Lori M. Lee and Erica O'Rourke Author Event

I love reading YA books and discovering new YA authors, so imagine my glee when I found out there is a YA author who lives right in the Fox Valley!  She just published her first novel GATES OF THREAD AND STONE, and was having a book signing at the local library.  I had to check out her website and see if she was willing/able to do other events!  Google Lori M. Lee and this wonderful website appears.  

Lori is the sweetest person you will ever meet... she writes a badass leading female, but as a person, she is nothing but lovely.  After meeting with her, we talked about having her do an event... to which she responded, "Can I bring a friend?"  Anytime an author wants to bring a fellow author to an event... the answer is always yes.  I mean come on, as if it's not awesome enough to meet one incredible author, two just makes it double the fun!

Google Erica O'Rourke and this amazing website appears.  I'm going to be honest, I hadn't heard of Erica until Lori told me her name... but now I've come to find out what I'm missing (love discovering new authors!).  Erica's latest book is DISSONANCE, and before that she wrote the TORN TRILOGY.

Prior to their event, I wanted to read both of the author's newest books (obviously always a good thing to try to do!), and I have to say they were hard to put down, making this an easy "homework" assignment to give myself.  I started with Lori's book GATES OF THREAD AND STONE, and my review ended up being:

4 of 5 Stars

The world that Lori Lee creates is very interesting, and the backstory behind the citizens and their ruler unravels as the story goes on, but it took a bit to get there. The main character, Kai, is a pretty awesome chick with powers that can toy with the threads of time, causing time to slow or even stop. She doesn't know why she has this ability, but knows that she shouldn't let anyone know about it. When her adoptive big brother, and only "family" that she knows, goes missing, she decides to seek answers with her friend Avan (a boy she just happens to have a slight crush on) and bring her brother home. This leads to interesting plot twists as the journey through different parts of the world that they have never been to, especially through the last third of the book. Lee did throw some great surprises into her work that I did not see coming, and that I really enjoyed.
That being said, I am glad that I kept going with this book. Once the history of the world and Kai's family tree are unearthed, it really makes for a great story. This is book one of a series/trilogy, and I am curious where Lori Lee is going to take these characters.  I'm looking forward to the sequel next year!  I'd recommend this book for anyone who enjoys YA fantasy with a bit of romance thrown in.

The more I thought about this book, the more I loved it.  The world-building that Lori must have put into Kai's world is crazy.  To develop the powers for each character and lace them all together... be sure to check this book out!

Next up, Erica's latest book DISSONANCE.  

5 of 5 Stars

I was slightly hesitant about this book since it's classified "teen romance," which can be a bit much to take (think the neediness of Bella in Twilight). But man can Erica O'Rourke write an independent, dominant female! I absolutely loved Del's character and the way O'Rourke uses string theory and music to help develop Del's world. I've been a huge music person since I was young, and dissonance in music is used as a way to tell if an alternate world is stable or unstable. Del is a "walker" who are individuals that can go between worlds and "tune" or destroy them in order to keep the Key World (our world) safe. When the boy Del has a crush on begins appearing in almost all of the world she visits and causes some interesting fluctuations in these worlds, she knows something is wrong... but once he notices her in school, does she really want to make it right?
This book is full of interesting characters, who you're never quite sure you can trust, and a family story at its core (who can Del really trust in her family?). But, the thing I was most impressed with was O'Rouke's world-building. The idea that a new world is created each time someone makes a choice, and the choice you do not choose becomes an alternate universe that plays out differently is so fascinating to me. I definitely recommend picking up a copy of this book... now I just have to impatiently wait for the sequel...

So, now that I've finished this book... I had to go on my nook and download a copy of TORN while I await DISSONANCE's sequel next year.

I already knew Lori and Erica's author event was going to be wonderful because their books offer lots of opportunity for questions... but it was such a blast!  Both women were so fun and had such great answers and advice to share with everyone who attended.  

They were asked questions about being a budding author... L: "Just keep writing, and never stop."  E: "Read critically... find what you love about a book and dissect it... use what you learn from books you love to make your own works stronger." About how they come up with character names... E: "I typically don't name characters after anyone I know, especially not bad characters... you don't want to give them that power over you." L: "I pick names I like... and have a name for my characters before I start writing."  Books/authors they'd recommend... L: "Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy, Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis, and anything by Neil Gaiman" E: "Anything by Libba Bray, The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth, and The Testing Trilogy by Joelle Charbonneau."  

Along with solid advice and fun trivia/facts they talked to everyone who came and signed copies of their books.  They were both so encouraging to the teen readers and writers who came... their young fans will definitely remember meeting such inspirational authors.

I have nothing but gratitude and admiration for both of these women.  Be sure to pick up a copy of their books and enjoy!  

P.S. They *might* both be coming back to do another event this December!!  Possibly on December 14th!  Perhaps at 1:00 in the afternoon! :)