Reading Recap Of 2013: My Year In Books

Told ya I'd get this up, now didn't I? *Winks*

Anywhoozlebees, as per my Goodreads, I've finished a whopping 31 27 books this year! Yes, I know. Don't get yourself too excited. I've started TONS more but didn't finish them all and certainly wasn't moved to write a review for them. Alas, for the ones I did, I will give you their title, a link to their corresponding review if I've written one and a sentence from said review to sum up my feelings for it.

In no particular order:

The Darkest Pleasure: Lords Of The Underworld #3 - 

"Such a shame that this book didn't get interesting until about 66% in."

Review HERE.

The Darkest Passion: LOTU #5

"The last three chapters or so were one of the only redeeming qualities for this book. It draaaagged 85% of the way through!"

Review HERE.

Lover At Last: Black Dagger Brotherhood #11

"Meh."

Review HERE.

Ever After: The Hollows #11

"For me, three stars for Ever After is generous."

Review HERE.

Twice Tempted: Night Prince #2

"How many books is she trying to squeeze out of this? I don't want to read the same book three-five times. It's exhausting."

Review HERE.

Desolate City: Albertos #1

"Yeah. Still confused. And not a single page feels like it is connected to the next."

Review HERE.

Charmed : The Charmed  #1

"Isnt this awkward? Infuriated. I want to be in love with this book but the emotional leaps are wigging me out. "

Review HERE.

Under Wraps: Underworld Detection Agency #1

"Sophie is an idiot. Just when I start to like her, too. Smh."

Review HERE.

Birth Of The Nyxian: The Immortal Choice Series # 1

"Oh. Insta-love. Cool."

Review HERE.

Prayer For The Dead: Revenants In Purgatory #1

"Olivia's voice is incredibly entertaining and likable. This hardly feels like a debut! It's fantastic."

Review HERE.

In doing this, I've realized that a few of the books I enjoyed the most aren't on this list. So they get a special shoutout! 

FAVORITE books of 2013:

Prayer For The Dead

Poison Princess

Endless Knight.

Funny how Kresley Cole has two of the three fave titles, huh? Lol A very close runner up for fave is:

Under The Never Sky.

My review for Endless Knight will be up shortly-ish but for now, I'm going to enjoy my NYE. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! And a HUGE thank you for tagging along on this ride with me. I am so thankful for anyone reading this, there aren't words. I appreciate you very much and expect big things from me in 2014! I feel very good about this year <3 div="">

--Amiya <3 div="">

Prayer For The Dead by Nicki Scalise Book Review

**Spoilage**

**4 Stars**

Wow. For starters, let me just say that I started this book thinking it was an Urban Fantasy and there would be action, a badass antagonist and the occasional love scene. What I got was almost the exact opposite. But I was SO okay with that. More than okay, actually.

That's not to say that this wasn't chock full of win at every turn of the page. It was. But this was a love story through and through. I won't even go into how I feel about books that are primarily about love....because we'd be here all friggin' day. What I will say is that they are not my first choice of reading material by far. I do not do well with love stories without some form of action. You can tell I didn't read the blurb all the way through....Sue Me.....That being said...I adored this story.

Prayer For The Dead is Nicki Scalise's debut novel. I've read my fair share of debut novels and lemme tell ya', this does not read like a debut. It reads like a seasoned author who know what she's doing, knows exactly who her characters are, where she is taking them, and has a kick ass editor on staff. 

Olivia, our MC, is SUPER likeable. She's funny, down to earth and as I read from her perspective, I felt I could really connect with her...ya know, if she were a real person living in the real world versus purgatory. Speaking of, let's get into that briefly....world building. In the book, purgatory exists parallel to our world in geography and aesthetics only. The people that occupy this world...are all dead. I know. Bummer, right? These are all the people that get "stuck" in limbo. Allow me to break it down.

When you die, you do not automatically get to pass on to heaven. You need the people who loved you in your living state to mourn you and/or pray for you. IE, give you a proper funeral, cry and express their want for you to go to heaven, etc. If you do not get enough prayers in a specific amount of time....you remain in purgatory like Olivia, her brother, her best friend and everyone else. Ergo, Prayer For The Dead. I think that is the coolest shit ever. I've NEVER read a book like that and it made the romance-fest that followed durable.

Now, for the things that stopped this from being a five-star rating. The romance. It's just not my thing.They fell for each other a bit fast, IMO. Time passed  for the charries, but not on the pages where I could witness. We got one of those "It had been five weeks and..." so on and so forth.The big-bad was a little predictable, the love interest, Drake wasn't my idea of a heart-throb, and some of the things that happened after Drake's past was revealed just didn't really do much for me. BUT, if I still enjoyed it through all that, it's a damn good book. Haha. Usually I get really spoiler-y but I won't go too far because I want anyone gearing up to read this to enjoy it as much as I did. 

Happy Reading!

MORE Updates + Worse News + Even More Tears

Putie, le broken laptop is still dead in the water. I'm afraid I haven't ventured to get her fixed/serviced BUT I am still hoping that I can salvage my work on it. Because if not....yeah. We're not going to go there at all.

Any-whoozle-bees...I did write my four star review for Prayer For The Dead...it got deleted from my mom's laptop. SO, I have to rewrite that and eventually get it posted up here. I have also read Endless Knight: book two in Kresley Cole's Arcana Chronicles and ohh. myy. gahhh. It was probably the best book I've read this year next to Poison Princess and Prayer For The Dead. Like, yeah. Those books are officially in my top reads of 2013. So I'm going to get that review posted as well.

OH, I will absolutely be doing a "2013 Recap: My Year In Books" post in about a week once work dies down a bit. And this time when I say a week, I mean seven days...ish. ;)

Also, Author Of The Month has officially been put on hold due to my lack of access to a computer. :(

September Author Of The Month & Book Review

This is SO late, but obviously I had the intention of writing this BEFORE the first of October snuck up and bit me right in the fanny. *Shakes head* 

Anysnooch....Last month's AOTM was Hannah Jayne and for her month, I began her Underworld Detection Agency series. Under Wraps was the first of five - thus far - and I...damn it all, I enjoyed it. Despite myself.

**Spoilage**

**3 1/2 Stars**

First things first: DAT COVAAAH. Pretty awesome huh? Before you even read the blurb it kinda lets you in on what the book is about, right? You've got the Golden Gate Bridge, the full moon high in the sky; pretty indicative of wolves, IMO. Oh, and theres this redhead looking all badass with a BIG ASS sword in her hand.

Aaaand, thats where the info pretty much starts misleading you. Sophie Lawson is that redhead. She is not badass. She NEVER even holds the damn sword and the only time she even wears leather, it's a dress. 

WAIT, though! If after reading the blurb, you decide you don't want to read about a redhead in an UF setting with a Fancy Vamper as a sidekick because it's just too Rachel Morgan/Ivy Tamwood-esque for you - which by the by, is a fan-forking-tastic series. Go read that shit. - fear not! The similarities between The Hollows and the UDA series' ends there. Redheads who work/used to work in office-like settings with paranormal beings, a vampire sidekick, can be funny sometimes....and that's about it.

Where Rachel is badass, Sophie cries. Where Rachel isn't afraid to get her hands dirty, Sophie...well...she cries. Bottom line? Sophie cries. Sophie....man. What else can I say about Sophie? Well, she was not very likeable for me pretty much from the start. If she wasn't ogling a nearby man, she was crying - sometimes literally - about this or that. And for a 32 year old woman who works with denizens of the Underworld, I would expect a much higher constitution for nonsense. Alas, Sophie remained a whiner pretty much throughout all of this book. She volunteers to help the SFPD out with the case then changes her mind when she realizes that - GASP! - someone was actually murdered and she might have to get her hands dirty. She was SO obtuse, it grated on my nerves.

Nina...she was just there. I didn't really care for all her witicisms though, since her presence consisted entirely of them and them alone.But whatevs. It could've been worse.

Vlad was just a joy to read. I found his character really easy to like and the fact that he fits every single vampire sterotype out there is just giggle-worthy. In a good way, though.

Parker Hayes/Alex Grace. Meh. I didn't care for his fake Cop persona and cared even less for his big-bad-secret Fallen Angel persona. He was very cookie-cutter hero for me. He was "hot" with blue eyes, can handle a gun, has a killer smile - yadda, yadda. But there was nothing original about him. Nothing tossed in with all his hotness to make him even remotely different from the Stock-Sexy Heroes from any other book. *Shrug*

Steve the Troll - dear Gawd he had me the moment he sauntered onto a page with his gross smelling self. He. Was. DELIGHTFUL. Positively lovely.

The plot/big-bad for this book was really awesome; I've never read anything about the Sword of Bethesda. What kinda sucked was how long it took to get there. Most of the book, we're reading about Sophie drooling over Parker, Nina wearing her 1800's vintage couture, Vlad blasting his music and Parker being "Inexplicably hot" all the time. Kinda upset that this is even labeled Urban Fantasy. It should be labeled Romance with some Paranormal elements. Because that's really what it was. 

Sophie's presence in this book was so minute because everything and everyone else overshadowed her. She has no magical ability. None. She is descendant of a Seer and she has no abilities. She doesn't even develop them in any part of the book. Which was a bit depressing. How can Sophie be our MC in a world full of magical beings, where she is literally surrounded by them all day at her job and have no abilities of her own? I suppose to some, this might be a selling point so you can see exactly how she grows but I think she should be able to do something aside from being immune to all charmed items/being able to see through charms.

Its weird, because I give this three and a half stars because I really did enjoy it despite how this review reads. It was witty, the plotline was damn interesting, the characters - aside from our spotlight couple - were delightully engaging and even though Sophie drove me crazy with all her whining, I wanted to keep reading and find out what was going to happen next. And I'm going to be reading the rest of the series....So, I suppose it was a mission accomplished, huh?

AOTM Birth Of The Nyxian BR!

**Spoilage**

**2 Stars**

As some of you know - and most of you care nothing about - I decided to start an Author Of The Month thing and I started with Amanda R. Browning and her first book titled Birth Of The Nyxian.

That being said, I didn't care much for what I read and I only got about 45% done. I started it on 7/21, or so Goodreads says, and on 8/10, I was only 45% done. It never takes me that long to read a book. And still, today on 9/8, I have not finished it nor do I have any desire to do so.

Harlow and Aiden are just too perfect for each other. Harlow loves vampires and Aiden loves that she loves vampires and isn't afraid of them. Harlow has long auburn hair and Aiden loves girls with auburn hair. Aiden is Irish or Scottish and Harlow just happens to be a huge history buff who happens to have a picture of his childhood home up on her wall.





It's just too much. There was no building of their relationship, nothing to make her think twice, no courting - it was basically insta-love. There were absolutely no plot devices - when there should have been - to try and force them apart - NADA. It was too perfect.

The sex scenes weren't terrible....but they weren't great either. Par example:  "I lifted myself and aligned him with my entrance."




I'm pretty sure it was an attempt to have 'tasteful' and non-descriptive sex scenes but the effort doesn't come across in the writing. I read somewhere that this was "YA" but I highly doubt that. there ARE sex scenes, all characters are very adult and the situations are nothing a teen - even when suspending reality - would be able to relate to.

Technically, this book was all over the map. There were very few typos, if any. But the POV's all sounded the same, things that Harlow had already explained that happened were getting repeated by Aiden in his POV, the dialogue was pretty bad - I mean, nothing flowed. It was written without the reader in mind. Every situation was explained to the point where there was no guessing and no suspense. It was very predictable. Which beta readers and any editor worth his or her salt should have caught and red flagged BEFORE publishing. Mind you, I'd only read just under half of this book.

I suppose if I read more, I would understand where Nyx fit into all of this, but from what I read - which should have been more than enough to explain - Nyx felt like an afterthought thrown in to try and spice up a love story. Which is really what this was about, IMO. I'm all for love stories, but when the rest of your story is consumed and overshadowed by the believablity of your love story, you have a problem.

I didn't care much for the writing, the characters or the storyline but for people who LOVE sappy romance, I say go for it and you'll more than likely love it. Those like me who like action and a really plot-driven book with twists and turns, I would not recommend this to you.

I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid and will not recieve any kind of compensation for posting this.

Third Person POV & Mira Teaser

I tend try to stay away from third POV for the simple fact that I kinda dislike how mine reads. It's a bit pretentious and a lot impersonal. But then again, I think a lot of the 3rd POV's out there by various authors sound impersonal. Yes, I get that I am, in a way, just an observer. But most of the time, I like to feel like I'm right there beside the MC, experiencing every nuance of their adventure with them; their fear is mine and their romance is, too.

That being said...I have a teaser/snippet from one of my WIPs and I'd like feedback on whether my 3rd POV is completely terrible tolerable. Lol


"“Okay,” Mira whispered to her reflection in the mirror. “Tonight is about us.” She started her personal pep talk. “Tonight will be amazing.” She could hear David’s key jingling in the door when her heart started kicking up speed. “Deep breaths, Mira.”
    As soon as the lights in the house went flickered, Mira knew it wasn’t David at the door. Her pupils dilated, blood rushed through her veins, thumping too hard in her ears. A chill of familiarity skittered down her spine, squaring her shoulders and settling in her stomach. 
    It started to burn where it lay, singeing though it wasn’t fear. She’d known this day would come for the last couple decades. Besides, fear was reserved for the ill prepared and the weak. Mira was neither and fear was a luxury she never could afford. 
    The lights flickered again, casting dark shadows in the house she’d called home for the past five years; making potted plants and light fixtures much more sinister than they’d ever been. A brief twist of pain struck her in the gut right before she was thrown off her feet; as if being pulled by an invisible force. Mira soared through the air until her back hit a wall, the force of her one hundred thirty pound frame buckling it. Air whooshed from her lungs, catching on her tonsils and choking her just in time to steal the words coming from her lips.
    “No, no. Don’t get up on account of me. I’m just here to kill you.” The smile in that familiar voice was obvious. “What? You don’t look too happy to see me, doll. You had to know that I’d find you sooner or later. Whatever could be the matter?” The door flew open and that petite figure she knew stood in the doorway, her voice taunting Mira with every syllable.
    “Oh, I don’t know, Chris.” Mira ground out; refusing to be anything but her normal bitingly sarcastic self. “Maybe the dwarf pinning me to my foyer wall and mucking up my freshly polished African Teak floors with dog shit on her last season Prada knock-offs?” Mira gave the woman a taunting smirk before fire flared on her left cheek.
    “I see you still haven’t acquired any manners.” Chris said tiredly. “Doesn’t really surprise me.”
    “Who needs manners when I can piss you off easier with a few simple well placed four-letter words?” the sting of a slap came back to Mira’s face, the residual effects of the hexwork leaving an acrid scent in the air. “Resorting to using hexes for little ole me, Chris? I’m flattered.”
    “Just getting started.” The small woman smiled and pulled a palm-sized vial of something dark from her pocket and unscrewed the top; beginning to chant in Latin. 
    “What,” Mira bit out around the pain of her jaw locking up on her. “No circle?” She asked as three lone droplets of a dark, inky liquid hit the floor. Mira hoped that wasn’t what she thought it was.
    “I would, but hubby is due shortly. Wouldn’t want him to interrupt.” The chanting in Latin resumed and Mira chuckled darkly, finding a morbid sort of amusement out of the entire situation. 
    She recognized the words, of course. The curse was written by her. "

Pg 4 of Untitled WIP

Sooooo....thoughts? Opinions? Rainbow gifs?

:D

One And Two Star Book Reviews: Useless?

Evening! Fancy seeing me here again, eh?

Anyway, I was involved in a heated discussion on a bookish page from my personal fb last night - and this morning - and the question was:

"Those of you who write book reviews, will you NOT leave a review if you rate it less than a certain number of stars? Authors, do you prefer that readers/reviewers not leave a review if it's less than a specific number of stars? What's the "cut off point" for you?"

I was astonished to see quite a few reviewers - some well known among the fb AND goodreads bookish circles - saying that they don't post reviews under three stars. 

What? Well, why the hell not? 

As a reviewer, is it or is it not your duty to inform me - the reader - of the contents of a book BEFORE I read it? Isn't your purpose to tell everyone how good - OR BAD, which was where the problem arises - this book was before I go and spend X amount of dollars and numerous hours I cannot get refunded on this beast? Why be a book blogger if the only reviews you post are for "good" books? How can you consider yourself a reviewer if you never have a negative opinion about a book you read? We know all of them aren't gems. We're reading bad books, too! And as the consumer - the most important person in this whole publishing/reading scenario - we owe it to the author to tell them whether or not their books need work. If we don't, they'll never grow and continue to write crap books.

Am I the only one outraged over this?!

I must be. Because when I mentioned that I don't descriminate between good and bad books; that they alllll get a review posted, most of everyone there almost shat their pants. You do everyone involved a disservice when you only post 4 or 5 star book reviews. Because to the unsuspecting public, it looks like you LURVE all the books you read. How am I susposed to believe the word of someone who doesn't dislike anything? We don't get to see that email you send to the author giving them your thoughts and critiques. We don't know any of that is happening. To us, you just look dishonest. And to be frank, your opinion on every book you've ever read has just been called into question. You've taken the honesty out of book reviewing. And I shant read another you write.

So, readers and reviewers alike, I ask you now.....would you review a book you rated less than three stars? And if not, why? 

--A.

I Know, I Know. You Don't Have To Say It....

Yeah, I'm not even gonna start apologizing because you and I both know I'll probably - more than likely - be apologizing again in a month or three when I've been MIA again. I don't mean to neglect this blog or my writing...it just happens. I'm tired ALL the time because of a medical issue I have and when I'm not working, I'm sleeping or trying to sleep. I'm probably spreading myself too thing with all the other things I do....anysnooch.

I've come to announce that I will be trying out a new "Author Of The Month" kind of thing. Where I read numerous books by a single author in one month and possibly review them. Anyone dislike this idea? Anyone like it? Anyone not care either way and are just here for the rainbow gifs? Yeah. Thought so.

SO. The author this month -we'll have her as July-August due to the late start - is....... Amanda R. Browning!

She posted on her facebook about wanting some reviewers for her books and you all know how much I love to write me a good review. I hear a lot of great things about her books so I'm really amped to get started. And because I am doing quite a bit more reading than writing these days, I think this AOTM thing will work out WAAAY better than I thought.

The first of her books I will be reading is Birth Of The Nyxian. You can click the picture in my 'Currently Reading' section and you will be directed to said book on Goodreads.

P.S. I am still doing the author spotlight/showcase with the author I mentioned back in June. Circumstances and deadlines with her publishers have put things on hold for a bit and because she's started writing her sequel...and other projects, I'm the last person to distract her from that. SO we will wait until she is ready. I refuse to get in the way of her career. BECAUSE I LURVE HER!

Anysnooch, if you're reading this.....THANK YOU BUNCHES for rocking out with me and sticking through my neglect and ghost-like phase for months on end. I sincerely appreciate you.

To visit Amanda R. Browning's website, click HERE.
To Follow Amanda R. Browning on Twitter, click HERE.
To 'Like' Amanda R. Browning's Facebook page, click HERE.
To become a fan of Amanda R. Browning on Goodreads, click HERE.
To purchase Amanda R. Browning's books on amazon, click HERE.


And since you guys were honest about loving the rainbow gifs.....here ya go.





You're welcome.

Hello....? Is This Thing On?

Usually I'd start one of these off with an apology and a long story about why I've been gone for more than a month. But today, I just don't have the energy so I figured the cliffnotes version would have to do.

I got a new job. *Claps* Yes, tis very exciting. However, this new job does not permit me to have the same freedoms and time as I had pre-job so my blog - and my writing - is suffering. Therefore, I can't guarantee regular postings. I think what I will start doing is pre-writing a few posts and then just setting them to publish on certain dates....hmm. Maybe. Maybe not.

Anysnooch, today I got to go through about two weeks worth of backed-up emails and one really caught my eye. It was from an author whose book I reviewed on goodreads about three months ago. And no, it was not a nice review so you could imagine my feelings before I read it. Alas, the email was a thank you. She told me I helped her see what she didn't like about her own work and what she wished she'd done. I was so touched. That's one of the only reasons I even bother to write reviews. In the hopes that maybe - just maybe - I've helped someone in some way.

That rocks. You GO author I shall not name! I wish you nothing but success in all your future endeavors.

--A.

Quick Update!

Evening beautiful peoples! I have about eighty six seconds before I pass out on this keyboard, so I'll keep this brief.

Some things with the blog tour planner went fuzzy so I'm working directly with the author now. We're going to be doing an author spotlight, character interview, of course a book review - and all types of fun stuffs. I'm currently reader her debut novel and I'm halfway through. I won't reveal anything now because I want it to be HUGE when I do.

This is her debut novel and the premise is so unique and interesting, I almost peed my pants when I finally got into it on my Kindle. Those of you paying close attention....or all of you with the ability to read....may already know what I'm reading and the author involved.

But I've already said too much!

I shall go now because the sleep demon and that evil place that keeps my paycheck awaits!

Now, think pretty thoughts and have unicorn filled dreams! :D

Twice Tempted by Jeaniene Frost

**Spoilage**

3.78 Stars. A very high 3.78 stars.

As much as I wanted to give this 2 stars, I just can't. No matter how little I like a plot she does, which characters she decided to fuck over or tweak their personality, or which one she ultimately decides to kill give a spin-off series to, this woman is a PHENOMENAL writer. She obviously cares about what she sells or else we'd be getting a new Night Huntress book every six-nine months. And that, above book sales, book signings, appearances, movie deals and all that shit lots of other "authors" are doing is what I respect and love the most.

It is no secret that the Night Huntress series isn't my favorite of all time. Sometimes the plot....eh. I just don't always get it but her characters - I always love.

That being said, I will repeat an earlier opinion of mine and say I wish she would have just left Vlad in Night Huntress. Sometimes. Yes, even Dracula needs love but he just felt better as a supporting role in NH. He was SO badass - still is, but I just don't like him in this role of savior and protector as much as he is in both the Night Prince books. And Leila and her family are always needing protecting. I just...more abduction, Frost? Really? I thought we were done with that. I want us to be done with that. I NEED us to be done with that.

Anysnooch, Leila has never been my favorite female. But then again, neither was Kira at first and I really grew to love her. But no, Leila still hasn't grown on me completely and I think that's partly because of her waffle-like personality. One minute she's balls to the wall bossing around the scariest motherfucker in the world, and the next she's crying because he won't tell her he loved her. I mean, part of it is understandable but c'mon dude. You're having sex with Dracula. You had to know it wasn't gonna be all lollipops and rainbows and he wasn't going to fawn all over you, telling you he loves you every second of every day.

For that, you might want to go see Spade. He's in the spin-off series right before yours. Book one. Now, don't dawdle visiting hours are almost up.

A few things really ground my gears for this book. Like, how Leila actually believed Vlad would try and kill her after she refused his offer to turn her in front of his line. Please. Just please, human you are inconsequential. Even with your business hand flowing full of electricity.

And how obvious it was that the vamper from the circus bombing was the bad guy/bitch/culprit behind the attack and Leila conveniently forgets to mention she saw her at the scene of the crime. Throughout the entire book, we read about this "thick brown/chestnut hair" on this vampire whose face she can't see and when it really counts, she never connects the two.

WHAT THE FUCKETY FUCK?!?!

It was just too obvious to the readers. I feel that if Frost was going to give us hints about the big bad, they should have been more subtle and more infrequent. Because she made her MC look dumb as a box of rocks. And since she hangs around vampers for the better part of her life, one would expect her to be a wee bit smarter.

I expected her to somehow become a vampire, so I wont bother putting spoiler brackets around this. We all knew she'd be Vlad's HEA and being human, she has an expiration date so...yeah. She had two options : Ghoul or vamper. Not that hard to figure out.

One Two Three more things I didn't like:

One: The fact that Vlad is supposed to be this big imposing vampire and he has all these traitors among his own people. Nope. I don't accept it.

Two: Vlad really jumped up the overprotective/borderline abusive vampire ass for this book. Waaay too much. Don't threaten to lock me up for using my own abilities because you don't like it. So what I hemorrhage from my facial orifices like I've contracted Ebola and have actually died once from it. Don't get your fangs in a snit.




Three: This Sziglayi or whatevaaa is name is, is still a factor. No! I'm over it and him. This is basically, book one with some stranger bitch using magic, an explosion, a wedding and a hell of a lot less sex between Vlad and Leila.  We're still being kidnapped and used for our seeing abilities, we're still crying cause Vlad won't tell us he loves us, We're still impaling folks - nothing has changed! How many books is she trying to squeeze out of this? I don't want to read the same book three-five times. It's exhausting.

Aye dios.

Self-Publishing? Yay or Nay?

I see an abundance of self-published/Indie authors all over my timeline when I'm on facebook. Yes, on my personal facebook I literally go around "Liking" several dozen Indie Authors' pages, looking their published pieces up on google, Goodreads, Amazon - anywhere people talk about them - to see what they write about, how many people read them, how popular they are, what people say in their reviews of their books; ya know, shit like that. I think that, as an aspiring author and avid reader, one can never be too informed about what's hot on the market and what people are flocking to in their reading tastes. If an Indie author's book has hit the NYT's or USA Today's Bestseller lists, I damn well need to know who they are, what they write and how much they charge for an e-book so I can read that shit asap.

I've also read a blog post very recently by Suzie Townsend, a literary agent at New Leaf, and it reminded me of several things:

1. The conversation I had with my friend about self-publishing.
2. I have too many indie books on my kindle that I have not read and need to get to like, ASAP. And
3. Why I don't self publish.

Yes, I have a finished MS and yes, I've thought about self-publishing it several times.

The problem is that I don't want to.

So, the convo with my friend. She's SUPA talented; writes thee most AMAZEBALLS Spoken Word/Slam Poetry that I've ever had the honor of hearing. She's unpublished but prefers it that way; her work really is best heard and not read. The emotion isn't really conveyed on paper so much as when you hear it. Anyway...

She says that there is no integrity in self-publishing. I disagreed and I still disagree. I don't see anything wrong with publishing your own work yourself. You get all the royalties, you get full and final say on what gets chopped and what gets left, you have free reign on what you want your cover to look like - the works. But you also get the negative backlash if that book doesn't sell.

Of course,  that could and does happen to those who choose to query agents and all that jazz but when you self-publish, there is nothing to fall back on. Let's say you write a full 80k+ word novel. You get your ideal cover and self-publish. You couldn't be happier with how it all turned out. But it doesn't sell like you think it will.

Okay, we've cried and moved past that. Now, we want to take it and shop it to agents and publishing houses to try something different OR you take a completely different MS and shop it. In your query you should mention your self-published book. Said agent will look it up if he/she is interested and will ask you how it sold. If it didn't sell well, it does not inspire confidence in your agent that this next MS will sell. 

OR, if you're shopping the self-pubbed one around and they take you as a client, they now have a MS that they cannot sell to a publishing house. Because if it didn't sell when you self-pubbed it, chances are a new cover, jazzed up blurb and a famous name behind it won't help it sell either. It is the SAME words, SAME story. Just in different packaging. 

Now there are some cases where self-published authors make it to the NYT's best selling list. Like Jamie McGuire, Shanora Williams and Tracey Garvis-Graves. But not everyone can or will do that when they've self-published.

Personally, I'd like to have a few manuscripts under my belt first.Get a hold on my own writing style, let it develop a bit more and just generally KNOW and recognize my work when I see it. I hope someone understands what I mean when I say that. I also want my books published by a well-known publishing house. No, not because I think my work is better than anyone else's or that I deserve it more but because I believe in my writing. I believe it can stand on it's own next to the St. Martin's Press publishings. I believe in my own ability to write great books and I will not rest until I have made someone smile with words I have written down on a piece of paper.

Like I've already said, self-publishing can turn into something amazing for some authors. It's just not something I want to do at this early stage in my writing. 

Happy Writing!  --A.

Quick Update + News!

I was contacted by numerous world leaders and they want me to join them and be the OFFICIAL Writer of The World!!!

Okay, no. Not really.

BUT, I will be participating in a....wait for it.... BLOG TOUR!!!

Yes, yes. I know. Calm yourselves, please. Although my following is PUNY and to put it frankly, damn embarrassing. Still, the author has graciously allowed me to be a part of her tour anyway. Yep. I heart her.

I won't reveal who she is just yet because of paperwork and all that boring jazz. Bleh. Anyway! I've never participated in one of these before so I will possibly make a few boo-boos or mistakes. Bear with me, people. But I'm excited all the same and can't wait to get started!

Lover At Last by J.R Ward

Whaaaaat?! TWO simultaneous posts? HOW FRIGGIN COOL AM I?!

Answer: SHE'S B-AWESOME!

Anywhoo, here ya go. Make of it what you will and bother me not with foolish questions. For I do it all for thou.

**Spoilage**

**2 GENEROUS stars**

Lover At Last in ten lines - More or less:

The Omega: "Make more impotent, pigment challenged men so we can sell drugs."

Qhuinn: (While crying) "Blaylock is having sex with my man-whore cousin and I seemed to have lost my ability to function because of it."

Layla: (after declaring herself a Fallen Chosen) "I can do naught but think of him...and berate myself for thinking of such a traitorous male."

Assail: "I am a cheap Rehvenge reboot with two "twins" I call Trez 2 and iAin't." [Instead of iAm. Get it?]

Qhuinn: (As he begs Blay to have sex with him.) "I'll take you any way I can have you."

Blaylock: "Too bad. I really love you, too but our author placed all these unnecessary plot devices in my way so I can't tell you."

Xcor: "I long for my dearest Chosen who is too good for me but continue to plot against her King who shelters, feeds and protects her."

Qhuinn: "FUCKIN' RIGHT, I'm inducted to the Brotherhood! But Blay still hates me so I'll go drink myself into oblivion."

Blaylock: "You're in love with me Qhuinn? Really?"

Ward: "And they lived happily ever after."

Meh.

But seriously, though. This is basically it. That last line, the happily ever after one, is REALLY in the book. Like Ward couldn't figure out another way to end it. I was all




I didn't really have high expectations of this book because come on, were her last two really that good? But, somehow I still found myself disappointed.

Not a single line in this book did Qhuinn any justice. Every page in this book made him sound inept, stupid, incapable and whiny. Although I was less than pleased with most of this book, it did help me see that I don't really like him and Blaylock together like I thought I would. Three books ago, I was all for "Qhuay" and I was up in arms when two other books came, went and SUCKED and there was nothing even remotely indicative of Qhuinn and Blaylock even being friends much less starting a relationship. But now, I'm all




It just doesn't work for me. Or at least, it doesn't now. How it was written just made Qhuinn so codependent and blah if he wasn't with him. Which, for me just didn't do much. What happened to the strong males who lived up to their Vampire names? Protected the King of the race with their own lives? Ripped lessers to itty bitty pieces for their mates and plow through anything and anyone to get them?

And just generally kick ass?! Where have they gone? Has me feeling like this



If you don't know that song...go to google and search Rihanna. Cause she's fuckin' awesome.

Anysnooch, Blay was a mountain of dicks throughout the entire book. Treated Qhuinn like a common whore and not his former best friend....And that's really all I have to say about that. Oh, and he came out to his parents. That part was awesome. His parents rock.

Saxton...meh. He never was a favorite of mine so I wasn't particularly broken up about his hurt feelings.



Layla's pregnancy bits are one of the few aspects of this book that I did like. I kept skimming through most of everything else to know what happened and I must admit, I'm happy with how it turned out. I also really liked her little bit with Xcor. I don't know what it is, but I really like those two together. Xcor would just be so appreciative of her love and Layla would be absolutely doted on. Aside from the issue with him being a Bastard and her being a Chosen living in the King's house and all that, I think he'll somehow end up her HEA. Ward is very hush hush on the matter but if enough fans express their liking for that particular pairing, she'll make it happen. Wanna know how I know? Because we have Qhuay. Even though Ward said she already knew who Qhuinn's female would be like, five books ago. *Shrug*

Wrath, Payne, some Trez and Selena and the Layla/Xcor bits are probably the only redeeming qualities for this book. Most of it really dragged for me.

It wasn't all bad, though. This book really put into stark relief how much I dislike her writing style. All the "Umm...Yeah"ing, the "What do you know"s and basically the little bits that just make you think her characters are just so cool get on my nerves. It was okay in the beginning but ten books later and I'm over it. One of my main issues with Ward is her timelines. She waffles on them and confuses her readers. It's also very obvious that no one bothers to edit this woman anymore. So many pages and too much of it did nothing to push the plot along. We got almost nothing about the lessers and what they're doing besides working with a vampire to sell more drugs. It's old, dude. Can we do something else?

I won't even bother to get into the bad missteps concerning her M/M love scenes. I'm sure you'll read many a ranting review about the absence of lube or finger prep all on your onesie sabby. [Sorry, Watched some Jack Sparrow lately.]

She has so many characters and side storylines that I'm confused about why she even bothers with the lessers anyway. Trez and his issue with his people, Sola and her grandmother, Assail and his Shadow dopplegangers, The Bastards and their quest for the throne that Ward seems to be hellbent on giving to Xcor. It's just so much that I find myself not caring about more than half of it.

All in all, I give this book a shrug. I'm so dangerously close to dropping the series that I kind of don't care whose book is next. Undoubtedly, it'll be full of more romance than action. Which sucks. She's lost so much of the war with lessers to the romance, that I don't know if she can make this next book magic enough to save this series.

**Images Copyright to their Respective Owners

The Misunderstood "Alpha Male"

Essentially, this post is just a branch off my last post about a particular subset of romance novels that have taken the reading world by storm in the last year or so.

The post in question can be found HERE. Peruse it, get familiar with it if you like. If you do not care to read it, then I'll paraphrase as best as I can. 

Abusive books, blahblahblah, Young women being misled in the ways of romance, blahblah. I'm appalled that people read these kinds of books and praise them as much as they do when they live unhealthy relationships and know how uncool it is, blahbleeeblooo. Authors using BDSM as a smokescreen for abusive 'heroes' - and I use that term loosely. My hero doesn't need to know my bank account number or need me to sign a contract before we engage in physical activities. - blah. You get the picture.

Yes. I can "blah" myself. I wrote it. :P

Anywho, I've been cruising Goodreads aimlessly. Ya know, because the idea of sleeping is a joke. And I've come to realize that people have been shelving these books as "Alpha Male". 

I don't understand. There's being an Alpha Male and then there's abusing folks. BIG difference to the women who've been on the business end of a fist or verbal rant. But we won't go there. That's a topic of a different sort.

Wait. I'll break it down.

**Alpha male

An alpha male is the top-ranking animal in a social group.

OR

**Human examples

Alpha male can also refer to an aggressive, highly-ranked man in a human group – usually in a business setting.

Alright. I got that. Here's what I'm getting an ear and eye-full of.

**Abuse

Abuse is a term used for the use or treatment of something which causes hurt. Abuse is generally done by another life form. For example, animal abuse is normally done on animals, by humans. Drug or alcohol abuse is the misuse (especially overuse) of drugs or alcohol. Abuse can also occur when somebody of a higher class thinks they are better than another and hurts them to make their status clear.Abuse can be raping, or sexism.

Yep. Sounds about right. Abuse covered by a smokescreen deemed "alpha male".

What I want to know is, in what world do these two terms meet in the middle? 

And will we ever call bullshit on what seems to be the new fad in books? --A.

**Source: Wikipedia.com

I'm Gonna Say What You're Not Supposed To Say...

Okay guys. Come, have a seat and we'll chat for a second. Girl Talk, if you will. Or...just talk if you happen to be of the penile persuasion.

I've stumbled upon something that has apparently been in the making for quite a while now, only topping off with the release of a very popular, NYT's Best Selling Trilogy of books dubbed "mommy porn". And quite frankly, it scares me. I'm sure right off the top of your head, you can just guess what books I'm talking about.

Yes, the Fifty Shades trilogy.

There are a number of books like FS, too many in my opinion, but that isn't what bothers me so much as the women and young women reading these books and idolizing them and aspiring to have love like they do. That bothers me more than anything.

A book called Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire that is also a NYT's, USA - and numerous others- best seller that is also in the same vein as FS.

TIME OUT.

Let us get something clear right here and now. I am in no way bashing these authors, their books or their readers who enjoy them. I am simply stating my opinion. Which, thanks to a fancy dancy sheet of quickly decaying parchment, I can do that freely without fear of persecution. 

Now that we have that out of the way, I will say how disturbed I am by the rash of abusive books on the market today. It just blows my mind that somewhere in the world, there is a young girl reading books like these and thinking that the relationship depicted in the book is something she should want and think is okay. Let's be honest with each other, okay? I'm going to say the thing you're not supposed to say and the thing that no one wants to hear.

Those books are everything that is wrong with the self esteem of young women today. The codependency, low self esteem and abuse they promote is astounding. And the fact that THESE are selling out of stores over THIS, boggles my mind. Yes, they are just books and no, no one should read books for an example of life. And everyone has different taste in books, etc. I mean c'mon. I'm not completely deluded. But it happens. Every day. And I feel like these books are just glorifying and promoting abusive relationships.

HERE is a list on goodreads of the most popular/most read books this week tagged ABUSE. These are some of the highest rated books on goodreads. Most of them have over 30,000 ratings and almost all of them are also in the romance category. Most of which are being read by women ranging between the ages of 15 and 40.

Does no one else see the conflict I have with this? Am I just being a bitch? Have I taken it too far?

I don't know. Which is why I debated for almost two hours with myself on whether or not I wanted to publish this blog post. I know an unhealthy relationship when I see one. I grew up with it in my house, watched my sister live it and was almost in one myself. I know, I know. Sometimes it takes a really bad relationship for people to really see that they don't have to accept it. But I think about all the ways it could go wrong. All the ways the people involved will be scarred and for the rest of their lives. I just...It makes me sad. Because I know it can be avoided.

BUT in this publishing business most don't give a shit. "It's only a book!" is what I hear all too often. And really, at the end of the day, it's what sells and gets on those best seller lists that count, right?

--A.

Charmed by Lindy Zart

****Spoilage****

***2.5 Stars!***

From the rash of amazing reviews of this book, I went in assuming reading it would be time and money well spent. It was...to a point. I'll insert my 'updates' on this book into this review to give you a sense of what I mean.

3/09 12%: "Yep. Seems legit."

3/11 16%: "Not really liking how we just got thrown into the thick of things with absolutely no set up or background on our MC. I assumed I'd be let in on her secrets int he next coming chapters...nope. As long as I ignore the fact that I'm reading about a perfect stranger who was attracted to he sort-of abductor, I think I'll be okay. Must suspend reality a touch and a half more."

3/11 24%: "I don't like Creed. He's arrogant and entitled. Not a flattering mix."

3/12 32%: "Isn't this awkward? Infuriated. I want to be in love with this book but the emotional leaps are wigging me out. I still like the book but I just wish there was more...just MORE. Ay Dios."

3/12 38%: "This love triangle is tap dancing on my last nerve. It feels kind of forced."

3/13 49%: "Aaaand there it is. Something shifted. And NOT in a good way. *Groans* This book is tap dancing toward he dnf shelf. *Spoiler* It's been like a week and a half- give or take - and already Taryn is acting like a lovesick schoolgirl. I dislike this."

3/14 55%: "Now I'm solidly in the 'Not Feeling it' column. It's melodramatic, extremely rushed, a little all over the place and I just don't feel the drama going on, on the pages. And it was doing so well, too."

3/14 64%:"Yeah. I don't want to read this anymore. So rushed. And it's only 265 pages ffs! There's no reason this wasn't taken slower."

I have no idea what happened past 64%. There was nothing that inspired me to keep reading.





Let's take it from the top....ish, shall we?

Rokie Dokie.

Taryn is our MC. Orphaned, just turned 18, sarcasm embodied - which was a plus, in my eyes. But that's really all we know about her. Oh, and apparently she has bad birthdays. All the time. Whatevs.

From the start, we're thrown right into the middle of stuff going on. I say stuff because that's what it felt like. Like, Zart had an entire two or three chapters before this and just decided to cut them out and start off a book with strange men luring her with their eyes and denting the roof of her car. There's some running, some questioning, some checking out of the douche who trashed her car. But ultimately Taryn goes with him.

As if she has no job, no apartment, no parents and evidently, no sense, either. Still, I didn't care. Taryn's voice in this book was so strong and SO likeable, it made of a lot of the other boring stuff tolerable because she is such a joy to read...to a point.

There are Manang's - which is exactly what they look like. Man-Angels. Let me just tell you how much this term/identifier for this race of beings GRINDS my forking gears. It's almost like, really Zart? Is that what you're giving me after you introduce one of the best MC's/Protagonists I've read in good while?



Disappointing to say the very least.

Anysnooch, Taryn allows Stranger to drive her out of the state and eventually they make it to a house full of other strangers where they tell her she is a Charmed. And Of COURSE she is the strongest/best/last hope/ final Charmed to walk the earth. She'll save them in an upcoming war...yadda, yadda, yadda. You catch my drift.

Some things happen, she gets trained - OH! I'm forgetting the part where Creed - Stranger Who Dented Our Car - Claims her. Which would technically make her a Pitied [Don't EVEN get me started on that term, either.] which is also what it sounds like. Basically, a brainless slave to their Man-Angels who basically are a source of sexual entertainment that eventually die because the Man-Angels have siphoned off their life force and used it to extend their own. Sounds SUPA FUN, right?



Yeah. Any-hoot. Taryn gets trained, starts falling in love with Luke - her Guardian who does what a Guardian should - starts falling for Creed - her sworn Protector who also does what a Protector should. Although he's an arrogant ass. - Whom she barely likes on a regular basis but somehow she manages to fall for them both.



 This is where the aforementioned forced love triangle comes into play. Taryn has been at this house full of STRANGERS for only a few weeks - give or take - and she's managed to find time to fall for both of them, train physically, feel like she's always being watched, learn about her heritage, make friends, find out her dad is a traitor, find out she has a twin sister, TRUST these strangers implicitly - blabiddy blah. It was just SO much crammed into the book, I couldn't help but roll my eyes for over half of what I read.

Throughout all this, I don't feel like any of it pushed the plot along any further. There's supposed to be a war coming but I just didn't feel the urgency that the writing implied I should be feeling.

Okay, the writing. It was really, really well written, most of the characters were engaging, minimal grammatical errors and I almost immediately fell in love with the MC. But that was really all I liked. It felt like she had a good premise going but not enough was happening to make me believe shit was about to go DOWN and that I should be on the edge of my seat wondering what happens next. I had to suspend reality too much to believe this and I just can't be bothered to do it. I wasn't inspired to keep reading and that really sucked. Because it started out so promising.

Image Copyright to its Respective Owner. No Copyright Infringement intended.

Writing w/Your Reader In Mind

What exactly do I mean, you ask? I mean write a book you want to read. One that you can follow easily but it will still keep you wondering what's going to come next. One that will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering if s/he really will kiss her/him or whip out a knife yelling - SURPRISE! I'm the bad guy! One where - if you're into that sorta thing - the frigid and hulking vampire actually has a softer/secret side and knits little bunny mittens for underprivileged inner-city children.

Okay, maybe I took that a bit too far. My apologies.

But never one where you're reading one sentence and the very next one has nada to do with the previous. As the author, we know everything that happens in our books; we know that nothing is said errantly, everything means something in the end. BUT our readers do not. We can't have them playing too much of a guessing game during their reading or else their attentions will stray. Instead of reading, they'll stop and wonder what we mean or make up explanations of their own in their mind. And as writers, I feel it is our responsibility that any leaps in logic our readers have to make are just and not big enough to fit inside the grand canyon.

Thankfully, there's a somewhat easy fix.

Read. 'Tis all. Read lots and lots of books. Read great books. See how the words flow, observe how the author segues into different chapters. See what their grammar looks like and take note of their writing style. Read bad books so you know what doesn't work. So you know what you don't want your book to sound like.

Writing is not a sprint. It's a marathon. And how many times have I told you that you can't run a marathon without putting a couple band-aids on your nipples?*

Sorry, I was watching Horrible Bosses earlier. Kevin Spacey rocks. And Jason Bateman is one of the handsomest men I've seen in a good while.

Moral of the story: Take it slow. Your novel will not decrease in awesomeness or value if you spend more time to "perfect" it. Do your research, get to know your characters inside and out and TRUST in your own creative voice. That is the most important, I believe. You could write one of the most amazing and insightful books ever but it means nothing if you don't believe in it.

*Quote copyright to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.

Desolate City by Raquel Jones

**SPOILERS AHOY!**

**2 Stars**

I'll start off by saying that this book is a grammatical mess. There are gaps in the plot, one dimensional characters, words being used in the wrong context, typos and just - it was too much for a 238 page book.

I wanted to like this book soooo much. But sadly, I didn't like it very much at all. This book started off promising. High school setting, the characters seemed interesting enough, albeit I was only about five pages in. But it didn't stay that way.

Albertos isn't in the USA but Jones never mentions where exactly it is. Whether it's even on Earth or in this universe. It's just kind of there. Which is a no-no. It's necessary for world-building. Especially when you have elements in your book that are Supernatural. That should have been hashed out. Before this was published.

Instead of calling supernatural creatures supernatural creatures, Jones calls them Haydens. I don't understand it. I think it's a really cute effort to be different but it was kinda just...yeah. Calling them Haydens didn't and doesn't make much of a difference because a few characters refer to Haydens as supernatural beings anyway.

There is a fine line between babying your readers and expecting them to be able to read your mind. Which is ANOTHER topic all together. That being said, I don't feel like this book was written with the reader in mind. In the first few chapters the writing takes leaps in logic that the reader is supposed to be able to follow but it doesn't get explained until ten or so pages later. Which was a turn off.

Seiren - which I've been pronouncing like Siren. Pardon me if I'm wrong. - is the MC/Protagonist. She doesn't have much of a voice to me. She just felt like she was there. I didn't get a sense for who she was so much as what she does. She apparently likes to run, scale buildings, work in bars with these creatures she supposedly hates, work at hot dog stands and a few other places just so she can afford her crappy apartment with her sperm donor. But there wasn't much character development at all. For any of the characters. We get a bunch of tell but not nearly enough show. I think Jones intended for Seiren to be a strong, independent sort of MC but I didn't get any of that. It felt like she spent a great deal of the book trying to convince us that Seiren is strong and fearless but in reality, that just didn't come across in the writing.

Seiren is supposed to be 17, a student in high school and we're supposed to believe she can hold down three jobs - enough to pay the bills single-handedly - scale buildings in her free time and maintain her school life.

No. I do not accept that.

With her leaping tall buildings, climbing walls, and being able to run faster than "normal humans", she should have known she was something more. Like a Hayden. I would've expected her to be suspicious of it, especially since she knew nothing of her mother but no. It went right over her head.

Luann, Julius, Echo, Tracie, Cece, Vinul, Kilik, Don, Ereshkigal - I'm pretty sure there were more characters introduced after I stopped reading - There were just entirely too many things going on for such a short book yet not much of what was happening did anything to push the plot along. The plot is a bit thin to begin with, anyway but still. I felt the beginnings of some romance between Echo and Seiren but nothing that made me feel it was genuine between them two. Like, the author added it in as an afterthought.

Ereshkigal is a group of Haydens that no one likes. Just because. No real reason, no one knows their origins, no one knows much of anything but everyone knows that no one gets along with them.

What?

These characters go here, they go there, get a bit of info from so-and-so, Seiren chants "Show no fear" to herself about thirty times, passes out more than any MC I've ever read about and throughout it all, not much of anything was really happening. There were A LOT of unnecessary filler-like events going on throughout the entire book, a lot of things being mentioned that had no impact on the plot and some anti-climactic fight/action scenes. I read up until about 64% and still didn't get a clear sense of what the big-bad was. I could probably guess but I didn't feel inspired to keep reading to find out.

All in all, I don't know if I'd recommend this book to many people because it reads like a rough draft; like the author needs to have some drinks with her girlfriends, hand out copies of the MS and discuss that they did and didn't like and what needs to change/be refined. It's a great first shot, but it's kind of all over the map. And not necessarily in a good way, either. Also, the name of the book is "Desolate City". Nothing in this book - that I've read - even suggests that any part of any city is desolate. Maybe I have to read to the end to understand....*Shrugs*

Image/Cover Photo Copyright to its Respective Owner
No Copyright Infringement Intended

The Darkest Passion by Gena Showalter

First off, yes. I'm late in reading this series. I avoided it because I was trying to venture out into something different than PNR but...what are ya gonna do, right?

I just feel like I need to do a little mini review-ish kind of thing.

**2 Stars**

I didn't accept a great many things that happened in this book. Granted, some things were great and unpredictable, for me. But too many things were just not good.

I didn't like Olivia. I didn't find her character likeable, believable, or intriguing in the least. She was very beige and kept doing things outside of her character parameters, IMO. She was a walking, talking contradiction. In every sense of the word.

Aeron. He was just...there. Why be labeled such a fierce warrior throughout the first 5+ books [I'm including Novellas] only to fall flat in your own? Gideon and Strider were the most interesting things about this book.

Lies and Defeat. Doesn't really inspire much confidence for me in the writer. I find myself growing bored with their demons and their one word demands. VERY staccato and just...generic "evil-demon-softening-for-a-female" kind of feel, to me. I was excited for Aeron's book because he seemed the most interesting to me. With his black wings, tattoos and tortured eyes, he really seemed like It'd be time well spent reading his book. But it totally wasn't.

I've also noted a lot of inconsistencies with Showalter's work; not to mention repetitiveness. Gideon has his hands chopped off in the last book, but in this one - before they grew back - he was interrogating a...let's call her a prisoner, and he "fisted his hands". Um, hello. Two sentences later, his "stubs collided with metal" and started hurting. Something any editor worth their salt should have picked up on. Also, what in the fuck happened to the other two Harpies that were at the Fortress? Did I miss the part where she said they were gone? Completely plausible, of course. As I was half-assed skimming most of this book. Also, the gods be damned teeth scraping when people kiss. It. Is. Not. Sexy. The sound teeth make if they scrape against another.... *Shudders* and the echo it will cause in your head. Yeah, that can put a damper on a boner quickly.

One last rant: WHYYYYY on earth do all of her virgin heroines - thus far - enjoy having their hymen jack-hammered by these well-hung warriors?! IT MAKES NO SENSE.

Fraudulent Beta Readers?

Beta Reader - a person who reads a written work, generally fiction, with what has been described as "a critical eye, with the aim of improving grammar, spelling, characterization, and general style of a story prior to its release to the general public."

                        ^^^Straight from Wiki^^^

My take : someone who reads a WIP with the intention of finding and correcting grammar, punctuation, spelling and any mistakes/faux pas that may be within. 

What I expected: An unbiased someone to critique my work, tell me if it flows nicely. If the characters stay true to their personalities. Tell me if I made any grammar, spelling or punctuation mistakes and GIVE ME FEEDBACK.

What I got: Ignored from ONE beta reader who has not replied to any of my messages.

I've recently had a problem with one beta reader for Caylee. Or, at least it has the potential to be quite a problem. About six or seven months ago when I'd had all but the final chapter finished for The Descendant, I sent off a bit of the book to four or five different beta readers of different ages, with different tastes in reading to see if my writing better suited my target audience or if I needed to tweak some things a bit more.

Almost all of my beta readers responded to me with feedback in a timely manner. Two haven't but one of them, I've spoken to and things are okay there. For the one person who didn't contact me with feedback and still hasn't contacted me, things are definitely not okay. I've sent her two messages in the last week or so and one back in November. I haven't gotten a single reply from any of them. It will be seven months exactly tomorrow since I've sent the chapters off to her. Seven months is BEYOND ample time to read five-six chapters.

I've heard many a horror stories about an author's unpublished, copyright free work being posted on fan-fic sites being passed off as another's words and I am just hoping that is not the case with me. I knew this beta reader. Or at least, I thought I did and if this is even a possibility of what could've happened, I definitely don't want it to happen to anyone else. 

I know, I know. I should've been more careful who I trusted with my babies and should've only sent it to people I really trust. But, I made a mistake. An error of judgement on my part. One, I assure you, I will not ever be making again. I will not mention her name, because I believe it to be unprofessional and moot, to be honest. She has my chapters and if she decides to do something with them, then she will. I will, however, urge people to be extremely cautious when allowing others to read copyright free pieces of your own creation. People are not what they seem.

So please, please for the love of books, be careful who you ask to beta read for you.

--A.

Query Revisions?

Lately I've been thinking very seriously about revising my queries for The Descendant and Selene. The way I see it is that the agents haven't read the MS, so they can't possibly hate it. It HAS to be my query letters that's turning them off.

So. Caylee's query letter gets a revision. I have also been thinking about submitting my query letter to Query Shark to be possibly ripped apart and reviewed. And I have to say, I've never been more excited to get rejected publicly. Janet Reid, [Click HERE to view her blog.] if you don't know, is a literary agent with FinePrint Literary Management in NYC who runs Query Shark. [Click HERE for the Query Shark blog.] For those of you who may not know, Query Shark is exactly what it sounds like. You send your query, if she approves it, she will post it with her critiques. Because authors, writers, aspiring authors and everyone in between could ALWAYS use input from literary agents, I find this insanely helpful. If you don't and you would like to have a career in writing, reevaluate your career choices.

I know my query needs work, so I will be working on it for some time. 

--A.

Ever After By Kim Harrison

*Spoilage*

***Three 1/2 Stars!***

For me, three stars for Ever After is generous. I am a bit let down and disappointed in this book. Although I do not recommend anyone skip this book if they plan on reading anymore of this series. LOTS of things happen that will surely have you lost with the next book if you skip this one. So. Read this shit.

From the opening paragraph, something about this felt different to me. Rachel seemed off, a touch more wordy and emotional than she'd been in the last book, A Perfect Blood. I overlooked it. Then things kept being mentioned, events that apparently had happened in past books, people I remembered almost nothing about and major plot points I felt had no place in this book kept popping up. I was con-freaking-fused for a great deal of it but still, I credited it to me not having read any of the past Hollows books in a while; I was just a little misty on the past details.

Ku'Sox reprised his role in Ever After, making big waves and causing poor Trenton HUGE problems. Kidnapping his daughter and her Stand-In mommy made the big bad Elf vewy angwy. Nick and a few other almost-forgotten characters also popped in to say heylo, too.

Al seemed a little less snarky than usual, the snap and bite gone from his words. Jenks...ahh, he was still Jenks, I suppose. Just not...Jenks. I wish I could explain it better, but I can't. Ivy was absent for almost all of this book, hopping in for the last seven or so chapters but playing as small a role as Harrison dared without cutting her out of the book entirely. Which vexed me greatly. And she fxcking killed Ceri!! BY TINK'S LITTLE PINK NIPPLES, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!

*Breathes deeply* Okay. I'm sorry for snapping. I just...It was stupid. And I was enjoying the book up until then. First Piscary, Kisten, Matalina, and NOW Ceri. Oh, and Pierce - who was technically already dead but you catch my drift. Obviously Harrison has no qualms about killing off her characters. As quiet as kept, I like her all the better for it. I love a good ballsy author who isn't afraid to kill off a few people. Keeps things lively.

Trenton was a bit too mushy-romance-y for comfort, IMO anyway. It seemed to be a bit out of character for him but then again...this book kinda flip flopped around. Everybody felt a little disjointed. To me at least. Al....gosh. Rachel didn't get slapped or hit on by him once in this entire book. NOT. ONCE. I didn't get it. By all rights, Al should be such a pig, I'm forced to find him nothing but dangerously, wittingly charming in a weird sort of I'm-So-Obtuse-And-Offensive-With-My-Completely-Garish-Flirting-That-I've-Looped-Back-Over-To-Sexy kind of way.

Hey, don't judge me. Al is badass.

Rachel's favorite new word was Sorry. She said it to every single person besides herself in the damn book. If I never ever read the word 'Sorry' coming from Rachel's mouth again, it'll be too soon. Rachel seemed to break off her tough-ass-kicking-demon self and flush it down the toilet before this book because not an ounce of her HAPA and Coven ass kicking self shown on a single page of this book. Nick was able to get the drop on her and give her a good smack. Nick. Does no one else see the problem with this? Alas, I was disappointed.

Ellasbeth gave me a good giggle, though. Man, she is just awful. But I love her as a character.

The whole big-bad/antagonist/oh-shit-we've-got-trouble factor in this book was reallyyyy good. The whole Rosewood baby kidnapping thing - friggin GENIUS. But I feel it was played all wrong. Harrison could've taken it to unforeseen heights, built a platform/big-bad for the next book kind of branching off this, but it just didn't do it. I kind of feel like she's setting things up to pull Ivy completely from the series and leave Rachel with just Jenks and a handful of his kids. Oh, and Belle. Can't forget the Fairy. But, no more Ivy? Is she INSANE?!

ALTHOUGH, I DO feel like that ending with Trent just might have made Ceri's death tolerable. Maybe.

**Image Copyright to Kim Harrison, No Copyright Infringement Intended**

Why I've Been So Quiet

My sincerest apologies for being silent for more than a month but the month of December is always monstrous for me and things tend to slip through the cracks. This past December was a bit more time consuming for me because my best friend in the entire world got married! *Claps* And I was actually her Maid of Honor. It was a beautiful day, she looked breathtaking and by the end of the month, I was pooped.

Anywho, I haven't really been writing much but lately, that has changed somewhat. I've added another couple thousand words to a bit of Caleb and even some to Caylee. A few of my other WIP's are coming along as well. Slowly, but coming along nonetheless. Usually, for me, writing is an escape from my daily monotonous life. Breaking up the tedium with pockets of creativity and new secret worlds no one knows about, can criticize, poke holes in or destroy because it is all in my head and generally, what I say goes. . And I love that I am able to step back from my life and live this other full and complete life without even having to leave the safety of my own home. But some time ago, writing became something of a chore. Not a bad chore per say, but I wasn't sitting down to write for pleasure so much as 'needing' to get it out. Other writers understand me when I say that. Alas, for the past couple of weeks, I've been feeling excited about getting home and sitting down at my laptop and spending time with these wonderful people inside my head. It would be sacrilege not to tell their stories.

So I've drawn the conclusion that I will just keep writing There is no 'until'. I write, therefore I am. And there is nothing more beautiful than that. -- A.

P.S. A little teaser/snippet of Caleb will be coming soon! Next blog post is alllll about Caylee!