Sage Nestler's Blog, page 67
June 10, 2016
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.
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
June 8, 2016
Scarlett Epstein Hates it Here by Anna Breslaw – 3/5
Title: Scarlett Epstein Hates it Here
Author: Anna Breslaw
Rating: 3/5
Genre: Teen/Young Adult Contemporary
Synopsis:
“Meet Scarlett Epstein, BNF (Big Name Fan) in her online community of fanfiction writers, world-class nobody at Melville High. Her best (read: only) IRL friends are Avery, a painfully shy and annoyingly attractive bookworm, and Ruth, her pot-smoking, possibly insane seventy-three-year-old neighbor.
When Scarlett’s beloved TV show is canceled and her longtime crush, Gideon, is sucked out of her orbit and into the dark and distant world of Populars, Scarlett turns to the fanfic message boards for comfort. This time, though, her subjects aren’t the swoon-worthy stars of her fave series—they’re the real-life kids from her high school. Scarlett never considers what might happen if they were to find out what she truly thinks about them…until a dramatic series of events exposes a very different reality than Scarlett’s stories, forever transforming her approach to relationships—both online and off.”
Review:
What confused me about this book was that I ate it right up because the writing was so witty and enjoyable, but after finishing the book I began to realize that the storyline was not complex enough and how the female protagonist was rather unlikable.
Now, there are young adult books that don’t connect to the audience whatsoever, and then there are young adult books that try too hard to connect to the audience and end up overdoing it. This book is that of the latter, if you can’t tell from the words used in the synopsis already.
It is true that author Anna Breslaw did connect well to the teenage fanfiction community, because this community is a huge part of today’s teenagers’ lives. But while her writing was witty and hysterical at times, I found that the main character was too self-absorbed and saw herself as better than those around her. She even judged her “in real life” friends frequently, which forced me to continue to stray from liking her. In general I do not like people who look down upon others, and not being able to escape that type of person in literature disappointed me. I found Scarlett to demonstrate the “hipster” type that so many people dislike, and even if she does come off as a stereotype, I still couldn’t find myself liking her; however, I am aware that I am well above the desired age of this book’s audience, and I do think that if I were a child in middle school today I would have found this book enjoyable. I remember connecting to books like this before I reached the age of the main characters, because I idolized them. But from an adult perspective, I found Scarlett to be obnoxious and unaware of the world going on around her. She looked down on people her age, and this hypocritical nature is not good for people her age who will be reading this book. I wouldn’t want to feel like a character in a book, or an author, is looking down upon me, and if I were Scarlett’s age and reading this book I think that I would feel insulted.
Overall, Breslaw’s tone and writing style is genius. She keeps you wanting to read more, and I absolutely loved her dry sense of humor; however, her protagonist was unlikable and I felt that her writing seemed to look down upon her audience, rather than connect with them. I don’t recommend this book for the older audiences, but I do think that middle schoolers will benefit the most from this book when compared to other audience ages.
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June 7, 2016
Don’t You Dare Let Anyone Take Away Your Story
Hello Everyone,
I have been working with a lot of authors lately who have just been breaking my heart, and I felt it necessary that I wrote an inspirational post to try and counteract what I have been hearing.
So many times in today’s harsh writing market, authors are torn apart and treated as lesser if their story is not something that a certain reader or critic likes, and this leaves the author feeling as though they are lesser of a person or an artist. Well, I say that is bull shit, because every author deserves to love their writing and their stories, and don’t you dare let anyone take that away from you.
It is true that many times writing is seen as more of a business than an art, but I don’t think that is right. As a writer, you don’t need to try and prove to anyone that you are good at what you do or that your imagination is valid. Remember why you started writing in the first place, and I can almost guarantee that it wasn’t to try and prove yourself to anyone. More often than not, you started writing for yourself and the pleasure that it brought you. Your story is valid, your story is art, and no one can EVER take that piece of your soul away from you. Sometimes readers forget that books ARE a piece of an author’s soul, and by criticizing the story in a negative light that isn’t helpful but damaging, they are emotionally wounding the author.
Therefore, my point with this post is to remind all of you authors out there that you are important and that your stories ARE vital. Everyone may not love your book, but you aren’t writing for everyone. You are writing for that one person who feels alone and turns to books for comfort. You are writing for that one person when they come across your book and find that it filled a hole within them after reading it. But more importantly, you are writing for yourself and the void inside of you that writing fills. Writing is therapy, your stories are golden, and don’t you ever let any one person tell you that your writing or story doesn’t matter; because they do. They matter to me.
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June 6, 2016
Because I Love You by Tori Rigby – 3/5
Title: Because I Love You
Author: Tori Rigby
Rating: 3/5
Synopsis:
“Eight weeks after sixteen-year-old Andie Hamilton gives her virginity to her best friend, “the stick” says she’s pregnant.
Her friends treat her like she’s carrying the plague, her classmates torture and ridicule her, and the boy she thought loved her doesn’t even care. Afraid to experience the next seven months alone, she turns to her ex-boyfriend, Neil Donaghue, a dark-haired, blue-eyed player. With him, she finds comfort and the support she desperately needs to make the hardest decision of her life: whether or not to keep the baby.
Then a tragic accident leads Andie to discover Neil’s keeping a secret that could dramatically alter their lives, and she’s forced to make a choice. But after hearing her son’s heartbeat for the first time, she doesn’t know how she’ll ever be able to let go.”
Review:
If I had to use one word to describe this book, it would be this: stereotypical.
Now, I know that this novel was well intentioned. The author was adopted herself, and she wrote a story about a teenage girl who gives up her baby for adoption; HOWEVER, I can’t count how many times I have heard a story about a skinny, blonde haired, blue eyed, cheerleader who gets pregnant at sixteen. But to put a cherry on top of that story, she gets impregnated by a football player who happens to be her best friend! Not to mention the fact that they were both supposedly virgins before they slept together. It is true that getting pregnant the first time that you have sex is possible, but does it have to happen in every teen pregnancy story out there? When reading this book, I felt that I already knew what was going to happen and it is not good when a reader knows what will happen in a novel before they get past the first chapter.
However, I am certain that Tori Rigby’s writing is experienced and beautiful. Her similes and metaphors are poetic, and it was clear to me that she was a talented author from the first chapter; but in terms of story her writing was lacking. This was a shame, because the story put a damper on the writing skills that she does possess. Based on the story itself, I felt as though any writer could come up with the plot, and I wouldn’t have been able to pinpoint the author had I been asked to guess who they were. If she had strayed farther away from the stereotype that is seemingly set in stone when it comes to teen pregnancy, I would have enjoyed this novel much more. I didn’t feel close Andie, the main character, because I felt that she was too perfect and whiny a lot of the time, and that is what started my disconnect with the novel. Andie seemed as though she were more immature than her peers, and I felt it strange that she found such a bond with a guy she had dated for only a month two years before the story took place. The realistic qualities of this novel were off, and I wound up disappointed once I finished the last page. I didn’t believe the characters or the story like I should have in this contemporary young adult genre, and I did wind up disappointed.
That being said, I was only able to give this novel a 3/5 star rating. I think that Rigby would better excel at adult fiction because I didn’t feel that she was able to grasp contemporary teenagers properly and realistically; but I do still hope that she continues to write. I did genuinely enjoy her descriptions and the way she painted the scenes in her novel, but I hope that she chooses to write elsewhere because I don’t think that the young adult genre gave her justice as an author. She has the necessary talent of a successful author, but her work wound up in the wrong place.
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Weekly Update – 06/06/2016 – 06/12/2016
Hello Everyone!
This week I will be reviewing:
Tangled Web by L.W. Tichy
Against the Reign by Dove Winters
This is also a reminder that JUNE 10 is the last day to subscribe to receive your June Historical Fiction Go Indie Now! Box! Starting JUNE 11, you can start subscribing to receive the July Indie Pride Box. Since July 1 is Indie Pride Day, we are celebrating by including TWO books in the July box under Science – Fiction and a Twisted Tales theme. Each book will have its own mental vacation, which means that each book will come with bonus content, a scent pack, playlist, touchable item, related recipe, and an art print. However, if you subscribe to the $20+shipping plan you will only be receiving the Twisted Tales themed book, and you will not be receiving the touchable item. You will only be receiving the scent pack, bonus content, playlist, related recipe, and art print, which will all give you a full mental vacation but in a smaller box. Please take this into consideration! If you are already described, you don’t need to subscribe again. Your account will renew on the first, but the deadline for everyone else to order is July 1. This is because I need to order one of the items in bulk, and I need a specific head count to make sure that I order enough and that they will come in time. All packages will be shipped on the 20th of each month, or earlier if possible.
We also have a specific new email for the Go Indie Now! Box. Since I have so much to do, I have hired someone to handle Go Indie Now! emails to help me with the response load. This means that all of your emails about the Go Indie Now! Box should be addressed to goindienowbox@gmail.com. If any emails about the box are scent to my review email, they will be forwarded to the box email. If you need specific information I will reply to the messages, but all others will be responded to by my assistant.
Thank you everyone for your support, and I hope you have a great week!
Much love,
Ashley
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June 5, 2016
Author Interview with Brittany Willows
Today’s interview is with one of my favorite indie authors of all time, Brittany Willows! Brittany contacted me a few months ago to review her novel, The Calypsis Project, and since then it has become one of my favorite books. I wasn’t into science fiction very much before I read her novel, but it completely converted me. She knows how to create remarkable worlds and has a full grasp on them so that the reader doesn’t ever get confused. That being said, I am so happy to know her and her work and am excited for you to meet her as well!
Basic Author Questions
1) What is the first memory you have of writing?
I think the first time I actually wrote a story was when I was around eleven or twelve. And funnily enough, what I wrote was the very first version of my current series. It was vastly different back then, though. Much more fantasy than science fiction, and the characters were supposed to be some sort of wingless dragons in a world devoid of humans.
2) Which authors inspire you, and why?
Greg Bear, Joseph Staten, Jay Kristoff. All are brilliant writers in their own right, with unique but equally intriguing styles. I love the way Greg Bear describes everything with such grandeur. I love Joseph Staten’s world building and attention to detail. And I love Jay Kristoff’s characters, his dialogue. All of them have helped shape my own style over the years, and I am so thankful to have found their books. They absolutely brilliant.
3) What is your favorite genre to read, and why?
Science fiction, hands down. I’ve always been intrigued by space, and I really enjoy reading about the fictional worlds and technology and creatures people come up with. Post-apocalyptic is a close second for the survival aspect and the fact that they are very character-centric stories for the most part,. And I especially love when the two genres are mixed.
4) What is your favorite genre to write, and why?
Science fiction/post-apocalyptic again, and for pretty much the same reasons as above. I enjoy building worlds, creating new species, and playing with fancy technology. But I also love destroying those worlds, throwing characters into the hear of the disaster, and seeing how they fight their way out of it.
5) What are you currently working on?
First and foremost, the sequel to my debut novel: The Calypsis Project. It’s currently in its second round of edits (which I am very nearly finished), and will soon be off to the beta readers. However, on-and-off while I’ve been working on that, I’ve also been tinkering with a prequel novel set a few decades prior to the main storyline.
Questions regarding “The Calypsis Project
1) How did you get the idea for “The Calypsis Project”?
From the Halo games, initially. I got into the series when I was seven. After the second game came out when I was around nine, I became so enthralled by the story and the characters that I decided to craft my own fictional universe. It started out as a video game idea and grew from there. Eventually, I realized that was perhaps a little too ambitious for a then-preteen me and decided to take it down the novel route instead. Between then and now, it has changed a lot. I’ve read a lot more, played a lot more games, and learned from all of those stories. They’ve definitely helped to shape the story for the better.
2) Why did you choose to make the novel about war?
More than anything, I think that simply stems from the original video game idea. I played a lot of shooters and war-based RPGs as a kid. Still do. And those games have also contained some of my favorite stories, which greatly influenced the storyteller in me. Plus, who doesn’t like aliens and space battles? ;D
3) How many books are you planning to have in this series?
Quite a few! The number has actually grown a fair bit recently. The Echo-Alpha duology (the main storyline) consists of two books. I also have two other novels planned, a series of short stories, and a couple of novellas. So readers can expect much more from this headworld in the future!
4) How did you come up with the physical characteristics for your alien race in the novel?
A 3D animated cartoon called Dragon Booster served as my initial inspiration for their designs. They started out as wingless, quadrupedal dragons. From there, their designs just kind of grew on their own—evolved as I developed the story.
5) How long did you work on “The Calypsis Project” and form the idea for it?
I actually just hit my ten year anniversary of working on the project in June last year! I started it all the way back in 2005, when I was just a kid. It’s come a long way since then, and there were many times where I almost gave up on it, but I was determined to get it out in one form or another. So in 2011, I sat my butt down to work on the novel, and at the end of 2013, it finally hit the digital shelves. And I can’t tell you how awesome it feels to have it published. It’s amazing, and the response has been so rewarding.
I’m definitely looking forward to where this ride takes me next!
Brittany can be found at the following links:
Her deviant art page has a lot of art that she created for her novel, and they are absolutely beautiful! They help the reader picture the characters and the story better.
I hope that you enjoyed her interview and are interested in her reading her work! I can’t wait for the sequel to come out, and I am sure that it will be just as amazing as the first.
The Crown of Stones: Magic Price by C.L. Schneider 4/5
Title: The Crown of Stones: Magic Price
Author: C.L Schneider
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
Ian Troy is one of the Shinree, a fallen people with an inherent addiction to magic. Scorned and reviled for the deadly side of their spells, the Shinree are bred as slaves. Their magic is suppressed by drugs and used only as it serves the purposes of the other races. Descended from a long line of soldiers, Ian is conscripted into the Rellan army and made to fight in their longstanding conflict against the ruthless Langorian invaders. The downfall of Rella imminent, Ian goes against orders and turns to the Crown of Stones, an ancient Shinree relic of untold power. Ignorant of its true purpose, Ian uses the crown to end the war, and pays a terrible price. A decade later, still tortured by the aftermath of that day, Ian lives as a bounty hunter in self-imposed exile. Having renounced his magical heritage, he curbs his obsession with a steady stream of wine and regret. He struggles to put it all behind him, until a fateful encounter with a pretty assassin brings Ian’s past crashing into the present. Targeted by a rogue Shinree, and a ruthless old enemy, Ian is forced to use magic again. His deadly addiction is rekindled and his life of isolation is brought to a swift end. With the land he gave up everything to protect once more in jeopardy, and his people’s future at stake, Ian becomes embroiled in a violent race for control of the Crown of Stones. To save the realms and those he cares for, Ian must embrace the thing he fears most: his own power.
Review:
This book is one of the most original fantasy novels that I have ever read, and I was completely taken aback by the very adult aspects of the story. I don’t know why I expected this novel to be geared more towards the young adult genre, but I was excited to find that the author didn’t hold back any reins and let the sexiness and violence come out in the best possible way.
One of the most unique things that I found about this book was that C.L Schneider made it so that magical people are seen as lesser beings. In so many other books, magical beings are described as better than anyone else, but this wasn’t the case with this novel and I appreciated that. In Schneider’s world, magical people are lowly because their power is too strong and destructive, and I thought this was a wonderful contemporary view. I also liked how the non-magical characters in the story could manipulate the power that the magical characters had and take it for themselves. This was an interesting take on slavery, and it forced me to create a new perspective.
But as I continued to read on, I found that Schneider described the feeling of magic within a magical being as pleasurable and it was one of the most shocking things that I have read. However, I felt that her descriptions were beautiful and even in her more adult scenes the writing was not too graphic. One great example of this is:
“Pleasure came next, penetrating the pain, fusing with it until I couldn’t tell one from the other. Together they overran my nerves, sweeping over me and through me,stroking and stimulating the smallest, darkest parts of my soul.”
Her writing is poetic, and when I read her book I felt as though I were listening to a beautiful song that sped up at times and took it slow at others. Schneider is a wizard with her words, and she manipulated them like a true professional.
The only reason I didn’t give this novel a 5 star rating was because I felt that the story was at times choppy and some characters were seen as disposable, which made me question their importance in the story. But overall, I loved the originality of the book and I can’t wait to read the next two books in the series. Schneider has put together a strong and original world, and it was like a fresh of breath air to read something that wasn’t similar to anything else I have read. I loved this wild mix of sex, violence, and power and appreciated the far-fetched ways it related to today’s society.
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