~ Home of Writing ~ : Destined (Trusted #2) by Taylor L. Stimac - Release Day Post, Review, Author Interview and Giveaway!

Destined (Trusted #2) - Taylor L. Stimac

Official Review:

In the wake of Tegan's apparent kidnapping, everyone is eager to get back to normal. Tegan, however, becomes determined to uncover Damien's secrets and reclaim her sanity.

The constant obsession with Damien begins to put a strain on Tegan's newfound love life as Rake begins finding ways to cope with her behavior. A downward spiral has begun that may prove to be irreversible.

Follow the journey as Damien's secrets are revealed and Tegan discovers just what she is destined to become.

Destined: Book 2 in The Trusted Series:

What's your destiny

Author Info:

Taylor L. Stimac is a Young Adult novelist with a passion for storytelling. She graduated from East Central University in Ada, OK with a Master’s degree in Educational Technology. She’s been an English teacher since 2010 but has since found that her passion lies in writing prose rather than teaching it. When she’s not writing, Taylor enjoys painting, listening to music, and crafting. She resides in Arkansas with her husband and daughter.

Website: http://taylorlstimac.wordpress.com/

My Review:

I think I liked Destined better than I liked Trusted. Just overall, there was more depth to the characters and the writing was better and stuff. It had me reading late into the night (oops..? I do this way too often *blush*) and was definitely a page turner...or a kindle/computer turner...is it still a page turner? I don't know...

This book picks up right after Trusted left off...it's after the kidnapping and everything is running amuck. Like, seriously, how much weirder can it get? The only person who remembers Damien is Tegan, and she's all alone. You know one of the things I adored in this book? The 'OH FUCK' moments, of which they were many. Those moments when you came to an epiphany before the character and you were like: 'HOLY CRAP EVERYTHING MAKES SENSE NOW!' Those moments...just....*sigh* I don't know if I could've...just...they were just amazing.

The characters built up and brought new ideas to life. This book was slightly more...paranormal...and definitely up there with my faves. But, honestly, TAYLOR IS SUCH A TEASE WITH HER PROLOGUES AND EPILOGUES !!!! If you've read the first book you'll know what I mean...and if you haven't read the first book then I don't know why you're here!

This book did, however, clear up some stuff for me. Like how I feel about Rake and Damien. And although I'm still partway torn, I'm nowhere near as torn as I was at the end of the last book. BUT TAYLOR YOU BETTER HURRY UP WITH THE NEXT BOOK!!!! pleeeaaasssee *pouty face*

Overall, great book that you should definitely read, but go and get Trusted first. I think this is a much better book than Trusted, but let me know what you think!! :D

Author Interview:

Hi Chloe! Thank you so much for chatting with me!

How did you became a published author?

Well, I had always dreamed of writing a book and finally came to a point in life where I thought “what better time to write one than now?”. So, while working part time, I started staying up and writing until the wee hours of the morning. When not writing, I was researching the publishing process. After lots and lots of research, I decided that self-publishing was the right path for me and began refining my manuscript. Once I finally garnered the courage, I hit the “upload” button and here I am today. It was the scariest, most gut-wrenching thing I have ever done, but I couldn't imagine my life now if I hadn't.

Have you always wanted to write? What was the first thing you wrote?Yes, since I was a small child. My mom still has a box full of all of the crazy stories and stuff I came up with. I guess, though, that it was in high school that I really developed my love for writing. I had a really great English teacher that encouraged me to pursue a career in writing. I thought she was crazy at the time, but I'm thinking now that I'm glad I listened to her. The first thing I can really remember seriously writing and wanting to have it published was when I was five or six. It was an endearing poem about a monkey that escaped from a zoo. Lol

You said after researching the publishing process that you decided to self-publish. What made you go that route?

I just didn't think the traditional route made much sense for me at that point. I had an established career, so I wasn't really looking to go all out with this writing thing. It is my favorite hobby and definitely my passion, but I wasn't into scouring the masses for an agent, hoping they liked my three paragraph pitch enough to represent me, then praying like a mad-woman that someone out there thought that my story was good enough to publish it. The fact is, I liked my story, and I believed it was good enough; I wasn't necessarily looking for anyone to affirm that. (I'm also a bit of a control freak and wanted to be involved in the entire process.) In addition, everything I researched showed that the traditional publishing route moved at a snail's pace. The waiting game is not one that I play well. ;) It made zero sense to me to write a novel (my baby!) and have the ability to share it with the world and then not do it. I literally started toying around with writing a novel in December 2012 and by June, I had written and published Trusted. It was just always a no-brainer for me and the results have far surpassed anything I could have ever imagined!

In one sentence, tell us what The Trusted Series is about.

Wow, that's a tough one, but I'll give it a go. The Trusted Series follows sixteen year old Tegan Summers on a crazy, suspenseful and very realistic journey of first love, life (with paranormal experiences), and finding her place in the world.

What is one thing you wish you could tell people about your books?

Aside from “please read them and leave a review”? :) Probably to just keep an open mind as you read through them; especially with Trusted. I noticed that the reviews were split pretty evenly; some readers really got what I was throwing down and others didn't quite understand the introduction of some characters (mostly Damien). I would just encourage them to be patient and keep reading; there's a whole crazy roller coaster ride in store for Tegan. :)

So, when will the sequel to Trusted be out?

I am actually just finishing up Destined and hope to have it out within the next couple of weeks.

And does it pick up where Trusted left off?

Yes, it does. And, all of the questions you had while reading Trusted are guaranteed to be answered in this book!

How many books will there be total in The Trusted Series?

There are four books total: Trusted, Destined, Broken and Forgiven. I am hoping to have the final two out next year, but I am also working on a few children's books, so I'm not making any promises. ;)

Where did the inspiration for the Trusted series come from??

The story of Tegan and Rake has been in my head for a long time. Just wanting to create a love a story focused around where I grew up was really the driving force. Once I started writing, the rest just sort of fell into place and has continued to evolve.

What are the characters based on? Different parts of you? People around you?

I would say that Tegan and I are similar in a lot of ways. Lol Just kind of insecure and influenced heavily by those around us. We always have the same innate need to protect those things that are precious to us. Other characters, like Sara, are completely fictional yet kind of represent people that I wish were in my life. My parents definitely influenced Tegan's, though they are not quite as eccentric. ;) And Rake and Damien just sort came along as two broken people kind of searching to be made whole. Tegan sort of has some healing effect on both them that they just can't shake.

What's one song that describes your personality?

Oh, gosh. ONE song? Lol It depends on which day you ask me! Today sort of feels like a Bobby McFerrin "Don't Worry, Be Happy" kind of day as I am nearing completion of my second novel and find myself getting aggravated at every roadblock that gets in my way. Ask me tomorrow though, it'll be vastly different. :)

What's your favourite part about being an author?

I love being able to interact with readers, it is by far the best part! I love hearing how they interpret the story, what frustrated or confused them. With their feedback, I'm not really an author, just another writer.

What's your favourite season and why?

I absolutely love the Fall. There's something about the leaves changing and the crisp air, it just feels perfect. I could sit outside and write all day long on a perfect Fall day.

What's your favourite thing about where you live?

It's funny, but it's actually the thing I used to despise most: the small-town vibe. When I was younger, I wanted so badly to move to a big city with multiple shopping malls and theaters and theme parks. Now that I'm a bit older and have to drive in bigger cities and have a daughter of my own to raise, I couldn't be happier with my small town life. :)