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Author Crush - Amanda Hocking!

There’s a very good reason why Amanda Hocking became a self-publishing phenomenon practically overnight - her books are so good. They’re the perfect combination of romance, intrigue, and fantasy; once I picked up Wake from the Watersong series, I was hooked. Amanda Hocking started out by self-publishing her books, but became such a success that she was picked up by a publishing company and ever since, her books fly off the shelves - with good reason. Watersong is my favorite thing that she’s written so far, but all of her books are excellent in their own right.

The Watersong Series is a tale of sirens, which are kind of like mermaids, but these girls are out for blood, literally. When three hauntingly beautiful girls arrive in the small coastal town of Capri just before tourist season, things start to get weird. Capri resident Gemma, whose love for water often keeps her out at the beach day and night, draws the interest of these suspicious newcomers. Little by little, the girls lure her into coming to the beach with them late at night and when she wakes the next morning, she discovers that she has supernatural healing abilities, agility, and beauty. Will she give in to her newfound power at the cost of giving up her old life or it worth risking it all? These books are the perfect beach reads - though I kept my toes carefully out of the water until the thought of sirens luring me into the depths was not at the forefront of my mind!

Freeks is one of Amanda Hocking’s newest standalone novels - it’s fun, romantic, and has an unconventional setting where all kinds of strange and paranormal happenings are commonplace. The carnival Mara lives in is kind of like a freakshow, but it’s a haven for those who aren’t quite human - from necromancers to werewolves, the carnival has it all - but Mara doesn’t feel like she fits in with them. She’s not even sure she wants to be gawked at like everyone else at the circus, but when some of her friends are attacked by a mysterious beast, Mara must embrace the abilities that she’s tried to hide.

The Trylle Trilogy is not your traditional faerie tale, but that’s what makes it so good! When Wendy was young, her mother was convinced that she wasn’t her child, so convinced that she stabbed Wendy in a fit of madness. It wasn’t until years later, when Finn enters her life, that it’s revealed that Wendy’s mother was right all along. She was in fact a changeling - a trylle (troll) swapped into a human family to be raised as a human until she came of age. Finn has tracked Wendy to convince her to return to the trylle kingdom of Förening, where she is the next in line for the throne. The intrigue of trylle politics and intricacies of their culture are lost on Wendy at first. Slowly she learns about her new life, but isn’t quite sure how she fits into it because of her human upbringing.

For more information about her books, find Amanda Hocking at her website, Facebook, and Twitter. If you’ve read and loved her books, give these authors a try: Holly Black (start with Tithe – Jh BLA), Anna Banks (start with Of Poseidon – Jh BAN), Kiera Cass (start with The Siren – TN CAS), and Julie Kagawa (start with The Iron King – TN KAG).

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777 Front Street Lisle, IL 60532 | Phone: 630-971-1675 | Fax: 630-971-1701 | Hours: M-F 9:30am-9:00pm, SAT 9:30am-5:00pm, SUN 1:00pm-5:00pm