• About Me
  • Writer’s Corner

Elizabeth Fais

~ Where awesome begins…

Elizabeth Fais

Tag Archives: Shannon Messenger

7th YAppiest Giveaway! “Let the Sky Fall” by Shannon Messenger

15 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Book Reviews, Paranormal, YAppiest, Young Adult

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Book Review, Elizabeth Fais, Let the Sky Fall, Paranormal, Romance, Shannon Messenger, Sylph, YA, YAppiest Day on Earth, YAppiest Giveaway, Young Adult

17 YA AUTHORS + DISNEYLAND = THE YAPPIEST DAY ON EARTH!

YAppiest Day on Earth icon

If you couldn’t make The YAppiest Day on Earth, never fear! The YAppiness keeps rolling with epic read giveaways by each of the 17 authors.

This is the 7th YAppiest Giveaway! For a chance to win this awesome book, see the  “Here’s How” section below. For a complete list of YAppiest Giveaways, go here.

“Let the Sky Fall” by Shannon Messenger

Let the Sky Fall coverVANE WESTON is tired of everyone telling him he’s lucky. Lucky not to have died in the category five tornado that killed his parents. Lucky to have survived without a scratch. But how is it lucky that he can’t remember anything about his parents or his life with them before the tornado ripped them away? All he remembers of that dark day is the captivating face of a dark-haired girl. The girl who’s whispered on the winds of his dreams ever since. How is it lucky to be in love with a girl who’s probably just a hallucination, when he hopes against hope that she’s real?

AUDRA is real, and she lives under the weight of a dark secret. She’s not human, but that’s why she’s driven toward atonement. She’s responsible for the death of Vane’s parents, and her father who was their guardian. Her guilt and sense of duty drove her to take over her father’s duty of protecting Vane’s life, as his guardian. She’s a sylph, an air elemental who walks on the winds, understands its songs, and manipulates its powers.

As a Gale Force guardian, Audra gave up everything to protect Vane. But then in an instant of panic, Audra unwittingly reveals Vane’s location to the enemy who murdered their families and has been hunting them ever since. The Stormers are on their way, and Audra can’t bear to fail again.

Audra makes hard choices, to prepare Vane for the impending battle. However, in the process of awakening his sylph powers, their love sparks to life. For Audra, giving in to her desire would brand her as a traitor and an outcast.

A Gusty Romance Charged with Adventure

Let the Sky Fall is a captivating romance set in the desert region of California’s Coachella Valley. The intense climate accentuates the volatile game our heroes have been thrust into, while mirroring the volatile nature of their emotions for one another. I grew up not far from Coachella Valley, and can attest to the authenticity of the world through which Shannon Messenger so deftly weaves the supernatural elements of this story.

Vane and Audra are as authentic and engaging as their world. Vane’s laugh-out-loud teenage snark is the perfect balance for Audra’s intense Type-A determination. The story is told from the alternating points of view of Vane and Audra, giving us an intimate look into their beliefs, motivations, and conflicts.

Vane is seventeen, snarky, and kind of lazy. His troubled dreams of a strange girl interfere with his connecting with any girl he tries to date. So he is blown away (pun intended) when Audra appears in his bedroom, obviously real–if a little creepy:

Now I just have to deal with the passed out, scantily clad girl on the floor of my room who’s most likely a supernatural creature.
Riiiiiiiiiight.
No clue what to do about that one.

Audra is seventeen, and older than her years from the burden of responsibility. Against all odds she convinces Vane of his sylph heritage and destiny, but as his powers emerge, so do Vane’s memories. Memories Audra is afraid he’ll recover, because then he’ll know she was responsible. Responsible for alerting the Stormers who killed his parents and her father.

The climatic fight turns a surprising conclusion and an unexpected hope for Vane and Audra. I can’t say any more without risking a serious spoiler, that you’ll hate me for later.

What I can tell you is this…

After reading this story, you’ll never think of the wind as “just wind” again. You’ll catch yourself listening for its song, and trying to interpret its call. You’ll wonder if the Gale Force guardians are out there protecting you, or if the Stormers are on their way…

I’m already waiting for the next book in this series–Let the Storms Break (March 2014)–to find out what lies in store for Vane and Audra.

Want to win an Author Signed Copy and SWAG?

For one lucky winner… an author signed copy of Let the Sky Fall and exclusive SWAG!

Let the Sky Fall autograph and swag

Here’s how…

NOTE: The FREE giveaway of a copy of this book is open to residents of the United States and Canada only, due to shipping costs. My sincere apologies.

  1. Leave a comment on this blog by midnight, July 21st (1 entry).
  2. Tweet about this giveaway, including #yappiest in your tweet (1 entry).

I’ll tally the entries and choose a winner at random, then announce it on this blog on Tuesday July 23rd. Good luck!

Stay tuned for more YAppiests Giveaways!

Book Covers for Giveaways

The YAppiest Day on Earth!

05 Friday Apr 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Disneyland, Fun, YA, YAppiest, Young Adult

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Carrie Arcos, Cat Patrick, Cecil Castellucci, Chris Howard, Disneyland, Elise Allen, Elizabeth Fais, Gabrielle Zevin, Giveaways, Gretchen McNeil, Jennifer Bosworth, Jessica Brody, Kasie West, Kevin Emerson, Lish McBride, Martha Brockenbrough, Rachel Cohen, Robin Mellom, Sean Beaudoin, Shannon Messenger, YA, YAppiest Day on Earth

17 YA Authors + Disneyland = Crazy Awesome Fun!

YAppiest Authors

3.30.13 Disneyland, Anaheim, CA

From left to right, back row first: Jennifer Bosworth, Chris Howard, Me, Lish McBride, Sean Beaudoin, Kevin Emerson, Elise Allen, Robin Mellom, Gretchn McNeil, Martha Brockenbrough, Rachel Cohn, Carrie Lawler Arcos, Gabrielle Zevin, Cecil Castellucci, Shannon Messenger, Cat Patrick, and Jessica Brody. (pic by moi)

~oOo~

The awesome Cat Patrick dreamed up this epic event: Seventeen young adult authors + bloggers, librarians, and book enthusiasts like me converged on Disneyland at 8:00 AM Saturday, March 30th.

Chris Howard, Indiana Jones Ride

The fun started as soon as we stepped through the gates of the Magic Kingdom… We rode rides, screamed, got drenched and/or stuck on rides (thanks to Tigger spilling honey on the Pooh ride), pretended we were pirates, ate chocolate, tacos, and more chocolate (though no chocolate tacos that I’m aware of). It was the best day ever! All shared with a group of amazing people who love books. (Chris Howard pic by Kasie West)

Anyone too far away to participate could (and maybe still can) order autographed books by these amazing authors through the  Mysterious Galaxy’s website.

Not to make you jealous if you didn’t know about this fab event (or couldn’t make it), but here’s a glimpse of what you missed…

Screaming, Reading, Silly Hats, and Prizes!

There was Tower of Terror screaming (pic by Jennifer Bosworth)…

Tower of Terror

Some were too busy reading to scream (pic by Kevin Emerson) … while others couldn’t help themselves (pic by moi) …

Reading and screaming on Splash Mountain

Silly hats happen to just about everyone at Disneyland, as Kevin Emerson discovered (Rapunzel pic by Cat Patrick)… Then there were the lucky dogs who won prizes (Sean Beaudoin pic by Cecil Castellucci)…

Rapunzel Hat and Hot Dog prize

And a Book Signing, Chainmail and All!

Anyone who couldn’t make it to the park could join the YAppy crowd at the 5:30 book signing at the Anabella Hotel, across the street from Disneyland. Mysterious Galaxy provided the authors’ books for sale. Autograph slinging ensued, followed by more food and drinks … and wouldn’t you know … chainmail! Compliments of a YAppiest fan who stopped by after attending WonderCon…

Chainmail Author Signing

Chainmail book signing

A sparring good time was had by all!  (pics by Cat Patrick)

More YAppiness & Giveaways Galore!

The YAppiest Day on Earth was soooo awesome, I’m going to keep the YAppiness rolling with reviews and giveaways of the books written by these crazy awesome authors — 17 in all. I’ll post two reviews per month (in alphabetical order by title), each with a FREE GIVEAWAY!

Yes, there is an ulterior motive. I’m hoping you won’t be able to resist joining the YAppiest bunch next year for even more outrageous shenanigans!

the YAPPIEST GIVEAWAY roll:

  1. Because It Is My Blood — Gabrielle Zevin
  2. Beta — Rachel Cohen
  3. Ditched: A Love Story — Robin Mellom
  4. Divine Intervention — Martha Brockenbrough
  5. First Day on Earth — Cecil Castellucci
  6. The Infects — Sean Beaudoin
  7. Let the Sky Fall –Shannon Messenger
  8. The Lost Code: Book One of the Atlanteans — Kevin Emerson
  9. Necromancing the Stone — Lish McBride
  10. Out of Reach — Carrie Arcos
  11. Pivot Point — Kasie West
  12. Populazi — Elise Allen
  13. Revived — Cat Patrick
  14. Rootless — Chris Howard
  15. Struck — Jennifer Bosworth
  16. Ten — Gretchen McNeil
  17. Unremembered — Jessica Brody

Stay Tuned for a chance to win one (or more) of these epic reads!

Book Covers for Giveaways


Who’s Your Hero?

27 Monday Aug 2012

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Badass, Blake Snyder, Hero, Inspiration, Story

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

Ally Carter, Anne Lower, Aragorn, Blake Snyder, Ellen Gregory, Forrest Gump, Garry Marshall, Jack Sparrow, Janice Hall Check, Joan of Arc, Johnny Depp, Lisa Cron, Maggie Stiefvater, Meg Cabot, Neo, Princess Scribe, Save the Cat!, Shannon Messenger, The Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, Trinity, Winnie the Pooh, Wired for Story, You!

7 Great Characters = Heroic Inspiration

Two friends recently honored me with the Very Inspirational Blogger Award.  I owe a special thank you to Janice Hall Check and Ellen Gregory for this nomination, because they are both true inspirations to me.

The thing is, I feel like a poser accepting this award. Maybe because my inspiration comes from someone else. My heroes to be exact. Let me explain. In a recent blog post Lisa Cron talked about her book “Wired for Story” and the scientific evidence that proves we all are. Wired for story that is. We actually learn from the characters in stories because we…

…turn to story to teach us the way of the world…

So I’m not the least bit ashamed to introduce you to the characters who’ve inspired me the most … the good … the badass … and the ugly.

The GOOD…

This is the Fool Triumphant, the good-hearted soul who bungles through life, yet things work out despite the comic results of their actions. Always a good friend, they’re often helpful to a fault.

1. Pooh, in Winnie the Pooh, is a perfect Fool Triumphant, and one of my first and favorite heroes. Image from Wikipedia

2. Forrest Gump (played by Tom Hanks) is a modern, humanized version of Pooh, especially as portrayed in the film adaptation of the story. Forrest’s innocence keeps harm at bay, even when he’s thrown into the most dangerous situations at the height of the Vietnam war. His guileless simplicity prevents him from holding grudges or judging others. He loves is friend Jenny no matter what she does or how long she stays away. There’s a lot to be learned from the unconditional love in this character’s actions.

The BADASS…

These heroes don’t need much of an introduction. We know and love them because they forsake their personal desires, safety, and gain for the greater good.

3. Trinity, from The Matrix, 4. Joan of Arc, 5. Aragorn, from The Lord of the Rings trilogy 6. Neo, from The Matrix

the UGLY…

The Anti-Hero is a tricky one, because he’s flawed to a fault. So for us to care about this hero, there has to be something about him that we can empathize with on some level. Anne Lower’s blog post about developing the anti-hero in her series explains this character perfectly:

Give ‘em a limp and an eyepatch!” was one of Blake’s favorite phrases. And, by that, he meant try loading your character up with problems, challenges to face, physical quirks, troubled pasts that would work to help the audience identify with or be interested in your hero’s (or heroine’s) journey.

We want this ugly hero to win, despite what he’s done. My favorite anti-hero is …

7. Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp in the Pirates of the Caribbean series (Walt Disney Pictures). What he lacks in a limp and an eye patch, he more than makes up for with swagger and a sword. I admit Johnny Depp can never be ugly, even with eyeliner, dread locks, and a braided beard. But Jack Sparrow is a pirate, who by definition pillages, plunders, and even murders when necessary. What’s endearing about Jack Sparrow, is that he acts honorably toward his friends and ship mates, even when he doesn’t really want to.

Blake Snyder and the “Superhero”


Writers That Inspire

The following authors and screenwriters have been a true inspiration to me … what they write, who they are, and their personal writing journeys …

  • Meg Cabot
  • Ally Carter
  • Garry Marshall
  • Libba Bray
  • Maggie Stiefvater
  • Shannon Messenger
  • Save the Cat! — Blake Snyder
  • The Princess Scribe — Anne Lower

So… Who’s your Favorite hero?

Calendar

July 2022
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Jul    

Enter your email address to have new posts sent directly to your inbox.

Join 235 other followers

It's really me!

  • Elizabeth Fais

Life is Tweet

Follow @elizabethfais

Recent Posts

  • Wisdom of Richard Peck ~ Writing for young readers
  • The Writer and Rabbit Who Saved the Countryside
  • 3 TREE-rific Informational Picture Books
  • Musings from the Writing Cave
  • MG Review ~ HOW I BECAME A SPY
  • The “Creative High” is real!
  • MG Review: Louisiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo

Past Posts

Officially SCBWI


Member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators

Reading Fun

Advice for Writers

I Write for Apples

Author Photos


Categories

Adventure Amazing but true! Animals Animation Blake Snyder Book Reviews Books Cats Character Dancing Disneyland Elizabeth Fais Fiction Fun Facts Funny Videos Giveaway Giving Back Holiday Humor Inspiration Middle Grade Movies Music Mystery Nonfiction Paranormal Reading Romance SCBWI Shakespeare Story Supernatural Thriller Winner! Writing YA YAppiest Young Adult Zombies

Keeping It Real

wordpress analytics

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • Elizabeth Fais
    • Join 235 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Elizabeth Fais
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...