Tynga's Reviews: Sonya Clark

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

"When I'm not writing" with Sonya Clark

This week, we're hosting Sonya Clark for "When I'm not writing". I reviewed TRANCEHACK a little while ago and thoroughly enjoyed it so I'm thrilled to have her visiting the blog. Check out what Sonya does when she's not working on her next novel.

For several years now, I’ve put a great deal of energy into writing. Being a published author was something I’d wanted most of my life, so when I finally made the decision to really go for it, I put as much of myself as I could into writing. When I had my daughter, I refocused my energy into putting her first, along with my husband and our home and family life. Still, every spare moment beyond that was spent writing, editing, blogging, and other things that fall under the heading of Being An Author.

But then the burn-out hit, and I had to make some changes or go crazy. I needed something other than writing to do, at least some of the time. The first thing I thought of was something I’d been really interested in for a while, so I finally took the plunge. The heroine in Trancehack, Calla, designs jewelry because I thought that would be a cool thing to do. A couple of years ago I made a bracelet under the guidance of my sister-in-law, who had the tools and the know-how. I really enjoyed it, and when it came time to flesh out Calla’s life and story, it was the first thing that came to mind. But I never tried it for myself, even though I really wanted to.

So recently I just decided to go ahead and do it - I bought a few tools and beads and accessories and started making bracelets. I don’t know if I’ll be any good at this, but it’s enjoyable and I’m having fun. I like having something creative to do that’s different from writing. It’s also nice to have a project finished in an hour or so, as opposed to months. The bracelets I’ve made so far aren’t very fancy, but that’s okay. I’m learning.

At sixteen months, my daughter is too young for this kind of thing now. She currently favors the cute little plastic bangles in pastel shades that you can find for very young girls. I look forward to making bracelets and necklaces for her when she’s old enough to wear them.

Other than spending time with my family and this new foray into jewelry-making, the rest of my time away from the keyboard is spent reading, watching Supernatural and Sleepy Hollow, and thinking up the next story.

Thank you for inviting me to the blog!

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Thanks so much for visiting us, Sonya! For more Sonya, visit her:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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Here's the scoop on TRANCEHACK:

It's 2065. Those born with magic abilities live in government-run zones, without rights or freedoms. Fear of magic created this segregated world and fear keeps it intact.

A high-profile murder brings Detective Nathan Perez to Magic Born Zone 13. He's had little experience with the Magic Born and isn't sure what to expect during his first encounter with a witch, but he never thought he'd be so drawn to her.

Trancehacker Calla Vesper uses magic to break into computers and aid the Magic Born underground. She has no interest in helping a cop, even if he is smoking-hot, but money's tight and Nate offers a tidy amount for help navigating the Zone. Calla's determined to keep it all business, but sparks start flying before the investigation even gets started.

When Calla's trancehacking and Nathan's investigation uncover a conspiracy, Calla becomes a target. Nate can protect her by keeping her role a secret--but then who will protect Nate?
Jenn's thoughts

Read an excerpt

Purchase: Amazon

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Do you guys have suggestions for who you’d like to see featured on the blog? If so, you can make your suggestions on this page. No guarantees that your favourite authors will be able to participate but we’ll try!

Authors, would you like to visit us? Please email me at jenn (at) tyngasreviews (dot) com and we’ll set it up!

by Tynga at Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Harlequin, Sonya Clark, When I'm not writing 2 People left their mark

Monday, October 07, 2013

Trancehack by Sonya Clark

I was immediately drawn to TRANCEHACK when I saw its awesome cover on Netgalley. I'd never heard anything about the novel but I couldn't resist clicking on it once I saw it. And it turns out that TRANCEHACK is pretty fun. Clark describes it as a "futuristic witchpunk romance" on her website and I think this description really captures the essence of the novel. TRANCEHACK has great characters, a beautifully detailed series mythology, and a plot that will keep you on your toes.

If you know me by now, you know I love a good futuristic love story, especially if it's got any kind of magical overtones. And TRANCEHACK doesn't just have overtones -- it has what amounts to a magical ghetto, "home" to anyone with magical abilities and their offspring, whether these children are Magic Born or not. Having powers is a one-way ticket to second-class citizenry and Clark does a great job of depicting the restrictions and hardships of this lifestyle without playing on your emotions. Calla and the other Magic Born are ruled by an iron fist and there's no way to overtly rebel.

Of course, TRANCEHACK would be pretty dull if there was no conflict and Calla is definitely a rebel, though she doesn't do it by pounding her drum and yelling at The Man. Calla may do all sorts of stuff she's not supposed to -- and this is just one reason to love her -- but she does it in ways that keep her relatively safe. She's a neat character because she knows how to live within the system, even though she wants more, plus she's fiercely loyal, smart, and tough, which are traits I always enjoy in a character. She's also got a sharp tongue and enough baggage to fill a cargo hold, and she really came alive for me.

Perez is a great foil for Calla. He's not your typical alpha male. In fact, he does a lot more bending than Calla, since he's learning the rules of her world and finally really seeing the injustice in the treatment of the Magic Born. He's also trying to solve a case that someone really doesn't want solved -- at least not properly -- so he's in a few pickles. I wasn't sure I was going to like him because he acquiesces about a lot at first but dude has a backbone and really fights for his relationship with Calla, even when he's fighting Calla herself. There's a nice amount of push and pull in the relationship, and they face tangible obstacles, and I was truly invested in their HEA (even though I was pretty sure they were going to get one since this is a romance novel).

As interesting as their relationship and the mystery is, I really feel for TRANCEHACK because of the world Clark has created. You really feel the hardship and desperation that the Magic Born experience, and the idea of trancehacking is super neat. If I have one complaint about this novel, it would be that we don't get to learn enough about the magical underpinnings of the world. But it's a minor quibble and, truthfully, it's rooted in the fact that I wasn't ready for TRANCEHACK to end when I hit the final page.

If you're looking for a creative new author to try, I'd definitely recommend Sonya Clark and TRANCEHACK. There's some dystopian flavour, plus a great mystery and a strong romance, so I think this book will definitely appeal to readers of this blog. I hope you let me know what you think if you give it a shot when it comes out at the end of the month!

Read an excerpt