Hey BFFs! I’m making a few changes here. They’re good changes. Change is almost always good, right? The first change is the Co-Host routine. No more co-hosting, BUT….I am going to be implementing Chats in the Courtyard! Our first chit-chat comes from Kim over at The Not So Perfect Mom. Give her a warm BFF welcome!
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Hello BFF’s!
I am so excited to be co-hosting with The Mother Freakin’ Princess! Not only do I get to work with The MFP, I get to share my new favorite book, too! You can even enter to win our giveaway for a SIGNED COPY of Dark Star, by Bethany Frenette.
I recently read Dark Star, and fell in love. I’m a huge fan of fantasy fiction…vampires, shape-shifters, dragons, magic, the supernatural stuff… But I’ve been looking for something new and fun, and an easy read. When my friend’s mom lent me a copy of Dark Star, I was giddy to discover that I may have just found my new favorite author.
Purchase Dark Star on Amazon!
Dark Star is labeled as a Young Adult book, but unlike other books and series I’ve read from that genre, I found that it held my interest without being too full of teeny-bopper angst. I found myself actually laughing out loud at some of the dialogue. I’m a pretty big smart aleck, so Audrey’s wit just killed me.
Part of what I thought was cool about this book was the fact that it takes place in Minneapolis. As a lifelong Minnesota resident, it was fun to read about the characters being in places I’ve heard of and been to. The author grew up in Minnesota, so I think that’s why she chose the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul) as the setting.
To be honest, my favorite character was NOT the main character (although I loved Audrey). I adored Gideon, Audrey’s best friend and confidante. Their easy banter and open acceptance of one another reminds me of MY best friend and me.
Here’s a look into the story…
Audrey Whitticomb has nothing to fear. Her mother is the superhero Morning Star, the most deadly crime-fighter in the Twin Cities, so it’s hard for Audrey not to feel safe. That is, until she’s lured into the sweet night air by something human and not human—something with talons and teeth, and a wide, scarlet smile.
Now Audrey knows the truth: her mom doesn’t fight crime at night. She fights Harrowers—livid, merciless beings who were trapped Beneath eons ago. Yet some have managed to escape. And they want Audrey dead, just because of who she is: one of the Kin.
To survive, Audrey will need to sharpen the powers she has always had. When she gets close to someone, dark corners of the person’s memories become her own, and she sometimes even glimpses the future. If Audrey could only get close to Patrick Tigue, a powerful Harrower masquerading as human, she could use her Knowing to discover the Harrowers’ next move. But Leon, her mother’s bossy, infuriatingly attractive sidekick, has other ideas. Lately, he won’t let Audrey out of his sight.
When an unthinkable betrayal puts Minneapolis in terrible danger, Audrey discovers a wild, untamed power within herself. It may be the key to saving her herself, her family, and her city. Or it may be the force that destroys everything—and everyone—she loves.
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Author Bethany Frenette
I had a chance to do a short Q & A with the author for this post, and this is what she had to say:
I understand that you started writing at a very young age. What was your first piece?
Bethany: I’ve been writing as long as I can remember — my mom still has this tiny “book” I made when I was about four, called The Cat Book — and I spent most of my childhood making up stories, usually about animals. The first project of any length that I finished, however, was a fantasy novel I wrote when I was thirteen. It was fabulously titled “Novel.” I still have a copy of it on my computer. It’s 96,000 words, which is kind of scary, now that I think about it.
Audrey’s relationship with her mother seems to be an integral part of this story. How did your own family influence your writing, and the creation of these characters?
Bethany: I’m very close with my own mother, so I’m certain that had some effect on the novel — I think it was just natural for me to write a close mother/daughter relationship. Audrey is an only child, however, which is very different from my own family. Sometimes I feel sorry for her, since she doesn’t have sisters like I do! (I think Gideon’s family is actually much closer to my own — some of his stories were inspired by my own childhood.)
Most importantly, if you woke up with a superpower of your own, what would you want it to be?
Bethany: I usually answer “flying” to this question — but as we are currently in the middle of another freezing Minnesota winter, I think at the moment I’d have to go with teleportation. I’d really love to be able to get around the Cities and visit my family without -20F windchills!
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If you want to read an excerpt from the book, you can find it on her site: www.bethanyfrenette.com. You can also find Bethany on Twitter and here’s a link to Bethany’s Facebook Fan Club
Social Media Consultant;
Kim Eastin
Kim is a Social Media Consultant and child care provider. When she’s not chasing little ones, procrastinating laundry, or trying to find time to pee by herself, she writes as The Not So Perfect Mom. She is also a chronic Facebooker and is a delinquent Tweeter.
