Elemental Killers Series
by Mia Hoddell
About the Book:
A broken promise is all it takes.
Becoming an E.K isn’t a choice for Serena – it’s a necessity to survive. To destroy the Elementals she has to leave her old life behind. She has to train and follow a strict regime but with time against her, she has only a few weeks to master the skills Kai spent his whole life perfecting.
The knowledge passed down from her ancestors is crucial to the Elementals demise. However, the path they must follow is lined with riddles, each more confusing than the next. It doesn’t matter how close to succeeding they get, it’s never enough. The Elementals are one step ahead at every revelation and that can only mean one thing – the E.Ks have a traitor among them.
Our Interview with Mia Hoddell:
Where are you from
and from where/who did your love for writing come from?
I come from Hereford which is a small city in the UK which is famous for its cows, cider, crisps, chicken factory and the SAS (all good things right?). I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember and still have poems from when I was 4 years old. My writing just progressed and grew with me. I managed to get three poems published in separate anthologies between the ages of 12 and 16 and then I moved on to short stories in my high school English classes (it was the only homework I enjoyed). However, I hated the restrictive word limit of short stories so at 14, I began writing my first novel. Since then I’ve just continued writing as it’s something I love and am passionate about. I’ve always been taught to follow something you love and it’ll bring happiness – so far that advice hasn’t been wrong!
I come from Hereford which is a small city in the UK which is famous for its cows, cider, crisps, chicken factory and the SAS (all good things right?). I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember and still have poems from when I was 4 years old. My writing just progressed and grew with me. I managed to get three poems published in separate anthologies between the ages of 12 and 16 and then I moved on to short stories in my high school English classes (it was the only homework I enjoyed). However, I hated the restrictive word limit of short stories so at 14, I began writing my first novel. Since then I’ve just continued writing as it’s something I love and am passionate about. I’ve always been taught to follow something you love and it’ll bring happiness – so far that advice hasn’t been wrong!
Can you say that your journey to publication was difficult? If so, what
were the hardest moments to get through?
It definitely takes a lot of work. Writing a book isn’t easy and it only gets worse after you’ve finished it! The hardest part for me is the editing and marketing. Because I am self-published, getting my work on Amazon isn’t the problem; the problem is getting noticed. I have to dedicate hours every day to marketing and promotion to make sure I keep an active online presence as without that, you just slip away into the vast numbers of authors. I’m still learning though and everything I do is an experience so I’m just taking each day as it comes.
It definitely takes a lot of work. Writing a book isn’t easy and it only gets worse after you’ve finished it! The hardest part for me is the editing and marketing. Because I am self-published, getting my work on Amazon isn’t the problem; the problem is getting noticed. I have to dedicate hours every day to marketing and promotion to make sure I keep an active online presence as without that, you just slip away into the vast numbers of authors. I’m still learning though and everything I do is an experience so I’m just taking each day as it comes.
How do you overcome i-suck-at-this, that little voice in your head that
tells you your writing isn’t good enough?
I don’t think I have. There are
still days where I question my ability but when I re-read some of the four and
five star reviews Deadly to Love is receiving it tends to help squash that
little voice. I think there will always be doubts, especially when new books
are being released but that’s part of writing and being an author (well unless
you’re J.K Rowling). People telling me they love my work is the best solution
though as it’s a great incentive and nice to hear.
What is your dream vacation?
Being from the UK means there is
a lot of rain and not much of a summer so I’ll be happy as long as there is
constant sun and a beach nearby. I would love to go back to the Bahamas one day
though as it was beautiful there.
What movies are you currently excited to see?
Catching Fire – I’m trying to
persuade some people to take me for my birthday tomorrow. Also, I can’t wait to
see what they have done with Divergent.
What are you currently reading?
I have been so busy with the
release of Deadly to Promise, that I haven’t had a chance to read for the last
two weeks. The next book on my tbr pile though is Impostor by Susanne Winnacker
which I got as an ARC through NetGalley.
If you weren’t a writer, what other careers would you pursue?
I love acting so if I couldn’t
write (something that I can’t imagine honestly), I would love to pursue a
career in acting. It’s another form of escapism for me as well.
What are two of your pet-peeves?
There are a few but these are my
two biggest that relate to writing.
The first is something that has
been annoying me recently and that is: American authors creating British
characters. Now I’m not saying all of them do this, but I’ve noticed it in a
lot of books recently and that is that they make us all sound like we are out
of the movie Mary Poppins. Generally, they take the stereotypical British
accent and the characters go around talking like they are from Victorian
Britain which is really unrealistic and irritating. I’ll stop myself there
though, or else I’ll be ranting for a while.
The second is when people
rearrange my books on my shelf. I’m not really a tidy person, however my books
are organised in a specific way and I hate it if they get switched around. I
also like them to be straight and neat so they look nice - something I pay the
price for when I have to add new ones and rearrange my entire collection.
To you, what makes a good story?
For me a book has to have plenty
of action and a fast-pace. Also, I prefer reading speech to long description so
that has to flow naturally. Generally, if a book hasn’t hooked me by the time I
get to 50% I won’t finish it.
What usually turns you off about a story?
The major thing is a slow pace
and overly descriptive writing. I hate it when authors go into specifics about
unnecessary objects that only add to the word count rather than the narrative.
Also, if the speech is stiff, I find it hard to connect with characters.
If you could collaborate with any author, who would you choose, and
why?
Oh that’s hard. There are two
authors that come to mind: Rachel Vincent and Derek Landy. I love all of their
books and their writing style. Rachel as a gritty, edgy style and Derek is one
of the funniest writers I have read so I would love to collaborate and learn
from them.
What is on your nightstand?
Um…right now there is: a notepad for ideas that come to me when dreaming and my iPod for researching, writing and reading when I can’t sleep.
Um…right now there is: a notepad for ideas that come to me when dreaming and my iPod for researching, writing and reading when I can’t sleep.
What is your favorite book?
I can’t pick just one as there are too many! My favourite authors are: Rachel Vincent, Julia Golding and Derek Landy so anything by them is something I will re-read.
I can’t pick just one as there are too many! My favourite authors are: Rachel Vincent, Julia Golding and Derek Landy so anything by them is something I will re-read.
Deadly
to Love
Elemental Killers #1
by Mia Hoddell
by Mia Hoddell
Genre:
YA/Romance/Paranormal/Fantasy
About the Book:
The
world is dangerous – but love will kill you.
Little did Serena Jackson know that one simple, flirty remark to an anonymous
guy online would lead to her world being changed forever.
She doesn’t know him, but inexplicably,
is drawn. She knows it is wrong but she agrees to meet.
His real name is Kai. He is beautiful.
And immediately Serena feels herself blindly falling for him even though she
senses a lie. She knows he is hiding something and it terrifies her.
What she doesn’t realise is that her entire life has been built on secrets and lies. The people she loved left her in the dark for a reason.
She trusted them. She trusts Kai. But as he pulls her straight into the heart of the danger the lies and deadly secrets are revealed. They overwhelm her, and the person she once was no longer exists as she is thrown into a ruthless world of elemental forces. The price of truth is her life—and now the world wants her dead.
What she doesn’t realise is that her entire life has been built on secrets and lies. The people she loved left her in the dark for a reason.
She trusted them. She trusts Kai. But as he pulls her straight into the heart of the danger the lies and deadly secrets are revealed. They overwhelm her, and the person she once was no longer exists as she is thrown into a ruthless world of elemental forces. The price of truth is her life—and now the world wants her dead.
Praise:
“I couldn't put it down. So I finished it last
night and all I can say is WOW! This book was amazing and different.” Brianna (Book Blogger)
“I loved how the author took a different
approach to writing a love story in modern times with the paranormal element
present. I thought it was absolutely wonderful and refreshing. Marvelous!” Kathy H (Amazon Reviewer)
“In the end I had fallen in love with this
story…completely untraditional it was a very original idea, not to mention
modern. This
story had such a good plot and the story structure was sound.” Kacii – The Kooky Bookworm (Book Blogger)
About
the Author
Mia
Hoddell lives in the UK with her family and two cats. She spends most of her
time writing or reading and loves anything paranormal. Mia always had a love of
writing but never reading. She was more interested in sports and hated sitting
still - despite getting three poems published before the age of sixteen.
Finally though, she found some novels that captured her interest and developed
a love of reading which is now one of her favourite hobbies.
Mia
began with poems before moving on to short stories. Although she enjoyed this,
Mia found she had too much to tell with too little space, so later on she
created her first series 'The Wanderer Trilogy' and from there other ideas have
emerged. With a total of nine books planned at this moment, she is busy working
on her second series 'Elemental Killers' before moving onto the next idea on
her ever growing list.
Links: Blog |Twitter @MiaHoddell | Facebook Page | Goodreads | Amazon Author
Page
Goodreads Giveaway: One paperback copy of Deadly to Love
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