Indie-Credible Authors Tour: Spotlight on David James (and giveaway)

I am incredibly excited to be part of the Indie-Credible Authors Tour hosted by Creative Deeds Reads and Little Read Riding Hood and today, I want to tell you what makes David James, author of Light of the Moon (and subsequent books in the series) indie-credible...

It could be the fact that we like all of the same books and authors (evidence here), or that he is an amazing writer that inspires ME to become a better writer (see my review below for examples).  It could be that he's the nicest, friendliest guy you'll ever talk to or that he has the most beautiful book covers...

I think after you've read this blog tour post, you will agree that David James is truly indie-credible.

First up, is my review of Light of the Moon, the first book in the Legend of the Dreamer series.

A lyrical and romantic story of true love and dark curses, Light of the Moon is an enchanting read for fans of Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke & Bone and Kami Garcia's and Margaret Stohl's Beautiful Creatures.

One night long ago, a constellation disappeared and fell from the sky in the form of a boy...

Secrets are being kept in the sleepy town of Lakewood Hollow, Colorado. Life unfolds in shades of red for Calum, until a mysterious girl named Kate Black enrolls at his school and everything changes. Suddenly a dangerous world of demons, enchanters, and witches unfurls before Calum. He learns that the stars have forever held his destiny, and that the constellations above are much more than what they seem. But life is not so easy for Calum, and he can feel his heart beat faster whenever Kate is close. Worse, Kate's blood holds a dark secret even more dangerous than the war between the demons and enchanters. Soon the two find that there are worse things than loving someone you shouldn't. For Calum and Kate, even love and the fiery power of stars may not be enough to break a curse as dark as the blood that binds their destiny.

Sometimes being brave just means falling in love.
One of the good things about reading on a kindle is the capability to highlight passages that you love and when I read Light of the Moon by David James, I had NEVER used that feature so much. Ever. Before reading this book. David’s writing style is both lyrical and beautifully poetic, with rich, vivid description and prose that is quite often profound.  I found myself stopping in my reading tracks to read a passage out loud, marvel at it and then carry on.  Here are some examples:


“The woman’s eyes were white clouds in a dark sky,
covered by a mist so fine many often forgot she was blind.”

I would have just said the woman had milky eyes and was blind and so I’m kind of in awe over this description.   And how about this one:

“Now, in a world as gray as the sky outside, I was just as lost as the sunlight.”

Or this one:

“Words thick with the poison of sadness caught in my throat and fell out in a burning whisper.”

One of my very favourite lines:

“Sometimes bravery comes from letting your heart make choices your mind cannot.”

And my ultimate favourite:

“I don’t think a hero ever believes in himself until the story is almost over.”
With regards to the story, Light of the Moon is told from dual perspective and simply put, is about a boy and a girl, and a curse. This may be a paranormal story but let me reassure you that despite the title, there are no werewolves in sight.  What you have instead is a beautiful story about a boy that fell from the stars and is destined to live the same cursed life over and over again...unless he figures out how to break the spell, but the stakes are much higher than this, as Calum has no idea who he is and is thrust right into the middle of a war that’s been fought for centuries.  But why him?  Who is he really?  What has he got to do with all of this?  In the middle of everything, ordinary people are going missing and and all that’s left is their blood, leading news crews to nickname the culprit ‘The Bloodletter’.  At the same time, there’s a new girl at school who takes an immediate dislike to Calum but there’s something in her eyes that looks familiar.  Is she really as dangerous as she first appears?

Even after I’ve finished reading, I am still thinking about this story.  In all honesty, it is somewhat complicated but it’s rich in detail and requires you to savour the story slowly like a fine wine.  To devour it quickly would be to miss the poetic lull of the words, and a lot of the back story, so I advise you to take your own sweet time with it.

Obviously I don’t want to give too much away about the plot but there is so much more to it than you could imagine and a twist that you probably won’t see coming.  I know I didn’t and I pride myself these days on being able to tell you what’s going to happen in a story before it unfolds.
 
With regards to the characters, I felt really sorry for Calum.  He’s a sensitive creature who has lost his father and his mother who can barely look at him, pretty much drowns her sorrows in the bottom of a bottle. He feels unloved, unwanted and an outsider in his own life.  He feels lost and it shows through his jumbled thoughts, vivid nightmares and lack of sense of self.  Light of the Moon is a journey of ultimate self discovery for Calum as he learns who he is and what integral part he must play in a prophecy told centuries ago and handed down through the ages.

Where Calum is sensitive and kind, we find that Kate is the opposite and I liked this contrast.  She’s tough, a warrior taught to fight from an early age but beneath the tough exterior, we learn that she’s known and lost love which has hardened her heart but is Calum the one who can break through her walls?  There’s definitely a connection between them, you know, besides her wanting to tear his heart out but can he live long enough for them to figure it all out?

I can’t not mention Calum’s best friend and sidekick Tyler who I became quite fond of.  I could not help but picture the cast of Teen Wolf as Calum and Tyler’s bromance is just like Scott and Stiles, so much so that I picture those actors in these roles now.

 Calum

 

Tyler

 

 

Kate

   
David James reminds me a little of a male Victoria Schwab and I can see influences from Maggie Stiefvater and maybe even Tahereh Mafi.  He’s definitely got talent and I’d say he was an author to watch.  If nothing else, he makes me want to be a better writer and for that I’m truly grateful.

Light of the Moon was published on 30th October, 2012.  To find out more about David James and his books, please click here to visit the website.

Often authors have playlists or songs that inspired them to write scenes from the book and I just wanted to show you the song I personally associate with the book:

Next up, we have a bunch of character profiles so you can find out more about them...

Calum is one of the main protagonists of the story.

Tyle is Calum's best friend and sidekick.

 Kate is one of the main protagonists of the story.

 Magda is the woman of prophecy and a witch.

  Gae is one of the elder's of The Order.

Light of the Moon is about The Legend of the Dreamer and here is that legend, in full detail for you to enjoy...

Legend of the Dreamer:

“Light floods over all,
Stars of the dream filled minds
Smile like white pearls above-

Until- They come,
Three kin with hearts so black,
Weaved tightly within dark.

Stars twinkle and fade,
So lost in the rising darkness,
Sun too weak to rise.

Then is hope, the time of the Dreamer.
The one who is lost but will be found.
The soldier who once was and will be always again.

Hope is dangerous.
Darkness will rise to meet it,
Wild and burning and cruel.

A commander will fall in blackness,
Leaving behind a ruling of false order.
They will be deceived and deceiving.

One will be two,
Heavy mind torn between those of truth,
And those of savage trickery.

Truth will be found for two,
Destroying all that was before,
And the heart of thieves will be clear.

Hope will come by two:
Two souls born as one,
Two hearts beating as one.

For one of two, shadowed heat of red will wage,
A future angered by the dwindled fire storms,
Vast as the Destroyer.

For two of one, a path not found will be taken,
Lost in dark places,
Found in light escapes.

Then, when all is lost, the time of hope is near.
One action will save them all.
One action to save the world.”

David James writes books about stars and kisses and curses. He is the author of the YA novel, Light of the Moon, the first book in the Legend of the Dreamer duet, as well as the companion novellas, The Witch's Curse and The Warrior's Code. A Legend of the Dreamer anthology, Shades of the Stars, was released July 2013, and includes the exclusive novella, The Enchanter's Fire. The final book in the duet, Shadow of the Sun, will be released in late 2013. Living in Michigan, David is addicted to coffee, gummy things, and sarcastic comments. He enjoys bad movies, goofy moments, and shivery nights. To find out more about David James and his books, please click here to visit his website.  You can also follow him on Facebook and Twitter.





And now for the giveaway...

There is over $250 in cash and prizes to be won and all you have to do is fill in the rafflecopter form. Please bear in mind that you don't have to click on every link but the more you do, the more chances you have of winning.  Good luck!

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