Pledged Tour: Character Interview ~ Meet Jared!

I've already introduced you to the characters of Gwynneth White's Pledged, but I'm quite positive you're thirsting for more. You don't have to deny it. I don't blame you ;).

That being said, I'm excited to say that this blog has come across the lucky opportunity of having Jared stop by for a quick visit. He's a busy guy, what with being Warlord of Shenaya, fighting curses, and winning the hearts of stubborn women, so I'm surprised his aides even built up the audacity to ask him to do this favor for me.

And speak of the devil...

*Jared gives mock salute* “Keely, I have been informed by my aides that you wish to interview me. I suppose I should be flattered. But let me begin by asking you a question. You could have picked either of my cousins or my best friend Seth, why me?”

Keely: It’s no surprise. I’ve already posted on my blog and on Twitter that I love you,” *quickly adds* “in a ‘he’s my favourite character’ sort of way.

Jared: *gives Keely a sardonic smile* “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m spoken for. And I mate for life.” *pauses* “Correction. Eternity.”

Keely: But Jared, you are under the curse. You've pledged.

Jared: “What’s that’s got to do with anything? I might have made Reuel some promises, but that doesn’t mean he owns me. No one owns me. Except maybe Sophia – and that’s because I choose it to be that way.”

Keely: This is my main question . . . how do you get to do what you want when the curse is supposed to change you? Do you fight the curse, or is there just something within you that is stronger than the promise you made to Reuel?

Jared: “My lady, the Guardians – those are angels, by the way – will try and tell you it’s because I have a valiant spirit. Whatever that’s supposed to mean. I just think it’s because I take exception to people telling me what to do. I was born to lead, not to follow. *laughs depreciatingly* Okay, Keely, if you promise not to tell anyone, I’ll admit that I do fight it. All the time. I don’t always succeed, but, hell, I try. I guess I didn’t really understand what I was doing when I pledged. I’m a bit wiser now. And a lot more pissed off too, if you’ll excuse the expletive.”

Keely: When you first met Sophia, you revealed nothing of your eventual feelings for her. There must have been an attraction when you first saw her. Did you feel something like, say, spiritual recognition, when you first met her?

Jared: “Have you seen her? Obviously not, or you wouldn’t be asking such an asinine question. Of course I felt something! What man wouldn’t - given that she’s the most beautiful girl on the planet? Next question.”

Keely: Sorry, Jared, I know you like controlling conversations, but you still haven’t really give me my answer.

Jared: *grins* “I do like it when women hold their ground. Where I come from girls are seen as little more than chattel. It was one of the things that first struck me about Sophia. She just couldn’t grasp the concept that girls are supposed to be demure - keep your head down, say nothing, make babies. I loved that she challenged that in everyone. She still does. Even after all this time.”

Keely: “And that connection I asked about? Please just answer that question? After all you are supposed to be soul mates!”

Jared: *laughs playfully* “Anything to please and delight you, my lady. After all, I would hate you say that Jared, Warlord of Shenaya, was afraid to answer a few impertinent questions. Now what did you call it? A spiritual recognition? No. I had no flash of lightening telling me she was my soul mate when I first saw her.”

Keely: So you admit you were a bit dense?

Jared: *narrows eyes* ”No, just focused on getting what I want.”

Keely: That brings me to my next question. You carry a tremendous amount of responsibility leading Shenaya's army. Not that you can't handle it, but how does it feel to be warlord at such a young age?

Jared: *incredulous* “Young age? I’m eighteen! That’s pretty average for Warlords where I come from.” *gives Keelly a quizzical look* “Not in your time, apparently. Okay, maybe some explanation is required. I started my military training at Pledging Camp when I was six. And I have a natural affinity for strategy. Thanks to that I’d run rings around all the other Pledged and the Defenders when we practiced war games.” *grins* “And I’m also painfully modest. It’s a real failing.”

Keely: Yea, right! Full of yourself, if you ask me. And no, don’t answer that. I’m leading this interview. Now tell me, you pledged, but your friends ~ brothers, really ~ Caleb and Daniel did not. How do you think things might have been different had you not fallen under the curse?

Jared: *caught in a rare moment of introspection* “I often wonder about that. How different life would have been. I guess Caleb and I still would have fought, because that was our way. Fight and make up. It’s what made our friendship special. The trouble was, after I pledged we never got to the make-up part. I see now that our war made it easier for Reuel to manipulate us both.” *shakes head* I hate that it made us weak. We probably could have taken him and his demons on in battle – and won, if I hadn’t pledged.” *pauses* “Not that I’m saying it’s my fault. Caleb is such a moron, if hadn’t done what he did to Phineas none of this would have happened.”

Keely: Thanks for a straight and honest answer, Jared. Now maybe you can clear up a confusion I have. Most of the people around you seem to be distrustful of the Guardians even though they are supposed to be the 'good guys.' How do you feel about them?

Jared: *laughs* “Most of the people? Or do you just mean Seth and Caleb? I don’t expect you to answer that. *looks over shoulder* “I’m what’s called a ‘covert’ supporter of Gideon and the Guardians. I hate that I’m pledged and that, like it or not, it gives Reuel power to control me. I really look forward to the day Gideon’s Prophecy is fulfilled and Reuel is destroyed. But I guess I’m beginning to sound like Sophia – indiscrete – and in Shenaya, where I come from, people have been fed to the vultures for less serious admissions. So . . . let’s talk about the weather.”

Keely: Jared, thanks for coming onto my blog today. I really enjoyed talking with you…..

Jared: “Pleasure, My lady. Now with that out the way, we really must discuss this modern technology of yours . . . Twitter? Isn’t that something girls do on the morning of the Emblem Picking when they’re trying to intimidate all the boys?”

Keely: *shakes her head, biting her tongue* Jared, I think that's a long conversation for another time...

Wanna get to know Jared and the other characters even better? Check out Pledged and Gwynneth White via

Twitter ~ GoodReads ~ Facebook ~ Website

Happy Reading Everyone :)

~ Keely ~

Pledged Tour ~ Meet the Characters

A couple of days ago, I introduced you to Seth and Erin, the hero and heroine of Gwynneth White's imaginative Pledged. Today, walking the red carpet will be Jared and Sophia, my two favorite characters in this novel... Sophia's stubborn and has a difficult time NOT speaking her mind, and Jared is much the same ~ catching her off guard most of the time...


You can put your own faces to the names, but here's how I imagined them:

Lily Collins as Sophia

Liam McIntyre as Jared

~~Excerpt~~

Jared nodded at Sophia and Kezeah without any sign of recognition. With two of his Pledged up front and two at their rear, he marched them down the corridor to a flight of stairs. Once at the bottom, he ducked beneath an archway, opening onto to a gloomy, narrow tunnel. Erin, never keen on dark, claustrophobic spaces, took a deep breath and paused. 


“C’mon,” Seth said. “The sooner we walk through it, the quicker we get to the other side.”


“What happens if what’s on the other side is even worse?”


“Then you’ll know for sure that the dead guys are leading this expedition,” Seth said, wanting to deny the painful burning in his heart that reconnected him with a cursed Jared. He grabbed Erin’s arm and pulled her into the passage. 


They’d taken no more than two tentative steps along the uneven floor when Sophia stopped. “Commander, I am not walking through this snake-hole!”


Jared turned back to look at her. With none of the fear or diffidence Erin and Seth expected from a boy with limited to exposure to girls – especially beautiful ones – he answered, “Of course, my lady. You’re from Norin, where I understand you live in grass huts.” He gave a sardonic smile. “But don’t despair, you’ll soon get used to bricks. Even our own Outcasts have learnt not to flinch at the sight of them.” He continued down the passage. 


Seth’s mouth dropped at Jared’s rudeness; this was so foreign to the Jared he had seen just moments ago in his vision. It just added to his anger at Reuel’s Curse. 


The Pledged at Sophia’s rear prodded her back; she gave him a fierce look and started walking. 
For Seth and Sophia, both taller than Erin and Kezeah, negotiating the tortuous twists and turns of the tunnel was no easy matter. Stooping, cursing each time they bumped their heads on the rough ceiling, they struggled after Jared, but he kept up the merciless pace until they reached a dark staircase. 


Her temper now as short as her breath, Sophia stopped walking and locked her arms across her chest. 


“Having just cracked my skull open, you now expect me to scramble up those treacherous stairs too. No doubt hoping I’ll fall and break my neck. Well, forget it. I’m not moving.”


“Sophia!” Kezeah whispered, jabbing her in the ribs as she stepped gingerly onto the first narrow step.
Sophia ignored her. “Only savages and rats live in places like this.”


  Jared’s eyes narrowed. “Savages and rats, you say, my lady?” 


Sophia set her face into a cold stare, locking her hypnotic blue eyes on his. 


He surprised her by holding her gaze. “I hate to disappoint you, my lady, but Lord Rustus, Lord of the Household, under the direction of the Overlord himself, has chosen your apartment. Surely you don’t question their judgment in this matter?”  


  “As a matter of fact, I do.” 


  “In that case, I’ll gladly pass on your concerns. If that’s what you really want.” 


“Enough, Sophia. This isn’t a fight you can win.” Sophia’s Guardian had joined them. 




Happy Reading Everyone :)




~ Keely ~

Review: Requiem by Jamie McGuire

“Jared paced, brooded, and once in a while, when his thoughts were particularly tormented, he winced. The color had long left his face as he played back the different scenarios in his mind. Back and forth he paced, so many times that I watched the floor, wondering when he would wear a trail. His inner turmoil could have set the room on fire. It was unbearable to watch, but I couldn't leave him; not when he was planning my death.”


Dreaming of the dead might mean a restless night for anyone, but for Nina Grey it was a warning. 

Still healing from her last run-in with Hell, Nina struggles with not only her life as a Brown University student, but also as an intern at Titan Shipping, her father's company. Recurring nightmares about her father's violent death have become a nightly event, but being overwhelmed with guilt from Ryan's unexpected departure to the Armed Forces, and heart ache over Claire being across the ocean to protect him, Nina believes her sleepless nights are the least of her problems—but she's wrong.

Worried about Nina's declining health, Jared must steal back Shax's book for answers. Fighting new enemies, and with the help of new friends, Jared's worst fear comes to fruition. Desperate, he is faced with a choice: Fight Hell alone, or start a war with Heaven.

This is when it gets thick ~ helluva sequel. I loved Providence, but as I said in my review, I wished there would be more background, history, something. I got more than enough in Requiem. With a surprise on every page, Requiem went at a racing pace, bringing Nina deeper into the depths of Heaven and Hell, allowing her to make the discovery that she's not as displaced in Jared's world as she once thought. 

So much happens in this sequel, my head is spinning trying to figure out what to write first. My favorite element was the history provided, the little details that caused Nina's world to head in a downward spiral.When you're reading Providence, you start to believe that this is going to be a simple love story, and Jared and Nina will always have to fight fate to be together. As if that obstacle wasn't difficult enough, Requiem makes their problems in the first novel seem like sweet indulgences. I didn't expect freakish, practically fulfilled prophecies and full on battles with Hell, but that's what I got, and I gladly accepted. 

I had to look up the meaning of Requiem. A requiem is a "mass for the dead." I don't know why they can't simply say 'funeral,' so I'm assuming it's much more complex than that. The dead reach out to Nina in her sleep, sending her messages in hopes to help her and Jared with this overwhelming prophecy she's a part of that will supposedly alter the balance between Heaven and Hell. That, and Nina and Jared's destiny isn't exactly full of life, so I suppose the title is also in relation to that. (I'm trying to be vague here; don't want to spoil too much for ya.)

As for Nina and Jared's relationship, it's reached that peak where there love holds fast and nothing can keep them apart. It's the other characters that are focused on here such as Claire, Ryan, and even Kim. I love that McGuire expands on these other lovable characters and brings them closer to Nina and the shadows she faces. As if the demonic and historic storyline weren't enough in this book, the growth of all these characters gives the story even more ground to stand on. 

Definitely a must read. This book blew my mind, and as soon as I turned the last page, my thumbs hastily brought up the Kindle store to purchase the third and final installment, Eden. Worth your time, I promise.

Happy Reading Everyone :)

~ Keely ~  

Review ~ Providence by Jamie McGuire

In the old world shadows of Providence, Rhode Island, Nina Grey finds herself the center of a war between Hell and Earth.

Struggling with her father’s recent death, Nina meets Jared Ryel by chance…or so she believes. Although his stunning good looks and mysterious talents are a welcome distraction, it soon becomes clear that Jared knows more about Nina than even her friends at Brown University. When questions outnumber answers, Jared risks everything to keep the woman he was born to save—by sharing the secret he was sworn to protect.

When her father’s former associates begin following her in the dark, Nina learns that her father is not the man she thought he was, but a thief who stole from demons. Searching for the truth behind her father’s death, Nina stumbles upon something she never expected—something Hell wants—and only she holds the key.

Jamie McGuire is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. I love her witty writing style and her ability to instill passion and steal multiple breaths from the reader. Providence kept me up late into the night (I see a trend forming with this author) crying, laughing, and growling (yes, I actually growled at one point) in frustration.

Most of the time, as a character-driven reader, I can see the characters independently from the story-line, but with this novel, the plot plays a significant role in creating the characters ~ this is the kind of novel that keeps you reading for hours on end. I was hoping for a little more background or history of Jared's heritage, but I'm a bit of a mythology/history fanatic, and there is more than enough explanation to keep the reader satisfied.


The emotions in this book are tangible in such a way that the reader can't help but feel the effects. Nina's feelings reflected in my mood as I read the book, and although it's usual for me to become personally vested in the story of a book, not many have affected my emotions as obviously as Providence or any other of Jamie McGuire's books I've read so far.

The relationship between Nina and Jared is nothing less than nerve-wracking-intense. It did feel a little forced or quick to form to me, as Nina fell unconditionally for Jared without question pretty much from their *first* aquaintance. This is the only element of the book that had me raising my eyebrows in disbelief, BUT the sincerity from Jared makes up for any doubts I may have had.

**Must Read** Incredible book, fabulous writer ~ definitely worth the all-nighters you're bound to pull when reading Jamie McGuire :)

Kobo Highlights

"Like you're not swimming in your own freakily potent pheromones right now," Kim said.

She didn't speak for the rest of the trip home to keep from spoiling the illusion with trivial things like the truth.

Anger was easier to control than feeling betrayed.

"Don't interrupt my anxiety attack. It's rude," I whispered.

I narrowed my eyes and mimicked Beth's crossed arms We must have looked ridiculous side by side; the Prom Queen Mafia.

A strange sense of accomplishment came over me; I had perfected the art of ripping out surveillance wires.

"Our relationship could unintentionally provoke Hell..."

"Ugh! Why can't Hell stay where it's at? Why does it always have to break loose?" she whined.

Happy Reading Everyone :)

~ Keely ~

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's teaser hails from Requiem by Jamie McGuire:

"Jared and Bex stood next to the bed with terror in their eyes. "She was at least four feet above the bed!" Bex said, his eyes wide. "Has that happened before?"






Enjoy!

Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~