Parchment & Quills

MOVING

2012-06-24T15:40:00.003-04:00

I determined that I needed a pen name. I have chosen my pen name and as such decided to move things around to match my new pen name. So, this blog has been moved and can now be found at:

http://arielavalon.blogspot.com/

What's in a name?

2012-06-24T00:21:00.000-04:00

Recently I have been reading a lot of blogs by other authors and looking at various advice they have to offer. It has me thinking about one of the most important decisions I think someone needs to make as they work on their novel or getting published.

Should you use a pen name, or stick with your real name?

It probably seems like a no brainer, but really, I think it's a very important decision. A pen name can offer you a sense of privacy that you may not otherwise have.

So what are some good reasons for using a pen name?

Privacy. Its a given really. If your name ends up well known then you might want that. It could be annoying to be stopped in the supermarket because someone spotted your name on your credit card when you are in a rush. Or there is also the small town syndrome, if everyone near you knows you then you might want to be someone else publicly.
Placing. If you have a last name that falls really late in the alphabet, you might want a pen name that will bring you further up. Being in the right spot on the shelves can really help. Some people might want to be at the beginning of the alphabet, I would personally think the middle would be better. When I go to bookstores the L-Ts are almost always right near eye level.
If your name is absurd or difficult. If you have a last name that is hilarious or incredibly hard to spell or pronounce it could be helpful.
If your last name is very common or someone else is already published with your name.
Different genres. Some people like to have one name for one genre and other for a different genre. I personally don't need this as I don't foresee myself writing anything aside from YA fiction.

Really, the hardest thing about coming up with a pen name is asking yourself what your pen name should be. You don't want something silly, but you need something that you can use, answer to, and sign autographs for.

So, how do you know if you should use a pen name? The quickest way to see, would be to search your name. Go to Goodreads and do a search for your name and see if there are any authors who come up. Then Google your name. Be sure you put your name in quotation marks. Also, look up your name in an Amazon search and see what comes up. Try a few spelling variations if you have a common name. If you discover you need to use a pen name, then be sure that you do searches on the name you choose later so that you can be certain you chose one that wont confuse you with someone else.

I have found that I will need to use a pen name. There is already a "Jodi Davis" published on Goodreads. Googling my name brings me to my two Google+ profiles but also leads me to a whole bunch of other Jodi Davis's. There is a company and a motivational speaker. I also learned that @Jodidavis is taken on twitter, so that would ruin one of my public avenues. For privacy, I had already decided not to publish under my maiden name. I think that I will create a whole new name for my pen name. There are so many Jodi's in the publishing world these days that I want to be different and stand out.

What are your thoughts on pen names?

Series Spotlight Saturday: The Demon series by Erin Lynn

2012-06-23T12:29:00.000-04:00

Title: Demon Envy & Speed Demon
Author: Erin Lynn
Goodreads: Demon Envy & Speed Demon
Buy on Amazon: Demon Envy & Speed Demon
Summary: (From first book) Being a teenager can be hell-especially when you're friends with someone who was born there.

Kenzie Sutcliffe woke up to another normal morning-until a demon popped up in her shower. While trying to get rid of a monster zit, she dropped her acne lotion in the tub. And when fifty bucks' worth of it swirled down the drain, it freed a demon from his prison portal. A mysteriously geeky-looking demon.

So now Kenzie is saddled with a creature who looks and acts like every other guy she knows-that is, annoying. At least Levi has a job-if you can call it that. He has to stir up envy and jealousy in humans, or he starves. All he's tempting Kenzie to do is to crawl back into her bedroom and hide there forever. Because no one is going to be coveting her life after this.

I recently took the time to read these books and I have to say, they were precious. The story is pretty creative, what with Kenzie opening up portals to a demon prison in her home. She is the only one who can open or close these portals. Levi is just great. I love watching the two of them fight their attraction to each other. The second book especially jumps into a bit more romance and watching Levi is just perfect.

I was incredibly disappointed to see that there was not additional books in the series. The end of Speed Demon leaves you knowing that the series is not completed, but it has been quite a few years now since anything was released. A journey to Erin Lynn's website produced this:

When is the next teen DEMON book out?
Unfortunately, this too is a publisher decision, and as of right now, there will be no third book. Can you see me pouting? I really want to finish the series and am toying with the idea of publishing them myself on Kindle. If you would be interested in a Kindle edition, let me know!

Disappointing on all fronts. I couldn't help myself. I contacted her, hoping to hear something about it and when it might be possible to see anything. I got this mail back in response:
Thank you, Jodi! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed them. :-) I am working on carving out some time in my schedule to finish the series so when it happens, it will be up on my website.
Best,
Erin

So hopefully the next books will be begun being written soon. I urge everyone to contact her and ask for them as well. I'm certain she would love to know they are desired.

In the meantime, even if the series is not completed, I highly recommend reading these two books. They are quick and easy reads and are just such fun.

Review: Breathless by Cole Gibsen

2012-06-21T15:05:00.000-04:00

Title: Breathless
Author: Cole Gibsen
View: Goodreads
Buy: Amazon
Dates read: June 11, 2012
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Edith Smalls is a broken little girl. She wants nothing more than to blend into the background and stay invisible and under the radar. She skirts along, staying just out of trouble so that her strict Military stepfather doesnt send her away to military school. In attempts to please him, she goes on a date with kids that she would never typically hang out with. The date ends in a horrible boating accident and Edith getting terrorized by a savage girl in the water. It's easier to feign amnesia than to admit she was attacked by a mermaid. After meeting Bastin, a strange boy with silver hair and black eyes, she has to fight not to lose her heart to an impossible love.

As I read through this story, I really wanted to like it. It did hold my attention and I did blow through it like I would a really good book. At the end, the whole thing just left a bad taste in my mouth. Edith and Morgan were very good characters, actually, I think most of the characters were good.

Sir was a horrible man. I dont care what his reasons for being the way he was were, he is a monster. I found myself gritting my teeth and becoming overly enraged every single scene he had in the book. I kept wondering why Edith or her mother didnt stand up to him. He needed knocked down a peg. At the end, even after his issues are made known, the mother still stays with him. Its just unhealthy. I know it was made to look like he would be getting help, but after 13 years of being that monster its just not right.

Edith and Bastin's love affiar was unbelivable. Did they fall for each other over a greater period of time, or was it really only about the 2-3 weeks that I thought the book took place over? Were they star crossed lovers? Seriously, I dont see how it worked. Bastin went from being someone who didnt know real emotions to suddenly being in a deep painful love? I just couldnt buy it.

Reading the summary of the book, I was expecting more action. A LOT more action. I was horribly disappointed in all of it. The climax was poorly planned and when it happened it was emotionless. It wasnt built up very well, its like this was meant to be entirely a love story and the action was thrown in during an editing request. It was disjointed and just didnt mesh with the rest of the novel.

The ending was bad as well. I believe this is meant to be a stand alone novel and yet the ending was left fairly open-ended. It had a bit of a cliffhanger in general. What is the purpose of that? Not to mention that the cliffhanger left it open for a book that would be horrid to begin with.

It had a few cute scenes with good dialog, but it lacked too much else to be worth more than 3 stars.

Review: Of Poseidon (Of Poseidon #1) by Anna Banks

2012-06-19T10:19:00.000-04:00

Title: Of Poseidon (Of Poseidon #1)
Author: Anna Banks
View: Goodreads
Buy: Amazon
Dates read: June 10, 2012
Rating: ★★★★★

Galen, a Syrena prince, is on land searching for what might be the key to the survival of his species. He believes he finds what he seeks in the violet eyed Emma. After witnessing her talk to a shark, he knows she must of Of Poseidon, possessing the abilities of the long dead general. Now he must help her discover who she is, try to help her shift into her form and prepare her to mate with his brother Grom, all while trying not to fall in love with her himself.

This book was wonderful. It jumps right into the story, and while a lot of it shouldve been predictable to me, I was pretty blindsided at the ending.

I loved all of the characters. Seriously, every one of them were pretty perfect to me. The banter was funny, the random thoughts they had were entertaining, I laughed through so much of it.

The writing flowed well in my opinion. I had a nagging feeling that Emma accepted what she was a bit easily, but at the same time, I feel like she sort of knew. Besides, with the length of the novel she wouldnt have had time to angst about it and I think it wouldve made me like her far less if she did.

I had been needing a really good mermaid story for a while and this one just took the cake and made me so happy to read.

Review: Legacy Lost (Of Poseidon #0.5) by Anna Banks

2012-06-18T20:24:00.000-04:00

Title: Legacy Lost (Of Poseidon #0.5)
Author: Anna Banks
View: Goodreads
Buy: Amazon (Or read for free: Here)
Dates read: June 11, 2012
Rating: ★★★★☆

This prequel covers the story of Grom and Nalia, third generation, first borns of their respected kingdoms. They are to be mated to keep the gifts of the generals available to their race. They start out disliking each other, but it quickly changes to love.

I know this was a prequel and meant to be short before of it, but it almost seemed a little too short. Their interactions were small and shallow. I really wasnt fond of either one of them. Grom is pigheaded and shallow and Nalia is stubborn and seems like a spoiled brat. Their relationship being more than attraction was pretty unbelievable to me. Their entire love affair feels like it was dependant on "the pull", the myth that two Syrena could feel drawn to each other as a way to make more powerful offspring.

I still couldnt help but rate it high. The purpose of a prequel is to make you want to read the main story and this one did just that. It opens up questions and makes you wonder how things are going to play out. I, once again, read the prequel after the first book and it only opened up more questions than anything. So while it felt shallow and unbelivable, it served its purpose wonderfully.

Plot Ideas

2012-06-17T11:53:00.000-04:00

Been working on my characters and plot ideas a lot lately in between reading. Reading centers me. I had someone tell me it was foolish to do a lot of reading when you are working on a plot, but really, I think I would have a harder time with my plot if I didn't keep reading. When I read all my thoughts line up and my inspiration hits me harder. My mind will be working from the novel I was reading, already in prime imagination mode and my story will flow in my dreams. My story dreams are the only ones I can ever remember. I see that as very lucky. My eyesight is too bad to wake up in the middle of the night and have to fumble for my glasses to jot down a dream or ideas I had, not to mention how badly I think my husband would kill me when he needs to be up a few hours later. I mentioned before how I had begun working on a new story idea, I am presently up to three, four if you want to be super technical.

My first plot was the original story I was working with. It will be a mortal boy-mortal girl-grim reaper love triangle. My biggest problem with it so far is my issues with what mythology I wanted to work with as I wrote. I am a huge fan of Norse and Greek mythology so I wanted to work with a basis on one of those and write things through. My indecision is causing my characters to suffer, namely my Reaper boy. His attitude would vary based on the mythos I chose and so not choosing is leaving him pretty vacant. The more I work with it, the more I begin to think that maybe the story just isn't meant to happen right now. I am considering working through it as a short story and seeing where it goes from there. Just, keep it simple. I really want to work with Greek mythology on it, but I feel like that would be better served as a series and I am just not ready for a series yet. I am heartbroken that I am having issues with it, because my mortal boy and girl, Sebastian and Melody, are fantastic. I adore them so much and I want to see them in a story together. I am tempted to steal them away to a different story so they can be brought out now.

My second plot that I have is a mermaid tale. I have been on a huge mermaid kick lately and am disappointed to see the lack of real YA mermaid stories. I am either blind or there just aren't a whole lot of good ones out there. I have two ways it could go, which is why I said I had four plots technically. I am actually leaning on this story quite a bit. It's been consuming me lately. Part of me wonders how well I can really write it though. You see, I have a fear of water. I've always disliked water, sorta. If you want to get right down to it, I love water. I love looking at is, I love being in it, I am drawn to the sea. I just have trouble with large bodies of water. I am great in anything smaller than say, a ten person hot tub. I am fine in those above ground outdoor pools they sell that are only five feet deep. Anything beyond that, and you have to drag me kicking and screaming to get me in it. The beach? Forget it! My husband has been barking up that tree since we met seven years ago. I am the worst Navy wife, seriously, I just can't stand the water. I never learned to swim, I actually failed swim class three times. Bet you didn't know that was possible, guess what! It is! I can't deal with jelly fish that aren't behind glass at an aquarium, I'm claustrophobic so being in the water is terrifying to me, and I can't hold my breath for very long at all. All in all, water and I are so not BFFs. I love water though. I remember when I was a child I used to dream about being a mermaid just because I knew as a mermaid being in the water would be so much easier to me, it would be natural. My lack of real knowledge about the water and diving comes from reading and nature shows so I worry that I would have issues writing about mermaids when I dislike water, such an important part of a mermaid's existence.

My third plot is actually based on my old book. I have mentioned that I started writing a book in secret when I was ten. I've always liked what I had. I remember the basics of my plot and bits and pieces of my characters. It was originally meant to be a true faerie tale, something aimed for younger audiences, pre-teens and the like. It would be incredibly easy to expand, polish, and change it into the YA romance I want to write. I am having trouble letting go of nostalgia though. I have realized that my plot is basically a perfect blend of Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series and Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series. That is not a good thing. My nostalgia wants me to hold onto my story and never let go, but my common sense says that is stupid and that I need to stop it.

There really needs to be a way to stop your brain from thinking. I need a way to turn off my brain to everything else and force it to make up it's mind and just focus on one thing.

Review: Awry (The Archers of Avalon #2) by Chelsea Fine

2012-06-15T20:10:00.000-04:00

Title: Awry (The Archers of Avalon #2)
Author: Chelsea Fine
View: Goodreads
Buy: Amazon
Dates read: June 15, 2012
Rating: ★★★★★

Scarlet Jacobs is cursed to live a short life and be "reborn" some time later. When Scarlet dies and then reawakens to the life she was just in, she knows the curse is changing. Along with her band of immortal friends and her mortal best friend, they must race to find the fountain of youth before she dies again.

Oh my, Chelsea Fine can you do no wrong?

This book was fantastic. The first one was wonderful, but this was so much more wonderful. I loved the flashbacks, I loved being able to see why Scarlet was engaged to Gabriel when it was so obvious she loved Tristan. I adored her and Tristan's courtship, it was just so very much like them.

I loved Heather before, I adore her now. I want a Heather of my own. Nate really opens up in this book and is just the funniest geek ever. I like that Gabriel and Scarlet work through their relationship, but I can't help but feel sorry for him. I would love to see him and Heather get together at some point.

The plot really opens up and thickens as things go on. Mr. Brooks' part in things was unsettling but at the same time, I think it was fine since he is so much of a hermit and you find that he is involved in his own way.

Overall this book was fantastic. I was dreading the ending, knowing this couldn't be the end of the story. I am just thankful that the cliffhanger isn't as horrible and heartwrenching as it was in Anew. Fantastic novel, fantastic series. I eagerly await more.

Review: Night School by C.J. Daugherty

2012-06-14T15:44:00.000-04:00

Title: Night School (Night School #1)
Author: C.J. Daugherty
View: Goodreads
Buy: Amazon
Dates read: June 04 to 05, 2012
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Allie has been a bit of a troublemaker since her brother Christopher ran away. Now she has been arrested for the third time this year and her parents have had enough. They ship her off to board at Cimmeria Academy for the summer term where she has no access to phones, stereos, computers, or the outside world at all. The rules are incredibly strict and then there is also the Night School classes that other students are not allowed to know about or watch. When Allie is attacked one night, it begins a string of events leading to a death during a dance and secrets around every bend. When it seems like everyone is lying, she must find out who she can trust, and quickly, before the danger catches up with her.

I want to say first, that this book is incorrectly shelved on Goodreads. Its listed under Paranormal and Vampires, and there are, regretfully, neither within it's pages. Seeing those shelves and then reading the summary, especially the part about the Night School had me super excited thinking that the story was going to be similar to Vampire Knight. As I met the characters (Especially Sylvain) I got more and more hopeful so part of my disappointment may be based directly on the book being mishelved.

The characters were fine. There are a few side characters that you feel might have more importance but end up fading away into the background. Others are kept so mysterious that it makes them poorly characterized. Allie drove me a bit batty. She starts out so troubled and sarcastic and then she flipflops as soon as she is in the academy and is suddenly a good student. Her panic attacks are random and some of them quite uncalled for. Its like the author has no knowledge of such things but wanted to make her more broken and added them in anyway. Having Carter tell her about his old attacks was just pointless. It was a "too little, too late" characterization. Then, Allie's lack of thinking about her family and old friends was misplaced and random. Its almost like the author went through and thought "Oh! I havent had her think about her parents in a while *adds in passing*. Oh! This person needs a bit more characterization *adds randomly*".

The story focuses too much on the love triangle. The anger/hatred/jealousy between Sylvain and Carter is too unexplained. There wasnt enough tension in the triangle and so the whole thing falls apart. You start out adoring Sylvain and then he becomes a wanker and you just fall into Carter the same way Allie does. Its like, why even have bothered with the triangle at all? Then, as things go by and Sylvain apologizes for being a wanker, Allie just ups and forgives him without worry. She still trusts him and its misplaced.

Because of the love triangle being so forefront, the story itself lags. The climax happens incredibly late and its horribly anticlimatic even then. You can tell that this was meant to be a series. The author wanted to make you asks tons of questions and give you few answers but in the end she makes you ask your tons of questions and gives you no answers. Nothing is cleared up or properly resolved. Everything is just swept under the run until company leaves, obviously to be tackled in the next book, which is always a poor idea. If you wait to tackle all the questions in the next installment you end up forgetting things or dragging on the story and annoying your readers.

Regardless of all the bad, I still enjoyed it. It was an enjoyable read with a frustrating ending is all. I think if the next installment were already out then I would have much warmer feelings for this novel.

Review: Easy by Tammara Webber

2012-06-12T09:59:00.000-04:00

Title: Easy
Author: Tammara Webber
View: Goodreads
Buy: Amazon
Dates read: June 03, 2012
Rating: ★★★★★

Ever notice how once someone enters your life, they are everywhere?
Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend, Kennedy, to the college of his choice just to have him break up with her so he can play the field. While at a party in attempts to get her spirit back, she is attacked by her stalker and rescued by the mysterious and handsome Lucas. Lucas seems like the perfect person to help her forget about Kennedy, but her feelings grow quickly. At the same time, in attempts to not fail Econ, she begins emailing the intellegent tutor, Landon. Their email exchanges are fun and witty and she quickly begins to wonder about the man behind the emails. Now she has to dodge her ex, steer clear of her stalker as he spreads rumors of them hooking up, and try to see who she can actually trust as a connection between Lucas and her tutor arise.

I really loved this book. The story was well written and paced well. Usually, I am not a fan of drama, I like things to be fluffy and sweet. This book contains rape triggers, but it isnt the main focus of the story. The rapes werent graphic either. The most graphic of them was the first, and it was only an attempted rape. It went on to mention that it wasnt the girl's fault, and included a message of empowerment for the victim.

I enjoyed all of the characters except for Buck, but I think that was done purposely as you want to see him for the monster he is. I thought the characters were well developed. There are times where Lucas feels a little too good to be true, but you do learn his flaws as the story develops. Ive known guys like him so I cant say that he isnt a real possibility for a person.

Jacqueline and Lucas are perfect together. Their banter and interactions are wonderful to read through. Lucas is hot, you cannot deny that. He leaves fire where he goes, all men in novels should be so hot. It can almost seem like they fall for each other too quickly, but when two people are so perfect for each other, I cant see why time should matter much. I was weary about them getting together, a victim and her hero seldom work, but I feel that since she wasnt actually raped when he saved her that it worked out well. I wouldve been more worried had she clung to him after having actually been raped.

The story was perfect. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to reread it as soon as I was done.

Review: What A Boy Wants by Nyrae Dawn

2012-06-11T12:37:00.000-04:00

Title: What A Boy Wants
Author: Nyrae Dawn
View: Goodreads
Buy: Amazon
Dates read: June 02, 2012
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Sebastian Hawkins is the Hook-up Doctor. He knows how to help a girl get any guy but because he has spent so much time watching his Mother's failed relationships, he doesnt believe in love. When he starts falling for his best friend, he realizes he is in way over his head and doesnt have a clue.

I was horribly disappointed with this book. The plot seemed promising and cute and Im a sucker for the name Sebastian so I dove right in.

Sabastian drove me a bit nutty. I didnt like how he talked. The whole time I just wasnt too crazy about the fact that he was the main character. Aspen seemed really nice, but I couldnt connect with her. Pris was such a side character that I couldnt connect with her. Out of everyone, Jayden was the most interesting character and he was as much in the background as Pris was.

What bothered me the most with this book was how predictable it was. I knew exactly how the book was going to play out, exactly how it would end by the end of Chapter Two. You should never know how a book will end that early! I kept reading, hoping I would be wrong, but everything played out exactly as I thought it would and that just killed it for me.

The book wasnt completely dull, but I couldnt connect to the characters or the story. Knowing how it would end before the book had even really started was awful. If you are desperate for something fast and light that you wont get connected to, its a good read. Otherwise, dont waste your time.

Kindle Freebie: Bubbles Pop by T. K. Marnell

2012-06-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

Title: Bubbles Pop
Author: T. K. Marnell
View: Goodreads
Summary: Elle's life is totally over. The economy crashed, her father passed away, and now she has to move to the boring suburbs with her stepmother Marie and lame new sisters, Claire and Danielle. Claire needs to grow a spine, Danielle has serious trust issues, and Marie forces Elle to clean things--a torture she would do anything to avoid.

Worst of all, the idiotic school "prince," Steve, falls for her at a party and won't leave her alone. Elle prefers Galen, a serious transfer student who may be the first person she could care about as much as herself.

The problem? Galen is Steve's best friend.

This book will be available for free download from Amazon on June 10th & June 11th, 2012.

Click here to download from Amazon.

EDIT:: It appears that there are a lot of free kindle books today! Info here.

Stressing

2012-06-09T11:06:00.000-04:00

Writing a novel can feel stressful. I've been working through my characters to get them developed and outlining my plot. It's so easy to stress about the details. I've been doing a lot of reading from other authors and how they write and I feel like I am destined to be a bit of a free form writer. I think I am meant to get my basic plot down on paper, write, and then truly expand things in the editing.

My biggest concern presently, is that I am having trouble pinning down my climax. I know where I want my story to go, but getting it there is another story. I stare at my notebook, willing the magic to happen, and I think that is what is stressing me out.

So not one to waste time, I started developing characters for an additional book. These types of things always happen to me when I am working on a story of any kind. I start working on one, get stuck, and suddenly another story is more appealing. I don't see it as a bad thing though. Maybe the original plot doesn't want to be my novel and this one does instead. I don't see a problem with working on both and seeing where they go. What is the worst that could happen? I could have two novels by the time I am done? Oh the horror!

I've been trying to work with the snowflake method that I have been reading about. I have never used it before and looking at it now I'm not so certain its meant for me anyway. It's open and restricting all at the same time. To be perfectly honest, the fact that I feel that way about it scares me. I've never known myself to be a flip-flop writer, hoping around in my plot, but not being able to keep to some kind of system makes me worry that maybe I am a bit of a flip-flop writer. Just adds more stress there.

I know I need to just relax and let the story happen. Stressing over things won't do me any good.

Review: Shadows (Lux #0.5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

2012-06-08T11:14:00.000-04:00

Title: Shadows (Lux #0.5)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
View: Goodreads
Buy: Amazon
Dates read: June 07, 2012
Rating: ★★★★★

The last thing Dawson Black ever expected to do was fall in love with a human girl. He never thought it was something he would need to be concerned about, until he meets Bethany Williams that is. Their connection to one another is instant and their love quickly blossoms. However, Dawson is an alien. His secret is as dangerous as their love.

I really wish I had known about this novella before I read Obsidian. This tells the story of Dawson and Bethany and really lets you see into the prejudices against Katy in the next story. For a novella, it was suprisingly long.

Dawson and Bethany were as absolutely lovable as Katy and Daemon are in Obsidian. Their relationship is just pure and loveable. They lack the tension since they both just throw themselves into their love for one another.

The ending is just heartbreaking. Such a melancholy conclusion to such a pure love. I am in love with this series and recommend it to everyone.

Review: Obsidian (Lux, #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

2012-06-07T16:45:00.000-04:00

Title: Obsidian (Lux, #1)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
View: Goodreads
Buy: Amazon
Dates read: May 29 to 30, 2012
Rating: ★★★★★

This book! Wow!

Katy and her mom move from Florida to West Virginia a few years after Cancer takes her father from them in efforts to start over with their lives and move on from the cloud of depression that comes with such grief. They move in next door to Daemon and his twin sister Dee. Dee instantly bonds with Katy and the two become fast friends. Daemon is a total jerk towards her and makes it quite clear that she should stay away from Dee. Daemon grinds on Katy's nerves but at the same time she cant help to be attracted to this man that even Gods would be jealous of. When trouble strikes, Daemon comes to the rescue and saves Katy, much to her suprise. She had thought something was off about the twins, but it becomes increasingly obvious that they are more different than she thought. So different in fact, that they are Aliens.

The story is fantastic. It is engaging and pulls you in right from the start. The plot is entertaining and well thought out. The twists and turns are perfect and well placed. It is so hard to find anything wrong. There was one scene where Katy notices Daemon is wearing sweats and the next page he is putting his hands in his jean pockets, but otherwise the whole thing is just perfect.

I love how the aliens are described. It gives new meaning to it. Because of Hollywood, too often aliens are insect-like and creepy. Its nice to see aliens that are beautiful and amazing.

The characters are brilliant. Everyone feels so well thought out and developed. The side characters were engaging and nice to read about without shoving themselves into the front of the stage. Dee is adorable. She is so desperate for a friend that you feel sorry for her, but as things progress you understand why she is that way and it becomes nearly impossible not to love her.

Daemon and Katy have killer tension through the whole thing. Their banter is fantastic and you cant decide if you want her to slap him or just rip his shirt off and jump him. They are so obviously perfect for each other right from the start and its so fun to watch them slowly see that and still fight how drawn they are to each other.

All in all this book was completely perfect. A good book should be throughally enjoyed, well chewed and digested. This book digests you instead. It sucks you into its grasp and then fondles you, leaving you flushed and scandelized but wanting so much more.

Very highly recommended for all!

Review: Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star by Heather Lynn Rigaud

2012-06-06T10:02:00.000-04:00

Title: Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star
Author: Heather Lynn Rigaud
View: Goodreads
Buy: Amazon
Dates read: February 14 to 16, 2012
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

This book was so awful. I wanted to like it, I really did. I started out hoping it would be light and funny like Prom and Prejudice and I was horribly disappointed.

This book was poorly written, the same vocabulary words being used over and over to describe things. It only held my interest because I was so certain it would just have to get better and by the time I realized it never would I was too far in and couldn’t stop because of my personal rule to always finish a book.

The characters fall flat for me. I couldn’t get into any of them and they weren’t believable to me. It felt like the author kept going back and forth from having the characters stand out in a modern way to reverting to Victorian times. It made for a really unsettling read. They seemed like completely new characters given familiar names instead of familiar characters placed in a different setting as I thought they would/should be.

The story was lame and felt tossed together. The book felt like an excuse to write smut, and even then it wasn’t even good smut. The sex scenes were rushed and mechanical with no flow to them at all.

It really felt to me like the Author had only seen the movies, and never read Pride and Prejudice and wanted to capitalize off the insta-fame that comes with writing a Pride and Prejudice variation.

All in all I was horribly disappointed and quite sad that I wasted my time here.

Review: Anew (The Archers of Avalon #1) by Chelsea Fine

2012-06-04T11:59:00.001-04:00

Title: Anew (The Archers of Avalon, #1)
Author: Chelsea Fine
View: Goodreads
Buy: Amazon
Dates read: February 11 to 13, 2012
Rating: ★★★★★

The story is about Scarlet Jacobs, who wakes up in the middle of the forest with amnesia. She suffers from a curse that has had her living partial lives and being reborn since the 1500s. Along with the immortal brothers, Gabriel and Tristan Archer, and their friend Nate they seek out to find the Fountain of Youth to end Scarlet's curse before she dies once again in this life.

The story was incredibly unique. I had never read anything like it before. It had me hooked from the very beginning. The writing style is wonderful and easy. Here we have a melancholy theme and yet I laughed my way through the story. The writing is kept just light enough to ease you through it, while holding on to it's heart-wrenching theme.

The real blue ribbon here are the characters. Scarlet is a wonderful heroine. She isn’t over the top, or powerful. She is making the most of her life with her amnesia. She tries to stay upbeat as she takes things one day at a time. The only berating she does to herself is when she is cursing herself for being attracted to one Archer while she is dating the other. Heather, Scarlet's best friend, is a blessing. This girl is funny and loving, the very type of person you would want in your own life. As for the Archer brothers; Gabriel disappointed me a bit. He starts out swoon-worthy and then kind of fades into the background as Tristan starts to take center stage. Tristan I instantly liked. I love dark brooding characters though. You give me a boy who is cold and mysterious but with a heart like his and I am hooked. I would have liked to see more of Scarlet's guardian, Laura, but I have this feeling there is more to her than what meets the eye. I’m usually wrong about my hunches, but I kind of hope that my hunch will be spot on with her. I would just love to see the twist. I figure we will see much more of her in the next installment.

A lot of authors cannot pull off a truly enjoyable love triangle, but Chelsea Fine did a fantastic job. The worst part of the book was the cliffhanger. I am not a fan of cliffhangers and Anew had the worst of them all. I am simply dying waiting for the next installment.

There were a few editing mistakes, but none that really got to me. I think my biggest regret with the book was the lack of a picture of Tristan's tattoo. I was having trouble envisioning it in my mind, and a photo of it didn’t exist in my ebook copy. (EDIT: Chelsea Fine posted an image of the tattoo to her blog! Finally!)

All in all a wonderful piece of literary art that I recommend to one and all. Bravo Mrs. Fine, bravo.

Firsts

2012-06-01T12:46:00.002-04:00

I grew up around books. I think I only learned how to walk so that I could get to a new book once I had finished with another. While most kids were getting really good with the "Run Jane, Run" books, I was reading chapter novels and touching on the works of Shakespeare. When I was seven I decided I wanted to write my own novel. Everyone I talked to about it told me that it was impossible. I was too young and my dyslexia was too bad. When I was ten, in secret I began writing a novel. I remember crying over the loss of it in 1998 when a flood destroyed our home. The novel had hardly begun. I was in my impressionable teenage years, where peer-pressure is a constant, so because I had even more people telling me that it was impossible, the novel was never picked back up. I am done listening to people tell me I can't do something. Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it. I am writing my novel.

I don't have dreams of being published, I won't dream so high. My dream is to write my novel. I will adjust my dream past that as I go. I decided to start this blog to document things as I go along. I'm a fairly private person, and I feel like this blog will help me to open up and build confidence as I do this.

This blog will showcase posts about my novel as I go along, plot, characters, progress reports, fears, dreams and the like. I will also post reviews about books that I read and am impressed with. I would love to connect with other authors working on their own novels or anyone who just wants to lend support my way.

I will work to reply to every comment I can.

Thanks for stopping by!