Meri Benson's Blog, page 13

Book Review: Twisted Palace by Erin Watt

Author: Erin Watt [image error]

Publisher: Erin Watt

Genre: Contemporary (Coming of Age)

Rating: 4 Stars

The compelling conclusion to Ella and Reed’s story! When book 2, Broken Prince, concluded Ella’s father had arrived at the Royal’s house and Reed had been taken into custody for murder of his father’s fiance!

Like the two books that came before it, I devoured this book – not because it’s a quick read but because I just couldn’t put it down. The pace moved quickly, and before I knew it hours had passed in my real life and the book just continued to suck me in until the very end.

The plot and drama, what would happen to Reed, how Ella’s father survived, why it took him so long to come home, and who the real murderer was kept the story flowing at a fast but not too fast paced. While it gripped me and continued to push me to read it didn’t feel like the story itself moved too fast. Just fast enough, with just enough suspense that I wanted to find out all the answers before I put the book down.

That’s not the only reason I liked this book though, I also liked how everything was brought together at the end. I felt satisfied and happy with the ending as I set the book down, though that also makes sense as it’s the end of this plot and was originally planned for the end of the series. Though, if the author ever happens to decide to publish a new Ella and Reed book, I’ll happily devour them as well.

And while this brings a close on the Ella and Reed trilogy, they did publish a duology that follows Reed’s brother East that I can’t wait to get into!

**NEW RELEASE** – Cocky Dragon Slayer – **NEW RELEASE**

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A new short! That’s right NEW! By me!

Cocky Dragon Slayer

Wanting to prove her worth, Eiliana strives to slay a dragon.

But when she arrives at a town with a dragon that flies over daily, things are not entirely what they seem and her past is far from buried.

Will Eiliana slay the dragon? Will she get eaten?

Only a climb to the dragon’s lair will tell.

This is the first in a small series! You can find the book here for purchase, or free to read on Kindle Unlimited!

**NEW RELEASE** – The Opening – **NEW RELEASE**

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I am pleased to announce the release of a new short story by me!

The Opening

April’s life isn’t where she’d hoped it would be right now. Dead end job that barely makes rent, rent raising so she won’t be able to afford it, no something needs to change. And maybe the interview her friend sets up for her will be that change she desperately needs.

It’s the first in a small series that I’m planning. You can find the book here for purchase, or free to read on Kindle Unlimited!

Book Review: Mated on Hades by Golden Angel

Author: Golden Angel [image error]

Publisher: Golden Angel

Genre: Science Fiction Romance

Rating: 4 Stars

Tarrik, a Hadesian, and Juliette, a human, sign up for Celestial Mates for reasons that do not include hoping to actually find a mate. But Celestial Mates is the best agency in the galaxy for a reason.

Tarrik enjoys his life, flying from planet to planet with his crew as he carts cargo to and from for his parent’s company. It’s a free life and one that lets him see the galaxy. But when his parents decide that he’s more than old enough to start considering settling down, spawned by their own want to be able to travel the galaxy while he stays planetside to run the business, he finds himself agreeing to sign up for Celestial Mates to appease them even if it’s not something he wants.

Juliette runs the wrong side of a very powerful organization as a hacker and needs an escape from Earth as quick as possible, which leads her to sign up for Celestial Mates in a way to get off world and into hiding faster than she had hoped to.

Neither are interested in making it work, but in the mix of everything going on will they find love anyway?

I loved the take on the different aliens that inhabited this galaxy, the author was creative in not just the kinds but also how they inter-mixed and their offspring gained the traits of both parents. I also loved being able to see some of it through Juliette’s eyes since she’d never been off Earth before. It was fun being able to explore that way.

The book passes between Tarrik’s point of view and Juliette’s point of view, and it’s helpful to be able to see where both of them are coming from as they go back and forth in this pairing that’s put them together. Switching between both views gives a good view of Juliette as she slowly integrates into Tarrik’s life and with his crew, how he feels about it and how she slowly starts to see if she can really live this way or not.

I enjoyed the writing and the characters a lot, and I’m definitely interested in reading more from this author in the future.

Breath, Just Breath

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Life needs more naps, so we can all look and relaxed and stressfree as the kitten on this post. I’m just sayin’ that right off the bat. I might be a little biased toward naps right now because I’m currently running around like a chicken with no head while I try to get everything done for the camping festival I’ll be on next week.

I’m not sure how it’s next week, but then I’m not exactly sure how we’re almost done with July either. I don’t feel like I’m getting a lot out of my months in general. Though, stress does tend to do that with things in general.

I was going to say July has been better than June, but I’ve published shorts in both and read a decent amount in both. Though I have read a tad bit more this month than last, almost doubling my read count this July.

With camping next week, I’m not looking to take my laptop with me. Which means all writing will have to be done by hand, in a notebook. I’m thinking of bringing my Festival story with me to see if I can hammer out the last couple chapters to get it a finished draft instead of a WIP. What’s possibly worse is that I’ve got edits on the current twenty chapters that are sitting in a binder on my desk waiting for me to roll through them. But I’d love to finish this one and then roll through edits of both my faerie story and this festival story. So thinking of bringing a printed out copy of it with me camping, and my trusty notebook so I can do a quick read through of what I have and then wrap it up.

I have a couple shorts in the back of my head too but I think I want to try and back burner them for the week and really push to finish this story. It’s been sitting for more than a few months unfinished and I’d love to get it to a point where I can just worry about the edits of it.

I’m just kind of behind on everything and I’m slowly crawling toward catching up with it all. My plan, honestly, is to get caught up on everything by the time I’m back from the camping trip. I know you’re probably blinking and going, but that’s like two weeks away, but honestly, I think with some elbow grease I can do it. I’ve already made a list of what I need to do, and ideally when I’d like it to post so it’s just a matter of sticking to my new schedule to get caught up with everything.

I can do it!

And if you’re behind on anything, just take a piece of paper, breath for a second, and jot down what you’re behind on and what needs to be done to catch up. After that give yourself dates for some of those tasks.

I felt better after writing out and giving myself dates for everything that I felt needed to be done. Because it gives me a plan to work with, and deadlines to know when everything should be done by.

And at the end of the day, just take one day at a time. After all, there are only so many hours in the day but I’m starting to learn – after a lot of being told so by some really good friends – that it’s more manageable when you have a plan and a schedule to live it by. (It just took a while to sink into my stubborn brain)

I’ve been MIA – opps

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[Screenshot provided by both Sea of Thieves for a spectacular game (that’s my character) and my friend Cassandra for her superior screenshot skills]

Ahoy hoy, fair readers!

So I’ve been completely MIA. I didn’t realize I’ve gone and not blogging for so long until I signed on and went wow. It’s been a month. Life has been… life. 

I coordinate and run a festival that is two weeks away, so trying to stay on top of everything for that has kept me super both busy and stressed because unfortunately, I don’t get the help that I really need. I’m not going to go into a sob story regarding what that actually entails or means – partially because I don’t want to dwell on it, partially because I don’t want any pity or sympathy, and partially because I’m trying to continue to move forward despite it and hashing it out would only cause me to backtrack in my thinking.

Though, I will say I had a minor meltdown last Saturday where I basically threatened (to the empty room) that if I don’t get more help for next year that I’m going to resign from being the Coordinator. This came after misplacing 20 registrations and having a minor panic attack of what happens if I never find them because I don’t remember who exactly was in that pack of registrations. The good is I DID find that packet, but the stress of losing them in the first place is still fairly fresh in my head despite being nearly a week after.

I’ve also been writing. I finished a couple books which I completely blanked on totting here, my blog, for all you lovely people to know about. I want to let them have their own posts so watch for those in the next couple days. I’m pretty proud of both, not gonna lie. I also have a slew of reviews I still need to get scheduled and posted, so those should be coming soon too!

June didn’t see me read too much. July has seen more reading – not that it’s been anything on my list which is still active for July. I’ve still got about a week and a half for getting things read and finished. Maybe I’ll see some of my Reading list completed so I can add new books to it. Also on a plus, I finally found my copy of Stalking Jack the Ripper, so definitely looking to get that book read soon.

Aside from writing, I’ve been playing a couple video games in my time away from my blog. Stress relief mostly. What games, I’m sure you’re asking?

Moonlighter is a single player dungeon crawler game where you play the last Moonlighter, the owner of a store in town and one of the only people that the dungeons will open for. So the point is to open the fifth dungeon door, learn about your past, and sell all the crap you get from killing things in your dungeon to better your shop. It’s available for PC/Mac/Xbox One – I’ve been playing it on Xbox One because I can play it from bed. No shame.

Sea of Thieves is a pirate game. The screenshot above is from the game, taken while I was sailing with some friends. You pick your pirate, and then pick your ship and set sail. Will you quest for gold, quest for skulls, or help the merchants collect animals for sale? Well, that’s up to you. The game is stunning, the developers are constantly updating and adding to the game – currently, there’s a two-week event that ends on the 25th to find mermaid statues and destroy them. And on the 31st, the Cursed Sails event is going live. You can sail alone – though you may/will run into other real-life players, or with a crew of up to four people. Cursed Sails will bring skeleton crews (npc’s) to the seas to watch for too and you have no idea how excited I am for the release. It’s available on PC/Xbox One (It’s a Microsoft game so nothing else) and it’s cross-platform. I am constantly playing with my friend on PC from my Xbox.

*Not sponsored, just honest opinions here. But I’d totally recommend trying both if you’re a gamer.

I think that’s in for me for today’s update. New book announcements to come. New reviews to come. I read a slew of shorts that I will probably review altogether in one post – for reasons that will make sense when I post it. And new posts despite me being on vacation in two weeks.

God help me it’s a week of camping. I’m praying to any god that will listen to be kind as far as the weather goes – not too hot and not rainy. *crosses fingers and toes while at it*

Are we melting yet?

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How cute are these bunnies? I came out of my house the other day and they were just chillin’ out.

Of course, that was before the air turned molten and stifling. It’s gotten rather hot around here recently – so hot I ran out to the store to grab a new A.C. unit for my house because the old one, it wasn’t good.

I know I missed last week for a blog post. I have been caught up writing a new story. Several amazing writers have gotten together to write some dragon center stories. To see all the progress and chit chat about it, feel free to check out the hashtag #CockyDragonSlayer on Twitter. It’s been super fun to write, and keep each other pumped and of course the dragon gifs.

I’m working on getting a few reviews written and scheduled. So definitely watch for those!

I don’t mean to be quiet in the grand scheme of everything, but I’m really enjoying the writing of this new story, and I have two other shorts – a wolf and a witch – on the back burner that are being begged tow rite soon as well. All the writing and all the words for me!

There’s not too much else going on with me, past just continuing to try and survive this heat that’s hit the Midwest. Hopefully that cuts out some.

Stay cool, everyone! And make sure to stay hydrated in this heat! And wear sunscreen!

Book Review: The Quirky Hitman by Joelee Mayes

Author: Joelee Mayes [image error]

Publisher: Joelee Mayes

Genre: Satire

Rating: 5 Stars

Dylan Greene is a hitman, one with a special kind of skill set. But no one has ever questioned if Dylan got the job done.

What happens when Travis Baker, Dylan’s old childhood friend, is next on the hit list?

The Quirky Hitman is a cute Satire book based on popular tropes. It’s a short. It’s a cute, quick read that will have you tapping your foot and waiting for more.

I loved Dylan’s snarky humor and creative wit. As well as Dylan’s ability to do the job in a way that is satisfactory to both her morals and the client.

I’m already excited for the next one.

If you’re looking for a fun read, definitely make sure to check this book out!

June Is When…? Now?!

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Can you believe it’s June? I know I can’t! Somehow I’ve missed pretty much life in the last couple weeks. I know I missed my weekly blog last week – and nearly missed it this week though at least I’ve caught it on Tuesday!

This week we cover what I’ve been doing with myself, what stage my TBR pile is in, and where my attention has been in general.

For the first part, I think part of missing last week was because I was prepping for, and then attended a trip to St. Louis. Making sure all is right with the house before I leave, all is right with the fur babies while I’m gone, and that all is packed in my bag so I won’t forget anything before I leave the city for my trip.

My best friend lives out in the St. Louis area, so getting to spend some quality time together, in person and not just over the interwebs means the world to me, and I was glad I was able to make the trip.

The weather was hot. Very hot. But that’s okay. We managed. With lemonade, chicken on a stick, and the shade of a large tree – we managed it.

I also had my Writer’s Group the Thursday before I left so I was rushing to get my submission to them last week too. Not the best, rushing. I’ve already started working on the submission for June’s meeting so I’m hopefully not rushing come the end of the month this time.

Reading wise, it was a little slacked in May. Because of that, I’m moving my May TBR forward to June. What are those books?

The Elite by Kiera Cass
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Chosen by Harlow Thomas & Anastasia James
Daughter of Persephone by Helen Scott
Doppelganger by Alyssa Drake

The books above will be some of my focus to read this month. I’ve also slurged and bought an anthology. It’s huge. Like, 40 authors submitted shorts to the anthology huge. The anthology in question is Cocktales, an anthology that is only running for a limited release (until August).

Why is Cocktales a thing? Well, for the long answer I’d say check out #cockygate on Twitter for the answer to that – just be prepared for the long and deep rabbit hole. But the short answer is an indie Romance author decided to trademark the word Cocky. The result, aside from the anthology, is that a lot of authors – indie and traditional, romance and other genres, have banded together to learn trademark law the best they/we can without being lawyers our selves, to better combat this trademark of a very commonly used word, but also to hopefully stop any other trademark that may surface that is too common in the words department. As an author, words are our bread and butter, our music, our paint. We need them as deeply as the air we breathe. And if you’re wondering, the whole thing started May 4th, or thereabouts and has been going on for the last month (so there’s a lot to dig through), and is currently still ongoing. There’s a Cancelation that’s been filed in the hopes of getting the trademark canceled. But the author in question has also sued two (it was three until the Judge removed one of them from the case) people over this. The case is ongoing – the preliminary hearing was June 1st – and to keep up with how everything is going if this interests you, I’d recommend reading up on #cockygate on Twitter. All new information is being posted there.

And if you’re wondering my stance on the issue? I don’t think the trademark should have been granted. I don’t think the trademark should hold up in court. I do think that this was the overreaching of someone who thought she’d be able to corner the market of a very well used word and has gotten burned in the process. I also think that instead of backing up after being burned, she committed herself to it full flames and stepped into the fire to try and defend her actions – which is only making things worse in the grand scheme of everything.

I will say, well I do not wish the author in question ill, I in no way am under any sort of illusion that she won’t get what she has weaved for herself in this. She’s built herself a house of cards, and while it will be sad, that house is doomed to eventually tumble on top of her.

There’s also that age-old saying, Karma’s a bitch.

Authors have been sharing similar covers (in any genre you’ll likely find a theme that works well for a lot of authors), as well as not only words in titles but words in series or whole series titles. And up until now, no one has ever sued or tried to claim mine over any of it. At the end of the day, you could give the same prompt or title to 50 authors and tell them to write the story they saw for that prompt or title and you would get 50 different stories. Because even if there are surface similarities, we all interpret prompts in a different light, we all have different ideas in our head, different characters in our head, and sometimes completely different worlds in our head. No two stories would come out the same, despite sharing origins or a title. And that’s the beauty of writing. We’re all unique.

There’s a reason why retellings of fairy tales are so popular. Everyone has their own take on it.

But enough on that. I have more editing to do. And more writing. The creative life is never done, merely put on hold! Be magical, my readers. Because every little creative spark you share lights up someone else’s life for the better. And that’s a beautiful thing.

May Pain – The Joys of Chronic Head Issues

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May has not been a completely great month for me. I completely missed posting a blog post last week. And I nearly missed posting one this week. In my area, we’ve had serious storms in and out – which has caused havoc for my basement, but also for my head.

I spent most of last week wearing a hat at work to save my head from the fluorescent lights, ingesting pain meds like candy (pain meds are not candy and do not recommend unless you actually need said pain meds for pain), and trying to focus on keeping myself going. It was a long week, one that had been cut a day short because I actually called in sick one day and stayed burrowed in a blanket cave in a dark room sleeping most of the day.

Chronic head issues? No fun. It’s something I’ve always worked and pushed through but I’ve never had one issue stretch on for over a week. Work was slow, writing and reading were even slower. And sadly I missed my blog last week. But I was able to catch it this week, thankfully. I’m still alive. I’ve got tomorrow off for a small business expo thing – which may only take the morning so I can hopefully spend the afternoon enjoying the warm 70’s and maybe actually get some writing done now that my head has started to clear up.

I will say despite my head, I have been able to crawl along in the short fiction workshop I’ve been participating in. I’ve gotten two of the shorts done so far, and am working on the third. Little 500 word snippets. It’s interesting to sit there and try to concisely say what you want, get the point across, bring compelling characters, and get everything wrapped up decently in 500 words. And when you find yourself like ten words over, trying to figure out where you can cut? Totally not easy, but it really makes you think about your word choices better. It’s been an interesting experience.

An experience I should get back to. That and editing my current WIP!

How is your May going? Hopefully well! Until next time!