Elizabeth Suggs's Blog, page 8
March 24, 2021
Book Review: Wearing Skin
By Elizabeth Suggs
Wearing Skin: 12 Devilishly Dark Horror Short Stories by Simon Paul Woodward is a quick horror read with some stories that’ll stick with you for a long time afterward.
Woodward has a way of bringing the reader into his world with every story. Some of these tales are remarkably different from each other, but it works. I’m going to focus on my three favorite stories, “Children of Ink," “Still Lives in Motion,” and “The Galilean Maneuver.” Woodward has other great stories, but these spoke to me the most.
“Children of Ink” is the strangest yet one of the most beautiful short stories I’ve ever read. In this world, art are living things. We explore different avenues of life and love. The story’s focus is on two tattoos who find each other on the bodies of a very dysfunctional couple.
While the tattoos fall in love with each other, the couple on which they live slowly cycles more out of control. It’s a story of love and loss. This is my favorite story, one I will definitely come back to reading over and over.
Another great story is “Still Lives in Motion.” This is about a man who lives in a world of isolation and emptiness. He creates a place to live in a mall, and he is happy for years until he realizes there’s something missing. Almost as if the universe hears his mind, a woman comes along. She is like him, enjoying isolation, living in this quiet world. Together they make a life for themselves.
This story feels very reminiscent of the life we lead now, living during a pandemic, despite it having nothing to do with a virus. I enjoyed this a lot.
The last story I’ll mention is “The Galilean Maneuver.” This is about a compulsive liar journalist who meets a female juggler. The pair are together for a small amount of time, and in that time, she uncovers his secrets. The writing is clever and concise. The ending was great.
Here are some quotes:
An effortless lie; a professional reaction. - “The Galilean Maneuver”
Taylor had a face like a crushed beer can and implosion wrinkles and folds of skin. - “The Galilean Maneuver”
The more he filled the space inside him with booze, the more real he became. -“The Galilean Maneuver”
The image of emotion in the heart of tears. - “The Anatomy of tears”
I feel her slide against me, body to body, ink to ink, and confusingly, even though we only exist into dimensions, I can feel her body’s curves. - “Children of Ink”
We make love across Eloise’s body: across her stomach and between her thighs, crushed in darkness on her back. - “Children of Ink”
Definitely check out Woodward’s anthology. You'll find something you love in here!
Elizabeth Suggs is the owner and founder of Editing Mee and co-owner of Collective Tales Publishing. When she’s not writing or editing, she loves to dive deep into books (the weirder, the better!), and she loves to take random long walks to unplanned destinations. Check out her recently released book Collective Darkness with eleven other authors. Buy your copy here: www.CollectiveDarkness.com
March 22, 2021
Book Review: Soul on Fire
By Elizabeth Suggs
Soul on Fire by Shannon Lane is an uplifting story about friendship, love, and self-discovery.
Our protagonist, Kenna, deals with panic attacks, self-doubt, and depression. The recurring theme within this story is her willingness to accept herself, and to be, not just okay, but to be happy with her life. Yet, Kenna feels the burden of loss and rejection, which makes her believe she is incapable of change.
What I really loved about this book is what it can do for those who suffer from similar struggles; there are many lessons and poetic thoughts to take away from this story that could leave you feeling happier and better because of it.
What I find the most admirable is that even amidst Kenna’s difficulties, she runs a successful business and remains close with her friends. And while sometimes the repetition of emotions felt tedious, it could resonate with some readers who can relate to her situation. Sometimes we need to be told something over and over to be reminded that we’re okay.
My favorite quote:
Laugh lines are nonexistent, and his icy eyes pierce into me like shards of rejection into my soul.
Elizabeth Suggs is the owner and founder of Editing Mee and co-owner of Collective Tales Publishing. When she’s not writing or editing, she loves to dive deep into books (the weirder, the better!), and she loves to take random long walks to unplanned destinations. Check out her recently released book Collective Darkness with eleven other authors. Buy your copy here: www.CollectiveDarkness.com
March 20, 2021
Book Review: Protecting His Night
By Elizabeth Suggs
Protecting His Night: The Men of River City by Nola Marie is a hot romance about a mobster named Rory and a stripper named Layla.
Once in love ten years ago, Rory leaves Layla, but he doesn’t realize all that he’s given up, not until he sees her again dressed up as a stripper, hiding her identity—and not just from him.
While I wasn’t in love with Rory’s possessive attitude, I did enjoy the romance reigniting between the couple. Despite what happens in their relationship, they have each other, and Rory will do anything for Layla, even if it means risking his life.
The story, while sexy, isn’t just about sex. It’s about the relationship between Rory and Layla and the secrets they’ve kept from each other.
One of my favorite things about the book is Layla’s strength. Rory may try to boss her around, but she won’t listen. She’s her own woman, and she can fight (almost) all her battles, with both her feisty attitude and martial arts training. She may be small and petite, but she’s no weak thing, which I really admire.
If you like romance with mobsters, then this is the book for you!
Elizabeth Suggs is the owner and founder of Editing Mee and co-owner of Collective Tales Publishing. When she’s not writing or editing, she loves to dive deep into books (the weirder, the better!), and she loves to take random long walks to unplanned destinations. Check out her recently released book Collective Darkness with eleven other authors. Buy your copy here: www.CollectiveDarkness.com
March 18, 2021
Book Review: Finding Innocence
By Elizabeth Suggs
Finding Innocence: Book 1 by Karen Keith is a young adult fantasy novel focused on 17-year-old Alexa Walker and her growth from living in an orphanage to starting new with a family and friends who love her.
The funny thing is, I’m not a big YA fan, yet I’m excited for book 2 to come out because I found the story so engaging. Don't get me wrong; it is very much a YA book. If you don’t like the genre, odds are this will be hard to get into. Because I don’t often read young adult, some scenes left me frustrated, but that’s for the genre itself and not the story. I gave it a chance because I was intrigued by where the book was headed.
My biggest critic for this story is the beginning. I wanted more from the orphanage and Alexa’s life dealing with it. We got a taste of it, but I didn’t feel like there was enough, despite how big of a role it plays throughout the book. I would have loved to see more of that in the book. Maybe we’ll see more in book 2?
Other than that, though, the characters are well-developed with their own thoughts and needs. I fell in love with each one, despite their flaws.
But there is more to the story than just the relationships and growth. There’s something hidden, which Alexa slowly has to learn, and that hooked me.
A quote that sums up the tone of the book:
I was ready to see my prince, slay the haters, and open myself up to all the mystery and possibilities of the night.
A quote that sums up the tone of the book:
I was ready to see my prince, slay the haters, and open myself up to all the mystery and possibilities of the night.
Elizabeth Suggs is the owner and founder of Editing Mee and co-owner of Collective Tales Publishing. When she’s not writing or editing, she loves to dive deep into books (the weirder, the better!), and she loves to take random long walks to unplanned destinations. Check out her recently released book Collective Darkness with eleven other authors. Buy your copy here: www.CollectiveDarkness.com
March 16, 2021
Book Review: Broken Road
By Elizabeth Suggs
Broken Road by Shannon Lane is a sweet, contemporary romance with relatable characters and many surprises.
Our protagonist, Ellen Mannis, wants to escape her painful past and abusive ex-husband, so she finds a new job as a nanny and part-time assistant for one of the biggest names in Pittsburgh, Brennan Grant.
Ellen quickly becomes immersed in Brennan’s family, almost as if she is part of it. The children love her, and Brennan depends on her, while he deals with his own issues.
I really enjoyed this story from start-to-finish. I love the slow-build romance, but it’s more than just a love story. It's also about growth and self-discovery. Lane has a superb way of writing where she can take you from experiencing the sweetest scene to something intense and provoking.
A word of caution for those who’ve experienced abuse, there is some of it in this book, but Lane is sensitive and respectful with the subject.
I loved this story. One of my favorite romance stories in 2020! Make sure to check out more of Lane’s books! I can't wait to read more myself.
Elizabeth Suggs is the owner and founder of Editing Mee and co-owner of Collective Tales Publishing. When she’s not writing or editing, she loves to dive deep into books (the weirder, the better!), and she loves to take random long walks to unplanned destinations. Check out her recently released book Collective Darkness with eleven other authors. Buy your copy here: www.CollectiveDarkness.com
March 12, 2021
Book Review: Boarded Windows, Dead Leaves
By Elizabeth Suggs
Boarded Windows, Dead Leaves by Michael Jess Alexander is a short story horror collection with nine stories.
I enjoyed these stories because they brought on a refreshing take to stories we may have thought we knew. For instance, I really enjoyed “Werewolf Cemetery,” which feels like it’s going to be any old werewolf story from the title, but man, was that a ride! The depth to which Alexander can dig into in such a short amount of time, explaining a character so profoundly, made for a great read.
Another one of my favorites was Chatterbox, about one guy who can’t stop talking. As someone who truly values her time alone, in the quiet, this was horrifying—a true nightmare.
Alexander takes you on tales of terror in concise pieces, and while I think this often worked for his story, sometimes I felt it was a little jarring. For instance, I wasn’t in love with his story “Delivery.” I felt this was a little hard-to-follow.
There was a lot going on and, what felt like, a lot of unnecessary things. But most of the time, I had a lot of fun with this collection, and I suggest it to anyone who likes to read their horror stories in bite-sizeable bits!
Favorite Quote:
“In his suit, he looks like a fancy, desiccated worm.” - Werewolf Cemetery
Elizabeth Suggs is the owner and founder of Editing Mee and co-owner of Collective Tales Publishing. When she’s not writing or editing, she loves to dive deep into books (the weirder, the better!), and she loves to take random long walks to unplanned destinations. Check out her recently released book Collective Darkness with eleven other authors. Buy your copy here: www.CollectiveDarkness.com
March 10, 2021
Book Review: Maggie's Dream
By Elizabeth Suggs
Maggie’s Dream by Leslie Tall Manning uses magical realism to explore the world of a woman struggling during World War II.
I really fell in love with Maggie’s character. She has her own thoughts and desires that I feel a personal attachment to. And while I dislike many of the other characters who ordered Maggie around, I remind myself the timing in which the novel takes place. Women didn’t have as much freedom as we do now. Women were expected to act a certain way and be certain things, even if it didn’t make them happy.
This story, while fictional, plays on some real problems during the period. I became a part of Maggie in this story—her struggles and her triumphs became my own.
Manning is a lovely writer, and her story is one of those rare gems that must be thought about for days afterward to really get the full effect.
Here are some of my favorite lines:
Sand that was soft and warm, like flour she used for baking in her kitchen—a kitchen that seemed as far away as the edge of the solar system.
As they shimmied back and forth, the floor slid away from her feet. The walls melted into each other, then into nothing.
If you enjoy historical women’s fiction, I highly recommend this story!
Elizabeth Suggs is the owner and founder of Editing Mee and co-owner of Collective Tales Publishing. When she’s not writing or editing, she loves to dive deep into books (the weirder, the better!), and she loves to take random long walks to unplanned destinations. Check out her recently released book Collective Darkness with eleven other authors. Buy your copy here: www.CollectiveDarkness.com
March 8, 2021
Book Review: Awakening
By Elizabeth Suggs
Awakening by Jennifer Leigh Pezzano is a supernatural love story about Jezebel, a business owner woman haunted by her history, and August, a man who has lived for centuries, yet still recalls the past as if it’s right in front of him, constantly hurting him.
The two characters come together after August becomes Jezebel’s client, but it turns out he wants more than just the work she offers. He wants to take in some of her energy. He’s a different sort of vampire, which is refreshing. He doesn’t require blood rather, he needs energy. From this, the pair develop an intense love affair, becoming irresistible to each other.
Awakening is hot, endearing, and filled to the brim with consent (an awesome quality). Every sex act is new and refreshing and filled with meaning. Similar to how every scene should have a purpose to the story, every erotic play was purposeful and oh-so-sexy.
But it isn’t just about the relationship between August and Jezebel that’s engaging; there’s another story hidden within the walls of the tale that helps the reader understand August’s pain at a much deeper level.
Not only that, but Pezzano knows how to craft a beautiful and poetic story. Nearly every page had something wonderful to read.
My favorite quotes:
I glanced up at him, flustered by the potency of his eyes, which made me feel as if I were a butterfly pinned beneath cloth.
This vibrant pulse of life stirred within me.
The tangled thorns of my past, which had kept me inert and ensnared in my own fear, had begun to wither to a soft pulp that I found I was able to brush away with ease.
I really enjoyed this story. I highly suggest it if you love supernatural romances.
Elizabeth Suggs is the owner and founder of Editing Mee and co-owner of Collective Tales Publishing. When she’s not writing or editing, she loves to dive deep into books (the weirder, the better!), and she loves to take random long walks to unplanned destinations. Check out her recently released book Collective Darkness with eleven other authors. Buy your copy here: www.CollectiveDarkness.com
March 3, 2021
Book Review: Jaws
By Elizabeth Suggs
The book Jaws by Peter Benchley may carry the same name as Spielberg’s cult classic, the two couldn’t be any more different.
The book holds a darker and more disturbing message, one that ripples through the sea as a shark and through the house within a family. I know there are many out there who didn’t enjoy the book, and maybe I wouldn’t have enjoyed it so much if I hadn’t gone in with such a low expectation.
Photo Credit: Petra Orloff
While I’d never give this book a five (I kept going back and forth between a three and a four), I did have fun with it. And I enjoyed the end. In a way, it’s a modern-day Moby Dick, what with the captain, the revenge, and the ending. And while there were many elements paying homage to Moby Dick in the movie, it was much more prominent in the book.
Most viewers who have watched the movie probably won’t like the book because the book adds elements that feel a little unnecessary to the shark. But I’m sure readers who read the book may have enjoyed the book over the movie. I think in this case, it just depends on what you were expecting going into the story. For me, I never got into the hype as a kid, and now as an adult only just reading and watching Jaws for the first time, I have no nostalgia or anything. So, honestly, I don’t know if either is better than the other. They bring different things to the table, and that resonates with different people.
I won’t ever reread or rewatch Jaws, but I didn’t dislike the story. I think Jaws is a fun idea, but it’s not for everyone.
Read another review of Jaws by Petra Orloff and make sure to follow her to see her gorgeous book pictures on Instagram!
Elizabeth Suggs is the owner and founder of Editing Mee and co-owner of Collective Tales Publishing. When she’s not writing or editing, she loves to dive deep into books (the weirder, the better!), and she loves to take random long walks to unplanned destinations. Check out her recently released book Collective Darkness with eleven other authors. Buy your copy here: www.CollectiveDarkness.com
March 2, 2021
Book Review: Pretty Lie
By Elizabeth Suggs
Pretty Lies by Jessica Scurlock is a great debut novel with distinctive characters, action, and mystery.
Scurlock takes us into a world of totalitarian government rule. Our main character, Ivy, moves and flows through this world, believing herself to be kept safe by the Enlightened Society, once known as the United States of America. While sometimes certain aspects of the setting were difficult for me to believe, this was a fun read.
One of Scurlock’s strengths as a writer is her ability to create a situation with characters that draws you in, as if it were you experiencing it as one of the characters. Scurlock did a phenomenal job at this, and I always wanted more.
My favorite moments were the chemistry between two of the characters. This was hot and very real. I loved it. I also loved the occurrence of hot cocoa. Hot cocoa brings not only family together, but friends. It is the very thing that calms troubled minds, even in the worst of times. I drank a lot more hot cocoa (I even attempted several homemade batches!) while reading this story.
If you’re looking for something fun, that’ll pull you in, then this is your story.
Some of my favorite quotes:
“No matter what tribulations we face, the small things still have an enormous impact.”
“The cracking of bone splits the night, the echoes burrowing into my skull.”
I enjoyed Shurlock’s story, and I’m excited for book two!
Elizabeth Suggs is the owner and founder of Editing Mee and co-owner of Collective Tales Publishing. When she’s not writing or editing, she loves to dive deep into books (the weirder, the better!), and she loves to take random long walks to unplanned destinations. Check out her recently released book Collective Darkness with eleven other authors. Buy your copy here: www.CollectiveDarkness.com
