Blog Tour + Giveaway: A Shimmer of Angels

I'm thrilled today to be part of the promotional tour for Lisa M. Basso's paranormal young adult novel, A Shimmer of Angels (releases TODAY from Month9Books). Lisa's temporarily taking over the blog to tell us how two of her angels came to be. Well, to be more specific, how two of her deliciously hot angel boys came to be. *fans self* I like to think of it as swoon-worthy boy week here on the blog. You. Are. Welcome. Before I start drooling uncontrollably, I'll let Lisa tell you all about them!

CAM AND KADE: THE MAKING OF AN ANGEL

Angels are a popular genre in YA books today. When I first started writing A SHIMMER OF ANGELS, I knew my angels had to stand out. To craft two very different boys, I first started with character worksheets. My favorite is from here. It can take a long time to fill something like that out, learning and creating while you go. When I was done, I had gotten to know them pretty well. Therefore, Cam and Kade were born.

Cam. Five feet, nine inches of blond angel hotness. Created as Camael, an angel--specifically a Protector--with white wings and a passionate dedication to his job.

Kade. Not to be outdone, we have Kade, birth name Kasade. He's five foot, ten inches with black wings, since he's already Fallen, and one spicy attitude.

I had the basics down. Problem was, when I started writing and they were introduced into more and more scenes, I noticed I didn't have enough information from them yet to be fully rounded and three dimensional. Solution: it was time to dig deeper. I moved on to a character interview, where I asked them questions. First I hit the tough stuff, I burrowed into their pasts, then we gradually moved forward in time to when they each first meet Rayna in A SHIMMER OF ANGELS. Cam helped me understand the way Heaven works, the complications in his world, the reasons for his choices, and the depths of his personality. Kade exploded off the page during my interview. While Cam was more stoic and reserved, Kade was personable and unpredictable. I peeled back his thorny exterior and dug into his past, getting an opportunity to understand him and almost all his facets. And, boy, are there a lot of facets to that boy.

Both Cam and Kade are strong characters with strong wills, but they are also vastly different in almost every way. Cam was created to Protect humans, Kade was created to battle the demons residing on Earth. Kade was sent to Earth to do his job and never allowed back in. Cam wished he could spend more time on Earth, but resides mostly in Heaven. Cam answers to many tiers of angels above him, while Kade roams the Earth alone, they way he likes it (or so he says).

It isn't just the color of their wings and their past experiences that make Cam and Kade so contrasting. Cam believes in the good of humans, that his life isn't worth half of one of ours. Kade...well, read the book, you'll see. I can't give too much away here. ;) Let's just say Kade doesn't exactly feel the same way Cam does. My words, not his. His words would need much censoring.

Kade has struggled to survive for most of his life, has learned to rely on only himself. Maybe some of that will change when Rayna arrives. And Cam, sweet, loyal Cam. Originally created as a hero, Cam's personality and feelings have changed so much from when I first started writing him. Again, I won't give too much away, but Rayna has had quite the effect on my dear angel boys.

I can't wait for everyone to meet Cam and Kade and be a part of their journeys through the Angel Sight trilogy.

Thanks so much for having me, Jenny! And for those of you interested in picking up a copy of A SHIMMER OF ANGELS, know that a portion of the proceeds will go directly to a suicide outreach and prevention program in San Francisco, California. Not only will you get a great read, but you'll also be helping out a charity that is very near and dear to my heart. :)

Thanks for sharing Cam and Kade with us Lisa! More information on Lisa, A Shimmer of Angels and Month9Books can be found here:

Lisa's Website
Lisa on Facebook
Lisa on Twitter
Lisa on Goodreads
Amazon Buy Link
Month9Books Website
Month9Books on Facebook
Month9Books on Twitter

This tour is chock-full of fun interviews, guest posts, and giveaways, so be sure and check out the full list of participating blogs HERE so you don't miss out on anything! Tomorrow's stop is at The Young Adult Connection.

A SHIMMER OF ANGELS

Month9Books, a publisher of speculative fiction for teens and tweens, announces the release of A SHIMMER OF ANGELS, a debut young adult title from Lisa M. Basso.

Sixteen-year-old Rayna sees angels, and has the medication and weekly therapy sessions to prove it. Now, in remission, Rayna starts fresh at a new school, lands a new job, and desperately tries for normalcy. She ignores signs that she may be slipping into the world she has tried so hard to climb out of. But these days, it’s more than just hallucinations that keep Rayna up at night. Students are dying, and she may be the only one who can stop it. Can she keep her job, her sanity, and her friends from dying at the hands of angels she can't admit to seeing?

Author of THE IRON WITCH, Karen Mahoney, says, “A SHIMMER OF ANGELS has a courageous heroine who finds herself in the middle of two gorgeous angels, a fascinating world, and a story that builds to an exciting climax - I'll be looking forward to more from Lisa M. Basso!"

GIVEAWAY

Lisa M. Basso and the amazing team at Month9Books have put together a fantastic giveaway for this tour, enter below for your chance to win! This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only. Good luck everyone!

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