Lauryn April's Blog: April Books, page 16

Review for I Choose to Die by Ksenia Anske

Beautiful Descriptions, But Too Many of Them 

3 Stars. I have somewhat of a love-hate relationship with this book. Ksenia Anske definitely has some talent. She can write beautifully descriptive scenes, and has created unique characters with a storyline that felt new and different. However, too heavy of descriptions weighed down the plot, making this book tough to get through.

Ailen Bright is a rather damaged character. Her mother is gone, her father is abusive, and she doesn’t want to live anymore. I thought Anske handled Ailen’s depression and her feelings about committing suicide well. I understood her thought process and why Ailen makes most of the choices she does. However, she’s a little quirky when it comes to what things she thinks internally and what she decides to say aloud. She makes a number of comments aloud that I thought would have been more likely for her to have just internalized. Also, I didn’t like how she jumped back and forth between trusting Hunter and not trusting him. She seemed a little too wishy washy about that. I do commend her, however, for taking on the serious themes that are in this book and exploring them honestly.

There is some beautiful imagery in this book; I particularly love how the souls were described as sounds. Anske displays some true talent with her writing. However, while the imagery was well written, there was way too much of it. I feel like large chunks of detail could have been cut without affecting the storyline. At one point they were driving through town and there was so much detail it felt like I was being given directions, it was just unnecessary. The excessive imagery makes parts of the book feel drawn out, and overall the pacing feels off. There’s lots of action, but every action is drawn out with heavy imagery taking away from it.

If you’re the type of person who loves lyrical prose and enjoys detailed scenes, I would highly recommend this book. For me, I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Anske, but, this particular book didn’t suck me in the way I wanted it to.

Sneak Peak at "A Different Kind"

Stephen GroeneveldI've been dropping little hints here and there about my next novel (Note the new starry sky blog header). Now that I'm on to my revisions stage of the process I thought I'd take a moment to share with all of you what I've been working on.

I've had a few people asking me if there will be another book in the "Into the Deep" series, the answer to that is...probably, but what I have coming out next is unrelated to my previous two novels.

The next book will be called "A Different Kind" and I'm labeling it a YA SciFi Romance. I was really hesitant to call it Science Fiction, but considering the story revolves around an alien abduction that is technically what it is. At the same time though it's set in the real world, and like with "Into the Deep" I really wanted to ground my supernatural elements in a story filled with characters and a setting that are completely normal.

moominsean"Once again, great job on giving me a story that felt contemporary with realistic issues that were only better highlighted by the paranormal elements." - Beta Reader

As with "Into the Deep" this is another Young Adult novel. However, my main character in "A Different Kind" is very different from "Into the Deep's" Ivy. Payton is a little older, more confident, and she has a very different journey to take than Ivy did.

"I also really love how you always spend just as much time on the friendships as you do the romantic relationships." - Beta Reader

Below is a blurb about "A Different Kind". To see more inspiration art for this novel follow my Pinterest board for it, and check out this post at The Writer Diaries to find out what song inspired a few scenes in this book. The cover reveal will be coming soon!

Back Blurb:


Payton Carlson’s life is perfect, until the night she’s abducted by aliens. Now she’s plagued by pieces of memories from a night that feels as hazy as a dream, and that’s not the only strange thing that’s been happening. When Payton’s neighbor, Logan Reed, who spends every night sitting on his roof staring at the stars, starts to pay extra attention to her, Payton starts to wonder if he knows more about the night she can’t remember than she does. Suddenly finding a date to the Homecoming dance and cheering at the football games aren’t as important as they used to be - especially when the aliens return for a second time.
 

 

Tips for Choosing Character Names and 7 Names to Avoid!

Some writers don’t put a lot of stock into names; they just pick something that comes to mind, something that sounds good. For me, names are incredibly important. I scrutinize over every name as if I were naming my children and not just fictional characters in a book. I look at how many syllables are in a name, at how a name makes me feel, what it makes me think of. Does it remind me of someone I know, of something or some place? Does it sound girly, or masculine, or androgynous, and does that fit the character I want to give it to?

I also look at the names of my other characters in a story. Do I have multiple characters with names that start with the same letter? Will this be confusing for my reader or are they different enough in sound and syllable? In the end I pick my names looking at my book as a whole and not just on an individual character basis.

I also don’t stop with first names. I give all of my characters last names and sometimes middle names, even if I don’t end up using them in the story. Part of this is just to be prepared in case I need to use a last name at some point, but it also makes the characters feel more real. Picking their last names helps me give my characters an identity. It makes me wonder about the heritage connected with their last name, about their family and the place this character came from. I think it helps me write a more well-rounded character.


Some basic rules of thumb I like to follow are:

1. Don’t use similar sounding names for multiple characters. I try to start every (main) character’s name with a different letter to help avoid confusion.

2. Make sure your reader can pronounce the names. Names with different spelling can be fun, but don’t overdo it.

3. Check your name’s origin; does it match your character? Knowing the origin of your character’s name (both first and last) will also help you know the background of your character.

4. Stay away from names that have already been done to death by other authors.


Some names I would avoid include…

1. “Kat” - Katherine, Catherine, Katy, Cat, Katniss, Katsa – The Kitty-Cat sounding names have been around for a long time. You’ll find this character name in The Taming of the Shrew, and Wuthering Heights, but it’s in A LOT of newer stories as well.
-Other Books with “Kat” Characters: East of Eden, Graceling, Halfway to the Grave, Hunger Games, Obsidian, Original Sin, The Vampire Diaries

2. “Damon” – Damon sounds like the ultimate bad boy name, and it’s been popping up in all sorts of forms lately. So avoid all Damon’s, Damen’s, Damian’s, and Daemon’s. This devilish sounding name has been done to death.
-Other Books with “Damon” Characters: Evermore, Marked, Obsidian, The Vampire Diaries

3. “Ari” – This is another name that’s been popular in YA lately. Whether it’s Ariana, Aria or just Ari, this name is everywhere.
-Other Books with “Ari” Characters: Gravity, Paranormalcy, Smokeless Fire, Under the Never Sky, Unwind

4. “Claire” – Claire sounds sweet and innocent. I would expect a character named Claire to be pure, maybe the girl next door. The thing is it’s become the go-to name for this type of character, so I’d avoid this name as well.
-Other Books with “Claire” Characters: City of Bones, Glass Houses, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Unearthly

5. “Will” – Whether It’s William, Will, or Willow, this name gets around as well. Often Will is a secondary character, but this name is still too popular to ignore.
-Other Books with “Will” Characters: Angelfire, Clockwork Angel, Divergent, Slammed, Willow

6. “Lucas” - Again many Luce’s, Lucian’s, Lucas’ are secondary characters, but there’s enough of them out there that you might want to think twice before using this name.
-Other Books with “Lucas” Characters: Evernight, Fallen, Harry Potter, Starcrossed

7. “Jack” – This name was once more popular than it is now, but is still one to take note of. You’ll see a lot more Jack’s in detective or mystery novels than in YA, but the name is still out there, and probably more so than any other name on this list.
-Other Books with “Jack” Characters: All the Rage, Bloodlist, The Hunt for Red October, Killing Floor, The Talisman


Are there other names you think should be on this list? Do you get annoyed seeing the same name over and over again, or are there certain ones you love regardless of how many books they pop up in?

Review for Origin by Jennifer Armentrout

Enthralling, Action Packed, and Emotional

5 Stars. This series has sucked me in and I’ve loved each book more than the last. Origin was no exception. I was really curious about how this story was going to play out after Katie was caught by Daedalus at the end of Opal. With her locked up and Daemon on the outside I was nervous that there’d be good a good chunk in the beginning of the novel where they’d be apart, but I was glad to see that Armentrout quickly brought them back together.

Their reunion and time spent together behind the Daedalus walls is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. This is the steamiest, but also the darkest of the books so far. All of the characters are pushed to do things they never thought they would, but it’s the struggles they go through that make the good moments they have together so much more meaningful. Katy and Daemon really are just rats in a maze at Daedalus and they’re not Daedalus’ only experiment. Armentout has left bits and pieces along the way through the first three books on what Daedalus is really up to, but it’s in this book that we start to see their master plan. You really see how twisted Daedalus is and how the things they do could break anyone. And, when Katy and Damon do escape it’s not without a few scars – figuratively as well as literally. Still, they’re strongest when they’re together and despite everything they go through there’s still hope for them in the future.

Obsidian, Onyx and Opal are all set in Katy’s small town and for the most part the things that happen in those books stay within that small town. The events of Origin however have far reaching affects that are going to bring big changes in the final installment in this series. The events of Origin are not just going to affect Katie and Damon, but the entire world. This ends with an even bigger cliffhanger than Opal did and it sets up a completely different kind of war. I cannot wait for the last installment in the Lux series.

Read my Review for Obsidian
Read my Review for Onyx (Lux #2)
Read my Review of Opal (Lux #3)

Holiday Giveaway! Paperback Books and Amazon Gift Card!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of my readers. With the season in mind I'm hosting a giveaway to win a SIGNED paperback copy of INTO THE DEEP, SIGNED paperback copy of HIDDEN BENEATH, and a $10 Amazon Giftcard! Enter from December 1st to December 10th to win!

One winner will be chosen at random and contacted within 48hours after the end of the contest.








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Holiday Giveaway! Paperback Books and Amazon Giftcard!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of my readers. With the season in mind I'm hosting a giveaway to win a SIGNED paperback copy of INTO THE DEEP, SIGNED paperback copy of HIDDEN BENEATH, and a $10 Amazon Giftcard! Enter from December 1st to December 10th to win!

One winner will be chosen at random and contacted within 48hours after the end of the contest.








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Review for The Time Zombies became the Least of My Worries by Jen Naumann

A Fun and Funny Read

5 Stars. This is the second book in the Boring Life Series. I loved the first book in this series, but it left me feeling a little wanting. This book however picked up right where it needed to and filled in all of those lingering questions. This series has been one of the most fun reads I’ve read in a while. Jen Naumann has created a group of characters that are both fun and witty and at the same time very real.

As usual Emma’s wit and honesty made her an enjoyable character to read about. She still cracked jokes to ease her discomfort, but she’s grown up a lot by the start of this book. It was nice getting to see Emma shine and take charge. Her relationship with Finn was also fun to read about. The two of them are navigating their way through a serious relationship in the midst of all of this chaos and it was interesting watching them trying to be adults and lead this group of misfits, and yet they’re still very much teenagers.

It was also nice getting to see things through Finn’s eyes. The narration is split between Finn and Emma giving you a more rounded view of the story than we got in the first book, and I really enjoyed being in Finn's head. His concern for Emma is endearing and her push for independence shows character growth on her part. She’s not the same girl that developed amnesia when things got too tough. I also liked seeing how the two of them interpreted the same situation differently and it was easy to understand why they fought about certain things and why each of them felt the way they did at certain parts.

This book made me laugh, but it had its sad moments too. Emma and Finn lose some of the people that were closest to them and while I was sad to see some of them go Jen does a good job making their deaths feel necessary and meaningful. Like the first book, this is not your typical zombie storyline. It’s full of surprises. We also find out more about how aliens have played a role in this disaster and meet a few new faces who stir things up for Emma and her friends.

Another thing I loved about this book was that it ended on a happy note. Emma and Finn have lost a lot along this journey, but there is hope for the world to recover from this tragedy.

If you looking for a fun read this series will have you laughing all the way through. I couldn’t put it down and it was a nice break from some of the darker more serious stories I’ve been reading lately.







Read my Review for The Day Zombies Ruined My Perfectly Boring Life (Boring Life #1)

Cover Art: Tips for using Stock Photos

Stock photos seem to be a go to when it comes to designing a book cover. For those of us who aren't talented in the world of photography, stock photos allow us to have quality images at a reasonable price. However, with more and more self-published authors and indie publishers using stock photos in their cover art designs problems arise with the same image making it to the cover of multiple books. So, here are some tips to keep your stock photo cover looking original.

1. Do know what stock images have already been used on covers, and try not to use them. Look through other book covers, especially of those in your genre to see what images have already been used and how they’ve been used. Scan through books on Goodreads and Amazon, and be especially aware of images that have been used more than once already. Check out this Goodreads list to help: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/5051.Cover_Couples?page=1

2. Just because a book is popular does not mean you can ignore rule #1. After Samantha Young hit it big with Penguin, the cover to “On Dublin Street” was being copied over and over again (granted there are many books out there published with this image before On Dublin Street came out, but I noticed a boom in the use of this image after it was released), and it was obvious that authors were trying to cash in on the popularity of that image. But, people will know the difference between your book and the best seller you’re trying to replicate. You don’t want to trick people into buying your book.




3. Stay away from images that are already specific to a certain genre. For example, don't go on a stock photo site and search for an image for your new vampire novel with the search term "vampire". The images you'll find will already be specific to that genre of book making it more likely that someone will recognize it (if the image is used again) because it will most likely be used again in the same genre.





4. Do try and change the image you choose in a way that makes it new and original. Copies are going to happen, especially with millions of books being published every year. The more you can do to change elements of your cover the less likely it will be compared to another book.




These two novels use the same image, but each has a completely different feel.




These two could easily be confused for the same book


5. Don’t be upset if someone uses the same image as you later on. While it may make you feel a little less special it doesn’t mean people are going to stop buying your book. Look at Jennifer Armentrout’s Lux series and Shelly Crane’s significance series. Both feature cover art of the same couple (as a number of other books have as well), both have been fairly popular series’ and neither one has really caused any problems for the other.

Review for Lord of Misrule (Morganville Vampires #5) by Rachel Caine

Felt like Filler

3.5 Stars. What made Lord of Misrule really interesting was getting to see Morganville flipped upside-down. In this book Monica is no longer at the top, she’s at the bottom and everything is backwards from how it was in the first book – but the town is just as scary, if not more so.

Although all of the Morganville Vampire books are told from Claire’s perspective in Lord of Misrule it sometimes felt like Claire was disconnected from the central fight, as if the main character was really Shane or Amelie.

The pace certainly picked back up in this book compared to Feast of Fools, and there wasn’t an overwhelming amount of back story like I felt there was in the last book, but there were still annoying inconsistencies. Also this book felt like Claire was in a constant race. It didn’t really have a rising action, climax, or falling action. It was just kind of constant action. More than half way through I’d only barely seen the bad guy because Claire did so much running around. I did really enjoy how Claire’s relationship with Shane grew, but the overall story didn’t feel as together as the other books.

One thing that was a little frustrating with this book was that a good three or four chapters passed in the beginning where we hear nothing from Shane. He’s not really gone that long, but Caine spends a lot of time taking you through everything that Claire does and sometimes I wished she would have skipped ahead. It also felt like Claire wasn’t as worried about Shane as she was about everyone else. But their relationship does progress in this book with Shane finally saying I love you, and I really enjoyed that.

As for the other characters, I felt like Claire’s parents didn’t really have a point to being in this book and wondered why they even moved to Morganville in Feast of Fools. It felt like Claire pretty much ignored them and they didn’t really do anything to move the plot forward. I did like Oliver in this book. He’s been a complex character from the very beginning and it was nice to have him once again (at least kind of) on the good guy’s side. And, of course I loved Gramma Day.

Looking at this series as a whole this book felt like filler, but I will still continue on with book six. As usual Lord of Misrule ends in a cliffhanger, and this time it’s a big one. It’s not a happy ending, the good guys don’t win, and you’re left wondering if Myrinn has betrayed everyone (again). It’s really rather heartbreaking, but just the kind of thing to make me need that next book all that much more.

Read my review of Glass Houses (Morganville Vampires Book 1)
Read my review of The Dead Girls Dance (Morganville Vampires Book 2)
Read my review of Midnight Alley (Morganville Vampires Book 3)
Read my review of Feast of Fools (Morganville Vampires Book 4)

Writer's Digest Feedback for Into the Deep

Sadly, Into the Deep did not win any awards in the Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards, however it did receive some wonderful feedback from the Judges. I wanted to take a minute to share this with all of my readers, and to remind everyone that there are some wonderful self-published books out there. My budget for Into the Deep was practically nonexistent. I didn't have extensive developmental editing, I had beta readers, I didn't have thousands of dollars to spend on cover art or formatting, I had zero dollars (with the exception of paying my editor). I did have great friends and an amazing editor, Victoria Shockley. That "outstanding" score in grammar is all her. And, even though I'm not going home with a prize I still feel very honored and validated in my craft to have received the feedback I did from the professionals at Writer's Digest.

[Note: If you have not read Into the Deep yet the commentary below does contain spoilers]

Books are evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 meaning “needs improvement” and 5 meaning “outstanding”. This scale is strictly to provide a point of reference, it is not a cumulative score and does not reflect ranking.


Structure and Organization: 5
Grammar: 5
Production Quality and Cover Design: 4
Plot (if applicable): 5
Character Development (if applicable): 5

Judges Commentary*:
I really enjoyed your story.  I got so caught up in it that I didn't notice any mistakes in grammar.  You did a great job of characterization and through Ivy's ability to read thoughts, I think your reader will analyze, then try to understand the types of teenagers and the problems that you describe.  The fact of putting a time limit on the bomb helped increase the tension as the deadline grew near.  Your subplots of the various parents' problems impacting the teens' personalities added a deeper dimension to the story.   I liked Ivy's perceptions of so many of the characters changing when she learned more about their lives and by the end her three shallow friends being redeemed by clearing the crowd from the bombsite.   I didn't realize until the end that this was the first book of the series.  In retrospect, that made your climax even more interesting.  The reader expected Ivy to lose her psychic ability when hitting her head for the second time.  A surprise ending is always good.  I think I remember your foreshadowing Eric being picked on in the beginning of the story, but I couldn't find it again to make sure.  Great if you were able to slip that it so inconspicuously.  Your voice sounded perfect for your target reader and your minimalist sex scenes were great.  I'm glad you had a lot of dialogue to make up for the necessary blocks of text where Ivy was alone with her own thoughts.  The text never felt heavy.  Great subplot conflict with Ivy and Tiana's jealousies.  A good read, well thought out and written for your target reader.  You are a very talented writer, good enough for the major publishers with sales/marketing staff to support your efforts.   It's a tough business; don't give up.  Good luck.

Read more about Into the Deep on Amazon 

Read more about  Into the Deep on Goodreads