Book: Sam the Night PersonAuthoress: Lisa Ruszcyk
My summary: Azzy has been having dreams of a man she has never met. Finally, when she gets completely sick of the dreams consuming her real life, she ventures out to a find him in a place she has only visited in her mind's eye.
Genre: Fiction | Fantasy | Fantasy Mystery
My summary: Azzy has been having dreams of a man she has never met. Finally, when she gets completely sick of the dreams consuming her real life, she ventures out to a find him in a place she has only visited in her mind's eye.
But meeting the man of her dreams is only the beginning of this fantasy mystery. Now Azzy has to figure out what Sam is, why is this happening to her, and who is in the shadows?
My say: Whoa Nelly! What I loved about this story is that from the beginning you think you understand the dilemma, eventual outcome, and formula. Then you are thrown for a loop when the story shifts and a very inventive premise takes over.
Sam the Night Person is a refreshing breakaway from what is out there right now. The female protagonist at first comes across as a weak lovestruck woman but as the story progresses you learn that she is in fact multi-layered, confident, and unapologetic.
My cautionary note: Sam the Night Person ends with a cliff hanger of sorts. So fans of tight endings beware. This one will leave you wanting more.
My cover thoughts: The cover is very folk artsy. I like it. This is the kind of story where a cover could reveal too much so I agree with the simplicity.
My star rating: 5 out of 5 stars; I honestly would not mind owning a hardcover copy of this one for my home collection.
My verdict: Sick of vampires, werewolves, and zombies yet? Check out this book out. It breaks the mold. I wish I could say more but I refuse to give anything away.
My adventure-o-meter: High. Azzy spends the entire novel fighting off either nature, danger, or both at the exact same time.
My kiddie-o-meter: The story features some heavy nicotine usage. Everything else (mild occasional foul language, casual sex, and a best friend who with a questionable sexual identity) is handled tastefully and mostly skimmed over. Making this a great tale for adults and teens.
My Q & A with the author:
Q: Sam the Night Person is completely unique and fresh. How did you come up with the idea of the night people?
A: It was from a lot of daydreaming. That's pretty much how I get all the ideas for books. A lot of "what if?" questions, too.
A: It was from a lot of daydreaming. That's pretty much how I get all the ideas for books. A lot of "what if?" questions, too.
Q: What character do you relate to the most and why?
A: I think I relate to Azzy, but I couldn't say why. I really enjoyed writing about her.
A: I think I relate to Azzy, but I couldn't say why. I really enjoyed writing about her.
Q: If Sam the Night Person was being made in to a film and you had the opportunity to select the actors who would you pick to play Sam & Azzy?
A: I would like unknowns to play the parts.
A: I would like unknowns to play the parts.
Q: Sam the Night Person ends with a bit of a cliff hanger. Will there be a part two?
A: There already is a part two - it's called Full Moon in December. It was published by Club Lighthouse Publishing in December 2009.
A: There already is a part two - it's called Full Moon in December. It was published by Club Lighthouse Publishing in December 2009.
Q: I love to collect recipes from authors. Do you have a recipe you don't mind sharing?
A:
A:
Chicken Divan
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Ingredients:
1 pound chicken
2 bags frozen broccoli
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can cream of chicken
1 cup mayo
bread crumbs,
cheddar cheese, grated
curry powder
Directions:
Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and braze (boil in a little water) for a few minutes. Put chicken in a layer on the bottom of a baking dish. Mix both soups and the mayo together, then add curry powder to taste, about 1-2 tablespoons. Layer broccoli on top of chicken still frozen. Pour mayo and soup mixture on top of the broccoli. Put a layer of cheddar cheese on top of that. Finish up with a layer of breadcrumbs. Bake for about an hour at 350. Let it sit for about 10 minutes after taking it out of the oven.
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My shout-out: Thank you Brizmus Blogs Books for bringing this excellent read to my attention. You rock!
My notes:
My interest in the author: I MUST read part 2 (Full Moon in December)!
My final thoughts: I so want Sam's best friend Jeremy to find love. Who was the last secondary character you found your self rooting for?
Thank you SO much Lisa for making this review possible and for the great interview and recipe.
I can not wait to try this dish!
Thanks so much for the wonderful review! So glad you liked it. Full Moon in December is on its way.
ReplyDeletei love your reviews!!!
ReplyDeleteI have an award for you!
ReplyDeletehttp://pikealicious.blogspot.com/2010/01/yay-i-received-award-from-la-coccinelle.html
What a blog makeover ! And what a cool review. I've been seeing this book around, it really sounds good. And I'm with you about the cover, simplicity is often the best !
ReplyDeleteamazing post!
ReplyDeleteThank you Michelle, Ashley, and Charlotte :)
ReplyDeleteWelcome Emma :)
I hadn't heard of this book before so thanks for the review! I really like the way you break down your reviews, they're so easy to read!
ReplyDeleteGreat review, I love good cliffhangers! :) I'm not yet sick of vampires, werewolves but this one sounds fantastic!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review. Your reviews are always awesome! :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat interview! I'm glad you liked this one so much :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard about this book but if you say it's awesome, then I believe you :)
ReplyDeleteAs for Deadtown, I'm not entirely sure what it's about but I know that it's urban fantasy and that the MC is a shape-shifter who fights demons o.O
Excellent review for an excellent book. Love all the info and your review organization!
ReplyDeleteYay! I'm glad you loved it! What a great review - Azzy really is awesome, isn't she. She's so much more than you expect her to be.
ReplyDeleteAnd super cool interview - I love that you ask authors for recipes. I wish I would have thought of something like that for interviews (even if I wouldn't be able to eat half of them, since I'm vegan and all).
Also, don't know if I ever mentioned that I LOVE the new blog look!
Bookalicious, Shannon, Pirate, Alyssa: Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteNina: :) Oh yah!
Brizmus:
1. Exactly! She surprised me and I LOVED that.
2. Thank you so much!
Definitely sounds like a different, engaging story!
ReplyDeleteLove your header !!, will follow your blog :)
ReplyDeleteOoo great recipe, review and I LOVE cliff hangers.
ReplyDeleteThis doesn't sound like my type of book, but it seems interesting. I want to know what the "loop" is! =] Great review.
ReplyDeleteI have this one in my TBR pile! I like the idea of it and Sam sounds like my kind of character :)
ReplyDeleteI've never even heard of this, but I'm always up for something that I can't predict. Might have to check it out. :)
ReplyDeleteI love how this book sounds! Thank you for the great review!
ReplyDelete