Lydia Larue's Blog, page 7

Book Review: Sir Sydney Dinkum

Title:


Sir Sydney Dinkum








Author:



Martha Gold, Marc Reilly,






Genre:


Children





Publisher:


Pendragon Publishers





Release Date:


2016/12/10





Format:


Kindle





Pages:


138





Source:


Gifted from the Author

THE AWARD WINNING HILARIOUS ADVENTURE WITH A "COOL FACTOR THAT'S OFF THE SCALE!"

Sir Sydney Dinkum is a story "WORTH CHEERING FOR" which is filled with "LAUGHTER & ADVENTURE."

The page turning tale features "masterful" and "brilliant" full color illustrations. "People of every age can appreciate the fun and charming adventures of Sydney and that folks, is guaranteed!"

THE FULL COLOR EDITION IS AVAILABLE. IN PAPERBACK AND HARDBACK

Can you imagine Crocodile Dundee as an animal? Paddington Bear in shining armor? Or Winnie the Pooh on a noble steed? Meet Sir Sydney Dinkum a rascally koala bear from the Outback of Australia who believes he can be The World's Next Big Hero. Like Dr. Doolittle he has the super power to talk to all animals, including humans! Like Don Quixote, he believes it's his job to right the wrongs of the world! But is this just an Impossible Dream? Can a koala really be dubbed knight? Can a little marsupial armed with a boomerang make a difference in the world? Or will Sydney make a mess of things, as usual?

Good morning, fellow authors and readers. It’s the wee hours of the morning here, and I am fervently working on the descriptions of the protagonist, deuteragonist, and antagonist of the newest book that I am penning: Pandemonix, my fantasy that is set upon earth.

After much consideration, I decided to change the way I do reviews. There is still a star system. However, an author now has a star rating for questions beneath these sections: General, Theme | Plot, Characters, and Would I recommend the novel. The total number of stars will be averaged by my spreadsheet. Previous reviews have been grandfathered in under the old system.

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Sir Sydney Dinkum

Book Review:

Sir Sydney Dinkum is a whimsical, lovely read that shows what one can accomplish if he or she follows his or her dreams.

 The first thing that attracted me to this book is the cover. Growing up, I have always been a fan of Crocodile Dundee. The series is still holding a special place in my heart. I normally have my daughter review the children’s books that I receive as I believe what could be a better unbiased review of such a book than a child. However, it is currently her vacation, and she is more interested in what is on Youtube than what is on a book’s page. Much to my chagrin.

Starting off, I think it is wonderful that there is a forward devoted to the koala. I am an animal rights activist. It is necessary to protect these creatures, and it is a nice touch to introduce children to the plight that endangered animals’ face.

The illustrations in Sir Sydney Dinkum are breathtaking. They fit in well with the children’s book and help create a whimsical world.I loved the graphic of the tree house.

While the story was well-written, I think maybe some of the languages may have been too sophisticated for an average child. This could turn off some children, but I think others would be challenged by it.

The character that stood out for the most was Syndey. For children, Sydney’s antics would amuse them. Who would think that a koala would have an electric guitar as his favorite possession or have a manual to build a tree house? Or might go on a grand adventure?

I also liked Sancho. He was such a reluctant, lovable sidekick. I liked reading about his transformation as a friend to Sydney.

I would recommend this book for children that are between the ages of twelve and fifteen.

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General: ✯✯✯✯

Theme :  ✯✯✯✯✯

Characters: ✯✯✯✯✯

Actual Total of Stars:  4.7 Stars (A Wonderful Read)

The post Book Review: Sir Sydney Dinkum appeared first on Lydia Larue.

Book Review : World with Ruby

Title:


Worlds with Ruby






Series:


Ferris Wheel Stories





Author:



C.P Cabaniss








Publisher:


Self





Release Date:


4.1.17





Format:


.mobi





Pages:


67





Source:


ARC from the Author

When you’re already dead, why should you be afraid?

When Ruby finds herself on the edge of a cliff in a land between life and death, with an ominous creaking coming from the nearby woods, she is left with no choice but to follow it to its source. Nothing is what it seems and Ruby soon finds herself being whisked away to worlds beyond her imagination. Worlds in need of saving. Along the way, she discovers that in saving these worlds, she is saving herself.

Good afternoon, fellow readers. Tomorrow is Monday, and it brings us ever closer to the launch of Naked Desire, the final story in the Desire series. Naked Desire is a novelette and will be free the week that it launches.

Next week is also Spring Break in the States. My daughter is on vacation. Lucky girl! To be honest, the last time that she was in school was last Wednesday. She had a cold, and then she developed pink eye. She returns Tuesday.

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“Creaks and shrieks filled the air, issuing from a mist shrouded[SIC] wood.” – Worlds with Ruby written by C.P Cabaniss

Today, I decided to review a book called Worlds with Ruby. The description is what pulled me in. Growing up, I was always intrigued by the idea of Limbo, the place that a spirit dwells after dying and being judged for their afterlife.

Starting out, I want to say that this is a quick read. My desktop Kindle software sometimes hides the page numbers of the book I am reading as it seems to favor to keep track of how much I read by percents. However, Goodreads lists this novel at 67 pages. This length is an ideal width to curl up on a couch on a rainy day and read.

Do not allow the length to discourage you. Although this novelette is short, it is packed full of plot, character development, and descriptions.

Worlds with Ruby is well-written, and the vocabulary is sophisticated. I love when an author tries to make me think.  Cabaniss manages to accomplish this.

I find the concept of the Dimensional Wheel fascinating. As someone who has studied different types of afterlives, this is one of the first times I came across something like this.

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“Glass streets sparkled in the faint glowing light, casting out enchanting rainbows of color.” – Worlds with Ruby written by C.P Cabaniss

However, as much as I did enjoy the story, I found some parts repetitive, such as how the dead–undead–around Ruby did not talk.

I did like the character development of Ruby. I felt as if she was unsure of the weight of that world was hoisted onto her shoulders. As I read more, I perceived that she wanted what most everyone–alive or if they were undead–would want: being able to rest in peace. But, like real life, there are times that you have to pull up your britches and stare into oblivion, meeting your destiny head-on.

I would recommend Worlds with Ruby to anyone who likes a well-written, unique fantasy story, or someone who wants to be lost in a world for an afternoon as it is a quick read.

 

The post Book Review : World with Ruby appeared first on Lydia Larue.

Book Review : Arrival at Portal Island

Title:


Arrival at Portal Island






Series:


Civilization Hunt





Author:



Attila Benő






Genre:


Graphic Novel





Publisher:


Self





Release Date:


7.12.16





Format:


.mobi





Pages:


1012 Pages





Source:


Kindle Unlimited

Not knowing what he gets dragged into, Michael arrives at a mysterious island to help out his colleagues. He soon finds ancient standing stones that all the locals are afraid of -- and with good reason: two settlements have already vanished from the island without a trace in the past few hundred years. Can the team of archeologists figure out what is going on? Or will they just make things worse?

Follow the adventures of a team of archeologists in this exciting graphic novel series! More than a 1000 illustrated pages already published, and even more in the works.

Start the adventure on a remote island. Several settlements have disappeared from here without a trace in the last few centuries. Can you help uncover the ancient mysteries that the island has for our heroes? What are those secretive standing stones that are found throughout the island? Could they really be part of a portal that took entire settlements to another world? Where will our heroes end up if they manage to get it to work?

The Civilization Hunt graphic novel series mixes the quest for forgotten ancient knowledge with excitement, mystery and a little bit of childish playfulness.

The story is written in a way that lets you follow along the thinking of the main characters, and lets you keep guessing based on all the information they have.

The first book sets the scene and introduces the ancient mystery, giving you enough details to keep you up at night trying to figure out all the possibilities. The free bonus materials give you more detailed backgrounds for the main characters as we go along.

Please note that this is a series of graphic novels. The story does not come to a satisfying end at the end of any given book! The story goes on!

Be sure to download the free sample (that alone is more than a 100 pages!), that will give you the opportunity to see what the story is about and help you decide if this series is right for you.

Please note that the size of this graphic novel is very big, and download will take a lot more time than usual. After all, we are talking about more than a 1000 illustrated pages!

Good morning, lovely readers and fans. I am excited to announce our new mailing list. In fact, I plan to offer exclusive deals to those who sign up to our list. To register, please visit our fellow readers page and receive Undercover Desire for free as a bonus. Undercover Desire is now listed at $2.99 (US). That is a 2.99 dollar value.

I had meant to write this review for a few days. My daughter has developed a cold, and as such, she is demanding most of my attention. I have never reviewed a graphic novel, but I do love to read them, and there was a comic that the author sought my opinion on when he learned that I was an author. My favorite graphic novel is the Walking Dead.

Without further ado, let’s get on with the review, shall we?

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Arrival at Portal Island is a graphic novel that is made with a 3d rendering software such as Daz Studio or Poser, software that I am very familiar with as a visual artist. The story is told visually through speech bubbles and visual scenes. The protagonist is Michael.

While I think the use of a 3D software is a genius move when it comes to creating comics–and one that we will likely see more of–I would have liked it if Benő used more of the lighting features in the program and the post editing software he used. It is critical to get the lighting for scenes right as it does convey to the reader the atmosphere that the author wishes. I found the shadows to be slightly off on some of the models and scenes as well.

I found the scenes and the layout of the graphic novel’s panels to be enjoyable. Each panel fits together perfectly, but with only one panel per page, I only see Arrival at Portal Island to be viewed on a reader or a tablet. I don’t consider this to be a con as readers such as Amazon Kindle have become more popular.

I found Michael to be a likable fellow, and Kori, as well. I liked finding out some of the mystery at the same time as Michael, seeing his reactions rather than visualizing them as I would have with a traditional novel.

I like the premise of the story. It sort of reminded me of an Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, or Nathan Drake tale–a story of a civilization discovery with bits of supernatural thrown in–and it was fairly easy to follow.

As I continued to read on, the dialog flowed nicely. None was over the top, as I find in many graphic novels.

I would recommend Arrival at Portal Island to anyone who loves adventure graphic novels. I look forward to more in the Civilization Hunt series.

The post Book Review : Arrival at Portal Island appeared first on Lydia Larue.

Book Review : Bearly Awake

Title:


Bearly Awake:






Series:


Providence Paranormal College Book One





Author:



D.R. Perry






Genre:


Paranormal Romance





Publisher:


D.R. Perry





Release Date:


3.26.16





Format:


Kindle





Pages:


167





Source:


Smashwords

Bobby Tremain’s life used to seem charmed, but since his dad’s crippling accident, he has an avalanche of problems. He’s the first in his family to have a shot at college, also the first to head north of Louisiana. An early snow calls his Bear to hibernate a week before finals, but he needs to pass or he flunks out of Providence Paranormal College.

Lynn Frampton’s loneliness is almost more than she can take. She went to college on the other side of the country to get away from the persistent curse of unpopularity in a small town. Once at college, Lynn’s prickly personality has pushed everyone away yet again. At least, she’s at the top of her class.

Bobby needs Lynn’s help to stay awake and pass his exam, and she discovers she needs companionship more than she’d ever imagined. Lynn’s all set to transfer to a school back home, but Bobby thinks she’s his mate. Can he keep awake long enough to pass, and more importantly, convince his love to stay?

Let this introductory novella transport you to Providence Paranormal College. Extrahumans of all types abound on this urban campus on the East Side of Providence, Rhode Island. This Ivy-League college with supernatural curricula recently opened its doors to anyone with enough talent. The Admissions Department at PPC enrolls humans with extraordinary grades, the magically and psychically inclined, vampires, werewolves, changelings, and even magic shifters like dragons and Kelpies. Come take a tour! If you like YA and NA Paranormal Romance or Urban Fantasy with strong romantic subplots, you’ll feel right at home here.

Bearly Awake is a novella length book where the couple gets a happy ending. The College's story, on the other hand, is only just beginning.

Good morning, or at least, it is in the wee hours of the morning for me. At this moment, I am planning the cover for my next series as this week saw the release of Naked Desire, the final story in the Desire Series, but I did have some time on my hands. What better way to spend the time than to read?

I am a member of a Facebook group devoted to reading. It is there that I sent out a call for three to five books in the romance genre. D.R. Perry suggested the first book–Bearly Awake–in a series called the Providence Paranormal College.

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When I read the description of Bearly Awake, I must admit that I was intrigued. I have always been a fan of a shape-shifting character such as Beorn from the Middle Earth universe. Thus, the cover was the first thing that drew me in. The description made me think of a shape-shifting story set in a school much like Hogwarts.

First off, I liked the play on the name Barely and Bearly. I thought it was a clever title for this book.

Bearly Awake is told in first person narrative. It does switch from character to character, but Perry does list the character’s name that viewpoint is in at the beginning of the chapter. I find that the character jumps are very easy to keep track of due to this.

There was a Table of Contents, which I usually do not mention. However, I do not know if it was my Kindle software messing up, but the ToC went only two two location: The Title Page (which makes sense since it was called Bearly Awake: Providence Paranormal College Book One) and Midpoint. However, Midpoint did not go the midpoint of the book rather to the copyright page which was after the Title Page.

I found this novella to be well-written and descriptive. Despite how well-written it was, there were some grammar issues, but not much. The style and rhythm of the text were easy to follow. I would have liked a wider variety of words. For example, I found this snippet of a paragraph to be very repetitive. “There more books and we can check out and hit the dining hall.” The other books I wanted were all in easy reach behind me.

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I watched him stand up and stretch, the hem of his shirt hiking up a little to put his washboard abs on display. – Bearly Awake, Providence Paranormal College Book One by Perry

I loved the characters. When we are introduced to Bobby in the first chapter, we learn that he is a shifter, and much like the image on the cover, I guessed that he would be able to morph into a bear. From his actions in the beginning part of the first chapter, I inferred that shifters take on some aspects of his or her animal. For example, Bobby is exhausted and can sniff out if someone was a human or not. But, then as the chapter progressed, I learned that I was wrong about that.

I found the pacing of Bearly Awake to be much too slow for my liking. I did like how real world pop culture was thrown in. It made the story somewhat relatable, but there were times where it came across heavy handed.

While I loved the character building, I would have liked to know more about the intricacies for PCC. I found that one or two sentences devoted to PCC do not give me enough incentive to care about the going-ons of the magic school. In fact, to me, this made the world around the characters feel flat.

Overall, this is a very easy read. I would recommend Bearly Awake to any student between the ages of twelve to eighteen who yearns for a paranormal romance.

 

 

The post Book Review : Bearly Awake appeared first on Lydia Larue.

Naked Desire – Chapter 1

Return to Naked Desire

 

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The Desire Series Releases – March 30th, 2017

Jefferson County, Texas

Manuel Alvarez

“This better work, Gringo,” Manny Alvarez growled as he looked at his slim, wiry companion, Darrel, a fellow inmate in FCC Beaumont. After he had jabbed the other man in the ribs to punctuate his demand, Manny looked around him and tried not to seem out of place.

Although they had found a corner of the prison that did not have cameras or the guards watching over it, the cold concrete walls of the prison still towered over them, reminding both men of the stark reality of their bleak situation. Some would view their situation as hopeless, and when he first arrived there, he felt the same, but over time, he had made a realization.

Manny had never gotten used to life in federal prison, the rules and regulations had often gotten under his skin, but despite what others had deemed his mental illnesses, he had always considered himself to be an intelligent man. To pull off the cover-ups, the complexity of the murders, and the drug running that he did, for as long as he did, he had to be. Like a chameleon, Manny knew to survive amongst the inmates and prison guards that he had to change his way of thinking on a case by case basis. With that in mind, he decided to take the Federal Prosecutor’s deal in exchange for his life.

With his change in attitude about cooperation with the authorities came certain amenities: a comfortable bed, a pair of high-end sneakers, and rich foods. He did not have to worry about the jury sentencing him to death for the murder of the Senator, sex trafficking, and the kidnappings that he had committed in his time out of prison, and over time, he had gained the trust of a few of the guards.

It is really no different than when I worked my way through the ranks of the cartel, Manny thought. He was a master at manipulating his superiors. They were a means to an end. Then he would be calling the shots again. Right after he took care of a little business from his past, he thought.

“It’ll work, Manny,” Darrel assured in a less than convincing tone, a tone that in the past Manny would have had him killed or at least beaten for, but in his experience, men like Darrel rarely voiced their uncertainness in Manny’s presence. “They let me take the truck out to the work crew before.”

Manny narrowed his brow at him, his thick eyebrows pinching together as the bridge of his nose wrinkled. Although he loved how addicted the citizens could be, he hated the United States, and after his business, he could not wait to be back on Mexican soil. At the very least, Manny wouldn’t have to be around weasels like Darrel for much longer. If he were, he would do something about it.

The other man wiped his hand across his forehead and quickly added, “More then once. Jensen is at the gate today. He’s already gotten his payment, so he’s going to pretend we aren’t there. Other than that, if you act like you’re supposed to be there, no one will question it. Trust me, man.”

Manny trusted no one. That was why he was alive. It was also why Manny turned on the cartel. Being that he trusted no one, he was also loyal to no one other than himself. His own survival trumped everything, and his every action was with his own interests in mind and for his own benefits alone. Once he was in Mexico, he would never be able to return to the cartel, and that was fine by him. He was still alive, and he intended to stay that way.

 That is all that matters,  he thought. He would trade his life for every man that he once was in charge of, and many men that were lackeys and lieutenants of the Diablo de la Muerte cartel were in prison or sitting on death row as a result of his testimony.

“If it doesn’t,” Manny threatened, the snarl returning to his voice, “I will gut you like a pig, do you hear me?”

Darrel’s face whitened. Wrinkles appeared on the old man’s forehead. Manny thought that he would cry at that moment, and he took pleasure in the fact that he could still strike fear in someone that was obviously beneath him.

“Then,” he added as he smiled at the man, “the people I know on the outside who are protecting your daughter right now will do the same to her, after they have a little fun.”

“Manny. Please.”

He shook his head, strands of his ebony hair brushing against the top of his ear. “I mean it, gringo. I’m in here for life anyway. They can’t do much more.”

“Calm down, man,” Darrel pleaded, his voice cracking with emotion, “I’m doing what you want. Leave my daughter out of it, please.”

As they began to walk to the garage, Darrel hissed, “Shh!”

Manny hated being hushed so abruptly. He was used to having people like Darrel listen to him as they looked up to him and expected him to lead. This man would not have lasted beneath Manny’s leadership.

I’ll probably have to kill him at some point, Manny thought. Such a slight couldn’t go unpunished, and Darrel would probably not be able to carry his weight on the outside.

Through the time that he knew him, Darrel seemed to be weak. In fact, when he had approached him in the Yard with his escape plan, Manny had almost thought it was a setup. After Darrel had asked him for money, Manny had carefully probed the old American with questions over the weeks, gathering information that he deemed valuable. He would not be caught like a rat in a trap. Never again!

Although he was behind prison bars, the Mexican drug lord was not one to be trifled with. While he had burned his bridges with the cartel, the man still had members that were loyal to him, but he had learned the hard way that he could not trust anyone in his organization or outside of it. Darrel could have been trying to get information out of him, so he could have a better life in the federal pen, or at least, be moved to FCI Beaumont, the low-security facility of the complex. Imagine Manny’s surprise when he and Darrel were placed there.

With each step, correctional officers’ eyes were upon them, staring intently at them and ultimately judging them. Several of the guards held their rifles loosely in their hands.

He forced himself to look ahead of him and the hard glint in his eyes faded. They didn’t need to draw suspicion to themselves even before they reached the workplace.

Biting down on the inside corner of his mouth, Manny noticed the tangy metallic hint of blood spreading over his lips. If Manny wanted to get out of there, he needed to act normal and ground himself.

 Soon, he thought, I won’t have to worry about being scrutinized. While he would be on the run as he took care of the business that had been haunting him for four years and he would be forced to lay low, Manny wouldn’t be told what to do. No one would dictate when he would eat, how many hours he could sleep, or if he could take a piss. How he looked forward to that day.

“We’re here,” Darrel spoke up, breaking Manny’s thoughts.

They waited for the large metallic door to be opened. Manny clasped his hands together and tried to calm his racing thoughts. As they waited, a tightness gripped his chest.

The door opened, and as they strolled into the garage, Officer Jensen gave them a nod. He motioned toward a work truck. He offered, “Take that one.”

Manny looked at the white pickup with a decal of the prison’s name on the door. They would have to ditch it as soon as possible. Once word had spread of their escape, he could imagine the manhunt that would commence.

They wouldn’t want Darrel so much, but they would call out the Marshals to apprehend me. After all, Manny knew that he was one of the more valuable prisoners housed there. If they were still funneling drugs through Laredo, he was one of the only ones that could provide state’s evidence to stop them.

“The crew is waiting out on Route 96,” Jensen continued, “You can’t miss ‘em.”

“You got it,” Darrel answered, and they trotted to the vehicle.

Without another word from either of them, Manny opened the door and climbed in. He reached for the seatbelt, brought it across his broad shoulder, barrel chest, and paunchy stomach, and slid the buckle into the latch.

As they pulled out of the garage, Manny started to think of everything that had happened to get him to that point. If it were not for his lover and her willingness to smuggle in cash needed to pay Jensen off, Manny might have still been sitting in his plush cell, and that would have been unacceptable.

They moved slowly through the complex, the landscape beyond the barbed wire fence surrounding the prison passed by them as they rolled alone, and they soon stopped in front of a double gate.

The first gate opened, and Darrel pulled forward. The gate closed behind him as a guard peered into the cab. His eyes passed suspiciously over Manny.

“Jensen told us to take the truck over to the crew on Route 96,” Darrel said, his tone confident.

He’s useful, after all, he thought.

Yet, the guard wouldn’t stop looking at Manny. His eyes hardened, and his thin lips drew downward in a frown. “That so? We’ll see.”

The corrections officer picked up his walkie that was hooked to his wide, ebony leather belt, and after fiddling with the buttons, he spoke into it. His gaze never left the two in the truck.

Manny couldn’t hear the conversation, but he could guess who he was talking to. The man was verifying with Jensen. It made sense, and although he had paid Jensen off, it didn’t keep an empty feeling from spreading into the pit of his stomach.

His gut kept rolling. Even though they were not out of Beaumont, Manny had come too far for their plan to fail now. He didn’t know what he would do if they were denied access to the second gate. His mind filtered through various scenarios, but deep within him, Manny knew that he could do nothing. While it may have seemed that this was the only guard at the entrance to the prison, there had to be more. Their rifles were trained on their pickup. Manny just knew it.

He tried to give the other man a polite nod, plastering a small smile on his face, signaling that he belonged there.

As the guard finished his conversation, the suspicion left his face. He turned off his walkie, placed it on his belt, and he shouted as he waved them through, “All’s clear!”

The second gate opened, sliding against the perimeter barbed wire fence, the truck jerked over the gravel entrance, and they were well on the way to freedom. He could barely contain his excitement, but the lurking rage that always simmered since those events that had resulted in his arrest all those years ago bubbled over.

Manuel “Crazy Manny” Alvarez was out of prison. He looked out the side window as he watched the trees and greenery pass them by. Dark thoughts overtook his mind.

He would make his way down to Mexico, disappear across the border, and rebuild his contacts within the drug trade before doing away with the leaders of his old cartel and taking his place. Manny was sure that he could straighten out his crime syndicate once more. After all, the people at the top were much more inept than anyone he had met before.

Yet, before all of that, there was still the business that he had to see to first. The man that had betrayed his organization in the first place- the scum that had played at being a member of the cartel when he was actually an agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration—had to pay, and he would pay dearly.

That cabrÓn will watch as his bitch is hurt and killed before taking a bullet to the brain. Manny had long since planned it out, knowing the details of how he was going to do it as well as he knew his body needed oxygen to breath. He smiled to himself, taking solace in his soon-to-be-real fantasy.

The post Naked Desire – Chapter 1 appeared first on Lydia Larue.

To do or not to do an Outline.

It’s hard to believe that the last time I wrote an article for writing advice, it was snowing. As I gaze outside my window, it’s hot. In fact, in New York, it’s 57 degrees. The average for this time of the year is 36. Would you believe that Friday my husband will be grilling out? In February? That’s ludicrous.

There is something about the warm temperatures that make me lazy. I have been working hard on the last chapters of Naked Desire, a novelette that will be out next month. However, the words are coming slower as all I want to do is sleep. The one thing that I learned as an author is that I need discipline.[image error]

Some people like to figure everything that happens in the whole book. There are some who just write, not knowing what is going to happen. I would think that it is a mix of both for most writers.

When I start a novel, what do I do? I create an outline. When I wrote the first draft of a dark fantasy novel that I am hoping to have published under my real name, my cowriter and I did a sort of free form writing. We had a glitch with our writing software, and the entire manuscript was lost. When we went to rewrite it, we found ourselves lost.

As a direct result, we decided to create an outline that details the Chapter and scenes. Since then, whenever I write, I outline what will happen in each chapter and scenes.

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Outline of Undercover Desire

We find the structured form of an outline helps us to keep track of all plot lines in a series, and of course, this diminishes the chance of plot holes for us.

However, that does not mean that the outline could not be adjusted on the fly. There was a section of a scene in Undercover Desire that was scrapped. Our heroine was going to make love to her love interest near the end of the book, and I decided that it was unneeded. That part was not adding anything to the plotline, and as such, it was removed and replaced with the scene in the book.

What is the correct answer to the outline debate? There is one and only one answer. You need to find a process that works for you, and you need to stick with it. It does not matter if you free write, as long as your plot is tight, and if outlining helps you see the plot, then it would do no good to just “wing” it.

As much as I love the craft, I found that becoming an author was one of the most difficult things that I have ever done. Most people will sit down, jot down a thousand words, and subsequently give up on their novel. Whether you outline your novel or not, you need to remember to finish your novel. That is what separates the amateur writers with the professionals. Find a process that works for you, stick to it, and finish your book.

Find a method that works for you, stick to it, and finish your book.

The post To do or not to do an Outline. appeared first on Lydia Larue.

Book Review : Big Cat Attacks : Account of Big Cat Attacks

Title:


Big Cat Attacks : Accounts of Big Cat Attacks








Author:



Carole Baskin






Genre:


Non Fiction





Publisher:


Big Cat Rescue





Release Date:


6.14.15





Format:


Kindle





Pages:


190





Source:


Amazon

What happens when big cats attack? You will be surprised just how many big cat attacks there have been.

The book is a partial listing (741) of incidents in the U.S. involving captive exotic cats since 1990. The U.S. incidents have resulted in the deaths of 23 humans, 16 adults and 5 children, the additional mauling of 252 more adults and children, 266 escapes, the killing of 146 big cats, and 133 confiscations.

There have also been 248 big cat incidents outside the U.S. that have resulted in the deaths of 85 humans and the mauling of 134 humans by captive big cats. These figures only represent the headlines that Big Cat Rescue has been able to track.

Because there is no reporting agency that keeps such records the actual numbers are certainly much higher.

Good afternoon. I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday. I was going to write an article entailing how Valentine’s Day is only as commercial as you allow it to be, but I got wrapped up in the romance that my husband planned that day.

I am waiting for my daughter to return home from school. She is excited for school to end; she had winter break next week. I look forward to having her home, but I’ll look forward to the 27th. That is when I can work more on Naked Desire.

Some sad news. Our orange ginger cat, Loki, has fallen ill with a cold. It is not severe enough to take him to the vet, but it is enough to make him feel down in the dumps. I am writing this on my laptop. He is cuddled up against me.

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Our Loki.

As I am fretting about my little cat, I am reading a book about Big Cats. I am a massive fan of Big Cat Rescue. It is sad that there is a need for wildlife sanctuaries, but at least, when humanity hopefully realizes that wildlife is not for our entertainment, there will be no use for such facilities. Please note that a sanctuary is not a zoo. While Big Cat Rescue gives tours, they are guided tours. Visitors are not allowed to wander the sanctuary’s grounds by themselves; there is always a tour guide with them to move the tour along.

Hopefully, this book will reveal one of the truths to owning a big cat or forcing such an animal to perform. These creatures are wild, and with that, their behavior is unpredictable. It only takes one second for a person to lapse in judgment and their life severely altered or snuffed out.

However, I digress.

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Sept. 21, 2012, Bronx Zoo NY: A 25-year-old man jumped out of the monorail into the tiger exhibit where he was badly mauled by one of the tigers. – Big Cat Attacks: Accounts of Big Cat Attacks. Tiger is not affiliated with Big Cat Rescue

I went into this book knowing full well what this book entails. It is a collection of accounts of big cat–lion, tigers, leopard, etc–attacks. The listing of attacks is only a partial listing, and the figure only represents headlines that the Sanctuary was able to track. Unfortunately, there is no agency to keep records of such attacks. Common sense must lead us to assume that the number is much higher than what is reported in the novel.

It is already the middle of February 2017. There have already been four big cat attacks in January. The frequency of these attacks is alarming to me.

While the subject matter is about animal attacks, there was at least one time that an entry was about a big cat and her kittens were videotaped. There was no attack, and I was a bit confused as for why it would be listed with the others. It was obvious that the cat was treated as a pet. While I understand the reasoning why an escaped exotic cat threatens local wild cats, I feel that this makes Chapter One of the book go off on a tangent. It would be better to place it in Chapter Two.

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Big cats make BAD pets because male or female, neutered or not, they all spray buckets of urine to mark their territory. —Big Cats Attacks: Accounts of Big Cat Attacks. Tiger is not affiliated with Big Cat Rescue

Chapter Two of Big Cat Attacks: Accounts of Big Cats focused on keeping an exotic cat as a pet.

Baskins gives excellent detail as for why these magnificent creatures would be horrible pets. For example, big cats are twelve times stronger than people. If you ever own a domesticated cat, then you know that scratches come with the partnership between your cat and yourself. Now, imagine the carnage that a big cat can inflict even if he or she were playing.

I would recommend this novel to anyone who is curious on how many animal attacks that there are during a particular time frame, as well as animal rights advocates.

If you are against the possession and breeding of big cats, please see the Big Cat Public Safety Act, a federal law that would end the possession of big cats as pets, props, and for their parts.

The post Book Review : Big Cat Attacks : Account of Big Cat Attacks appeared first on Lydia Larue.

Book Review : How to Stay Fit

Title:


How To Stay Fit - A Fitness At Home Guide: Effective Strategies To Exercise, Eat Healthy & Lose Weight








Author:



Jessie k David, Antony Jegadish






Genre:


Health, Fitness, Dieting





Publisher:


Self





Release Date:


11.25.16





Format:


Kindle





Pages:


156





Source:


Kindle Unlimited















A "Fitness At Home" guide that provides workout plans to exercise at home and strategies to healthy eating for weight loss.

No gym? No weights? No machines? No problem!!!

Fitness at home is an excellent option for those who don’t have access to gym or don’t have a lot of time to go to gym to exercise. This book provides home workout plans (using bodyweight) for those who want a structured workout plan at home. If you are a beginner, start with the phase 1 part of the home fitness program. The primary purpose of this book is to provide a home fitness workout plan for those who want to exercise at home and eat healthy to lose weight.

The book focuses on providing details about the following:

What is home fitness program and how will you benefit from it?
How to measure your current fitness metrics and monitor your progress in your home fitness journey?
How to exercise at home to stay fit and manage a home workout plan?
How to keep yourself motivated towards regular exercise?
How to focus on what you eat and lose weight?
How to lose weight by burning body fat?
How to include nutritious healthy foods in your diet?
How to stay healthy?

Part 1:

The first part of the book covers the importance of exercising, measuring initial health metrics, home workout plans and how to motivate yourself to the regular habit of exercising. The home fitness program provides workout plans for men and women, upper body workouts, lower body workouts and core workouts.

Part 2:

The second part of this book provides six strategies to eat healthy and diet plans for weight loss.

Part 3:

The third part of the book covers the workout steps for warmup exercises, cardio exercises, core exercises, upper body exercises, lower body strength workouts and stretching exercises.

If you are wondering how to reduce waistline, how to reduce belly fat, how to reduce body fat and how to lose weight etc., please read this book to understand how regular exercising and healthy eating help to reach your weight loss goals. Please visit us at www.stayfitneverquit.com for the resources mentioned in this home fitness book.

We hope this home fitness book helps you to stay fit. How To Stay Fit - A Fitness At Home Guide: Effective Strategies To Exercise, Eat Healthy And How To Lose Weight - A fitness at home workout program for your exercise and weight loss goals - Provides information that helps to eat healthy, stay healthy, lose weight, burn body fat and home workout plan to exercise - upper body exercise, lower body exercise, abs workout and whole body workouts. Helps you get motivated to stay healthy, provides weight loss tips and home fitness program.

Please visit us at www.stayfitneverquit.com.

Reviewing How To Stay Fit – A Fitness At Home Guide: Effective Strategies To Exercise, Eat Healthy & Lose Weight by Jessie K. David and Antony Jegadish was a strange experience for me. I read and review Fiction. The closest that I have come to reviewing non-fiction was Under a Croatian Sun by Anthony Stancomb.

I need to do a disclaimer. Because I am currently managing a chronic condition, I am on a strict high protein diet to control the symptoms, so I can’t review the dietary advice in this book.

Always consult your doctor before you undergo any dietary change.

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“You don’t need to buy a gym membership or weights or expensive machines etc.” – How to Stay Fit – A Fitness at Home Guide: Effective Strategies to Exercise, Eat Healthy & Lose Weight

The purpose of How to Stay Fit is to provide strategies of a healthy lifestyle and give a person a fitness program in the comfort of his or her home. Its philosophy is that a person doesn’t need to buy a gym membership or expensive machines to work out, something that many in today’s busy society could find helpful.

David and Jegadish put forth that it is important to exercise at home for people who live a sedentary lifestyle, people who have limited or no physical activity, as well as for seniors whose muscular strength degenerates with age. For those people or those busy parents who don’t have enough time during the day to go to a gym, exercising at home is a great alternative to say buying a gym membership.

As they talk about the reasons why it is beneficial to exercise at home, they also give some disadvantages. Not having access to accessories that you could find at a gym is one of them. Despite the subject matter, they are not advocating that going to the gym is not beneficial. However, it is the opposite. The program is for people who don’t have enough time going to that gym.

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Following a healthy diet is a key to your weight loss goal and healthy life. – How To Stay Fit – A Fitness At Home Guide: Effective Strategies To Exercise, Eat Healthy & Lose Weight

The authors say that exercise alone is not enough to maintain a healthy lifestyle. According to How to Stay Fit, a diet should contain the following nutrients: carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water.

When I first started to change my dietary lifestyle, I could not find a place that lists the times of a meal plan. They all had: Breakfast, AM Snack, Lunch, PM Snack, and Dinner. I like how How to Stay Fit gives you times for a meal plan. Ex: 7 AM is when a person should have breakfast, followed by snacks at 10 AM.

I liked how the chapters were broke up in this book. There are sections for the program: dividing the program into phases, exercises, keeping motivated, as well as chapters on nutrients and minerals, learning about the bacteria in your stomach, etc.

Overall, I would recommend How to Stay Fit to those who do not have time to get to a gym to workout or those who want to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. This novel proves to be an excellent guide.

Busting through writer’s block.

Good Morning, fellow authors and readers.

 

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Icicles from snowfall a few years ago

It’s twenty-six degrees–in Fahrenheit–here in this part of New York, and we are under a Lake Effect Snow warning. I am not too worried, however. The snow bands usually miss us. The result? My daughter will be disappointed that there is no school.

I am not too worried, however. The snow bands usually miss us. The result? My daughter will be disappointed that she has school. When it does snow, I’m glad. I’ll have beautiful scenario outside my living room.

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Source: Unsplash.com

Who is more to be pited, a writer bound and gagged by a policemen or one living in perfect freedom who has nothing more to say? –Kurt Vonnegut

I think that writer’s block happens when you are not confident in yourself or perhaps the story. There are several reasons that this might happen. If you get several “bad” reviews in a row or you just don’t know what happens next in your novel. During those times, your self-confidence goes down, and as a result, your thoughts will create a block.

As I said in an answer to a Goodreads’ question, a writer will have to push through the block. What does that mean? Simply put. A writer should not give up on that part of the manuscript.

Write a sentence.

When a writer is stuck on a scene, they should write down something. There are quite a few times that the first sentence will inspire the author, allowing him or her to continue on with the work.

Take notes on the scene.

Alright, so a writer tried to write that first sentence, and the words are still not coming to him or her? If this is the case, continue to work on the scene, but instead of writing a sentence, take notes. For example, in the upcoming short story: Naked Desire, there is a scene where Anthony and Kelly are fighting. If I had to take notes, I would start with why are the fighting? Then, I would go on from there as just thinking about the situation and placing the notes in a program or on paper will allow me to work on the novel still.

Don’t quit.

I tend to not subscribe to the belief if you write something then you are helping your writing block. Inspiration will not just come to most writers. Like a crop of plants, it has to be nurtured.

If a writer simply sits back and waits, the manuscript will likely not be worked on. In a profession that regularly has deadlines, this could be the death sentence to the short story or novel.

I’m curious. How do you deal with writer’s block? Answer in the comments below.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful week. If you live in an area where it is snowing, keep warm.

Love and Light.

 

 

Book Review : A Way to Escape

Title:


A Way to Escape








Author:



Sheree Smith






Genre:


Romantic Suspense





Publisher:


Self





Release Date:


1.25.17





Format:


Kindle





Pages:


257





Source:


Kindle Unlimited

Just three weeks before her wedding, Anna finds out a secret her soon to be husband has been hiding.

Needing to escape her old life, Anna embarks on a road trip of discovery to find herself again.

Only when her road trip is unexpectedly cut short does she find sanctuary at her Aunts in the North East of England. Where she meets the mysterious and alluring Jake Turnbull.

But Jake as a secret of his own. A hidden past which cost him everything he loved the most. A past which was about to return. And a secret that would put them both in mortal danger...

I had already read work written by Sheree Smith. When I heard that she had realized another novel, I knew that I had to read it, expecting the same caliber of writing as Darkest Obessions.

The first thing that made me decide to start reading A Way to Escape was the cover. I liked how the text empathized the road.

Smith knows how to create an enjoyable pace for a book. It was neither too fast or slow, and she kept up the pace.

I found A Way to Escape written well, but there were a couple of errors, usually revolving around dialog. With that said, it didn’t distract me, and I wholly enjoyed the story.

I pitied Anna from the first introduction, understanding the whirlwind emotions that she had experienced, ranging from anger to blaming herself. I found the feelings to be realistic to the character, and I am sure that anyone who went through what she did would feel the same way. At the same time, I liked that she had the courage to move on.

The intrigue in the plot kept my attention. I kept rooting for Anna and Jake. After I began to read it, I could not put it down.

I would recommend A Way to Escape to anyone who enjoys a good romance, as well as a decent suspense. It is the perfect way to spend time, embroiled in the main plot’s intrigue. A must read.

Extras:

Other LL Book Reviews Featuring Sheree’s Books

Darkest Obsessions