L.K. Evans's Blog, page 20
February 12, 2014
I finally did it…
Yep, after years of avoiding it, I finally caved and set up a Twitter account. For the record, I’m not a huge social media user in my private life. When I thought of opening up a dog daycare business years ago, I set up a Facebook account in order to network. Well, I get on that damn thing about once a month, if I can remember. It annoys the hell out of me. Why? Cause it’s messy. It’s cluttered and claustrophobic. Allow me to explain why this is such a weakness of mine.
I grew up in apartments all my childhood and we moved nearly every six months. Hell, we even lived in a campground for a few months. Needless to say, we never had a lot of furniture. A couch if we had the money, we slept in sleeping bags when I was little, and we occasionally had a TV. So, I lived in…spacious surroundings. It’s taken a lot for me to allow my husband to buy two couches. We have this basket thing he likes that drives me crazy. Not because it’s unpleasant to look at, but because it is rather large and seems to take up too much space. You see, my husband comes from a home crammed with stuff in every corner to the point that I’m not sure exactly the color of his parent’s walls. Okay, that might be a little dramatic, but you get the picture.
So, on to why I’m rambling about my need for order and space. Twitter, goodness me, gives me a headache. I’m slowly getting used to it, but I don’t have a blank spot on my screen when I’m logged into it. I want to spell stuff out and the 160 characters makes it more like texting. Hashtags and weird codes that mean nothing to me are driving me insane. Bottom line, it’s messy. I will say, though, that it feels slightly less chaotic than Facebook.
Alas, woe is me. I’ll get over it and probably become addicted to it like most others. I’ll likely use it more than Facebook since I think the cute bird symbol is way better than an ‘F’ boxed in blue. Lame marketing, Facebook.
In conclusion, the reason I’m on these social media sites is because I really like hearing from readers, learning from authors I follow, and being part of something bigger than just me. It’s a great feeling and I hope to one day be on Twitter and Facebook chatting it up with those who enjoyed my book. Then, I won’t notice all the clutter.
If you want to follow, you can find me at #booksbylkevans and I also have a it under the ‘Where to find me’ section off to the side (the spot on my website that feels too cramped).
P.S. Sorry for the longwinded post. I really need to learn to edit myself ;)
I finally did it...
I grew up in apartments all my childhood and we moved nearly every six months. Hell, we even lived in a campground for a few months. Needless to say, we never had a lot of furniture. A couch if we had the money, we slept in sleeping bags when I was little, and we occasionally had a TV. So, I lived in...spacious surroundings. It's taken a lot for me to allow my husband to buy two couches. We have this basket thing he likes that drives me crazy. Not because it's unpleasant to look at, but because it is rather large and seems to take up too much space. You see, my husband comes from a home crammed with stuff in every corner to the point that I'm not sure exactly the color of his parent's walls. Okay, that might be a little dramatic, but you get the picture.
So, on to why I'm rambling about my need for order and space. Twitter, goodness me, gives me a headache. I'm slowly getting used to it, but I don't have a blank spot on my screen when I'm logged into it. I want to spell stuff out and the 160 characters makes it more like texting. Hashtags and weird codes that mean nothing to me are driving me insane. Bottom line, it's messy. I will say, though, that it feels slightly less chaotic than Facebook.
Alas, woe is me. I'll get over it and probably become addicted to it like most others. I'll likely use it more than Facebook since I think the cute bird symbol is way better than an 'F' boxed in blue. Lame marketing, Facebook.
In conclusion, the reason I'm on these social media sites is because I really like hearing from readers, learning from authors I follow, and being part of something bigger than just me. It's a great feeling and I hope to one day be on Twitter and Facebook chatting it up with those who enjoyed my book. Then, I won't notice all the clutter.
If you want to follow, you can find me at #booksbylkevans and I also have a it under the 'Where to find me' section off to the side (the spot on my website that feels too cramped).
P.S. Sorry for the longwinded post. I really need to learn to edit myself ;)
February 10, 2014
Indie Challenge 7 – Vengeance of Segennya by Tiffany Cherney
Vengeance of Segennya by Tiffany Cherney
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I really do hate giving low ratings. I am, after all, no expert reviewer nor am I an expert on the art of writing an incredible book (if I were, I’d be famous and living in a different state that can actually grow trees). I can only give my opinion and, hopefully, a sensible reason why I felt the way I did about the book.
First of all, Tiffany Cherney was generous and gave me a free copy of her book in exchange for an honest review.
I’ll start with what I did like:
The love story!! Wait...what?!?! Yeah, I typed it correctly and you read it correctly. I was okay with the love story in this book. It did not contain a relationship that resulted in marriage after only a week of knowing each other. The two characters who shared each other’s company had done so for a decent amount of time. It did not feel rushed, faked, or forced. It was actually very natural.
I think Liz is a strong female heroine. I didn’t mind her at all and she kept her kick ass attitude throughout the book, which was wonderful.
What I didn’t like:
For me, personally, I could not understand the actual writing itself. I spent entirely too much time trying to figure out what was being conveyed that I totally lost what enjoyment I might have had for the book. Some sentences were long and convoluted to the point I couldn’t decipher them. If these were sprinkled here and there, I would have been fine, but I was wading through odd wording and typos throughout the book. I think there was a great story in there, I really do. I, however, lack any form of patience (unless it’s with my dogs and cats; they’re just too cute). With that said, another person who is a slower reader and is willing to put in a little effort might be happily rewarded. There are 2 five star ratings for this book, so obviously there were 2 people who did not encounter the same problem I did. However, I recommend reading the prologue and first chapter on Amazon before committing. If you enjoy it, pick it up.
There you have it. My ramblings are finally done.
Indie Challenge 7 - Vengeance of Segennya by Tiffany Cherney
Vengeance of Segennya by Tiffany CherneyMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
I really do hate giving low ratings. I am, after all, no expert reviewer nor am I an expert on the art of writing an incredible book (if I were, I’d be famous and living in a different state that can actually grow trees). I can only give my opinion and, hopefully, a sensible reason why I felt the way I did about the book.
First of all, Tiffany Cherney was generous and gave me a free copy of her book in exchange for an honest review.
I’ll start with what I did like:
The love story!! Wait...what?!?! Yeah, I typed it correctly and you read it correctly. I was okay with the love story in this book. It did not contain a relationship that resulted in marriage after only a week of knowing each other. The two characters who shared each other’s company had done so for a decent amount of time. It did not feel rushed, faked, or forced. It was actually very natural.
I think Liz is a strong female heroine. I didn’t mind her at all and she kept her kick ass attitude throughout the book, which was wonderful.
What I didn’t like:
For me, personally, I could not understand the actual writing itself. I spent entirely too much time trying to figure out what was being conveyed that I totally lost what enjoyment I might have had for the book. Some sentences were long and convoluted to the point I couldn’t decipher them. If these were sprinkled here and there, I would have been fine, but I was wading through odd wording and typos throughout the book. I think there was a great story in there, I really do. I, however, lack any form of patience (unless it’s with my dogs and cats; they’re just too cute). With that said, another person who is a slower reader and is willing to put in a little effort might be happily rewarded. There are 2 five star ratings for this book, so obviously there were 2 people who did not encounter the same problem I did. However, I recommend reading the prologue and first chapter on Amazon before committing. If you enjoy it, pick it up.
There you have it. My ramblings are finally done.
View all my reviews
February 6, 2014
Indie Challenge 6 – Bane of Souls by Thaddeus White
I’m trying to get into a blog schedule so you’ll hopefully see a post from me every Monday and Thursday. There might be some sneak peeks at Keepers of Arden: The Brothers, Volume 2 if I get up the nerve to post something before it’s edited. We’ll see. I’m in the first stages of editing and it’s going rather well, save for two spots that I can’t quite smooth out. I scolded them yesterday and I’m putting them in time out this weekend. Hopefully Monday it’ll be ready to cooperate. At least I’m still happy with the ending. I was worried I’d change my mind…again. Anyways, on to the review.
Bane of Souls by Thaddeus White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’m struggling with the appropriate star rating for this book, which I’m finding I’m doing more and more these days. This is one of those books that swayed from 3 to 5 often. It’s why I’ve chosen the middle of the two. Never once did I feel this dropped to 2 stars, however. It stayed well above that, for me anyways.
First, the reasons why it dipped to 3, which you’ll notice is due to personal taste:
One, I’m not a fan of description. A lot of detail, paragraphs of world history, and lack of dialog usually loses my interest. There is a fair amount of description in this book and even more history. It made me trudge through certain spots.
Second, it took me quite a long time to read this book when the length should have allowed me to pound this away in the span of a day of reading. What slowed it down was getting acquainted with all the names and places. It had a lot going on so this won’t be a quick read. Even with as slow as I read it, I’m sure I lost details.
Now, why it rose to 5:
I LOVE animals. This had transfiguration magic and a couple hounds as pets. I found the transfiguration fascinating and extremely well described. Furthermore, the hounds were a satisfying addition for an animal lover such as myself.
I was immensely entertained by White’s subtle humor when the those rare moments presented themselves. It got a couple smiles out of me.
I’m not latched on to any one character, but I think Thaddeus is the most well developed of them all. I’m not a 100% sure why I say so, save that I felt I ‘got’ him as a character. Even so, I was always watching him with a wary eye. Honestly, over half the characters kept me on the fence, which is great. They’re not your cookie-cutter types. Horst was my second favorite, though he seemed a little stiff sometimes. I would have liked more insight/emotion into his mind/feelings, more so for his past, how it shaped him, and how he feels about it.
Lastly, I’m a fan of White’s writing. There were a handful of moments he lost me, but the rest of the time I fell into a wonderful, rhythmic reading trance.
On to the story itself.
This read more like a murder mystery to me. Since we stayed within the same city, there were no epic magical lands that we traveled to and we did not undertake ‘quests’ that usually reside in fantasy novels. This isn’t a bad or good thing. It’s just something I felt.
That being said, there was magic, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and a few fights that kept me entertained (wish there were more). With White’s descriptions, I had no problem imagining the city and its denizens.
What impressed me the most were all the tiny world details White crammed into the book. Indeed, this world is intricate, well planned, and White seemed to think of everything one would need to know to live in a ‘real’ world.
I have to say, Sir Edric’s Temple is my favorite of White’s books, and I might have been begging the pages for more of his humor. White has the ability to create a serious, dark story sprinkled with jewels of hilarity. I savored those rare moments in this book.
To conclude my ramblings, I’m very much looking forward to reading anything by White. With promises for a second book to Bane of Souls, I hope I don’t wait too long.
Indie Challenge Book 6 - Bane of Souls by Thaddeus White
Bane of Souls by Thaddeus WhiteMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’m struggling with the appropriate star rating for this book, which I’m finding I’m doing more and more these days. This is one of those books that swayed from 3 to 5 often. It’s why I’ve chosen the middle of the two. Never once did I feel this dropped to 2 stars, however. It stayed well above that, for me anyways.
First, the reasons why it dipped to 3, which you’ll notice is due to personal taste:
One, I’m not a fan of description. A lot of detail, paragraphs of world history, and lack of dialog usually loses my interest. There is a fair amount of description in this book and even more history. It made me trudge through certain spots.
Second, it took me quite a long time to read this book when the length should have allowed me to pound this away in the span of a day of reading. What slowed it down was getting acquainted with all the names and places. It had a lot going on so this won’t be a quick read. Even with as slow as I read it, I’m sure I lost details.
Now, why it rose to 5:
I LOVE animals. This had transfiguration magic and a couple hounds as pets. I found the transfiguration fascinating and extremely well described. Furthermore, the hounds were a satisfying addition for an animal lover such as myself.
I was immensely entertained by White’s subtle humor when the those rare moments presented themselves. It got a couple smiles out of me.
I’m not latched on to any one character, but I think Thaddeus is the most well developed of them all. I’m not a 100% sure why I say so, save that I felt I ‘got’ him as a character. Even so, I was always watching him with a wary eye. Honestly, over half the characters kept me on the fence, which is great. They’re not your cookie-cutter types. Horst was my second favorite, though he seemed a little stiff sometimes. I would have liked more insight/emotion into his mind/feelings, more so for his past, how it shaped him, and how he feels about it.
Lastly, I’m a fan of White’s writing. There were a handful of moments he lost me, but the rest of the time I fell into a wonderful, rhythmic reading trance.
On to the story itself.
This read more like a murder mystery to me. Since we stayed within the same city, there were no epic magical lands that we traveled to and we did not undertake ‘quests’ that usually reside in fantasy novels. This isn’t a bad or good thing. It’s just something I felt.
That being said, there was magic, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and a few fights that kept me entertained (wish there were more). With White’s descriptions, I had no problem imagining the city and its denizens.
What impressed me the most were all the tiny world details White crammed into the book. Indeed, this world is intricate, well planned, and White seemed to think of everything one would need to know to live in a ‘real’ world.
I have to say, Sir Edric’s Temple is my favorite of White’s books, and I might have been begging the pages for more of his humor. White has the ability to create a serious, dark story sprinkled with jewels of hilarity. I savored those rare moments in this book.
To conclude my ramblings, I’m very much looking forward to reading anything by White. With promises for a second book to Bane of Souls, I hope I don’t wait too long.
View all my reviews
February 3, 2014
Indie Challenge 5 – An Emerging Threat by Mark E. Lein
An Emerging Threat by Mark E. Lein
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I’ll never understand why people find 3 stars to be insulting, especially on Goodreads. 3 stars, by definition on GR, means ‘liked it’. So I use 3 stars often on GR, but Amazon reflects 4 stars because the definition is different from GR. 4 stars on Amazon is ‘liked it’ while 3 stars is ‘it’s okay’ which is what a 2 star is on GR. This annoys me, but I can’t control everything in life. That said, I like many books. I really like a few. And even fewer I find amazing. So for me, 3 stars isn’t bad. I hope people consider that when reading this review.
Enough of my ramblings about star ratings. Here are my thoughts on the book:
What I didn’t like:
There were some situations described in the book that left me confused. I couldn’t picture anything Lein was conveying during such scenes. Maybe someone with a more vivid imagination than I could easily develop a picture, but the wording and descriptions left me scratching my head. When I came to those parts, I just skimmed over it. The story was simple enough to follow that I don’t think I missed anything. I’m not one to read a paragraph over and over until I can discern its meaning, by the way. If I don’t get it the first time, I move on without looking back. Some readers may be the type to read slower and dissect, so these sections might not pose a problem at all.
Then there was the lack of dialog. Personally, I find dialog to be a great opportunity for character development and a chance for me to connect with someone. When following one of the protagonists, Oliver, there is a point when two brothers join him and I think they say five words to each other. There was no development regarding their relationship, how they interacted, or how they spoke. It left me annoyed when reading Oliver’s POV and I was eagerly ready to move on to Ethan’s POV (the other protagonist).
In the beginning there were two info dumps that gave history of the protagonists that I found completely unnecessary and pulled me right out of the story both times.
What I did like:
Ethan. I liked his character, though I wasn’t sitting on the edge of the couch, hanging on his every word and action. Compared to the others, he just seemed more developed. I liked his drive to do what was right, and his dialog with his friends helped me get to know his character and those in his company.
The creatures described are awesome! I pictured them easily and really enjoyed some battles with them. Those were the best parts of the book, and between them and Ethan, it saved this from dropping to 2 stars (‘it’s okay’).
I also found the magic system interesting. Like I said before, some stuff I didn’t follow, but what I did I enjoyed.
So, overall, I was left with a quick read that didn’t really connect 100% with me. I never found a character I was overly in love with, there were some odd scenes, and I found it a little flat. I will say that it moved quickly. Excluding some occasionally lengthy descriptions, there was plenty happening and nearly every chapter had conflict or action. I’m not a middle grade reader, but if I were to peg it in a category, I’d say it was geared more towards very late middle grade or very early YA.
To conclude my ramblings, I think there will be quite a few people who thoroughly enjoy this book (case in point with the many 5 stars ratings it has received). When the second book comes out, I’ll more than likely buy it in hopes to read more of Ethan’s journey.
Indie Challenge Book 5 - An Emerging Threat by Mark Lein
An Emerging Threat by Mark E. LeinMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I’ll never understand why people find 3 stars to be insulting, especially on Goodreads. 3 stars, by definition on GR, means ‘liked it’. So I use 3 stars often on GR, but Amazon reflects 4 stars because the definition is different from GR. 4 stars on Amazon is ‘liked it’ while 3 stars is ‘it’s okay’ which is what a 2 star is on GR. This annoys me, but I can’t control everything in life. That said, I like many books. I really like a few. And even fewer I find amazing. So for me, 3 stars isn’t bad. I hope people consider that when reading this review.
Enough of my ramblings about star ratings. Here are my thoughts on the book:
What I didn’t like:
There were some situations described in the book that left me confused. I couldn’t picture anything Lein was conveying during such scenes. Maybe someone with a more vivid imagination than I could easily develop a picture, but the wording and descriptions left me scratching my head. When I came to those parts, I just skimmed over it. The story was simple enough to follow that I don’t think I missed anything. I’m not one to read a paragraph over and over until I can discern its meaning, by the way. If I don’t get it the first time, I move on without looking back. Some readers may be the type to read slower and dissect, so these sections might not pose a problem at all.
Then there was the lack of dialog. Personally, I find dialog to be a great opportunity for character development and a chance for me to connect with someone. When following one of the protagonists, Oliver, there is a point when two brothers join him and I think they say five words to each other. There was no development regarding their relationship, how they interacted, or how they spoke. It left me annoyed when reading Oliver’s POV and I was eagerly ready to move on to Ethan’s POV (the other protagonist).
In the beginning there were two info dumps that gave history of the protagonists that I found completely unnecessary and pulled me right out of the story both times.
What I did like:
Ethan. I liked his character, though I wasn’t sitting on the edge of the couch, hanging on his every word and action. Compared to the others, he just seemed more developed. I liked his drive to do what was right, and his dialog with his friends helped me get to know his character and those in his company.
The creatures described are awesome! I pictured them easily and really enjoyed some battles with them. Those were the best parts of the book, and between them and Ethan, it saved this from dropping to 2 stars (‘it’s okay’).
I also found the magic system interesting. Like I said before, some stuff I didn’t follow, but what I did I enjoyed.
So, overall, I was left with a quick read that didn’t really connect 100% with me. I never found a character I was overly in love with, there were some odd scenes, and I found it a little flat. I will say that it moved quickly. Excluding some occasionally lengthy descriptions, there was plenty happening and nearly every chapter had conflict or action. I’m not a middle grade reader, but if I were to peg it in a category, I’d say it was geared more towards very late middle grade or very early YA.
To conclude my ramblings, I think there will be quite a few people who thoroughly enjoy this book (case in point with the many 5 stars ratings it has received). When the second book comes out, I’ll more than likely buy it in hopes to read more of Ethan’s journey.
View all my reviews
Review of An Emerging Threat by Mark Lein
An Emerging Threat by Mark E. LeinMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I’ll never understand why people find 3 stars to be insulting, especially on Goodreads. 3 stars, by definition on GR, means ‘liked it’. So I use 3 stars often on GR, but Amazon reflects 4 stars because the definition is different from GR. 4 stars on Amazon is ‘liked it’ while 3 stars is ‘it’s okay’ which is what a 2 star is on GR. This annoys me, but I can’t control everything in life. That said, I like many books. I really like a few. And even fewer I find amazing. So for me, 3 stars isn’t bad. I hope people consider that when reading this review.
Enough of my ramblings about star ratings. Here are my thoughts on the book:
What I didn’t like:
There were some situations described in the book that left me confused. I couldn’t picture anything Lein was conveying during such scenes. Maybe someone with a more vivid imagination than I could easily develop a picture, but the wording and descriptions left me scratching my head. When I came to those parts, I just skimmed over it. The story was simple enough to follow that I don’t think I missed anything. I’m not one to read a paragraph over and over until I can discern its meaning, by the way. If I don’t get it the first time, I move on without looking back. Some readers may be the type to read slower and dissect, so these sections might not pose a problem at all.
Then there was the lack of dialog. Personally, I find dialog to be a great opportunity for character development and a chance for me to connect with someone. When following one of the protagonists, Oliver, there is a point when two brothers join him and I think they say five words to each other. There was no development regarding their relationship, how they interacted, or how they spoke. It left me annoyed when reading Oliver’s POV and I was eagerly ready to move on to Ethan’s POV (the other protagonist).
In the beginning there were two info dumps that gave history of the protagonists that I found completely unnecessary and pulled me right out of the story both times.
What I did like:
Ethan. I liked his character, though I wasn’t sitting on the edge of the couch, hanging on his every word and action. Compared to the others, he just seemed more developed. I liked his drive to do what was right, and his dialog with his friends helped me get to know his character and those in his company.
The creatures described are awesome! I pictured them easily and really enjoyed some battles with them. Those were the best parts of the book, and between them and Ethan, it saved this from dropping to 2 stars (‘it’s okay’).
I also found the magic system interesting. Like I said before, some stuff I didn’t follow, but what I did I enjoyed.
So, overall, I was left with a quick read that didn’t really connect 100% with me. I never found a character I was overly in love with, there were some odd scenes, and I found it a little flat. I will say that it moved quickly. Excluding some occasionally lengthy descriptions, there was plenty happening and nearly every chapter had conflict or action. I’m not a middle grade reader, but if I were to peg it in a category, I’d say it was geared more towards very late middle grade or very early YA.
To conclude my ramblings, I think there will be quite a few people who thoroughly enjoy this book (case in point with the many 5 stars ratings it has received). When the second book comes out, I’ll more than likely buy it in hopes to read more of Ethan’s journey.
View all my reviews
January 18, 2014
Indie Challenge 4 – Soul Catcher by E.L. Todd
Soul Catcher by E.L. Todd
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Hmmm...so I’m writing this review before I decide the number of stars to give it because, honestly, I just don’t know. Right off the bat, I’ll tell you that I’ll be buying the second book. I want to know what happens and I’m invested enough in the characters that I need to know what happens.
I guess I’ll start with what I didn’t like.
There were some unfortunate info dumps using confusing past and presence tenses that called attention to a few of them. They were short and contained information that I honestly forgot. I tend to glaze over paragraphs reciting world history when there’s no dialog or sensory additions that keep me focused. That being said, they were pretty brief.
A lot of information was redundant. A. Lot. I think what made this so blatant was the fact that the character POV shifted within a paragraph. It’s a head-hopper. As I’ve said before, I really, and I mean REALLY, enjoy multiple character POVs. What I don’t like is when it hops from sentence to sentence between characters, which happened in this book. It never grounds me to a scene, and this book was no exception. One minute we’re hearing the thoughts of a character which are generally reciprocated in the next sentence by another character. Then repeated a few paragraphs later.
There were some odd analogies. Like second hands on a clock, a pressured hose. It didn’t seem to fit with the time period and kinda threw me off a couple times.
Here’s something that doesn’t bother me, but thought I would share with people who are thinking of picking this book up: there is rape, there is sex.
Now, what I liked.
The characters themselves did not blow me away, but I really cared what happened to them. Aleco is a tormented man, which immediately draws me to him. I like characters with horrific pasts, and Aleco gives me that character. I wish the book would have had more slower scenes so we could get to know them better. Perhaps even more interaction with other characters, more dialog. Not to say I don’t know Aleco’s character well, but I wanted...something more in depth. Accacia was a character that sloshed from emotion to emotion. I didn’t have a problem with her until about half way through the book. I didn’t like her actions towards Aleco and it turned me off from her.
Some of the descriptions were a little flat, but other times they blew me away. There were times when Todd described physical sensations that were nothing shy of brilliant. I felt myself aching in sympathy. Love that!
The plot was nothing new or earth-shattering, but I found myself enjoying it. Besides one too many flashbacks, it moved along fine for my taste.
Now that I’ve written this, I’ve decided to go with 3 stars on Goodreads, 4 on Amazon because of their different meanings. I like this books. And, as I said, I will be buying the next one.
