An a-MUSE-ing interview + giveaway

Today we interview an author's muse. What do they think of their job? Donna Augustine's muse has agreed to answer a few questions and maybe dish a little dirt about her.

~~~~~

Would you mind stating your name and occupation?
Alexander, but you can call me Alex. I'm a muse.
And who is your employer?
Donna Augustine isn't my employer. We collaborate. Actually, that's a bit generous of me. I do all the heavy lifting. Sometimes, I think she just takes dictation.

Why do you collaborate with her then? Why not find another author?
Too troublesome. I've finally gotten her trained. You have no idea how hard it can be to break in a new writer.

Trained? How so?
Well, for instance, she had to adjust to my ways. I don't do the 9-5 thing. It's tedious and boring. If I call her at two in the morning with my brilliance, she needs to pay attention. I also expect her and take notes. If she's going to blow me off because she finds the hour unreasonable then I have no desire to repeat myself the next day when it's more convenient for her.

So, mostly just late hours?
No, I share my brilliance at all different times. Unfortunately, she might have the worst timing of anyone I've ever met. Whenever I need her, she's either showering, shopping or in a conversation with someone not as important as me. But, she learned. Now, when I call her, she always stops and takes notes.

Then the two of you are in a good place now?
As long as she keeps up her end, yes. I guess you could say that.

Do you have any advice for all the other muses out there?
Yes, don't get into the business. It's a thankless job. I get no respect at all. My name isn't on the cover or even in the credits. The pay is horrible too. Cut out the middleman and just write the books yourselves. But, how can you do that if you don't have a corporeal body?
Well, that is just plain rude. This interview is over. I've got a spa appointment to make.

~~~~~

Shattered (Alchemy, #3)by Donna Augustine
I thought I could be a hero. That was before I helped destroy the world. Now, as I stand among the rubble of what used to be, I wonder how we're ever going to pick up the pieces.

Every day is a struggle, and people are getting desperate. Creatures that never should have existed are picking away at the dwindling numbers of the human race. And the knowledge that could be our salvation lies with the senator who reigns supreme on the other half of the globe.

I Smell Sheep reviews of 

The Keepers, Keepers & Killers, Shattered

all three received 5 Sheep

About the Author:

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Donna Augustine’s lifelong ambition was to become the crazy cat lady. Unfortunately, when family allergies cut short her dream of living in a house full of furries, she turned her ambitions toward writing. Combining her love of fantasy, scifi, horror and romance, she tries to string together interesting twists on urban fantasy.

A native of New Jersey, when she isn’t writing or over dosing on caffeine, she can occasionally be spotted in disguise at the local dog park.

GIVEAWAY

GRAND PRIZE: a signed paperback set of THE ALCHEMY series & a Gift Card to Amazon (international winner will get eBooks instead of paperbacks)

RUNNERS-UP: 3 runners up will receive an eBook of choice from THE ALCHEMY series

Go here for the rafflecopter:

http://donnaaugustine.com/?p=168

Book Review: The Keepers by Donna Augustine

The Keepers (Alchemy #1)
By: Donna Augustine 

Two days ago, Jo Davids was a waitress by night and a college kid by day, with the unnerving problem of things floating around her. 

One day ago, Jo's sexy boss, Cormac, noticed her for all the wrong reasons when she witnessed a man transform into a monster in the basement of his casino.

Today, Cormac ordered her shot. If he's real lucky, she won't die. Because if she does, all hope is lost.

**disclaimer**

Author Donna Augustine has a paid Ad for this book in the left side bar. She gave me a copy for an honest review. Under most circumstances I wouldn't post my review on the site so no one could question my motivations, but this is a damn good book and deserves recognition.

I tried to read an earlier story by this author and had to stop after four chapters because it just didn't grab me and the writing was rough around the edges, so I put off reading this one. Now I wish I hadn't. In a genre full of vampires and shifters Donna has written an urban fantasy with a bit of a different flavor. I was hooked instantly and emotionally invested before I knew what hit me. There were things I didn't see coming and the world building used a clever twist of science. You know how they say write the book you want to read? Well, I don’t have to because Donna Augustine did it for me! Readers have certain buttons they hope get pushed while reading a story and this one hit every single one of mine.

I absolutely loved the heroine Jo Davids. She is the typical snarky protagonist with a tortured past found in urban fantasy. What makes her different is the character stays true throughout the whole story. The sexy alpha Cormac doesn't break down her walls and have her jumping in his bed, much to his dismay. Her reactions to what happens around her make sense and feel realistic. And even though Jo is attracted to Cormac it doesn't dominate her every thought which I like because sometimes I want to smack a heroine and say “get a life girlfriend! Or at least a hobby.” <G> You can feel the sexual tension between them as it simmers under the surface, waiting to explode. I think that is sexier than them jumping into bed without a thought to the consequences and lamenting about for the rest of the book.

This is first person POV so you have to love being in the protagonist’s head, which I did. The writing was a little rough in the beginning, but at some point early on it either smoothed out or I was so immersed in Jo’s head I didn't notice. The seriousness and tension at the end of Chapter 4 had me OMGing! Then the beginning of the next chapter had me laughing. It is one of the best chapter segues I've read.

Reviews are subjective. What works for me might not work for you, but I enjoyed the hell out of this story and can’t wait for the next one. Even with a few writing issues I still have to give this 5 Sheep.

Some of my favorite quotes:

“… and he was incredibly handsome in a deeply sexual way. He was nicely over six feet, with broad shoulders encased in a white tuxedo shirt that hung slightly open. But it was the power that seeped from him, not his size that made him alarming to even my senses, not that I’d ever show it, but I felt it in spades. It rolled off him in wave after wave until it practically smothered all my other senses.”

“I guess today I’d see how special I really was. Was I X-men special, or just a little different?”

“I followed him because, as I might have mentioned before, I don’t like desperate people. They tend to do desperate things. Desperate people should be placated until you can get as far away from them as humanly possible, because desperate people had a bad tendency of blowing up and taking you with them.”

“That’s when my shopping spree turned ugly, or awesome, depending on your viewpoint.”

5 "X-Men special" Sheep

 

Sharon Stogner (edit by Kakpar)