Sam the Night Person

Sam the Night Person

Lisa Rusczyk

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date: November 2009

Publisher: Club Lighthouse Publishing

Pages: 178

Author Site: http://lisarusczyk.blogspot.com/

My Rating: 4.25/5

Source: Received for review from author

Synopsis

[from goodreads.com]:

Sam stays up all night, drinks coffee without pause, chain smokes cigarettes and secretly talks to the moon.

Azzy knows it, but doesn-t know why or how. Azzy has been having a series of obsessive daydreams about a young man named Sam. He seems to be a magician of sorts. All she knows is that she can-t eat, sleep, drive or work. All she can do is think of Sam. She is in love, and she must find him.

She follows a daydream to a Colorado lodge where she has seen Sam in her mind. To her astonishment, he appears there the very next day. He doesn-t believe her, but who would? Is she crazy?

Sam and Azzy have a connection. Where did it come from? And who is behind it all? Of course, there-s always a reason for everything. Azzy's daydreams were no accident.

Will they be able to withstand the man behind the torment? After years being apart, they find themselves facing the most destructive man of water magic they have ever known. He threatens their love. Together in heart and apart by necessity, they must find a way to stop him.

Review:

Lisa Ruscyk is not only a really sweet person but she’s also a very creative writer. I read and reviewed THE BLUE PEN back in October and just loved it. Check out my review and the actual synopsis of the book by clicking here! So when Lisa contacted me to review another book of hers I immediately said yes. The blurb sounded pretty good but I really had no idea what I was going into because I never quite know what to expect with Lisa and her writing. I was right to think that way because SAM THE NIGHT PERSON was nothing like I thought it would be. It was another unique story that totally kept me engrossed until the very end!

Azzy seems like a love-struck weirdo at the beginning to be quite honest. She’s never met Sam and yet she is on a mission to find him. And when Sam comes into the story he seems pretty stuck-up and rude at the beginning. So the two main characters are not very likable at first but as the story really gets going the reader may just be thrown for a loop. Puzzle pieces start to click together in one’s mind as the plot twists and turns and reveals the truth. Both characters develop and grow quite a lot. I can’t express how fun the journey was to watch them discover things about each other and themselves as the story progressed. And the paranormal aspects of the novel were really unique and honestly a breath of fresh air. Sam is a night person; someone who has powers that are fueled by the moonlight. And Azzy has some secret powers of her own. The whole premise was fun and has tremendous room to grow into more fabulous books.

The ending left me unsatisfied to be honest. I wanted more! And I’m super excited to report that there is a follow up book of sorts titled FULL MOON IN DECEMBER that I'm planning on getting my hands on. Lisa’s books are usually e-book formatted. However I was lucky enough to receive paperback copies of both. The good news is the books are available for sale as paperbacks as well, so there’s no excuse not to get your butt in gear and pick up SAM THE NIGHT PERSON. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Book Arrivals

From Paperbackswap.com:

Dark Seduction :: Brenda Joyce

(Book one in the Masters of Time series)

THE MASTERS OF TIME

HIGHLAND WARRIORS SWORN TO PROTECT INNOCENCE THROUGH THE AGES...

Malcolm of Dunroch is a newly chosen Master, a novice to his extraordinary—and dangerous—powers. But he has already broken his vows—and a young woman's death is on his hands. Malcolm is determined to fight his darkest desires, denying himself all pleasure... until fate sends him another Innocent, the beautiful bookseller Claire Camden.

DESIRE IS THE FIRST WEAPON.

Since her mother's murder, Claire has done everything possible to make a safe, secure life for herself in a city where danger lurkes on every street corner, especially in the dark of night. But nothing can prepare her for the powerful and sexual medieval warrior who sweeps her back into his time—a treacherous, frightening world where the hunters and the hunted are one and the same. Claire needs Malcolm to survive, yet she must somehow keep the dangerously seductive Master at arm's length. For Malcolm's soul is at stake—and fulfilling his desires could prove fatal...

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From Contests/Giveaways & Misc:

Boy Meets Girl :: Meg Cabot
(Book one in the Boy series)
(Received from good friend Brittany!)

Meet Kate Mackenzie. She works for the T.O.D. (short for Tyrannical Office Despot, also known as Amy Jenkins, Director of the Human Resources Division at the New York Journal) is sleeping on the couch because her boyfriend of ten years refuses to commit can't find an affordable studio apartment anywhere in New York City thinks things can't get any worse.

They can. Because:

the T.O.D. is making her fire the most popular employee in the paper's senior staff dining room that employee is now suing Kate for wrongful termination, and now Kate has to give a deposition in front of Mitch Hertzog, the scion of one of Manhattan's wealthiest law families, who embraces everything Kate most despises ... but also happens to have a nice smile and a killer bod.

The last thing anybody -- least of all Kate Mackenzie -- expects to find in a legal arbitration is love. But that's the kind of thing that can happen when ... Boy Meets Girl.

Same the Night Person :: Lisa Ruscyk

(Recieved for review)

What is a night person? They thrive by moonlight, spreading lightening bolts and freezing the earth. They hide their powers from society.

Sam stays up all night, drinks coffee without pause, chain smokes cigarettes and secretly talks to the moon. Azzy knows it, but doesn-t know why or how.

Azzy has been having a series of obsessive daydreams about a young man named Sam. He seems to be a magician of sorts. All she knows is that she can-t eat, sleep, drive or work. All she can do is think of Sam. She is in love, and she must find him.

She follows a daydream to a Colorado lodge where she has seen Sam in her mind. To her astonishment, he appears there the very next day. He doesn-t believe her, but who would? Is she crazy?

Sam and Azzy have a connection. Where did it come from? And who is behind it all? Of course, there-s always a reason for everything. Azzy-s daydreams were no accident.

Will they be able to withstand the man behind the torment? After years being apart, they find themselves facing the most destructive man of water magic they have ever known. He threatens their love. Together in heart and apart by necessity, they must find a way to stop him.

Day 323 - The Blue Pen Winner

The winner of e-book formatted The Blue Pen by Lisa Rusczyk is...

Alita from
AlitaReads

Congrats & I hope you enjoy the book! Thanks again to all those who entered =)

Day 308 - Q&A with Author Lisa Rusczyk (& GIVEAWAY)

I'm very happy to bring everyone an interview with author Lisa Rusczyk today. I reviewed her latest book, THE BLUE PEN, yesterday and I really enjoyed it.

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A little background info before we go on:

Lisa Rusczyk lives in North Alabama, US, with four cats inside and about 20 cows outside. She is amazed at how much cows eat. She writes in many different genres and has two new urban fantasy novels coming out by Club Lighthouse Publishing in October and November.

You can visit her blog here!

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Me: Tell us a little bit about yourself Lisa.

Lisa: I am a novelist and freelance writer who loves cats. I just got engaged and will be married in about a year. I love reading, watching movies, listening and playing music - anything art makes me very happy.

Me: THE BLUE PEN is unlike anything I’ve ever really read before. Can you describe the book and its themes?

Lisa: The book is about Parker, a magazine writer, who interviews Cleo, a homeless woman, for her life story. The book goes from Parker’s point of view to Cleo’s. There are themes of the paranormal and mental illness, as well as family secrets.

Me: Are any of the situations in your book based on real life experiences?

Lisa: Some of it was. I don’t want to say much about it because I want readers to draw their own conclusions about Cleo and her story.

Me: What inspired you to write THE BLUE PEN?

Lisa: I liked the idea of an underground club where people got up on an improv stage. I also thought a lot about what might make someone choose to live on the streets as opposed to being forced to.

Me: What were the best and worst parts about writing it?

Lisa: The best part was just plain-out writing it. I enjoyed it each time I sat down to type. The worst was that it took five years. I wrote it in spurts.

Me: Did you have to do any research? If so, can you describe how that went?

Lisa: I researched some history about Powelton Village and found some really interesting things. I wanted to include them because they were huge events that happened there during the time Cleo lived there, but they didn’t have anything to do with the story, so I left them out.

Me: If you could write a book about absolutely anything (fiction or nonfiction) with another author (dead or alive) what would it be about and who would be your co-author?

Lisa: Wow, awesome question. Have to think about that one. (Comes back an hour later.) I’d have to say Shakespeare about the Internet boom. I’d just watch and learn and clap inappropriately.

Me: Are you currently working on any other books?

Lisa: I am mainly focusing on a middle grade novel about cats. It’s been a blast to write and I am using my cats as the main characters.

Me: What would you like readers of The Blue Pen to take away from your book?

Lisa: I hope mostly they would be entertained and enjoy the read. I also would be happy if readers liked to think about the similarites between mental illness symptoms and paranormal experiences.

Me: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Lisa: If anyone has any smoked bratwurst recipes they want to contribute, I have 3 dollars and some bratwurst in the fridge and I’m trying to figure out something to make with it for dinner!

Me: Thank you so much for taking the time out to answer some questions. And also a big thank you for giving me the opportunity to read your novel.

Lisa: Thank you so much for reading the book and for having me on your blog. Great blog, by the way!

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Lisa's has generously allowed me to giveaway a .pdf copy of THE BLUE PEN. I know some people have a tough time with eBooks so just be aware that this is an eBook.

To Enter:

-Leave me a comment telling me you'd like to win and PLEASE leave your email address!

For extra entries:

+3 Comment on my review! (<----click the link)

+2 Follow/Subscribe to the blog

+2 Follow me on twitter! (Button is on my sidebar - leave me your @name so I can verify)

+1 Each time you link to this contest (Must provide link)

Giveaway ends October 25th and the winner will be announced the following day on the 26th. This is open to anyone with an email address!!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

Day 307 - The Blue Pen

The Blue Pen

Lisa Rusczyk

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date: Februrary 2009

Publisher: Club Lighthouse Publishing

Pages: 202

Author Site: http://bookblogs.ning.com/profile/LisaRusczyk

My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis [from amazon.com]:

Parker didn't expect to find his next great magazine story sleeping off a hangover in the back seat of his car. The homeless woman, Cleo, says she never wakes after dawn, which makes Parker curious. His intuition for finding a unique story is buzzing after meeting Cleo, and he decides to interview her to find out what drove her to live on the streets.

Cleo explains how the early death of her first love set the path for her life. She withdraws from the world after he dies, only to re-enter it by going to a strange club called the Beacon. At the underground club, the patrons channel spirits on the improv stage and share psychic readings in the room behind the beaded curtain. While Cleo describes her spiritual awakening, Parker wonders if she actually fell prey to mental illness.

Because of a first article Parker wrote about Cleo, another reporter is after the story, blackmailing Parker to give it up. Parker must decide how to keep his story and not let Cleo down in the process.

Review:

First off I gotta say eBooks, I'm sure, are wonderful... if you have an eReader of some kind. Or if you can stand staring at the screen for a prolonged period of time. And while I can be on the computer for hours at a time I can't read a book off the screen for some reason. I either get too distracted or my eyes start to bleed... whichever comes first. And yet I still take review requests for eBooks. Don't ask me why. I'm planning on getting a Sony eReader sometime in the near future (the new hi-tech one to be precise - very exciting) so I suppose that's why...

But anywho, my point is that I first recieved THE BLUE PEN in it's eBook format. I started it and really got into it but I couldn't devote the time to sit at the computer to finish it. Lisa was very kind enough to send me a printed out version of the book and that made me super happy. So I, along with my eyeballs, would like to take the time out to thank her!

THE BLUE PEN is a unique story, unlike anything I've ever personally read before. Lisa asks the reader to interpret how fine the line is between having a paranormal or "special" gift and having a mentall illness. One of the main characters is Parker, a magazine journalist who finds an unexpected guest in his car one morning on his way to work. Cleo is homeless but somehow mesmerizes Parker. Mesmerize might be too strong of a word... but basically she leaves such an impression on Parker that he finds himself wanting to talk to her again. He knows how one might become homeless. Losing your job, a string of bad luck, addictions of all kinds can force someone to live on the streets once they've lost everything. He wants Cleo's story.

He writes a story for the magazine of their encounter in hopes of baiting Cleo in... and it works. She agrees to an interview with Parker. Cleo basically tells Parker her life story and I can hear you all thinking "Well who really cares?" (and yes I can hear your thoughts lol) Cleo's life, while not filled with emotionally charged relationships or crazy exciting events, is terribly unique and different. It's not really until the middle of her own story does the overall story of THE BLUE PEN start to get really good. A myriad of characters and thought provoking concepts start to emerge through Lisa's writing.

I enjoyed THE BLUE PEN very much. Like I said it was different, a good different. It was a little slow at times but overall the concepts and ideas Lisa introdcued to me had a lasting impression. I know you may not like eBooks, but I encourage you to try this one if you do. I believe this book will surprise you and make you analyze things that you never really gave a second thought to.

Be on the lookout out for an interview with Lisa and a .pdf giveaway of THE BLUE PEN tomorrow!! I do hope you'll come and stop by.

Day 220 - Teaser Tuesday [19]

Teaser Tuesdays asks you to:







-Grab your current read.
-Let the book fall open to a random page.
-Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
-You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
-Please avoid spoilers!










"When I was a girl, my thoughts were so simple, and my ideas had only two tones. I wanted to both talk to no end and never open my mouth again except to kiss him." (30)

The Blue Pen :: Lisa Rusczyk