Sage Nestler's Blog, page 73

Southbound by Joseph Ferguson – 4/5

Title: Southbound

Author: Joseph Ferguson

Purchase: Southbound on Amazon

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: 

“A short story collection about Basement Man ; moody drunk, sometime rock climber, absurdist philosopher, raconteur of the ridiculous, rogue, and not-so-merry prankster from the North End of Yonkers (aka Junkies Paradise). An every-man for nobodies, he is ever adrift between the carrot of sobriety and the reality of carpe diem. Bowing only to the laws of Murphy, he can never decide whether the lucky ones are the survivors or those who died years ago.”

“Southbound” is a very emotionally charged novel.  It is listed as a short story collection, but the writing resembles poetry more than anything.  It is easy to read, but very raw and real.

In the acknowledgments section, Joseph Ferguson talks about how he borrowed the stories used in the book from people he knows, as well as basing “the basement man” on a man named Brain Weidner.  Since he took the stories from real people, the book reads like a memoir of a less than perfect life.

The writing, at times, can be hard to read due to the poor language and grammar used, but the use of these techniques is intentional to portray the character in the story.  Ferguson wanted to portray a rough type of person and accomplished this, but that is the only reason that I gave this book 4/5 stars.

Books that are written in a poetic style can bring on a new form of emotion, and you will find “Southbound” to be reminiscent of other poetry driven novels, such as the work of Ellen Hopkins.

“Southbound” is an easy, short read and will make you think about drug addicts and outcasts differently.  Joseph Ferguson did a great job at giving a voice to the voiceless and I will gladly read this book again.  The best books are those that represent different perspectives, and Ferguson has added a great novel to American literature.  I would not be surprised if this book became a classic.  It reads like something that would be assigned in high schools or universities, and it would be a great book to analyze deeper.

FOR BOOK REVIEW REQUESTS FILL OUT FORM: Book Review Request Form

IF BOOK REQUEST WEBSITE IS DOWN EMAIL: peachykeenreviews@gmail.com

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Go Indie Now! Monthly Book Box

Hello Everyone,

I just want you to know about a plan that is brewing in my mind.  As many of you know, monthly book boxes are showing up just about everywhere, but I am seriously considering opening a book box that would revolve around indie novels.  The box would include 2-3 bookish items that would go along with the theme of the box (each box would be themed after a different genre) and all of the items included would be handmade.  Also, the box would include a handwritten letter by me explaining why I chose the book that I did.

Would any of you be interested in such a thing?  I am trying to collect opinions to determine if there would be a market for an indie monthly book box.  The book box would be called “Go Indie Now!”.

Much love,

Ashley

Special Edition Versions of My Novels

Hello everyone,

As most of you know, I am redoing and re-releasing my two novels which are currently out, “Beautiful Nightmare” and “Into The Fog”.  I am excited to announce that these new editions will not only be revamped versions of the stories, but they will also include concept art, character profiles, and bonus content from me talking about how I conceptualized both stories.  Below are the official covers for both books, which are different covers from the first editions of these books.  Both books will be out within the next few months and I will be hosting giveaways for them, as well as an online launch party.  Thank you to everyone who has supported me, and I will be posting more updates with spoilers in the coming months.

As of right now, I have finished and revised my third novel.  I am still not publicizing this novel yet due to the sensitive nature of the story, and I am thinking about using a pen name for it in order to give me some anonymity.  But now that that is done I will be putting all of my time into the new editions of “Beautiful Nightmare” and “Into The Fog”.

Much love,

Ashley

Everyone Dies at the End by Riley Westbrook – 5/5

Title: Everyone Dies at the End

Author: Riley Westbook

Goodreads: Everyone Dies at the End on Goodreads

Synopsis:

“Who knew the zombie apocalypse would be caused by something we all know is deadly…but that is also all around us? Two stories intersect as the world delves into chaos – Earl, a drugged out heroin addict constantly in search of his next fix, and a family struggling with the dramas of everyday life, get no reprieve during this zombie outbreak. Can any of them survive the deadliest game of all – survival against undead, each other, and the world around them?”

I rarely say that a book or story is brilliant, but when I do, I mean it wholeheartedly.  That being said, this short story was BRILLIANT.  I was not expecting it to be as good as it was based on the title, but by the time I got to the end of the story I realized how important the title was to the overall story.  This may have been a short story, but it was an insanely strong piece of writing.  I found it both horrific and intriguing all at the same time.  Riley Westbrook knows what he is doing.

I read this book in about a day since it was only 87 pages, but I was unable to read it at night because of how scary it was.  Many times horror stories can become too grotesque, but Westbrook’s writing was poetic.  He knew what he was doing with both stories that he intertwined, and didn’t leave the reader wondering what had happened to certain characters.  I would even dare to say that he has the talent of Stephen King.  Based on his biography, he states that he began writing after being unable to work anymore and used writing as an outlet.  This passion that he put behind his writing showed significantly.  It was clear that he knew every aspect to his story and didn’t leave any loose ends.  I was not expecting the surprise ending, and I would gladly read this story again.

If you are intrigued by horror stories that pack a punch, then this story is the one for you.  I must admit that Westbrook is clearly a talented writer in the way that he was able to pack a punch in such a short piece of writing.  He has the talent of a professional and I will gladly read any work that he writes.  Westbrook is sure to go far.

Writing Tip #3 – Know Your Characters

When I was seventeen, I worked with a publisher who specifically worked to publish young people.  She was published herself and full of information.  She would take my work and write pages and pages of revisions that she suggested.  It is from those pages and pages of revisions and tips that I bring you the next, most important writing tip according to her:

KNOW YOUR CHARACTERS!

Now, what exactly does knowing your characters mean?  Do you think that you have a solid foundation for each and every one of your characters?

Okay, then let me ask you this: do you know what your characters’ favorite food is?

If not, then please read on.

When I first started writing, I filled out the basic character profiles listing what they looked liked, what their personality was like, and where they lived.  But my mentor (the woman I referred to above) always drilled into me that those specifics are not enough.  In order to create characters in which your reader will be able to connect to, you must know them like the back of your hand.

Think about how brilliant you are, you created people in your mind!  How can you not know every little thing about them?  Well, that’s just it.  You DO know every little thing about each character that you have ever created, you just have not dug deep enough into them yet.

When you have well developed characters, and you know every little thing about them, you not only help yourself as a writer by having a lot of different situations where you can put them in based on their histories and personalities, but they will intensify your story by creating many different angles.  For example, think about how successful Cassandra Clare and J. K. Rowling are.  Now, think about all of their different characters.  They know their characters from inside out and were able to create huge series around them because on the depth that they provided.  My best advice is to create characters that you want to keep writing, and can keep writing, because of all of the information you have on them.  Don’t make it so that the reader knows everything about them in one book.  Make characters that will keep developing and growing.  Even if you want to only write one book with these characters, you will always have the opportunity to go back and expand the series further.

Some of the best places to start with character development are to write backstories on them.  Readers love backstories, and by understanding the backstories of your characters you will be able to understand their motives and where they come from.  From there, go on and write about their families, past/present loves, and even the smallest details such as their favorite foods, likes/dislikes, and their aspirations.

I hope that this article helped you, and I am currently working on an in depth character profile worksheet that I would love to send anyone who would like to work on their character development.

Email me at peachykeenreviews@gmail.com if you are interested and I will send you the worksheet!

Also, if you need any further advice on writing or help with character planning, feel free to comment below or email me and I will work with you one on one.

Much love,

Ashley

 

 

No Net by Noah Nichols – 4/5

Title: No Net

Author: Noah Nichols

Rating: 4/5

Purchase: No Net on Amazon

Synopsis:

“What would you do if the Internet mysteriously vanished? NO NET is the ambitious novel that explores how little or how much people care about the beloved World Wide Web. Spanning across 20 APPs with a hearty assortment of varied characters, this fictional tale begs you to just take a moment and think about how deep we’ve all been sinking in a digital quicksand…”

“No Net” was an interesting novel.  The concept of the internet vanishing was complex, but I felt that the characters could have been developed better.  After the astounding first chapter (which I mistakenly read at home, alone, in the dark, at night), I felt as though the rest of the novel seemed to decline rapidly.  I didn’t feel connected to the rest of the characters, and I grew irritated by the dialogue.  Teenagers do tend to speak in a different language than adults, but I felt that the dialogue of the teenagers was too juvenile.  I also didn’t believe that the entire population would all run outside and freak out just because one of their technological devices “lost signal”.

Nichols did verbalize that he wanted his novel to be a discussion platform for everyone to think about how attached to technology they are, but I felt that the message was lost in the catty dialogue and shallow characters.  In order for this novel to succeed in creating a discussion with its readers, the characters need to be likable to some extent and the plot needs to be believable.  In order for this novel to be better, I would suggest changing the plot so that the characters slowly begin to go crazy after days of not having the internet.

Nichols is a gifted author, however.  His first chapter blew me away, and I did feel as though I were reading a best seller of a very successful author.  An example of his beautiful language is as follows:

“It was encompassing everything, merging the human being and the machine into an unrecognizable slab of dark matter.”

If he can match his novel to be as intense as that first chapter, he will go far.  I also liked how the chapters were called “APPs” instead of chapters.  This added a fun layout to the novel, as well as the various artwork included in the chapters.  I do see how our world is so obsessed with the internet and electronics and I do see how it can cause many people to suffer in their relationships with others.  I think that the following description that Nichols presented on how obsessed people are with the internet is accurate:

“It was the type of behavior you’d expect from an out-of-control alcoholic if you permanently took away everything booze-related.  Or if you took all drugs away from a toothless and habitual junkie.  It was that bad.”

If you are looking for a book that will make you think, then this book is the one.  It is very unique and I have not read another novel with the same premise.  I think that this novel would be most beneficial for young readers to be confronted with how technology is negatively affecting their lives.  Noah Nichols is a thinker and it shows in his work.  If he can just update the dialogue and allow the reader to like the characters and connect to them, his book will be more believable.

Why I LOVE Indie Authors/Books

Hello Everyone!

I’m sorry for posting so much lately, I just have so much to say!  I am filled with such love for all of you and the indie author/book movement as a whole and I wanted to share with you the reason why.

I am a twenty something college student who was first published in 2013 during my senior year of high school.  I continually slaved away at sending query letters to agents, hoping and praying to find someone who would accept my work and help me get traditionally published.  I wanted to spread my work with the world in the biggest way possible and I felt that being traditionally published would help me achieve this.

But that was not the case.

I got rejected time and time again, and I would be lying if I said that it didn’t damper my passion for writing and my characters and stories as a whole.   I felt that no one wanted to read my stories and that they weren’t even good enough to be looked at.  I started to lose my passion to spread my writing around, and stopped writing for awhile because I just couldn’t get over the rejection.  But that was when I found the indie author community.

Never have I felt so included and loved by a community, even an online one.  Ever since I have become active in the community and have had my two books self published I have now regained my passion and my love for my stories and characters.  Being in the community has helped me to understand the problems with both of my books (editing, mostly) and has allowed me to act on them and not feel ashamed or as though I am a terrible writer.

But the best part of being an indie author and a reviewer has been being able to read all of your stories and understand how passionate you are about them. I know how much time and effort you all have put into your work, and I take my reviews very seriously.  For many of us, the stories we have published were worked on for years before they were finalized and they deserve to be heard.

When I read indie novels, I feel as though I am reading the soul of the author and I handle it very carefully.  Indie books are not “lesser”, and in my opinion they have had more opportunity to thrive because they aren’t revised and edited in order to match the current market.  They are free, just as all novels should be.

I just want you all to know how much I love you, both the writers and the readers, and that I urge anyone who hasn’t considered indie books to go out and pick one up right this second.  I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed, and if you need recommendations, then absolutely contact me at peachykeenreviews@gmail.com and I will have a mouthful for you.  I can also direct you to the authors themselves who can prove to you just how important their work is to them.

Thank you all for reading my blog and trusting me with your books.  And thank you to the readers who care enough to read the reviews I write and take the novels reviewed into consideration.  No one is to be excluded from this community, and please know that I am here for anything you need, even if it is just someone to talk to.

Much love,

Ashley

P.S. Please join the indie author movement.  Check out: Indie Books Be Seen

FOR BOOK REVIEW REQUESTS FILL OUT FORM: Book Review Request Form 

IF BOOK REQUEST WEBSITE IS DOWN EMAIL: peachykeenreviews@gmail.com

*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.*

Review/Interview/Win Update

Hello Lovelies[image error]

This week I will be posting reviews for No Net by Noah Nichols and Everyone Dies at the End by Riley Westbrook.  I will also have Writing Tip #3 up on Wednesday!

I have also won the 2016 Fantasy Jack Pot at the Brain to Books Con and am EXTREMELY excited to receive all of the books included in the win.  Once I have all of them in my hot little hands I will be making a post with all books that were included in the jackpot.

In the meantime, please join me on Facebook.  I will be posting information for other notable authors you must check out.

I also still have 27 spots open for interviews this summer for the month of June.  If you are an author and would like to be featured during my Summer Author Interview Month, please email me at peachykeenreviews@gmail.com!  I would love to speak to you.

~Ashley

 

Brain to Books 2016 Con Wrap Up

Hello Everyone[image error]

Today is the last day of the Brain to Books Con and I wanted to write a wrap up of the convention and the books that I have received from other authors and have purchased myself.

I also wanted to post a last minute opportunity for anyone who reads this blog post.  The first edition of my novel “Into The Fog” is up on Smashwords as I have taken it off of Amazon until I get the second edition published, and I would love to gift the first edition to anyone interested.  I am not expecting anything in return, I just want to spread my work around!  If you are interested in “Into The Fog” please email me at peachykeenreviews@gmail.com or comment below with an email address that I can send the ebook to.

List of All Books Received at Con:

Broken by Angela B. Chrysler

Song at Dawn by Jean Gill

The Cogsmith’s Daughter by Kate Colby

Beasts and Savages by Emma Woods

Rhuna by Barbara Underwood

Lantern by Chess Desalls

Existence by A. F. Stewart

Descent by Tiffany

The Northern Queen by Kelly Evans

The Heartbeat Thief by Ash Krafton

These are all books that I will be writing reviews of here on the blog and I may be posting interviews from the authors as well!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by my booth and has considered my own novels!  The two giveaways that I have going will be up until April 30th.

TIME TURNER GIVEAWAY

INTO THE FOG GIVEAWAY – 1st edition

That’s all for today everyone!  Have a great rest of your Sunday[image error]

~Ashley

INTO THE FOG GIVEAWAY – 1st edition

WANT TO WIN A COPY OF INTO THE FOG?

In celebration of the Brain to Books convention I am giving away a paperback copy of the first edition of my novel “Into The Fog”! This novel is set to release in a new edition in the coming months, but I am giving away the current copy as a collectible item. It will be signed by me and come with a personal letter describing all of the ideas and effort that went into it, as well as why it is such a precious story to me.

TO ENTER:

Like Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Ashley-Nestl…

Follow My Blog: https://peachykeenbookreviews.wordpre…

THEN, comment that you have done so below.

I will be announcing the winner on April 30th!

Thank you everyone and much love,

Ashley