Taylor Fenner's Blog, page 165

Book Review: DESCEND by Skye Malone

Descend (The Awakened Fate Series #2) by Skye Malone Blurb: Chloe always dreamed of visiting the ocean, and now the ocean is the only place she has left to go. Trapped in the form of a mermaid and on the run from the Sylphaen, her best chance for safety lies in traveling with Zeke to his underwater home and staying under his protection there.
Leaving isn't easy, however. Her best friend doesn't know where she's gone, and her family doesn't either. She's been forced to abandon Noah, the boy she's liked for years and who she's just discovered likes her too. She only hopes Zeke's people will help her so she can return soon.
But when conspiracies follow her and people start to die, safety becomes harder to find than ever. The Sylphaen are coming. They're more powerful than she could have imagined.
And they're not through with Chloe yet.
My Review: I received a copy of Descend in exchange for an honest review. 
After being injected with a strong, modified dose of Neiphiandine by the insane Sylphaen cult, Chloe is forced to remain in mermaid form. Unable to survive on land she travels back to Nyciena with Zeke and his brother Niall.
Her arrival in Nyciena is less than welcoming. Chloe discovers Zeke's father is a king and his eldest brother, Ren, the heir to the throne, is sure that Chloe is a spy. King Torvias allows Chloe to stay in the palace under guard and grants her the medical attention she needs although he doesn't completely believe Zeke's story about Chloe being a target of the supposedly eradicated Sylphaens. 
Everyone in the kingdom believe Chloe is Zeke's latest fling and she can tell everyone is gossiping about her as she tries to blend in and make friends with Zeke's twin sister, Ina. 
When a deadly attack strikes the palace, suspicion falls on Chloe and Ren takes action against her, playing right into the Sylphaens' hands. 
Will Zeke get to her in time? Will any place on land or in the ocean ever be safe for Chloe? Is it possible that there is a Sylphaen hidden in her midst waiting for the right time to strike? 
Descend picks up right where Awaken leaves off bringing you right into an amazing underwater fantasy world that will blow your mind. Everything about Yvaria and Nyciena is so well thought out by the author. Details about the palace and the way the dehaians live make them seem so realistic and almost... human.
I loved the storyline, it kept me interested and kept in line with the events of the first book. I also was happy that in this book Skye Malone gives you chapters in Chloe, Zeke, and Noah's perspectives. Noah's perspective really added to the story in my opinion. The characters have so much depth and you fall for each of them in their own way (although I love Zeke - he's awesome!). The end of the book leaves you wanting to get right into the next book as soon as possible. I am so in love with this series and I can't wait to see what awaits Chloe, Zeke, and Noah next! 
Overall, the writing is great, this book is easy to get into, and if you loved Awaken you will love this continuation of the Awakened Fate series!
My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Book Review: Catacomb by Madeleine Roux

Catacomb (Asylum #3) by Madeleine Roux Blurb: Sometimes the past is better off buried.
Senior year is finally over. After all, they've been through, Dan, Abby, and Jordan are excited to take one last road trip together, and they're just not going to think about what will happen when the summer ends. But on their way to visit Jordan's uncle in New Orleans, the three friends notice that they're being followed . . . and photographed. Then Dan starts receiving messages from someone he didn't expect to hear from again—someone who died last Halloween.
When the trio arrives in New Orleans and the strange occurrences only escalate, Dan is forced to accept that everything that has happened to him in the past year may not be a coincidence but fate—a fate that ties Dan to a group called the Bone Artists, who have a sinister fascination with notorious killers of the past.
Now Dan's only hope is that he will make it out of his senior trip alive.
My Review: It was supposed to be a post-senior year road trip. One last hurrah before Abby, Jordan, and Dan go their separate ways for college. Jordan is moving to New Orleans to live with his uncle Steve before he starts Tulane in the fall. Abby is interested in photographing old Americana - small town people and old forgotten places - to prove to her parents she should take a gap year to focus on photography before deciding if and when she'll go to college. Dan just wants to spend time with his friends, especially Abby. 
But once again horror and mystery lie in wait for Dan. He has brought along a stolen file containing the only information he has on his parents, not to mention he's still having visions of things that aren't there and he's begun receiving cryptic messages from someone he knows cannot possibly be sending them. Why did his parents give him up? Where are they now? Does it have anything to do with the Brookline's infamous Warden (Dan's great-uncle)? 
Something is looming around the corner every step of the journey. Before they left, Jordan took out the spare tire to make room for his Star Wars sleeping bag. Spells for a smooth trip, right? 
Wrong. A flat tire causes them to walk to a small Alabama town where they receive help from a mechanic that later vanishes - that nobody has ever heard of, and a stranger on a motorcycle is following the trio and taking pictures of them. Then when they stop for the night in Shreveport after Abby just has to stop at a library there, Dan hears someone outside their tent but when he goes to investigate they run away. Who are they? Do they want to help or harm Dan?
Who is after Dan this time? And what do they want from him? What did his parents uncover about a pharmaceutical company called Trax Corp. that made them have to go into hiding? Will the nightmarish events that have been following him since his first stay at Brookline ever come to an end? 
I got about halfway through this book and couldn't finish. I tried, I really did, but somewhere along the way this series has changed so much from what was going on in the first book and a half that it got a little boring. Maybe it was when the author moved the story from Brookline to New Orleans and focused more on Dan's parents than the Warden but suddenly the story didn't seem to jive with the other two books. I also kept wanting more out of Dan. As a character, Dan never really showed the emotion I wanted him to. He never became a hero. The friendship between him, Jordan, and Abby was strange too. I could see Jordan and Abby being friends but Dan never really seemed to fit in with them. 
Maybe my inability to get into this book came from it being too long since I read book number two, I'm not really sure. It was alright, but I didn't love it and I'm not even sure I really liked it. Catacomb still has horror elements to it but it seems to delve more into the mystery of Dan's parents so if you like mystery over horror then I think you'll like this book. 
My Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

Music & Writing

My vacation is winding down and I'm heading home so I think I'll talk about how music helps me write...
As I've mentioned before in an inspiration blog, music can be great for writers. It helps us focus and we can completely get lost in our writing. Some writers listen to classical music others to instrumental but I'm fond of rock music when I write.  Some of my favorite artists to write to are Halestorm, The Pretty Reckless, and Evanescence. I need it loud, I need it angry, and I need it powerful. But sometimes I don't even hear the lyrics when I listen to music while writing... sometimes there's just something about the beat that drives me on.  Music is a powerful thing. When I listen to a song for the first time something magical happens: the lyrics paint a picture in my head and that picture tells a story. This isn't a new development. When I was younger before I started any major writing projects I'd listen to a song and my mind would conjure up a story about what the singer was saying. (in my mind I used to think I was "brainstorming" what the music video should look like.) For example, when I listened to "Gun In My Hand" by DOROTHY I pictured in the literal sense a woman doing away with her cheating boyfriend/husband/lover. In my mind's eye, the era is the 1930s or forties, the woman's black hair is pulled into a tight chignon, and she's wearing a blue cotton knee-length dress with short capped sleeves. She's in a women's prison after killing her significant other and a woman after finding them in bed together. At one point you see her scrubbing blood off her hands then the cops bust the door in and arrest her. She's singing into an old fashioned microphone in a large open area and there are prison cells behind her - it is all very Chicago - Cell Block Tango scene.  How do my weird thoughts about songs translate to writing? All it takes it a phrase in the lyrics to create a scene relevant to whatever I'm working on and I'm off. I can see it all so clearly and words start flowing from the tip of my pen. 
Music is my greatest weapon against writer's block, my saving grace when I'm afraid I won't know how to continue. Music is soothing (yes, even loud rock is soothing to me) and it blocks out distractions around me. Music has the ability to convey thoughts and emotions through lyrics and melodies.  What does music do for you? Does it help you create? Are you a writer? What do you like to listen to when you write? Or do you like complete silence?

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #34

        This "WIR" Wednesday I'm on vacation in beautiful Marquette, Michigan (yes, the setting of Out of Darkness!) but in the pages of the book I'm reading I'm trailing Abby, Jordan, and Dan on one long road trip to New Orleans in...
Catacomb (An Asylum Novel) by Madeleine Roux Blurb: Sometimes the past is better off buried.
Senior year is finally over. After all, they've been through, Dan, Abby, and Jordan are excited to take one last road trip together, and they're just not going to think about what will happen when the summer ends. But on their way to visit Jordan's uncle in New Orleans, the three friends notice that they're being followed . . . and photographed. Then Dan starts receiving messages from someone he didn't expect to hear from again—someone who died last Halloween.
When the trio arrives in New Orleans and the strange occurrences only escalate, Dan is forced to accept that everything that has happened to him in the past year may not be a coincidence but fate—a fate that ties Dan to a group called the Bone Artists, who have a sinister fascination with notorious killers of the past.
Now Dan's only hope is that he will make it out of his senior trip alive.
Why I Chose This Book / What I Think So Far: I finally picked up a paperback copy of Catacomb. I love Madeleine Roux's Asylum series because it's dark and creepy. What new horrors face Dan and his friends? They're on a road trip to New Orleans and along the way Abby insists on stopping in out of the way, backwater towns to take pictures of old Americana for a photography project. Dan is hiding a folder containing information that might lead him to his birth parents and Jordan took out the spare tire to make room for his Star Wars sleeping bag. Spells for a smooth trip, right? 
Wrong. A flat tire causes them to walk to a small Alabama town where they receive help from a mechanic that later vanishes - that nobody has ever heard of, Dan is still having visions and getting cryptic messages from someone he knows is dead, and a stranger on a motorcycle is following the trio and taking pictures of them. 
Will things get better once they hit the New Orleans city limits? Or is something sinister waiting for them? Get ready for the next creepy installment in Madeleine Roux's Asylum series. 
I loved Asylum and even Sanctum was great. So far Catacomb has all the creep factor and I can't wait to see what troubles await them in New Orleans. My only drawback is that sometimes Dan can be a dull character. He's kind of that geeky guy that's always the sidekick and never the hero of the story except in this series he is the main character. I just wish for once Dan would show some emotion and show/tell his friends what he's really feeling. Especially Abby. This story could use a little romance. 

Mid-Summer Writing Update

With a little more than a month left of the summer months it's time to get back to writing. So far this summer I've spent a lot of time reading and writing reviews and little time doing any productive writing. Here's what I'm working on, what I'm soon to be working on, and what you have to look forward to from me in the next few months...
Writing Projects:
An ETERNALS Short Story / Novelette / Novella Right now I'm about 3k words into a story that will either turn into a short story, a novelette, or a novella centered around three of the characters in the Eternals Trilogy. While I'm not saying which three characters this story will cover I will tell you that the story will be called "Eternal Fire" and it will be included at the end of the third and final book in the Eternals Trilogy, Through the Fog, which will be available sometime next summer. 
How long will this story be and will it be a short story, a novelette, or a novella? I'm not sure. It all depends on the word count once I accomplish telling the story to my (and the characters') satisfaction. 
What's the difference?Short Story Word Count: 3,500-7,500 wordsNovelette Word Count: 7,500-17,000 wordsNovella Word Count: 17,000-40,000 words
A FAIRYTALE RETELLING NovelStarting in November I'm going to be working on a new stand-alone novel that is based on my favorite fairytale that my grandmother read to me when I was young. I've wanted to do this for a while and since the ideas for this story keep building up I don't think I can put this story off much longer. I don't have a title thought up yet, but that will come later. Right now I have to focus on not letting my head explode until I can get this story out onto paper!
Publishing Projects:
Into the LightInto the Light is just about ready to get ready for formatting and submitting for preorders. I'm aiming for Tuesday, December 13, 2016 as the release date; just in time for Christmas. 
Through the FogI'm hoping to get Through the Fog started in the editing process in September or October but I'm holding off on the release until probably June or July 2017. I like to have about six months in between my releases. I know, I'm making you wait but don't forget - Through the Fog with come with a bonus story! 
Cover Reveals:
Into the LightI've been holding off on the cover reveal for Into the Light because I wanted to have preorder links up for you at the same time. Look for the cover reveal of Into the Light to come sometime early in September. If you'd like to help reveal the cover of Into the Light I'll set up a Google sign-up form in the next week or two! 
Note: I'll be taking a little mini-vacation next week Wednesday-Friday for my 24th birthday but don't fret, you'll still get my usual "What I'm Reading" Wednesday and Friday post! 

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #33

         This "WIR"-Wednesday I'm finally reading a book I've been wanting to read for a looooong time...
The Midnight Witch by Paula Brackston Blurb: Midnight is the most bewitching hour of them all…
From Paula Brackston, the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch's Daughter and The Winter Witch, comes a magical tale that is as dark as it is enchanting. Set in high society Edwardian England, The Midnight Witch is the story of a young witch who faces the choice between love and loyalty to her coven…
"The dead are seldom silent. All that is required for them to be heard is that someone be willing to listen. I have been listening to the dead all my life."
Lady Lilith Montgomery is the daughter of the sixth Duke of Radnor. She is one of the most beautiful young women in London and engaged to the city's most eligible bachelor. She is also a witch.When her father dies, her hapless brother Freddie takes on his title. But it is Lilith, instructed in the art of necromancy, who inherits their father's role as Head Witch of the Lazarus Coven. And it is Lilith who must face the threat of the Sentinels, a powerful group of sorcerers intent on reclaiming the Elixir from the coven's guardianship for their own dark purposes. Lilith knows the Lazarus creed: secrecy and silence. To abandon either would put both the coven and all she holds dear in grave danger. She has spent her life honoring it, right down to her engagement to her childhood friend and fellow witch, Viscount Louis Harcourt.
Until the day she meets Bram, a talented artist who is neither a witch nor a member of her class. With him, she must not be secret and silent. Despite her loyalty to the coven and duty to her family, Lilith cannot keep her life as a witch hidden from the man she loves. To tell him will risk everything.
Why I Picked This Book / What I Think So Far: I've wanted to read this book since I heard it was coming out. I really loved The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston and I was eager to read more from the author. I picked this book up from the library because for some reason every time I found this book in a bookstore I couldn't convince myself to purchase it. I'm only a few pages in but I'm not sure I like it the way I liked The Winter Witch. I'm hoping this is just a passing thing and that the further I get into the book I'll start to like it more. So we'll see...

Book Review: Awaken by Skye Malone

Awaken (Awakened Fates #1) by Skye Malone Blurb: Running away from home was never Chloe Kowalski's plan. Neither was ending up the target of killers, or having her body change in unusual ways. She only wanted a vacation, someplace far from her crazy parents and their irrational fear of water. She only wanted to do something normal for once, and maybe get to know her best friend's hot stepbrother a bit better at the same time.
But the first day she goes out on the ocean, strange things start to happen. Dangerous things that should be impossible. Things to which 'normal' doesn't even begin to apply.
Now madmen are hunting her. A mysterious guy with glowing blue eyes is following her. And her best friend's stepbrother seems to be hiding secrets all his own.
It was supposed to be a vacation. It's turning out to be a whole lot more.
My Review: I received a copy of Awaken in exchange for an honest review.
All Chloe Kowalski wanted was to see the ocean, but her crazy water-hating parents said a big fat NO when she asked to go on vacation to the California coast with her best friend, Baylie. So Chloe does what any sensible teenager would do - she goes anyway, running away from home.
At the beach house owned by Baylie's extended family, she meets Diane and Peter, parents to Baylie's stepbrothers, Maddox and Noah. Chloe has had a little bit of a crush on the super-hot Noah for a while now, but Baylie says he's been acting strange lately.
When Chloe first steps foot into the ocean she feels like a missing piece of herself has just been found. What she doesn't know is that she's setting off a dangerous series of events and putting a target on her back. Chloe is part dehaian (mermaid) and part landwalker (a person who can't stand to be near the ocean) and a dangerous mermaid cult, called Sylphaen, want her dead. How will Chloe handle it when she finally learns the truth about herself? Will her new friends think she's a freak or is it possible that they're hiding something too?
Meanwhile, dehaian Zeke noticed a change in the water the minute Chloe first entered the ocean and he wants to know what about this pretty girl caused that reaction in the water. Things seem even fishier to him when Chloe seems to have no idea what she really is. Zeke wants to get to the bottom of things and when the cult he thought had been eradicated goes after Chloe he has a strong urge to keep her safe. Will he get to her in time? Or will the Sylphaen sacrifice her to fulfill some crazy prophecy?
I've never read a mermaid-themed novel before but I absolutely loved Awaken!. The first line draws you in and before you even find out what Chloe is, you're dying to find out why Chloe's parents don't want her anywhere near the water. Their crazy reaction will shock you. I like that this story is told in alternating perspectives between Chloe and Zeke but it would have been an added bonus to have a few chapters in Noah's perspective to see into his head. The world of the Dehaians, with their magic and their technology (like the medicine and the relay station) was really imaginative and gave their underwater world much more dimension than your average mermaid story.
The only thing I found confusing was the Delaneys' relationship to Baylie. How were they related through marriage? I know it was meant to be complicated but I felt like I needed a family tree to illustrate it better.
Overall this book is great! The story keeps you interested and engaged, the characters are easy to like, the plot is well thought out and the conflicts and action are appropriately set throughout the beginning, middle, and end of the story and the ending makes you want to dive right into book two. I feel like there may be a love triangle brewing between Chloe, Noah, and Zeke in one of the future books. Read Awaken and you'll fall in love and be hooked on this series for sure!
My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
***You can find Awaken on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, and Kobo; and add it to your TBR list on Goodreads!***

Why Do Some Books Have the Same or Similar Cover Art?

A few weeks ago I was surfing through the posts on a Facebook group I belong to that discusses my favorite topic, books, when a member asked, "Am I the only one who gets slightly annoyed whenever I see the same cover for two different books from different authors?" 
I know you, like this person, are wondering how two books can have essentially the same - or similar- book covers. 
Well, it all comes down to the stock images. A book cover is created when a book cover designer combines images and text to create a book cover. Unless a cover artist uses a photo or a vector that they've either photographed or created themselves it is very possible that the same image can be found and used by more than one cover designer. 
Where do these images come from? Stock images are sold on websites such as Shutterstock, IStockphoto, BigStockPhoto, and more. These photos can be purchased and used for magazine and web ads, book and cd covers, editorial, journalistic uses (like a photo of a motorcycle could be used to go along with an article on motorcycle history or road rage in America), and much, much more. Anyone anywhere in the world can view and purchase these stocks so chances are more than one book cover designer has set eyes on the same stock image.  Cover Artists always strive to create a unique cover for their client but unless they took the image themselves and keep it in a private file on their computer there's no guarantee that another cover artist won't use that same image in another project.
How is a Book Cover Created?A book cover artist takes the purchased stock images, cuts, pastes, and manipulates the images to make a new picture using a process called "Photomanipulation" then adds text. Sometimes they'll change a model's hair or clothing color, make the image darker or lighter, texturize the picture or otherwise manipulate the new image to create the look they and their client want. 
Sometimes a cover artist just picks one image and makes the cover out of it which is how some books have ended up with the same cover. 
I as both an author, a cover artist, and a person who creates photomanipulations like mixing different images together. 
Here is an example of my cover of Out of Darkness and another book covers that used the same model that I did: The models are the same but you can see they're used in two different concepts. My novel, Out of Darkness has a forest background while Emerge has a water background, different fonts, and a lighter color. (I haven't read Emerge but I think it's about mermaids.)




The image I've seen used over and over for ads and book covers is some variation of this couple. This couple was even used in a Splat Hair Dye print ad once:

So why does this happen?
To Recap: Stock images are available for anyone to purchase and use for all sorts of purposes.
Do I recommend a cover artist using the same stock image as another popular book on purpose? No way, not intentionally. But if you didn't know then its just a coincidence. Stuff happens. If an author is happy with their cover then that's all that matters, right? Sure, the cover helps sell the book, but what's inside the book is what will sell all future books by that author. 

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #32

This "WIR"-Wednesday I'm in the midst of reading two very different ARCs...
Under A Brass Moon; A Sci-Fi / Steampunk Anthology Blurb: A moon of gears and wires shines down upon a world of clockwork creations and humming airships. What adventures await the heroes in top hats and heroines in corsets? 
Eighteen authors wait at the kingdom’s entrance. They smile and beckon you inside their stories. 
Do you accept the offered lantern and follow? If you do, then open to the front page and begin…
What I Think of This Book So Far: I was offered the chance to read and review this book for my writer friend, Jordan Elizabeth, who has several stories in this anthology. I liked her previous steampunk novel, Cogling, even though steampunk really isn't my thing so I decided to give this a chance. So far I'm realizing that Steampunk and I don't belong in the same sentence. I like a story or two so far but the other stories really aren't holding my attention. I'm going to try to finish reading it but so far its been a real struggle - and I really have nobody to blame but myself. 
If you like Steampunk, Under A Brass Moon will be available on Thursday, July 28, 2016, from Curiosity Quills Press. It is available on Amazon for preorder.
On the other hand, the other book I'm reading is really pulling me in...
The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco Blurb: When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she's a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha-one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles...and make a powerful choice.
Why I Chose This Book / What I Think of it So Far: I saw this book on Netgalley and instantly fell in love with the cover. While I won't give much away, I really am enjoying the story. It's different from the other kinds of books I read, definitely in the fantasy genre but I like the storyline and how the book is written. I'm compelled to keep reading it to see what's going to happen next. This is definitely a book to add to your TBR List!
The Bone Witch will be available Tuesday, March 7, 2017, from Sourcebooks Fire. You can preorder it on Amazon in eBook or Hardcover! 

Book Review: Verity by Claire Farrell

Verity by Claire Farrell Blurb: Sixteen-year-old Perdita Rivers has spent her entire sheltered life being told what to do. Lately, she’s felt ready for a change, and the universe seems to agree. Her new best friend’s brother is the boy of Perdita’s dreams. Literally. 
Even though he plays hot and cold, she’s sure there’s more to it, but she’s kind of distracted by the sense she’s being followed - not to mention the rumours of wild animal sightings that seem to mean more to her new crush’s family than they should. Perdy’s on a mission to find the truth, but maybe the truth is the danger she should hide from, after all. 
My Review: Sixteen-year-old Perdita is not like other teens. She lives on the outskirts of Dublin, Ireland with her father and grandmother. Her father is extremely overprotective; he won't even let her spend the night at her friend Tammie's house. Not to mention, her father and grandmother are always arguing. Her grandmother wants her to enjoy a normal teenage life but her father wants to keep her protected at all times - even at the expense of her social life. 
Then Amelia and Nathan move to town and shake up Perdita's ordinary little life. Perdita has been dreaming about Nathan, a boy she's never met before for almost a year - and Nathan at times hints that he feels their connection too. Perdita's friendship with Tammie becomes strained as Perdita gets closer to Amelia and Tammie ruthlessly pursues Perdita's cousin Joey. When Perdita sees a cruel side of Tammie she never believed could be shined on her she becomes even closer with Amelia and with Nathan who acts hot and cold around her all the time. Sometimes it seems like he's interested in her and other times he shoves her away. 
When Perdita starts spotting strangers watching her, Amelia, and Nathan around town, rumors of dog attacks and dead animals start appearing on people's doorsteps, and Perdita feels like Nathan is keeping something from her Perdita wants answers. But will Perdita be able to accept the truth about Amelia, Nathan, and their family or her role in everything? Or will it all be too much for her? Will Perdita be able to save herself and Amelia when danger comes to call?
Verity is a quick, uncomplicated read that I enjoyed a lot. Think of it like Twilight but just with werewolves instead of vampires. Amelia, Nathan, Perdita, and even Joey are characters that are easy to like while Tammie and Dawn are easy to hate. I loved the setting for Verity even though you really don't get the feeling of it being in Dublin, Ireland at all. It's a refreshing change that Amelia was the special character that everyone had to look after in this book, instead of the female lead, Perdita in this case, being the fragile-frail one; although she has a role in things with Nathan as well. You quickly find yourself rooting for Perdita to gain more freedom and for her and Nathan to finally get together throughout the entire novel.  Verity has just the right amount of danger, action, friendship, and romance. I'm really eager to read the rest of the series to see what else is in store for Perdita and the whole gang. My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars