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See How She Fights (Chronicles of Izzy #2) by Michelle Graves-a review

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See How She Fights (Chronicles of Izzy #2) by Michelle Graves -a review

See How She Fights

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 12, 2013

She thought it was over.
She thought her life was finally her own.
She was wrong.

Izzy is thrust back into the world of Seers and Guardians. With a summons from the Council she can’t ignore, Izzy heads back into the fray. Now, it is up to her to figure out why Seers are being sacrificed, carved up, and left for ruin. If she doesn’t find the person orchestrating the deaths, she may well be next.

If that wasn’t enough, her powers have started to expand exponentially. Kennan is keeping secrets. Moreover, a strangely familiar Symbol-smith starts wreaking havoc on her precariously balanced world.

Will Izzy survive this latest crisis? Will she stop fighting destiny and accept her fate? Find out in See How She Fights.

BOOK 1-See How She Runs is currently available for .99cents from Amazon in ebook format:

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/

•••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: SEE HOW SHE FIGHTS is the second instalment in Michelle Graves’ paranormal/UF series-The Chronicles of Izzy. Izzy is a twenty five year old woman who learned in the previous storyline that she is a Seer and the man that she loves is an ancient Guardian who has been waiting his entire life for her birth. In See How She Fights Izzy will come face to face with her mortality and the possibility of the end of the world.

The storyline focuses on Izzy and her destination or rather her pre-destination. With a number of Seers missing and dead, it is up to Izzy to traverse the dream world and use her visions to uncover the who and what that is responsible. But Izzy is more than just a normal Seer-Izzy is presumed to be the ONE-the ONE who will save the Seers and Guardians from the Darkness and their ultimate doom. And with the help of someone not of this world, Izzy will embark on a journey that could quite possibly end her life.

See How She Fights has a distinctively different feel and voice from the first instalment in the series. Michelle Graves uses more snarky and sarcastic banter and come backs, then she used in the previous story. There is the potential for a love triangle building and along with the snark and attitude the overall feel is something similar to many YA storylines. The relationship between Izzy and Kennan is no longer the focus of the series and has been pushed to the background to allow for the build up of the ultimate confrontation. Although Izzy and Kennan are still very much in love, there is a third person vying for Izzy’s affections and in this the story takes on an entirely different feel.

Michelle Graves has once again created a world of Seers and Guardians; dream walkers and visions; soul walkers and runes. But this time around the protection from her Guardian may not be enough to save Izzy from the Darkness that is threatening to take it all away.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

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See How She Runs by Michelle Graves-Interview, Blog Tour and Giveaway

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See How She Runs by Michelle Graves-Interview, Blog Tour and Giveaway

See How She Runs tour banner LRG

See How She Runs
The Chronicles of Izzy #1
by Michelle Graves
Release Date: July 2013

Interview

TRC: Hi Michelle and welcome to The Reading Café.

Michelle: Thanks for having me.

Follow: Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook /

Michelle GravesTRC: We would like to start with some background information, please tell us something about yourself?

Michelle: I love to travel. I have spent most of my life moving from place to place. First as the daughter of an Army man, and now as the wife of one. I get restless if I am in one place for too long. With that said, I am a southern girl through and through. I love the heat of the south. I desperately miss it when I am not there. There is just something about the south that soothes my soul. Maybe it is the southern hospitality, or the fried food, maybe even the weather. Who knows? Whatever the reason, that is where I feel most at home.

As to the rest of my life, well I am married to the most amazing man that ever lived and we have a gorgeous daughter we call Squish. They are my reason for breathing. Without my husband’s support, I never would have published my first book. I think he may be my biggest cheerleaders. (Or maybe he is just hoping I get uber famous and he can retire).

See How She RunsTRC: SEE HOW SHE RUNS is your July 2013 release. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

Click HERE for our review of SEE HOW SHE RUNS

.99cent ebook special: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble /

Michelle: It is about a girl named Izzy whose life completely changed with one delivery. Up until that point, she thought she was an absolutely normal girl. Through a series of twists and turns, she finds out nothing she believed was really true. She is actually a Seer, a person meant to protect the world from events that aren’t meant to be. Her best friend isn’t who she thought he was. Heck, even her family history isn’t what she remembers it to be. Then, throw on top of all of that, a Corporation is after her. They want to use her abilities in twisted ways so that they can gain profits off of disasters.

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

Michelle: As of right now, there will definitely be four. Izzy lets me know how much she has planned when I sit down to write. I never intended for this to be a series initially, but she had other plans. I can’t definitively say how many there will be in the end. For now, all I can safely say is that I will write until Izzy no longer has a story to tell.

TRC: What or who was the inspiration behind the story?

Michelle: This sounds a bit cheesy, but really it all started based on my relationship with my husband. Izzy and Kennan’s relationship mirrors ours in a lot of ways. Heck, those characters mirror our personalities in a lot of ways as well. The rest of the story, well I wanted something different. I am really interested in Druids and ancient magic. This series draws a lot of its world-building from there.

TRC: If you could virtually cast the leading characters of SEE HOW SHE RUNS, which models or actor would best fit your ideal image?

Michelle: I have a whole board dedicated to them on Pinterest. Unfortunately, I don’t know their names. I just know their faces.

TRC: What difficulties or challenges did you face on the road to publication?

Michelle: I was really blessed to have all of the pieces fall into place relatively easily. I knew going in that I wanted to go the self-publication route. I like having the final say on what my end product is. It is entirely up to me whether it fails or succeeds, which is scary and exhilarating. I have to admit, I spent a lot of hours picking the brains of fellow indie authors. They provided me with a ton of helpful information that made the process simple and easy.

TRC: How do you keep the plot unpredictable without sacrificing content and believability?

Michelle: I always try to give my stories a concrete sense of realism. I want the route of the problems to be based on real human emotions. Whether it be greed, betrayal, or love, I want them to be relatable. I am often surprised by the turns my stories take. I don’t ever sit down and map out the intricate details of the story. I suppose I am what most people consider a pantser. I just sit down and write.

TRC: Are you a plotter or a panster (write by the ‘seat of your pants’)?

Michelle: Ha ha. I am a Pantser. All the way. I only plot out the main story arc. The overall problem in the story is the only thing I know going in. The small issues that come my character’s way are never planned out. The twists and turns, the betrayals, the big reveals are often unexpected. Even to me!

TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writers fail in this endeavor?

Michelle: For myself, I feel the emotions of my characters. I experience their highs and lows right along with them. I think that being an emotional person myself really helps me with this. I want the readers to be able to experience the genuine emotions of my characters. Whether it be triumph or failure. I try to never overwrite emotions or overplay them. I want them to be as realistic as possible.

I don’t want to speak for other writers failing in the endeavor, rather I will say that emotions are more genuine when they are relatable. If it is a reaction that a normal person would have, it is easier to understand.

TRC: Do you direct the characters or do the characters direct the storyline as you write?

Michelle: Oh, the characters totally direct the storyline. I am just their mouthpiece. There are things happening in the story that I never would have put them through. I have said numerous times that I feel like I am possessed by Izzy when I start writing her story. My characters have things to say and aren’t shy about it.

TRC: If you could select one reality TV show to be a contestant, which show would your chose and why?

Michelle: Face Off. I would go home on the first day, but I think that show is just amazing. The amount of talent and creativity bottled up in each one of those contestants is unreal.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Michelle: I am editing See How She Fights right now before shipping it off to my editor. Then I will start on See How She Falls.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Michelle: Hmmm, just that I love interacting with my readers. Getting messages from people telling me how much they enjoyed my book means the world to me. I love being able to chat with people and find out what they liked or didn’t like about my book.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food
Pizza

Favorite Dessert
Chocolate

Favorite TV Show
Doctor Who

Last Movie you saw
City of Bones

Dark or Milk Chocolate
Milk Chocolate

Favorite Flower
Mums

Last Vacation Destination
Olympic Peninsula

Secret Celebrity Crush
Brian Williams the news anchor

Pet Peeve
Bullying. I will never understand why people want to hurt others. I would rather spend my life building other people up. I hope that the footprint I leave on this world is a positive one.

TRC: Thank you Michelle for taking the time to answer our questions. We wish you all the best.

Michelle: Thank you so much for having me! I really appreciate it.

_____________________________________

See How She Runs
The Chronicles of Izzy #1
by Michelle Graves
Release Date: July 2013

See How She Runs

.99cent ebook special: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble /

One delivery changed her whole life.

Izzy was a normal girl living in Chicago as a bike messenger before that fateful day. She delivered one package and set into action a chain of events she never could have expected.

Now she is running for her life from the Corporation, her best friend is not at all who he seemed, and to top it all off she keeps having visions.

Will she survive to navigate the waters as a Seer? Will her feelings for Kennan be her very downfall? Find out in See How She Runs.

___________________________________

Blog Tour Schedule

Click HERE for the complete blog tour schedule

___________________________________

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Michelle Graves is giving away the following prizes at the end of her tour:
GRAND PRIZE: $25 Amazon Giftcard
RUNNERS-UP: THREE (3) runners-up will each receive an eBook of SEE HOW SHE RUNS

NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the rafflecopter giveaway. If you have any questions, please contact the tour promoter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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See How She Runs (The Chronicles of Izzy #1) by Michelle Graves-a review

Posted on by
10

SEE HOW SHE RUNS (The Chronicles of Izzy #1) by. Michelle Graves-a review

See How She Runs

.99cent ebook special:Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date. July 17, 2013

One delivery changed her whole life.

Izzy was a normal girl living in Chicago as a bike messenger before that fateful day. She delivered one package and set into action a chain of events she never could have expected.

Now she is running for her life from the Corporation, her best friend is not at all who he seemed, and to top it all off she keeps having visions.

Will she survive to navigate the waters as a Seer? Will her feelings for Kennan be her very downfall? Find out in See How She Runs.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: SEE HOW SHE RUNS is the first storyline in Michelle Graves’s-The Chronicles of Izzy-Urban Fantasy/paranormal series. The series focuses on twenty-five year old Izzy-a Seer-who has recently discovered that she is special. With the members of the Corporation tracking all of her movements, it will take an impassioned Guardian named Kennan to pull Izzy from the edge of oblivion as she struggles with realistic dreams, nightmares and the evil that threatens to destroy them all. Izzy is one of the most powerful Seers and the Corporation have plans to use Izzy for their own gain.

Kennan is a Izzy’s Guardian. There is only one Seer for each Guardian and Izzy is Kennan’s. But Kennan’s feelings for Izzy go beyond Guardian and Seer, and he has known all of Izzy’s life that there would be no one else in his heart. But it may take some convincing to prove that his intentions are honorable towards Izzy especially when he has been hiding the truth about her parents, her powers and his real identity.

The relationship between Kennan and Izzy began at Izzy’s birth but circumstances required that Kennan keep his distance. But as Izzy approached her twenty fifth birthday, Kennan was pulled towards Izzy and his ultimate destination. What begins as a friendship, soon becomes Guardian and protector and eventually soul-mates and love. The building of their relationship spans most of the storyline and culminates in the final chapters of the novel.

We are introduced to Ian-a fellow Guardian- and someone with questionable fashion sense but someone who is willing to die to protect Izzy as well. And Ian may have found his Seer-the one who will ‘belong’ to him.

Much of the storyline premise is revealed through dream sequences, flashbacks, recalled memories and nightmares. As a Seer, Izzy is able to see the future but she is also able to see the past-and it is her dreams that the most revealing information will be told.

Michelle Graves pulls the reader into a fascinating world of Seers and Guardians; dream walkers and nightmares; betrayal and revenge. The love between a Guardian and his charge develops through their intimate physical and psychic connection, but may also be present before the Seer is born. And in this, Kennan has waited over one thousand years and waiting another twenty five years will bring the Seer to her Guardian but not necessarily a HEA-but a happy for now because something wicked this way comes. Evil does not give up control-even your dreams are no longer safe from attack.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

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