Hi. I am happy to be hosting the Authors Around the World Kindle Fire Blog Hop with J.L. Campbell. There are so many great authors, books and locations to discover, as well as prizes to be won, so hop around. If you collect all the various locations featured, you can enter them into the rafflecopter for an extra 25 entry points to win your very own Kindle Fire. And there are only 16 blogs, so it shouldn't be too overwhelming. I am also giving away 3 Kings & Queens eBooks and one $10 giftcard to the store of your choice. Enter to win!For this Hop, I am happy to be highlighting, young adult author, Linda Ullesit. I've been eying her book for a while now because I love horses, and what's not to love about flying horses? That's even better! And I'm not sure what happened to Suzanne. She hasn't been on her blog, FB page or Twitter since the 25th or responded to my emails, so I'm going to post J.L. Campbell's interview too. I hope she's okay and just on vacation or something.
Anyway, without further ado, 
here's Linda.
What title are you highlighting in this blog hop?
On a Wing and a Dare
Synopsis:
When tradition and parental disapproval threaten the very existence of the flying horses of medieval Wales, three teenage friends must fight to discover a way to save the mystical creatures and break free of their parents’ reins. Sixteen-year-old Emma longs to become the rider of a winged colt born in the barn of her father’s biggest rival. She also dreams of the rival’s sons, not sure which she loves: Evan, the exciting but insensitive one, or Davyd, the dependable one. Risking public humiliation and his family’s disappointment, Davyd must accept his fear of heights and plan an alternate future that does not include becoming a rider. When the horses begin to die, Evan discovers a way to save them, but his position as a junior rider hinders acceptance of his idea. The teenagers must put aside their self-doubts and work together to execute Evan’s plan before all the winged horses in the world are gone forever.
Who are your main characters?
Emma, 16, and brothers Davyd, 16, and Evan, 18
Who is your favorite character and why?
I actually like all three characters for different reasons. My favorite, though, is Davyd. He goes through the most inner turmoil before learning who he is and finding the courage to act on it.
Share one quirky trait in one of your characters.
Davyd has a habit of running his hand through his curly hair when he's worried or stressed out.
What was your biggest challenge writing this book?
The hardest part was keeping track of all the themes and threads I was weaving and making sure that everything came together at the end.
Spill a secret, mystery or hidden thing in your book:
One theme of the book is that you need to balance your dreams, your responsibilities, your outside influences. Flowers symbolize the earth, or the practical. In the beginning of the book, Emma doesn't even notice as she walks over the flowers. Emma is all about the air, her dreams. In the middle, Davyd the practical one teaches Emma the names of some of the flowers. At the end, during a special event, Emma wears a wreath of flowers and can name all of them and appreciate their beauty.
Where do you live?
I live in San Jose, California
What's a cool, unknown spot?
Near my house is a neighborhood shopping center with an independent coffe shop called Evergreen Coffee Company. I can sit on its patio year round and see the center's fountain and palm trees. Behind that are the rolling hills that border San Jose to the east. They are grassy, green in the spring and brown in the summer, and dotted with oak trees. A beautiful spot to visit with friends, read, or write.
Tell us a little about an interesting landmark in your country.
You'll probably have a lot of people from the United States, so I'll focus on the west coast. I live about an hour south of San Francisco, and the Golden Gate Bridge is one of its most amazing landmarks. It's a beautiful suspension bridge, quite an engineering marvel when it opened in 1937. Workers are continually painting the bridge bright orange, officially called International Orange.
What's a little known fact about where you live?
The original location of Evergreen Elementary School, where both my sons went to school and where I taught for ten years, opened in 1860. Walt Whitman taught there for a year while he attended San Jose State University.
Name two famous people who’ve been sighted in your corner of the world.
My son was a lifeguard at Raging Waters a few years ago when actor David Spade visited the park. His bodyguard climbed the steps with him, but only David went down the water slides. We have a country club nearby where some of the players for the Forty Niners live. Ex-Niner Bubba Paris has been active coming to schools for assemblies to raise money for programs.
What is the one thing tourists must do?
Tourists to San Jose should see the Winchester Mystery House, built by Sara Winchester, heir to the rifle fortune. They should also visit Raging Waters.
What's your favorite restaurant and what type of food do they serve?
There's a Pasta Pomodoro located near my house where my husband and I eat almost every Friday night. They serve tasty Italian food.
What are you giving away on your blog?
I'm giving away a button with my flying horse logo.
Who is the author you are highlighting on your blog?
Patricia Lynne
Where can readers connect with you?
I'm on Facebook as Flying Horse Books.
I'm on Twitter and Goodreads and Shelfari.
My book review blog is: http://ulleseit.wordpress.com
My novel site is: http://flyinghorsebooks.wordpress.com
Thanks, Linda.
And here are some words from J.L. Campbell, author of
Distraction.
Author:
J.L. Campbell
What title are you highlighting in this blog hop?
Distraction
Synopsis:
Three Jamaican women walk a tightrope of decisions when their lives are derailed by blackmail, deceit and infidelity. JUSTINE CHARLES, sensible and self-contained, battles an addiction which could destroy her marriage, reputation, and relationship with her daughter. DIONNE JONES, an aggressive go-getter, takes risks that cut a trail of devastation through her family and business. KYRA MILLS, struggling single mother, is crippled by debt, bad judgment and destructive choices. Can two of the long-time friends survive startling revelations involving their partners? And will the other push her obsession to the point of danger?
Who is your favorite character and why?
That would be Justine, because she is the most conflicted. She keeps doing the wrong thing, but like many of us, can’t help the road she’s travelling.
What was your biggest challenge writing this book?
At the outset, I didn’t realize how tricky it would be to write a book from the perspective of three women. Personalities, hobbies, likes and dislikes had to be distinct, however, the most demanding part was getting the timelines absolutely correct. I also had to ensure that the story flowed properly since Justine’s plotline goes back and forth in time.
Where do you live? Jamaica
Tell us a little about an interesting landmark in your country.
Redemption Song is located in the Emancipation Park in Kingston. It’s an 11 foot high bronze statue that attracts a lot of attention. It comprises two nude statues (male and female) gazing skyward and is supposed to represent freedom from slavery. There’s a fountain at the base of the statues.
What’s amazing is the magnitude of work that went into creating the statues. A model was created in a month and then five months were spent carving the models from styofoam—69 pieces in all. The pieces were then cast in bronze and rejoined. Though hollow, male and female weigh 2,000 and 1,300 pounds respectively. The artist, Laura Facey, has said she was inspired by words from both Marcus Garvey and Bob Marley.
What’s the most well known city in your country and why?
Montego Bay, because it’s the tourism capital of the island.
What's a little known fact about where you live?
Jamaica has been through many name changes since the time Christopher Columbus ‘discovered’ the Tainos (Indians). The island was referred to as Jamaica as early as 1511, as well as being called Jamica, Jamaiqua, Jamaiaua, Jamaqua, Jamaicha, Xamaica. The name has also been written as Gemecoe and Gemego, Jamico, Jammaca, Jamajaco and Jamecah.
What are you giving away on your blog?
A ten dollar Amazon gift card for anyone who stops by and comments while the hop is on.
Who is the author you are highlighting on your blog?
Jordyn Meryl
Where can readers connect with you?
a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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