Annabell’s Comments (group member since Jun 27, 2012)

Annabell’s comments from the TeAmNeRd ReViEwS group.

Brought to you by TeamNerd Reviewer Annabell Cadiz

Star Rating: 4/5 stars

Review: John Milton once wrote, “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven,” and there isn’t a quote, I think, that captures the world of Breaking the Devil’s Heart quite so well. A world caste in fantasy and supernatural characters, the book is driven more by the grand idealisms we have as humans and the intimate fears and regrets that can destroy us. A book fraught with action, love, betrayal, pain, and the desperate need to believe in what is right above all else, readers are thrown into a story as thought provoking as it is moving.


As per usual with Goodman, he jumps head long into a massive plot without holding back in his opinions of both religion and society. The cast set to play the roles of teachers as well as villains are richly colorful and incredibly terrifying. There’s also a sense of vulnerability with each of the characters, even with the villains, which is no small feat to accomplish.


One of the big elements that differentiate the second installment in Goodman’s Logic of Demons Series, is the fact that the story is told from the perspective of one character instead of multiple ones. It’s one of the elements I really loved about the book because it gives readers the chance to bond closely with the male lead, Stewart. Stewart approaches his journey with zeal and naiveté, ready to take on whatever comes with a mixture of nerdiness and sarcasm. He became my favorite character right off the bat.


There are numerous characters that make an appearance throughout the book so I won’t name them all but each character is developed well with strong and relatable qualities, even the sinister ones of the bunch. Three of my favorites were Franklin, Teddy, and Adrian. Franklin and Ted McNally are demons, each with his own agenda and with a need to prove himself. Franklin is British, polished, and sophisticated. Between worrying about his attire, mocking Stewart every chance he gets, and delivering his own blows to Stewart’s plan, I was either laughing or wanting to take down Franklin myself. It was a love/hate relationship between us. Teddy is way too chipper it’s scary, he’s optimistic, and positive but deep down it’s really just a mask for how unstable he actually is. Adrian is sweet, charismatic, and laid back. I love the way he was portrayed in the book. He isn’t the way a person would normally expect an angel to look like and that made his character even more relatable.


The subject matter is heavy and dark, Goodman isn’t afraid to explore the hard hitting truths a lot of people usually shy away from. The message presented through the book—evil cannot be blamed on an invisible hand as much as on our own actions and we have to learn to take responsibilities for said actions—is a constant through the scenes as the plot progresses. Goodman showcases universal flaws within religion, culture, and individuals. The message is heartbreaking, inspiring, and bold.


One of the aspects I love about the Logic of Demons books is the presentation of Hell as a massive office echoing the craziness of a stock exchange and the mind-numbing boredom that comes with working in one. Also, the fact that demons look and act so human. Heaven isn’t exactly bothering to stop Satan as one would expect and is apparently undergoing some crazy mutiny. The story is engaging from the moment you start reading and is solid.


Even though Goodman’s opinions presented throughout the book aren’t written with a judgmental attitude but painted with history and wisdom, there are moments they can feel a bit repetitive. The dialogue in the second installment flows much better than its predecessor but still has some moments where it comes off feeling awkward and doesn’t fully sit well.


Whatever the flaws though in Breaking the Devil’s Heart, they can be overlooked because the story is authentic and real, the concept is original, and the world is executed well. Underneath the power, the time travel, the supernatural characters, is a heartbeat and a story that will stay with you long after you finish.

http://www.nerdalien.com/2012/04/book...

Brought to you by TeamNerd Reviewer Bridget Strahin


Star Rating: 5 stars


Review: For hundreds of years, the vampire Balthazar has been alone—without allies, without love.


When Balthazar agrees to help Skye Tierney, a human girl who once attended Evernight Academy, he has no idea how dangerous it will be. Skye's newfound psychic powers have caught the attention of Redgrave, the cruel, seductive master vampire responsible for murdering Balthazar and his family four centuries ago. Now Redgrave plans to use Skye's powers for his own evil purposes.


Balthazar will do whatever it takes to stop Redgrave and exact his long-awaited revenge against his killer. As Skye and Balthazar stand together to fight him, they grow closer—first unwillingly, then undeniably. Balthazar realizes his lonely world could finally be changed by her.


In a story filled with forbidden love and dark suspense, one of the most beloved characters in Claudia Gray's New York Times bestselling Evernight Series will captivate readers with his battle to overcome his past and follow his heart.


Skye Tierney is now home from Evernight Academy with some sort of psychic ability that allows her to see someone's death if she walks by where they died. There is no beating around the bush in this book. Right from the start, Skye is in trouble and the oh-so handsome Balthazar comes to her rescue.



No one can give Skye an explanation for her new ability except for the very bad, Redgrave, who wants to use Skye's blood for his own gain and will do anything to make Skye his. Balthazar, who has a 400 year old grudge with Redgrave, promises to keep Skye safe while also trying to finally put an end to Redgrave's reign of terror.


Skye is very well written and developed. She's strong willed and brave. She is grieving for a dead brother but still manages to keep it together and never backs away from a new threat. Those who have read the previous EA books and who are familiar with the intriguing Balthazar, will be pleasantly pleased with him in this installment. I really loved the growing relationship between Sky and Balthazar. It wasn't the instant love that most books have. Their love grows painfully slow and reluctantly but I loved reading every bit of it.


Claudia Gray delivers again with this addictive tale about a boy who doesn't think he can love a human without a tragic ending and a girl who just can't take no for an answer when love is at stake. The details were imaginative and thorough and I had no issues diving into the book after the long wait from the fourth Evernight book.

I recommend this book not only to Evernight fans, but also to non-fans. It's a great read and you won't be sorry you bought it.

http://www.nerdalien.com/2012/05/book...

Written by: Author Queenbe Monyei

It was around late November, I was in my room staring at my computer as I usually do, when I decided that I would write the story that would later be known as Nalia and the Potion Maker. It was a story that I had planned on writing several years from now. It had only been a few months since I had moved back to Los Angeles after spending a year in London in grad school and a year in Turkey teaching English. Even though I was back in my home town, it felt strange.

When you move you have this notion that the place you call home will somehow stand still. That time will wait just for you. It won’t leave or abandon you the same way you have done to it. But as many people who move abroad and then return home discover, everything feels different. Suddenly, you are in culture shock over a culture you once called your own.

The bad state of the economy, the desperation of failed job searches and the reality that I was different from everything around me, quickly brought upon what I call the “dark days.” It would be the breeding ground for the world that I would create for Nalia. It is a place where you could be and do anything, all with the power of your imagination. The development of Nalia’s world was a chance to enter a place very far from the one that I was in. It was my escape. My faded light at the end of a very long tunnel.

It’s not like it was my first attempt at a novel or even a screenplay. As with most writers, I had my many failed attempts, mostly, because the stories I was writing weren’t really my own. They weren’t coming from a place that I was afraid to show anyone else. All my fears, desires and hopes I gave to Nalia. Although the first few chapters of the book are highly autobiographical(my father’s passing, my distant mother, my many hospital visits and the incessant bullying), Nalia is still her own person, and maybe a person that only those closest to me truly understand.

I needed to give her the footstool of my own experiences before I could let her grow into her own. Even so, I must admit that she, as a character, will not truly develop until the second book. Perhaps this is because the beginning was an exploration; a way for me to discover where I could take the story and what I was burning deep inside to say. Whatever it was, it was waiting, clawing, scratching, and fighting to get out.

There was a strange freedom once the book was done. It is something that I can’t quite describe, and any words I could give wouldn’t do it justice. I can say, for the first time in a while, the days aren’t so dark and the tunnels don’t seem so long.

There is something I like to do in my writing, which I call my subtle hints and foreshadowing. There is a part in chapter 2 where it says “[Nalia] was going to have to stumble a bit in the dark to make it to the light . . .” There is a literal meaning to this as she was trying to get to the light switch in the back of a dark attic but it is also apropos to the journey that Nalia will take as she gets older.

I have learned that writing requires all you have. If you hold back your readers will know. Putting yourself out there for the whole world to critique and judge is no easy task, but it must be what every aspiring writer MUST be willing to do. My motto for myself, as the pesky nuisance of writer’s block attempts to slither in, is to remember that the story is there, if you have the courage to write it.

http://www.nerdalien.com/2011/07/gues...

Brought to you by TeamNerd Reviewer Annabell Cadiz

Author Bill Blais stops by to chat with me about his novel, No Good Deed, which is the first book in his Kelly and Umber Series. He discusses why he chose to write from a female prespective, how he approached writing dark themes, what he thinks is the hardest part about writing a novel and why he would do a book tour with Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz.

Author Bill Blais: I just want to preface my responses with the fact that I'm working on a deficit of sleep recently, thanks to the new baby, so the coherence of the following is likely minimal in places, for which I apologize because Annabell came up with some fantastic and really challenging questions.


Annabell: Where did the idea for No Good Deed stem from? Why demons and why the supernatural/fantasy genres?


Bill Blais:The core of NGD actually came to me in the car as I was driving to Readercon a few years ago. I'd been reading about a lot of the growing Urban Fantasy genre, particularly the 'strong' female characters, but I wasn't seeing it. It felt like 'strong' was being used in the purely physical/aggression sense (in and of itself, not terrible, but where was the true strength of character, the difficult choices, the genuine sacrifice?). So, I decided to see if I could write my own hero.


I've been a fantasy kid from day one (to my parents' occasional concern), but urban fantasy was relatively new to me. Aside from Anne Rice's seminal series, vampires and werewolves have never really interested me, but demons, particularly as I came to understand them in these books, gave me something else entirely, and opened doors I had not expected.


Fun fact: The original idea for No Good Deed centered not around Kelly or even Umber, but around Grishane, a character who doesn't actually make an appearance until Hell Hath No Fury. As the story blossomed from kernel to book, though, Kelly appeared and took center stage almost without me realizing it.


Annabell: Why did you decide to narrate your book through a female voice?


Bill Blais:Two reasons. First, I thought a woman like Kelly was overdue in the genre. She's not perfect but she's trying to do the right thing. She's not svelte, but she has her own beauty. She's not brilliant, but she doesn't give up. She's the kind of character I hope readers can appreciate and root for.


Second, I wanted to see if I could pull off a 'believable' female voice. I think I still have some work to do, but I hope it’s close. Kelly started as an amalgamation of various people I had met, but she quickly became her own distinct person. When I'm really listening to her, I write her best; when I try to get her to say what I want her to say, it's never right and everyone can tell (except, sometimes, me, for which I am deeply indebted to my beta readers).


Annabel: Kelly is the quote-end quote ordinary person thrown into an extraordinary world. What I like is that the world of demon hunting is not glamorized or romanticized. It’s as dark and dangerous as normal life can sometimes feel. What do you think it is about “ordinary heroes” that draws readers in? How did you approach creating the dark themes in the book?


Bill Blais:I think ordinary heroes are the best kind. I'm an absolute sucker for underdogs, but underdogs are underdogs not because they are destined for greatness, but because they are people like us, people with weaknesses and frailties, and despite the odds that push them down, they manage to get back up.


As for the dark themes, I tried very hard to approach them with the same reality that I did Kelly's 'normal' life. There are certainly (hopefully!) moments of kick-butt fun, but everything has consequences, and it is these consequences that are the most challenging and exciting to me, as a writer.


The world Kelly discovers is brutal and dark and, at times, incomprehensible, but I didn't want it to be arbitrary or gratuitous. Ultimately, though, what's the point of having demons if they aren't scary?


Annabell: What type of research did you have to undertake in order to create the world Denis Larocque introduces both Kelly and the readers to?


Bill Blais:As an English major, I started with my copy of Dante's Inferno, but I quickly discovered this was too easy. If an underworld of demons really did exist, I can't imagine it adhering to a single culture's interpretation. As a result, I found myself trolling the Internet for demons across all cultures, from Western to Eastern, Russian to African, Witch-Hunts to Zoroastrianism, literary to role-playing games. This was a lot of fun and quite an eye opener.


When Denis and team stepped into the story, I discovered that their day-jobs were an excellent intermediary between the worlds. My previous interest in the world of antiques was largely limited to occasional viewings of The Antiques Road Show, but Denis challenged me to do things right and try to make the shop and their work as realistic as I could. Did I succeed?


Annabell: Shawn has Multiple Sclerosis, why did you choose to present such an important topic within the storyline of the book?


Bill Blais: Actually, this was part mental exercise, part malicious author decision, and part personal note.


First, it seemed to me that people are rarely sick in books. Either they're deathly ill or they have the sniffles, but few are long-term survivors, people making do day by day with an ongoing sickness. What this would do to the story intrigued me, and I wanted to know whether I could pull it off honestly.


Second, I thought I should make Kelly's life more difficult. Mean, huh? Probably, but again, it seems to me that the people with the greatest burdens often rise to the greatest challenges. It's unfair, no question, but that's the point. Life often is unfair, but heroes strive to rise above, not condemn and bemoan.


Last, some folks in my life have been stricken with terrible and insidious diseases and I wanted to show a character who dealt with such an illness in a realistic, believable way, and how that impacts the rest of the people in that person's life. Mostly, though, I wanted to show that sick people are heroes too, fighting silent battles every single day, whatever the end result.


Annabell: Denis’ team have different colors to indicate who they are when they are out chasing demons and all of them undergo extensive training. If you could create your own demon hunting team, what would the team be called and what kind of job would be your cover? What kind of training would you demand your team to have?


Hm. I'm afraid I'll have to plead the fifth. I have some ideas, but they have a bearing on future Kelly & Umber books.


Also, I'm really not sure I would trust anyone who trusted me to be their leader. I wish I was that person, but I'm not.


Annabell: No Good Deed is the first in the Kelly and Umber Series. How many more books will there be? And what are some fun tidbits you’re willing to give away about what happens in the next installment, Hell Hath No Fury?


Bill Blais:I currently have the final outline for book 3, tentatively titled The Road To Hell, and some loose ideas for book 4, but I don't have a specific end in sight. I do worry sometimes about 'jumping the shark', but I believe Kelly and Umber and the others still have plenty to share. As long as they keep talking to me, I'll keep writing it down.


As for HHNF tidbits, I can honestly say that I did not expect to write what I wrote. It's actually darker than NGD, but I couldn't see any other way to do it. To be cliché about it, I would say that this time, it's personal. Some folks in the foreground of NGD fade to the back, but if you're looking for more Umber . . . well, I guess that's the next question.


Annabell: Outside of Kelly, Umber is my favorite character! He’s an Incubus with a powerful touch (literally). Will there be more of his backstory in the Hell Hath No Fury? Does he have a bigger role in the next book? If you were an Incubus, what would you want your power to be?


Umber definitely has a certain . . . appeal, doesn't he? He does indeed have a much bigger role in the next book. As for being an Incubus, I can think of few more terrible fates. It's also part of the appeal of writing him. But that's probably a discussion for after you've read HHNF (nudge, nudge, wink, wink).


To read the rest of the interview go to: http://www.nerdalien.com/2012/04/auth...

Four Reasons Why You Shouldn't Let Yourself Get Ruffled Up By Bad Reviews


Indie published Author L. Joseph Shosty opens up about his experience with negative reviews, how he's learned to handle them and the advice he would give to fellow authors.


More advice exists for coping with and combatting rejection than probably any other subject concerning the craft of writing. Once, articles with titles such as “Ten Ways to Survive That Rejection Letter” or “How to Write Characters That Defy Rejection!” were prevalent in industry magazines. Other topics, such as how to write or even how to edit, were overshadowed by what can really only be called a subculture, one that was about accepting and overcoming being told no. Why? Because, statistically speaking, the sheer number of would-be writers out there who never saw print, and would eventually give up, were far in excess of those who would eventually be published.

Today, things are different. Print-on-demand, self-publishing, and e-publishing have opened up dozens of new doors. More people are seeing print than ever before. The ratio of the eternally rejected to published authors is more balanced. Virtually anyone can see print, in fact. It’s not so much a question of if you’ll get published, it’s a matter of when and in what form you’ll do it.




This, however, presents a brand new problem for writers. The Internet, which has been the driving force behind the new wave of publishing, has also bridged the gap between author and reader so keenly that virtually no distance between the two remains. Feedback now comes at the speed of light, and readers are obliged to become critics. Online booksellers encourage readers to rate and review books on their websites, in fact. Bloggers regularly review books as part of their routine. Some sites, in fact, are totally devoted to book reviews. And of course, you have online book lover communities, like Shelfari and Goodreads, which use social media to connect readers like never before. This doesn’t sound like a bad thing, and it’s not. So, where, do you ask, is the problem?




The problem exists with the writer. Most of the advice out there, as I’ve said, is about how to handle rejection. Little is said, however, about what happens after you’ve punched through the editorial wall and gotten your work out there for public consumption. What happens when you get a bad review? What does getting a bad review mean? How do you cope? This article will hopefully answer some of those questions.

To read the rest of the post, go to: http://www.nerdalien.com/2012/06/auth...

Brought to you by TeamNerd Reviewer Annabell Cadiz

I had the wonderful chance to interview author Leslie Ann Wright about her debut novel, Splintered: Sierra's Legacy. We talk about her concept behind the book, her favorite authors, what to expect in the second installment, and her favorite foods *hehe*

Annabell: Why did you decide to take on the genres of fantasy and sci-fi?

Leslie Ann Wright: I love both fantasy and sci-fi. I am drawn to fantasy because sci-fi is more technical. When I began this book, I actually did not have a solid plan, but a dream. I dreamed of Sierra and she came to life. I also enjoy surprises when I am reading, so I look for the unusual.

Annabell: You cover many tough (dark) themes within the novel: murder, slavery, sex trafficking (women being used for breeding). What made you decide to place those elements within Splintered: Sierra’s Legacy?

Leslie Ann Wright: There is so much that happens in life, and I wanted to be true to things that actually happen in our own world. I wanted to create a story where those types of behaviors could be eradicated given the right circumstances. The world in which this was happening was on a decline and possible destruction and I wanted to draw a correlation between behaviors and the possibilities they breed.

Annabell: The Eldwitch race seems to be loosely based off the fallen angels from the Bible. Did you use that story to influence the story behind those characters? What type of research did you under take?

Leslie Ann Wright: I have read many books on the different angels and the parts they play in our lives. In most cases they are what is good and right about the world. They are the lightness, and I wanted to have a world that had the lightness and care necessary to save others. I have read several books by Doreen Virtue, and also research on the internet. I have also taken a class on medium ship and seeing angels. I only loosely used their resemblance but wanted to utilize what is right about the world of Eldwich.

Annabell: If you could possess one of the gifts Sierra, Kenna, and Kressa do, which one would you want and why?

Leslie Ann Wright: I would enjoy their ability to speak to animals and birds; I love nature and believe that a better understanding of all creatures will only make us better human beings. I do also envy them their ability to disappear, it seems like it would be an incredible adventure, kind of like a safety net from danger.

Annabell: What lesson (or lessons) do you hope readers take away from Sierra’s story?

Leslie Ann Wright: I hope my story points out the importance of treating others kindly and of taking care of our environment.

Annabell: From your blog, you hinted there will be a sequel entitled: Splintered: The Missing Keeper. Can you give a few hints as to what readers can expect? How many more books can readers expect for Sierra and her world?

Leslie Ann Wright: We will learn of the life of missing Keeper. I will also delve into how her life ties into the events of Sierra's life. There will also be a third book in which we will follow Sierra through her journey as Keeper and the life she makes for herself.

Annabell: The cover is alluring and beautiful. Who is the designer? How did you come up with the image?

Leslie Ann Wright: The cover is through shutter stock LLC and the photographer is Coka. I looked for a photo of a young woman that fit my image of Sierra. She needed to have that look of curiosity, mingled with a glimpse of magic and that look of being at one with the environment.

Now it’s time to get to know the author! Don’t worry, only fun questions!

Annabell: Who are some of your favorite authors to read? Did they have any influence on your decision to become a writer?

Leslie Ann Wright: Marion Zimmer Bradley, Piers Anthony, James Patterson, and Nora Roberts are some of my favorite authors. I have always enjoyed the written word and writing and find that I find myself fascinated by how you can put the same words together repeatedly and come up with different stories. I like to look at pictures, and then put together stories based on what I see. I often find that my view is very different from most others. I just enjoy words.

Annabell: What are some of the things you love to do (outside of writing)?

Leslie Ann Wright: I enjoy reading and spending time with my children and grandchildren.

Annabell: If you could create your own dream planet, what would it look like? What would you take from your own home there?

Leslie Ann Wright: I would actually love to live on Eldwitch, I would enjoy the vistas and the beauty. I would take my family and friends there, because I would want everyone I love to enjoy the bounty and beauty.

Annabell: As obsessed with food as I am with books *hehe* Name three of your favorite foods (can also include favorite desserts or sweets *wink*)

Leslie Ann Wright: My husband makes a mean Chili, one of my favorites, I really love ice cream. Are whoppers a food? Hmmmm.

Annabell: What is one thing about you that would surprise your fans (that you are willing to divulge *hehe*)?

Leslie Ann Wright: I am a manager (Store Director) of a Grocery store, part of a large chain. I work 11 hours a day, then I come home and read and review books for my book review blog. I then work on my own books in my spare time. I love to encourage other writers and help them to move forward. I also post reviews on The Romance Reviews and Blog Critics, which are sometimes picked up by the Seattle PI. I am a very motivated person, and like to stay busy.

Oh yes, I also believe in angels and ghosts, I believe there is a realm that interacts with our own and that some people are very close to it.

Thank you to author Leslie Ann Wright for taking time out of her busy schedule to speak with me and for allowing me to read her novel! You can find out more info on the author and her novels on her blog: http://wrightontime.wordpress.com/

Annabell and Bridget review books and ONLY handle the following genres in Young Adult and Adult books:

--Fantasy
--Supernatural
--Science Fiction
--Paranormal
--Urban
--Urban Fantasy
--Steampunk
--Paranormal Romace

We both prefer Young Adult but we are also willing to give Adult Fiction in the above genres a chance =)

We DO read Traditional Published, Indie Published and Self-Published authors.

We DO read ebooks (preferably in PDF format) and hardcover copies.

We DO accept ARC's (Advanced Reader Copies).

We DO NOT read books that contain the following content:

--Sex: Graphic/Explicit/over the PG rating
--Gore: Graphic/Book over hauled with description
--Drugs: Too much mention of drugs or if it doesn't fit any real purpose in the story
--Scenes with Rape
--Scenes with Incest

We also conduct interviews, guest blogs, and giveaways/contests.

Reviews, interviews, guest blogs, giveaways and/or contests will be posted onto TeamNerd AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!! Emailing either myself or Bridget insistantly will not make us be able to get to your book any faster.

We also hold the the right to still reject reading your book even after we accept to review it if we feel we cannot connect to the story or if we just don't like it after reading the first 50 pages.

If you are an autor who fits the above mentioned elements then please free feel to send Annabell and Bridget an email at teamnerdreviews (at) gmail (dot) Make sure to include the following Author Form in the body of the email:


Title:
Author:
Number of Pages:
Type of Book (Ex. Hardcover, soft cover, PDF):
Synopsis (Blurb) of book:
Rating of Book (Ex. Suitable for all ages or Suitable for 18 and older):
Would you like to do an Interview?
Would you like to participate in a Guest Blog?
Would you like to have your book participate in a Giveaway?

**Email addresses, phones numbers, and addresses provided by the author for whatever reason will remain confidential and will NOT be given away to anyone.**

We LOVE reading and always look forward to hearing from authors. Thank you in advance for granting us the absolute wonderful privilege of reading your novel *smiles*

Annabell and Bridget