Hannah L. Clark's Blog, page 5

"Uncovering Cobbogoth" Book Blitz!

This month we're really starting to spread the word about Uncovering Cobbogoth. To kick things off, we're having a Book Blitz right now, which means we've got a sweet giveaway going on (A drawing for 1 $50 Amazon gift card) and three exclusive excerpts from the newly revised edition!  They are some of my favorite excerpts in the book, too! 

So, I just wanted to let you all know what's going on and hopfully you too can get in on these goods! 

You can enter the drawing here

And here are the excerpts!

Excerpt #1

Excerpt #2

Excerpt #3

Okay!  So there you go!  I just didn't want to leave you guys out of this goodness! I hope you win! 

Oh!  And don't forget to go enter my GoodReads Giveaway!  Five lucky winners will receive a signed copy of Uncovering Cobbogoth.  You can enter by just clicking the the button to your right.  :-)

Great Reads for (Mature) Teens: "Thorn" by Intisar Khanani

I know I said I was going to review Siege and Storm, the second book in the Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo next, but I got thoroughly swept away in another tale.  So, here we go:

Oh man!  First of all, Thorn had me at "Goose Girl retelling."  I am a huge fan of that fairytale and loved, loved, LOVED The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale--it's one of my Great Reads for Teens. 

I first saw Thorn on GoodReads. It was in the title suggestions for readers who like my own book. I decided to give it a chance, because the cover was so cool and unique.  Yes, I do judge books by their covers when I'm not going off of recommendations from trusted friends. ;-)  It's a risk, I know.  But this was definitely a risk that paid off big time.  

Intisar Khanani is an indie author, which I didn't know until after I finished the book.  Seriously, it was that good. This is her first book, and guys, her writing style was so unique and just . . . well . . . dreamy.  There were rough patches here and there, particularly when she was describing magical scenes, but I have to say it didn't really disrupt the story that much for me, because her world building was so fascinating to me.  And, to be honest, it was nothing that I haven't seen in professionally published books. 

Before I go any further, here is the synopsis for Thorn: 

 For Princess Alyrra, choice is a luxury she's never had ... until she's betrayed.

Princess Alyrra has never enjoyed the security or power of her rank. Between her family's cruelty and the court's contempt, she has spent her life in the shadows. Forced to marry a powerful foreign prince, Alyrra embarks on a journey to meet her betrothed with little hope for a better future.

But powerful men have powerful enemies--and now, so does Alyrra. Betrayed during a magical attack, her identity is switched with another woman's, giving Alyrra the first choice she's ever had: to start a new life for herself or fight for a prince she's never met. But Alyrra soon finds that Prince Kestrin is not at all what she expected. While walking away will cost Kestrin his life, returning to the court may cost Alyrra her own. As Alyrra is coming to realize, sometime the hardest choice means learning to trust herself.
Thorn has received a Badge of Approval from Awesome Indies.

Thorn reminded me of The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley, a book I loved the idea of, but wasn't stolen away with the writing.  As I mentioned above, this book stole me away with both story and writing style.

 One thing I respect very much in storytellers is when the author isn't afraid to take on hefty issues without sugar-coating things, but still shows that there is hope in the end.  Huge kudos to Suzanne Collins for Mocking Jay.  I think she got a lot of flack from fans because of her realistic depiction of the realities of war, but I don't think she could have ended the story any other way and still done justice to her characters as well as her purpose in writing the series in the first place. Which was to teach kids about the realities of war.  

Intisar does the same thing in Thorn.  She takes on some pretty meaty issues concerning the protection of women and children's rights in a very masculine governed society, and she does it rather well.  Now, because of this, I would say the proper age for readers of this book would be no younger than 16.  There are some fairly heavy scenes (not glorified) toward the middle and end, but they are done in a way that I felt got the point across without completely turning off the reader (I am a VERY sensitive reader to violence in general, but especially toward women, and I was made just uncomfortable enough to take notice.) AND, Intisar did a really good job of teaching women and children how to protect themselves and avoid the same things happening to them...what I mean to say, she didn't let her heroine or other characters make a bunch of stupid decisions without showing the consequences of said decisions. And, when bad things happened, she showed her characters learning from them by not making the same unwise decisions.

Like the meaty issues the author addresses, I felt like she wrote a very realistic heroine who reacted to things in the way a victim of such meaty issues would.  I read a few reviews that were bugged by this, saying Alyrra needed to be more heroic. But I think you have to really understand what it means to be heroic and courageous in the first place to see that, considering her background and circumstances, she was actually quite courageous. And she grew more so by the end of the book.  It reminds me of what one of my characters, Lylend, says to my heroine Norah when she things he's calling her a coward: He tells her that she can't really be courageous without fear, because courage is when you act in spite of your fear.  When you understand that, and understand the depth of Alyrra's fear, then you have to know that there are few heroines written who are that brave. 

The other thing I really loved about the themes in this book was how Ms. Khanani addressed the very fine line between justice and cruelty.  I also appreciated her strong petition for mercy.  

The one thing I wish that had happened, is that I wish Alyrra would've had the opportunity to stand up to her family.  But on second thought, I think she was able to do it via proxy with Valka, Kestrin, the Lady, and the King, so I suppose it wasn't necessary.

Anyway. As you can tell, I liked this book. :-) I mentioned above, there are flaws, but overall the story was a very satisfying read.  I am also thinking it might be a rather important read, because of Ms. Khanani's bravery in addressing the meatier issues--issues that we still face today. (Abuse, human trafficking, rape, etc.)  Because of this, I will be adding this book to my Great Reads for Teens list.  However, it will go up with a cautionary note because of the heavier themes. 

I hope you will check out Thorn. I think Ms. Intisar Khanani has just become a favorite author of mine, because once I heard it was even better than Thorn I didn't hesitate to buy her 2nd book Sunbolt .  Definitely a great read.

 

 

Another Giveaway!!!

Hey Cobbogoth Fans!  My publisher is doing another giveaway for Uncovering Cobbogoth.  If you want to enter, the giveaway starts tonight at 8:00.  Just check out their Facebook page: here for the details! 



Oh! And don't forget to check back after the giveaway is complete. If you win, I don't think they contact you personally, so you need to check in when its over to see if you did. 

Good luck!

Writing Gem #13: Finding Your "Voice"

Hello Retro Readers!

Does that work? Can I call you Retro-readers?  It just seems fitting, especially considering all the retro-awesomeness that's happening around here. 

Anyway, here is my latest Writing Gem.  It's on finding your "voice" as a writer. 

"Wait!" you say?  "I haven't lost my voice, so why do I need to find it?" Well, we aren't talking about your speaking voices, silly Retros.  We are talking about writing voices.

"Huh? Writing voice?" You ask.  

Yes. Writing voice.  But don't despair; your confusion is 100% warranted.  I'm pretty sure "voice" is the enigma of the writing world.  It's such a hard thing to define, and no one seems to know how to teach it. As a matter of fact, I've heard countless professors say that voice can't be taught. Either you've got it or you never will.  Unfortunately, I sort of agree with them--not about the "you got it or you never will" part.  I agree that no one can teach you your voice; you have to discover it and learn to use it on your own.  That's right, like so many journeys in writing, finding your voice is a solo trip.  But there's something pretty fantastic about that, isn't there?

Hopefully this Writing Gem is just the map you need to get started. 


Happy Trails!

New Makeover!

So, thanks to my incredibly talented sister/partner, Bekah Shakespear, we've had a bit of a face lift around here. And . . . I'm in LOVE!!!!!  That adorable typewriter up top is to die for.

Just to help you all find your way around a bit easier, I thought I'd give you a little tour.

When you see the following:
You can expect a book review to follow.  Aren't those glasses darling?!

When you see this icon:

You can expect an new writing gem with super helpful writing tips I've picked up over the years.

Whew!  Aren't you glad I wrote this post so you wouldn't get confused trying to find your way around?  ;-)  

Don't forget to check out the menu up top as well.  There is all kinds of cool stuff to read about and view.  And, I believe we will have an "Events" button coming where you can keep up to date on all of the cool events coming as we get closer to Uncovering Cobbogoth's release date. Plus, I believe we're going to be adding a special blog page where you'll be able to go see what the exceedingly talented Ms. Bekah Shakespear is up to as she gets going on the illustrations for book 2.  Woo-hoo!

Finally, I've posted about this before on Facebook, but I don't think I have here.  Uncovering Cobbogoth has an Instagram page.There are already over 1,000 followers, so you should definitely check it out.  We'll be posting inspiration for the Cobbogoth series, as well as sneak-peek quotes from the book.  There are very cool pics of Iceland and other locations from the book.  All in all, it's a pretty cool place to go wet your appetite for Uncovering Cobbogoth, and keep you satisfied until this baby comes out on May 13th. We're also going to be posting pics from all our release events as they get going over the next several months (signings, launch party, book2 illustration sneak peeks, etc)  So, come and follow us here,. Or our handle is @cobbogoth . Feel free to invite your friends to follow us! If they don't know what the book is about this is a great way to find out. It will be like an Instagram party! 

Holy Hades! There are so many exciting things happening!!! 

So, what do you think?  Did my sis nail it or what?  The best part is that you'll be seeing a whole lot more of her as the series progresses. Not only is she the artist behind the deliciously beautiful illustrations in Uncovering Cobbogoth, but she will be illustrating the entire series.  She's pretty incredible on multiple levels and I feel SO blessed to not only be able to work with her in a professional sense, but more importantly to be able to hang with her as my sis and closest girl-friend.

Yeah, she's awesome. If you have a sec, leave a comment and let her know what you think! 

Book Review: "Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy)" by Leigh Bardugo

Um...this book was totally right up my alley.  You've got the Russian-feeling mythology thing going on (I LOVE mythology) and the elemental powers.  The heroine was likable and the love triangle was interesting, sweet, and unique. FYI: there is a plot twist I did NOT see coming. And since creating stories is my job, that doesn't happen nearly as often as it used to. So big kudos to Bardugo!

Anyway, over all, I really liked this book a lot--so much so that I immediately started reading the second in the series. I'll probably be reviewing it next week.

I didn't put this book under my Great Reads for Teens category, because there are some swears and I'm not sure if it's of the classic quality yet; could be, but I have to read the entire trilogy first.

The only thing I wish is that there had been some sort of short premise to the history of Ravka.  If I would've had just a little background at the beginning, I could've dove deeper into the story faster, and therefore the ending wouldn't have seemed so abrupt. My only complaint.

That being said, I loved it!  4 out of 5 stars.  I have a feeling the 2nd book is going to score higher.  ;-)

But you should definitely check it out for yourself.  Here's the premise:

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart. 

I don't think I've ever read another book like this.  It's a pretty fantastic read.   

We're On Our Way!

So Uncovering Cobbogoth is officially on it's way to the printers today.  That means several things.  1) We are that much closer to releasing it. 2) I won't be making any more changes. 3) This is really happening! 

I'm super excited about all three of those things.  I can't believe how fast the time has flown by and how much my story has grown and evolved into something so much better than the self-published version I put out two years ago.  I've grown so much as a writer since then, and working with the fantastic people at Cedar Fort has pushed my limits and challenged me in ways I couldn't have been any other way.  I just have to say that it truly is one of the most satisfying things I've ever experienced to know that I've given it everything I've got.  Now, I've just got to put the pen down, walk away, and see what happens next. 

I really, really, REALLY hope you all love it!  My heart is in this book for so many different reasons, and I can't tell you how cool this whole experience has been.  I've been dreaming about becoming an author for as long as I can remember.  Sure there were times I set the dream aside now and again when I lacked faith in myself, but for the last fifteen years, I've known that, aside from being a wife and mama, there was no other career path in the world for me but this.

And now I'm here.  This journey has gone so much differently than I always dreamed it would go.  It was infinitely harder, but way more soul-stretching than I ever imagined.

Anyway, if you couldn't tell, I'm a pretty happy lady today.  I can't wait to share my story with you all.  Norah's a gem.

 

Writing Gem #11: Resonance and Originality (Part 2)

Here is my latest Writing Gem!  Sorry I've been MIA for the last week.  I've been hard at work on some last minute edits, but I think we're almost there with Uncovering Cobbogoth.  I'm so happy with the final draft I sent along to my editor.  I just hope she's as happy.  :-}

Anyway, I hope this last Part of the Resonance and Originality segment is helpful for you.  If you haven't gotten Dave Farland's book Drawing Upon the Power of Resonance in Writing, I would seriously consider it.  Such a fast, information-packed read.  Dave just has a way of explaining it so even people like me can understand.  :-)


Thanks for stopping by!

Writing Gem #12: Resonance and Originality (Part 2)

Here is my latest Writing Gem!  Sorry I've been MIA for the last week.  I've been hard at work on some last minute edits, but I think we're almost there with Uncovering Cobbogoth.  I'm so happy with the final draft I sent along to my editor.  I just hope she's as happy.  :-} 

Anyway, I hope this last Part of the Resonance and Originality segment is helpful for you.  If you haven't gotten Dave Farland's book Drawing Upon the Power of Resonance in Writing, I would seriously consider it.  Such a fast, information-packed read.  Dave just has a way of explaining it so even people like me can understand.  :-)


Thanks for stopping by!

Sneak Peek Giveaway!

I'm SO excited to announce our Sneak Peek Giveaway!  Two lucky winners will recieve a signed ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of Uncovering Cobbogoth!!!!  There are only a handful of people who have read the heavily revised 2nd edition of Uncovering Cobbogoth and you could be next!

How do you enter?  Just follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter.  You have until the 25th--next Tuesday.  Oh, and feel free to follow my blog while you're at it!  :-)



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!