Christine Amsden's Blog: Christine Amsden Author Blog, page 40

Follow Friday

Q: Q: Birthday Wishes — Blow out the candles and imagine what character could pop out of your cake…who is it and what book are they from??

A: You know, I normally try to get into the spirit of these questions, but the fact is that I recently had a birthday. My husband got me a delicious chocolate and caramel torte with more icing than should probably be legal, and little chocolate-covered cookies on top amidst the peaked swirls of confectionary bliss. Now, I ask you, would you really want ANYONE, real or imaginary, to ruin that cake?

(Plus, birthday wishes are supposed to be secret.)

Looking forward to this weeks’ hop! Who did you pick? (Leave a comment to know you hopped by, and I’ll follow you back!)

Island of Secrets

Allegra is a paranormal investigator whose toe twitches whenever something unusual comes too near. Well, at least, that’s what happened in the first books in this series. She cut her toe big time on a coral reef early in this book and her radar was off. She’s got a sexy guardian angel named Casper who she loves but can’t have. Other than that, life is great — she’s got a job in paradise (the south pacific), helping to stop a war between the Mers and the Goblins by tracking down stolen treasure. Rrrrrrrr!

Disclaimer: I once again picked up a series out of order. I really need to stop doing that, although in this case, I really had no trouble figuring out what was going on. Allegra definitely has a social life and friends that carry over from book to book, but the case was very self-contained. This series did not strike me as absolutely needing to be read in order, although of course, it always helps!

If you’re a mystery lover who likes things weird, this is probably a good choice for you. This book was also classified as romance, but very little actually happened on that front. Casper was spending time with another woman, which was driving Allegra crazy because: 1.) He can’t be with a woman or it will take him even longer to get to heaven and 2.) If he is going to be with a woman, then why not Allegra? I don’t think it helped that I never believed for a moment that he was really *with* this other woman.

Allegra herself is the type that rushes headlong into danger, but since Casper is there to save her whenever she does, it makes her more amusing and far less annoying than the usual type who run headlong into danger. (Something I’ve complained about before.) Not a lot of danger tension, though.

Which brings me back to my bottom line: If you’re a mystery lover who likes it weird, this might be for you. The heroine has some attitude and some quirky friends, and of course, there’s treasure!

Rating: 3/5

Title: Island of Secrets

Author: Janni Nell

ISBN: 9781426894053

Publication Date: July 9, 2012

I received this title through Net Galley. I was not obligated to review it, and my opinions are my own.

The Goddess Legacy

Quite simply, this was the most entertaining back story I’ve ever read.

Disclaimer: I read this series out of order. I normally try not to do this, but circumstances conspired against me, and when I had a chance to read The Goddess Legacy before its release date, I jumped at it.

The Goddess Legacy is book 2.5 in Aimee Carter’s Goddess series, and if the book did nothing else, it did convince me to go get the first one straight away! It’s not what I expected — it’s actually five novellas that collectively serve as the prequel to the books. Hopefully, I haven’t spoiled anything by reading this first…I have a feeling that it did…but I’ll let you know for sure as soon as I know.

It begins with Hera, wife and sister of Zeus, who wanted to be a queen in her own right. Instead, she is tricked by Zeus into believing he would share power with her, and remain faithful. (Does anyone know exactly how many bastards Zeus has in Greek Mythology?) In this first novella, I basically knew the story, because it followed the myths very well, but it was interesting to think of it from Hera’s point of view. Despite knowing things would end badly for her, I felt bad for her that they did.

Aphrodite was up next — never my favorite goddess, she behaved like an immature child and somehow ended up getting married to a great guy who was okay with her screwing everyone else on the planet. This was my least favorite of the novellas from a pure enjoyment standpoint, but the story and viewpoint stayed true.

Persephone’s was, perhaps, the most difficult story. I had already fallen in love with Hades myself in the first novella, and I wanted to hate Persephone for not loving him. But can you force love?

The last two novellas set up the world and story that will begin in The Goddess Test. Hades is so sick of his life that he’s begging his fellow gods and goddesses to let him simply fade out of existence. They ask him to give them a century to change his mind by finding him the right woman, but they find 11 right women, and they all die…but who killed them? I have a strong suspicion, which I fear will influence my reading of The Goddess Test, but I am quite simply desperate to start reading, so here goes…

(Update: I’ve read The Goddess Test, and while reading the prequels first definitely influenced my reading of the first book in the series, I can’t say it spoiled it. Actually, it added a bit of perspective that may have been lacking, since Kate is the sole narrator of that book.)

Overall Rating: 4/5

Title: The Goddess Legacy (Goddess Test #2.5)

Author: Aimee Carter

ISBN: 0373210752

Publication Date: July 31, 2012

The Immortality Virus is Going On Tour

….virtually, anyway.

The  Virtual Blog Tour Cafe is hosting a tour that will take me all over the internet between July 10 and August 6. There will be interviews, guest blogs, reviews, and a few chances to win a free ebook.

July 12 – Interviewed at Mass Musings

July 16 – Guest Blogging at AZ Publishing Services

July 18 – Interviewed on KWOD Radio

July 20 – Review & Ebook Giveaway at Mommy Reads Too Much

July 24 – Review & Ebook Giveaway at Books, Books, and More Books

July 26 – Reviewed at The Self Taught Cook

July 30 – Interviewed by Louise James

August 1 – Review & Ebook Giveaway at Words I Write Crazy

August 3 – Interview & Giveaway at MK McClintock’s Blog

August 6 – Review & Interview at A Book Lover’s Library

August 6 – Review & Ebook Giveaway at From The TBR Pile

Stalked

Elena and Clayton are being stalked by a young pup eager to test his strength against the legendary pack werewolf. Word of Clayton’s injury is getting around, much to his chagrin, but will it be enough for a younger man to defeat him?

The Hunter and The Hunted contains two novellas. At this point, I am only reviewing the first, Stalked, because I have not yet had a chance to read Eve’s story. Neither of these novellas is designed as a stand-alone — they are intended for fans of Kelley Armstrong’s novels to enjoy a bit more time with their favorite characters.

As far as Stalked went, I could have skipped it. Elena and Clayton were on their “honeymoon” (even though they never got married) in St. Louis, which, apparently, is the most boring place in the world. And I admit, as a native of St. Louis, I was a bit miffed at the idea. I was also miffed at the total lack of research that went into the setting. At one point, the pair was running in a park in wolf form, but the park was not named. It was also apparently empty, which meant it was not Forrest Park, which is the only sizable park in the city limits. It’s also a pretty neat place, in case anyone is visiting. There are a handful of better zoos in the nation, but not many, and none of them are free.

Meanwhile, Elena and Clayton were running through some kind of park…maybe outside the city limits…but I’m kind of drawing a blank on where in the burbs, even, a werewolf could run around unnoticed. You’d have to go outside the county to the countryside, at which point there is a ton of camping within a few hours of the city, especially to the south and east. Beautiful country, even if I do say so myself (hey, that’s where I set my Cassie Scot series), and plenty of opportunities for a careful werewolf to have fun.

As far as the city goes….woohoo, you went to the arch. It makes for a beautiful skyline, doesn’t it?

At one point in the novella the pair apparently went out to eat at a fancy restaurant that was recommended in a guidebook. (Maybe reference a guidebook and give it a name?) The restaurant was described incredibly blandly, like a judgmental stereotype of fancy restaurants. Something about tiny portions and needing reservations. And I just found myself thinking, “Where did you go?” If you’re in St. Louis and you want to get a taste for the place, you should eat on The Hill — the Italian section of town. But they couldn’t have eaten there, because no way you’re going home hungry, even if you are a wolf!

So…back to the book: All in all, I’d say I was very distracted by the way they kept dissing my city. It didn’t help that the tension was so thin it couldn’t hold my attention. I never, at any point, even for a second, believed they were in any danger at all.

If you enjoyed Elena and Clayton’s novels by kelley Armstrong, I still think you can take a miss on this one, but if you’re a huge fan and just want to spend more time with the pair…sure, why not?

Rating: 2/5

Title: Stalked (part of The Hunter and The Hunted)

Author: Kelley Armstrong

ISBN: 139781101593424

Published June 12, 2012

I received this book through Net Galley in exchange for a review. I was not obligated to review the book, and my opinions are my own.

The Goddess Test

I snatched this book up the instant I finished The Goddess Legacy, a sequel to this book which actually goes into the back story. The setup for this book fascinated me — poor Hades (Henry), who had suffered from millenia of unrequited love with Persephone, is alone and wanting to simply fade away. But before he does, his fellow gods and goddesses want him to try to find someone who will keep him company…they asked for 100 years to find this someone.

Kate is his last chance.

This book is told from Kate’s sole point of view, in the first person. Her mother is dying, they have moved to her mother’s hometown for her final days, and Kate is attending a new high school to finish her senior year. The setup actually took a bit longer than I expected, but to sum it all up: Kate agrees to spend 6 months in Eden Manor with Henry (Hades, god of the underworld), in exchange for his extending her mother’s life, and giving her time to say a proper good-bye (as if there is any such thing).

Since I read the prequel books first, I knew a lot more about what was going on than Kate did, but actually, I was still confused by why it was happening. It seemed to me that Kate’s entire life was a lie, and that she simply accepted it.

As for Henry — I fell in love with him in the prequel book and was eager for his HEA. In this regard, I’m glad I read the other book first, because I really didn’t get Henry from Kate’s point of view. If I had started with this book, I wouldn’t have understood him at all. And as it happens, I don’t understand the romance that is supposed to be taking place.

I like Kate just fine. I like Henry even more. They just don’t see compatible. Henry is just about as old as time itself; a dark, brooding, deeply wounded individual who nevertheless wants to love and be loved. Kate, on the other hand, is a child. She’s a nice person, even — exceptional in her generosity. But the connection between them wasn’t there.

Maybe it wasn’t Kate, exactly. Maybe it was how she was written. An awful lot of this story was told rather than shown, especially when it came to relationship growth, and you simply can’t do that in a romance novel. Granted, I haven’t read a lot of teen romance, but I wouldn’t expect the age of the intended audience to warrant this sort of exception. There were no moments between these two, the chemistry was weak, the descriptions of physical contact awkward and forced, and there was a sort of hollowness to even their underlying friendship.

I think this book would have benefited greatly from two things: More showing, and Henry’s point of view. Maybe if I had been closer to his viewpoint, I could have seen how this girl affected him.

And after all that, I’m afraid I also found this book to be unconvincing. I didn’t believe that after 11 girls, they still didn’t know who had been killing them all. I didn’t believe that Kate just accepted it, and didn’t try to find out for herself. Actually, Kate was a pretty weak heroine. Everything in this book was done to her, not the other way around. She needed to have been a more active participant in the plot. And the ending was a bit of a cop out.

All of which leaves me a bit stuck. This is one of those times where I’m severely torn between a book’s potential and what it actually delivered…do I read the sequels to see if they get better? I may. I liked the potential that much, and I continue to like Henry that much. I even like Kate…will their relationship become more convincing in sequels?

I don’t know. In the meantime, I’m going to have to give this one 2/5 whatevers.

Title: The Goddess Test

Author: Aimee Carter

ISBN: 0373210264

Published April 19, 2011

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Read chapter one

The Mating

(Discussion question about alpha females to follow the review.)

Elise, a werewolf, comes home one day to discover that her father has picked a mate for her — Kane, the alpha from a neighboring pack. Within hours, she has to set aside a lifetime of feelings for another man and give herself to a stranger. Hours after that, she’s leaving the only home she’s ever known, and meeting a new pack that has been having some…well, let’s just say difficulties.

This book got off to a pretty good start, although why we needed a flashback twenty seconds in was beyond me. I sympathized with the setup, and was eager to find out where things would go. The answer turned out to be not as far as I would have liked, ad not nearly as quickly.

I found the pacing of this book to be its biggest weakness. I freely admit that I skimmed through large parts of it — especially the parts where we sit and stew in Elise’s highly repetitive and circular thoughts for pages on end. And for all the skimming, I really didn’t feel like I missed any actual story.

The second biggest problem with this book was that it didn’t take long for me to stop caring about Elise’s lost opportunities with Bryin. For all the stewing she did in her mind, she accepted the entire situation far too readily, and came to love Kane far too quickly for me to feel like it was ever a real thing. I guess you could also call this problem lack of tension.

The world building was a bit weak, too, IMO, with the werewolf aspect of the novel turning out to be more a matter of setting than plot. Which is to say, the werewolf element wasn’t as all necessary — fun, but not necessary. One random believability issue tie in here: I had trouble believing how easily a wolf’s sense of smell could be fooled.

There were some things that just plain annoyed me, such as how many times Kane told Elise that she was his mate. “You are my mate.” “You are my MATE.” “You ARE my mate.” “YOU are my mate. “You are MY mate.” …. Nope, changing the inflection doesn’t make it any different. It just came up far too often. I even get into the whole, “You belong to me” thing in romance, but it loses its impact when overdone. On the same token, I was sick of hearing that Kane was the alpha. At one point, I found myself thinking that a real alpha wouldn’t have to say it all the time, it would be implicit.

Elise herself was an okay character, but she didn’t do much to try to take control of her own destiny. She also didn’t strike me as being an alpha female, which isn’t necessarily a problem, it’s just that it gave me pause when considering what the whole alpha male in a pack thing is really about. Isn’t the alpha male supposed to have all the females, and the betas can go…well, you know? The alpha female would then be the woman who asserted herself as leader of the other females? I don’t know…the alpha thing in most werewolf books has long been a source of confusion for me. I know what they’re going for…the whole dominant male thing (and hey, most of us do like that in a guy), but outside the bedroom, and in a pack situation, the role of the alpha’s mate in a monogamous culture isn’t entirely clear to me.

Hmmm….from all that, you’d think I hated the book, wouldn’t you? I really didn’t. It was okay. I’d say I thought it had unfulfilled potential. I might even consider giving the author another chance, to see if she fixes some of these technical issues later in the series, but not just now. I’m going to try another new author right now.

Discussion question: Is an alpha male’s mate automatically an alpha female?

Rating 2/5

Title: The Mating

Author: Nicky Charles

ISBN: 2940000826966

Published February 23, 2010

A Blind Review of the Nook

I got a Nook for my birthday!

I was so excited. I’ve been listening to all of my books on audio for years, mostly through the National Library Service for the Blind, because I can’t see well enough to read even large print books. I didn’t think eReaders would work for me, either, but I recently borrowed a kindle and a nook, set the text as large as possible, and thought…I think I can.

The real test, of course, is sitting down and reading an actual book without the owner of the device looking over your shoulder, asking pointed questions.

The thing that has me really excited about this is that as much as I love the NLS for the blind, their selection of paranormal books is pretty slim (hence the reason I have reviewed so few of them, despite the fact that I write them). The day I got the Nook, I found a free ghost story and am halfway through. Today I downloaded 1 dozen (yes, 12) free paranormal books from B&N…I’m in books!

I have the Nook Simple Touch. The largest font size isn’t nearly as large as what I use on my computer screen, which had me nervous, but the eReader isn’t a computer screen. It uses e-ink, which means doesn’t hurt my eyes to read, and I don’t have to use such large font to compensate. Now, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if the screen were a tiny bit bigger so that I could either fit more words on the screen or else nudge the font a bit higher, but this thing is so lightweight that I’m sure no one else would agree with me. It’s easier than reading a paperback, and much, much easier than reading a hardback. (It has been a while for me, but I had good vision until I was 16, and devoured books by the truckload. I remember how it was to constantly shift positions to stay comfortable while holding open a paperback book for hours on end. And oh, the hand cramps! Not so with Nook.)

As a visually impaired (legally blind) woman, I do wish I could read the menus. I can call up the menu and then, having memorized it, press the correct area of the screen to get to my library. At that point, the books are listed in tiny text that swims in front of my eyes — I only had a few books in there and this one was at the top, so I found it easily. I’m worried about how I will find books without my husband helping me all the time once I get a larger collection.

But once the book comes up…breezy! It’s weird to go back to reading text after all these years. I’ve done some crits for fellow writers on word processors, but that is pretty different. For one thing, if you’re critiquing, you have to read every word. Audio books don’t lend themselves to skimming. (Which isn’t to say I haven’t tried with the fast forward button when they get particularly dull!) A printed book is a different reading experience, and one I find I am thoroughly enjoying, even after all these years.

My vision is 20/400 in both eyes, with best correction — so if you’re visually impaired and reading this, you can probably use the Nook as long as your vision is better than that. You’ll just need someone to help you with setup and explain what the menu options are. I’m working on the library issue — seems you should be able to make the titles bigger, too, doesn’t it? If nothing else, I think I might be able to hook it up to my desktop and rearrange the library to put the book I want to read on top.

All in all, liking the Nook, even blind!

Love Sucks: A Collection of Bad Romance Novels

When six of the last eight novels I’ve read have sucked, and all of those are romance (historical romance, with one exception), it must be time to switch genres. I’m not sure why I’ve been so desperate to read a good historical lately, but it’s clearly not happening!

I just started a fantasy novel that looks promising, but it’s an ebook and rather long, so if I’m short on reviews for the next week or two, it’s because I’ve dumped the rest of my recent reading list right here, and am now working to get ahead again.Right now, on my brand-new nook (I have a nook!)is a high-fantasy novel that is shaping into a mystery, a science fiction novel, and a collection of short stories by Nancy Fulda. (I reviewed Movement by her a while back, so am hopeful about these.)

And so, without further ado….Love Sucks!

 

1 Star Reviews

The Magic of You by Johanna Lindsey involved a 17-year-old girl making brazen advances after a 36-year-old man who tried repeatedly to warn her away. She is convinced they will be happy if he just gives in and realizes they are meant to be together. There is no actual happiness in the book, so I’m not sure how I’m supposed to believe that. I’m also not at all sure what made the little girl (and she really acted like one) so sure about this relationship. If she was supposed to be some kind of psychic or something, it didn’t come across to me at all. To me, it was just too stupid for words — or suspension of disbelief.

 

Midsummer Magic by Catherine Coulter tells the story of a man who doesn’t want to get married to a woman who doesn’t want to marry him back. He’s a jerk with no redeeming qualities who is not even good in bed. Seriously.

 

 

 

The Heiress by Lindsey Sands is one of the strangest sequels I’ve ever read. I really enjoyed The Countess, but this book covers the same events so closely that there’s really no point in reading the first 3/4 of the book.

 

 

 

One Night of Scandal by Teresa Medeiros starts with a debutante sneaking over to her neighbor’s house to get a look at “The Murderous Marquess,” and getting caught. I’ve rarely seen less chemistry between two characters. I didn’t dislike either one of them, nor did I find them inherently incomparable, I just felt like every instance of the two touching, kissing, or even thinking about the other felt amazingly forced.

 

 

2 Star Books:

 

Honeymoon Suite by Lynn Michaels (modern-day romance)  may have been meant as a comedy, but it forgot the funny. It also contained It also had a big problem with STOPs (sudden Transformation of Personality)

 

 

Mine Till Midnight (The Hathaways, #1)

Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas is book 1 in the Hathaway Series, and the only reason I gave it as many stars as I did was that the rest of the series is actually decent, but it’s best to read them in order. So I don’t exactly not recommend this one, I’m just going to say I didn’t finish it — twice — and found it really boring.