Sage Nestler's Blog, page 67
June 13, 2016
Go Indie Now! LGBTQ Pride Box – For Charity
Hello Everyone,
I wanted to update you on a one-time box that we have released to help fight terrible hate crimes, like what happened in Orlando yesterday.
In light of the horrific tragedy on June 12, 2016, we are selling these limited edition boxes that will include one LGBTQ themed indie book and multiple pride and acceptance items. Each box will have a different book and variety of items. No two boxes will be the same, and all boxes will be shipped and made to order. All of our sales from the box will go to help fight these terrible hate crimes, and we hope to spread acceptance and love through this box.
To order, Please Go Here.
Please help us fight these terrible things from happening. This is a cause that is very dear to my heart, and I am sickened by how much hate goes on in our world and in this community. Acceptance is key, and we want to spread that as much as possible.
Much love,
Ashley
Update – 06/13/2016 – 06/19/2016
Hello Everyone,
This week I will be reviewing:
Tangled Web by L.W. Tichy
Updrift by Errin M. Stevens
The Roar by A.M. White
I also wanted to update you all on a new feature that we at Go Indie Now! are starting. Each month, we will be awarding an indie novel that we have read and reviewed that month with a medal for “Excellence in Indie Literature” that can be displayed on their winning novel’s cover, and the winning author will be able to partake in an exclusive interview. That being said, a small booklet will be made with the author’s interview, book information, and bio and the booklets will go out in the monthly Go Indie Now! boxes. We are also going to have a special section of this website highlighting the authors who have won the award, and at the end of the year we will be offering a limited edition Go Indie Now! box that will contain all of the winning novels and author booklets.
*If you are already on my review list, you will automatically be considered for this award. If you want to be considered but aren’t on my review list, please fill out the review request form and mention that you would like to be considered for the award.*
Also, from now on, all of my reviews will include a score card for five different elements in the novels. The book can win up to 5 points in each category, and the scorecard will be listed at the beginning of each review along with the final point value. The five categories are as follows:
Editing
Originality
Artistic Style
Plot Development
Character Development
This will allow me to better assist authors in understanding why I scored their novel the way that I did, and I will also be able to better add constructive feedback for specific elements to the novel.
This is also a reminder that my review list for ebooks is CLOSED. I am booked through October for reviews on ebooks, and simply can’t add anymore to my list right now. Please don’t feel hurt if I have to reject your request because of this, I just can’t promise reviews so far in advance. However, you are free to come back in October and request again! I am, however, accepting physical copies for reviews because my physical review list is much shorter, and I do get to these books quicker than ebooks. This is only fair to the author for putting in time and money to send me the book, so if you would like a review and are willing to send me a physical copy please fill out the review form and I will look over your request.
I hope you all have a great week, and if you have any questions or comments please feel free to email me!
Much love,
Ashley
FOR BOOK REVIEW REQUESTS FILL OUT FORM: Book Review Request Form
IF BOOK REQUEST WEBSITE IS DOWN EMAIL: peachykeenreviews@gmail.com
SIGN UP FOR GO INDIE NOW! MONTHLY BOOK BOX: Go Indie Now!
WOULD YOU LIKE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF MY BOOKS? REQUEST HERE
*Donations are more than welcome and help me to keep my reviews and marketing services free. Please help me to keep my blog going! All donations will receive a gift.*
June 12, 2016
Blaze Publishing – A YA Indie Publisher
Hello Everyone,
I wanted to update you on a newer indie publisher that publishes young adult fiction. I have read and reviewed all of the books that they have released thus far, and have been working with them to include one of their books in the Go Indie Now! Box. They are an absolutely amazing publishing house, and if you are an author of young adult fiction looking for a publisher I would highly suggest checking them out. They look for well written, polished works that send a strong message in any genre as long as it is young adult fiction.
For Submissions Information Go Here
As of 06/12/2016 they are still accepting submissions, and will respond to every inquiry that is emailed. I am amazed by their passion for authors and literature, and haven’t found many other publishers that care as deeply about their authors as they do. If you would like to see my reviews on the titles that they have released so far to get a grip on what kind of stories they seek, check out the links below!
Because I Love You by Tori Rigby – 3/5
ARC – The Carver by Jacob Devlin – 4/5
They can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter:
FOR BOOK REVIEW REQUESTS FILL OUT FORM: Book Review Request Form
IF BOOK REQUEST WEBSITE IS DOWN EMAIL: peachykeenreviews@gmail.com
SIGN UP FOR GO INDIE NOW! MONTHLY BOOK BOX: Go Indie Now!
WOULD YOU LIKE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF MY BOOKS? REQUEST HERE
*Donations are more than welcome and help me to keep my reviews and marketing services free. Please help me to keep my blog going! All donations will receive a gift.*
June 11, 2016
Against the Reign by Dove Winters
Title: Against the Reign
Author: Dove Winters
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis:
Ginny doesn’t want to be queen. Known as the mead-loving, trouble-making princess of Newrock, all she wants is for her beloved younger brother to marry, so he can assume the throne and she can disappear. But when tragedy befalls her kingdom and pushes the crown into her hands, she’s forced to face her worst nightmare. Surrounded by betrayal and the threat of death, her only thought is to save her brother–even if it means giving herself over to the enemy.
Review:
Against the Reign is such a powerful novel, and I absolutely loved it. I have not found myself so excited about a novel in quite some time, and I appreciate that this novel gave me that excitement about reading that I haven’t felt in quite awhile. The world that Dover Winters presented to the reader was vibrant and alive, and I felt as though I had fallen right into her novel.
First off, Ginny is a perfect character. She is a princess, but she doesn’t act like one. I loved how rough and tough she was,and how she defied the traditional fictional princess stereotype. I immediately wanted to be friends with Ginny because she felt so raw and real, and that is something that I always look for in a novel. I also admired her strength to take her responsibilities seriously when she needed to, and this passion was purely infatuating.
But what stood out to me about this novel the most was Dover Winters’ writing itself. Her descriptions were absolutely perfect and not overbearing or leaving much to be desired. She clearly had a firm grasp on her setting, story, and characters, and I didn’t once doubt her novel planning or writing talent. I honestly couldn’t think up anything that I would change about this novel, and that is a big success in my book; especially since I am a critical reviewer. I would gladly read this novel over again just so that I could revisit the characters as though they are old friends of mine. I didn’t want this novel to end, and I will definitely be following Dover Winters and reading anything else that she releases. Her writing is flawless, and I hope she only continues to grow with her work. If you are looking for a fantastical novel with strong characters and an exciting plot, then Against the Reign is the one for you!
FOR BOOK REVIEW REQUESTS FILL OUT FORM: Book Review Request Form
IF BOOK REQUEST WEBSITE IS DOWN EMAIL: peachykeenreviews@gmail.com
SIGN UP FOR GO INDIE NOW! MONTHLY BOOK BOX: Go Indie Now!
WOULD YOU LIKE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF MY BOOKS? REQUEST HERE
*Donations are more than welcome and help me to keep my reviews and marketing services free. Please help me to keep my blog going! All donations will receive a gift.*
June 10, 2016
Davenport House 2 by Marie Silk – 5/5
Title: Davenport House 2: A New Chapter
Author: Marie Silk
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis:
The family saga continues in this sequel to Davenport House, resuming where the first leaves off in the spring of 1915. The family and servants must face their fears amid love and jealousy, grief and moving forward, and threat of imminent War with the World. The restructure of an upper class family affects all who live on the Pennsylvania estate. 22-year-old Mary Davenport stays occupied with modernizing the house, but insecurities arise when she develops romantic feelings for the first time. A wealthy socialite persuades one of the ladies to join her on a voyage aboard the exquisite Lusitania. Handsome Ethan is forced to move into the mansion after a fire destroys his home. Tensions rise as Davenport House enters a new chapter with more challenges than anyone is prepared for.
Review:
Davenport House 2 is the sequel to Davenport House by Marie Silk, but I have to admit that I ended up liking this sequel even better than the first book! Usually this is not the case, but I just loved seeing the characters that Silk created in the first book come to life and grow along with America in the time period. I love the Progressive Era focus, and Silk created a beautiful plot that worked perfectly with her chosen setting.
In the first book, the only thing I critiqued were the excessive descriptions; but in this sequel Silk clearly streamlined her writing to perfect it in order to give the reader the correct balance of setting, description, and plot. I didn’t have anything to critique with this sequel, and I found myself unable to put it down. Throughout the book I felt myself growing closer to the characters with each passing page, and I wanted only the best for them. Being able to carry characters so effortlessly from one novel to another was outstanding, and I was amazed by how Silk urged the reader to grow their connections to the characters instead of losing care for them which does often happen for me when it comes to sequels. I am a sucker for Historical Fiction when it is done properly, and I don’t think I have found a better series set in the Progressive Era that captures the time period as well as Silks’ novels do. I am so excited that she plans on having multiple novels in this series, and I plan on reading every single one of them. Her novels give the reader the best possible literary escape, and I am pleased with the fact that this series would be a good series for those who aren’t sure if they like Historical Fiction to pick up. It is the perfect series to convert a reader to becoming a Historical Fiction fan, and I highly recommend her novels to anyone. Her writing is effortless while being serious and artistic at the same time, and I was blown away by her imagery and clear tone. She is one of those rare authors whose talent jumps right off of the page, and authors like her only come around once in a lifetime.
FOR BOOK REVIEW REQUESTS FILL OUT FORM: Book Review Request Form
IF BOOK REQUEST WEBSITE IS DOWN EMAIL: peachykeenreviews@gmail.com
SIGN UP FOR GO INDIE NOW! MONTHLY BOOK BOX: Go Indie Now!
WOULD YOU LIKE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF MY BOOKS? REQUEST HERE
*Donations are more than welcome and help me to keep my reviews and marketing services free. Please help me to keep my blog going! All donations will receive a gift.*
Author Interview with Angela B. Chrysler
Hello Every0ne,
Today’s featured author interview is with Angela B. Chrysler, the author of The Tales of the Drui series and her personal memoir, Broken. Angela is also the creator of Brain to Books, a website that helps independent writers everywhere, and the Brain to Books Con, which is a virtual book convention for writers all around the world. I personally had a booth at the con this past April for my writing, and it was such a great way to reach out to new readers and meet other authors! Go Indie Now! Book Box is also now a partner with Angela for the Brain to Books Con.
On July 1, 2016 the second book in Angela’s series, Fire and Lies (Tales of the Drui Book 2) by Angela B. Chrysler – 4/5, is set to release, and Angela will be hosting a release party on her Facebook page! I hope you enjoy our interview with her and check out her work for yourself. She is quite a powerhouse, and I admire everything that she has accomplished.
Author Interview with Angela B. Chrysler
What made you want to become a writer?
The ideas in my head. I have always had so many of them I just had to write. I started when I was eight. I wrote fan-fiction for the Terminator. But I didn’t consider that writing at all. The story was taken from me in school because I was writing instead of working. I never did get it back. I piddled again when I was in my teens, writing only to unload the ideas in my head and try to clear the clutter. I decided to take my writing seriously when someone asked for one of my poems to frame on their wall. After that, I wanted to be published.
Have you always written fantasy, or do you write across different genres?
I write across several genres. I write whatever ideas come to me and hate the limitations of genre writing. Genre is a marketing tool only for readers to find you. I don’t conform my ideas and writing to genre. I am currently working on a post-apocalypse satire called “Zombies From Space… and Vampires,” a Gothic Romance series called “The Letters,” my Epic Fantasy Winter and Ash (Tales of the Drui Book #3), and “Nameless,” a Science Fiction Dystopian idea I have. I also have two children’s books written, but unpublished.
Broken is a book with autobiographical content, but also fictional elements. Did writing it with fictional elements make it easier for you to write?
It really isn’t Fiction. This is the hardest thing for people to understand about Broken and Dissociative Disorder. When you are that dissociated, it isn’t fiction. When I wrote it, I really was in Ireland with William. I did talk to Ian, Erik, Angel, and Raven. They were there. I could see them, smell them, hear them. I did touch them. There was one day when I was at my worst, I was driving on the wrong side of the road here in New York. This was when we realized I shouldn’t be driving until I was better. I swerved to the right side of the road and said, “I forgot! I’m not in Ireland!” My daughter asked, “Have you ever been to Ireland?”
I was once mentally there so clearly, that I was. I picked up their accent, their mannerisms, colloquialisms, and apparently, their traffic laws. No. Writing with fictional elements did not make it easier because there are no fictional elements. It all was very real. No parts of it were fictitious.
Think of Don Quixote. If Don Quixote had written his own story… and if he had been a real man…, you would read about the castle where he met his lady Dulcinea. You would read about the four-armed monster, and how he battled the Knight of Reality. That doesn’t make his tales any less real. It only changes the perspective.
What was your purpose in writing Broken?
To get answers. I needed to know what I wanted and to do that, I needed to know who I was… what I had become. I needed to review my past. When I wrote Broken I only needed to know, “Do I really want to throw this life away and become a hermit?” I wrote Broken to review everything I had seen, done, lived through. It was in the completion that I found a new perspective. I realized just how insane I had become in trying to cope with everything that had happened to me. I realized I was seriously messed up and needed help.
I published Broken in hopes that others would learn from it… and based on the emails I receive from readers, they are.
When it comes to your fantasy series, do you connect to your characters as though they are real people?
Yes. Completely. That is the beauty and devastation of Dissociative Disorder. It was in the writing of Dolor and Shadow and Fire and Lies that I sank so deeply into Dissociative Disorder. I spend years in Norway until I was unable to come back to this world here. Kallan is real. Bergen is real. Was real… Were real. Once.
Who is your favorite character in your Tales of the Drui series?
Bergen. Beautiful character. Insanely complex… and mouthy. He is so much fun to write.
How many books do you estimate will be in the Tales of the Drui series?
I am currently, and finally, sitting down and drafting up the entire series in detail. After this outline, I will have a definitive answer. For now, I say six at least.
What do you hope readers will get out of your writing?
I want, so desperately, to revive the old style of writing derived only from classic literature. There is an art to writing that many are unaware of. Writing has a rhythm to it. Words can breathe. And to tell that story—a good story—within the confinement of that rhythm…
Shakespeare found it. Edgar Allan Poe found it. Tolkien occasionally stumbled upon it with lines like, “With whips of flame they smote asunder the webs of Ungoliant.” Stunning. Simply stunning. Many would call that purple prose. That term is used too loosely.
Too many authors today just push out quantity and not quality. “Write fast. It doesn’t have to be good.” Harper Lee would strongly disagree. I have found precious few authors who execute the ability of gorgeous writing with great story. I would love to contribute to that. It is the beautiful words complimenting an epic story that stick with me the strongest. Those are the lines I commit to memory or mark in my book. I write for the reader who shares my appreciation.
Is writing an escape for you?
Absolutely. Not just in the everyday sense, but in the medical sense. Escapism is a coping method used by trauma survivors. I did use my writing to run away. Yes. I’m doing much better now, though when I submerge myself in the writing, some days it is very hard to re-ground myself for lack of practice.
What made you become so passionate about indie authors and publishing?
I have a deep drive to help others and I realized there was a serious lack of organization and answers available to authors starting out. Brain to Books was and is designed to help all authors. The majority of authors out there today just happen to be indie authors. Ultimately, I adore the business side of publishing and marketing and have done all I can to share my knowledge with others so they don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
Can you tell us a little about how you came up with the idea for Brain to Books?
I was ready to publish, and, after spending seven years researching and writing, I walked into a bombshell when I turned to publishing. The overabundance of information on writing suddenly vanished when it came to publishing. It was like the well of information dried up, or I had been suddenly warped from a lush jungle to a desert. Answers were hazy and scarce. It took hours to find an answer on what should have been simple, and even then, the answer came with multiple contradictions. It was ridiculous. The internet was one large garbled mess. So, as I sorted through everything, I stored my findings on Brain to Books: a website I built separate from my author site so as to not bog down my readers with how-to on writing and publishing. Six months later, I hosted the First Annual Cyber Convention to help my own book promotion. When the event attracted hundreds of authors, I decided to take Brain to Books more seriously and developed it into a business.
What is your advice for aspiring authors?
My advice has always been and will always be endure and persevere.
Visit Angela B. Chrysler Online
Official Site
Amazon Author Page
Goodreads Profile Page
Twitter
Facebook
Google+
Dolor and Shadow (Tales of the Drui Book #1) Official Page
Fire and Lies (Tales of the Drui Book #2) Official Page
Broken Official Page
New Release Feature – Fire and Lies by Angela B. Chrysler – Releases July 1, 2016
Hello Everyone,
I am pleased to announce that Peachy Keen Book Reviews is a host for the amazing indie author, Angela B. Chrysler! Her next book Fire and Lies comes out July 1, 2016 and we are helping her spread word of the release and the events surrounding the second book in her Tales of the Drui series. Her genres of choice are dark fantasy, alternative history, and psychological thriller/memoir.
Author Bio
Angela B. Chrysler is a writer, logician, philosopher, and die-hard nerd who studies theology, historical linguistics, music composition, and medieval European history in New York with a dry sense of humor and an unusual sense of sarcasm. She lives in a garden with her family and cats.
While writing, Ms. Chrysler snuggles her cats and survives on coffee, Guinness, and the writings of Edgar Allan Poe who strongly influences her style to this day. When she is not writing, she enables her addictions to all things nerdy, and reads everything she can get her hands on no matter the genre. Occasionally, she finds time to garden, mother her three children, and debate with her life-long friend who she eventually married.
*.*.*
Her first novel, Broken, is a dark memoir and was released on September 11, 2015.
Book Blurb:
“And Death it calls as the stone crow breaks. Streaks of blood malform its face. Death becomes its withered eyes and the shadows whisper, “Lies.”
When a young journalist, William D. Shaw, seeks out Elizabeth, an acclaimed author, in hopes to write her biography, the recluse grants him twenty-four hours to hear her story. What unfolds are events that teeter on the edge of macabre and a psychological thriller.
Together, they descend into the bowels of psyche and examine her past filled with neglect, rape, abuse, torture, and pedophilia to explore the psychology of a human being who has lived her entire life without love, comfort, family, physical contact, affection, therapy, or medication.
As William tries to understand Elizabeth’s decisions to embrace an isolated life, he witnesses Elizabeth’s multiple mental conditions that send her spiraling into the worlds of her psyche all while toggling the lines of insanity. Broken takes you inside the mind of a trauma survivor while one survivor relives the memories that resulted in her mental conditions. Experience what BPD and PTSD is like from the inside.
*.*.*
Angela’s dark fantasy series, Tales of the Drui, is her main series and the first book in the series, Dolor and Shadow, came out on May 31, 2015.
Book Blurb:
“As the elven city burns, Princess Kallan is taken to Alfheim while a great power begins to awaken within her. Desperate to keep the child hidden, her abilities are suppressed and her memory erased. But the gods have powers as well, and it is only a matter of time before they find the child again.
When Kallan, the elfin witch, Queen of Lorlenalin, fails to save her dying father, she inherits her father’s war and vows revenge on the one man she believes is responsible: Rune, King of Gunir. But nothing is as it seems, and the gods are relentless. A twist of fate puts Kallan into the protection of the man she has sworn to kill, and Rune into possession of a power he does not understand.
From Alfheim, to Jotunheim, and then lost in the world of Men, these two must form an alliance to make their way home, and try to solve the lies of the past and of the Shadow that hunts them all.”
*.*.*
AND NOW FOR THE MAIN EVENT!
FIRE AND LIES – Book 2 in the Tales of the Drui Series
“I was there at the core buried deep within the earth where the Seidr dwells. But something was wrong, very wrong, and I can’t find the words to call it by name.”
Blood waters the fields of Alfheim. War rips across the land of usurped kings and elves. The Fae gods draw near, and Queen Kallan’s strength is tested as she follows King Rune into Alfheim. But the Shadow Beast caged within Rune’s body writhes in hunger, and Kallan’s newest companion, Bergen the legendary Berserk, is determined to end the conflict with her life.
As the witch, the king, and the berserk come together, the truth buried within the past resurfaces. Now, Kallan must master a dormant power or watch her kingdom fall to the Fae who will stop at nothing to keep their lies. Fire and Lies (Tales of the Drui Book #2) picks up right where Dolor and Shadow left off, concluding one chapter of Kallan’s life as the next chapter begins.
*.*.*
We did receive an ARC for Fire and Lies and our review for it can be viewed here.
We invite you to use the pre-order button below to pre-order the book on Amazon. However, make sure that you do read Dolor and Shadow first!
https://read.amazon.com/kp/card?asin=B011AX4T02&preview=inline&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_y0FpxbEF3017Q https://read.amazon.com/kp/card?asin=B00VXB916Y&preview=inline&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_hWFpxbCN43SC3
June 9, 2016
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes (SPOILER) – 3/5
Title: Me Before You
Author: Jojo Moyes
Rating: 3/5
Synopsis:
They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . .
Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.
Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.
A Love Story for this generation and perfect for fans of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?
Review:
Me Before You is a novel that has been taking over the internet of late, mostly due to the fact that a movie adaptation of it has just been released. It was because of this hype that I decided to pick the book up, despite the fact that I am a sucker for tragic romances; however, as soon as I turned the last page I tried to convince myself that I had missed something because I didn’t feel the connection to this novel that so many other readers have. But to my defense, this book has been compared widely to The Fault In Our Stars, and in some cases even better than The Fault In Our Stars, and this novel just did not meet up to my expectations. In my opinion, these two novels aren’t comparable whatsoever. There is a difference between a disease that is killing a character, and a character who wants to go through with assisted suicide. Not to mention that John Greens’ and Jojo Moyes’ writing style are one hundred percent different.
If we look at Jojo Moyes writing itself, it is clear that she is a clean, proper author. She doesn’t over describe and clearly has a strong grasp on the reality of her characters. Not once did I question the validity of her characters, and this is a very valuable comment coming from me because I can be very nit picky when it comes to character development and likeness. But even though Moyes’ characters were realistic and practically jumping off of the page, her plot lacked in terms of predictability.
Now, let’s forget the fact that the ending of this book (and the movie) has been spoiled for most of its audience. But even if I didn’t know the outcome of this novel I could have guessed it from page one, and I did. The ending to this novel is not good, and I think that Moyes cheated her readers out of a proper ending. I know that she wanted to be realistic when it came to Will and his needs as if he were real, because no one can change a suicidal person’s mind if they are so deep in a depression that no one else’s opinion can overcome their own. But when it came down to it, Will’s relationship with Louisa was not romantic. He did not give her a chance and decided that she wasn’t good enough for him to want to live. He was selfish and didn’t give her a chance to show him a better life. Will was too proud to accept the life he had been given, and while I do empathize with his disability and its affect on his mental state, his character was too brutish for me to like. He did not treat Louisa well when she was his caregiver (having been a caregiver myself I know how aggravating it can be when those who you are caring for don’t treat you well) and instead of urging her to do more with her life, I felt like he broke her. She put her heart and soul into trying to change his mind and save him, but he just pushed her away in the end. I don’t see Will as a differently abled character, I see him as a proud, dominant man whose personality is not likable. The entirety of this novel was a different take on the “woman trying to change a man” story line, and that story line is not one that I am fond of.
Now, with that all said, I did enjoy the side characters in this story. I thought that Louisa’s relationship with her family was endearing and not something that I see much in literature, or real life for that matter, anymore. They were so supportive of Louisa, and I thought that it was heartbreaking that she was the sole source of income for her family. I think that this did play a big part in why she stayed working with Will, and that is very understandable. Louisa in herself was a strong female character who marched to her own beat, and I did love that. Her character is brilliant, but in the end she jumped out of one oppressive relationship (with her boyfriend Patrick) and into another (with Will). I can admire how she did seem to become more independent after knowing Will, but through the majority of their relationship he verbally abused her and belittled her and because of that form of abuse I cannot idolize or admire this novel. In the end, I hate to say it, but it sent a bad message. Women shouldn’t be taught to learn how to change men, no matter their abilities, and I hope that isn’t the idea that is being taken away from this novel by young women everywhere.
FOR BOOK REVIEW REQUESTS FILL OUT FORM: Book Review Request Form
IF BOOK REQUEST WEBSITE IS DOWN EMAIL: peachykeenreviews@gmail.com
SIGN UP FOR GO INDIE NOW! MONTHLY BOOK BOX: Go Indie Now!
WOULD YOU LIKE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF MY BOOKS? REQUEST HERE
*Donations are more than welcome and help me to keep my reviews and marketing services free. Please help me to keep my blog going! All donations will receive a gift.*
Fire and Lies (Tales of the Drui Book 2) by Angela B. Chrysler – 4/5
Title: Fire and Lies (ARC Review =Release Date is July 1, 2016)
Author: Angela B. Chysler
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
Blood waters the fields of Alfheim. War rips across the land of elves and usurped kings. The Fae gods draw near, and Queen Kallan’s strength is tested as she follows King Rune into Alfheim. But the Shadow Beast caged within Rune’s body writhes in hunger, and Kallan’s newest companion, Bergen the legendary Berserk, is determined to end the conflict with her life.
As the witch, the king, and the berserk come together, the truth buried within the past resurfaces. Now, Kallan must master a dormant power or watch her kingdom fall to the Fae who will stop at nothing to keep their lies.
Fire and Lies (Tales of the Drui Book #2) picks up right where Dolor and Shadow left off, concluding one chapter of Kallan’s life as the next chapter begins.
Review:
If Angela B. Chrysler can be described as anything, she can be described as an author with a fantastical imagination. The world she has created in her writing is complex and profound; however, when reading her work I felt that she was always keeping information over the reader’s head and I felt, at times, as though I had been left out of some big secret.
Fire and Lies is the second novel in the series, “Tales of the Drui”, with Dolor and Shadow being the first book. Both are written in the traditional epic fantasy style, which is a nice treat when compared to the more contemporary fantasy style that seems to relate more to real life than it whisks you away into a mystical world. However, Chrysler’s series is packed with mythology and medieval elements that become too complicated when intertwined, and while I enjoyed her setting the confusion I encountered when faced with this packed storyline put a damper on the joy that I received from my reading experience.
In fantasy novels such as this one, it is important to have a full cast of characters set in a broad setting, and while Chrysler did have both I found that she put more effort into her setting and background than she did in character development. This, in turn, hindered any attachments that I could have formed with her characters. Her writing and story do have massive potential, but all in all I found that she rushed the process of character and plot development in order to get straight to building up her background and setting. If this novel, and series, were to be reworked and constructed in a different manner I am sure that it would excel. Chrysler has massive potential, but she needs to work on understanding how to better connect with her audience and escape the world that she has created within her own mind in order to let others in. Based on the way this novel is now, I feel like an outsider looking in; but if the writing were tweaked a bit to expand on the characters and allow the reader to understand more of the story, I think that this series would end up being more of a four dimensional experience than one dimensional. It needs that all encompassing factor that is crucial in epic fantasy novels, and then it will soar with flying colors.
FOR BOOK REVIEW REQUESTS FILL OUT FORM: Book Review Request Form
IF BOOK REQUEST WEBSITE IS DOWN EMAIL: peachykeenreviews@gmail.com
SIGN UP FOR GO INDIE NOW! MONTHLY BOOK BOX: Go Indie Now!
WOULD YOU LIKE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF MY BOOKS? REQUEST HERE
*Donations are more than welcome and help me to keep my reviews and marketing services free. Please help me to keep my blog going! All donations will receive a gift.*
Author Interview with C.L. Schneider
Today’s featured author interview is with author C.L. Schneider! I first came across her work when I won the Fantasy Jackpot at The Brain to Books Con and she sent me her trilogy of The Crown of Stones. Since then, her series has become one of my favorite series of all time, and I am just in love with her writing! I hope that you love finding out more about her through our interview, and think about picking up her trilogy as well!
From a land long-divided by prejudice and fear, comes the story of Ian Troy, a magic-user bred for war. Reviled for their deadly addiction to magic, Ian’s people suffer in slavery. Drugs suppress their wills and their magic. Their once great empire lies buried, lost beneath the sand and a thousand years of secrets—until Ian unearths the Crown of Stones. Ignorant of its true purpose, Ian wields the circlet’s power and brings peace to the realms, but at a terrible price.
A decade later, scarred and guilt-ridden, Ian has rejected his heritage and his magic. Old enemies have resurfaced and new ones have risen to seize the Crown of Stones. Unwittingly drawn into the conflict, Ian’s addiction reawakened.
Caught in a web of obsession and lies, Ian returns to the past to save the future in a time-spanning journey fraught with loss, betrayal, torture, friendship and love. His beliefs and convictions, his knowledge of magic and history are challenged as Ian unlocks the mysteries of The Crown of Stones. Despite devastating personal consequences, he clings to a hope for peace. But how much is he willing to sacrifice? How much burden can he carry? And how far can a man fall before he can’t rise again?
Visit C. L. Schneider’s Amazon Author page http://bit.ly/CLAmazonPg where The Crown of Stones series can be purchased in paperback and for Kindle.
Author Bio
Born in a small Kansas town on the Missouri river, C. L. Schneider grew up in a house of avid readers and overflowing bookshelves. Her first full-length novel took shape in high school, on a typewriter in her parent’s living room. Currently residing in New York’s Hudson Valley Region with her husband and two sons, she spends her days torturing characters, overdosing on coffee, and waiting for the zombie apocalypse. C.L. Schneider writes epic and urban fantasy for adults, as well as the occasional sci-fi or post-apocalyptic story. Her trilogy, The Crown of Stones, is an adult epic fantasy that follows the trails of Ian Troy, a man born with an addiction to magic. To subscribe to her newsletter, read reviews, excerpts, and more, visit her website at clschneiderauthor.com, where you can follow her journey as a self-published author on her blog, “Heading Down The Yellow Brick Road”.
Connect with C. L. Schneider on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Google+, and follow her Amazon Author Page for release updates, recommendations, and more.
Author Interview
What is your first memory of writing?
I have a lot of memories of writing when I was a child. I would write scripts for my favorite TV shows, news reports, poems, commercials, short stories. But the memory that stands out to me the most is one where I not only wrote the story, but I also illustrated it, and designed the cover.
I was young, definitely elementary school. The story was about a squirrel. The pictures were my own hand drawn scribbles of squirrels and trees, with woodland animals and scenery. When I was finished, I took the pages and stapled them into a cardboard ‘cover’. Then I glued fabric on the cover and decorated it. I came across it a couple of years ago in a box in my basement. I still remember how proud and accomplished I felt when it was done.
Do you write only fantasy, or do you like playing with other genres?
I write mainly epic and urban fantasy. There are occasionally some sci-fi elements woven into my stories. I enjoy the supernatural/paranormal and post-apocalyptic slant. There is so much you can do with fantasy. The possibilities are endless.
What is your advice for aspiring authors?
I always answer this one the same way, with the advice I wish someone had given me a long time ago.
Write every day. It doesn’t have to be large chunks of time. For years I mistakenly believed that if I didn’t have hours to devote, why start. Then I learned. I started squeezing it in every free minute I had, and my writing improved. The more I wrote, the more improvements I saw, the more confidence I gained. It also taught me to fall in and out of the story quickly-a must when you have kids at home!
Even if you only write a paragraph and you throw it out tomorrow, just write. Flexing your creative muscle day in and day out makes a difference. It helps you find your voice.
•Don’t keep your stories to yourself. Ignore the doubt and seek out feedback. You need an honest critique, not only from someone who reads in your genre, but someone who doesn’t. I wrote only for myself for years because I didn’t think I was good enough. It was only after I broke away from that fear and let someone read my work that I was ready to move forward with publishing.
Don’t isolate yourself. Connect with writers, readers, and everything in between as soon as possible. Don’t wait until your book is published, or until you have a website. Get out there now. Twitter, Facebook, a writer’s group, wherever. Share your ups and downs, your accomplishments and frustrations. Writing is beautiful and painful, and often it’s both at the same time. Many authors (published and non-published) are in the same boat, and it’s no fun sitting in it alone, especially on the days when the water’s rough! I’ve made some great connections through social media, as well as some cherished friends. The inspiration and push I get from interacting with them always gives me a lift.
•Leave your comfort zone. It’s nice and safe in there, but nothing will ever happen if you don’t step out.
Believe in yourself. Don’t undervalue what you’re doing. You’re not ‘aspiring’. If you write, you’re a writer.
Read. Don’t stick to the genre you write in, read across all genres. Get a feel for how a story goes together, for how other authors handle plot, scene structure, etc. It’s okay to emulate other authors at first. If you keep writing, your own style will emerge.
How did you get your ideas for The Crown of Stones?
The Crown of Stones trilogy was mostly inspired by my creation of the main character, Ian Troy. I love reading flawed characters. They feel so much more real and interesting to me. In fact, the more flawed they are, the more emotions they incite in the reader. Gallant white knights and perfect super heroes are fine. But I’m more intrigued by what’s underneath the armor and the mask. What trials and tribulations did they have to endure to earn their rank? What past mistakes or secret desires are they hiding behind their mask?
When I created Ian, I knew his story would revolve around magic. That he would be flawed and suffering, yet bold and strong, valiant yet broken. I thought the best way to create and explore a tortured character was to make his greatest strength (magic) also his greatest weakness.
Around that time, I discovered the stories of Jim Butcher and Simon R. Green. I loved their snarky characters and how they handled first person. Even though I’d read plenty that warned me against writing in first person, it was always my favorite, and their books gave me the push to write Ian’s story that way. In the beginning, the working title was The Amethyst Crown. I’d always wanted to do something that revolved around this beautiful chunk of amethyst that had sat on my bookshelf for years. But as the story expanded to include other stones, so did the crown, and the title. I knew a little about crystal healing and thought the idea of the energy/auras of a stone was a good basis for a magic system. Once the story took off, that’s where the bulk of my research was. Every stone and every spell used in the Crown of Stones books can be traced back to the concepts of metaphysical health and crystal healing/magic. I simply tweaked, expanded, or flip-flopped their uses for my own.
What do you hope that readers will take away from your writing?
Though I do call attention to some relevant issues and themes in my stories, I’m not necessarily looking to impart any life lessons. My goal when I write is to make my readers feel. Reading should be an adventure. I want them to be entertained and immersed, to have fun, to live the good and the bad through my character’s eyes. If I can take a reader on an emotional rollercoaster, making them feel the beauty and the ugliness of the characters and the world that I’ve created—make them laugh, hold their breath, get angry—then I’m satisfied I’ve done my job. It’s an amazing feeling when someone tells me they have a book hangover after finishing one of mine, or months later they tell me they still miss my characters.
What I want them to take away from my writing is memories.
How long did it take you to finish the first draft of The Crown of Stones?
That’s a hard question to answer. When I started the first draft I was pregnant. I didn’t get far before my oldest son was born. After that, my writing was all done in fits and starts. At this point I wasn’t ready to jump into the publishing world. I was still more or less writing for myself with the dream of ‘someday’ I’ll publish. My thought was: when we’ve finished having kids and they’re in school, this will be my new career. It was what I’d wanted since I was 16. But while the creative urgency was there, I didn’t feel any real pressure to get it done. Going from managing five offices to being a stay at home mom was a new challenge that kept me very busy. I would sneak my writing in when I could, thirty minutes here, 10 minutes there. A lot of it was done in a notebook. It was portable and I could jot down my thoughts whenever they struck. On the more demanding days, I didn’t get to write at all. The farther along I got in the story, the more frustrating that became. Then my second son was born.
All in all it took years to finish the draft. Then I rewrote it about a half dozen times. I lacked confidence and feedback, and it wasn’t until I finally let someone read the story that I seriously devoted myself to what I’d wanted to do all my life: turn my passion into a career.
Do you feel close to your characters, as though they are family?
I definitely feel close to my characters. Now that The Crown of Stones trilogy is wrapped up, I miss Ian and the gang every day. I’m not sure I would call them family, though. I’ve heard people refer to their characters as their children, but that’s not quite an accurate description. I feel more like they are a part of me, especially Ian. There are many times when I’m struggling with something, whether it’s physically or emotionally, and I think to myself, Ian wouldn’t give up. It may sound silly, but his stubbornness actually gives me a push.
Do you use writing as an escape from reality?
At one time I did see writing as an escape. In fact, it probably was for most of my life. But the switch flipped once I wholly devoted myself to it. Now, writing is my reality. I actually have to escape from it now and then. Seriously, I grow roots. Just ask my friends who are constantly trying to pull me away from my desk!
Do you think that being an author is a great way to get messages across in your writing?
Absolutely, I do, if that’s the author’s goal. Words have power. In the right hands, they can be a great motivator and a great influencer. If a story is done right, if it’s strong enough and it resonates deeply enough with someone, it can have a lasting impact on their life.
What are you currently working on?
My current work in progress is an urban fantasy entitled Nite Fire. It’s the story of Dahlia Nite, a half-dragon shapeshifter from Drimera, a parallel world very different from our own. Many years ago, Dahlia’s emerging empathic abilities interfered with her job as an assassin. She failed her Queen and was condemned to die. Being half human (and able to shift into human form), she fled her home for the only other world where she had a hope of blending in: ours.
Nite Fire is set in the fictional Sentinel City. Already a hot-spot for the unexplained, when a series of brutal killings disguised as spontaneous combustion strike the city, Dahlia knows the killer is one of her own kind. Dragged into the investigation, Dahlia teams with a human detective to solve the case, while struggling to maintain the lies that have kept humanity in the dark for centuries; believing myths and legends were just that.
As Dahlia searches for the truth behind the murders, the bit of peace she’s found in this world starts to unravel. Nite Fire is the first book in a series.
FB https://www.facebook.com/CLS.Author
Twitter https://twitter.com/cl_Schneider
Google+ https://www.google.com/+CLSchneider
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomCLSchneider
Amazon Author Page http://bit.ly/CLAmazonPg
