333 pages
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Synopsis
Sixteen-year-old werewolf princess Ashling Boru is different from other wolves–she was able to shift to a wolf at birth. Rather than bringing pride to her family, it brings fear, and she is sent to live in Ireland’s secluded countryside. Ashling’s reputation is further blackened when she refuses her betrothed, defying the ancient laws. When her pack’s oldest rivals begin to hunt her, she finds herself in the small town of York Harbor, Maine, far from everything she’s known.
When she crosses paths with dark and rebellious Grey Donavan, something ignites within her soul. There’s just one problem: Grey is human. Their instant connection turns into a passionate romance, and Ashling begins to believe she can create her own life outside of wolf laws. When she uncovers long-buried pack secrets that threaten to destroy all she holds dear, Ashling’s courage and tenacity are tested. Will she choose her deep and enduring love for Grey or will she follow Old Mother’s path to her destiny?
My Review
First let me start by saying that I absolutely adored this book! I am a huge fan of paranormal, especially werewolves. Throw in a setting like Ireland, and you make this Irish girl very happy!
The writing in this book was fantastic. The descriptive writing was on point. Everything was described so perfectly that I felt like I could see everything right in front of me. This story was very easy to follow and I never felt confused while reading it. I loved the glossary, and reference in the back-it made it so easy to know who is who and what is what if you forget or get confused. I honestly didn’t feel like I needed to use it at all though.
The characters are well fleshed out. We get to know them well, with back stories. It is easy to fall in love with them. I felt like I knew them on a personal level. I also loved the names of the characters in this book as well. They were very original and creative.
The adventures in this book are plentiful. There is never a dull moment. It was so much fun to read! I would read this all over again. This is one of those books that I will definitely revisit in the future. I am definitely going to be making room for this series on my bookcase. A series like this is a rare treasure. This was one of those books that you want to curl up with and read in one sitting. It was very hard for me to put this book down for one moment. I just wanted to drop every other responsibility that I had at the moment and just get back to reading this one.
This is one of those books that you want to savor. I wanted to read it at a slow pace and take in every beautiful, poetic, descriptive word. I just seriously couldn’t get enough of this writing. The beginning chapters of this book take place in Ireland and they were honestly my favorite chapters. I felt like I could see Ireland.
What made this book even better was that it is absolutely gorgeous as well. It’s beautiful without the dust jacket. The inside of this book was designed gorgeously as well. The author even threw in a character drawing in the back.
I have found a new favorite author. I can’t wait to read the rest of this series and can’t wait to read even more books from this author.
If you love YA, paranormal, fantasy stories then don’t pass this one up. Every minute of this book is a minute you will enjoy. If you are a fan of Stephanie Meyer and the Twilight series, you will love this series.
Interview with Aurora Whittet
Your book is set all over the world including Ireland, Scotland, Norway and here in the United States in Maine. Why did you select the places you used?
The book is surrounded in mythology so I followed the legends wherever they wanted me to go. So using my research in mythology, legends and history I wove them together to create the unique world of the Bloodmark Saga, giving new speculation and life to old ideas.
If you could put yourself as a character in your book, who would you be?
I would say that Ashling is the pieces of myself I wish I would have been as a teenager. I was quiet and introverted. She is outspoken and filled with sass. So I think I relate to her quite a bit, at least my imaginary self does.
Do you ever get writer’s block? What helps you overcome it?
I think everyone does. What I do though is not let it bother me. Right there in the middle of my document where I’m stuck, I write down why I’m stuck, all my questions and frustrations. Put it in bold. Hit return about six times and start writing another scene. I don’t let it stop me from writing, I know I will either come up with the answer randomly while I’m in the shower or I’ll find the questions when I re-read it the next time and likely find the solution then.
In today’s tech savvy world, most writers use a computer or laptop. Have you ever written parts of your book on paper?
Huge sections of my books are written in my notebooks and post-its. Ideas are scribbled in shower-crayon on my shower walls. I think most fluidly on paper.
What’s the most “random act of kindness” you’ve ever done?
I was traveling in North Dakota visiting family and after a long day of hard work helping my Aunt we rushed into town for supper, knowing we would just barely make it before the restaurant closed. Anyone who has ever worked food service knows that feeling sucks when a large table rushes in right at closing time. Our waitress was almost 9 months pregnant and still was so kind and cared for us and fed us even though we slipped in just 15 minutes before close. So after our meal, I went up to pay, and I tipped her $100 because I appreciated her kindness and I knew she needed the money for that little baby.
Is there a specific ritualistic thing you do during your writing time?
I listen to the same song on repeat for chapters at a time. I do this because it drowns out distraction around me, and I select the songs by the mood of the story at that time, so if I have to leave a hard chapter one day, it is far easier to get back into the emotional place I was the day before.
About the Author
Aurora Whittet started out as a wild red-haired girl in Minnesota dreaming up stories for her friends to read. Mama’s Knight: A Cancer Story of Love is just the latest in a string of acclaimed works. Her first official writing endeavor became The Bloodmark Saga, featuring a werewolf princess-turned-ruler who falls in love with a human boy. Her first novel in the Bloodmark Saga, Bloodmark, came out in 2013, followed by Bloodrealms in 2014 and the final book Bloodmoon in 2016.
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