TSK, TSK, What to Read?: BLOG TOUR: A Matter of Fate by Heather Lyons

We're thrilled to have a stop on the A Matter of Fate blog tour. We're so grateful to debut author Heather Lyons for providing us with this little gem and giving us the opportunity to show it off for her.

Chloe Lilywhite struggles with all the normal problems of a typical seventeen-year-old high school student. Only, Chloe isn't a normal teenage girl. She's a Magical, part of a secret race of beings who influence the universe. More importantly, she's a Creator, which means Fate mapped out her destiny long ago, from her college choice, to where she will live, to even her job. While her friends and relatives relish their future roles, Chloe resents the lack of say in her life, especially when she learns she's to be guarded against a vengeful group of beings bent on wiping out her kind. Their number one target? Chloe, of course. That's nothing compared to the boy trouble she's gotten herself into. Because a guy she's literally dreamed of and loved her entire life, one she never knew truly existed, shows up in her math class, and with him comes a twin brother she finds herself inexplicably drawn to.
Chloe's once unyielding path now has a lot more choices than she ever thought possible.

So, we asked Heather "Who do you see as the twins?" And this is what she told us...
Heather: It sounds ridiculous, but after the book was done, I ended up running into a guy in a hospital in Medford, Oregon of all places that looked EXACTLY how I pictured Jonah and Kellan. And he was a model, to boot! Alas, I have no good photo of him, though.
So . . .Somebody that looks somewhat like Jonah and Kellan is Ben Barnes, if he was super tan and had bright blue eyes. Also--the twins have different hair styles, which is why I chose the photos I did. :)

Name: Jonah Kieran Whitecomb

Age: 17

Birthday: January 27

Hair: Black

Eyes: Blue

Height: 6 foot 2 inches

Twin—born first or second? First. By five minutes (which he insists be noted).

Parents: Ewan and Lucia (now deceased) Whitecomb

Favorite color: Green

Signature piece: A titanium ring he wears on his right thumb.

Favorite food(s): Anything Chinese

Favorite drink: Water, since it’s good for you. No, coffee. No, water. Probably water. Unless it’s good coffee, and then it’s definitely coffee. Preferably espresso.

Favorite book: Siddartha by Herman Hesse

Favorite sport: Surfing, but he’ll watch just about anything.

Favorite band/musician: The National (who he’s seen live three times)

Something most people don’t know about Jonah: He’s very good at chess. His father made him join a chess club for a semester (thought it’d look good on his record), but he hated it. Jonah purposely lost a series of games so he could quit. He’ll still play, though, when his dad isn’t around.

Name: Kellan Jaden Whitecomb

Age: 17

Birthday: January 27

Hair: Black

Eyes: Blue

Height: 6 foot 2 inches, one centimeter (which he insists be noted)

Twin—born first or second? Second, by five stinking minutes.

Parents: Ewan and Lucia (now deceased) Whitecomb

Favorite color: Yellow

Signature piece: A studded leather cuff on his left wrist that a friend gave him.

Favorite food(s): Bistecca alla Fiorentina

Favorite drink: Tea with milk. It reminds him of his mom, although he won’t tell anyone that.

Favorite book: On the Road by Jack Kerouac

Favorite sport: Surfing

TV or Movies: Movies—comedy or action

Favorite band/musician: It changes on nearly a weekly basis. Right now he’s on an AC/DC kick.

Something most people don’t know about Kellan: He’s allergic to shellfish, which royally sucks (at least to him) when one grows up in Maine.

Heather Lyons has been putting stories to paper since she was a little girl. Her first "published" book was a humorous retelling of The Princess and the Pauper. After detours in archaeology and teaching, she is now writing and living in Southern California with her husband and three sons. She likes cupcakes, baseball, hockey, reading, and collecting far too many handbags.

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Here's Shelley's take on A Matter of Fate:

What a fun and exciting debut. The worlds contained in A Matter of Fate are really unlike any I've read before.
A completely different take on Greek mythology, true love and following your path.
Chloe's got a lot of questions... Is one's life really mapped out for them? Do we get any choices? Can she live up to her parent's expectations? It's a complicated and confusing life she leads and it's about to do a 360.
OMG! Really- where to begin? This is one of those tales again where I feel if I say anything I might be saying too much. I enjoyed so many things about this story. From beginning to end there are surprises- good and bad. Some very bad. Let's just say about the time you think Chloe might get a break...well, think again. Are the fates against her? Is she doomed to fail? Can she find happiness in a life predetermined for her? AND WTH are these twins all about??? Talk about mysterious, captivating, charming and swoonworthy! And more than meets the eye. Ugh! I fell immediately for Jonah and Kellan. It was easy to see why Chloe was attracted to them both. As if she doesn't have enough to worry about with the Council and the rest of the Magics. As soon as the Whitecombs walk into her life, it is forever altered.
Chloe is also a great character. Strong despite the pressure put upon her, witty, smart and yet when it comes to the way of life as a Magic- and with love, she is naive and scared. She makes a great heroine. She faces amazing monsters and unbelievable odds. Makes a bazillion mistakes and lives to tell.
There are so many twists and turns. Some you hope and push for only to have the circumstances change in an instant, raising the stakes in love and survival. This is a love story full of angst and regret, misunderstandings and manipulations, chances and promises. A beautiful tale of soulmates, hopes and dreams. All among the threat of a nearly indestructible and unknown enemy, family problems, and high school.
There is so much more to A Matter of Fate than all that. Heather has created an intricate world, filled with well developed characters, and the standard gut wrenching-heartbreaking-emotional roller coaster you can't do without in a paranormal romance.
I really loved how Heather heightened the intensity of many of Chloe's situations from the beginning with her dreams, to the back stories of the other characters and how they relate and influence the events for which Chloe, Jonah and Kellan are ultimately... well, yeah, I can't really finish that sentence. Spoiler free zone here!
Chloe will get on your nerves- she's young, she's been kept in the dark and yes, at times she is lost, lost , lost. I had an inkling early on, that I couldn't believe she and the others didn't pick up on. It drove me crazy waiting to see if I was correct, and crazier trying to will Chloe to catch on. But when she shines, she's brilliant. And honestly, with the heat these three create, it's worth going through the torture.
In the end, this is a great story with plenty of page turning action, romance (I did mention the hot guys, right?!), and suspense to keep you on the edge and clutching your chest and holding your breath.
I highly recommend AMF to fans of Alyson Noel's Immortals series and Colleen Houck's Tiger saga.
You'll thank me for it.