Today P.T. Michelle stops by the blog to talk about her newest book, Destiny. Destiny is the third book in the Brightest Kind of Darkness series, a young adult paranormal series. The book was released October 13, 2013.
I found this series a couple of years ago and Brightest Kind of Darkness was actually one of my first indie book experiences. I’ve been hooked ever since! I am also going to tell you what I think, plus I’ve got an e-book copy to giveaway. It’s going to be so much fun!
About the Book
DestinyP.T. Michelle
(Brightest Kind of Darkness #3)
Pub: 10/13/13
Genres: YA
Paranormal RomanceSynopsis:
When destiny is on the line, will love be enough to light the way?
In order to save Ethan, Nara gets pulled deeper into his dark world, where everything she thought she knew about Ethan and herself turns on its head. Ethan and Nara turn up the heat with bone-melting seduction and heart-rending moments, but surprising revelations, lies, treachery, betrayal, and unimaginable evil will challenge their relationship and their future together. As the stakes rise, encompassing more than just her relationship with Ethan, will Nara make the ultimate sacrifice?
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Excerpt
Ethan leans against the sanctuary’s doorway, shaking his head. “I don’t understand, Nara. How did you get all these ravens to follow you here?”
I hold my hand out to Patch, who pecks at it. “Hey, be nice,” I say softly. The raven dips his head and puffs up his neck feathers, making me laugh. “Show off.”
As soon as I turn to address Ethan, he pushes off the doorway, alarm in his gaze. “Nara, watch out!”
A flutter of black appears in my periphery right before Patch lands on my shoulder, his bird feet gripping my jacket. I smirk and fold my arms. “It’s all right. He would never hurt me.”
Ethan’s forehead crinkles. “Ravens can be unpredictable.”
“Not as much as you might think.” I gesture toward Patch, who’s currently swaying back and forth on my shoulder. “Think of Patch…of all those like him as an extension of you.”
He crosses his arms and shakes his head. “I know I have a connection to ravens, but they’re just birds.”
“Oh really?” The one way I know we’ve connected in the past was when Ethan thought about me. I bite my lip and tell myself this is to help him remember. “Think about touching me.”
A sensual smile tilts his lips. “I’d rather do that than think.”
Okay, maybe this isn’t the best idea, considering I’m supposed to be keeping my distance from him. Then again, it’s the only one I’ve got. I purse my lips. “Just do it.”
“Fine.” His lips quirk, and as I see all kinds of sexy thoughts scrolling across his face, the birds begin to titter and hop around as if agitated, but nothing else happens.
“Concentrate.” I huff, setting my hands on my hips. “Walk outside the sanctuary behind the wire.”
Ethan grunts, but does as I ask. “Why am I out here?”
I nod to the fence between us. “Pretend you can see me but you’re unable to reach me.”
“How is this any different from reality?”
“Ethan. Now, think about what you’d do if nothing stood between us.”
I ignore the scowl on his face. “Close your eyes.”
As Ethan let’s his eyes slowly close, I do the same.
“I don’t like this.”
The hurt in his voice pulls at my heart. I can tell he’s talking about more than this exercise.
“Just…think about me, about us,” I say. “Imagine what you’d think about if we could only talk on the phone. What would you wish for?”
“You. With nothing between us.”
His wish, full of heat and want, carries on the sharp cold wind whipping through the bare trees. The longing wraps me in a layer of warmth, tugging at my heart, making my body tingle.
My Thoughts
*Note — This is the THIRD book in the series. There will be references to books one and two, which could be spoilerish if you have yet to read the books. Read ahead at your own caution!*
Just a warning — I may ramble a bit through this review. My thoughts, even after a week, are still SO jumbled from everything that transpired.
Wow, umm, what is the deal with books making me so anxious lately? Destiny is NO exception. I sat on the edge of my seat for most of this book and would have jumped off the into the great abyss if not for the hope that certainly things *had* to work out. And they did. And they didn’t. We FINALLY get some answers to questions that have been building in BKoD and Lucid, but of course, P.T. gives us a whole new batch of questions to ask in Destiny.
What started out as a simple premise in book one, a girl who dreams the next day, has gotten VERY complicated as far as supernatural and paranormal. Each story has added a complexity to the mix, and the lore P.T. uses is pretty facinating. I think this is my favorite part of these books — it isn’t something I’ve seen done before. Of course, Fate is back, but this time he isn’t the biggest threat to Nara and her family. We learn more about the connection to the ravens and the book Nara was given in Lucid. We find more about some minor characters from Lucid and begin to get a bigger picture of the world that P.T. has been building thus far. Even with the relationship issues, we get to spent a LOT of time on the mythology. Honestly, this was the best part to me, because it was so complicated and unknown, especially when compared to other fantasy/paranormal books out there.
There’s a lot of angst in this book, much more compared to Brightest Kind of Darkness and Lucid. It is obvious that Ethan has changed in Lucid, and honestly I was pretty unimpressed with some of his interactions with Nara. He was very possessive and “mine, mine” about her. When we mix this behavior with the darkness that Destiny opens up to, I found myself wondering where the boy in Brightest Kind of Darkness went. It seems the more he learns about who he is the more he loses himself. And that is no exception in Destiny. I understood why this had to happen, but I still hope he can gain back some of who he was.
Of course, we add another relationship kink in the mix: the hot Corvus trainer, Danielle. So, the triangle has moved to some messed up rectangle, and everyone is always blowing up at someone. The book spends a lot of time focusing on the tangled mess as well as what kind of future there is for Nara and Ethan. I will say even with Danielle and Drystan, Ethan and Nara seem to not focus on anyone but each other. Their issues of jealousy are towards these secondary characters, rather than one another. Even still, the duo spend a lot of time out of sync (which made me real, real sad).
Due to some deductive skills, I figured out a few things, including the ending. I was not surprised by the twist, and in fact with the addition of other paranormal beings in the book, was expecting it. It was a nice, balanced way to end the book — just the perfect balance of resolution and cliff hanging.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It’s fast-paced, unique, and uber-addicting. The book is rather long, especially compared to the other two, but it is well worth the time and effort. I never once felt bored or bogged down by the book, even when we were given SO much information. The book sailed by, especially since I needed some answers to relieve the pressure that has been building thus far. I know most readers are having a love/hate relationship with the book — loving the story, but hating that we have to wait to know what happens next!
Rating:
Inside the Author’s Head
Welcome to the blog! First of all, I have to tell you that this series is one of the first “indie” books I read. You definitely set the bar high!
1. Okay, let’s talk about you delving into the YA genre under the pseudonym P.T. Michelle. What made you decide to break from your normal adult series? Why did you ultimately decide to write under a different name?
I started reading YA and loved the variety of stories in the YA genre so much that I decided to write what I was enjoying reading. My Patrice Michelle books are definitely 18+. I wouldn’t want a fourteen-year-old picking up one of those books thinking they were getting a YA appropriate story, so I created a new pen name.
2. This series is dark, mysterious, and SO unique. Can you first tell readers where the idea came from for the story?
The idea started out as a “What if” question…”What if a girl dreamed her entire next day?” The rest of the story evolved from that. I had no idea it would turn into such an epic storyline when I asked myself that question!
3. This story has a fascinating premise. We’ve got a girl seeing dreams, a boy seeing nightmares, Latin, ravens, fate, tattoos that just appear, and a lot more mysterious things happening. What kind of research did you have to do to prepare yourself to write the series?
The research was pretty intense for a while. I spent a lot of time studying ravens and their lore. Then I took what I’d uncovered and pulled various mythos into my storyline.
4. How did your studies and experiences in life help shape who you are as a writer?
My My official degrees have nothing to do with writing (business and finance. Ha!), but I’ve always been an avid reader and knew that one day I would turn full time to writing.
5. Okay, so I always like to see what authors read. What are your top five favorite books and why?
I read mostly fiction, but for research I’ll read non-fiction and of course the supernatural. 🙂 I don’t have top five favorite books, but I definitely have favorite authors. They’re my favorites because they either introduced me to reading or showed me how to create fantastic characters as well as fabulous and BIG worlds if I just opened up my imagination. My top favorites are: Madeleine L’Engle, C.S. Lewis, Judy Blume, and Karen Marie Moning.
6. Night owl or early bird? How does it help with your writing process?
I’m a total night owl. I do write during the day, but I still stay up late at night. My brainstorming seems to flow better at night for some reason.
7. Did you always know you wanted to be an author?
Yes! You would think I would’ve gotten a degree in writing, right? But there’s no guarantee writing will pay the bills. Thankfully I’ve been able to make a career out of writing. It just happened later in my life. 😉
8. If you could live in one ‘book world’ which one would it be and why?
I loved the magic and wonder of Narnia. I thought it was a fantastically drawn world.
9. There’s a lot of suspense in Destiny (angst, angst, angst). Where do you see things going in the next book? Ultimately, how many books do you expect to be in this series when it is done?
Ha, yes, I definitely packed a lot of tension into DESTINY. The next book will bring everything you’ve been following in the earlier books, all the mystery and characters, into sharp focus. My goal is to complete the BKoD series with book four, but there could be the possibility of a spin off series. We shall see…
10. What projects (in YA of course!) do you think you’ll work on after the series has ended? Do you have anything else you are working on now?
I have a NA contemporary I’m dying to write and a couple other YA/NA crossover stories as well.
About the Author
P.T. Michelle is the author of the young adult series BRIGHTEST KIND OF DARKNESS. She keeps a spiral notepad with her at all times, even on her nightstand. When P.T. isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading or taking pictures of landscapes, sunsets and anything beautiful or odd in nature.
Connect with P.T.
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I’ve been given the opportunity to give away one e-book copy of Destiny on the blog. A big thanks to the author and Xpresso for this chance! This contest is open 10/27 – 11/9 (12 am/CST). Be sure to follow the directions on each entry, as they will be verified!
To enter, click below:
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No purchase necessary and void where prohibited. Please read the Rafflecopter Terms & Conditions for more information!
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Such A Novel Idea 
I really enjoyed the first two books, but I didn’t know there was another one after Destiny. All of these series are killing me! I already bought Destiny but I haven’t read it yet because I’m going to have to go back and read the first two so I remember everything (it’s very vague right now, just the basics). Glad you enjoyed it!
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