Toi Thomas's Blog, page 67

The Celebratory Trifecta!

The year 2025 is a long time to wait for a missed opportunity, but what else can I do? Life and circumstances had me so busy and tired that earlier this month I missed out on truly embracing two geek holidays and one vastly underrated U.S. observance that I feel needs more attention.

Saturday, May 3, 2014 was Free Comic Book Day. While I did download a free comic that day, I didn’t have a chance to get out and mingle with my  peers and help spread the word and importance of comic books in our culture, society, and literacy.

Sunday, May 4, 2014 was May the 4th Be With You. I have no idea how this day in honor of the influences of Star Wars went over. Being sick, I slept through most of it. Don’t let me paint a wrong picture for you; this is basically a commercial ploy to increase retail sales, but I still like it.

Wikipedia

Finally, Monday, May 5, 2014 was Cinco de Mayo. Being from Texas and having a bit of Hispanic ancestry, this has always been a day of celebration for my family. This year we all had too much going on to get together for a family dinner. Sadly for most, this day is simply another opportunity to go out and over indulge on cheap alcoholic beverages (True Irish descendants can relate to this as well with the “celebration” of St. Patrick’s Day). Unfortunately, Cinco de Mayo is still not considered a U.S. national holiday, though if you ask me, without the Battle of Puebla, to which it commemorates, Texas and much of southwestern U.S. could be in the hands of the French today (but that’s a history lesson for another day).

So I guess from here, I’ll simply be waiting. I’ll be waiting for the rare opportunity to have fun times and celebrate for three days in a row and perhaps share it with the ones I love most.

This is an unofficial Author Insights post.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Filed under: Author Insights Tagged: 2014, 2025, Battle of Puebla, celebrate, Cinco de Mayo, comic books, family, Free Comic Book Day, geek, history, holiday, May, May the 4th Be With You, party, rare opportunity, retail sales, Star Wars, Toi's comments, tradition, trifecta, U.S.

ToiBox Blog Weekly Recap 05/17/14

Check out my Recent Posts links to see what I was up to this week.

Last Saturday, I posted Author Insights 12: Topics vs. Themes (part 3).

I started out this week with Sample Sunday 43- It’s Like the Full Moon, chapter 4.1 and then…

I reblogged a post from Daily Dose of Gratitude: Three lessons from my mother.

On Monday, I shared my Listography of Dreams, and then…

I made a plea to the masses with, Worth a Shot for a Good Cause.

On Tuesday, I added to my Character files the preferences for Teddy, and then…

I said Happy Birthday to Giovanni!

On Wednesday, I shared a Post from the Past about Heroes.

On Thursday, I Counted my Blessings and things got a little heated.

And yesterday, I posted a brief Friday Forecast followed by my review of Firefight In Darkness.

-Today I’m posting a short article entitled The Celebratory Trifecta, and then…

-I’ll resume the cleaning of my house which started around 7:00 am this morning.

-No Adventures in Blogging today.

-I hope you’ve enjoyed yourself this week and enjoy a very pleasant weekend.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: author, biography, blessings, blogging, books, character, culture, discussion, entertainment, fashion, geek, interviews, journal, life, likes, lists, reading, reviews, sample, wip

Review: Firefight in Darkness

Firefight in Darkness (Dryad Quartet #2)by Katie Jennings

I give this book a 3, almost a 3 1/2.

This is the second book in the Dryad Quartet to tell the story of an orphan, but these two characters are as different as night and day. When I read Breath of Air, I knew I’d like to have a friend like Capri, but when it came to connecting with a character, Blythe would be the one to win me over. I like Blythe for so many reasons, but for some reasons I’ll try to explain, I didn’t like her story as much.

First off, I should say that I do like this book and am enjoying the series. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next installment. I really appreciate how the tone of this book reflects the attitude and personality of its main character, just as the previous book did. For that reason alone, I could be happy enough to keep reading the series; just to see how the other books are written. Breath of Air was sweet and simple, just like Capri and Firefight in Darkness is rough and complicated, just like Blythe.

I guess what my disappointment boils down to is expectation. I didn’t think I had any expectations going into this book, but obviously I did if I’m feeling a little let down while still being very pleased with the overall story. Looking back on it now, I realize that the reason I feel disappointed is that I felt like Breath of Air seemed so natural and easy, while Firefight feels a little pushed. I feel like the character of Blythe and the many hardships she endures in this story are a little forced. I feel as if the story is trying too hard to be rough and tough. There are even a few times in the story when Blythe admits, only to herself, that she’s showing off purposely being tough so no one can see her being weak. The problem is, I kinda felt like that’s what was happening for most of the book.

Aside from that though, the story was great. Blythe’s almost bad girl persona did suit me well and when she meets Jax, it doesn’t take a genius to see where it’s going to lead, but it was fun watching it all happen. I’d say the only other character I had any issues with was Dante and not because he was the bad guy. My problem was that, he seemed to be so horribly evil, but then showed a silly side when he threw a temper tantrum that was eventually turned back into a sinister evil action. I guess I just didn’t understand why a character that was supposed to be so evil stopped to care long enough to get his feelings hurt.

My last pseudo-complaint is about the ending. I liked the ending and I liked all the action leading up to it, but the transition between the action and conclusion seemed non-existent.  It all happened so fast and calm that I kept expecting someone to jump out of a bush and start another battle to break the peace, but that was it. There was conflict and drama and then, there wasn’t. I like happy endings, so to speak, but I do sometimes expect them to take a little more effort.

All in all, the story was really good. There was more action and development of the mythology behind this series, which is always a favorite for me. So I didn’t like Blythe as much as I thought I would, but that doesn’t mean you won’t love her. I’d say if you’ve read the first one, this is definitely worth a read.

See my review of the book 1 in The Dryad Quartet, Breath of Air.

This review has been posted to GoodReads. If you’d like to obtain a copy of this book, try this link: Amazon

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Filed under: Reviews Tagged: battle, Dryad Quartet, fiction, Firefight in Darkness, good vs evil, Katie Jennings, mythology, New Adult, orphan, paranormal romance, review, Toi's comments, YA

Friday Forecast : 05/16/14

Highlighting interviewees, guest posters, my standard weekly posts, and whatever else I can think of, going into the next week.

So, here what’s happening next week:

Sample Sunday

Mira’s Closet

Character Files

Blogdom

A Day in My Life

Friday Forecast followed by an interview with author, Randy Attwood.

Weekly Recap and possibly another Adventures in Blogging Post.

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Today is a day of rest, but I’ll be posting my review of Firefight in Darkness shortly.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: author, blogging, interviews, life, reviews, sneak peak, try this, writing

Count Your Blessings 12

Technology

Technology makes our world a better place to live, but we don’t need most of it. I’m grateful for the wheel and other essential objects and ideas like this that have shaped our world, but some of the technology we implement on a daily basis is just silly. Silly or not, I’m blessed to have access to all the advancements that are out there.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Filed under: Blessings Tagged: blessings, gratitude, life, technology

Posts from the Past: EC:GA Heroes

These are previous posts that have been dusted off, updated, and freshly presented to an audience that’s never seen them. These limited posts originate from the companion blogs I’ve written for the first two installments of the Eternal Curse Series (40 Days and Nights of Eternal Curse & EC: Battleground a Survival Guide).

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There are all kinds of heroes. The two types I most think of are, traditional heroes who physically save lives, and the kinds of heroes that make another person’s life better just by being around. In Eternal Curse, both of these types of heroes are present.

Mira is the type of hero who changes your life, just by being there, though as a doctor, she is capable of saving lives. Mira is Giovanni’s human savior. She opens him up to the understanding of both his inhumanity and his humanity, while helping him to live and lead a satisfying life. She helps him to understand what it is to be a good person and a good man.

Giovanni and Bletsian are both the type of heroes who save lives, but they do it together. Giovanni and Bletsian are one in the same, but very different. Neither of these personas can be the hero he needs to be, without the influence of the other. Giovanni is the noble spirit, the compassion, and the determination that fuels this life saving intertwined duo. Bletsian is the brute strength, the power, and the life-saving force that physically moves this two-sided duo forward.

This book serves as an introduction to these characters. The extent, to which these characters get to act out the true power of their hero status, doesn’t truly take effect until the next book.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Filed under: EC: Giovanni's Angel, Post of Past Tagged: angels, author, blogging, book, break down, character, demons, dreams, ebook, Eternal Curse, fantasy, fiction, good vs evil, journal, life, process, profile, purpose, shape-shifting, stories, try this, writing

Happy Birthday Giovanni! – 2014

Click to see more.

Giovanni is the protagonist of my first novel, Eternal Curse: Giovanni’s Angel. His tale is long and complex, but ultimately heartfelt and uplifting. In honor of this special character of duality, you may want to check out some of these insightful posts and links…

Timeline: Giovanni – may contain spoilers

Tea and Conversation 04: Giovanni

Character Files from the ToiBox 33: Giovanni- Psych Test

Eternal Curse Story Guide

Click to see more.

Eternal Curse is now available for sale wherever books are sold.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble - Nook

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

 

Filed under: Character Files, EC: Giovanni's Angel, Tea & Conversation Tagged: biography, birthday, character, Character Files, Eternal Curse, fiction, Giovanni, hero, holiday, Pinterest, promotion, protagonis, spec-fic, Tea and Conversation, timeline

Character Files from the ToiBox 58: Theodore aka Teddy -Preferences

Preferences: Subject FM 3-Teddy

Favorite Color: green

Favorite Food: fish

Favorite Book or Movie: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Favorite Music: all

Favorite Pastime: outdoor and wilderness activities

Other: Likes to have a good time, but knows how to prioritize. Respects older men with personal or business accomplishments.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Filed under: Character Files, Full Moon Tagged: #thetoiboxofwords, character, contemporary fiction, cultural study, drama, family, fiction, friends, It's Like the Full Moon, preferences, profile, romance, Teddy, Toi Thomas

Worth a Shot for a Good Cause

After suffering a recent loss, I have a desire to give to the American Cancer Society, but funds are lacking. I’m not impoverished or anything like that, I just can’t give the way I’d like. I thought about using some proceeds from my books sales, but I wanted there to be an emphasis and focus on this cause. I thought that if I could bring about increased awareness of this cause, that would be just as good as if I gave what I truly desired. That’s when I decided to combine these ideas.

For a set period of time, I’ll be giving 50% of my book proceeds to this cause, but this isn’t all about selling books. I’ll be offering a pretty sweet giveaway to help incentivize people into participating in this endeavor, but no purchases of my books will be necessary to enter and win the prize. If I can’t raise the funds I desire to give to the ACS by selling my books, at least I hope I can be a driving force that gets other people involved in donating to this cause.

Here are my meager offerings:

-1 free entry into my giveaway for each blogger who posts the blitz

-a chance to win an Amazon gift card for participating bloggers

-1 800word, cleaver, and colorful post for your blog

-and a link-back in a post on my blog in tribute to each blogger participating in this blitz

If you are at all interested in this endeavor, please fill out the form at this link. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/11NEXOb_Z2DUzFqlY_XQ9AD5s8apKOSwKqPqW_roz8P0/viewform

I know this isn’t going to be for everyone, so thank you in advance all for your time and consideration. If you like this let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Filed under: BlogHop-Promo Tagged: blogging, book blitz, charity, giveaway

Listography of Toi 11: Dreams

These are the lists that tell my life story. They are in no particular order and some of them are very personal. Please be nice, and if you want to share, I’d be glad to take a look at what you have.

Best Dreams

-Waking up in my dream home, having breakfast before heading to work in my at home office to work on my next book, and stopping around lunch time to make and have lunch with my husband who’s been at the studio working on his next sculpture

-Having enough money to take my whole family to spend the summer in southern Italy

-Saving children from a burning building and everyone coming out unharmed

Listograhy are books and a website dedicated to helping you write or consider your autobiography through the process of making lists.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Filed under: Listography-Top5-MyLife Tagged: author, biography, dreams, hope, life, lists, Toi Thomas