Deborah Jay's Blog, page 67
October 27, 2015
#BookReview – WICKEDLY WONDERFUL by Deborah Blake #ParanormalRomance
Warning: I’m going MIA tomorrow, having set aside A WHOLE DAY FOR WRITING if I’m slow replying to any comments, please forgive me.
Although I’m nominally on holiday, I’ve been working for the last 6 days (clients up here in Scotland still want to see me, thank goodness), and today I took a day out to go on a drive around and visit several of the sites that feature in Desprite Measures, giving me LOTS of photos and videos to sort through – so I thought I’d catch up with another of those ‘number 2 in series’ reviews I’ve been running.
This has been the best so far. I only awarded it 4*, and you’ll see why when you read the review below, but I must say it was a pleasure to delve into a #2 book and find it up to the standard of the first one.
So, without further ado:
Wickedly Wonderful by Deborah Blake
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Beka Yancy is a barely qualified Baba Yaga (turns out that’s a title, not a person, and there are 3 of them in the US, protecting the environment and dealing with bad guys), and for her first serious mission she finds herself faced with a tricky situation: something is poisoning the deepwater trench where the mers and selkies live, forcing them to move closer to human waters and risk discovery. There’s little to go on, and Beka can’t help but question her own competence, as her self-confidence was pretty much wiped out by her mentor during training.
Just to complicate things, the only way Beka can get out to the site to dive, is on a fishing boat with a grumpy old guy dying of cancer, and his impossibly stiff-shirted son, Marcus; an ex-marine who can’t abide Beka’s flaky surfer-girl persona. He’s not to know she’s a powerful witch, and he wouldn’t believe her anyway…
This is the second of Deborah Blake’s Baba Yaga series, and it was great to have a totally different character from Barbara Yager, the Baba in Wickedly Dangerous. The writing is clear and crisp, and the story holds together nicely although I did think Beka was a bit too trusting and forgiving, even if she is understandably naive.
I think I may be suffering from romance-reading burnout, as I found the plot structure of the romance aspect way too predictable: boy meets girl and they detest each other on sight. Through circumstances they gradually come to the point of developing a relationship, have sex, and then girl reveals big secret which boy can’t forgive, and suddenly it’s all doom and gloom and looks like it’s all over. But hey, guess what? It isn’t! Now there’s a surprise… Not.
To be fair, the characters are beautifully drawn, and totally true to their natures. I just think the predictability is rather dull, but you may thrive on it. After all, there are only so many stories out there to be told.
The villain is gloriously villainous, there is a little lead in to the next book with one of the Riders (the Baba Yaga’s traditional assistants) missing, and all the immediate plot threads are nicely tied up by the end, so a satisfying read on many levels. I look forward to the next one, and discovering yet another Baba and her individual quirks.
And here is my review of the first in the series: Wickedly Dangerous
October 26, 2015
Amazon #1 #BestSeller – yay! #UrbanFantasy
Yup, enormous thanks to all of you who downloaded Sprite Night while it was on promotion – it made it to the #1 position in one of its US categories, and as high as #4 in the other – [pause for author to grin maniacally].
And here’s the proof:
Or in prettier format:
Now I know it seems like a bit of a cheat to call it a ‘bestseller’, when it was actually free, but hey, it’s my first #1 on Amazon, so perhaps you can forgive me that little conceit?
Not quite as stellar results on the UK site, but still very pleasing, as the categories are far larger – no ‘short read’ categories here; in contention with full length works:
Numbers
The all-important bit. This was my first time running a free promotion, and I had no real idea what to expect. I’ve seen people throwing around huge figures in the thousands – usually when they pay for a BookBub ad. I wasn’t prepared to spend that sort of extortionate money, even if they would have taken a short story (which they wouldn’t), so I set out to do a promo without spending any pennies. I didn’t quite succeed, but I spent a total of $11.50, so it didn’t break the bank!
Downloads – still not finalised, but at last count, just topping 400.
Many sites don’t take short stories, but I found a surprising goodly number that did:
http://askdavid.com/free-ebook-promotion
http://bookangel.co.uk/submit-your-book/
http://contentmo.com/submit-your-free-ebook-promo/
http://www.ebooklister.net/submit.php
http://ebooksaddict.com/submissions/
http://www.freeebooksdaily.com/
http://www.frugal-freebies.com/p/submit-freebie.html
http://igniteyourbook.com/congratulations/
http://www.freebookclub.org/kindle-books
ALL the above were FREE to advertise with. I filled out forms for twice as many sites, and a few more may have taken it, but they don’t provide confirmation, and I didn’t have time to check them all, so I can’t be certain.
The two PAID sites I went with were:
http://snickslist.com/books/ at $1.50 for 3 days, its a steal!
http://www.booksbutterfly.com/order/freebookslots/ this site asks for payment in respect of how many downloads the get you: $5 per 100 downloads, and I paid $10 up front. It is even guaranteed – they refund you if they don’t produce the goods – fabulous!
And off the back of this, I’m already seeing an uptick in sales of all my books – again, not huge yet, but the promo only finishes tonight, and I’ve made back the (tiny) bit of money I spent and a bit more already.
Have you found any other free sites to promote your free works? Do share…
October 22, 2015
#FREE – SPRITE NIGHT, a stand alone short story #UrbanFantasy #Fantasy
From 22nd October to 25th October inclusive – grab yourself a copy of this quick read and
discover a unique eco-urban fantasy with just a touch of romance.
When Scottish water sprite, Cassie, volunteers for an anti-fracking protest, the last thing she expects is to find herself at odds with a druid. But with time running out for the local environment, she can’t afford to be distracted by the handsome hunk of a Highlander.
Intent on a minor act of sabotage, Cassie is totally unprepared to be caught in the cross-fire of a magical battle. Can she avert catastrophe? Or will she become the very agency of an ecological disaster?
SPRITE NIGHT is a stand alone companion story to DESPRITE MEASURES, book 1 in the Caledonian Sprite series.
What people are saying about SPRITE NIGHT
***4.8 stars***
“This story flowed smoothly and gave the reader an enjoyable glimpse into the world of Cassie Lake. The author intertwined real life elements into her magical world of druids, magicians and sprites. It was a clever twist to include internet links to various real life sites to bring a touch of realism to this fantasy. I would recommend this story to anyone looking for an easy, quick story that will make you smile.”
“There was a lot to love crammed into this short story. First, there’s the interesting world-building, centered around a water sprite who can dematerialize into her individual molecules at will. Next, the Scottish setting and culture was very vivid and intriguing, like an armchair vacation. Add in the hydrofracking issue that is currently so important on a world-wide level and you have an intellectually intriguing and enjoyable read.”
“Another wonderful Deborah Jay story, proving that she writes short fiction as fabulously as she writes novels! I love her dialogue best – believable, funny, and her heroine Cassie is always sassy. The balance between plot, action and information (who knew all that about water sprites?) is perfect – the writing is truly fast-paced at time, yet still includes such strong imagery to make you wince, or laugh, or both simultaneously.
Perfect follow-up to Ms Jay’s Sprite novel, but works as a strong stand-alone, too.”
” This story gives you an excellent chance to dip your toe into the Cassie waters. Sorry, couldn’t resist that.”
Download your copy from Amazon HERE
October 20, 2015
The Great Adventure continues! #Scotland #Highlands #HogwartsExpress
As promised, moving on up The Great Glen provided opportunity to take a fantastic day trip on The Jacobite Steam Train – the very train that doubles for the HOGWART’S EXPRESS!
Harry Potter fans, eat your hearts out!
This is me and Frodo, about to embark on our adventure.
The charming ‘ordinary class’ carriages – they don’t allow dogs in First Class :(
The train leaves from the station in Fort William and travels across to Mallaig, on the West Coast – one of the most beautiful (and wild) areas of the Scottish Highlands, and en route it passes over the Glenfinnan Viaduct which, if you’ve seen Harry Potter, you will easily recognise.
I took this out of the tiny little sliding window above our seats inside the carriage, and I can absolutely guarantee it is all my own work and not, as one friend suggested on facebook, taken from a promotional site!
Glenfinnan station has a little rail museum, with old carriages turned into a restaurant
and a gigantic vintage snowplough! 
And it also gave me the opportunity to snap a quick pic of the ‘Hogwart’s carriage’, otherwise known as First Class!
Then it was on to Mallaig, where the platform was decorated with this cute barrel flower arrangement.
Yes, that’s my shadow in the way – I might be able to take awesome videos, but I don’t claim to be a great photographer!
We had time for lunch – the place is geared to the train passengers, I guess, with a huge quantity of food outlets, all serving local fish – now there’s a surprise!
Mallaig – a typical fishing port on the West Coast, Scottish Highlands
Then back on the train for they journey home. A little glare on the ones taken through the window, but you get the idea of the scenery…
and here is a pic of the little window I was poking my camera through!
Looking back…
And coming towards Fort William and the sea loch
Fort William and the end of the line, or the day, anyway.
Perfect end to a perfect day :D
October 17, 2015
Travelling The Great Glen – #Scottish #Highlands
Those of you who’ve been here before probably know that I commute regularly between the UK south coast and the Scottish Highlands. Most often these are working trips, which involve flying between the two ends of the country to save time.
Twice a year, we drive the route, allowing me to take my Jack Russell (Frodo) to his favourite ‘walkies’ venues, and permitting a little bit of ‘tourist time’ for us humans.
We’ve just arrived in the Highlands, this time by the more scenic route, travelling from Glasgow up The Great Glen, so I thought I’d share a little of the journey with you.
First comes Loch Lomond, billed as ‘the most romantic loch’. Not sure why, but it is tranquil and beautiful. What we weren’t expecting was to find this massive construction at the head of the loch
As we moved closer, more of its purpose was revealed – it gives an amazing, focussed view down the loch, and as you move through it, you realise that it is positioned to give you the best site, not to mention that the far side consists of steps, up which you can go to the very top for the best possible view.
Moving on, we found that even when you are stopped at road works, they give you something interesting to look at!
Later on, we travelled over Rannoch Moor, a desolate area of peat bogs between the mountains, but still beautiful.
Then comes Glen Coe…
(I promise to go a bit slower next time, so as not to risk making you dizzy!)
James Bond fan? You may recognise this as the road to Skyfall…
We stayed the night at the wonderful Ballachulish Hotel (pronounced Balla-hoo-lish), a grand building with warm hospitality and a great selection of malts!
There’s a lovely view down Loch Leven
Next day we went on a fantastic day trip – come back again next post to see where (PS. if you’re a Harry Potter fan, you won’t want to miss it…)
October 12, 2015
#Book #Review – The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers, by Angie Fox #UrbanFantasy
About time I caught up with my reviews again – sticking to my self-imposed promise to read some of the sequels to books I enjoyed, sadly, once again, I was a tad disappointed with this second instalment.
I absolutely loved the first one, see my review of The Accidental Demon Slayer here.
And this is what I thought of The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers:
The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers by Angie Fox
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I absolutely loved the first book in this series – The Accidental Demon Slayer. Book 2, not quite so much.
Lizzie has accepted her talents and taken on the mantle of demon slayer – a very rare, inherited set of skills. She’s still riding with her Grandma’s biker witch gang, and her drool-worthy griffin shifter boyfriend, and this time she’s out to try and save Uncle Phil (her fairy godfather, quite literally) from the succubus who has her claws into him.
Only trouble is, Lizzie needs a permit from the Department of Intramagical Procedures (DIP) to wield her magic, and there’s no demon slaying manual to tell her how to pass the exam.
What ensues is often comical, but also irritatingly muddled. I found the motivations of several of the characters questionable to the point of stupidity and many of their decisions decidedly plot-serving. Although the story mostly chugged along at a fair pace, it was uneven at times.
I really, really couldn’t forgive Lizzie’s decision to take time out to have hot griffin sex with her boyfriend, when she (a) knew he was being drained of his life energy by the succubi and (b) was up against the clock to save her uncle.
And where, after all her life until now being a straight-laced pre-school teacher, did she get the sudden urge to dress in bustiers and skin-tight leather pants?
Then there was the editing. Or maybe there wasn’t any. Enough said.
Don’t get me wrong, there are still many good things about this book – Pirate, the talking terrier, is just as great as ever, the biker witches are still awesomely crazy, and the magical thirteenth floor of their Vegas hotel, with its walk-on-water-with-fish-swimming-below-your- feet floor is true genius! The background is also smoothly interwoven into the story, so you could happily read this volume without having read the first; also useful if you’ve taken a big gap between books to remind you of what happened first time around.
So in summary, I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first one, but I like the characters and the set up enough that I’ll still read the next one, in hopes the plot is less muddled and the editing better.
October 9, 2015
Fabulous Friday Guest Blogger – Deborah Jay
Today I’d like to share – reblog – a guest post that I wrote for ‘The Write Stuff’ about face-to-face writers’ groups.
If you have any experiences, do share :D
Originally posted on The Write Stuff:
First, I’d like to thank Marcia for all the work she’s done, creating this blog and inviting us all to participate – and what a great group of authors this is turning out to be!
Seeing as Marcia has given us free rein on topic, I thought I would write about the greatest writing asset I have outside of my own imagination and learned skills: the fabulous writers group I belong to.
And I mean an honest-to-God, in-the-flesh writers group – less common these days perhaps than virtual ones, but a great way for writers to meet face to face and discuss issues in the here-and-now.
As writers, we tend to tap away on our keyboards in our ivory towers (or an over-crowded home office, in my case), and get most of our feedback after we’ve written our ‘masterpiece’. Working with a ‘live’ group is more than some writers can…
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October 5, 2015
In honour of World Teachers’ Day
Today is World Teachers’ Day, and to celebrate, I am sharing this wonderful infographic from Grammerly.
Teachers do an incredibly difficult job; they educate and inspire, they change lives, and we don’t have enough of them!
Can you remember a teacher who inspired you? I certainly can – the English teacher who chose for us to study what turned out to be my first fantasy read: A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin.
October 1, 2015
Here is my interview with Deborah Jay – reblog from #Authors #Interviews
Here’s a fun interview with me – great questions, Fiona Mcvie!
Originally posted on authorsinterviews:
Name Deborah Jay
Age Old enough
Where are you from The UK near London, and the Scottish Highlands when I can spare the time.
A little about your self `ie your education Family life etc I have a Life Sciences degree, with a special interest in genetic engineering, though my knowledge is way out of date. In between graduating and the start of a planned PhD, I worked as a horse riding instructor, and somehow never came out of that industry.
Nowadays, I am a freelance dressage trainer, with clients all over the country up to International level. I have represented the UK myself, and currently compete and judge on the national circuit. Being self-employed has the advantage of setting my own hours, although there are never enough of those to go around!
Fiona: Tell us your latest news?
I’m nearing the end of writing the second…
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September 28, 2015
Book #review – DEATH BY DROWNING by Abigail Keam #murder #mystery
A few weeks ago, I embarked on a deliberate policy of reading the second books in the series I’ve enjoyed so far. There are always so many new ones to read, and for a while I over-loaded my schedule with review requests for blog tours, so these have been sitting on my kindle unread for too long.
Enough! I will be reading a few new ones for friends, but right now, I want to see just how these follow up books work; an interesting place for me as I draw near to completing the sequel to THE PRINCE’S MAN, and prepare to set to with editing.
Sadly, so far I’ve been rather disappointed (reviews coming soon), although not enough to give up on the series completely. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt, and read book 3 before deciding whether to continue.
Here’s the first one: the second of the Josiah Reynolds mysteries, and you can see my review of the first one here.
Death by Drowning by Abigail Keam
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Following on from the end of ‘Death by a Honeybee’, this book opens with Josiah in a very poorly state, having survived her fall down the cliff in the climax of the last one. The first part of this book is largely about her prolonged recovery, and her grumpiness about the whole thing. If you haven’t read the first one, you’re probably going to struggle to find much empathy with her, as she can be pretty sharp and ungrateful – mind you, I could well understand her state of mind, knowing what she’d been through.
The highlight of these rather grim first chapters was discovering that Baby, her mastiff puppy, had survived being shot, even if he, too, was somewhat damaged.
And then there is Jake. Mmm. Where can I find me one of those?
The mystery in this book takes a rather poor second place to the story of Josiah’s recovery and the grim suspicion that her attacker, O’nan, also survived the fall and is out to get her. A friend asks her to investigate the apparently accidental death of a teenager, and although this story thread is resolved in this book, it wasn’t exactly riveting.
I did still love the writing, the array of diverse people, and the depth of characterisation enough that I will continue with the series. However, as a follow up to the previous book, I found it somewhat disappointing in the plot department.
Have the sequels you’ve read lived up to their predecessors? I’d love to hear…
