K.J. Chapman's Blog, page 71
June 18, 2016
Happy Father’s Day
Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads, step-Dads, Grandads, and to any man who has helped raise a child.
A special thank you and “I love you” to two amazing fathers in my life:
My own:
And my hubby:
I hope everyone enjoys their Sunday and gets the appreciation you deserve.
Content belongs to KJ.Chapman
June 17, 2016
EVO Shift is FREE for 3 Days
Yes, you heard right, EVO Shift, book two in the EVO Nation series is FREE for three days! If you benefited from the FREE promotion of book one, EVO Nation, in May, why not follow up with book two? I did promise an EVO Shift promotion and I like to deliver on my promises.
She killed him, but did it make a difference?
Her kind has been exposed, abused, and segregated, and now Teddie Leason is top of Britain’s most wanted list at just nineteen. Teddie has to decide whose side she is on, what she fights for, and whether it’s worth her life.
How can she protect the man she adores, the Uncle who has taken her under his wing, and her unfaltering friends, when she can barely take care of herself? Dealing with new power and a history that has long since been forgotten, has rendered the world’s most powerful EVO vulnerable and at risk.
When will she be dealt a winning hand? Could a clandestine, renegade group of EVO change not only her fate, but that of everyone affected by this unprecedented war? And how does Teddie fit in a world bracing for a shift of unfathomable magnitude?
Check out some 5* EVO Shift reviews:
AliasFaithRivens: EVO Shift Review
Cookie Break: EVO Shift Review
Content belongs to KJ.Chapman
June 16, 2016
Review: The Story Traveller by Max Candee
The Story Traveller by Max Candee 3/5
“Stories aren’t real … or are they?
Fifteen-year-old Haley Spade is enrolled in an exclusive boarding school in Connecticut. This school has a grim mythology: Everyone believes that the angry ghosts of six students who committed suicide decades ago still haunt its halls.
On a dare, Haley spends a night wandering through the “haunted” building. But she takes a wrong turn into a dizzying adventure of stories made real, stories within stories, worlds within worlds. She encounters magical creatures like the King of the Cats, a shapeshifting crow, elves—and a menace far more terrifying than any ghost.
Suspenseful, fast and rooted in several fairy tales, The Story Traveler captures our yearning to be more than what we are. Haley’s bizarre journey will leave her and the reader wondering: What is reality?”
Thanks go to Helvetic House and Netgalley for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Review:
I was expecting great things from this book, but it fell just a little short. That’s not to say that it didn’t have innovative, engaging aspects.
The concept is great- a teen who finds herself in a world of stories; layers upon layers of stories retold by the creators with doorways in and out. Stories full of characters as real as you or I- sub characters, main characters, heroes, villains. The world building was detailed, and I understood the narrative, but there were lots of info dumps. Large parts of the narrative were taken up explaining the way the story worlds worked, and what the ‘story’ characters were trying to achieve. However, the different story worlds and characters created by Candee were brilliantly imaginative.
My favourite characters were Tom the King of Cats, and Jack ‘Mr Dawes’, a man who can tranform into a Jackdaw. Both these characters held intrigue, and I loved the complexity of one character who you think betrays Haley, the main character. The narrative is written in first person, but I didn’t like Haley that much. I mean, I didn’t dislike her, but she confused me. Scared, brave, scared, brave. Trusting, untrusting, trusting, untrusting. You get the picture.
I thought the relationship between Haley and Oliver was sweet and had a believable, slow build up, but I wanted a dramatic ‘You’re the one for me’ moment of sorts. Instead, the ending became about Sarah who is a total b**tch. There are some life lessons for teens thrown in for good measure.
I just wanted to include a favourite exchange of mine:
“Do you mean storytellers give away parts of their souls every time they tell a story?” I asked.
“Absolutely,” Jack said with that creepy smile plastered on his face.
In summary, a book full of imagination, detailed world building, and some great characters, but a narrative heavy with info dumps.
The opinions expressed here are those of K.J.Chapman and no other parties.
All books reviewed on this blog have been read by K.J.Chapman
K.J.Chapman has not been paid for this review.
WIP Update #4
This update is going to be a little different. I have been solely working on my new WIP, Thrown to The Blue for the last few weeks, and I’m already at the half way point in the manuscript- eekkk. *Does a little author jig.*
Anyhoo, I have been sharing some quotes to Instagram and Twitter, and rather than post a single excerpt, I thought I would post all of my Insta-witter posts. Are you ready:
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June 15, 2016
Not-Review: EVO Nation
Wowzer! What an amazing, GIF filled, quirky ‘Not Review’ of EVO Nation from Mollie over at Mollie’s Musings. This has made my day! Thank you, Mollie.
Have you ever bought a book and left it sitting on your shelf for months before finally cracking it open or clicking on the cover? Then, once you start reading it, you can’t put it down and wonderful why in the hell did you ever wait so long to read this book which causes you to immediately begin second guessing all of the choices you’ve made in your life thus far?
Yeah me neither. #askingforafriend
Okay, I’m lying…this was totally me a few months ago after reading EVO Nation written by the very talented and wonderful K.J. Chapman.
Why did I wait so long to read this book after purchasing it a few months before? I don’t have a definitive, let alone a good answer for this question because there isn’t one. The only thing I can come up with that even remotely justifies my actions is… *makingdecisions
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Heart Voice
June 12, 2016
Review: The Hawkweed Prophecy by Irena Brignull
The Hawkweed Prophecy by Irena Brignull 3/5
The babies were born as the clock struck twelve. A bat fell from the air mid-flight. A silver salmon floated dead to the surface of the river. Snails withered in their shells, moths turned to dust on the night breeze and an owl ate its young. The spell had been cast.
Poppy Hooper has managed to deceive her father into believing that there is nothing mysterious or unnatural about her. He ignores the cats that find her wherever she goes, the spiders that weave beautiful lacy patterns for her, even her eyes – one blue, one green with an extra black dot orbiting the pupil.
Ember Hawkweed is a pitiful excuse for a witch. When the other girls in her coven brew vile potions, Ember makes soap and perfume. Fair and pretty, Ember is more like a chaff than a witch. One of the Hawkweeds will be queen of the witches – but everyone knows it won’t be Ember.
When the two girls meet, Poppy discovers her powers, and finds out the truth. Bound by their unlikely friendship and the boy they both love, the girls try and find their place in the world. But the time of the prophecy draws nearer – and the witches won’t give up the throne without a fight.
Thanks go to Hachette Children’s Group and Netgalley for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Hawkweed Prophecy is due for release on June 16th 2016.
Review:
Poppy and Ember are very different girls, but alike in their loneliness and feeling of isolation within the worlds they grew up in. There is a big secret as to how they happen upon each other, and why they are uncomfortable in their own skins, and that is the basis of the story. This is definitely a teen book that doesn’t quite transend the age range like some great YA/ teen books can do, but Brignull captures teen angst and indentity issues whilst interweaving a tale of witches, spells, and Queens.
Sometimes, the narrative felt a little rushed, and what should have been huge developments are sprung upon the reader. Other times, what I felt to be unimportant aspects were stretched out thin. Leo’s relationship with both girls was awkward, and there were developments between him and Ember that, as a reader, we discover before the narrative even delves into the story. I can appreciate that Poppy ‘just knows these things’ due to a huge change in her circumstance, but it felt like a lightening bolt to me.
I enjoyed the dysfunctional relationships between the girls and their parents, and the underlying competition between the Hawkweed sisters- Raven especially. The huge secret that Raven has kept for years to benefit her own child, that has now come back to haunt her, was an interesting concept. I did guess the outcome very early on, but it didn’t put me off reading. Perhaps the prologue was a little too revealing.
A good book for young teens that touches on issues of teen angst, family troubles, identity issues, jealousy, relationships, and loneliness, mixed with a hearty dose of believable fantasy.
The opinions expressed here are those of K.J.Chapman and no other parties.
All books reviewed on this blog have been read by K.J.Chapman
K.J.Chapman has not been paid for this review.
June 11, 2016
Heart Voice
I have been posting some of my work to Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest and thought, why have I not been blogging these? So, today, I rectify that. I promise to remember to include my posts on my blog in my ‘Heart Voice’ posts, as and when I create them… *cross my heart*
These posts showcase work that is personal to me. I hope you like them.
Content belongs to K.J.Chapman
Come and say hi to me on Pinterest !!!
June 9, 2016
Author Interview: Phil Price
Today, I get to welcome author, Phil Price to my little ol’ blog. Phil self published his first book, Unknown, in 2015. Unknown is a tale of vampires, other worlds, and blood harvesting. I was lucky to get a copy of Unknown during a free promotion, and you can read my review here.
I love a chance to interview indie authors and gain a little insight into their lives as writers, publishers, marketers, and all that goes with self publishing, so I jumped at the opportunity to interview Phil. Not only that, I’m a sucker for a good horror story and haven’t interviewed a single horror author to date. But right here, right now, that will be rectified.
Without further ado, let’s delve into the mind of Phil Price…
Your debut novel, Unknown, has been described as a new spin on the traditional vampire novel. Can you describe Unknown in ten words or less?
Man finds a doorway to another world, filled with vampires.
You write in many POVs and in many eras. Would you pick your favourite character and give us a little insight into their mindset?
I guess I’d go for the main protagonist, Jake. He’s a young man who has lost his wife and daughter in a hit and run. He quits the police force because the system has failed his family and he feels he can no longer protect the innocent. When he discovers unexplained abductions, he is suddenly swept along by a tide of events, almost glad that his mundane existence has taken a turn for the interesting. He is searching, although he’s not sure for what exactly.
I always offer authors a chance to showcase an excerpt from their work. Would you care to share a snippet from Unknown? Give the readers a taste of what they are missing.
My pleasure: Excerpt from Unknown by Phil Price
Have you always had a love for the horror genre, and what inspires you to write in that genre?
I wanted to draw people into the book, hopefully giving them a fright or raising the hairs on the backs of their necks. I love reading books of this genre, which started when I picked up my first copy of Salem’s Lot. People want to be scared. They want to think about what goes bump in the night. The thought of something evil and supernatural just gets my juices flowing. I was haunted for years by the vision of Mr.Barlow. Even now he gives me the willies. We live in a world full of gadgets, reality TV, and celebrity. It’s nice to read about things that lurk in the shadows, out of sight.
Are you interested in writing in other genres? Can we expect a release in the future?
I’ve got a sci-fi book currently on ice. I started it last year, but wanted to concentrate on finishing Unknown and starting the sequel. I hope to release it next year (fingers crossed). It is similar to Unknown whilst being different, if that makes sense. It will take readers to the far corners of the cosmos, with all kinds of cool stuff like wormholes, warp drives, and weird aliens. I just need to get my Star Wars/ Star Trek head on.
Why did you choose the self-publishing route? Any good or bad experiences you’d care to share?
Money. This is a guilty hobby and I couldn’t justify spending lots of money on getting published. So, I opted for the ‘indie’ route. Maybe I will choose a different way next time. I’ve had mainly good experiences so far. Nothing really negative. I had no expectations when I released Unknown. So, any experiences are good ones, which will help me next time perhaps. I’ve also met many great indie authors. Some great people who are truly talented. It’s great to read books by folk who give everything to their story. People like that inspire me to write. I’ve made some firm friends so far. Happy days!
Some writers find the idea of self-publishing a daunting one. Do you have any advice for writers who may be comtemplating self-publishing their work?
Get a friend to read it in draft form. Let them give you honest feedback. Also, get it proof read and formatted professionally. A big piece of advice for any aspiring indie, is to get themselves set up on social media well before the book comes out. I didn’t, and am now playing catch-up. Twitter, Facebook, author pages, Goodreads, blogs etc, are a great way to build a network of followers before the book comes out.
What is next for Phil Price?
Well, aside from my busy family and work life, I hoping to release the sequel to Unknown later this year. Then, maybe the sci-fi book (Zoo) next year. I have another book in the back storeroom of my brain. It will be neither horror nor sci-fi. It will be based loosely on a high profile news story of the last twenty years. It will be very dark. I can say no more than that at present. You will have to watch this space.
Thank you to Phil for joining me today!
Connect with Phil on:
For use of content in this post, please seek permission from the author, Phil Price.
June 7, 2016
What’s Your Name? Letter T
Welcome back for another installment of my communications posts! If you’re new to these writing exercises, I have been working my way through the alphabet, picking names at random from the first page of each letter in my name book. Since the letter ‘Q’, I have been linking together each letter in a tale of communications whether it be memos, letters etc. Today’s post shall be a diary excerpt.
I’d advise that you read the previous posts (from Q) to understand the narrative of the following short:
, , and .
Today’s name picked in advance, but still at random, is:
Tait: A surname meaning cheerful (Old Norse) Also used as a masculine first name.
Quentin’s Diary Excerpt
Yesterday was the weirdest freaking day. I’m actually writing this sat under a bridge like a tramp. Yep- me, Mum, and some guy who calls himself Val are huddled under a bridge in the height of winter. We’ve been here for the best part of twenty four hours.
Val says he knows my Dad and that we’re not safe. Mum didn’t think twice- she packed our bags within minutes and screamed at me to get into the weirdo’s car. I thought she’d lost her damn mind until she showed me the letter. It had been addressed to me, but she opened it because she recognised the handwriting. I’m not sure if she was planning on keeping it from me or was waiting for the right time to bring it up. Either way, she shouldn’t have opened it.
Dad’s alive. Tait Edmonds is alive. What do you do with that information? It’s been five years. It’s hard enough to process without all this other drama. I find it hard to believe that people are after him- after us, but I guess that his fake death, Val’s sudden appearance, and Mum’s fear stems from something, right?
We’re hiding out until nightfall, then Val’s contact is delivering a car. We’re going to drive through the night until we get to Devon. Apparently, we’re meeting Dad at some secret location at noon tomorrow. I’m sure it’s going to be a barrel of laughs.
Quentin Out!
Content belongs to KJ.Chapman
