The Third Fate by Nadja Notariani *Giveaway/Interview/Review*

REVIEW:

Summary:

~ 'One Fate be granted mortal man, used for evil or good as the inner voice directs. Alas, the divine spark draws the eyes of the Fates, the Second Fate sparingly gifted by their hands. Be warned offspring of the gods; guard your gifting well. For if the Third Fate be unleashed, the soul lays bare before one so touched by the gods.' ~


Cautious and quiet by nature, Paige Kinnell watches life unfold from the sidelines, maintaining her simple existence as a shield to hide behind. But underneath her shy, careful ways, Paige senses a disconnect with the world around her, indulging instead her ever curious interest in the legend and lore of time nearly forgotten.

One chance encounter with an ancient of the undead begins an unraveling of reality as Paige knows it, leaving her to sort through dreams and enchantments, discovering along the way that one's Fate can be mere illusion, and that the consequences of opening her heart to another may cost dearly.

Cael Maccinnis, the handsome Highlander she's met, seems the answer to every unspoken longing of her heart, even as he awakens dark, secret desires buried within her soul. As strange and unnerving changes begin occurring in her mind and body, Paige has no choice but to face her life's unnatural turn and confront the frightening implications. For within Paige's past a secret lay dormant, hidden even from her. This truth, guarded well and wielded by the Fates themselves, becomes the catalyst invoking the power of The Third Fate.

Summary taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 170 pages (e-book)

Source: Review copy provided by IO Tours

Publication Date: March 30th 2012

I know I'm pushing it since I just finished the book (haven't been able to read much lately) but boy am I ever glad that I did sign up for this book's blog tour. Speaking of blog tours, I'd like to thank Shauni and Vickie at IO Tours for putting this tour together as well as the fabulous author Nadja Notariani for picking IO Tours :)

Now that the pleasantries are out of the way I daresay I should get to the review part don't you think?

Having just finished the book it's still very fresh in my mind so I have that benefit at my disposal. The book was really good. I loved how the author chose to do vampires with a Scottish twist and a male lead who is a highlander as well as a vampire *swoon*!

I found that the author's writing style was great, you can tell that she worked really hard to word the story carefully and keep the writing style consistant, fast paced and best of all it wasn't repetitive. Like I said in the preceeding paragraph I really enjoyed the author's take on the vampire legend and I felt that the fact the the book includes druids was great, since I love reading about the druids fictional or non.

I also really liked Cael and Paige's romance, for me that was the best part. While I say that I have to mention that the book has a fair amount sex in it so if you like sweeter romances this may not be for you but as always give it a try and go into the book with an open mind. I loved how while Cael is a bit of an alpha male jerk he's very tender when it comes to Paige who can be a bit of a little spitfire in my opinion as well.

Over all I was very impressed by the author's writing, and I would have no problem recommending the paranormal romance to anyone. I think it will especially appeal to those who love the genre and those that like their paranormal's a little hotter. 

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

★ ★ ★ ★

Interview:

1. What made you start writing and what was your inspiration for writing The Third Fate in particular?

Hi, Kimberly! It's great to be here today visiting with you.

Writing a novel had always been on my 'Things I Hope To Accomplish' list, but it took years of reading, maturing, of gaining a woman's confidence to ripen my desire. When I began to seriously consider going for it, my family and friends were encouraging and supportive. Their unconditional support freed me to commit to taking on such a big challenge.

The Third Fate was inspired in early 2011 by my husband! He has always been fascinated with vampires, and the realm of the gods. The basic premise for The Third Fate was dreamt up by him – I developed the characters, added in the romantic/sensual bits (he likes a more terrifying sort of tale...Ha!) and ran with it.

1. Did you know from an early age that you wanted to be a writer or was it something you recently discovered you had a talent for?

Yes and no! Sorry, walking contradiction here... I've always enjoyed writing. I also wanted to be an attorney, a housewife, an airline stewardess, a secretary (I adored business office machines...really :), a political speech writer, an accountant (I ♥ math), and Lucille Ball. Whew...makes me tired just offering a re-counting.

Finding out if I had the grit for writing came much later. I suppose I worried that I'd get started and not be able to finish. Pushing aside those fears to 'go-for-it' was scary – and exhilarating. You never know what you're capable of until you're knee deep in it. That's when you begin to understand the old saying, 'Know thyself.'

2. If you could picture Paige and Cael on the big screen who would play them?

Oh! What a fun question! Let's see... Cael Maccinnis would have to be played by Ian Somerhalder. This image though...I've seen him look completely different in some others which would not work for my hero. Love those blue eyes against the dark hair...gah!

Paige Kinnell....I'm going to go with Emilie de Ravin. She's got a sweet look that reminds me of Paige – and a great complexion. :)

3. What is the hardest part of the writing process and how do you cope with it?

Gee... Each book has had it's own 'hardest-part'. An over-all theme, though, is keeping characters true to themselves. On any given day, I can be feeling a bit cheeky or gentle, like a cut up or a tad timid. I cannot allow my personal mood to infiltrate the mood I'm attempting to capture in a scene. To combat that, I read over my outline before I write the scene – and at times play music that 'sets-the-mood'. Although I only listen to instrumental music while I write. Lyrics get in my way...ha!

4. Who are your biggest supporters? 

My family, hands down! My husband has been incredibly supportive, and he's not even a big reader. He's been vocally and actively supportive, recommending my titles to the women he works with – he's a registered nurse, so lots of ladies to spread the word around! My sister, (I have four of them...) 'Claus' (my nickname for her...she calls me Schultz) is my closest friend and most involved supporter. She rocks at brainstorming ideas and helping me talk out plot/tension issues. My brother, 'Frodie' (I have four of these, too! Another nickname as well) is an excellent critique. He's been so willing to muddle through 'romantic steamy-ness' to give me a man's opinion on Geo-spacial issues, action scenes, dialogue flow – and so on. I have to mention all my writer friends made through A Round Of Words In 80 Days! Twice a week, they're urging me on, commenting and offering support. I'm very blessed in this department.

5. If you were on a desert island with only 8 books what would they be and why?

Eight, huh? Okay...here goes.

Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen – my favorite romance of all time.

The Complete Jewish Bible – You don't get more intrigue, betrayal, rise and fall of kings and empires, poetry, logic, and epic family drama as you do in the Tanakh (Old Testament). You don't get more hope than in the New....

Mark Twain's Short Story Collection – wit and humor of the darkest hilarity. Perfect!

The History Of The Ancient and Medieval World, Susan Wise Bauer – Again...drama, intrigue, war, pestilence...what's not to love? (I may be cheating as this is actually two books...but you can't blame me for trying)..although here is where my love affair with history comes to a screaming halt. After this point, I only have a mild infatuation with history – excepting the two world wars and the cold war – which fascinate me to no end!

The Witching Hour, Anne Rice – This book scared the 'sixes-and-sevens' out of me, which I usually hate...but this story remains one of my all time favorite reads. I was so involved in the generations of women plagued by the bizarre being that I couldn't put this book down.

Jewels, Danielle Steel – One of my first epic romances. This book opened a new genre to me and I'll never forget it.

Blow Me Down, Katie MacAlister – I love a laugh. Sometimes you want a read that requires nothing more than a sense of humor.

The Flame And The Flower, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Another great romance!

This was so difficult, Kimberly! I could honestly pick a hundred books, and I'm sure if you asked me tomorrow I'd have a few different choices come to mind.

6. You write historical romance but do you see yourself branching out in the future?

Absolutely! I love all sorts of stories. My first novel was a contemporary/action romance, my second a historical novella, and The Third Fate is a paranormal romance. I'm all about switching it up. It keeps things from getting stale.

7. What is your least favorite book and why?

A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens. I hope I don't offend anyone * grimaces * – I know it's a classic, but I had to read this book in high school and, for the life of me, couldn't conjure the least excitement/enthusiasm for this story. I've never read Dickens since.

8. What do you think makes a good historical romance novel?

In any good novel, including historical, you have to connect with the characters. Stories are stories...you can be in England or on the North African coast, the Highlands or the Ottoman Empire, but if you don't experience/relate to the emotions your hero or heroine live through, you'll probably find the tale a bit lacking. Of course, plot and tension are important elements in novels that stay with us, but still, I think these take second place. I say this because you can read two books with the same basic plot/storyline, yet come away loving one and feeling rather ambiguous about the other. It was the connection to the character(s) in the dilemma, danger, unrequited love, sorrow, narrow escape, or passion that held you captive.

9. Do you feel that bloggers are an aid to authors?

Undoubtedly, yes. A well known romance site recently published a study of romance readers, and you may be surprised to learn that the number one vehicle through which readers try new books is word of mouth. This shows that reader recommendation is still the most effective way to have your books promoted, and bloggers are an example of 'word of mouth' – only amplified...in stereo...on a megaphone...Okay, okay, I'll stop there. Ha! Authors rely heavily on avid readers/bloggers to get the word out about their books.

Thank you again for having me over, Kimberly. Best of everything to you!

Thanks Nadja! It was a pleasure having you here on Turning The Pages today! Keep up the great writing :)

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