Tag Archives: Jessica Sorensen

JESSICA SORENSEN-Interview with the Author

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JESSICA SORENSEN-Interview with the Author 

Last week THE READING CAFE featured a couple of reviews from Jessica Sorensen’s DARKNESS FALLS series.  Her new release THE LOST SOUL -a spin off from her Fallen Star series was released June 2012 and this week we would like to present the author JESSICA SORENSEN.


TRC: Hi Jessica and welcome to The Reading Cafe.  Let’s get started.   Many writers start their love of writing as a child. When did your interest in writing start? Was there a catalyst that sparked your interest in writing?

Jessica:  My love for writing began at a very young age. Writing and reading were ways to channel my over active imagination. I would write short stories just for fun and fill up my extra time with reading.

TRC:  What challenges and difficulties have you faced as a writer?

Jessica:  There are many challenges I’ve faced as a writer. One is that I’ve had to learn how to work through writer’s block. Learning how to take criticism was another challenging obstacle.  And as an Indie Author, one of the biggest challenges I faced was finally pressing the publish button.

TRC:  DARKNESS FALLS is one of your many YA series. Would you please tell usabout the premise of the series?

Jessica:  Darkness Falls takes place in a world where a virus has turned most of the human population into vampires. They’re not pretty vampires, though, but fleshless, gross vampires that like to eat humans and their bite is contagious.

LINKS TO PURCHASE:
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Paper Books
KOBO
B&N Nook and Paper Books

Kayla, the heroine, lives underground in The Colony. The Colony is a place of perfection and strict rules that all Colony members must follow.  Some of the rules include:

Rule #1—Never go out after dark.

Rule #2—Always carry a weapon.

Rule #3—No matter what, never EVER get bitten.

But Kayla’s a kind of a rule breaker and ends up being thrown out of The Colony. While Kayla tries to survive the outside world and the vampires, she discovers that The Colony’s strict way of life isn’t the only way to live, and that the Highers, the leaders of The Colony, have been keeping secrets about vampires, the virus, and who Kayla really is.

TRC:  The premise and its’ terminology are very unique. What was your inspiration for this series?

Jessica:  When I decided to write Darkness Falls, it was because I wanted to try and write a dystopian type book where people where obsessed with perfection. I made the vampires hideous instead of beautiful to try a new approach. One of the biggest things I wanted for this series was to make it so the main heroine became a person who could kick some butt.

TRC:   DARKNESS BREAKS (June 2012 release) is the second storyline in the series. Would you please tell us about the premise of this book?

Jessica:  Darkness Breaks starts out with Kayla living in the city with the Day Takers, trying to get her memories back. Eventually, Kayla learns that to get her memories, she may have to return to Aiden.


Throughout the book, she faces a lot of difficult choices and struggles with her humanity.  She also has conflicting feelings between Sylas and Aiden.


ORDER LINKS:
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Paper Books
B&N Nook and Paper Books
The Book Depository

 

TRC:  How many books do you have planned for the series?

Jessica:  There will be four books in the series.

TRC:  DARKNESS FADES (October 2012 release) is the third storyline. Would you please tell us about the premise?

Jessica:  Darkness Fades starts up right where Darkness Breaks left off—Kayla trapped in Cell 7 and Sylas is missing and infected. While Kayla is there, she learns a lot about the Highers and the virus. She’ll begin to get more of her memories back. And she’ll discover what happened to Sylas.

TRC:  What message (if any) are you trying to convey in the Darkness Falls series?

Jessica:  If there is a message, I guess it would be that I wanted to show what happens when perfection is pushed one step too far.

TRC:  THE LOST SOUL is the first novel in your new FALLEN SOULS series. A spin-off from your Fallen Star series–Would you please tell us about the premise?

LINKS TO PURCHASE
The Book Depository
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Paper Books
B&N Nook and Paper Books

Jessica:  The Lost Soul stars Gemma, Alex, Laylen, Aislin, and Nicholas.  However, there is no fallen star or Stephan in this series.

The book starts out with Gemma looking for a way to free her dad from the Room of Forbidden. But a Lost Soul possesses someone close to her, and she has to change her focus to saving them.

The villain in The Lost Soul is Helena, The Queen of The Afterlife. There are also two other villains that aren’t revealed until halfway through the book, but I don’t want to say who they are or it will ruin the book.

TRC:  Many authors bounce ideas with other authors, or between family and friends. With whom do you bounce ideas?

Jessica:  I bounce a lot of ideas off my husband. But a lot of times he just listens and lets me know if something doesn’t make sense to him.

TRC:  Writer’s Block is a real phenomenon for many authors. How do you handle the stress and anxiety of writer’s block?

Jessica:  It depends. If I have time to take a break, I’ll get up and focus on something else, like reading or going for a walk. However, if I’m nearing a deadline, I force myself to stay at the computer and keep typing.

TRC:  On what are you currently working?

 


 

 

Jessica:  I’m currently working on finishing up Ember, the first book in my new Series, Death Collectors. It will be released at the end of August.

 

 

 

 

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food
Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich

Favorite Dessert
Cheesecake

Favorite TV Show
It’s a tie between Modern Family and The Vampire Diaries

Favorite Movie
I don’t have a favorite movie, but I love comedies like The Hangover, Bad Teacher, and Anchorman.

Last Movie you saw
21 Jump Street

Dark or Milk Chocolate
Milk chocolate filled with caramel

Favorite Flower
Probably a Lilac

Do you have any pets?
Yep. A dog, Bowser

TRC:  Thank you Jessica for taking the time to answer our questions.  Congratulations on all of your success.

 

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THE LOST SOUL (Fallen Souls #1) by Jessica Sorensen-a review

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THE LOST SOUL (Fallen Souls #1) by Jessica Sorensen-a review

THE LOST SOUL (Fallen Souls #1) by Jessica Sorensen

THE LOST SOUL is the first book (June 27, 2012 release)  in Jessica Sorensen’s Fallen Souls series-a spin off from her popular Fallen Star series. Like the Fallen Star series, The Lost Soul features many of the characters from the original series including Gemma Lucas, Alex, Aislin, Laylen and Nicholas. The requisite dark side returns, when the Queen of the Underworld continues to push the boundaries, needing homes for her lost souls. Fey, witches, vampires and demons all vie for the upper hand in a power struggle between good and evil. The action is fast paced and draws the reader immediately into the storyline.

Gemma Lucas is almost 18years old, a Keeper, a Foreseer and in love with Alex. Once she held the power of a star, she is now on a mission to free her father from the Room of the Forbidden. But Gemma’s visions and dreams have once again become life-like and the premonitions and warnings are too strong to ignore, especially when the Queen of the Underworld crosses over onto their plane of existence. Only in this vision, Alex disappears and Gemma is unable to find out where he has gone.

Alex knows that Gemma’s dreams and nightmares have become more frequent, with warnings of blood, death and possession. Since her father has been sentenced to the Room of the Forbidden for breaking the rules, Gemma’s only thoughts have been to find a way to free her father, but breaking the rules could place Gemma in the same predicament as her father. It is only when Alex disappears does Gemma realize that perhaps her one sided endeavor is risking more lives than just her own. And Alex’s rescue and return is not the happily-ever-after of fairy tales and romance. Something about Alex has changed.

The three queens-Essence, Afterlife and Underworld continue their sibling rivalry, but Alex and Gemma become pawns in a fight that will see jealousy and hatred eat away until one sister has total control and the man that she has always wanted. And the man has connections to someone close to Gemma and her friends. As Helena’s powers increase, Gemma’s human frailty becomes more evident with every situation that she pursues.

As a witch, Aislin continues to find a way to increase her powers, but sometimes her magic backfires and when this happens, Gemma and the others will find themselves facing a portal into another realm, where nightmares really do come true. Trapped with no way of escape, the duo will get help from an unlikely hero, who has eyes only for Gemma. But Nicholas is not willing to help out of the goodness of his heart.

Nicholas continues his pursuit of Gemma, even though Gemma is clearly in love with Alex. But Nicholas’s attempts to both shield and protect, are masked by the double speak where only he knows the truth about the 3 queens and their war. Betrayal and lies follow Gemma, but it is the revelation about Alex’s family and their connection to the Queen, that will have Gemma trapped with no way of escape. And in the end, two souls will find a way to reunite, and Alex and Gemma will have no control over the outcome when Laylen becomes an integral part of the war.

THE LOST SOUL is the continuing story of Gemma Lucas and her fight to discover who and what she is. Eliminating the Death Walkers and fighting the fey in The Fallen Star series had previously given Gemma a purpose, but discovering some unknown facts about her family, may prove to be a bigger obstacle than her missing powers. And when the Queen of the Underworld releases the lost souls, no one is safe, not even a friend or someone you love.

Jessica Sorensen writes a wonderful and fascinating storyline that is sure to please, especially for the fans of her Fallen Star series. To be honest, I would suggest reading her Fallen Star series, where many of The Lost Soul characters grow and develop their own personalities and storylines. If you are new to Jessica Sorensen there will be plenty of background information missing in The Lost Soul-information that can only be found in The Fallen Star series.

LINKS TO PURCHASE
The Book Depository
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Paper Books
B&N Nook and Paper Books

Copy supplied by publisher.

Reviewed by Sandy

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THE FALLEN STAR by Jessica Sorensen-a review

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THE FALLEN STAR by Jessica Sorensen -a review

THE FALLEN STAR (Fallen Star Series #1) by Jessica Sorensen

THE FALLEN STAR is the first book in Jessica Sorensen’s Fallen Star series where we are first introduced to a fantasy world of vampires, faeries, witches, Keepers and Forseers. As any introductory storyline goes, The Fallen Star is packed with plenty of background information and the beginnings of character development. With so many featured characters, their growth wasn’t possible in a novel that only covered a few weeks in the life.

Gemma Lucas is a 17 year old girl, morbidly withdrawn, desolate and without any emotions. But over the course of a few months, she begins to ‘feel’. The nightmares and visions are increasing, and her normally withdrawn grandparents are purposely pushing her emotions down. But the sensation of being watched and the spark of electricity she encounters whenever she is in the presence of the new boy at school will eventually send shock waves through her system, as the stirrings of long buried feelings rise to the surface. Only these emotions were buried for a reason.

Alex is on a mission. Sent by his father to ‘protect’ Gemma, Alex must keep secret everything he knows about Gemma’s history, but life has a funny way of throwing curveballs, especially when Gemma begins to ask questions of everyone she has encountered since meeting Alex and his sister Aislin. With the realization that Gemma is something other than a depressed teenager, the young woman discovers there are ‘others’ who wish to do her harm. But finding out that you are possibly the salvation that could secure the portal to another realm, Gemma was not impressed with her new-found status.

Kept in the dark for close to 14 years, Gemma learns that being a Keeper of Life comes with more responsibilities than just a funky tattoo and weird violet eyes. Stalked by Death Walkers and Water Faeries, co-existing with Keepers and Forseers, Gemma is never sure where she belongs. But the constant threat of death from an unknown enemy will put everyone on alert including Alex and his small family of Keepers.

Alex and Gemma’s relationship is rocky at best. Although there are definite sparks, Alex’s demeanor towards Gemma is rife with disgust, sorrow and guilt. His constant need to protect Gemma reflects back to Gemma as betrayal, lies and mistrust, but Gemma will find an ally in Leylan-a former Keeper who is now a vampire. Leylan refuses to keep Gemma’s past hidden but it will be Alex who must pay the ultimate price for protecting Gemma, even from his own family. The requisite bad-guy was obvious to me, but the cliff hanger will have some far reaching consequences in a relationship that should have been ‘Foreseen’ from the start.

THE FALLEN STAR is an interesting storyline. To be honest, except for Gemma’s violet eyes, we are not privy to the heroine’s physical features. This was a bit disconcerting, especially when a reader requires clarity to use their imagination but saying that Jessica continues to build up her worlds with each succeeding story.

As a reader of many different books and series, I would strongly recommend reading The Fallen Star series in order. The character development is slow but is brought about with each additional storyline and novel in the series. Jessica has a new spin-off series-The Fallen Soul series- that includes many if not most of the characters from The Fallen Star series. If you are a fan of YA storylines, you will enjoy The Fallen Star. An interesting look at the supernatural side of life, where Faeries and Witches, Vampires and Demons are only the beginning.

Reviewed by Sandy

LINKS TO ORDER:

Amazon Kindle
Amazon Paper Books
KOBO
B&N Nook and Paper Books
The Book Depository

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DARKNESS BREAKS (Darkness Falls #2) by Jessica Sorensen-a review

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Darkness Breaks by Jessica Sorensen-a review

DARKNESS BREAKS (Darkness Falls #2) by Jessica Sorensen

DARKNESS BREAKS is the second novel  (June 2012 release) in Jessica Sorensen’s Darkness Falls YA series. Continuing immediately after Darkness Falls, Kayla continues to struggle with her new ‘humanity’. Once a powerful Bellator, Kayla is barely able to hold her own against the zombie-like vampires roaming the ash-laden and fire-ravaged city. Without the daily injections that make her stronger and faster, Kayla must consider whether to become a Day-Taker like Sylas or risk losing everyone she once loved to the mutant strain of vampire virus. As the ONE who will be humanity’s savior, Kayla knows that there is only one option. And the once feared Highers will reveal themselves to be a bigger threat than anyone had thought possible.

Sylas and Kayla continue their nightly hunts, and only Kayla remains impervious to the vampire virus. But years of captivity and experiments have left Kayla without her memories and no one is willing to help her regain them back. Imprisoned against their will as children, Kayla, Sylas and his brother Aiden, as well as numerous other children, were subjected to daily injections and training in order to determine who was capable of saving the world. Without their special abilities,the children were eventually eradicated and their whereabouts unknown. And to complicate matters, many do not know if their special abilities and affinities were manufactured by the doctors at the Colony, or part of their own DNA. And once outside the Colony, the lies will continue to perpetuate the cycle of abuse.

Outside of the Colony, Kayla must face those who were once her friends and are now considered the enemy, but many of these former captives, hold the secrets to Kayla’s memories. Ryder holds the ‘key’ to Kayla’s past, but Aiden holds the memories that the key will unlock: young Emmy can help bring forward the past, but Maci sees a future that continues to change. Sylas has the ability to manipulate emotions, but in truth he says he can never lie. And where does that leave Kayla? These people must survive if Kayla is ever able to regain her past. The memories that come unbidden will show that there was something behind the Red Door and Cell 7 was the place where everything began.

As a Day Taker, Sylas is a hybrid of sorts-half human/half vampire with the ability to stay awake during the daylight hours, and this will ensure Kayla has someone to keep watch while she battles the unknown. But Sylas and Kayla will encounter a new-hybrid that will threaten their safety once again. Only this time, the experiment has gone totally wrong. And for Kayla to survive she must become the very thing she was programmed to destroy.

There is a love triangle between Kayla, Sylas and Aiden, and Kayla’s memories will slowly reveal that she was close to both young men throughout most of her life and now Kayla’s humanity remains in question when Sylas and Aiden are a different ends of the spectrum. One wants her to remain human while the other demands she take the next step. Tristan returns but his intentions towards Kayla add to an otherwise tense situation
and it is revealed, that Tristan is not the same boy that Kayla once loved at the Colony. But where Kayla is concerned, nothing will ever be simple and in the end, there will be another form of hybrid, that is impervious to the vampire virus and is able to walk in the sun. And the virus? What will be revealed behind Cell7 and the Red Door is a struggle for perfection that went horribly wrong.

DARKNESS BREAKS is a vampire tale with a twist. These are not your beautiful, sexy vampires, but are the rotting, life-destroying creatures of your worst nightmare. The small group of friends will lose a member while another’s fate is unknown. Lies and betrayal will build walls that will be difficult to tear down but there is still the hope that one young girl will be the savior that either saves the world or tears it completely down. Darkness Breaks is fast paced, well written and finishes with a cliff hanger, that like the characters will keep you wondering what was a lie and what was the truth.

Copy supplied by author.

ORDER LINKS:
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Paper Books
B&N Nook and Paper Books
The Book Depository

Reviewed by Sandy

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DARKNESS FALLS by Jessica Sorensen – a review

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DARKNESS FALLS by Jessica Sorensen -a review

DARKNESS FALLS (YA) Darkness Falls #1 by Jessica Sorensen-released March 2012.

FROM THE PUBLISHER: When the disease spread through the world, people had no choice but to go into hiding. The Colony is hidden deep underground, far away from the vampires—humans that were transformed by the disease. The vampires are hideous, starving, and they will kill any human they come across.

Seventeen-year-old Kayla is a Bellator, a warrior that protects The Colony. In order to survive, there are three rules she must follow:

 

Rule #1—Never go out after dark.
Rule #2—Always carry a weapon.
Rule #3—No matter what, never EVER get bitten.

But what happens when the rules Kayla has always lived by can no longer apply?
The Highers run The Colony and accept nothing less than perfection. One slip up can mean death. Kayla has always worked hard to follow the rules and strive for perfection. But during a moment of weakness, she lets her imperfections show. Her punishment is worse than death. She is chosen for The Gathering and is thrown out into a world full of starving vampires.

No one has ever survived The Gathering, at least that’s what Kayla’s been told. But when she runs into a group who insist they were once part of The Gathering, Kayla discovers the Highers have been keeping secrets. Secrets that could lead to a cure
~~~~~
DARKNESS FALLS is the first release (March 2012) in Jessica Sorensen’s new YA Darkness Falls series. Like many premiere storylines, there is plenty of background information so that is one reason I included the publisher’s blurb. There are Bellators, Watchers, Highers (those in control), Vampires (virus induced), Day Takers (human hybrids) and Day Walkers, all of whom have come into existence through some sort of experimentation, mutation, virus or deliberate manufacturing and medical manipulation. And it is the story heroine-Kayla (aka Juniper)-that has been singled out for greater things.

Found as a young 4year child during the virus outbreak, Kayla was rescued and raised by The Colony doctor and scientist Monarch. But 13 years later, Kayla’s suspicions and memories begin to falter. She is having lapses and black outs with each ‘injection’ and with every absent moment of time, friends and others go missing. Monarch continues to aid Kayla by dosing her with ‘life saving injections’, but all too soon, Monarch himself is caught up in the web of lies and deceit that Kayla is slowing uncovering. It is during one of The Gathering ceremonies, that Kayla will find herself outside of The Colony, with 2 of her fellow Bellators. And life as she once knew it, will take on a whole new meaning when several versions of the truth are finally revealed and what actually happened behind The Red Door.

We are introduced to many different characters and individuals who will either impede Kayla’s progress or add to her confusion about The Colony and what is represents. Tristan is a young man who considers himself mate and protector: Bernard will find himself on the outside, with a new look on life: Maci is a young 7year old with powers to see into the future: Taggart will act as The Colony mortician: and Gabrielle (Higher) who is suddenly interested in Kayla’a refusal to adhere to the rules. But it is the people she meets along the way into the city that will help reveal more about her life than she had ever thought possible.

One of Kayla’s first encounters will be will the vampires. And although she is well aware that the virus has infected these once-human like creatures, it is the vampire’s reactions to Kayla that will place the young Bellator at an even greater risk with the others outside of The Colony. Meeting up and finding a kindred spirit in Aiden, Kayla soon realizes that many of the stories she was once told, have been lies. But there is something about Aiden that will tug at her memories. And the truth is most likely somewhere in between. Hoping to help Kayla retrieve her memories, Aiden explains that the daily injections given by her ‘father’ Monarch have some side-effects that have come in very handy at times and others that could end her life. But it is her meeting with Sylas that will finally force Kayla to make a decision about the direction and risks she is willing to take. With the missing pieces of the puzzle, Kayla knows her next step will either end in misery or finding a cure for something that may not have been an act of nature-after all. And the truth-at this point-everything and everyone is a lie.

DARKNESS FALLS is a terrific start to a new series. Again, there is plenty of background information that must be acknowledged, but the information is necessary to follow the storyline and the characters. Speaking of characters, by the end of the first book, we are not sure whom to believe. Each having their own special ability brought on by medical manipulation and experimentation, it is the lies and the deceit that will have you wondering-just like Kayla-if anything you have read actually occurred or is all a fabricated tale to hide the truth.

LINKS TO PURCHASE:
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Paper Books
KOBO
B&N Nook and Paper Books

Reviewed by Sandy

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