Sage Nestler's Blog, page 49
February 10, 2017
Cooking with Dice
Hello, Everyone!
I am extremely excited to announce that Jennifer from one of my favorite shops, Adventurescents, is now producing her own cookbook line for gamers, or those who like to add some spice into their cooking life! Her new cookbook The Acid Test is a classic RPG (role playing game) that takes place in the kitchen and involves cooking food with different acids instead of heat. It is a cookbook based on food science, and I love how she adds science to the kitchen and mixes it with a gaming component for a completely original cooking experience.
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That being said, she is starting a Kickstarter project for her first cookbook soon and she needs your help! I will update you when the Kickstarter goes live, but in the meantime, please go here for more information about her fantastic new line of cookbooks and her original ideas as a gamer and someone who loves to cook.
I am also in the process of reviewing and cooking from her cookbook so I will update you all as I delve deeper into Jennifer’s fantastic cooking adventure!
Much love,
Ashley
February 8, 2017
Writing Tip: So You Want to Build a World – Part 1
Hello, Everyone!
So starting today and going through the next four weeks, I will be hosting a 4 part series on world building! World building is one of the most important parts of writing a story, and over the next four weeks, I will be helping you master the art of world building by creating worlds that are not only believable and accurate but consistent as well. The beauty of world building is that you don’t have to be a fantasy, science-fiction, etc. author to partake in the art, and every story has its own level of world building to have a proper setting for its plot. With that being said, let’s begin with a solid foundation to get you started!
World building can be an intimidating task if looked at in its entirety, but it doesn’t have to be treacherous from the get go. You can break world building down into simple sections, and by breaking up the tasks it won’t be as overwhelming.
To begin, I would like to discuss the first section of world building.
Every “world” needs a firm ground that it can build up from, so to speak. This is why that you need to start by creating the framework for your world as soon as possible. One of the biggest flaws that authors seem to have with world building is that they don’t remain consistent with the laws and regulations of their world. The logic of their created world becomes muddy and increasingly unbelievable. But if you note all policies, regulations, and rules that apply to your world from the beginning, you will be less likely to mix up important details and confuse the reader.
The best way to begin organizing your world is with 5 different activities to get all of your ideas on paper. These activities can be done over 5 days, or slowly completed over the course of a few weeks. What you need to do is either keep a notebook (my personal favorite) or create a folder on your computer that will contain all 5 of these files for you to reference back to. To begin, create a different page or document for each of the following categories:
Landmarks (Major buildings, natural landmarks, etc. that are important to your world)
Survival (What do your people eat? What do they do for a living? What is the purpose of their town or place of residence?)
Characters (Which characters play a big part if your world? Government, city officials, etc.)
Laws/Rules (Which rules and/or laws make up the framework of your world?)
History (What is the history of your world? How did it come into existence?)
If you create in-depth documents or pages based on these different topics, you will create a wonderful framework for your world so that you won’t have any inconsistencies involving the basics of your world. You will also be able to build up from these simple details and create a vibrant setting to pull your reader into. I hope that this first exercise will help get you started, and look out for the second exercise next week!
Much love,
Ashley
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February 4, 2017
To the North by K.H. Leigh
Title: To the North
Author: K.H. Leigh
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
Everyone gets lost in the Wood that surrounds the village to the North. Everyone, that is, except for Annabelle Knopp.
But the Wood contains secrets even Annabelle doesn’t know. When the body of a stranger appears on the steps of the church, the quiet village gets thrown into turmoil. People begin to disappear, the trees stir with long-forgotten magic, and a dark force rises in the Wild.
With her home in danger, Annabelle must embark on an unforgettable journey to an unknown world, to save the people she loves from the shadow that threatens to consume them all.
And something in the Wood is watching.
Review:
To the North is a wonderful mix of folklore, mystery, and fantasy brought together by a very talented author. K.H. Leigh’s work reads like a fairytale that has been around for centuries but is surprisingly fresh all at once. Leigh’s work presents a rich storyline that does not contain any inconsistencies and wraps up the story beautifully. The layout of her book is just as beautiful as the writing itself with short chapters and beautiful folk designs throughout, and I couldn’t help but tear through this book. At no point during the novel did the story lag or become dull, and it held my attention beautifully.
To the North centeres on the main character of Annabelle who ends up having to fight a darkness and what lingers in the Woods to save her family and those that she loves. This element of darkness adds a bit of suspense and horror to the story, while also bringing forth a powerful heroine that will stop at nothing to protect those that she loves.
Leigh’s poetic writing style brings her characters and setting to life, and by the end of the novel, I found myself missing the life that To the North brought, and I had a hard time reminding myself that the story was indeed only fiction.
If you are looking for a well developed suspenseful fantasy, To the North succeeds on so many levels. My only critique is that some of the sentences were run on, but it didn’t take too much away from the story.
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February 2, 2017
The Women in the Walls by Amy Lukavics
Title: The Women in the Walls
Author: Amy Lukavics
Rating: 3/5
Synopsis:
Lucy Acosta’s mother died when she was three. Growing up in a Victorian mansion in the middle of the woods with her cold, distant father, she explored the dark hallways of the estate with her cousin, Margaret. They’re inseparable—a family.
When her aunt Penelope, the only mother she’s ever known, tragically disappears while walking in the woods surrounding their estate, Lucy finds herself devastated and alone. Margaret has been spending a lot of time in the attic. She claims she can hear her dead mother’s voice whispering from the walls. Emotionally shut out by her father, Lucy watches helplessly as her cousin’s sanity slowly unravels. But when she begins hearing voices herself, Lucy finds herself confronting an ancient and deadly legacy that has marked the women in her family for generations.
Review:
I first came across Amy Lukavics’ work when I picked up her novel, Daughter’s Unto Devils. That novel originally drew me in because it was marketed as “Stephen King writing Little House on the Prairie”, and that concept couldn’t have been a more perfect fit for me. However, that novel fell short in many ways, and I am sad to say that The Women in the Walls did exactly the same thing.
Lukavics comes up with some great ideas for horror novels, but her writing is dull and unimaginative. Even though her novels are generally short, they take me a long time to get through because they simply do not catch my attention. It is obvious to me that Lukavics tried to stay as mild as possible since her novels are in the young adult genre, but with such young adult horror novels out as The Merciless, it should be known by now that young adult horror novels do not need to be dumbed down. In short, this novel might be a good novel for young adults who are new to the horror genre and want something mild to start out, but for seasoned horror fans, it is not very remarkable.
With that being said, let me begin my analysis.
The main character in The Women in the Walls is a young girl named Lucy whose mother has died, and she now lives in a house with her father, aunt, and cousin. She ended up being closer to her aunt than her own mother, and her cousin has problems with her because of this. It is through this relationship and the presence of the large house that seems to encase secrets and dark events that I found Lukavics was clearly drawing from V.C. Andrews’, My Sweet Audrina. Lucy even has the same strained relationship with her father that Audrina had with hers, but the only difference is that Lucy is a cutter and deals with her family in that way. But where Andrews’ Audrina was mysterious and mystical, Lucy ends up being self-centered and dull while she watches multiple deaths occur in her house and she does nothing to try and stop it.
I don’t want to give too much away here, but throughout the novel, we follow Lucy as she thinks about things endlessly and tirelessly repeats herself over and over as she tries to understand what is going on around her. While those around her are slowly falling into madness, she seems to be going mad herself, but the intrigue of this concept is not present in the novel. Instead, the writing becomes strained and unsure of itself as though Lukavics were trying to write a story that someone else told her to write. Even though this novel does present a lot of death and gore, the scare factor isn’t present. And I don’t know about you, but I would choose the scare factor over gore any day of the week.
Even though the premise of this story is intriguing, Lukavics’ language was unremarkable, her characters were flat. Her loose ends were also not woven into the story properly by the end. In my opinion, this novel reads like an unfinished piece of work that is trying to be a V.C. Andrews novel, and if only it were re-examined and re-structured, it would have more of a chance.
Keep improving Amy, I have faith in you.
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Writing Prompt – Week of 01/31/17
Hello, You Beautiful Bibliophiles, You!
I hope you are having a great week! This week’s writing prompt is going to be quite a fun one, so here you go!
To complete this week’s writing prompt I want you to look at your Facebook feed, your email, or any of your social media. Look at who the first three posts or emails are from, and those three people, businesses, or pages are going to be the subjects of your story!
Now, here is the catch. Your story featuring these subjects MUST NOT be set in present times. It either has to be set in the past, the future, or in an alternate universe or planet. Be creative with this one! It doesn’t matter if your story is realistic or not, just use your imagination and see what comes of it. This story can be one page or fifty, just go with whatever inspiration hits you!
As always, let me know if you need any help or have any questions! I’m excited to see what you come up with 
January 29, 2017
J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World Crate – January Box Review
Hello, Everyone!
I am very excited to share with you today my Wizarding World Crate that I just got in. I bought this box back in November, but since it was bi-monthly and I didn’t get in the time frame for the November box, I ended up getting the January box instead, and I am so glad that I did.
Loot Crate recently released this new bi-monthly subscription box based on the wonderful world of Harry Potter, and being the huge Harry Potter fan that I am, I had to pick one up for myself. The box presents licensed merchandise from the Harry Potter universe, and Loot Crate creates some of the items themselves to bring you one of a kind products.
As I mentioned before, this box is bi-monthly. This means that you receive a box every 2 months, rather than every month, and the box is $34.95 +shipping/bi-monthly. This box does sell out fast, however, so if you are interested in getting it, I highly suggest that you pick it up as soon as you can! You can purchase your very own box here.
And now, onto the good stuff!
Upon opening the box, you are greeted with a scroll that outlines all of the items included in that month’s box. I love the detail that goes into this item list, and it is an item list that I will be keeping. I particularly liked the descriptions of the different items and the fact that most of the items were created exclusively for the box.
[image error]Each loot crate comes with an exclusive t-shirt, and this month’s t-shirt was of Severus Snape with the classic “After all this time? Always” quote. Severus Snape is one of my favorite characters of all time, and I about cried when I saw this shirt. It is absolutely perfect, and by far my favorite item from the box. Also, you can never have enough Harry Potter t-shirts.
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The second item included were these Hogwarts Express socks. They are almost knee high and I love how classic they look. I am always a sucker for socks, so this item was a winner for me.
In this month’s box, there were multiple jewelry items included. The first jewelry item was this Deathly Hallows pocket watch. Pocket watches are one thing that I love collecting, and this item was perfect. I was pleasantly surprised that the inner watch was as intricately designed as the outer cover, and the quality is extremely good.
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The next jewelry item included was this time turner necklace. I have to say that this was my least favorite item in the box because the time turner looks a bit cheap and it looks nothing like the classic time turner necklace. I have a couple of time turner necklaces myself, and this one just falls too much on quality for me. It is on a black cord and I’ll probably just use it as a bookmark.
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The last jewelry item included was this prophecy pin. Like the pocket watch, it is very high quality and I adore how unique it is. I have never seen a piece of jewelry that resembles this landmark in the Harry Potter series, and I will be pinning it to my book bag.
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The last item included was a Yule Ball Hermione Granger Pop Figure. I collect Pop figures, so I was very excited to receive this one! I only have Severus Snape and Hagrid otherwise, and it was nice to receive a figure that I didn’t have. However, I am sure that many other Harry Potter fans received duplicates because these figures are so common with collectors. That is the only criticism I have with including this item since it is so popular otherwise.
Overall, I was very impressed with my first Wizarding World Box! I thought that it was well worth the money, and there was only one piece in the box that I could have done without. I think that this box is worth it for Harry Potter fans as long as you don’t avidly buy Harry Potter merchandise otherwise. That way you won’t run into the possibility of receiving duplicate items, and you will receive some items that you might not have found otherwise!
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January 28, 2017
Waking the Merrow by Heather Rigney
Title: Waking the Merrow
Author: Heather Rigney
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
In 1772, angry Rhode Island colonists set fire to a British ship, sparking the American Revolution. Taxation without representation was a motivator. So was the vengeful, man-eating mermaid who had it out for the commanding officer. That was then. This is now. Mermaids, or merrow, still hunt in Narragansett Bay, but these days they keep a lower profile. At night, centuries-old Nomia seduces smutty frat boys, lures them into icy waters, and feeds them to her voracious kin. By day, she and her half-breed daughter attempt to blend in at the coastal Village Playground. But Nomia slips up. She makes a friend. Then she makes that friend disappear, and someone notices. Thirty-something Evie McFagan just wants to make it through working motherhood. But she’s a blistering stew of issues—snarky alcoholic and a friendless funeral director who just witnessed Nomia dismembering a guy at the nearby yacht club. When Evie believes a mermaid stole her baby, who will help? The merrow of Ireland? Or maybe anti-hero Evie will surprise everyone, including herself, and summon the strength to save her own family. Intertwining the stories of two primordial families with the colonial history of Narragansett Bay, Waking the Merrow is a dark historical fantasy.
Review:
Waking the Merrow is a novel that breaks the mold of any genres that it claims to be. It is a dark historical fantasy, but it is also a humorous horror novel. Before reading Waking the Merrow, I had never seen mermaids presented in a darker light. Apart from Harry Potter, mermaids have often been depicted as angelic creatures. But after reading Waking the Merrow, I will never see mermaids the same way again.
Heather Rigney does a fantastic job of incorporating Rhode Island history along with fantasy elements, and I enjoyed learning about the Irish background of those who immigrated to Rhode Island. Rigney incorporates that historical relevance with modern day inhabitants of Rhode Island and manages to create a version of the mermaid that you have never seen before. The mermaids in her novel feed on the living, and it is exactly that which raises suspicions in the coastal village where the main character, Evie, lives.
But what is even better about Rigney’s work is that her main protagonist if more of an anti-heroine because she is a drunk mother who is crass and unapologetic, and that is something that I always love to see in a character. Evie is my new spirit animal, so to speak, and I loved her witty humor and banter with her husband throughout the novel. Rigney mixes humor with horror perfectly, and I think that readers who don’t enjoy horror would indeed enjoy this novel. Waking the Merrow breaks the current mold of the dark fantasy and horror genres, and it is a breath of fresh air because it does not fit in with other current trends in the market. I am always on the lookout for novels that stray from the pack and are written just for the joy of it, rather than to just make a buch, and Waking the Merrow more than delivers. If you haven’t already picked up this novel, then please drop what you are doing and buy it right now.
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January 23, 2017
The Fell Blog Tour
Hello, Everyone!
Today I am honored to present to you a newly released novel titled The Fell by Lyndsey Harper. Enjoy!
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Lyndsey is a brilliant author you’ve likely never heard of, Superwife, and award-winning mother living life in leggings in the expensive and overcrowded state of New Jersey. She is fluent in Spanglish and Sarcasm and enjoys watching Arrow, Supernatural, Psych, and The X-Files repeatedly. You can find her either in the grocery store buying laundry detergent, Tylenol, and cat litter, hovering near her Keurig coffee brewer, or shaking her fist at the heavens in front of her computer. Occasionally, you may spot her on the beach or out shopping (when she actually has money to spare). However, you should avoid approaching her at such times as she is likely enjoying a rare moment of relaxation and can become moody if interrupted. If you decide to engage her during any one of these activities, approach with caution and a sizable cup of Starbucks in hand to avoid any ill effects.
Social Media Links:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorlyndseyharper
Twitter: @lyndseyiswrite
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lyndsey-Harper/e/B01MRWEM9W/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Author Interview
Please tell us your name and a little bit about yourself: Hi! My name is Lyndsey Harper, and I write dark fantasy. I love stories with magic and grit. I’m a wife, a mom, and I work in a theatre when I’m not writing.
Please provide the link to your blog (and website, Facebook fan page, Twitter, etc.):
My Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorlyndseyharper
My Twitter: @lyndseyiswrite
How many books have you written? Officially, “The Fell” is my first piece, but I’ve written six other fan fiction novels unofficially.
Has any of your work been published yet? If so, please share the link(s) to purchase it:
My debut, “The Fell,” comes out on January 18th! You can purchase at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NCHQ1DR
If you have been published, did you self-publish or use traditional publishing? Why? If you have not been published yet, what are your plans for the future? I am fortunate enough to have a publishing contract through Crimson Edge Press. For quite a while beforehand, I was convinced I would self-publish because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go the traditional route or not. I know me, though – I work better with deadlines made by people other than myself, so I think traditional publishing was meant to be.
How old were you when you started writing? When did you know you wanted to be an author? I have been writing ever since I can remember. It started with a newsletter I wrote each month for my next-door neighbor about my pet rabbit, and then turned into poetry, fan fiction, songs, and eventually original work. I didn’t always want to write, though, despite my natural inclination toward it. My mother saw my future in writing well before I did. When I was younger, writing wasn’t glamorous enough for me. I thought it would be a boring career choice. Can you imagine, writing as a boring occupation? (LOL) It wasn’t really until high school that I embraced writing fully.
What would you say motivates you to keep writing? The first is my daughter. Plenty of times, she’s actually a writing “hindrance,” so to speak. Still, my writing as an adult started full-swing when she was first born, and I keep going to show her that she, too, can achieve her dreams with hard work. Secondly, the characters themselves keep me going. If it’s not a character I’m familiar with that’s bugging me, it’s a new one waiting to be written. There are people in my head, and they won’t be quiet.
January 22, 2017
Owlcrate Review – January Box
Hello, Everyone!
Today I am going to review the January Owlcrate box, which was under the theme “Classic Remix”. I was extremely excited for this box because I was already pretty sure what the book was going to be, and it was definitely on my anticipated reads list. I guess I should start this post by saying that there is a big SPOILER WARNING that goes along with this post because I will be discussing each item included in the box in depth.
Now, is that all understood? Are you turning away if you don’t want to be spoiled? Alrighty then! Let’s continue.
Owlcrate is a monthly young adult book box that includes 3 – 5 bookish accessories along with a newly released young adult novel. The box is $29.99/month+shipping and each month is based on a certain theme. Owlcrate is probably the most infamous book box out right now due to its success, and it is a great box for those who prefer more goodies than books. You can order your own personal Owlcrate here.
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This month’s “Classic Remix” box was centered on classic fairytales and novels, and it was mostly centered on Phantom of the Opera.
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The first item included was a button with the month’s theme design on it. Owlcrate started including buttons for each individual box a couple of months ago to be used as collectibles to show off your Owlcrate pride, and I think that they are quite cute. I will definitely be putting it on my book bag!
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The box also came with an advertisement for a new book by Marissa Meyer as well as a product list card and a card revealing the theme for the next month’s box along with a spoiler. I personally adore the graphics that Owlcrate uses, and I always end up keeping these inserts to be used as bookmarks.
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The first main item included in the box is this watercolor bookmark by Lexy Olivia. It features a quote by Slaughterhouse Five, and while I do think that it is cute, it just seems kind of flimsy to me. Usually, these types of bookmarks come in a plastic covering to preserve them, but this one was just thrown into the box. I wish more care had gone into packaging it because I didn’t even think that it was one of the ticket items. It just looked like a promotional item to me.
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The next item included was this loose tea by First Edition Tea Co. based on The Little Prince. I always love a good tea, and the mint and rose theme of this tea really made me excited. It also goes well with the theme!
Shop First Edition Tea Co. Here
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Another item included in the box was this bookish soap bay by Teasoapbooks. It is based on The Secret Garden and smells of white tea and berries. It smells amazing and I will definitely be using it up. It is probably my favorite item in this box!
The next item included was this literary 2017 calendar by Obvious State. It features artwork with quotes from different classic novels and it is really cute. I like how compact it is, and even though I have a lot of calendars, I will be hanging it on my wall.
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The last item included in the box was this Phantom of the Opera magnet by Sweet Sequels. The art is pretty cute, but the magnet itself is very flimsy and again, it just feels like a promotional item.
Overall, I was very underwhelmed by this month’s box. I felt that a lot of the items felt cheap and just thrown together. I love the book choice, but I know that Owlcrate can, and has, done better. It just seems like they may be putting more of their time and effort into their new Owlcrate Jr. box as this point in time. Hopefully, next month will be better!
January 20, 2017
Dark Diary by P. Anastasia
Title: Dark Diary
Author: P. Anastasia
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
Worlds collide when a young woman with a dark past encounters a young man with an even darker one. More human than vampire, Dark Diary is a quaint, sophisticated romance detailing the accounts of two lovers who have paid the ultimate price…
Forbidden romance in the vein of classics like Wuthering Heights, frosted with the seductive allure of the original Dark Shadows, Dark Diary documents a pair torn apart by time. The story is told by a 400-year-old immortal and a 21-year-old modern-day artist.
He’s haunted by guilt over the passing of a friend and lover–the daughter of an English Baron in 17th century Ireland.
She’s tormented nightly by visions of her own untimely death. Together, they find solace by sharing secrets beneath the light of the moon.
From the author of the Fluorescence Series, this timeless, genre-crossing love story with supernatural undertones, will capture your heart and never let go.
Review:
Dark Diary is one of those special novels that takes two different genres and bends them together to create a completely original story. It is both a dark fantasy/horror novel as well as a romance, and it couldn’t be a more perfect fit for me.
The premise of the novel involves a vampiric love story, but it is filled with tragedy and dark emotions that immediately draw you in. Many times I find that these vampire novels are overdone, but that is not the case with Dark Diary. It is one of a kind novel that brings out the horrific nature of the vampire as well as a romance that will become trapped in your heart and stay with you forever.
P. Anastasia writes with a hand similar to classic authors such as Jane Austen. Her detailing is not overdone, but it does draw you into the story and let you experience it for yourself without forcing you to see the plot or characters a certain way. She presents vampires in a way that separates them from humans to show that even though they do come from humans, they are an entirely different species. Her simple descriptions for this are remarkable, and they demonstrate the pain of dying and the human condition within a creature that has escaped humanity altogether.
“In all art, there is passion,” he clarified, pressing the lid of the box closed. “And there is no passion in what we are.”
Overall, Dark Diary is clearly a hidden gem of the literary world and it needs to be read. If you are a horror fan or a romance fan, you will love this book. It is a breath of fresh air.
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