Review & Author Interview Visions (The Holly Nather Trilogy, #1) by Sara Daniell

Summary:

"Every guy I seem to date ends up resembling the reeking material that janitors and plumbers both deal with on a daily basis. You get my metaphor. In summary, it is safe to say that my dating life really, really sucks." -- Holly

It is Holly's first year in college and the most exciting thing in her life is her classes. She doesn't have any luck with dating and doesn't have many friends.

Her life is terribly boring until she receives a text message from a unknown person. Life as Holly knows it will forever change by responding to that one single text. She isn't too thrilled but will soon find herself falling in love with a complete stranger from another world.

Summary taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 182 pages (e-book)

Source: Review Copy from author

Publication Date: March 1st 2012

First I'd like to thank Sara, who has been a gem to deal with. She graciously included me in her blog tour and asked me to review her book which I enjoyed immensely and she was nice enough to even let me interview her. I love when authors take time out of their busy schedules to talk to their readers.

Now on to the review.

I really liked this book. Holly is your average college freshman who has a little bit of an attitude (but I like my characters with some spunk!) She's a bit of a tomboy, she doesn't like to be the center of attention and her love life is in the drain.

That is until one text message from a mysterious stranger changes the course of her life indefinetley. All of a sudden she's flung into a world she never could have imagined and she's falling for the stranger who has taken her away from everything she's ever known.

I think that for a first novel Sara definetly has promise. You can tell how much she loves to write right off the bat and you can tell that Visions is her literary baby.  I really liked how the novel played out, though sometimes it did feel rushed but that's okay since the author is new. 

It was actually quiet refreshing to have a YA book that has no witches, werewolves, vampires or other creatures that go bump in the night. Not that I don't love books with those aspects but it is nice to find an author who is willing and able to create a world devoid of those things and Sara did this quiet well.

There's treachery, alternate universes, magic (though no witches or warlock/wizards/sorcerers) and a love story to boot! I really enjoyed this book and I'm glad I had the oppotunity to review this book for the author because it was well worth the read. 

I recommend this to people who like realistic YA with just a hint of fantasy.  I look forward to reading more about Holly as the trilogy continues and I wish Sara all the best in her writing career. I really like her style :)

To visit the author's blog CLICK HERE

To "Like" the author on Facebook CLICK HERE

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my free and honest review.

★ ★ ★1/2

Q&A with author Sara Daniell

1.) When did you decide to write Visions and why?It’s funny…I really don’t remember exactly when I sat down and wrote Visions. Visions was written over a period of time, not all at once. Why I wrote it…that is actually a funny story. I wrote it because I challenged myself to do it. I have always had a huge imagination and love for reading. I grew up keeping a journal and loved to write. One day after reading a book I said to myself, “Sara, why don’t you write down all the crazy things your own head?” That is seriously how it happened. Poor Luke and Holly and the world of Terre had been locked up in my brain for far too long. That is how Visions as well as the rest of the trilogy came about.

2.) Which character in Visions is your least favourite?

That is hard for me to answer. I love all my characters for different reasons. If I had to choose the one I liked the least, it would have to be Lana. I know that seems so cliché since she is the bad guy (or I should say girl) in the story, but she is horrible to Holly and so I choose her as my least favorite.

3.) If you could give aspiring authors 3 pieces of advice, what would they be?

Read! I always say, if you don’t like to read you will be a unsuccessful writer. Reading opens up your imagination which helps you create characters and the worlds they live in.
Write because it is what you love to do, even if others don’t love what you write.
Grow thick skin. Do not expect everyone to like what you have written – because they won’t. Focus of the good reviews and never feel badly about your work. Take the negative and let it help you grow as a writer. I know this sounds cheesy but it is VERY true. Trust me.

4.) What is the most rewarding thing about being a writer?

SO many things! Gosh, where do I even start! After you complete a book it is a awesome feeling. It is a feeling of accomplishment. But, the most rewarding thing about being a writer is sharing it with the world. It makes me so happy to know that people could escape into my books for a while and find entertainment in them.

5.) What are you top 5 books from your top 2 favourite genres and why?

Top 5 Books are from YA Paranormal Romance and Dystopian/Sci-Fi
True of Blood by Bonnie Lamer
Switched by Amanda Hocking
Hollowland by Amanda Hocking
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Color Blind by Aaron Slade
I LOVE all of these for so many different reasons. I think, because they all bring something different to the reading community. They are all so completely unlike any other book I’ve ever read. You should really check out every single one of them if you haven’t already!

6.) Do you see yourself branching out in terms of your writing in the future?

YES! I already have a few things in the works! I won’t go into too much detail because I change my mind – a lot. What I mean by that is I could be writing something and put it away for a long, long time or totally trash it. BUT, I will say this, when I’m through publishing the whole Holly Nather Trilogy, you will see a lot more from me.

7.) If you could have written one book written by anyone in the world what would it be?

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks – one of the BEST love stories EVER written.

8.) Do you feel that as a writer negative reviews are important?

Yes, depending on the context they are in. If they are bashing the author, no, I just ignore those. I don’t care to hear that someone thinks I suck at writing. But, if they are giving constructive criticism that could help the author, yes.

9.) Do you think book blogs are important to have especially for indie authors?

YES! I wish there was so much more I could as a indie author for all of you wonderful bloggers! You guys take the time to read and review our books which helps us to get the word out. There is no way possible we could do this without awesome blogs like yours! I cannot say thank you enough!

Thanks again Sara for answering my questions and letting me in on the Visions Blog tour!