Stella Coulson's Blog, page 3
January 22, 2014
Vampire Novella Giveaway
Giveaway of my Vampire Novella 'Whitby After Dark -Volume 1', cherry cover, a unedited edition. Easy to enter, as you can sign into goodreads with your fb acount.
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
January 13, 2014
The Bedroom Library
For a writer, a bedroom is a sanctuary, a haven, a place to get away from the hustle and busy of the mundane world and write. I made an off the cuff remark on my facebook saying "I'd love to just have a bed put in the middle of a Library and have that be my bedroom". I said it at first jokingly, but considering it at a closer angle, I now rather adore this idea.
My bedroom in its present incarnation pretty close to that concept, considering how many books are in this room. The room needs more shelves to give it that truly library feel.
I've filled all four of my bookshelves to the brim and have had to put the rest pilled up by walls, under bed, in closet etc. Presently the room is two sides of walk in closet spaces, floor to ceiling bookshelf,large window taking up another and a decent sized bed taking up the other. This all stores my vintage clothes, wardrobe, makeup, cat toys, graphic novels. I work from my laptop, so that is pretty much my office, even though there is an actual one downstairs.
The idea of a bedroom library appeals since my happy place is a Library, so what could be more fitting!
~ Stella Coulson
January 12, 2014
Go Ask Malice: A Slayer’s Diary by Robert Joseph Levy, A Suprisingly Good tv Tie-In
Go Ask Malice: A Slayer’s Diary by Robert Joseph Levy, a Book Review by Stella Coulson
Go Ask Malice: A Slayer's Diary by Robert Joseph Levywas at the time of reading, a complete surprise. I have read many tv and movie tie in novels. Some are good, some less impressive and a few wonderful in their own right. This falls under the latter. Its remarkable how Levy is able to write so closely to the adolescent female voice. It showed incredible empathy. Also have to add that the attention to Buffyverse detail is on point too. The journey with our protagonist, Faith is quite a ride; From Faith's lovers, her 1st Watcher, her home life and events that forged her into a Warrior. Faith is full of understandable rage, strength coupled with vulnerability. As we experience the world through her eyes, we may love her, hate her, or maybe both. Either way this novel made an impact on me. I would recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy. This book is a great read, full or escapism and emotion.
Go Ask Malice: A Slayer's Diary by Robert Joseph Levywas at the time of reading, a complete surprise. I have read many tv and movie tie in novels. Some are good, some less impressive and a few wonderful in their own right. This falls under the latter. Its remarkable how Levy is able to write so closely to the adolescent female voice. It showed incredible empathy. Also have to add that the attention to Buffyverse detail is on point too. The journey with our protagonist, Faith is quite a ride; From Faith's lovers, her 1st Watcher, her home life and events that forged her into a Warrior. Faith is full of understandable rage, strength coupled with vulnerability. As we experience the world through her eyes, we may love her, hate her, or maybe both. Either way this novel made an impact on me. I would recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy. This book is a great read, full or escapism and emotion.
January 7, 2014
The Dead Game by Susanne Liest Book Review
The Dead Game by Susanne Liest Book Review by Stella Coulson
A compelling spine chilling paranormal thriller in which Linda arrives in a Town called ‘Oasis’, a seemingly sleepy town where nothing is as it appears to be and may be the home of Vampires. Liest’s Vampires aren't your conventional Vampire, for there are more then one type living in scenic Town. Some have no regard for human life and are dangerous monstrous psychopaths of the worst kind; While another of a more Noble nature can co- exist with humans, as well as human Vampire hybrid offspring.
Oasis is charming, inviting, and Liest paints such a wonderful picture that you can almost catch the scent of the ocean and feel you are actually at ‘End House’. ‘End House’ itself is the beautiful unnerving decaying house that seems like a place that Dickens’s Miss Havisham would have lived. The picture Liest paints of her world is beautifully written and the experience is almost tactile. From her description of opulent homes to the quaint stores, she lulls you into a state of calm, and then pulls you deeper into darkness which lurks beneath.
“Don’t you think that it’s strange that the older residents
Don’t come out at all during the day?” asked Shana.
(Page Sec1:43).
This is among many questions the reader will ask and wonder, as they are drawn deeper within a Town with its own share of secrets. We discover that creatures of the night with beautiful faces, a sea of death lying upon the beautiful golden sands and are lead into a fantastic paranormal mystery. Mystery is just one of the genres the Author uses to blend into her gripping paranormal tale. She also uses horror, noir and many other elements and it works extremely well.
‘’Todd stepped back and looked into her eyes, “Why are you
wandering around alone? There are evil things lurking in the
dark…ready to pounce on unsuspecting mortals.”
His eyes were open very wide, revealing a wild—maybe
even deranged—look. For a fleeting second she felt afraid of
him, until she realized that it was concern she was seeing reflected in his dark eyes.’’
We then are lead to question ‘who can she trust’. Are her friends, loved ones all that they appear? Is it a case of paranoia or are her instincts trying to tell us something. The air of intensity and wonder keeps the reader on edge.
(Page Sec1:29).
The characters; Let us star off with our protagonist Linda - She is independent, sweet and very easy to like. She’s someone who you’d like to have as a friend. She is a real girl who has her own hang ups and flaws - This makes her endearing. The End House you could almost call a character in itself, much like the chilling unnerving Hotel in the Shining. It seems alive, dark, evil and full of bad intentions. It is a jarring sight in comparison to its Town Oasis, a tranquil idyllic sleepy place that one would at first think live up to its name. Think of the End House as Oasis’ very own picture of Dorian Grey in the attic. You see the hidden darkness manifest corporally as evil decaying twisted ruin.
Todd our delicious arrogant eye candy, has an air of self importance about him. I imagine it may annoy some, but he his intellect and charm make up for it. He reads the Wall Street Journal and is described as Greek God like in appearance, is articulate, powerful and affluent. Confidence is attractive and he has a lot of it. Of course I’d gladly smack him in the jaw if I were Linda. It works for his character and is interesting for the story.
The Dead Game is a page turner, elegantly written, full of suspense and is a enjoyable novel and well worth a read.
A compelling spine chilling paranormal thriller in which Linda arrives in a Town called ‘Oasis’, a seemingly sleepy town where nothing is as it appears to be and may be the home of Vampires. Liest’s Vampires aren't your conventional Vampire, for there are more then one type living in scenic Town. Some have no regard for human life and are dangerous monstrous psychopaths of the worst kind; While another of a more Noble nature can co- exist with humans, as well as human Vampire hybrid offspring.
Oasis is charming, inviting, and Liest paints such a wonderful picture that you can almost catch the scent of the ocean and feel you are actually at ‘End House’. ‘End House’ itself is the beautiful unnerving decaying house that seems like a place that Dickens’s Miss Havisham would have lived. The picture Liest paints of her world is beautifully written and the experience is almost tactile. From her description of opulent homes to the quaint stores, she lulls you into a state of calm, and then pulls you deeper into darkness which lurks beneath.
“Don’t you think that it’s strange that the older residents
Don’t come out at all during the day?” asked Shana.
(Page Sec1:43).
This is among many questions the reader will ask and wonder, as they are drawn deeper within a Town with its own share of secrets. We discover that creatures of the night with beautiful faces, a sea of death lying upon the beautiful golden sands and are lead into a fantastic paranormal mystery. Mystery is just one of the genres the Author uses to blend into her gripping paranormal tale. She also uses horror, noir and many other elements and it works extremely well.
‘’Todd stepped back and looked into her eyes, “Why are you
wandering around alone? There are evil things lurking in the
dark…ready to pounce on unsuspecting mortals.”
His eyes were open very wide, revealing a wild—maybe
even deranged—look. For a fleeting second she felt afraid of
him, until she realized that it was concern she was seeing reflected in his dark eyes.’’
We then are lead to question ‘who can she trust’. Are her friends, loved ones all that they appear? Is it a case of paranoia or are her instincts trying to tell us something. The air of intensity and wonder keeps the reader on edge.
(Page Sec1:29).
The characters; Let us star off with our protagonist Linda - She is independent, sweet and very easy to like. She’s someone who you’d like to have as a friend. She is a real girl who has her own hang ups and flaws - This makes her endearing. The End House you could almost call a character in itself, much like the chilling unnerving Hotel in the Shining. It seems alive, dark, evil and full of bad intentions. It is a jarring sight in comparison to its Town Oasis, a tranquil idyllic sleepy place that one would at first think live up to its name. Think of the End House as Oasis’ very own picture of Dorian Grey in the attic. You see the hidden darkness manifest corporally as evil decaying twisted ruin.
Todd our delicious arrogant eye candy, has an air of self importance about him. I imagine it may annoy some, but he his intellect and charm make up for it. He reads the Wall Street Journal and is described as Greek God like in appearance, is articulate, powerful and affluent. Confidence is attractive and he has a lot of it. Of course I’d gladly smack him in the jaw if I were Linda. It works for his character and is interesting for the story.
The Dead Game is a page turner, elegantly written, full of suspense and is a enjoyable novel and well worth a read.
December 31, 2013
Free Poetry e-book for The New Year
To celebrate the upcoming release of Whitby After Dark - Volume 2, I am giving away a free poetry e-book on smashwords. Feel free to download, share etc.
Just simply click on the link here
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
Enjoy and stay safe this New years.
Happy New year Peeps x
Much Love,
Stella
Just simply click on the link here
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
Enjoy and stay safe this New years.
Happy New year Peeps x
Much Love,
Stella
December 28, 2013
Writing only when the sun goes down
I only seem to be able to write when the sun has gone down. I wonder if other writers have this quirk or if it's my own unique malfunction. I was thinking about this today when attempting to write a chapter today. Something about sunlight saps the eerie out of writing a macabre tale. Perhaps it's just the setting of a mood, because it does inspire that facet of our primal nature when the stars are out and moonlight plays upon a velvet sky. Examining this closer, maybe it is the quiet and how it soothes the subconscious, allowing my mind to breathe, without the hustle and bustle of daylight. It's not impossible to write during such bright hours, but writers block does tend to hit me before sunset hours. As such 90% of my Novella Whitby After Dark - A Vampire Novella & Dark Poetry was written by moonlight.
