The Clann #1
Paperback: 432 pages
- Publisher: Mira Ink (6 April 2012)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1848450966
- ISBN-13: 978-1848450967
Bloodlust. Magic. Forbidden secrets.
When Savannah Colbert returns to school after a mystery illness, the fact that she has changed is clear to everyone. None more so than every school girls golden boy Tristan Coleman. Ever since their first kiss in fourth grade, Savannah and Tristan have been cruelly and inexplicably banned from associating with each other. Now, as the pair navigate the tricky social life of high school, the truth is about to be revealed.
As Savannah learns of their paranormal ancestry and Tristan deals with the repercussions of her new powers, the relationship they have been denied for so long becomes utterly irresistible and all consuming. Like Romeo and Juliet centuries before them, Savannah and Tristan’s love is destined to fail; and Tristan’s powerful magical family, the Clann, are watching.
Cover: I LOVE this cover. I liked the US cover when it was a beautiful brownish colour but now the black and red just looks amazing, and the red leaves are metallic against matt black which is stunning in person.
I was ecstatic when MiraInk asked if I wanted to take part in this blogtour because Crave had been on my wishlist since I first heard about it back in November last year. And I wasn't disappointed.
I had been heading towards a reading slump but this pulled me right out of it. I just loved this book. The pacing was perfect, I was never bored and just wanting to keep turning pages and was disappointed when it ended- I could have just just turning pages.
My favourite thing about this book is that both Savannah and Tristan's perspectives are written, which gives an idea of what both characters are thinking, feelings towards the other, which made the romance that much sweeter. The romance wasn't insta-love but was built up nicely, and stood out for me amogst other paranormal YA romance.
The paranormal elements were great. A mix of witches and vampires. I haven't read a lot on witches so it was refreshing for me.
I did cringe a few times when some phrases came across as very Twilight-esque. For example Savannah's father who she doesn't see a lot of bought her an old, rusting chevy truck and Tristan describes Savannah as like a drug he's addicted to. Sound familiar?
But despite that I couldn't help but love it. This book wasn't perfect. And I know not everyone will love it. But, my enjoyment of it means that I can't give it anything less than 5/5 stars! It pulled me out of a reading slump, it had both protagonists perspectives- which I always feel more books should have, particularly in paranormal YA and I flat out fell in love with Tristan.
This one is not one to be missed for fans of the YA paranormal genre, it has everything.
Erin: Crave is described as 'Romeo and Juliet with a modern twist', so what is your favourite love story and why?
Melissa: I really hate how Romeo and Juliet ends, so it's definitely not my favourite love story, lol. I do have one adult romance that I've had for forever and read probably a hundred times by now, which would have to be one of my favourites. It's called Born in Fire by Nora Roberts. It's about this woman who is a glass artist, and an art gallery owner who wants to help represent her work and manage her career. For some reason, it constantly resonates with me, maybe because I'm often a little too focused on my creative endeavors and in need of some real world grounding and guidance like the heroine! My hubby is also a lot like the hero in that story, in that he takes care of me without smothering me or babying me, supports and encourages my creative side no matter how crazy my latest idea is, and helps me remember to come back to earth every now and then to enjoy reality!
Erin: If you could collaborate with anyone who would it be and why?
Melissa: Hmm, this is a tough one. If we're talking dream level collaboration here, I adore Christine Feehan's Drake Sisters adult romance series and would love to work with her on a YA romance if I ever became famous enough to move in her sphere, lol. In the same vein of crazy daydreaming, I also greatly admire Dan Brown's plotting skills and would love to do a YA thriller with him as well. And while it might seem a little strange, there are several reality TV show celebrities I'd dearly love to work with to create fictional stories based on their areas of expertise, including Theresa Caputo of Long Island Medium and the Sea Sheppard crew from Whale Wars.
Erin: I love books that have more than one character's perspective, was it difficult writing both Savannah and Tristan's points of view?
Melissa: Actually it's a lot of fun! In real life, verbal communication is filled with misunderstanding and confusion, so I try to show that in my stories and play with it by switching perspectives. Then both I and the readers get to see exactly how the characters accidentally or purposefully misunderstand each other and wind up with some crazy results!
Erin: Who or what inspires your writing?
Melissa: Real life, especially reality TV and the news, constantly gives me ideas for new stories. I have a beautiful notebook (a treasured Christmas present from my sister in law) that is literally filled with story notes for all the stories I'm currently working on, as well as future works. Every day some new idea comes to me, and the only way to keep myself sane and keep it all straight is to jot the note into that notebook! Then when I'm ready to revise a story or start a new one, I can simply go through those notes.
Erin: Do you have a writing routine or any quirks when writing?
Melissa: When I write, I like to have a few key things...
-- I prefer to be in a closed room somewhere (part of the inspiration for Savannah's "supersonic" hearing ability is because I've always had extra sensitive ears and even the pressure changes in the air from room to room can distract me!). I also need to be alone; otherwise I'm tempted to ask anyone who's there to give me feedback on what I've just written!
-- As a former dancer, I've always been nuts about music and really rely on it to help me mentally stay in the right mood for each scene in the story. So before I begin to write any story's rough draft, I always start by creating a soundtrack specifically for that story. This is why you'll always find a playlist on my websites for every story of mine that's published.
-- Since I have two young boys and a hubby who all love to be noisy, I listen to that soundtrack (set to loop for hours if necessary) on headphones to further help me focus.
-- While revisions are always done on a laptop, I prefer to write rough drafts longhand using pens and composition notebooks. I worked for years as an editor, so when I'm on a computer it's hard for me to turn off my internal editor. Writing longhand subconsciously tells that internal editor to "zip it for awhile already!" so my creative side can come out to play instead.
-- When both writing and revising, I've also been known to call upon the powers of Nacho Cheese Doritos, Crunch N Munch, and my new love of Snapple Peach Tea when flying through a rough draft. I swear they're superfuel for the brain!
Thank you for inviting me to be here on your blog. Please let your readers know that I love to hear from readers, and they can feel free to contact me anytime through either of my websites at www.TheClannSeries.com or www.melissadarnell.com, where they can also learn more about the Clann, Savannah's race of vampires, listen to the online playlist for each Clann Series book, and much more!
Thanks so much Melissa for stopping by my lil blog.
-Erin
Cover: I much prefer the newer editions of Stephanie's books, much less cheesy, nice and subtle. Yes it's a romance book but it does scream it from the cover like on some romance novels (come on you know it's true!)
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