Danielle Q. Lee's Blog, page 2

Just the Way it Goes

So it happens on occasion where an author names their book with all the love and affection of a newborn baby. But, as it turns out, sometimes the book decides to switch personalities halfway through. This is what happened to Dark World II. I'd wanted to call it Ever, as it was supposed to be mostly about her, but as usual the characters decided how the book was going to go, hence I was forced to find a new name for the book.  To my surprise, however, the new name, The Devil Inside, seems to encompass the story far better than the previous name.
So here's so my new, adopted child: Dark World II: The Devil Inside.

:)

Last Dark World Teaser Before the Big Day!

After supper, Kane and Fate left the castle for a walk. The balmy evening was filled with promise, and maybe even a bit of romance.Fate cast her gaze upward, the ceiling of rock snarled down at her like a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth. Blood-red mist hovered amidst the fangs, giving the illusion that it had just devoured a fresh meal. She shuddered and forced her sight away.How she missed the sky. Sometimes it felt like she’d never really known the baby blue air overhead with its hot sphere of gold, or the pitch of night enlightened by an ancient moon and a billion stars. Had it all been a dream, this other life as Scarlet Prince? Had she really existed on the Surface? It didn’t feel real anymore. She was Fate now, some inhuman creature with silver hair, magical powers, and an unquenchable lust for souls. The latter would have been nothing more than fantasy on the Surface, a tale woven by fanciful writers, but it was reality that didn’t resonate with her any longer. Still, a sliver of her former self lingered within. A spark of what was once Scarlet still flickered deep inside. It was her family and Shelby that kept the fire alive. The part of her that was still Scarlet held hope that she might see her loved ones again. She sometimes envied Vale and Sybil. Despite the circumstances, that they had been torn from their lives on the Surface by Malus’s minions, they still had one another. Even though Vale had searched for Sybil for one hundred years in the underworld, time had not made their hearts forgetful. They held each other as dear as they did on the Surface, if not more.“I wonder where Sybil was tonight,” Fate pondered as she and Kane walked hand in hand through the streets of Necrosia. She wasn’t sure why, but she kept glancing around, expecting to see judgment in the eyes of the citizens. But everyone just smiled at them, accepted them. It was a place where all races were welcome: shades, necromancers, and anyone else who joined their community. It was a rare and beautiful place. “The Oracle? I don’t know,” he replied nonchalant. “Why?” He looked down at her with a soft stare that made her heart quicken. She shrugged and looked away. “I just wanted to ask her something.”“About what?” he asked as he led her to the left, towards a jewelry vendor. Earrings and necklaces made of bones, animal scales, and precious gems hung from the makeshift store walls. Some very beautiful, some macabre. “Nothing, really,” Fate said, then asked, changing the subject, “Have you and Vrill decided what you’ll do to find the scroll on the Surface?”He shook his head as he leaned over a small box on the vendor’s table, blocking Fate’s view with his muscular arm. “No, we also must speak with the Oracle. She might be able to see its location.” Fate nodded, frowning as she rose onto to her tippy toes to see over his shoulder. “What are you looking at?” He was silent for a moment, ignoring her. Then, after handing something to the vendor, he turned to her with a shy smile. “Close your eyes,” he ordered softly.Her brows pulled together in confusion, but she complied, shutting her eyes.She felt his body draw closer, his warm breath feathering over her face. Her head swam at his nearness, her senses blurred. His scent was more than intoxicating, it was alluring, seductive. It confounded her how just being close to him could completely throw her off her game. But instead of analyzing it, she just let it happen, falling back into the bliss.He then took her hand into his, heating it with his hot demon skin, and she felt him slide something onto her finger.She gasped, her eyes opening with a start. Kane lifted her hand, kissing the back of it before allowing her to see what he’d given her. “But...” she sputtered. Kane leaned into her, pushed her silver-white hair from her ear and after kissing her earlobe, whispered in Attra, Dark World’s native tongue, “Vosira mea anima.”I give you my soul.

Dark World II: Ever -- Teaser II

Fate closed the door behind her, wincing as the lock clicked into place. The bedroom, decorated with the many bones of unfortunate creatures, seemed to watch her, judge her. She clutched her stomach as hunger pangs ate her insides, the lust for souls growing with every passing moment. Desire clawed at her, weakening her will. She’d gone to the Soul Nexus too many times to count in the last few days, attempting to quell the growing desire within—but the hunger was winning. The Nexus could not quench her thirst, her ache for souls. The other shades in the city seemed completely satiated by the pulsating orb located in Vrill’s private quarters. Their need to kill temporarily eliminated—but not hers. Hers was a relentless obsession that threatened to consume her if she dropped her guard but for a moment.Fate crossed the room quickly, towards the dresser, glowing white eyes targeted on the top drawer. She opened it, slipped her hand in, and pulled out the amethyst vial. The elixir Ever had held until the moment she fell into her inexplicable sleep. The elixir meant for Fate. She cradled it in her palm, the ornamental bottle cool and glinting like a purple diamond against the flicker of candlelight. Thick liquid sloshed within, Fate’s apparent cure, created by the blind shaman that dwelt within the hidden city of demons.Fate eyed the vial, considering it carefully. It was meant to fix her, stop the hunger and end her suffering. If it worked, it would save lives. But there was no guarantee. Nothing like this had ever been attempted before, especially on a shade like Fate. She was different. Fate sensed the evil influence simmering beneath the surface. An uncontrollable and terrifying power that awaited its chance to be free, to destroy the living.She sighed, placing the bottle back into the drawer and covering it with some clothes. What if the old demon got it wrong? What if he couldn’t be trusted? Demons and shades were mortal enemies. Forever on opposite sides of Dark World. What would prevent him from betraying her?Fate shook her head. The shaman was a sweet old guy, harmless. But, even so, she didn’t know if she should risk it and tempt unleashing the dark side. For all she knew, the cure could be her own personal poison. But her greatest fear wasn’t dying; she’d been dead before. No, she didn’t fear death—she feared becoming an unstoppable killer.

Sneak Peek of Dark World II: Ever!!

The Sleeping Princess
 Kane ran his finger along his daughter’s soft, ivory jaw line, eyes wrought with worry. She hadn’t awakened after the incident with his mother. Except for the slow rise and fall of her chest, she showed no other signs of life.
Ever’s long white hair spilled over the side of the bed, her once glowing blue eyes sealed behind their lids, hands folded over her stomach. So still. So like death.
Kane’s heart cracked inside his chest. His baby. His little girl. What had his mother done to her?
“Ever?” he whispered, hoping she’d hear him, open her eyes, smile. Anything.
Kane sighed heavily. He had failed in so many ways: he’d failed to protect his father so long ago, then Seren, and now his daughter.
And Legion, his crumbling underground home. If he didn’t find his people a new place to live soon, there wouldn’t be a place to call home. The buried Atlantean palace had served them well for over a century, but the weight of the Crimson Desert deeply burdened the shoulders of the city. As their leader, reluctant as he may be, it was Kane’s duty to find them a new home.
Home, he thought wistfully. Where is my home? With the other demons? Here, in Necrosia?
Kane had to admit, the Necrosians were warm and welcoming, a far cry from his own suspicious and intolerant race. This place, even in the short time he’d been there, was quickly becoming a home away from home.
As much as he wanted to be a proud leader to his people, he couldn’t ignore their waning faith in him to protect them from capture, from slavery. With Malus now dead, however, he hoped the task would be easier. But Dark World was so unstable, so unpredictable. Without their leader, the queen’s shades would be free to roam the lands without any repercussions. Free to devour any and all souls that crossed their path. At least the queen had kept her ravenous minions contained within the walls of the Blood Palace, until she bid them otherwise, that is.
The only way to save his people and Dark World now was to obtain all the scrolls, rekindle the light of the Crystal Pyramid—and claim his birthright as the devil. He cringed at the last requirement, disquiet stirring within. His father had been a great leader, admirable, strong. Kane didn’t feel the royal power coursing through his veins. The responsibility smothered him, confined him, not unlike the shackles adhered to his wings. A prison.
“Any improvement?” a voice asked, pulling Kane from his dark brooding. Vrill, the leader of the necromancers drifted into the room, his silvery-blue skin aglow from the hundreds of candles illuminating the room.
Kane shook his head. “Nothing. It’s like she’s under a spell.”
Vrill nodded, wisdom shining behind his eyes. “Yes, I believe that is exactly what it is.”
Frowning, Kane asked, “What do you mean?”
The necromancer hesitated, then crossed the room and sat in a chair created entirely of bones, as was nearly everything in Necrosia.  Finally he spoke, “When the queen attacked Ever...” his voice trailed off.
“Yes?” Kane lowered his eyes with the memory.
Vrill sighed, then said, “She may have...transferred her soul. I believe she is undergoing some kind of…metamorphosis.”
Kane’s heart stopped. The thought had crossed his mind, but until now, no one had dared speak the words aloud.
“But...” Kane began as he stood and paced the room, shaking his head. “Vale killed Malus before the ritual was complete, Ever’s soul could still be her own...couldn’t it?”
“I’m sorry Prince, we just can’t be sure—until she wakes up,” Vrill said quietly, his gaze resting on the sleeping princess. “And I’m not sure we should take the chance.”
“What are you saying?” Kane growled, brow furrowed and fists clenched, nearly charging the necromancer.
Vrill raised a patient hand to subdue the angry prince, stating, “We can’t know for certain that she’s still your daughter. The queen’s soul could be in charge, Ever might be a prisoner in her own body. We cannot take the chance that the queen still lives. If she’s in there, in her granddaughter’s body, she could harness the power of a hundred Devils. She will be unstoppable. We should...” Vrill lowered his eyes. “...put an end to her, now, before she can awaken.”
“How can you say such a thing? That...monster...is not in there,” Kane raged. “She is Ever!” He moved to his daughter’s side, stared at her angelic face, and whispered, “She just has to be.”

Shade: Book Review

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Aura can see ghosts. Born after the Shift, a little-understood event that enabled younger generations to communicate with the dead, Aura is relentlessly pursued by these violet-hued spirits. They need help to pass out of this world and into the next. And some are so angry they are on the verge of becoming Shades, dark vortexes of energy. But Aura just wants the ghosts to leave her alone so she can spend time with her boyfriend, Logan.
When Aura is paired with a new foreign-exchange student to research the Shift for a class project, she is determined to ignore her partner’s sexy Scottish accent and discover the cause of the Shift so she can reverse it.
Then Logan dies a most untimely death. Forced to reconsider her relationship with the living and the dead, Aura is caught in a love triangle with her violet-hued boyfriend and her hot research partner... one of whom may hold the key to reversing the Shift.

Well, lets just say this one didn't do it for me. I liked the blurb and the idea of people being able to see ghosts, so that's what drew me in.
When I finished the book (finally), my daughter asked me what it was about and honestly, I couldn't really tell her. The plot was so confused and so thin, that I really didn't know what was going on myself half the time. The writing was average, nothing special. The characters didn't really make me fall in love with them. And, again, the storyline was weak. Sorry, but this one didn't fly.

Writing 2/5
Cover 2/5
Plot 2/5
Overall 2/5

Dark World II: Ever

Dark World II is well on its way! Almost a third of the way done writing and it's getting very exciting!  I can't wait to share some with you...in a little while. lol   Have to keep in in suspense a bit longer.

Some books I've been reading lately:

Tempest by Julie Cross
Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah E. Harkness

They're all okay so far, but don't seem to hold my attention as much as I'd like. Doesn't help that I'm ADD, I suppose. Just kidding.

Would love to hear about some of the books you're reading.

Danielle  :)

Jenny Pox Review

Jenny Pox

Jenny's touch spreads a deadly supernatural plague. She can't control her power, so she devotes her life to avoiding contact with other people in her small Southern town. Her senior year of high school, she meets the one boy she can touch...but if she's going to be with him, Jenny must learn to use the "Jenny pox" inside her to survive his devious, manipulative girlfriend, who secretly wields the most dangerous power of all.


I really enjoyed this book! Great writing and wonderful storyline. Very likeable characters, balanced with equally hate-able antagonists! The only thing I didn't like was the drug usage and graphic sex scenes, but they were tolerable.

Good read!

Writing 5/5
Plot 5/5
Cover 3/5
Overall 4/5

Beautiful Demons - Review

Blurb:

In Peachville, even the cheerleaders have a dark side...

Harper Madison isn't like other girls. She has extraordinary powers, but her inability to control them has gotten her kicked from so many foster homes she's lost count. Shadowford Home for Girls is her last chance, and she hopes Peachville High will be the fresh start she needs.

But when evidence ties her to the gruesome murder of a Demons cheerleader, Harper discovers this small town has a big secret.

Well. I haven't read a book like this for some time. Executed perfectly, excellent writing and compelling storyline. Absolutely blown away. Way to go Sarra Cannon!

Cover: 4/5
Story: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Overall: 4.5/5

Before I Go To Sleep - Review

Blurb:

"As I sleep, my mind will erase everything I did today. I will wake up tomorrow as I did this morning. Thinking I’m still a child. Thinking I have a whole lifetime of choice ahead of me. . . ."

Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love—all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may be telling you only half the story.

Welcome to Christine's life.

The first thing I have to say about this book is that it is basically a serious version of 50 First Dates. A woman falls asleep, loses her memory overnight, and tries to figure out her life during the day.

Well, the writing was pretty average, can't say I was blown away there. The story was...okay. I pretty much figured out the twists and turns for the most part. The BIGGEST annoyance was that the author is a male writing as a female. And he doesn't know women very well, lol. If you read this, you'll know what I mean.

Plot: 3/5

Writing: 3/5

Cover: 3/5

Overall: 3/5

The Pledge

In the violent country of Ludania, the language you speak determines what class you are, and there are harsh punishments if you forget your place—looking a member of a higher class in the eye can result in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina (Charlie for short) can understand all languages, a dangerous ability she’s been hiding her whole life. Her only place of release is the drug-filled underground club scene, where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. There, she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy who speaks a language she’s never heard, and her secret is almost exposed. Through a series of violent upheavals, it becomes clear that Charlie herself is the key to forcing out the oppressive power structure of her kingdom….

Hmmm...The Pledge. I really enjoyed the novelty of this book. Very unique storyline, what with the language/speech talents Charlie had. That being said, I did find it quite predicable in spots, but surprising with others.

I would definitely recommend this book. The writing was beautiful. The story new and exciting. The characters fell a little flat, but the story made up for it.

Cover 4/5
Plot 4/5
Writing 5/5
Overall 4.5/5