Fantasy
Date Published: November 24, 2012_by BookRix GmbH & Co. KG
(Book 2 is set to release on May 3rd, at the end of the tour)
I feel like I start every review with 'let's start with', so let's begin with Isabelle. I loved how feisty and strong our main character was. Talk about a heroine! Isabelle didn't take any crap from anyone and gracefully beat her way through any problems that came about throughout the novel. I love this girl.
Another thing I liked about the story was the many different characters, and the history in the background. Every character basically has their own story, and the possiblities of the fantasy world are endless. That, I particularlly liked, as well. I liked stories where my imagination can rush to the ends of the pages...
The only thing I did not care for was the length of the story. I really wish it was longer! I think a few extra pages would've given the story more time to develop, and time to flourish into something even greater than it was.
So I choose to keep this book on my shelves :p I think y'all who like the royal fantasy novels will enjoy this one a lot.
I know you guys are sick of my blabbering. Without further ado, here's Noemi's interview with the Serial Reader!
1.To start off Noemi, you're the first person to be interviewed
on the Serial Reader. How do you feel about that?
Wow! I must
say I’m flattered to have the honor of being the first interview of such an
interesting and intelligent blog.
2. Okay, getting right into it, where did the inspiration from
Heroes and Hearts come from?
I wrote the
premise of Heroes and Hearts when I was nine years old. I’d already been
reading a lot of Sci-fi/Fantasy at that point and the one thing that bugged me
was how most stories involved men and boys but not females, unless they were
the end goal such as a princess in need of rescuing, a witch who needed to be
killed or a queen who needed help saving her own kingdom, retrieving a stolen
treasure, etc. So I started writing stories that involved a female hero and the
storyline for H&H was the first one I came up with. The romance angle was
extended only recently as I started reading, and became more involved in, the
romance genre.
3. There's a lot of pain and emotion in Heroes and Hearts. Not
to mention romance;) Did those emotions stir from real live events or just an
active imagination?
I think
every good story yanks at the reader’s heartstrings whether it makes them happy
for the hero/heroine or cry in anger or sympathy. One of my all time favorite
stories is the Harry Potter series mainly because I was caught up in Harry’s
plight with his family and Rowling made me want to deck Umbridge and had me
sobbing like a baby reading Books 6 and 7. I wanted my readers to be in the
moment as they read the story and have a memorable experience so I tried to
make the emotions of the characters as realistic as possible.
4. How long have you been writing for?
I first
started writing when I was seven years old. After reading the Velveteen Rabbit
I felt compelled to write a story I called the Velveteen Doll. Sadly, I don’t
remember either story well and I think it was probably pretty uninspired. I
didn’t really start coming up with my own storylines and characters until I was
about nine and when I haven’t been jotting down scenes and dialog that come to
me I’ve actively taken part in Sci-fi and Fantasy RPGs so I guess I’ve been
writing for about 30 years. (Where’s my walker? Get off my lawn!)
5. Heroes and Hearts is a little shorter than the average story.
How would you say that impacted your writing? Is it a struggle to cram all your
ideas into that length or was it a struggle to make the book longer?
It was more
of a struggle to make the book longer. I’m not one to take three pages to
describe leaves on a tree and I can’t stand writers that do. Heroes and Hearts
is the intro to the rest of the Crystal Palace Chronicles series and is
basically laying the groundwork for the world of Otherealm. During the editing
process I tended to have to go back and add more details to answer questions
that would come up or make things that were understandable to me as the person
who created this world and these characters more straightforward to my
potential readers. The books that follow will be longer and looking at the way
book three is currently turning out I may have to extend the story into a
fourth book so that there isn’t too much to follow in one book.
6. Who's your favorite character in Heroes and Hearts?
Hmm. Well, I
think since I’ve been crushing on Prince Alaric my whole life I would have to
say him. Like the rest of my characters, the prince has evolved over the years
so he’s not as perfect as I’d written him originally but overall he’s still a
good man with gorgeous eyes.
7. Why should we read HAH (Heroes and Hearts). Who should read
HAH?
Heroes and
Hearts is an original story with monsters and fantasy creatures other than vampires,
werewolves and zombies (well ok, there are a few zombies). It takes you to a
world that’s magical but imperfect and introduces you to characters you’ll love
and love to hate! Due to the language and adult content and situations, this
book is geared more towards the New Adult and Adult fiction, fantasy and
romance readers and the recommended age is 16 and up. I really don’t want to
get any angry letters or email from outraged parents, grandparents, teachers or
clergy so please if you’re younger than 16 and pick up this book or the series,
find a good hiding spot for it!;)
8. Anything else you want to say?
The sequel
to Heroes and Hearts, Descendants of Quendaris, will be released by BookRix on May 3rd and I’m currently working on Book Three,
which I hope to have published by the end of the year. I hope you enjoy reading
these books as much as I enjoy writing them. Feel free to send me an email or
message with any questions or comments you have about my books or the writing
process in general. I love to hear from readers and fans!
Thank you for your time Noemi.
Thank you for having me!
About Noemi Betancourt
Noemi Betancourt has been a lifelong fan of Fantasy, ever since her father introduced her to the works
of Tolkien, Baum, and C.S. Lewis as a child. An avid reader, she has since developed her writing style
over the years, and after becoming enamored with the Romance genre, Noemi began to blend a guilty
pleasure with an old love. Her first novelette, Heroes and Hearts, is the first of many books and stories in
which she interlaces the Fantasy and Romance genres.
Noemi lives in a seaside bungalow on Florida’s Sun Coast, indulging in her other passions: cooking, caring
for her gallant husband (a disabled vet from the British Isles), and the three fur-babies who rescued
them.
Email: noemi.betancourt.novelist@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Noemi-Betancourt/292029390913333
Blog: http://noemibetancourt.wordpress.com/
BookRix Profile Page: http://www.bookrix.com/-noemibetancourt
http://www.bookrix.com/_ebook-noemi-heroes-and-hearts/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Heroes-Hearts-Crystal-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00C58QS60/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1364983764&sr=1-1&keywords=9783730917220
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Heroes-and-Hearts/book-XeSPQmhs-U2834xRg0P-cw/page1.html
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/heroes-and-hearts/id630437273?mt=11
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heroes-and-hearts-noemi-betancourt/1115120784?ean=9783730917220&isbn=9783730917220
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