BOOK REVIEW: DRAGONS ARE PEOPLE, TOO BY SARAH NICOLAS

Hey All!!!
Today I'm reviewing a fantastic book by Sarah Nicolas, Dragons Are People, Too!

In DAPT we meet Katherine "Kitty" Lung, who is a super spy operative within a super secret government agency housed in DC. It's Kitty's job to take on various missions through the world for the U.S. She's also responsible for keeping the President's son safe while at school. If you're wondering why some teenage girl is racked with so much responsibility, and how she can be expected to handle it all...it just so happens that Kitty is not only trained to be a lethal fighting machine, she also is part dragon! At her own will, Kitty can change into a full on, non-fire-breathing (only English dragons breath fire) dragon!

But when the dragons cover is blown and the President's son is kidnapped, it's up to Kitty to save both her best friend and her people.

This book was action packed and full of mind-blowing fun. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Kitty and all of the people/dragons surrounding her. Kitty's progression from a well trained fighter battling with her emotions, to a girl who can be true to herself was nice to watch. I also enjoyed seeing her figure out how to navigate the difficult waters of freeing the President's son, while trying to barter for her parents (and friends) freedom. 

The characters throughout the book were spot on. Both her parents were fierce and seasoned warriors who had different battle scars. It was nice to see how each one had a different influence on who Kitty was and how she would grow throughout the story. And the plot twist that conveniently got them out of the way so that she could grow as the hero was well done. I also liked how the romance between herself and her partner in crime, Sani, developed. It felt natural and not at all rushed. You'll find no insta-love here!

Overall, this was a great story, with great characters that really drew me in.

4 Stars!!!

CURSED BOOK COVER!!!

Hey All!!!
Here it is. My cover for Cursed, a YA Urban Fantasy to be published with Evernight Teen!

Isn't she gorgeous!!!

More details soon to come.

Happy reading and writing!

MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH KICK-ASSED HEROINES

Hey All!!!
So, I'm slowly making my way through my NA novel that is untitled while reading the Night Huntress Series on the side. In doing both of these things, I realized that I have a serious love affair with kick-assed heroines. Like, seriously serious. Like, put the BF on notice that he has major competition for my affections, serious.

I don't know what it is about a strong female who is more than capable of fighting her own battles and bringing men to their knees, while still being feminine and beautiful, that really appeals to me, but it does. Maybe it's the fact that I've always been shorter, and curvier, and in some ways quieter than my peers. Maybe it's the fact that I've always wanted to be the sort of girl that's able to stop traffic and who feels powerful. Who knows what it is, but it's a love that I see in all of my books now - from the ones I write to the ones I read.

I think that's why I absolutely LOVE Cat from the Night Huntress Series. She's not perfect, and makes more mistakes than you can count, but she's powerful and fierce and wonderfully loyal. And she can kick your butt without a moments hesitation. Cat's the kind of character I want to write. And secretly, a bit of the character I want to be. I'll just have to keep putting pen to paper until I get it right. That, and ramp up my martial arts training as well.

Happy reading and writing!

MOOD MUSIC AND WRITING

Hey All!!!
Like many others, I recently watched the MTV VMA's. I gawked at the mess that is Miley Cyrus, was in awe of the wonder that is Justin Timberlake, and squealed like the girl that I'm not when *NSYNC came on stage for all of 30 seconds (and YES I would pay anything to go to a reunion concert). So, I was happily caught up the next morning when all of the post award show buzz on the Kidd Kraddick Show was going on. Or so I thought.

Smack in the middle of the round up, they started gushing over Bruno Mars performance and I felt a little lost. It wasn't that I didn't see it. I caught a bit of it after my evening shower. By that point the show had gone on a bit long for me and I'd already caught the section I'd really wanted to see (Justin/*NSYNC) so I was winding down for the night. I didn't really pay attention to the song Bruno Mars was singing, but remembered thinking it had a catchy tune. But when Kelly Raspberry went on about how it was an orgasmic experience, well, I HAD to figure out what all of the hype was about.

I immediately downloaded it right then and there in the car...and was completely blown away!

Gorilla by Bruno Mars is gritty, raw, sensual, and completely awesome! And it put my brain in such a perfect mood to write romance and sexy-time that I had a writing breakthrough that night.

That's the great thing about music and creating. The right song can completely shift your mood, bringing about feelings and emotions that you can use for your writing. And depending on your life experiences, the music and words can even draw upon the familiar emotions you felt long ago.

Lately as I've been writing, I've been able to evoke all of those hot and lusty feelings of the initial attraction one can have for a potential love interest - and I believe it's made my first few chapters of my new NA story even better!

How does music effect your reading and writing experience? Are you someone who likes complete silence when you throw yourself into a tale or writing? Or do you like to have a little mood music to guide your way?

Happy reading and writing!

THE EVER ELUSIVE BAD BOY IN FICTION

Hey All!!!
Against my original mind, I decided to pick up Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire last week. When I first heard of this book I was pretty turned off by what was described to me as one seriously dysfunctional relationship. For me, when it comes to fiction for young people, I get a bit protective about what we thrust in front of them. With two very young nieces that I adore at home I want to make sure that anything we put in front of them promotes healthy and stable situations and relationships. What scared me about the reviews I saw was the fact that many felt the book glorified an abusive relationship.

So, I read through the first 2/3 of the book and skimmed through the rest...and am still not sure how I feel about it. Is the relationship between the two main characters a mess? Without a doubt! Did I enjoy the parts that I read? Absolutely! Will I let my nieces pick it up when they're of age? Hell no! (If I can stop them. If I can't, we'll at least have a very long talk about how this is NOT the type of relationship they should be having).

In thinking about this book for the past few days, I started focusing on how we glorify the "bad boy" in fiction and entertainment today. I wrote a short blog post on this before, but it still hits home for me.

Why are we so drawn as girls and women to the guys that are no good for us? Is it that thrill of the hunt - of possibly being the one exception to the rule for that bad boy? The hope of being the one person who will tame him. If that's the case, I'll quote the movie He's Just Not That Into You and state that there are no exceptions!

Or is it the thrill and excitement that comes with that situation?

I get it. For real, I do! I spent quite a bit of time with my own versions of the thrilling and exciting bad boy. You know the ones. They never commit. It feels great when it's good, but when it's bad...oh it's bad! It's like being on an emotional roller coaster where you're just hoping things level out eventually, when deep down, you know they never will.

Give me the stable and steady love of the good guy any day!

Now, I don't think we'll ever give up on that elusive bad boy in fiction...he's just too fun to play around with in our heads! But hopefully, one day, we'll see more of an emergence of the good guy actually finishing first in fiction. Besides, who said that the good guy can't be sexy and fun and thrilling? Ummmm, can we say Peeta in the Hunger Games!!!

For a nice list on the good guys of YA check out this post from Emily's Reading Room. It's an oldie, but a goodie. Two of my tops make her list!

Happy reading and writing!

WHEN CHARACTERS SURPRISE YOU

Hey All!!!
So, I'm working on a new YA novel. When I was first outlining this story, I saw the love interest as an all around nice guy - the athlete who likes to take tons of photos in his spare time. The guy who tells everyone that he takes those photos as a hobby to "beef up his resume", but who deep down loves everything there is about photography.

But when I started writing the first major scene between him and my main character, I was surprised to find he's a bit more snarky and arrogant than I originally thought. It's not that that's who he is deep down, it's just that people have expected certain things from him for so long and he's started to believe the lies.

The realization of the layers to my character shocked the heck out of me...but it also filled me with excitement and amazement!

That's the joy of writing. Not only does it enable me to get all of these voices and stories and what ifs out of my head, but it also enables me to discover so many different lives and personalities. It gives me hope in people and keeps me in awe of our wonderful complexities. And that's something I'll always value.

Happy Reading and Writing!!!

BOOK REVIEW: FOCUS BY ALYSSA ROSE IVY

Hey All!!!
I recently finished Focus, the second book in the Crescent Chronicles, by Alyssa Rose Ivy. Below is a blurb for the book:

**********

 

Freshman year of college is hard even when you're not tied to the future king of a supernatural society.

Allie dives into college head first with Hailey as her roommate and the city of New Orleans as her backyard. As things within The Society heat up, Allie realizes that whether she’s with Levi or not, she's in far too deep to turn back.

 

**********

 

 

I give this book 3.5 Stars.

 

I still love, love, LOVE this series. And this second installment didn't disappoint as far as giving me all of the let-my-brain-check-out hot romance that I enjoy.

 

In Focus, Allie has started her freshman year in college, with trusted friend Hailey as her roomie. She goes to class - though she does have a constant body guard sitting next to her in the form of Levi's besties and goons - and tries to party and have a good time. She also spends most of the book giving Levi hell for tricking her into a binding marriage of sorts.

 

But when Allie's life is once again put in danger by the other noble families - and with a internal threat exposed - she and Levi have to come together.

 

This book has it all - fun frat parties, the drama of starting college classes, fun nights out with the girls, and a hot guy who's being put through the ringer to earn love and trust.

 

My big issue with the book is that, like the first one, it's painfully short. The author could stand to expand on a lot of the situations and issues that present itself throughout the story. There's so many chapters where I felt the action was cut short, and I was left wanting so much more.

 

I will say that Allie holding her ground with Levi in this book was very much appreciated, and I still loved all of the main characters!

 

As said before with the first installment, I'd enjoy reading this book many times over!

 

Happy Reading and Writing!



BOOK REVIEW: FLIGHT BY ALYSSA ROSE IVY

Hey All!!!

I recently read Flight by Alyssa Rose Ivy. Below is the blurb from the book:

 

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Sometimes you just have to take flight.

A summer in New Orleans is exactly what Allie needs before starting college. Accepting her dad’s invitation to work at his hotel offers an escape from her ex-boyfriend and the chance to spend the summer with her best friend. Meeting a guy is the last thing on her mind—until she sees Levi.

Unable to resist the infuriating yet alluring Levi, Allie finds herself at the center of a supernatural society and forced to decide between following the path she has always trusted or saving a city that might just save her.

 

**********





I give this book 3.5 Stars

There is something about this series that I absolutely LOVE!!! And I can't fully put my finger on it.

Flight starts with Allie moving to New Orleans to work in her dad's hotel for the summer, before heading off to Princeton in the Fall. She's excited to get away and live in the city with her bestie, and to make a new start away from her ex. Her life changes when she meets the seriously sexy and obnoxious Levi. They spend many days and nights together with his crew, and he even tells her his family secret.

But when he makes a decision that will change her entire life, without her permission or full knowledge, it not only shifts her entire world, but may leave their relationship broken forever.

The storyline for this book is fairly simple and flows well. Girl meets boy. Girl falls for boy. Girl finds boy is a wizard, vampire, shifter, you name it. Girls link with boy causes her to be placed in horrid danger. Girl and boy work it out to determine how life will go on.

I really enjoyed the characters here, especially Levi and Allie's new bestie, Hailey. And from time to time, I enjoy books where I can just check out and get an easy read. For me, Flight is kind of like watching the reality T.V. that you know isn't all that great for you, but you still love it for what it is.

The things that I didn't care for included the fact that Allie can be flighty (pun intended - Ha!) at times. She goes into the city claiming that she's sworn off men and turns around the next few pages and jumps all over Levi. Let me tell you, the times I'm off men, they get the hint...quickly.

Also, I felt the way her bestie, Jess, was dropped from the story and Hailey was conveniently there to take up the role didn't sit well for me. I'd have preferred it if she went there alone and talked with her bestie on the phone or something. It was just too forced for me.

Lastly, the story is painfully short. I feel there was not enough storytelling overall and I was left wanting more.

Even with the above, I'd still read this over and over again...like I said, it's my reality T.V.

BOOK REVIEW: STORM BY BRIGID KEMMERER

Hey All!!!
I just finished reading Storm by Brigid Kemmerer. The introductory blurb is below:



Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys; all the ones she doesn't want. Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They're powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.

And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.

Secrets are hard to keep when your life's at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who's hiding the most dangerous truth of all.

The storm is coming.



I definitely enjoyed this book. Ms. Kemmerer brings to life the idea of Elementals being a common occurrence. But what's great is that even in this growing community that's right under our noses, there are a few that are special - more so than those who have a cursory ability to control certain elements. And that's what makes this story special.

I won't give away too many details. I enjoyed the interaction between our main character, Becca, and the main love interest, Chris. They have a snarky and fun exchange with one another that I always appreciated in books like this. I also enjoyed how the author plays with the misunderstandings between the two. There's a lot of great conflict in the story, outside of what is going on with the boys being "Marked for death".

I also enjoyed the love triangle and how Becca handled it. The confusion and feelings of being tugged between the two guys felt genuine to me...and relatable. Ms. Kemmerer developed well thought out characters with detailed story lines.

Now, for my one big issue with the story. There's a sensitive situation that happens to Becca and  that's key to her storyline, and I didn't feel that it was handled well. It turns out that Becca got herself into a dicey situation with her boyfriend during the past few months and ever since then he's been spreading some pretty nasty rumors around about her. As a reader, you get the impression that one thing occurred - even the other characters in the book are given that same impression - only to find that what you thought happened never did. I'm not saying that what did happen wasn't bad - it was - but it pales in comparison. And as a reader, I really felt duped. I'm not saying that Becca's reaction felt false, or anything along those lines, just that the way she revealed the details - in a way that didn't give the full story - did feel false...like telling a white lie, or something. That's the best way I can describe how I felt about it without straight giving away the details.

Overall, I'd give Storm a solid 3.5 stars!!!

Happy Reading and Writing!!!

LESSONS LEARNED FROM CLASSICS

Hey All!!!
I was trying to get up the motivation to do some editing tonight, when I saw that Sense and Sensibility was on one of the movie channels. Naturally, all thoughts of editing quickly flew out the window and I was immediately drawn in. As I took in the classic love and woe storyline I had an epiphany.

One of Sense and Sensibility's story lines is the classic tale of a good girl who longs for the exciting bad boy, foregoing the good guy who's already shown her some attention, and who essentially ends up with a broken heart. In our classic tale, Marianne is the free spirited, middle sister who doesn't follow those silly rules of decorum that are expected of women in those times. Instead, she's open about how she feels and doesn't hold back. But when she falls head over heels for the sexy and exciting Willoughby, she's left with her heart broken when his past deeds come out to bite them both in the behind.

Now, mind you, the ever dependable and much more calm Colonel Brandon has long shown his affection for Marianne. Unfortunately for him, he has none of Willoughby's swagger and doesn't stand a chance...until Marianne learns the value of loving the good guy.

The realness of this storyline is one that we can all relate to. In most cases, the girls who end up with the bad and exciting boy end up with more trouble than it's worth. We all want the bad boys though...we can't help it.

In a day and age when many of the male love interests in books are this reformed bad boy character, I have to admit it's nice to see a story where the good guy finishes last. Just a thought!

WHEN AWESOME IDEAS ATTACK

Hey All!!!
Imagine this:

You're at your writing critique group meeting, shooting the breeze, talking plot points, and just chatting about overall life. In your spare time you've been trying to work out a new story idea that would fit in with the current reading trends you're seeing. You know the one: girl meets boy, girl likes boy but knows there's something seriously wrong with boy, girl finds boy is X, girl finds herself very attracted to boy because of X or Y redeeming qualities, girl and boy fall in love and fight X situation together.

Suddenly, one of your critique group members makes a comment that leads you to think on one of your favorite sci-fi shows and voila, you've got a spankin' new tale on your hands.

Something similar happened to me tonight. An idea just hit me out of the blue when chatting it up with friends. And it's GOOD!!! Well, I think it is anyway.

There's nothing more exciting than when you get that sudden burst of a shiny new idea. It's the beginning...a new start. And the possibilities of where that tale can take you are endless. I love this part of writing. The glimmer of an idea. Fleshing out the main characters and who they are. Thinking about what they want and what gets in their way. And finally penning that first draft.

I don't know about you guys, but when I get in these moods, I become darn near obsessed. I eat, drink, and breathe the details until they solidify.

Now all I need is a new notebook to jot all of this down in!

How do you all handle the idea phase of your writing process? Is it something you revel in, or something you don't look forward to?

Happy Writing!!!

THE AWESOMENESS OF A GREAT CRITIQUE GROUP

Hey All!!!

I'd been writing the first draft of my new book (currently untitled, but I have a few ideas that are bouncing around in my brain), while submitting and now editing my third book (Cursed). And I'd found that I was having a difficult time connecting with my main character. It wasn't like it had been with Jazz in Cursed. Jazz was hard core and such a loud voice in my head that writing in her point of view was easy for me. Alana, on the other hand, is more of a quiet being - softer. And after the clarity of Jazz I found it difficult to adjust to the quiet subtleties of Alana.

So, what did I do...I brought my problems to my critique group.

Some of the things that my group does for me (and that I do for them) are:

-They keep me focused/motivated on writing.
-They help me to keep on track with plot, structure, and pacing.
-They point out things in the story that don't make sense.

One of the great benefits of having a group of fellow writers who surround and support you on a consistent basis is that you can go to them when those writing blocks take hold. Maybe it's just me, but talking out my blocks is what helps me get to the other side.

To make a long story short, I was able to get past my distance with Alana and get a better understanding of who she is as a person. And getting past that blockade also helped me to understand her world and the background of her people better as well. So, it was a win-win.

Every writer comes to a point in their career where they need to engage with others who are on this crazy writing roller coaster. Not only has my group helped me to spot points in my stories where my plot wasn't where it needed to be or grammar mishaps, but they also support and motivate me in times when I need that extra push. All in all, my critique group makes me a better writer.

Do you have a critique group? What made you decide to get one or not? What makes your group great?

Happy Writing!!!