Entwined

It's no secret that a writer friend of mine and I frequently haunt book stores. We search YA sections looking for something different ... and that's when I found Heather Dixon's Entwined, which is a retelling of the fairy tale, the twelve dancing princesses. I hadn't thought of that story in years, and so I picked it up.

Here's the synposis: Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.
The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.
Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.
But there is a cost.
The Keeper likes to keep things.
Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

What I liked:
The fairy tale quality of this book is wonderful, the writing is well done, and Dixon's strong suit is her world building. The hidden room where the Keeper lives is vivid, and I could clearly see the clock tower, the castle, and even the fight scenes. Also, I loved the fact that the princesses danced as a coping mechanism for grief. It's so true that the arts give us an outlet in the darkest times of our lives. It only made sense to me that the girls would want to carry on something that their mother did so magnificently.

*Spoiler Alert!* 

My pinch points:
I love a good strong lead, and our girl, Azalea, simply doesn't fit into this category. I couldn't believe for one minute that, even finding a place to dance, any older sister sworn to take care of 11, yes 11, younger sisters would take them to a place so full of danger. Too, Keeper, the mysterious man they meet in the magical room, leaves bruises on her and puts her through quite a bit of mental anguish and yet she kept going back. Also, while I understand what the author was trying to do with the king's character, he came off as two dimensional and boorish. There is a great opportunity here to flesh out his character, really show his angst as a leader who had just lost the love of his life, and yet he just seems not to care about anyone or anything. My last bone to pick is a pretty big one. One of Azalea's younger sisters, Clover, is a beauty. She is shy, has a stammer, but despite that one of the king's closest confidants ends up falling in love with her. Ewww... she's like 14 or 15 and he's in his thirties. I don't care if "that's how they used to do it" just ... ewww.

If you're looking for something that will satisfy a fairy tale need, then I think you would enjoy Entwined.  If you more of a paranormal or contemporary fan, I'd skip this one.

Terrific Terupt

Several months ago, I did a piece on how Rob Buyea's interview on the school blog affected the lives of my students. He's a wonderful  teacher, author, and all round great guy. 

I light of his awesomesaucidness, I thought I'd finally write a review. 




Here's the synopsis:

Teachers come in all varieties. Some are funny. Some are strict. Some are downright mean. But Mr. Terupt is like no other teacher the fifth graders of Snow Hill Elementary had ever known. The story starts when Jessica, the new girl, finds herself in a class with a bully, a class prankster, a brain, an outcast, and a kid who hates school. However, Mr. Terupt has a knack for dealing with them all, until one careless act changes everyone’s lives … forever.

I absolutely loved the book Because of Mr. Terupt. Rob Buyea allows each character to tell their story from their perspective, giving us insight into why the characters are the way they are. For example, Alexia, the bully, has a mean streak a mile wide, but because we get to see events from her point of view, we see her insecurity. We see her need to be accepted by others, and her fear that no one likes her. Too, I appreciate the way Buyea shows what a good teacher is meant to be. So often in children’s books, teachers are portrayed as mean or ignorant, but Mr. Terupt is a teacher everyone would want.  I love that Buyea has created a character that allows his students to have fun while learning.

 This is a great book for everyone, teachers and students alike! I highly recommend Because of Mr. Terupt, and I look forward to reading the sequel.

Nevermore Review

I've had Nevermore on my shelf for a while now. Actually, I went to a book signing about a year back, got a signed copy but ended up giving it to my niece, wanted to read it and borrowed it from a friend, gave it back unread (because she wanted to reread) and then finally got my own copy. Long story short--the book was worth the wait!

Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.

Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.

As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares. 

What I loved: 
Simply put ... the writing. Kelly Creagh is an amazing author. Her rich vocabulary, imagery, and symbolism bring this story to life. The characters are well rounded, and Creagh has a wonderful way with words. Isobel is a strong protag, and Varen isn't the typical bad boy at all. The story is fresh and original, and I enjoyed the fact that so much of Poe's personal life was interwoven into the story line. 

My Pinch Points: 
I'm never a big fan of stereotypes. We live in a world that is diverse, complex, and extremely chaotic. Most high school kids have friends that could be considered goth, gay, redneck, black, white, grunge, popular, jock, skaters, and so on ad nauseam. Even though the high schools still have subcultures, most students that are forced to interact with someone different are not "horrified". They may be uncomfortable, or feel awkward, but it doesn't completely rock their world. The fact that Isobel would be so outraged over a project, and that her jock boyfriend would be such a jerk about a project she needs to stay on the cheer squad is unrealistic. 

I won't give anything away, but there are about two or three chapters that are just flat confusing toward the end. It may be the fact that I read well into the night, and at two in the morning I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I found myself skimming during these chapters hoping that I wasn't missing something important.

Overall:
Once we got past the rich-kids-making-poor-kids-feel-inferior-while-the-cheer-squad-shuns-the-protag-for-having-to-do-a-project-with-the-king-of-the-goths, the story takes off. Even though I found myself a little confused at times, the rich writing and great characters more than made up for it!

Paranormal fans, you'll want to check this one out!

Review --- Graceling

His eyes, Katsa had never seen such eyes. One was silver, and the other, gold. They glowed in his sun-darkened face, uneven, and strange. She was surprised that they hadn't shone in the darkness of their first meeting. They didn't seem human....

Then he raised his eyebrows a hair, and his mouth shifted into the hint of a smirk. He nodded at her, just barely, and it released her from her spell.

Cocky, she thought. Cocky and arrogant, this one, and that was all there was to make of him. Whatever game he was playing, if he expected her to join him he would be disappointed.

What I loved

Graceling is wonderfully original and is well done. I simply love this story line.  Cashore creates a world that reminds me a bit of the Eragon series, but is still fresh and original. Often fantasy worlds are difficult for a reader to picture, but the seven kingdoms with seven unpredictable kings sets up clear boundaries that keeps the reader grounded.  

Katsa is a strong protag, and her struggles are believable. One of the things I love most about YA fantasy is that the female roles tend to be strong and independent, and this one does not disappoint. Too, the supporting characters are well written and unique. I love when characters are well rounded. It makes for a better read. 

My Pinch Points

 I have a no spoilers policy, but I will say I did find the ending a bit disappointing. Too, there were several times I wanted Cashore to really slow down, dig deep, and allow the reader to experience what the characters were going through. One of my biggest pet peeves is to get to a pivotal point in a story and have the writing skim the surface, not submerse the reader in the experience. While I understand YA often does this because it may be inappropriate to delve into certain subjects, I still walk away from the scene dissatisfied.  

Overall 

I do love a good fantasy that is chalked full of action and adventure. While Cashore could have sunk into the storyline and explored a few places, overall it was a great read. If you like fantasy with action, adventure, and a bit of romance, Graceling is the book for you.  

Rainshadow Road Review

By now you all know that I'm a Lisa Kleypas nut. When it comes to complex characters, I've yet to find a historical romance author that compares.

And so after mowing through her entire body of historical romance work, I turned to her contemporary.  After reading Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor (the novella that intro's this series) I decided to pick up Rainshadow Road. 



Lucy Marinn is a glass artist living in mystical, beautiful, Friday Harbor, Washington. She is stunned and blindsided by the most bitter kind of betrayal: her fiancé Kevin has left her. His new lover is Lucy’s own sister. Lucy's bitterness over being dumped is multiplied by the fact that she has constantly made the wrong choices in her romantic life. Facing the severe disapproval of Lucy's parents, Kevin asks his friend Sam Nolan, a local vineyard owner on San Juan Island, to "romance" Lucy and hopefully loosen her up and get her over her anger. Complications ensue when Sam and Lucy begin to fall in love, Kevin has second thoughts, and Lucy discovers that the new relationship in her life began under false pretenses. Questions about love, loyalty, old patterns, mistakes, and new beginnings are explored as Lucy learns that some things in life—even after being broken—can be made into something new and beautiful.




What I loved: 
The characters. Kleypas has a knack for unique characters with good voicing, and this doesn't disappoint.
I also loved the overall feel of the book. As with all her work, the pace is deliciously slow, allowing the reader to sink into the story. Too, the protag, Lucy, is strong, independent, and wonderful. And, of course, our main guy is definitely swoon worthy.

One of my biggest pinch points with contemporary romance is the "no big deal" aspect of the physical relationship itself. I hate that most authors portray intimacy with the same importance as going to the gym or a really good cardio class. Kleypas is different. Even though all parties involved have had previous experiences and multiple partners, she still is able to convey an emotional attachment reminiscent of her historical writing.

What I didn't love:
I hate spoilers, and so I won't give anything away, but I was excited early on in the book to find a paranormal twist. What was disappointing is that it never was explored or explained. It was just like ... oh, there it is ... now let's just accept it and move on, shall we? Either commit to it or don't put it in at all.

If  St. Martin's Griffin would have cut it out completely it wouldn't have made a difference between the characters. This led me to wonder if that part of the story was possibly put in as an afterthought. Paranormals are selling like hot cakes. Why not try and branch out into a new genre?

Also, while the male lead is definitely swoon worthy, this book in not nearly has steamy as her romance books. I know, I know, after writing well over thirty books, Kleypas may be growing tired of the physical action/reaction descriptors that goes along with relationship writing. I understand that ... I just wish it would have been as well done  as the Wallflower series, which has ruined me for any other historical book ... ever!

Overall, I loved the writing but the story could you a little tweaking. I give this book three stars.

Question of the day--What's up with Kate and Hol?

Seven days left!


There have been quite a few questions over the past few months regarding The Kailmeyra Series.

As the debut of The Secret of the Keepers draws near, I thought I'd answer some of the more common questions.

FAQ: Kate and Holly are Nora's best friends in high school. They are on the first pages in The Light of Asteria, yet they do not play and active role after the third chapter. What's the deal? Will we see them in The Secret of the Keepers? 

There were many opening scenes to Asteria, but when I wrote this one my Katie was picking out colleges. So were her four best friends. Even though they were sure they would all stay close after graduation, I knew I wanted to prepare her for the possibility that they might drift apart. It would've been easier if the girls had chosen to go to the local university, but these girls are adventuresome and scattered to the four winds. I wanted Katie to open her mind to the idea of meeting new people, not just stay in her dorm room skyping her besties. 

Also, it seemed a good way to show Nora's willingness to put others first. Just the fact that she helped Kate and Hol move in, even when it was painful for her, adds depth to her character. It gave the reader a glimpse into her heart, and let them see her struggle, her fears. It shed light on her pure nature, and seemed authentic to her spirit.

To be honest, I've been surprised at the following Kate and Holly have gotten. I love the fact that quite a few readers related strongly enough to them to write me and ask for more of Kate and Hol. Even though they do not make an appearance in The Secret of the Keepers, they may still may play a part in the third.


If you have a question you would like answered, just comment on this post and I'll email you!

Let the countdown begin!

Eight days. I can't believe it.
The Secret of the Keepers goes live in eight days!

I forgot this feeling. The intensity of knowing your words are going to be out there for the world to see. Words that you've written, looked over, restructured, and honed are sitting on your desktop, formatted and ready to go. The beta readers raved. The editors did too. Your critique partner and inner circle are all sure that it's a great story.

But still, doubt seeps in. 

It's times like these I wish they made Valium salt licks for authors. I know, it's a little weird, but the visual image of writers gathered around a white block makes me giggle.

I've often said it takes major kahunas to be a writer. You not only share your words, but your imagination. It's the deepest part of who you are, and knowing that there are those out there who will scoff at your beloved characters, who will criticize your writing, makes me cringe.

Izzie and I alike the feeling to running naked ....  in the sun ... in a crowd ... screaming "LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME!!!!!"

No wonder writers are slightly insane!

Can We be Trusted to Think for Ourselves?

Izzie and I were at our favorite indie bookstore yesterday, and the front display held a large table entitled "buy a banned book". This concept isn't exactly new, but I'd never seen the sheer number of books that have been banned before. Everything from Dr. Seuss's The Lorax to A Wrinkle in Time to Speak.


Odd, I thought we lived in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

I'm not suggesting for one moment that it's a great idea for a twelve year old to read Crank, or to encourage a third grader read The Hunger Games. While I've actually seen both of these examples, I didn't say anything. Parents can decide what's best for their children. Simply put, who am I to question or take away that choice?

I'll never forget when Kate read Number the Stars in fourth grade. It deeply disturbed her, but instead of me ranting at the teacher for suggesting it, the library for carrying it, or her for choosing it, I talked to her. We discussed the book, and I allowed her to express her outrage, her emotions, what it was that bothered her about the book. She came away from the experience with a new appreciation of how people should be treated, and a new opinion that she had formulated herself. 

It all comes down to this. Do we feel that the population at large is not intelligent enough to discern what it is they should and should not read? Are we as a society willing to trust the people of our nation to think for themselves?

Blog tour update

I didn't realize how much I'd love being on a blog tour. Seriously, I've enjoyed the whole process. Writing guests posts, joining new sites and stalking comments. It's all great fun, and I know I'll be sad at the end of the month when it's over. If you haven't had a chance to hop on the sites, I'll hyperlink them. All these bloggers are amazing, and I feel so blessed that they've taken time to shine a light on Nora's story!

I'll update this post as we go along. I believe we are giving away ebooks, so be sure to comment if you want one!

July the 22nd Guest post on Patricia's Particularity.  Today's the last day of the tour, and I'll be honest, I'm sad to see it go. For the past month I've gotten to meet new friends, see what their thoughts were on the book, and follow some great blogs. Where has July gone?! Thanks so much to the incredible bloggers who helped with the tour. I appreciate you more than you know!

July the 21st Twitter conversation with the characters. I'll admit, this one was a bit of a creative challenge for me!
 
July the 20th Review from the Reading Angel. 

 July the 19th Review from The Elliott Review.

July the 18th Guest post on top ten things on my bucket list. Ramblings of a teenage bookworm is a super cute site.

July the 15th Guest post on favorite books through the years. The Readiacs is a great site run by a group of bloggers. Love it!

July the 15th An interview with Gavin. I love the look of this site, and there are some really cool interviews and reviews.

July the 14th Review from Amaterasu Reads. This is a super-cute site, and Kai is a wonderful reviewer!

July the 12th Guest post on book covers. I love this blog. Honest, kind, caring ... take a look at her "about me" page and you'll see what I mean! One of the blessings of a blog tour is getting to meet new people, and the internet has made the world a much smaller place.
 
July the 11th Guest post with Nora  Nora sits in on an interview the Patricia. Take a look!

July the 8th Teenage garage sale guest post and Review. I must say the ladies over at Late Bloomer Online are my kind of people. I love their blog, and the garage sale post was such fun to write. If you haven't checked them out, you should!

July the 7th Multi-character interview. I'll tell ya', I had so much fun doing this one. I've never put characters in the room in my head and made them answer questions. Truly, a writers dream!

 July the 6th. Review of Asteria. Uber cute website with great reviews. Check it out!

July the 5th. Review of Asteria. Patricia’s blog is amazing, and I think she loves Harry Potter almost as much as I do (scroll down to the side and steal her Harry Potter widget!)

July the 4th. Alright, this is a little bit of a divergence from our tour, but I had to include it. Tracy Riva, an amazing editor and reviewer, asked for an interview a while back and it was slated for this month. We are giving away a signed soft cover and ebook, so feel free to leave a comment!

July the 4th! Happy independence everyone! Come celebrate it with me on Hopelessly Devoted Bibliphile’s blog with the top ten fictional places I’d like to visit. This was a really fun post  as I’ve always thought it would be incredible if we could jump in a book and physically go there. Again, comment if you’d like to win an ebook! What are your top ten places you’d like to see?

On July 1st, I was asked to do a guest post featured on  The Reading Angel.  This one posed a bit of a challenge. I didn’t know how little I do other than work and write. As of late, I’ve been consumed with finishing the second book. These questions made me think about taking a few weeks off after Keepers goes live in October. We’ll see … :- )

June 30th brought a fun interview with Nora on Amaterasu Reads. I’ll admit I had a great time allowing Nora to answer questions for herself.

On June 29th, Asteria had her first review of the tour on The Readiacs. If you’ve not joined this site, I strongly suggest you do!

On June 28th, I did a guest post featured on The Elliott Review about integrating writing and teaching.  I love this blog because it is from a fellow educator and a kindred spirit.

Our first stop: a wonderful blog from Christie called The Fiction Enthusiast. I really love doing interviews, and her this-or-that was such fun!

Tomorrow's News Today

 I'm taking a break from the blog tour for a day to announce that my dear friend, and soon-to-be fellow author Hope Collier will be debuting her new book cover for her work entitled Haven. Hope is the Izzie  in chirenjenzie and is one of the most supportive people I know. I've had the privilege of reading Haven (several times :-), and I loved it!

Another great friend, Julie, over at Tale of Reviews is debuting the cover. I don't want to steal any thunder here, so be sure to pop on her site tomorrow and see the official cover tomorrow, and if you haven't already joined her blog, it's amazing!

Just another Manic Monday :-D

This week has been a great one, and it's only Monday! Seriously, the blog tour has begun and already I'm getting feedback. Many thanks to my friends over at The Teen Book Scene for hosting the tour. I can't say it enough. Bloggers are some of the nicest people in the world! Click on the tour button on the sidebar to see where we're going, or if you'd rather, I'll be doing daily updates on the author blog. 

The second great bit of news is that The Light of Asteria is #24 on the Top Rated Kindle Fantasy books! For everyone who has purchased, reviewed, or liked the tags and book I appreciate it more than you know. I continue to be blessed by the love for Kailmeyra. You all are the greatest! 

PS ... I Love You

The past few days I've been working on upcoming interviews.Most house the same standard questions, but every now and then someone throws in a curve ball. This one happened to be "What's your favorite movie, and why?"

I love movies, but I'll have to admit that every waking moment the past few years has been spent on writing. I haven't been to a movie theater in ... well, honestly, I can't remember the last time I went to a movie in the theater. And so I sat there struggling, finally going through the DVD's hidden in a cabinet under the TV. 


As I sifted through the pile,  I came across PS I Love You. The first time I watched it,  I literally sobbed to the point of making the people in front of me uncomfortable.  It is a beautiful tale of love, loss, family, friends, and finding the inner strength to move on.  It's one of those rare films that makes you laugh in the middle of tears.

The powerful emotions are one of the main factors in choosing this movie. But as I sat on the living room floor, I really thought about why I would put this one at the top of my list. And then I realized that it wasn't because of the story ... it was because of the title.

This year has brought so many changes to my life. I'm officially out of my shell and back in the world. I've met more friends than I thought possible, especially the writers who are more than willing to encourage and support. I've been given the opportunity the reach out and help those in ways that I never knew I could, and I've grown. Not only as a writer, but as a mother, a teacher, and a friend.

And so I'd like to take this opportunity to tell you how much I appreciate you, how much you mean to me. Some I'm just getting to know, others I feel as if I've known you my whole life. For the first time in too many years to count, I feel loved.

PS ... I love you too.

Does age make a difference?

The other day I received a tweet from Alex Bennett who runs the site Electrifying Reviews.  Alex is an incredible high school student who is really making a name for himself in the blogosphere.

I don't know about you, but I jump at the chance to have YA reviewers, because, after all, Asteria was written for YA readers. And so when Alex tweeted last week that he wanted a copy of the book, I went that afternoon and threw one in the mail. Here is his "In My Mailbox" Vlog.  I also have another teen blogger, Myranda Harman, that has requested a copy as well. (pssstt... it's on the way :- ). She is a high schooler from right here in Kentucky. If you get a chance, stop by and say hi to her. She's a real cutie!

Most of Asteria's reviews have come from seasoned veterans, although we have had a couple of reviews from the twenty-something crowd. Overall the feedback has been very positive, but this is the first time high school students, other than Kate's friends, will be sharing their thoughts and opinions.

That made me wonder. Do you think that age brings perspective or cynicism? How do young bloggers view stories differently from their more seasoned counterparts?

A tribute to Book-Crazy Jenn

Every time I friend someone on twitter or Goodreads, I click on their site and 90% of the time it leads to a blog. I've come to realize that the world is full of fascinating people. I love how blogging allows the freedom to express, how we can interact in ways not possible just a decade ago. I've met quite a few blogger friends, and it's because of them I've grown not only as a writer but as a person as well.

 I've decided to honor these fine folks by dedicating the next few posts to some of my favorites.
 We'll start with Jennifer Sprague, book reviewer extraordinaire.

 Jenn was one of the first blogs I started following, even before Asteria went live. I love the way her reviews reflect her feelings. She writes straight from the gut and tells you what she really thinks without ever becoming negative. The love of a great story is what drives her passion, and I admire her kindness and honesty. Since January Jenn has read 119 books. Amazing, isn't it?

Here's a little about Jenn: 
First off, I am Jennifer, Jenn for short. I am a single mom of two kids. Aubrey, my daughter is 11 - she's an avid reader and loves to get lost in a good book. She is a really outgoing kinda girl, who has tons of friends, and can basically get along with anyone. Zachary is my son and he's 6. Zachary is just starting to learn to read, and I hope he loves it, someday - for now, reading is not his "thing." He's my shy guy...

I started really getting back into reading when I picked up Twilight, the movie had just come out on DVD, I saw it and something made me want to pick up the book and the movie....so I did. I devoured the book, with in 2 days I was finished and had bought all the rest...with in a week they were read! (I stayed up all night at least once to finish, I just could NOT stop.)

Since then, I have been reading non stop, finding I would rather pick up a book than turn on the TV, which is so not like me! :) Before, I started my renewed love for reading, that's where you found me, any time - even sitting working at the computer...the TV was on...now, I am getting back into music, as well as reading!

Mostly I read YA Fiction. And this blog is mostly to help me remember all the awesome books I have read, find new awesome authors and new friends!

If you're a reader who needs an honest review, or if you're simply looking to interact with a warm, genuine person, Jenn's your woman!

Next post, Bubble Cow!