Welcome everyone. I enjoy spotlighting authors that write books that I've enjoyed reading. Today, I'm happy to have Imogen Rose. She's the author of the Portal Chronicles and the Bonfire Series.
I discovered Imogen way back when I read an excerpt for Portal--and had to know more. I was hooked and have followed her ever since.
How could I resist when I saw that she was having a blog tour? As part of her tour, I was given the opportunity to read Fusion, the last in the Portal Chronicles. I must say, I'm sorry to see the series is over. I very much enjoyed it.
From the Media Release:
Fusion Portal Chronicles Book Five Imogen Rose
Genre: paranormal YA
What if, once upon a time, I had taken that leap of faith?
Our choices not only affect us, but send tremors of change that can alter the destiny of others. Especially if you happen to construct a time-travel portal...
My name is Arizona Darley and my mom did just that.
When Olivia decided to go back in time to find the one man she was destined to, she catapulted Arizona’s life into a roller-coaster of confusion. Fusion is the highly anticipated conclusion to the Portal Chronicles, which began with the YA bestseller, Portal.
Review of Fusion
Arizona Darley is back--the original Arizona, that is. She has lost a year. Will she remember her love for Kellen? What will she do about David? How will she get away from Raj? What will happen to her mom, Olivia?
I must say, book one is still my favorite in the series, but Fusion was a very enjoyable read! Arizona Darley has lost a year. She doesn't remember anything that has happened to her over the previous year.
She gets back to Mountain View only to find that everything is different. Her mother has been in a serious accident and is in a coma. The love of her life, David, doesn't seem to feel the same about her. She's having strange feelings for Kellen--whose been her friend since forever. Everything is falling apart.
As if that wasn't enough to deal with--she's got a madman and his daughter after her, too!
If you haven't read the other books in the series, please start with book one. You'll definitely be confused if you start with this fifth book in the series.
The writing is fast-paced. I opened the book and didn't stop til I got to the end. There is non-stop action. You can't help but feel for Arizona as she's thrust back into a life where everything is the same--yet very different.
Imogen has no problem writing with a teenage voice. Her characters come right up off the page. Her descriptions are good enough that it's very easy to see and feel her world. I don't generally give starred reviews on my blog, but Fusion is definitely a 5/5 star read.
Below is my interview with Imogen.
1. Before we start talking about your book, why don’t you tell everybody a little bit about yourself?
I am just like any other writer... a little bit mad (like Mad-Hatter mad, not angry). If I weren’t an author, I’d probably get locked away for telling people about all these characters who live in my head. :D Thankfully, I get to breath life into them and have others enjoy reading about their lives, desires, and adventures. Although I love living in my make-believe world, regular life keeps happening around me. I am a mother first. So my characters get shoved to the side as I watch and enable my younger daughter (my older one is at college now) to discover all the fun and not-so-fun (homework) of life. Like me, she is a dreamer, so I am usually a step ahead of her when she proclaims her lies to be fictional accounts of the truth. What else am I? A publisher, a businesswoman, a scientist, a shopper, a traveler, and an admirer of perfection.
2. Besides writing, what other things do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I love traveling. There is nothing more fun than exploring a new place, especially in the company of friends. I am a shopping addict, but not as bad as my younger daughter— she puts me to shame. And I love a good TV show. My current favorites are The Vampire Diaries, The Following, True Blood, Beauty and the Beast, and Shameless.
3. What is your favorite way to write? A Desk? The Patio? In bed in the PJs?
With a glass of wine in hand.
4. Where do you get your idea for the Portal Series from?
The first book originated in a dream, the characters staying with me long after I woke up from it. I started to write the story, and it sort of flowed out of me like it needed to come out.
5. Out of all of the stories you’ve written so far, what would be your favorite and why?
It’s all just one long story, and I love discovering what happens every time I sit down and write. I couldn’t quite believe it when Jagger appeared in Fusion, and now, well Arizona... :X
6. Tell us something funny about yourself that not a lot of people know about?
I can’t type. I use my two pointers. It embarrasses my daughter when I write in public.
7. What other genre besides YA would you like to venture into writing?
I don’t really venture... I get taken on a ride. I have no idea where I am going, but it will be fun if I get shoved into a new genre.
8. Who are your favorite authors?
George Orwell is my absolute favorite. Other authors I enjoy are James Patterson, PG Wodehouse (adore those books!), Michael Crichton, and Agatha Christie. I do enjoy a lot of the new YA authors as well, including Susanne Collins, Stephanie Meyers, and Julie Kagawa.
9. Who is your favorite female and male characters from your books and why?
Ollie and Rupert, and I can’t tell you why.
10. What do you think is the hardest thing about being a writer?
Typing.
11. What advice would you give someone who wants to start off being a writer?
I don’t know that I am in a position to give writing advice. I don’t come from a writing background myself. Step one is to write, so write.
12. If you hadn’t become a writer, what do you think you would be doing right now?
I have a PhD in Immunology and worked as a research immunologist for many years. That’s probably what I would be doing now.
Well now that we got the question and answer out of the way…..why don’t you tell us about your latest story you have out now?
This is the blog tour for my book Fusion, which is the fifth and last book of the Portal Chronicles. The Portal Chronicles is a “what if” story. What if you could go back to that moment in time when you made that crucial decision that forged your path of life? What if you could go back and change it? My series chronicles the repercussions of a mother doing just that. Arizona’s mother, Olivia, constructs a time-travel portal to escape an unhappy marriage and find her long-lost love. The Portal Chronicles is about how her decision's ripple effect turns Arizona’s life upside down. The first book, Portal, opens with Arizona suddenly finding herself in a completely different life. Four books later, we get some answers. :) This series is entwined with the Bonfire Chronicles, so these characters will reappear in Uprising, which I am working on now.
Hope, thank you so much for having me on your blog.
Purchase links for Fusion (Portal Chronicles Book Five):
Amazon
Barnes & Noble Nook
Kobo
:iBook
Paperback
About the Author:
Imogen Rose is the author of the bestselling series, the Portal Chronicles, which has attained cult status within indie literature and become a favorite among teens and adults alike. An immunologist by profession, Dr. Rose published her first work of fiction in 2010. She now writes full time and is currently working on her second teen series, the Bonfire Chronicles. Imogen was born in Sweden and has lived in several places, counting London among her favorites. She moved to New Jersey in 2001. A self-confessed Hermès addict, Imogen freely admits to being obsessed with Kurt Cobain. She enjoys shopping, traveling, watching movies, and hanging out with her family, friends, and Chihuahua.
To Find Imogen:
FACEBOOK TWITTER WEBSITE BLOG
For a chance to win a copy of Fusion comment below and tweet the post :) I'll use Random.org to pick one winner for an e-book copy of Fusion on 4/25
