Sage Nestler's Blog, page 12
November 9, 2020
Book Review: Horrid by Katrina Leno
Rating: 3/5 (Worth Reading)
Synopsis
From the author of You Must Not Miss comes a haunting contemporary horror novel that explores themes of mental illness, rage, and grief, twisted with spine-chilling elements of Stephen King and Agatha Christie.
Following her father’s death, Jane North-Robinson and her mom move from sunny California to the dreary, dilapidated old house in Maine where her mother grew up. All they want is a fresh start, but behind North Manor’s doors lurks a history that leaves them feeling more alone…and more tormented.
As the cold New England autumn arrives, and Jane settles in to her new home, she finds solace in old books and memories of her dad. She steadily begins making new friends, but also faces bullying from the resident “bad seed,” struggling to tamp down her own worst nature in response. Jane’s mom also seems to be spiraling with the return of her childhood home, but she won’t reveal why. Then Jane discovers that the “storage room” her mom has kept locked isn’t for storage at all–it’s a little girl’s bedroom, left untouched for years and not quite as empty of inhabitants as it appears….
Is it grief? Mental illness? Or something more…horrid?
Quick Take
Horrid by Katrina Leno is a unique, genre-bending novel that explores elements of grief, mental illness, and the dark side in all of us. Each page will have you wondering, is Jane really going crazy, or is what is happening to her something more sinister?
Tell Me More
I am a huge horror fanatic, so when my best friend gave me Horrid by Katrina Leno to read I couldn’t have been more excited. A horror novel with classic spooky elements like a haunted house and family secrets? Yes please! Going into reading this novel I knew that it was directed at a young adult audience so I knew it would be tamer than I usually seek in my horror novels, but I still couldn’t wait to read it. Leno crafted a story that not only includes classic spooky horror elements but addresses mental illness. This just about made my affections for her as a writer go through the roof. Her story kept the reader wondering whether Jane was experiencing a horror experience or mental illness – or both – and I appreciated the element of surprise she included.
Horrid follows Jane and her mother Ruth following the death of her father as they return to Ruth’s childhood home. Throughout the novel, Jane’s mental state is addressed as she begins to uncover more and more of her family’s past, and experiences some psychotic features that keep the reader wondering whether what she is experiencing is a psychotic episode or a classic haunting experience. Leno winds classic young adult themes such as fitting in to a new school and making friends with the unique struggles of mental illness and living in a haunted house to create a one of a kind novel that kept me interested until the very end.
My only struggle with this novel was that the majority of the horror elements were bunched into the last few pages of the book and it felt a bit rushed. The climax of the novel came around the end of the novel as well, and the ending seemed to come abruptly. I wish that the horror elements had been more evenly spaced and some of the events explained more thoroughly, but I do understand the author’s reasoning for piling the horror events up towards the end due to Jane’s progressing unstable mental state.
Horrid is an excellent first horror novel should you be looking to get into the genre. It is tame enough and provides the reader with enough relief to power on through without too much of a scare. If you are a fan of young adult novels you will also love Leno’s take on mental illness and grief. While this novel didn’t become one of my favorite horror novels, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of classic spooky horror! You are in for a few hours to a few days of enjoyment.
November 6, 2020
Book Review: A Homeless Heart by Caren Cross and Jerremiah Stonecastle
Rating: 3/5 (Worth Reading)
Synopsis
A homeless man is brought into the E.R. in a coma from being nearly beaten to death. Dr. Katherine Lehmann, a brilliant surgeon works tirelessly to save his life. Weeks later when he opens his eyes, a fire is started in her heart that was killed during a bitter divorce. Now she must figure out how to introduce her new love to high society, but she must first get past her bigoted father, hanging Judge Daniel Lehmann.
Review
A Homeless Heart is a romance novel by Caren Cross, and eclectic author, Jerrimiah Stonecastle. Having read Stonecastle’s horror work before, I wasn’t sure what to expect when trying out the romantic side of his art; however, I was pleasantly surprised by his pleasurable dialogue and his strong female heroine.
Dr. Katherine Lehmann is a talented surgeon who saves the life of a severely injured man with whom she falls in love. Following a bad divorce, Dr. Lehmann’s heart was closed off, but she reopens herself to love in the weeks following the surgery when the man finally opens his eyes. I found this storyline to be classic, but with a twist, and I enjoyed Stonecastle’s take on class differences and prejudice when it comes to matters of the heart.
My only quip with A Homeless Heart was that the writing seemed choppy at times, and I found myself having to push through in some areas. However, I enjoyed the unique, yet classic storyline and the way that Stonecastle developed his characters and urged them to grow with one another as the story continued.
If you are a romance fanatic, then you are going to adore A Homeless Heart. It provides the reader with all of the classic elements of romance while presenting a dominant heroine who you can’t help but root for. This romance novel and its characters are not to be missed!
HELP NEEDED! Scentsy Fundraiser for LVC
I hope you are having a good day and are looking forward to the weekend!
I am working hard with my best friend Rebecca to get Literary Vacation Club lined up and ready to get in 2021, and right now we are in the process of raising funds to help get us up and running. We have decided to sell Scentsy to try and raise the funds we need to get LVC kicked off, and I am here to ask you to take a look at what Scentsy has to offer and possibly ask you to support our mission by making a purchase!
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We are also looking to expand our team by sponsoring new consultants, so if you are interested in joining Scentsy and making some extra money, please let me know!
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Thank you so much for all of your love and support! It means the world to me. I am so happy I’ve been able to share my love of reading and writing with you all of these years, and I am always amazed by the support I receive. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments!
Much love,
Ashley
November 1, 2020
Holiday Shopping Bonanza
I wanted to take a moment and tell you about some of the new Scentsy products I am selling this holiday season. Selling Scentsy provides me with an income that allows me to keep up this blog and all of my articles, and I would be overjoyed if you would take a moment to look at my site and see if there is anything that you might like. Our scents create the best reading atmosphere and will accommodate any space. I am absolutely obsessed with the quality of our products and I would be happy to help you find the scent that is perfect for you! Feel free to reach out to me at peachykeenreviews@gmail.com if you need anything help!
Thank you for your support!
Ashley
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[image error] Our Scentsy bricks are equivalent to 5 Scentsy bars! They come in a variety of scents, many of which are new for the holiday season. They make awesome stocking stuffers!
[image error]Our hand soaps come in the best holiday scents and they make your hands so soft! I highly recommend them (they make great stocking stuffers as well!)
[image error] On a budge> Check out our gifts under $25! These include numerous bundles for gift giving to multiple loved ones.
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Authors Wanted
Happy November 1, Everyone!
I hope you had a great Halloween. Today I wanted to let you know that my business partner Becca and I are in the process of reviewing books to feature in our book box, Literary Vacation Club, and we are in need of interested authors! It does not cost anything to have your book featured, all we require is a digital review copy of your book and a bulk discount on hard copies should we decide to purchase your book for our box.
If you or anyone you know is an author, please share our author interest form with them! All genres are welcome, as long as there aren’t extensive sexual or violent themes.
Email us at support@literaryvacationclub.com if you have any questions!
Much love,
Ashley
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FILL OUT FORM HERE
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSenaN9QQ32Yr-tei9sZD3GQNJ7bI10XYQ3g0Mu-SFuPaXiJBQ/viewform
October 23, 2020
Literary Vacation Club is Returning in 2021
Happy Friday, Bibliophiles!
I hope you are having a great day and are getting excited for the weekend! I have some super exciting news for you today.
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After over a year of being on hiatus, I have decided to re-open Literary Vacation Club with my best friend, Rebecca Levine. This past year I have been dealing with medical problems, but now that I am getting better, I decided that I wanted to return to my passion of providing you with unique books and gifts, with a new emphasis on self-care. We are also going to have a virtual collective community just for you and all who love using books in self-care! And I am so excited that my best friend is going to join me!
Starting in January we will be releasing review boxes to get started and move on from there.
To get updates of our progress join our newsletter here: www.literaryvacationclub.com
Let me know if you have any questions right now!
Much love,
Ashley
October 5, 2020
The Cipher Blog Tour
Happy Monday, Everyone!
I hope you are having a great start to your week! I am currently healing from surgery so I apologize for not posting very much while I recover. But today I wanted to share with you an awesome new horror book called The Cipher by Kathe Koja! This book is the perfect read as we go into spooky season. I hope you enjoy!
Much love,
Ashley
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THE CIPHER by Kathe Koja
RELEASE DATE: 9/15/20
GENRE: Horror / Dark Fantasy
BOOK PAGE: https://www.meerkatpress.com/books/the-cipher/
SUMMARY:
Winner of the Bram Stoker Award and Locus Awards, finalist for the Philip K. Dick Award, and named one of io9.com‘s “Top 10 Debut Science Fiction Novels That Took the World By Storm.” With a new afterword by Maryse Meijer, author of Heartbreaker and Rag.
“Black. Pure black and the sense of pulsation, especially when you look at it too closely, the sense of something not living but alive.” When a strange hole materializes in a storage room, would-be poet Nicholas and his feral lover Nakota allow their curiosity to lead them into the depths of terror. “Wouldn’t it be wild to go down there?” says Nakota. Nicholas says, “We’re not.” But no one is in control, and their experiments lead to obsession, violence, and a very final transformation for everyone who gets too close to the Funhole.
BUY LINKS: Meerkat Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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AUTHOR LINKS: Website | Twitter
GIVEAWAY: $50 Book Shopping Spree!
GIVEAWAY LINK: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/7f291bd823/?
September 1, 2020
The Nightmare Before Christmas 2020 Scentsy Collection
Happy September, Everyone!
Today is an exciting day, because our The Nightmare Before Christmas Collection at Scentsy has just dropped! The collection includes warmers, wax, and plush buddies of Jack and Sally (of which I am obsessed). I anticipate these items to sell out quickly, so make sure you snag your favorites ASAP!
Let me know if you have any questions!
Much love,
Ashley
[image error] All hail the Pumpkin King! Transform your home into a place of reverence by letting Jack Skellington from Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas rule your spooky setup this Halloween.
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August 4, 2020
Breast Cancer Support Update
I hope you are having a great week. I wanted to update you on something that has happened in my personal life recently.
One of my dear friends just found out that her mother’s breast cancer has come back. After so many years in remission this is completely devastating. Even though they caught her breast cancer early this is still a terrifying diagnosis, and I am asking for your prayers and good thoughts. I am so devastated, and I will be thankful for any positive vibes you can send our way.
In light of this personal trauma, I have decided to sell Scentsy’s Hope Strength and Love Warmer that supports the National Breast Cancer Foundation to try and create love from this personal devastation. Each of these warmers are $50 + shipping/handling and a portion of all proceeds are directly donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation
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If you, or anyone you know, has been affected by breast cancer, please consider supporting this cause. I would really appreciate it if you could share this post and comment on it if possible. I really appreciate all of your love and support. 
August 3, 2020
Alexandra Forever Book Tour
Happy Monday, Everyone!
I hope you are having a great start to your week. Today I am excited to share with you an interview with D.W. Richards, author of the science fiction novel Alexandra Forever 2291 – Book One! This book is FREE on Amazon today, so be sure to pick up your copy ASAP.
Enjoy the interview!
Ashley
An Interview with D.W. Richards
What initially got you interested in writing?
People reacting (positively) to something that I have created. With a slightly different bent and skillset, that desire could just as easily have led to music or visual arts, but I have always been drawn to, and impressed by, great stories and a savvy turn of phrase.
2. What genres do you write in?
Literary and fantasy sci-fi.
3. What drew you to writing these specific genres?
Literary writing brings out the wordsmith in me while fantasy sci-fi opens the flood gates of my imagination.
4. How did you break into the field?
I self-published my novel “Pairs”.
5. What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?
An overall upbeat experience.
6. What do you find most rewarding about writing?
When someone who has read my work recounts a scene or character to me as if I was hearing about it for the first time. That was an engaged reader.
7. What do you find most challenging about writing?
There is nothing about the act of writing that I would say stands out as a particular challenge. This is not to say that the process runs perfectly smoothly all the time, quite the contrary. Sticking points simply vary from day-to-day. In one instance it can be describing a scene to my liking and in the next it can be finding the perfect word or putting together a natural sounding stretch of dialogue.
8. What advice would you give to people wanting to enter the field?
I won’t call it advice. I will label it considerations. 1) Think about whether or not you simply want to be a writer or whether you want to write. There is a difference. Are you prepared to put in the work or are you simply captivated by the notion of being an author? 2) When starting out, pick an easily identifiable genre and nurture it before expanding.
9. What type of books do you enjoy reading?
Well written. I’m not being facetious. I make an effort to keep my reading eclectic.
10. Is there anything else besides writing you think people would find interesting about you?
Nope. My interestingness peaks at being a writer.
11. What are the best ways to connect with you, or find out more about your work?
I welcome being in touch. The central hub is my author website: dwrichardsauthor.com. All my coordinates are there. I also maintain a site specific to the Alexandra Forever Project: alexandraforever.com. On most social media I am @A4EProject.
