Saturday, July 13, 2013

Review and Interview with Nikki Rae author of SUNSHINE


I had the opportunity to interview Nikki Rae. :-)

Here is what she had to say:

Do you have to concentrate and visualize the story or do ideas just randomly come to you when you're out and about?
Both! When I’m first starting a story, things will tend to float into my head. Bits of conversation, how a character looks, what they’re like/what their history is. But when in the process of writing the entire book out, I sit and think about it a lot until the scenes are as real as they can be.

What part of writing do you find the most challenging? most enjoyable?
The most challenging thing is how lonely you can get sometimes. For me, writng is a solitary thing. I spend at least eight hours a day on a story when I’m knee deep in it, and I lose touch with the real world sometimes. That’s probably the thing I love most about it too. : )

Out of all the books you've read, if you could live in one of them which would it be and why?
I’d like to live in Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book. Talking to ghosts and living in a graveyard seems kind of nice to me.

What are you working on and when can we expect it to be out?
I just finished the second book in The Sunshine Series, Sun Poisoned. It came out June 28th! Now I’m working on the third book, which I’m aiming to have done by January or February of this year, as well as a spin off book that contains a few characters from Sun Poisoned, which will come out possibly next summer. : )

What or who inspires you?
People. There are so many different kinds of people, so many situations they go through, so many ways to overcome or stay the same. Just watching how people react to certain things is usually enough for me to get going.

Do you prefer to go to the theater or wait for the DVD?
It depends. If it looks like it’s going to be amazing, I’ll go to the theatre. Especially if it looks like something that’s better suited for a bug, dark room with loud speakers, like a horror movie.

What is your favorite color?
Black. Well, black isn’t technically a color…so…purple?

Which books have been on your tbr shelf the longest?
Oh man. I have a tbr BOOK CASE. I think the one that’s been on it longest is Lolita. I really LOVE it, I’ve just had it for so long that I read parts of it, forget I was reading it, and then never finish it.

Night or Day?
Night. I’m nocturnal.

What is your favorite past time?
Besides writing? I like to read, drink tea, find some animals to pet.

What is your favorite flower?
Hmm…I don’t think I have one. I guess you can’t go wrong with giving me flowers. : )

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. :D

Blurb:

18 year old Sophie Jean is pretty good at acting normal. Sure, she’s not exactly happy, but happiness is nothing compared to being like everyone else. She can pretend she’s not allergic to the sun. She can hide what her ex-boyfriend did to her. She can cover up the scars she’s made for herself. Ignore anything. Forget anything. Then Myles enters her life, and he has more than a few secrets of his own. When accident after accident keeps happening to Sophie, she can’t help noticing that he’s everywhere. That he knows too much. That she’s remembering too much.

It’s one thing covering up her own dark past, but does she really need to worry about people finding out just how much Myles likes her? Or that despite how much she doesn’t want to repeat past mistakes, she kind of likes him back? Not to mention the fact that she now has to conceal that Myles drinks blood-that he says he’s about four hundred years old.

She almost forgot about that part.

But Sophie has no plans to ruin the normal life she has created for herself. She can deal with this little glitch, no problem. Even if word has gotten around to the wrong vampire about Sophie and Myles, even if she’s putting the few people she loves at risk. Suddenly, those who were monsters before are just people, and the monsters? They’re real. Now being a normal human being is the least of her problems. Now she has to stay alive.





You can purchase it from Amazon / B&N / Smashwords.

It was only 99 cents when I was finding the links to post. :D



About the author:

Nikki Rae is a student and writer who lives in New Jersey. When she is not writing, thinking, or reading, she is most likely hanging out with her gecko, Neil Gaiman, drawing in a quiet corner, or drinking tea by the gallon. Sunshine is her first book.

Website / Facebook / Twitter



Just so you know, the second book, Sun Poisoned is also available.


You can purchase it from Amazon, B&N, or Smashwords.



If you had a sun allergy, would you miss being out in the sun?


My Thoughts:

Well let's start with the cover. I thought it was very striking and I really liked it. In that respect the old saying is true. You can judge this book by the cover. I was just as impressed by the content as I was by the cover. It was hard for me to believe that this was Nikki's first book.

I liked all of the characters except for Sophie's mom who has serious issues.

This was a new twist on vampires. :-) 

I really am looking forward to finding out what Michael was talking about when he said it was all about her. Oh the suspense is killing me!

In this book you will find a magenta haired girl with a severe sun allergy, a mysterious new kid in town who befriends the previous mentioned girl, a set of twins who have very interesting names, a psycho mom, a horrible ex boyfriend and his super perky, skanky, witch of a girlfriend, a love for music, some secrets, some bad circumstances and a very old, very evil vampire named Michael too.

There was some romance, mystery, and action in Sunshine.

I was engrossed pretty much right away and read through until the end. :-)

I hope to read Sun Poisoned soon. :-)

I would recommend this book to everyone who likes vampire books.

I received an ecopy from the author in exchange for my honest opinion. I really liked it alot.
  
Thank you for commenting! Don't forget to enter the Comment Incentive Giveaway. The link can be found at the top of the page!

41 comments:

  1. That is a gorgeous cover! I totally have to agree with her about the graveyards. I find them eerie yet beautiful at the same time. My mom and me go to visit my Grandmas grave at least once a week and I find it really calming. Another one for the wishlist but I may just go ahead and get it since its only .99 and Im mainly nocturnal but yea I would miss the sun. I like to sit outside and read during the day or in the summer by the pool and doze.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hum i did have a pontucal allergy to teh sun... it's frustrating because i need to hide not just from tjhe sun but from natural light as a whole...( since it's sun)
    i don't bath in sun and i'm usually cautious so when it started i relly didn't know what it was just that i was itching a lot but the doctor said it was teh sun so now i'm even more careful, i do go out in full sun, i put sun protection ( and i don't forget my face) and so far it work i only had once a new attack of teh allergy so it's oki... ( and i got it in winter by teh way^^)

    i love sunny day but i know i must be careful and i prefer to be careful that to be stuck in a dark room


    the cover is interesting but i guess i'm afraid it's too dark for me

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw thats horrible Miki! I have a friend who has the same allergy. She has to be very careful. I know its not always fun and easy.

      Delete
    2. it's not permanent so it's liveable^^

      Delete
    3. I'm sorry to hear that Miki. I'm glad that it is manageable. :D

      Delete
    4. ^^ positive thing it helps me to understand the frustration of some vampires better^^ but yes it's manageable and it could disappear like it came so i can live with that ( and if a attack comes again i know what i need to do so it's less frightening that it was)

      ( ps: did you receive my email?)

      Delete
    5. lol you know thats one way to think of it and you know if you ever become a vampire you are slightly prepared for it. :D Im glad that its managable for you and that it wasnt permanant.

      Delete
    6. prepared for that aspect yes.... the blood feeding that i don't think i could ever be ready for it;)

      Delete
    7. I often wondered about that. But the same goes for being a were could I eat raw meat?

      Delete
    8. hum were can eat cooked meat too it's just doesn't give them as much energy as raw one ( so i would just need to eat more)...but blod no!

      Delete
    9. oh and i forget as a were you could eat sushi^^ it's just depend of the kind of were^^;;

      Delete
    10. Yuck! I don't think I'd like sushi any more than the raw meat but when the meat is raw they're in their animal forms.

      Delete
    11. ^^ i'm not liking sushis either but since that's something we can eat as human i guess teh transition would be more easy....
      as for eating raw in their animal form.. yes but i think they do it to as humans

      Delete
    12. It would be different being in animal form but then you still would remember doing it.

      Delete
    13. Im definitely not a sushi lover! I also like my meat very well cooked! LOL

      Delete
    14. Have either of you read Dakota Cassidy's Accidental series? There absolutely histerical and they deal with both those issues. The first one the girl turns into a were and has to deal with all of that and then the 2nd is about another girl turning into a vamp. You both would love them!

      Delete
    15. i didn't know about this series at all, looks really interesting yes

      Delete
    16. I LOVE it! Shes so funny. All her characters are quirky and just so much fun to read. The first one is The Accidental Werewolf and then I think Accidental Vampire, then Accidental Human. I dont remember what comes next though. You dont need to read them in order but its more fun. I think I read book 2, 1, then 3

      Delete
    17. thank you a lot for these info, i will try to see if i can get my hands on it then^^

      Delete
    18. Let me know what you think if you do. I think that they are really fun.

      Delete
    19. i won't forget to tell you but i don't think it will be soon that i will find them^^

      Delete
    20. No rush. :) I know we both have soo many to read that its hard to get to new ones.

      Delete
    21. to be honest the problem it's not that i have too many before coming to them it's more that i really need to find them. i noted the info on a paper so i will try first when i go check the bookstorres in hope for sale s( because yes i still haven't managed to go) but i don't have a lot of hope, if i can't find them then i will have to wait until i can buyon internet with help and that doesn't happen each month ( thus why i jump on some pre order when i can buy)

      Delete
    22. ahh I understand.. :) Hopefully you can get to the stores sometime soon. I know you were talking about seeing the summer sales.

      Delete
    23. ^^9 days left for teh sales yes so i do hope but now the pollution is at 8/10 ( i'm already having difficulties at 6 and it will be 33°c so i must stay inside until at least the pollution goes down ( and since ozone just goes up when the torrid days adds up...) ^^ fingers crossed

      Delete
    24. went and i came bavck more than disappointed

      Delete
    25. Aw Im sorry Miki! :( You didnt find anything?

      Delete
    26. no, nada,niet, nothing....
      there was a book that was on my wishlist and another from my list to try but let said if it's 7 dollars i would have had to paid nearly 20/25...so nothing on sales ( only a few were and only sometravel book) and as you can see the book at normal price are a little too expensive here ( the lesser one would have been at 12dollars for a mass market paperback)so i came back empty handed and so disappointed to have lost time i could have used to read

      Delete
    27. Geez.. mass markets are that expensive there! The most I've ever seen them for here is 9.99 but usually there just 7.99. At least you got to get out abit.(granted you got sick but we wont remember that) :(

      Delete
    28. english book are expensive yet now french books are too let see...
      if 10euro equals 13 dollars
      13euro equal 17 dollars....

      then you can count than the majority or mass market ( called here pocket book /livre de poche ( small format in fact) are around 12dollars because it's either a little under 10euro or above

      now in France it would be less except for 2 editor/publisher who are kind enough to make teh same price ( after all there is no change of currencies like before to jutify a difference)

      now bigger book ( hardback ( not hard cover... if i'm clear^^;;) minim 34 dollars because it's usually between 20 and 29 euro ( so yes more than 34 dollars often)

      now the best: hard cover ( you now the strong one( arf we don't use the same term here so i'm not sure i make myself clear) you must count a minimum of 30euro so 40dollars

      so in my native language i have choice but expensivce, in english less choice ... really few even but even lore expensive

      ^^ now you undesrtand why i refer to read in english when i can win a book or get it online^^;;


      ( in spain it's even more)

      Delete
    29. Yes I cant blame you and I understand you. I know just from working at the bookstore its paperback or mass markets, trade size(the bigger paperbacks) and then hard covers or hard backs. Or known as the ones that really hurt when they drop on your head. (yes its happened alot to me)

      Delete
    30. ^^ in our country we have some variation thout... let see we have " livre de poche" you can think them as mass market paperback

      then we have the big format and it's either
      relié= hardback
      or broché=paperback soft cover ( so for you imagine the hard cover same size but with a soft cover like a paperback)

      our" liovre de poche" can vary a little some are 1cm less etc but we don't have the equivalent of trade size(though our hardback are les high than yours)

      Delete
  3. Yes dont put yourself at risk. Hopefully teh weather will cooperate and it will be safe for you to go outsite.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ^^ stroms are scheduled for the end of the week so it should help

      Delete
    2. yes for here to. Which should be nice. It may help break the heat too.

      Delete
    3. ^^ they are welcome sometime s( if they don't force me to cut my internet session too^^)

      Delete
    4. ack dont even say that! LOL We have the worst luck at my house! The powers constantly going out when theres storms. Sometimes even when its not.

      Delete
    5. hee it's not the storms the biggest trouble... it's when the city plan her "musical event" etc not only it's really too loud and not interesting but they can't plan it right and we are left in the dark( thus no internet of course)

      Delete
    6. Yea that would be a bummer. Mines just the storms. But sometimes it just goes out for no reason. Which really sucks!!!

      Delete