Wednesday, September 12, 2012

SWEET EVIL BLOG TOUR ~ REVIEW and Q&A with WENDY HIGGINS



Stops by Sept 13th


Welcome to The Bookish Babe's stop on the Sweet Evil Blog Tour. The tour is being hosted by Amber at Fall Into Books, and she has done a fantastic job. This tour is a very special event because it celebrates what a wonderful book Sweet Evil is, as well as it's amazing author, Wendy Higgins. I reviewed Sweet Evil before it's release, and loved it so much that I gave two copies away, and kept one for myself! So today I am re-posting my review so you can find out exactly what I thought, as well as a Q&A with Wendy Higgins. But first, take a look at Sweet Evil.

Sweet EvilSeries: Sweet Trilogy #1
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: May 1, 2012
Format: ARC
Pages: 453
Source: Received from publisher for review.

What if there were teens whose lives depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil.

Tenderhearted Southern girl, Anna Whitt, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna. A cross-country trip to meet her father forces Anna to face the reality that hope and love are not options for her kind. When she confronts her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?


My faith in the YA paranormal romance genre has recently grown a bit shaky. Instant love connections, reused paranormal elements, and unbelievable characters have played havoc with my patience. To be sure, there are plenty of awesome YA PNR out there, but there are a lot that fall flat for me. So, I was hopeful, but a bit wary when I began SWEET EVIL, despite the hype. I was even skeptical of trusted fellow readers. Could this book really be that good? Yeah, it can and it was. I shut my skeptical mouth after the prologue.

So what was it that I loved about this book?

~Author Wendy Higgins' take on the Nephilim. There are so, so many books with Nephilim. So many that I didn't think I could take one more. But the Nephilim of SWEET EVIL are different. Higgins gave them a particular twist that I hadn't seen before. They are pawns in the struggle between good and evil. They each have a vice that is their "specialty". Those specialties are relevant to the era. There's addictioin, envy, gluttony, vanity, and yes, lust. Which leads me to...

~Kaiden. I loved all of the characters for what they brought to the table. But, Kaiden? He's gorgeous. He's British. His father is a Lust Demon, which makes for some serious sexy times where Kai is concerned. Kai was just...Wow. I am sort of over book jerks. You know, the guys who do nothing but smirk and shoot off at the mouth, which is all a cover for their secret pain. But Kai wasn't that guy. Sure, he can be distant and a bit off-putting, but there's a depth in him that I haven't seen in a lot of book guys lately.

~Anna was well-written, as well. She's a true sweetheart, like a lot of heroines. Anna is an innocent girl thrown into a tumultuous situation. She was kind and thoughtful and did struggle to remain true to herself. She doesn't always say the right thing or make the right decision. A lot of readers complain when the heroine reacts poorly to a situation. I call that realism. Who among us hasn't flipped the eff out when the pooh hits the fan? Now, I'm not one for hand-wringing and obsessive whining, but I like a character who is realistic. Anna is written in such a genuine manner and I adored her throughout the story.

~Lastly, and most importantly, is the writing. I've followed Higgins' story to publishing a bit. I'm so happy SWEET EVIL found a home. The love for her work, the story and the characters, shines brilliantly. Her words flow beautifully, the pacing is perfect, and the story is simply lush and gorgeous. The ending is beautiful torment. I am ecstatic about this book and cannot wait to continue the series. There better be a book two. Please, please buy the book Harper!

This is a gorgeous, seductive book. And just as the title indicates, SWEET EVIL is pure, torturous pleasure.


Favorite Quote:

" 'Because all I could think about was you, Anna, and how good you are, and what you'd think of me. You put thoughts into my head a Neph shouldn't have!' "
Poor, tortured Kaiden... (pg. 250, ARC)

You can purchase SWEET EVIL at:
 
 
Q&A with Wendy Higgins
 
Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?
WH:  The ideas just come from my crazy-whack-funky imagination. I ask
myself a series of questions as a way of brainstorming. And my inspiration is drawn from
life: relationships I’ve  had, things I’ve seen, heartbreaks, books I’ve read, my spirituality—just everything.

What books have most influenced your life?
WH:  Poisonwood Bible, Harry Potter, Twilight, Vampire Academy, The
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Paradise Lost, To Kill a Mockingbird…(I could go on and on, lol)

What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I love reading. I love watching my children learn and create. I love
spending time with my family and friends. And I love traveling.

Do you have a routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write?
WH:  Not really a routine as much as just setting the mood. I need to be
in a quiet place, alone. My favorite place to write is in my bed, propped up with pillows, when
everyone is asleep. :)

Who would you consider your favorite author and why?
WH:  Probably Richelle Mead because I love her writing style. Her
characters are always interesting and flawed, and she knows how to create awesome romantic tension.

What book, if any, do you read over and over again?
WH:  The Harry Potter series. It’s just a classic. I can’t wait until my
kids are old enough for them!

Wendy: Thanks for having me, Andrea! *muah*






 





Thanks to Wendy for taking the time to answer my questions. Anyone who lists Harry Potter, To Kill a Mockingbird and Richelle Mead as favorites is good people, in my opinon!


 
 
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19 comments:

  1. This book is just made of awesomeness. And hotness! Kaidan rocks! The twist is something I was not expecting either. Kind of darker than typical YA, which I one of the reasons I loved it so much.

    Richelle Mead is AMAZING! I love characters that are flawed!
    Oh and kick ass review BTW. You covered all the good stuff!

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  2. Great interview! Got to agree that anyone with Richelle Mead and Harry Potter as favorites is awesome! This is the second time I have read your review and you totally had me the first time but I still haven't had time to read it yet. I know I'm horrible. I look forward to Kaiden and Anna and their journey. I love paranormal romance so you had me already. Glad to know this one renewed your faith in the genre and I look forward to very realistic and genuine characters. I agree that it is nice for them to make mistakes. No one should be perfect and when poo hits the fan I do flip. lol

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  3. Great Q&A's! They were really fun to read!! I really like realistic characters, so ill be looking forward to that!! Thanks for sharing!
    - Farah @ MajiBookshelf

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  4. I loved Sweet Evil so much! As far as angel-books go S.E. takes leaps and bounds by way of breaking out of the crowd. Great Q&A! Richelle Mead is one of my all-time favorite authors so it makes me so happy that she's Wendy's as well.

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  5. Great interview! I agree with Wendy, Richelle Mead is awesome!

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  6. Hey! My favorite place to read is in bed propped up on pillows while everyone is asleep! I freaking loved Sweet Evil, Kaiden seriously still makes my day when I think about. Love this feature Andrea! Thanks for sharing :)

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  7. I absolutely love this book, it's definitely one of my favourite book of the year !! I adore Kaiden and Anna and I'm dying to read Sweet Hope !!
    OMG Wendy loves Richelle Mead too ?? She's like my favourite YA author ever !!!

    Thanks for the great Q&A Andrea !

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  8. Ah, I loved your review - I'm glad you posted it again!! And I liked the Q&A with Wendy!!! Holy cow - to go from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants to Harper Lee .... she's my kind of eclectic :) I really need to get to this book - your review has me moving it up higher!! (stupid review copies always getting in the way, grrrrrrr) tee, hee!!!

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  9. Andrea I was so in a similar boat to you, I had a phase I think I still sort of do that I'm wary of paranormal romance novels, but I remember such positive reviews coming through for this book that it makes me quite eager to pick it up. Thank you for sharing a beautiful review and q & a post with us! :)

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  10. Agreed! You list Richelle Mead as your favorite author and we are golden...GOLDEN, I tells ya! :) Great review, Andrea. I've had this book on my shelf for awhile, and now I want to put everything else aside so I can pick it up. Your reviews always seem to have that effect on me. :P

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  11. Fantastic interview!! I have this on my shelf and really need to get to it. Love the list of books that influenced her too!! Thanks for sharing this hon!!

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  12. Andrea, you've totally sold me! I am definitely going to read this. Wish I'd had a chance before my blog tour stop! :(

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  13. Can't wait to read this! Hopefully someday. ;)

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  14. I am so glad you enjoyed Sweet Evil and I must say I agree with everything you said. Kai manages to capture the bad boy persona while somehow staying original and not simply being the brooding type. Great review and great interview!

    Teresa @ Readers Live A Thousand Lives

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  15. I feel exactly the same way you did about this book but the fact that this ended up impressing you makes me think I passed up on a good read!

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  16. I have not read this but it is on my tbr list. I am totally going to add it to my wish list :) Great review. I am glad you liked it and that it was original.

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  17. I loved this book!!! Great post.

    Valerie
    StuckInBooks.com

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  18. I actually won this book from Nyrae Dawn and I have been dying to find the time to sit down and read it. Love the review and interview. I am just going to have to make the time to read it. Who needs sleep, right :)

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