Title: Emerald City
Author: Alicia K. Leppert
Pages: 320 pages
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Release Date in US: April 10, 2012
To pre-order your copy: Amazon or Barnes & Noble
For more info: Book Website. Author Website.
Amazon Summary: Olivia’s sad, solitary life in Seattle comes dangerously close to ending one fateful night, if not for a neighbor saving her in the nick of time. Curious about her mysterious rescuer, she seeks him out in hope of getting some answers, but instead finds something she never thought she’d have again.
This was definitely a good book. I really felt for Olivia – there is so much of myself that I saw in her that it was easy to put myself in her shoes and to feel what she felt. She meets Jude after he saves her. Together, they grow closer. He helps her get stronger emotionally. One quote that I liked in the book was when she was talking about the walls she had surrounding her – she said, “but bit by bit, they were coming down. I still held back when we talked, still found myself sharing something, then retreating swiftly into my turtle shell, which he would promptly, gently ease me out of.” I really appreciated the slow build up of their relationship – that is wasn’t immediate. It makes it more believable.
It was a little predictable with Jude, but Olivia knows it too, so it definitely did not hurt the build up, the suspense, and my enjoyment of the book.
I definitely recommend this book for fans of YA!
4 STARS
Book received through NetGalley.
To find other stops on the the tour, please go here.
And now an interview with Alicia K. Leppert!
About three years ago I made up my mind that I was really going to write a book, like I’d always said I would. After several pathetic attempts and no real good ideas, I sat one night and just brainstormed and thought about what kind of book I really wanted to write. I knew it would be a romance, that was the one thing I’d always known, but outside of that, I had no clue. I knew the fantasy/paranormal thing was really big right now but I wanted to do something different. (ie no vampires or werewolves.) And then, just like that, it suddenly popped into my head, out of nowhere. And for the first time in my life, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I had found my story.
Well, I haven’t been a lot places outside of my home state of Washington, and I knew I needed to write about a place I was reasonably familiar with. I live on the other side of the state from Seattle, but I’ve been there enough times in my life to feel comfortable setting my story there. I thought the story would work best in a big city, and, when it comes to Washington, Seattle’s as big as you can get! Plus, I kind of have a love affair with Seattle. I was born there–lived there till I was three–and there’s just something about it that makes me feel alive.
3. Any plans for more books with Olivia and Jude? Are you working on another book?
Absolutely. Olivia and Jude’s story is most definitely not over. I’ve had ideas for the sequel brewing in my head for a while, but unfortunately, marketing Emerald City has taken over much of my life and has left little room for writing. However, I’m getting the itchy-finger, restless feeling I get when I’m ready to write again, so it won’t be long before I sit down and revisit their world. I’m not sure exactly how many books in the series there will be, but right now I’m thinking maybe four.
City of Ashes, by Cassandra Clare. I can’t put it down. It’s one of those rare sequels that is just as good, if not better, than the first. Jace Wayland just might be my new Edward.
For the most part they were completely indifferent to me writing a book. Until it got to deadline time. Then they weren’t loving it so much. The last few days before my manuscript was due, they probably asked me “aren’t you done yet?” at least twenty times. Now that the writing and editing and rewrites, rewrites, rewrites are finally over, and word is spreading about my book, they think it’s pretty cool that their mom is “famous.” (I don’t have the heart to clarify the meaning of the word “famous” for them.) Now I just have to break it to them that I’m going to be writing more books!
Thanks, Alicia for the great interview and for the book! I’m looking forward to book #2!
For more information about Alicia and the publisher, please see below!
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