Sage Nestler's Blog, page 71
May 10, 2016
Weekly Update – 5/9/2016 – 5/15/2016
Hello Everyone!
This week, I will be reviewing:
Bounty by J. D. Cunegan
The Inter-Terrestrial by Chad Descoteaux
Reminder:
Today, May 10, is the LAST DAY to order your Go Indie Now! May Fantasy Box. Any subscription orders after today will begin receiving the box with the June Historical Fiction Box. For those of you who are subscribed, there is no need to re-order for the June box, your subscription will automatically renew. You do not want to miss the May box, it will take you to another world, and both books included are beautiful and written by an amazing indie author. Snag yours today!
I also wanted to thank each and every one of you for being part of this community. I have planned the Go Indie Now! Box for so long and am amazed by all of the love it has received in only its first month of being live! My goal was for this box to bring us all together, authors and readers of all kinds, and it warms my heart to see that actively happening. You are all a dream come true. I am so happy to be working with all of your for this blog, as well as the box.
I hope you all have a great week, and 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.*
May 8, 2016
Second Chances by Lincoln Cole – 3/5
Title: Second Chances
Author: Lincoln Cole
Rating: 3/5
Synopsis:
“Nichole, a young intern at a prestigious law firm, is caught in a tough position. She is juggling too many responsibilities as her world falls apart around her. After her mother goes missing while performing an errand, Nichole is left picking up the pieces of her shattered life and taking care of her younger siblings. She isn’t sure where she can turn to for help, and she is facing a lot of harsh realities about how life works and how much prejudice can hold her back.
Richard is a lawyer who lost his identity in corporate law. He wants to help Nichole through this heartbreaking situation, but he makes mistakes and loses her trust. He discovers that he’s been doing the right things for the wrong reasons for a long time and it has cost him a lot. Everything begins to fall apart as he realizes he’s swept problems under the rug for so long he might no longer be able to fix them.
After meeting an alcoholic who is struggling to take control of his life, Richard wakes up to just how far off-course his life has become and attempts to right it. He asks Nichole for a second chance to help her overcome her obstacles, and he hopes it isn’t too late.
Can Nichole and Richard overcome their differences and get a Second Chance?”
Review:
I was very excited to read this novel. Based on the reviews and awards that it has won, I was expecting a treat and a perfectly executed novel that examines racial inequality and sheds light on the topic. Being a student going to school for social work, and someone who has had multiple internships and careers working with minorities and the impoverished, I have been around a lot of the problems and experiences that were presented in the novel. However, I am sad to say that this novel was poorly executed.
First, I would like to say that Lincoln Cole is a talented writer. His writing is clean and interesting to read, but based on his novel “Second Chances” I could tell that he had very little experience with the situations that he was writing about. Reading this novel made me feel that I was reading one of the many novels trying to portray the female experience, but from a male perspective. His dialogue was forced and unrealistic, which made the characters seem fake. I didn’t see them as real people, I saw them as minorities that an author was trying to create with what little knowledge he had about the minority experience. If he were to write novels about his own personal experiences, or things that he is more educated on, I know for a fact that he would succeed. I just feel that he was a little out of his element with this novel. One of the biggest tips that I give to authors is to write based on what they know (their own experiences and memories) because this technique will make sure that the writing is likable and realistic. I am not sure what went into “Second Chances”, but I would suggest that Lincoln Cole go back and interview people who have gone through the experiences that he wants to write about. Having that information will intensify the story and bring a much needed light to racial inequality and give a voice to the silenced. Until then, I wouldn’t suggest this book if you don’t know very much about the experiences of minorities. I feel that it could wrongly taint your perspective.
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.*
May 7, 2016
Meet Go Indie Now! Rep @thebookishcrypt
Meet Go Indie Now! Rep@thebookishcrypt!
Her name is Cassandra and she has been a part of the bookstagram community for almost 2 years, which is the book community on Instagram for those of you who are unaware. She is very passionate about Indie books and has worked with Indie authors constantly. Most of her posts are about Indie novels and she absolutely loves them!
Follow her beautiful account on Instagram and take advantage of her personal code for 10% off your first Go Indie Now! Box.
Thank you for being part of the movement, Cassandra!
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.*
Meet Go Indie Now! Rep @bookishwonderland
Meet @bookishwonderland, one of our wonderful reps for Go Indie Now! Her name is Rachel and she lives in the UK with two dogs who are her babies, and is an avid reader. She also has a book review blog that she is active on, and loves to write letters. Please follow her on Instagram for Go Indie Now! Box sneak peeks, as well as other beautiful pictures that she posts. Her blog is also wonderful and a great place to view more reviews: http://www.bookishwonderland.co.uk/
She also had her own personal code for 10% off your first Go Indie Now! Box if you follow her.
Thank you for being a part of this movement, Rachel!
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.*
May 5, 2016
Writing Tip #4 – Make Your Plot Complex
Hello everyone,
I’m sorry it has been awhile since my last writing tip! My hope is to post one writing tip a week if I don’t get too overwhelmed with other things. But today’s writing tip is one that you need to memorize and put into practice immediately.
As you may know, I have worked with publishers since I was seventeen, and a woman by the name of Spring Lee was my mentor throughout middle school and high school. She owned a small publishing house herself, and I value everything that she taught to me. That being said, one of the best tips she ever gave to me was as follows:
“Make sure that your plot/conflict could not be resolved in a 30 minute sit com.”
What does that mean exactly? It means that you need to make sure that the plot/conflict in your novel is complex enough that the reader won’t be able to guess the resolution easily, and to make sure that you have enough story to fill a book. This is also important to note if you are considering making your plot/conflict last across multiple novels in a series. If your plot/conflict is too predictable, your reader won’t want to keep reading if they can guess what will happen beforehand. Usually writers tend to become so wrapped up in their characters and their setting that they don’t consider adding complexity to their plot/conflict which can draw them back when it comes to gaining readers. The best thing that an author can do is create a plot/conflict that has the possibility of multiple outcomes so that the reader is constantly guessing but never quite correct. For example, when authors pack a punch in their book you can feel it. I would like to present you with an excerpt from “City of Bones” by Cassandra Clare as an example:
“She looked at him hard. ‘What makes you so sure? Do you know them?’
The laughter had gone from his voice entirely when he replied. ‘Do I know them?’ he echoed. ‘You might say that. Those are the men who murdered my father.'(Clare, 2007.)
Do you see how powerful that is? Cassandra Clare was brilliant in the way that she made sure that there were sub-plots to supplement her main plot so that the reader would be diverted and they wouldn’t see the twist coming. That being said, what I want you to take away from this tip to to MAKE SURE that you at least CONSIDER adding sub-plots to your plot/conflict. You can hint at these sub-plots in your book, but don’t give them away so easily. You want to have many tricks in your writing bag, and this is one of the best tricks that you can always use, no matter what you are writing. Keep your reader guessing, pack a couple punches, and you will be good to go. Readers will come running!
Much love,
Ashley
References
Clare, C., & Rosamilia, M. (2007). City of bones. New York: M.K. McElderry Books.
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.*
Blog Summary for 5/2/2016 – 5/8/2016
Hello everyone,
I’m sorry for the late update! It has been a hectic week. This week and next are my college finals, so I will only be able to post one book review this week. I have also been working like crazy on the Go Indie Now! Box and will be shipping out the first boxes on May 20. LAST DAY TO SIGN UP FOR THE MAY BOX IS MAY 10. This month will feature two fantasy books by the same author and exclusive items and reading content.
I will also continue posting rep profiles for the reps that I chose for Go Indie Now! on Instagram.
As for reviews, this will I will be reviewing:
Second Chances by Lincoln Cole
Thank you to everyone for your support, and please don’t miss this month’s Go Indie Now! Box! The featured author is amazing and has provided you all with exclusive content included ONLY in the Go Indie Now! Box.
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.*
May 4, 2016
Meet Go Indie Now! Rep @accio_literature
Hello Everyone,
I wanted to do a series of blog posts on the reps that I chose to represent my monthly book box “Go Indie Now!” on Instagram.
The first rep who I want to present you to is @accio_literature! Her name is Rachel and she is a recently graduated college student working as a high school English teacher. She is also an indie author herself, and her young adult novel, Before a Million Universes, is available on Amazon! It is a dystopian novel that looks amazing and that I will be reviewing on the blog.
If you have Instagram, please follow her and follow me at the button below!
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.*
May 2, 2016
Immortal Peace by Tyler S. Harris – 5/5
Title: Immortal Peace
Author: Tyler S. Harris
Synopsis:
“It is difficult to imagine a story about zombies, vampires, or aliens that has not already been told many times over. Immortal Peace, however, puts a twist on the common genre of science fiction by combining the elements of multiple well-known concepts. This story follows Mario Ramirez, a family man in Chicago, as he and his family witness the world erupt when aliens appear on Earth, not with a warning of waging war, but with a peace offering. The Gift is a promising medicinal panacea. When scientists first study the vaccine, they immediately find the potential value of the drug. Unbeknownst to the world, this medicine has some latent adverse side effects that are in no way beneficial. Now the world must wonder whether the gift is a genuine act of kindness, or possibly the most complex military coup known to mankind.”
Review:
I found “Immortal Peace” to be an extremely original story. Even though there are many stories out there concerning aliens, I thought that this story was not cheesy in any way. Instead, it was believable and awe inspiring.
As I read the first page of the novel, I could already tell how good of an author Tyler S. Harris is. His words flowed effortlessly and I was gripped by the story line that followed the family in question. Based on the first couple of pages, I couldn’t tell that this story was about aliens and science fiction, which added that surprise element that I always love in a good novel. Not to mention that the concept of vaccines and their validity is very hot right now, not only in the writing world, but in current events as well. This book is sure to capture the attention of anyone with a strong opinion about vaccines and the side effects of such.
Science fiction is a huge genre, and there are many books out there that can become similar and make the reader question their originality, but I didn’t see that when I was reading this novel. I loved how the structure of the family was incorporated with the science fiction elements, so that the reader could connect to the story better. Many times if a novel is too far fetched, the reader has a hard time connecting to the story, but “Immortal Peace” forces the author to connect with it and go through the events that the characters are put through.
I was very impressed with this novel, and have a feeling that science fiction enthusiasts will have the same reaction. A rating of 5/5 is well deserved.
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.*
May 1, 2016
Giveaway Winners!
Hello Everyone!
Yesterday was the deadline to enter the time turner giveaway and the giveaway for my novel “Into The Fog”. Today I did the drawing for both, and am happy to announce that Kaela is the winner for the time turner giveaway and Poppy is the winner of the copy of my novel “Into The Fog” and a personal letter from me! Both have been emailed, and I just wanted to thank everyone who entered and has been following my blog. I love every single one of you and will be posting two more giveaways for the month of May very soon.
Congrats to Kaela and Poppy!
Much Love,
Ashley
April 30, 2016
Mortal Showdown by Nik Krasno – 5/5
Title: Mortal Showdown
Author: Nik Krasno
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis:
“Mortal Showdown is an action packed thriller sending the reader on a kaleidoscopic race through violence, sex, scamming and anti-scamming, political upheaval and murder. Michael (Misha) – a Ukrainian oligarch who was rapidly climbing the Forbes rich list, wakes from a coma caused by an assassination attempt and realizes that he’s in the thick of a multilayered attack on him and his business empire. Making things even worse – among his numerous adversaries is one of Russia’s most influential strongmen. From rich and powerful, Michael very quickly becomes a fugitive, struggling for survival. Counting on his wits and a handful of loyal associates, he searches for a way to even the score with each of his adversaries and to save his country from the Russian bear’s grasp. In order to have the slightest chance in a face-off with his prime nemesis, Michael needs to attack head on, undertaking the greatest risk of his entire life. Unfortunately, the dangerous mission goes wrong from the very beginning…”
Mortal Showdown is a thriller that has no filter. Throughout the novel, the reader is presented with violence, sex, murder, etc., but Nik Krasno does so in such an elegant way that the reader can’t turn away. Usually it takes me a while to get into thrillers, but from the first page I could see how talented Krasno is. He has a way of being crass in a way that isn’t demeaning and doesn’t cross a line. Even though there were derogatory comments made towards women and other characters in the novel, it was clear that this was just an element of the setting of the story, and I didn’t find it insulting.
It was clear to me that Nik Krasno knows people, how they act and why they act the way that they do. His writing was so clear that I could see clearly the events that he was describing. Even though I don’t know very much about politics in Russia and Ukraine, Krasno had such a grip on both countries that the reader wasn’t required to have this knowledge in order to enjoy the novel. All of the events that occurred in the novel were more than enough to keep the reader captivated, and I was captivated by the fact that everything seemed to be going wrong. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
Political thrillers can be very hard to pull off at times, but Krasno goes above and beyond. His writing deserves more than a 5/5 rating, and I highly recommend it. It helped me to gain a big appreciation for thrillers that I did not have before reading this novel. I hope that he continues to write more, because if he does, I know that he will be very successful.
