tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36570490962387625052024-02-07T07:52:17.646-08:00Bluestocking CraftsThe place where creation, imagination and friendship come to have tea.Stephanie Bolenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436172923386375689noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3657049096238762505.post-91592767891212551812016-08-22T09:28:00.001-07:002016-08-22T09:43:42.877-07:00Ruthless by Lexi Blake<html>
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<p><b>Rating</b><br /><!--1-5 star graphic-->
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<p>Let's talk about sex, baby. It's time to get <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ruthless-Lawless-Novel-Lexi-Blake/dp/0425283577/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1471881497&sr=1-1&keywords=ruthless+lexi+blake">Ruthless</a></p>
<p><b><u>Synopsis</u></b> The Lawless kids are all grown up and seeking revenge on the people who murdered their parents and tried to kill them in a fire. Riley Lang changed his name from Lawless in order to move about the world inconspicuously. His brother Drew Lawless, reclusive tech billionaire, is kind of famous. Both Drew's fame and Riley's low profile are part of a plot to take down the people who framed their father with a murder-suicide that was supposed to kill the entire family. A plot that is finally ready to be put into motion--enter Ellie Stratton. Daughter of the late CEO of StratCast, the company founded by the people who killed Riley's parents including Ellie's father. Riley is sent to StratCast to go after the only other founder, Mr. Castalano, of the company still there due to his involvement in the deaths of Riley's parents. Meanwhile, Ellie is trying to buy out Mr. Castalano and become CEO, Riley comes in as her attorney. While Riley is on his secret mission; Ellie has some secrets about her father's death she is keeping to herself. Little do these two know that while they are playing out their parts, a larger chess game is being played out. By the end, everyone will know the definition of Ruthless.</p>
<p><b><u>Characters</u></b> Ellie is pretty good, but has the typical fat girl insecurities. Just because someone is fat doesn't mean they should think they are ugly and unlovable. Without that she's almost too perfect. Riley is model handsome, and so boring in the beginning that it makes my teeth hurt. He doesn't get real until right around the climax of the plot. He's too perfect and his brothers hold my interest more. Drew has a darkness and drive that I'd go gaga over, and Bran is cute but has anger issues. Mia is kinky and uses talk of her sex life to terrorize her brothers which is hilarious. Hatch is flawed in the extreme, and because of that less charismatic. Hatch is all about beating himself up for being a drunk, drinking, and strippers. The villains were given away early.</p>
<p><b><u>World</u></b> Modern New York but could be anywhere. There was only one conversation that gave it any depth of place. There wasn't even an indication of season. The company and company products were well thought out. But I couldn't help wondering was it winter with skaters at Rockefeller Center and the giant tree, was it spring when Central park is in bloom, was it summer with everyone trying to beat the heat or was it fall with the parades and football season. Every city has it's own flavor and if a story is set there I'd like some of that to spill over in the story.</p>
<p><b><u>Pacing</u></b> The setting up for the subsequent books can be forgiven it is the first in the series after all, but the tie ins and hints at other series were a little heavy handed. Pacing could have been a bit more slick and was the minor failing of the novel. The inciting incident was a little slow in coming.</p>
<p><b><u>Writing</u></b> The word "cock" was used a lot. And it was a bit racy for a traditional romance novel, but for a modern adult romance novel I prefer this style. Sex is thought about and talked about by most adults in explicit terms, so why not be accurate. Some of the talk during sex was clichéd, but hey it's a sex scene there is accurate then there's writeable. Some facts and scenes were repeated like the scene with Hatch and Riley, but I get that she didn't want to give Hatch away till Drew's book.</p>
<p><b><u>Plot</u></b> Basic revenge plot line. The twist is the villain is smarter than they give him credit for--loved that part. I liked that they stepped into a long game that started when Ellie's father was alive. I didn't particularly like the villain's flunkies, because it was obvious to me that if the heroes had been paying attention they would have unraveled the villainous plot before it blew up in their faces. Instead they play catch up, and the villain is done in by his greed rather than any plan on the part of the good guys</p>
<p><b><u>The Good</u></b> I've read Lexi Blake, and I love her erotica. Just to be clear this book isn't erotica, it's a romance novel. There has been some debate over whether a book is erotica or a romance, and some companies have even given these books a category of their own. But the way to tell the difference is to remove the sex scenes, if it's erotica then there isn't much of a book left. You may have character sketches and a semblance of a plot but it will be like a porn if you remove the sex stuff. If it's a romance novel then the sex is just a bonus you still have the establishment of the relationship, the obstacle, the overcoming of the obstacle and the happily ever after. This book is a modern romance with some dirty words and explicit scenes--my favorite. </p>
<b><u>The Bad</u></b> I'm not going to be too critical because I know Lexi will get better the more she goes along this path. My feelings on the perfection of characters is something I expound on regularly. I just don't believe in perfect characters, there's something innately non-human about them, a disconnectedness from reality that I find disconcerting. I'd like for the slight pacing problem to be fixed, a focus on what the inciting incident actually was would probably have helped. Hint, it wasn't the beginning of the physical relationship.<br />
<b><u>Recommendations</u></b><br />
<p>As I mentioned earlier there are two ways to handle sex in modern romance books. You can lean more to the erotica side of things which means lots of sex and a little bit of action or sex breaks in between the action. Or you can lean more to the romance side with relationship building and in depth character studies as well as good sex scenes.</p>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Full-Rising-Riley-Jensen-Guardian-ebook/dp/B000FCKNNM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471876822&sr=8-1&keywords=full+moon+rising">Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur</a>
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<p>The Riley Jensen Guardian series is erotica with sex breaks between the action. Riley Jensen is a vampire/werewolf hybrid with a twin brother, they both work for the government and when her brother goes missing Riley must do everything she can to find him. It sounds a little off putting but it's well written and Riley is a kick ass character.</p>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Yes-Please-Book-One-ebook/dp/B01FEKAGSQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1471877587&sr=8-4&keywords=yes%2C+please">Yes, Please by Willow Summers</a>
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<p>Yes, Please falls more towards a modern romance novel. Olivia finds herself desperately seeking work after college. Her friend turns her on to a job with some special requirements it seems a CEO needs an assistant to satisfy him in the boardroom and in the bedroom. She's unlike anything Hunter has ever seen she's real, funny, and amazing. And he offers her the job, just one catch she doesn't want to sign the contract. Olivia just wants him, not all the rules and boundaries that go with being his personal sex slave. He gives her one month to entice her into taking the job, all of it. Too bad at the end of the month she's got him hooked, what's next? Will she get him to say yes and please to an emotional commitment. Don't know that part is in book number two or maybe three.</p>
<p>Sex is a part of life. People arrive on this planet via sex; sex is used to sell everything from a hamburger to a fragrance. Yet, people don't like to discuss it, but I would hope that's changing. There are so many issues related to sex that are hold overs from another era, myths, and idiocy that we need to talk about them. Riley deals with the double standard of sex that women have been dealing with since ancient times. A male is never vilified or ostracized for taking multiple partners, yet when a woman does it she's a slut or a whore. From a historical context, I can defend this by saying men can't get pregnant and society wanted to make sure who the father was. But it's the twenty first century, there's birth control and DNA testing, so the slut shaming either has to work both ways or stop all together.</p>
<p>Yes, Please and Ruthless deal with emotional commitment and sex. They both support the myth that males can have sex without emotional attachment while females can not. The truth is much more complex and beautiful. Anyone can have emotional sex and anyone can have emotionless sex. Emotions have nothing to do with sex, sure we confuse the two when we are starting out. I love having sex with him/her so, I must love him/her. But the truth is the myth isn't that guys and girls are different when it comes to sex it's that sex is the physical expression of love. This myth has ruined more lives than any natural disaster. Sex is a biological function, it is a physical activity that traditionally created offspring. Sex is about reproduction, love is love. Now, loving someone may mean showing them and enjoying all aspects of your nature from the animal to the divine, but it may not and that's perfectly okay. Being in a relationship and loving someone has more to do with open and honest communication than the mating rituals of homo sapiens.</p>
<p>So, let's talk about sex versus intimacy. Sex can be intimate or clinical or anywhere in between. But intimacy is a state of mind where you allow your vulnerabilities to be shared with another person. Intimacy is all about emotions and establishing an emotional connection whereas sex is just sex. Sex can be fabulous or disappointing, but it can't replace true intimacy and that's what romance is all about.</p>
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</html>Stephanie Bolenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436172923386375689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3657049096238762505.post-66525480440955967812016-07-31T14:53:00.001-07:002016-07-31T14:55:07.849-07:00Frey by Melissa Wright<html>
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<p><b>Rating</b><br /><!--1-5 star graphic-->
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<p>What's my name again, what's my age again.</p>
<p><b><u>Synopsis</u></b> Frey feels like an elephant in a world of gazelles. She can't do magic, is clumsy and her ears are short and stumpy. Her aunt beats her and is a bitter woman. Her life is miserable until she does one small spell. But even that doesn't go as planned; her world is turned upside down. She's hunted for practicing dark magic, her only friend keeps secrets, and a new stranger makes her question her very existence. And it doesn't help that something big seems to be riding on her, but no one will tell her what it is. She is clueless until she finds a book that holds the key to regaining all that was taken from her. Will Frey find her destiny or will she die in the process?</p>
<p><b><u>Characters</u></b> Everyone is realistic, but don't really come off as likeable. There are no heroes just people looking out for their own self interests and acting on their own impulses. Maybe later in the saga Frey beomes likeable, but in this book she's playing catch up and is regaining her memories. Because of the nature of Frey's amnesia, most the characters in this book are playing roles and are secretive so, that makes it hard to get a true sense of them as a person.</p>
<p><b><u>World</u></b> Fantasy where elves are the dominate species, humans are mythic and primitive, long dresses and castles are the norm. It was established enough to further the story, but none of the characters were interested in academics--history, culture, botany, mythology, politics, religion, or anything that would give the reader fun facts about the world. The reader learns about magic, a bit about Frey's personal history and that's about it.</p>
<p><b><u>Pacing</u></b> The pacing was stutter stop, the story would get going and be interesting then something would happen and it would grind to a sudden painful halt, something would almost happen, and then the story would resume as if nothing happened.</p>
<p><b><u>Writing</u></b> Written in the first person with a change in view points closer to the climax. Everything was very skewed towards the narrators, but they weren't particularly insightful or engaging. I felt sorry for minor characters, and was intrigued and frustrated by how limited the story was. There was a major problem with tell not show, but that was mainly due to the constraints the author put on the vehicles she used to tell her story.</p>
<p><b><u>Plot</u></b> Amnesia turns into lost heir. The story cut off at the climax so, it was all about the process of Frey learning who she is, and not showing what she does with that knowledge or how that changes her. All the reader knows at the end is that she knows who she is, but not what it means to the story.</p>
<p><b><u>The Good</u></b>It's free on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Frey-Saga-Book-1-ebook/dp/B005EIO02C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470000264&sr=8-1&keywords=frey#navbar">Amazon</a> for Kindle right now. It was an unusual take on an elven world, the main character wasn't human and it made for a refreshing change. There were aspects that could have been delved into deeper: dark magic, castle life, elven political system, elven aristocracy, and what happened before Frey was born. All of these topics could have made the story richer and were forgone in favor of diving into the head of two teenagers.</p>
<b><u>The Bad</u></b> It doesn't state outright that Frey is a "teenager", but she still lives with her aunt and is undertaking lessons. It doesn't state outright that the other perspective is also young but she is unmarried, lives with her father, and has to sneak out of the castle. An argument could be made for an adult's perspective versus a child's. Adults have responsibilities even if they don't have an occupation, whereas, a child can get away with blowing off adult expectations and constraints. Adults have interests and knowledge that they have developed over the years, or at least as characters they should. Children can be very learned as well, but it more acceptable if they are ignorant and oblivious. An adult should be emotionally stable and balanced enough to keep perspective, while a teenager is a massive cauldron of hormones. Teenage drama is interesting to some people, but the rest of us just want a good story. I would much rather drop a romance that never goes anywhere in favor of learning more about the world or the characters that the author has created.</p>
<b><u>Recommendations</u></b><br />
<p>Now I'm going to go out on a limb here and recommend a book that I've reviewed recently and a book series that I've already scheduled for review. </p>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Sword-Fae-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B00IK62TW8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469997015&sr=8-1&keywords=iron+sword#navbar">The Iron Sword by Jocelyn Fox</a>
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<p>Tess O'Connor and Molly must journey to the Fae realm to save the world of dreams. I couldn't help comparing The Iron Sword and Frey as I was reading them because they are both YA, written in the first person, and have other similarities that would spoil Frey if I shared. However, every fault I found in Frey was answered by the Iron Sword. There was no blanked out history and, the narrator was likeable and inquisitive, but not pouty. However, both books introduced a large cast of characters very well, and made me want to read more. And sadly, both cut off at the climax of the plot.</p>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Bites-Kate-Daniels-Book-ebook/dp/B000SEH16E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469997563&sr=8-1&keywords=kate+daniels+book+one#navbar">Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews</a>
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<p>If you have never heard of this book series or this author duo then, please take my advice and read this book. Magic Bites is the first book in the Kate Daniels series. Kate's guardian is killed and she does what she has to in order to find his killer even confronting the Beast Lord, leader of the local shifters. This book has absolutely nothing in common with Frey, except it's written in first person. The reason I am recommending it is because the Kate Daniels series is what all first person books should aspire to be. The world is detailed with the backstory strong enough to be an intriguing read all on it's own. The characters are hilarious, not just likeable but loveable. The pacing sucks you in and doesn't let go. The plot for each book is simple but the arc for Kate is spellbinding. The writing is sharp and slick with tons of quotable one liners. </p>
<p>I ranted about the flaws of young adult versus adult novels earlier, but I want to be clear all young adult novels aren't bad. I love Harry Potter, Morganville, House of Night, The Hunger Games, and Divergent. But I don't think that characters and books should get a pass because of the innate handicaps of writing from a teenage perspective. Kids are people too, and so many authors forget that. Hermione uses her intelligence to intimidate and shield herself from being bullied. She can be ruthless and fierce, but she puts her whole heart into everything she does. And that's established from the first book when she's eleven.</p>
<p> Most children aren't just bubble headed idiots, they love and hate things all on their own. So why not make a whole person with interests and opinions in things that have nothing to do with the story? She can love music but be a calamity when it comes to actually playing an instrument or singing. He can hate nature and then have to trek across the country. Interests and opinions add flavor, give a chance for conflict, and can be another way to add detail to a character trait already established. With just a little more thought characters can go from sketches with nothing to do but repeat the action and rehash things that have already happened in the book, to unique knowledgeable experts. It doesn't have to be knowledge of backstory, all of areas of expertise can lead to a richer story.</p>
<p>Were my recommendations too far off the mark? How do you feel about young adult? Please comment below; I'd love to hear from you.</p>
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</html>Stephanie Bolenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436172923386375689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3657049096238762505.post-11296510101572503612016-07-27T20:50:00.003-07:002016-07-29T08:06:08.849-07:00What Might Have Been by Lynn Steward<html>
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<p><b>Rating</b><br />
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<p>Let's do the time warp, again. This book was provided to me for free as part of a blogging tour.</p>
<p><b><u>Synopsis</u></b> Dana McGarry is estranged from her cheating husband, and seeking a way to go on with her life. Everyone has advice: her mother, family friends, and co-workers. She finds motivation and solace after meeting an English priest. His advice is soon validated by the beginning of a new romance. Life seems to be going exactly as Dana would like. Until, a tragic accident reveals a secret that shakes the very foundation of her new love. Dana must learn where she fits and that somethings just aren't meant to be.</p>
<p><b><u>Characters</u></b> Dana is as relatable to me as chalk to cheese. She comes from a very privileged background--a family friend owns his own fashion house for pete's sake. She is ambitious, but doesn't want things handed to her. She's smart and trendy. But she's not stuck up or a Stepford wife in the way her husband's mistress wants her to be. She's very human and likable. The rest of the New York characters not so much, especially Jack. But I loved the priest, he rocked.</p>
<p><b><u>World</u></b> The world is very detailed as far as the map is concerned but, the 1970's flavor is covered in two conversations and a disco. There's a lack of vibe in every place from London to B.Altman. The only one that has a definite atmosphere is the stables and that's an air that hasn't changed.</p>
<p><b><u>Pacing</u></b> The pacing was one the least successful aspects of the novel. It was more real life pacing rather than story pacing. The homosexual subplot was better paced, but lacked any emotional payoff.</p>
<p><b><u>Writing</u></b> It was very well written. There was a consistent use of sensory input and show not tell. Ugly cries, symptoms of depression and jealousy abound. A real sense of everyone as a person was established. Backstories were established without being told outright. </p>
<p><b><u>Plot</u></b> I'll be honest the plot was the major failing point of this novel, there were too many stories being told. Dana's work and person problems are so intertwined that neither takes center stage in the plot department, so every part of the plot seems rushed.</p>
<p><b><u>The Good</u></b> This book takes place during a time period very important to America. Divorce was a stigma until the seventies, this period allowed society to say that sometimes marriages just don't work. And divorce is not a fault on the woman's part for not keeping her man, no matter his behavior. Women had learned they had a voice in the sixties and they used it to change the world in the seventies. Homosexuality was still treated as deviant behavior, but the subculture of acceptance was growing in the seventies. Without women like Dana and men like Andrew the world would be a very different place. And we need to be reminded of that now more than ever.</p>
<p><b><u>The Bad</u></b> This story was a bridge from one book to another, nothing major was resolved. And that's a shame. I think Dana should have made a different decision, but that's just what I would do in her place. But even that door was not closed.</p>
<b><u>Recommendations</u></b><br />
<p>I'm not really a fan of a woman finding her way plot line or the inspirational genre. And I like modern romances with lots of sex, but I've read a few so I'll try to recommend something similar.</p>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Prelude-Enchantment-Anne-Mather-ebook/dp/B00MEDR2AM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469676126&sr=8-1&keywords=prelude+to+enchantment#navbar">Prelude to Enchantment by Anne Mather</a>
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<p>Read this many moons ago, written in 1974. Sancha is a career girl who is sent to interview a conte. Very much a harlequin presents from that time period. Harlequin now offers it in digital print for those of us who want to take a trip down memory lane.</p>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Little-Miss-Matchmaker-Tiny-Blessings-ebook/dp/B000W966RU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469676999&sr=8-1&keywords=little+miss+matchmaker#navbar">Little Miss Matchmaker by Dana Corbit</a>
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<p>If you like Christian novels, then you might want to check out Harlequin publishing's Love Inspired label. Like Harlequin Presents, Blaze, and Historical there are new books every month. I like this particular book because of the kid, I'm a sucker for them.</p>
<p>Even though I was born with a wooden spoon rather than a silver one I can relate to Dana. Most modern women can. It's all about having to balance ambition at work with a want for a balanced life. Dana's ultimate lessons are ones everyone can use: one must do what is right for one's self; a balanced life leads to a balanced individual; and keep learning and experiencing new things. What do you think?
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</html>Stephanie Bolenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436172923386375689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3657049096238762505.post-63859532869514179772016-07-21T09:38:00.001-07:002016-07-21T09:38:16.193-07:00Magic of Thieves by C. Greenwood<html>
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<b>Rating</b><br /><!--1-5 star graphic-->
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Well, it ain't Robin Hood.<br />
<b><u>Synopsis</u></b> Ilan must hide from the Praetor's soldiers, that's what she remembers about her parents and the rush to leave the province. Upon detection, her mother passed a memento into Ilan's possession and she has kept it throughout her young life. She kept it from guardians who didn't know what to do with her, a greedy peddler, and fierce brigands. But while the thieves are fierce, she has made her home with them. In the Dimwood, she found a name and a purpose only to have those tested by a priest boy and the threat of her childhood.<br />
<b><u>Characters</u></b> Ilan is a selfish, spoiled brat who does kindness only to use that single act of kindness as a club to beat her only friend down. The man who protects and guides her receives nothing but defiance, jeers, and pain for his trouble. She's impulsive and headstrong with misplaced loyalties and priorities--in other words she's a teenager. Because the book is written in first person point of view, Ilan is the only character worth talking about because she focuses on herself. The priest boy she saves is the next most fleshed out character, unfortunately, he is seen through her eyes so his characteristics may or may not be exaggerated. <br />
<b><u>World</u></b> The world is traditional fantasy, with magic being outlawed and cutthroats living in the woods. There may or may not be another race besides humans, there's not enough detail given to know for sure. In fact, the entire story lacks in world detail. An example even though Ilan lives in the woods and knows the names of all the trees, she can't be bothered to give the reader the names.<br />
<b><u>Pacing</u></b> Pacing was real life, in other words molehills become mountains that a reader has to trek right along with Ilan. All events are given the same importance from building a shelter to save a young priest's life to pouting in the woods for three days while significant events take place elsewhere.<br />
<b><u>Writing</u></b> First person point of view, focus was on how the character felt not on actual details. The actual significant events were lost in a sea of every days life and teen angst. Characters, events and surroundings were filtered and reduced to what the main character deemed important. There was no sensory input other than what was seen, as the internal landscape took cardinal focus.<br />
<b><u>Plot</u></b> There may be a small plot, but it's three events in a sea of minor events that are treated as major ones. Subplots and unanswered questions that are driving the real plot are unresolved and left to the next book. This book introduced and established characters, contained an inciting incident and started the ascending actions. The rest of the ascending action, climax, descending action, and the denouement are hopefully in the next book, but will probably be chopped up as well. There is a difference between arcs and plot. Arcs usually involve minor characters, or if involving the main character create a dynamic shift in circumstances and character growth. Plot: Chosen One defeats the villain and saves the world. Arc: Chosen One goes from gawky farm boy to wise, powerful, rich world changing wizard.<br />
<b><u>The Good</u></b> Not much, it's free on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Thieves-C-Greenwood/dp/1481093789/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1469114246&sr=1-1&keywords=magic+of+theives">Amazon</a> for Kindle.<br />
<b><u>The Bad</u></b> I don't know if it's greed or apathy that leads publishers, mass market or self, to cut up a plotline and shove it into several books, but it has to stop. Books that get turned into movies are fine to be cut up. A movie is maximum two hours and change long. So it's either chop it up and show the entire book in two films, or edit out details and minor plot points to fit the book into one movie. But a book can be filled with detail galore that showcase the author's world, subplots, minor character's details, and all the glorious input that make a book come alive for the reader. So when a publisher decides to cut off a book just as it's getting good, they are either saying to me that they don't care that I'm involved in the author's world and story line. Or they are saying they want to squeeze as much money out of me as they possibly can. Either way, this publishing strategy backfires on me. If the publisher doesn't care enough about me to give me a complete book, then I don't care enough about them to read books that they have published or continue the series. Readers can read thousands of other books why are publishers handicapping themselves. And if it's greed that is the motivation, then be smart about it. Don't chop a book series up at the beginning chop it up at the end.
<b><u>Recommendations</u></b><br />
My recommendations are both young adult and written in the first person by the female main character, and if you haven't read them then you really should.<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Glass-Houses-Morganville-Vampires-Book/dp/0451219945/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1469115904&sr=8-4&keywords=Morganville">Glass Houses by Rachel Caine</a>
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Being a college freshman sucks especially when you stumble on the fact that the town is ran by vampires. This book is a little nutty like all of Caine's writing, but that's what makes it unique and awesome. All the characters are likeable or completely unlikeable there is no in between. And the book ends on a cliffhanger set up for the next book.<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Games-Book-1/dp/0439023521/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1469116288&sr=8-2&keywords=the+hunger+games">The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins</a>
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I know how dare I recommend The Hunger Games, as if everyone hasn't either read the book or seen the movie. Maybe, but if you've only see the movies then you'll not like my next comments. Katniss is like Ilan, a completely selfish person. But the difference is Collins makes the world and everything around Katniss awesome so, you don't care that you don't like Katniss. Katniss cares only about Prim. She only befriended Rue because she reminded her of Prim. She likes Gales, maybe romantically but only likes him. She's not a hero; she's a survivor. Want to know the difference? Read the book.<br />
I'm not saying Magic of Thieves was a waste of paper, but it wasn't a complete novel. There were too many beginnings and not enough resolution. This entire novel could have been backstory, and I'm guessing that if I were to continue to read the rest of the series it will probably be treated as such. But nothing in this book made me want to continue on, so I gave it a two. Want to debate plot versus arc? Want to defend Katniss? Then comment below.
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</html>Stephanie Bolenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436172923386375689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3657049096238762505.post-88386658486187719882016-07-19T07:21:00.002-07:002016-07-21T09:54:34.895-07:00The Iron Sword by Jocelyn Fox<html>
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<b>Rating</b><br />
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<p>No, Dean we aren't fighting the fairies in this one.</p>
<p><b><u>Synopsis</u></b> The Fae must be saved, and only the bearer of the Iron Sword can do it. The Iron Sword can save and curse by the same means--iron is poison to all fae, no matter how powerful. However, there is a half mortal/half fae child bound in the mortal realm that was prophesied to bring salvation to her people. Queen Mab send a letter and a Knight to retrieve the one chosen to wield the Iron Sword. And then there is Tess O'Connor, a full mortal, who is vacationing with her friend, Molly, and her family while her beloved brother is fighting overseas. Molly ignores the letter, but when a wisp o' the willows visits Tess in her dreams. Tess urges Molly to answer the summons. Tess promises her best friend that she will be with her every step of the way. So the deal laid before the Named Knight is where Molly goes so does Tess. After almost dying on the way, Tess learns why it so important for the Sidhe to be saved. While Molly's destiny takes her down another path.</p>
<p><b><u>Characters</u></b> The characters are realistic in their emotional reactions, even if they are alien in appearance. The introduction to the cast of characters is gradual, so that unique scenes can be created for each one. Most are likeable in their own way and all show that they are fully formed people not just character sketches.</p>
<p><b><u>World</u></b> This book contains the best explanation of why the Fae exist that I have ever come across. The narrator wouldn't know the names of plants, but she would know how her body felt on this alien world. While not as detailed as some world masters, from the perspective of a first person narrator the world was established enough to be unique, but didn't hamper the pacing by being described down to the nth degree.</p>
<p><b><u>Pacing</u></b> Pacing is my favorite thing to judge a book by--it's either there or it's not. Pacing turns the book into a movie in your head. The movie might be six hours or more long but with the right pacing you don't even feel it. The pacing was excellent in this book, nothing gets bogged down. The developing friendships, backstory reveals, and action are balanced and lead seamlessly into one another.</p>
<p><b><u>Writing</u></b> The writing was detailed, but kept the story going. No time was wasted and the tension was created and maintained expertly. The history of the Fae was touched on but not fully revealed. What was used was used for a purpose and brilliantly woven into the story. Even the downtime in the plot was used to reveal character traits.</p>
<p><b><u>Plot</u></b> The Chosen one with a twist. I shall not spoil it, but it was really well done. There was the now required love story that's in every YA, but it wasn't overly drawn out. The story was cut off before the climax of the plotline.</p>
<b><u>The Good</u></b>It's free for Kindle on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Sword-Fae-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B00IK62TW8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468934853&sr=1-1&keywords=iron+sword">Amazon</a>. And as I mentioned the writing, the world building, characters, pacing and the plot twist.<br />
<b><u>The Bad</u></b> They chopped up the book. I'm an impatient person I want a complete plot when I open a book not a serial. So I had to give it a four star, instead of five.<br />
<b><u>Recommendations</u></b><br />
<p>Both my recommendations on the surface have a lot in common with The Iron Sword: they are young adult and feature the Sidhe.</p>
<a href=https://www.amazon.com/Artemis-Fowl-Eoin-Colfer-ebook/dp/B002KP6DXQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468935308&sr=1-1&keywords=artemis+fowl">Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer</a>
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<p>I recommend this series if for kids and adults alike. I love these books, the first is definitely the best but the way Eoin tackled the Elves is unique. The Elves live underground and, instead of a medieval society, are technologically advanced. The characters are well thought out and lovable even the antagonist.</p>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Lovely-Bonus-Material-Melissa-ebook/dp/B003D20RU0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468936913&sr=1-1&keywords=wicked+lovely">Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr</a>
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<p>Wicked Lovely is an older young adult novel than Artemis Fowl, but not as old as The Iron Sword. It features a love story, but my favorite part is the descriptions of the Unseelie and Seelie, very old school and very not human. They almost have an alien quality--but they aren't humans are more alien to the natural world than the Fae. The Sidhe are human looking, but are alien in other ways.</p>
<p>I ♥ the Tuatha da Danann, whether they are called Elves, Sidhe, Fae, Fairies, or the Fair Folk. They aren't sweetness and light in fact, they are more cautionary tales of not allowing yourself to be seduced by the pretty. I like when the old tales are given new life and introduced to a new generation, or when someone takes the mythos and turns it completely on it's head. I guarantee you will love all three of these books, at least I did. If not please tell me why?</p>
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</html>Stephanie Bolenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436172923386375689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3657049096238762505.post-91619515813350531432016-06-28T09:40:00.002-07:002016-07-02T19:10:07.039-07:00Daugher of the Sun by Zoe Kalo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzHWSA0lcC4avW1dM0bfPNYIZZSlO13zv9SFys2KLXY39P35lfxxMeOpqrZiijZ6cEntDL62ck_QhUNcSM7cbbDaC3YkFumtKTyxA2eRlWaQCLhJMnL8Kt60sxNGpfoje8dSQrVbGBs_X/s1600/DaughteroftheSun_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzHWSA0lcC4avW1dM0bfPNYIZZSlO13zv9SFys2KLXY39P35lfxxMeOpqrZiijZ6cEntDL62ck_QhUNcSM7cbbDaC3YkFumtKTyxA2eRlWaQCLhJMnL8Kt60sxNGpfoje8dSQrVbGBs_X/s400/DaughteroftheSun_cover.jpg" /></a></div>
<p><b>Rating</b></p><div class="box"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZCxvB4rEgXE5jzs1QiK0_UPBAfKakhf3FlTZ0JAOmljzFN9KmrQBxWxBPBSIPUsdvBmfFeOqRFOhCbztKq914a5Oer7i_qxYHp8c800On_Wxh6oKYR3QfmbIitlw3iXK48j_dmAAmX8u/s1600/star.jpg" >
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<p>Young Adult novels have absolutely flooded the paranormal romance, fantasy, and scifi genres. So, a novel has to be innovative and outstanding to differentiate itself from the seething masses of teen angst. This one is average.</p>
<p><b>Synopsis:</b> Trinity was an orphan or so she thought, but an enigmatic visitor arrives just before her 17th birthday to whisk her away to an exotic island and a grandmother she's never met. While she was never ordinary at the convent where she grew up she had no idea of the secrets she inherited. An occult mystery of Egyptian Gods and monsters soon places her life and the lives of her brand new family at risk. Her life is thrown into turmoil as her best friend disappears and new love blooms. Will she discover the key to her existence and figure out what she is becoming? The answers are 5,000 years in the making find out in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Daughter-Sun-Cult-Cat-Book-ebook/dp/B01DRDUQW8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467125571&sr=8-1&keywords=daughter+of+the+sun#navbar">Daughter of the Sun</a>.</p>
<p><b>Characters:</b> It's pretty bad when the antagonist is a more complete person than either person on the protagonist side. I understand that Trinity and Ara are teenagers, but that doesn't mean they should be character sketches. Trinity has no idea what wants to do with her life, and never even wonders about it even though she's seventeen. I don't know how it works in England, but here in America wards of the state are no longer taken care of by the state after they reach 18. I was a wreck at 17 applying to colleges, and trying to do the best I could on my SAT, Standard Academic Testing, to make up for my less than stellar grades. I can't imagine adding stress of having to come up with an off campus living situation as well. Trinity is a complete and utter juvenile, immature in her actions and thoughts, and she's supposed to be the hero. I don't even buy that she's seventeen. While Ara is definitely seventeen, but suffers from being a character sketch as well. It's as Zoe decided to give her one good quality and one bad quality and call it a day. Her good quality is she's smart and has great recall, and her bad quality is she's a party girl. Neither girl has any hobbies or accomplishments. While on the other hand, Dr. Nassri can speak several languages, draws exceptionally well, is dedicated to her work and is extremely well put together. Yep, in my book the bad guy wins.</p>
<p><b>World:</b> The world building is the only thing that gives this book a pass. The place descriptions read like a travel guide, you can definitely tell that Ms. Kalo went on a research trip. And the Egyptian mythology and research make a heck of a lot more sense than Gods of Egypt. The decision to focus on Egyptian mythology instead of the more conventional Greek or Roman was a smart one. The island of Cats and setting it off the cost of Turkey was unique. It made me want to visit. I wanted to swim in the crystal clear water, and be more of a beach bum than Seth.
<p><b>Pacing:</b> This was the worst part of the book by far. The book drifted for days on end with nothing major happening. I'm sure someone thought it was a build up to a reveal, but after the first scene I didn't care about the old woman and I really didn't need two more scenes to enhance my apathy. I could care less about Trinity's romance, I would have liked to know more about her parents romance. All the important stuff happened in the last half of the book, and it didn't have to. Her curiosity could have been alleviated the exact same way it was, but earlier. The drawing out and slowly revealing that Trinity isn't typical was unnecessary--Ara could have not believed Trinity's reveal if it needed to be reinforced, or Trinity could have stated the fact early rather than hint at her transformation over and over again. Readers don't have to spoon fed; we can take a sudden shock. In fact, we life for those sudden shocks. There was no twist, no sense of tension, and no urgency even in the scenes where urgency was key. The pacing decisions made no sense to me at all, I hate when something is just dropped in at the end, and not even introduced before the next book. This book had several of bombs that had one paragraph and then won't be addressed again till the next book.</p>
<p><b>Plot:</b> This plot has it's own following on Tumblr, it's called the Chosen One plotline. There is absolutely nothing that makes it remotely unique or interesting. In this plot are the Sidekick, Chosen One, Love Interest, and Bad Guy. There's no giant cast of characters, no red herrings, and no spin that remakes the traditional ragged out fantasy cliché that would make it new and exciting. But the same could be said for many a Chosen One book.</p>
<p><b>Writing:</b> There were synonyms, proper nouns for flora and fauna, explanations of a new concepts likes sponge diving and Egyptian mythology, and a glimpse into the world of an archaeologist. Better than "he made me feel like something that could fly." or "it was alive with creatures and green things." I hold writers to a higher standard my favorites are Adams, Pratchett, and Green so, when I say it lacked personality and flavor that's not saying it was boring--it just wasn't brilliant or quote worthy.</p>
<p><b>The Good:</b> Did I mention it's free right now on Kindle at <a href="Here's the Amazon Purchase Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Daughter-Sun-Cult-Cat-Book-ebook/dp/B01DRDUQW8">Amazon</a>? No, well it is. Kalo paints a gorgeous picture that makes me want to jet off to Turkey for vacation. The mythology is interesting and clear.</p>
<p><b>The Bad:</b> Characters are a complete wash, plot needed some jazzing up, and there was a majorly awesome incident that could have been introduced in the first half of this book and would have made it much more interesting reading if it had been added as a key problem instead of introducing it and then ignoring it in the last part. It could have put a new spin on "Are you my mummy?" But as they say thems the breaks.
<p><b>Recommendations</b>
<p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Poison-Princess-Arcana-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B007EDYRTQ/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1#navbar">Poison Princess by Kresley Cole</a></P>
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<p>The Chosen One plot line mixed with a little Highlander. It starts out promising, then lags in the middle and then picks up to awesomeness at the very end. Also a YA, young adult, with a love interest and uses a mythology to base the story off of except Cole uses the Major Arcana of Tarot Cards.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Marked-House-Night-Book-Novel-ebook/dp/B001VLXNLU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1467131391&sr=1-1&keywords=marked#navbar">Marked by P. C. Cast</a></p>
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<p>This one comes with a warning. Warning: contains explicit language and sex. House of Night features real teenagers being teenagers. There is cussing and sex, and I'm not recommending it for the age bracket it was supposedly written for. Also a Chosen One plotline with a predictable Bad Guy. But I copied down whole pages because the writing was so beautiful. Cast takes several mythologies and works it into a world of her own.
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This Review is a part of the Blogger Outreach Program by <a href="http://b00kr3vi3wtours.blogspot.in/" target="_blank">b00k r3vi3w Tours</a></div>
Like the author? Want to know about her latest works? Please visit her website, <a href="http://www.ZoeKalo.com">Zoe Kalo</a>, or follow her on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Zoe-Kalo-206262253053039/">Facebook</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/zoekalowriter">Twitter</a>. I'm sure she'd love to hear from you.
Stephanie Bolenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436172923386375689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3657049096238762505.post-57326662663336385802016-06-28T09:40:00.001-07:002016-07-17T04:56:59.364-07:00Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin<html>
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<b>Rating</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Game-Thrones-Song-Fire-Book/dp/0553593714/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1467468147&sr=1-2&keywords=game+of+thrones+books">Purchase here</a><br />
I know I'm late to the party. I'm not a big fan of political books or traditional fantasy, but Game of Thrones is so much more than the sum of it's parts. I got addicted to the show, and then had to read the books.<br />
<b><u>Synopsis</u></b> In the Game of Thrones, power can change hands in the blink of an eye. Robert Baratheon is king of Westeros married to Cersei, the only daughter of Tywin Lanaster, and content in his heir apparent Joffery. He travels from the Southern Kingdoms to the North to enlist his boyhood friend's aid. The Seven Kingdoms are at peace but, "Winter is coming" as Lord Eddard, Ned, Stark is quick to point out. Danger seethes both within the Kingdoms and without: to the North the Others, along with Mance Rayder and the Wildling horde; to the East the last of the Targaryen house, the previous royal house Robert rebelled against and won; as well as the sudden death of the King's Hand, Jon Arryn. Ned decides to accept being the King's Hand and travels south with his two daughters. A decision that has lasting consequences for everyone in the Seven Kingdoms.
<b><u>Characters</u></b> The cast is massive. Everyone is a complete character with motivations, parts to play, but also interests of their own. Tyrion Lanaster is my favorite character both in the book and on the show. He's smart, a master of the sarcastic arts, and has all the makings of a proper villain. Most characters are victims of their own making; their virtues or vices lead them into dire consequences. The houses that are important are the Lanaster, Targaryen, Baratheon, Stark, and to a lesser extent Tully. But there are important characters that aren't in houses, and Castle Black where house loyalties are supposed to be left behind when the person takes the Black.<br />
<b><u>World</u></b> Martin is in the top bracket when it comes to world building. Like Tolkien and Rowlings, he could write textbooks on the history, myths, religions, and science of his world. In fact, he could probably create a large series of factual textbooks. No question, Tolkien is king of world building--fantasy didn't exist before him. But Martin masters world building in a way most authors don't bother with. There are hints of a larger world than the story that is being told in every aspect of this book. An author once called these clues "red shoes", and I love that image of a tantalizing hint of a past or story untold. Red shoes: Andels, the Children, the Old Gods, the New Gods, The Wall, the Kings of the North, and the Dothraki garden of fallen gods are just a few of the things never delved into that I would find interesting reading.
<b><u>Pacing</u></b> Pacing was the downfall of this book. Because there is so much world building and establishment of place, the immediacy and tension in the story suffers. Minor characters and places are described ad nauseum, the mystery of John Arryn's death takes way too long to solve, and the daily lives of Arya and Sansa are largely unimportant but are well established in this book. But since this a first book it can be a slower pace as world takes precedence.<br />
<b><u>Writing</u></b> The writing itself was a let down, from the detailed scene descriptions I thought sex and body descriptions would be more graphic. But other than three sex scenes, a bathing scene and a post coital scene the novel is surprisingly tame when it comes to sexual content. And the scenes themselves weren't overtly erotic. I realize this is a first book, so I'll let the emphasis on world building and character introduction go, but the lack of emotional connection was unnecessary. The conflicts between characters are more vivid and finely wrought than the positive emotional connections. Dani and her husband's building connection is barely touched it's sacrificed for the conflict between her and her brother. John and Sam's friendship is two scenes, but the conflict between John and Thorne is reinforced in several scenes. The book focuses more on the hate than the love, except between John and Aria. I actually liked that relationship.
<b><u>Plot</u></b> The plot is a big part of the story so, I'll not give it away. I will say the main plot for the entire series is about Who controls the Iron Throne, and with it the Seven Kingdoms. The subplot for this book focuses on Castle Black and the dangers winter brings.<br />
<b><u>The Good</u></b> The world building is epic and detailed. The plot full of twists and sufficiently grand for a saga. The characters are very realistic, even the minor ones. Dialogue is very quotable.<br />
<b><u>The Bad</u></b> Pacing was inconsistent with some relationships glossed over or barely touched for the sake of brevity, but some scenes were left in and described in utter detail that took way too long for the action that took place. The writing was very factual, the minute details described in the tourney for example made it extremely vivid, but emotional scenes lacked depth.<br />
<b><u>Recommendations</u></b><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Sorcerers-Stone-Rowling/dp/059035342X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1467467017&sr=8-2&keywords=harry+potter+books">Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling</a><br />
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Yes, if I was late talking about Game of Thrones, then recommending Harry Potter to a post Potter world is even more timely. However hear me out, if you haven't read the books, i.e. only watched the movies, then you are missing out. Rowling builds a world brick by brick that is filled with depth, history, and magic. She takes an entire page to describe the contents of the sweets shop. That's why I picked them to recommend in addition to Game of Thrones. Because she doesn't just tell you Harry's story, she makes you live in the Wizzarding World without having to go to Universal theme park.<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kushiels-Dart-Legacy-Jacqueline-Carey/dp/0765379724/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467467646&sr=8-1&keywords=kushiels+dart">Kushiel's Dart</a><br />
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This book is more in line with Game of Thrones as it is dark, adult themed and political. It is also a very decent series. The world is full of plots and subplots that Phedre has to navigate.<br />
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Stephanie Bolenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436172923386375689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3657049096238762505.post-63755171047179725222016-06-19T18:50:00.000-07:002016-06-19T18:50:15.331-07:00How To Build A Better Villainess<html>
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<p>The female hero can be tough, brainy, powerful, plain, pretty, big, or small. She can be a female Dresden where love never quite works out, or make her man prove himself worthy before she accepts his love. Female heroes have substance and kick all kinds of ass. On the other hand we have the female villains that are so clichéd that most authors won't touch them. So how do we build a better villainess? First, we strip her down to the bare bones. If we remove all the specific details and focus on what motivates the female villain then, there are three traditional types:</p>
<p>1. <b>The Covetous Type</b><br>
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Now, there are covetous male villains, but when it's one of only three types then it is way more noticeable in the female villains. And it is almost always about the superficial: a certain "perfect" guy, another female's physical appearance, or social position. These villains aren't gold diggers, they genuinely think life would be perfect if only they had what they want. Money rarely enters into their thinking. They are usually very shallow and vain individuals. Oh, and stupid but this is a giant problem with all most female characters.</p>
<p><b>The Fix</b><br>
Coveting is all about hating your life. Show why the villainess covets, a Cinderella style life but instead of Cinderella being a sweet girl hero, have her be the villain and the hero or heroine be people who never notice how hard her life is. They don't have to be mean to her, but just have a perfect life and be oblivious to her suffering.</p>
<p>2. <b>The Mean Girl/Vengeful Female</b><br>
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The mean girl likes to put people down for fun. While the vengeful villainess wants to get back at people for some petty slight. <I>He loved you more than me; I'm going to make your life hell. You didn't give me the proper respect so, I curse you.</I> My biggest pet peeve about these villains is how unsympathetic they are. Guys get to be vengeful for anything under the sun: illness, criminal behavior, being slighted, being tormented, or simply being replaced. And honestly, vengeance is motivation for both hero and villain in the male arena. Is the need for vengeance unfeminine? Is that the reason the motivation has to be ultra feminized--i.e. being attractive to a man; getting a man. Vengence is great motivation for a villain no matter the sex.</p>
<p><b>The Fix</b><br>There are horrible things that happen to only women, and they are never touched as part of a traditional narrative. What if the Frog Prince isn't cursed over something petty, what if the witch was righteous in her vengeance--how does that change the narrative. Female heroes and villains both need to run with the <I>vengeance is mine.</I> Anger, hate, rage are forces that can pull down empires and fuel heinous acts. Whys should the guys have all the fun?</p>
<p>3. <b>The Crazy Woman</b><br>
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No rhyme or reason for what she does, she can eat children or just steal them as payment. She usually has a break down and no motivation behind her actions at all. She can obsessive, self-destructive, manipulative, cunning, but she is always crazy. Female hysteria has had its day. Mental illness is a good motivation for a villain, but it has to be researched and follow the guidelines of that illness.</p>
<p><b>The Fix</b><br> She can't just be crazy. And this is true for any mentally ill villain, there is no crazy any more. Does she hear voices? What kind and who? Mental illness has a rhythm. Bipolar, PTSD, and Schizophrenia all can have temporary breaks with reality, but they have different triggers and symptoms. Don't be lazy. One of my favorite shows, Law and Order: SVU has actually done a couple of really great female villains, the child psychopath and the Muchausen by proxy mother are particularly memorable.</p>
<p>So that's all the villain choices we have traditionally, but it is a new era and time for the story to change. So I propose a few more categories that are traditionally male but women could really rock.</p>
<p><b>The Zealot</b>
<ul><li>The female freedom fighter who does terrible things in the name of freeing her country.</li>
<li>The eco-terrorist who targets farms in the Amazon and manipulates the media.</li>
<li>The politician who manipulates the fear of the public to keep them safely under her rule.</li>
<li>The ring leader of a group who cannot stand non-conformity and tell about the lengths she goes to keep everyone in line and how she punishes those who break the rules.</li>
<li>The hacker that will expose the tainted underbelly of the government, only to be shown that modern society doesn't want to know, and what she does after she escapes from prison.</li>
<li>The religious/cult leader who is utterly convincing in theology but ruthless and insane in practice</li></ul>
<p><b>The Sympathetic villain</b></p>
<ul><li>The female who would do anything to keep her family safe.</li>
<li>The witch who really is justified in her revenge.</li>
<li>The sellsword who hates everyone and is justified in that hatred.</li>
<li>The mercenary female that takes a building hostage just to rob state secrets.</li>
<li>The ugly woman who loves being ugly, and finally snaps on the hero that can't abide her ugliness.</li>
<li>The gorgeous woman who knows she's gorgeous and takes revenge on a world that tells her she's ugly.</li>
<li>The female mobster that is both kick ass and smart.</li></ul>
<p><b>The Ruthless One</b></p>
<ul><li>The information broker that knows all and will sell all for a price.</li>
<li>The anarchist who wants the world to burn.</li>
<li>The female judge who is a complete and utter hard ass because people think she'll be soft because she's a woman.</li>
<li>The female doctor that manipulates the criminally insane to plague the hero.</li>
<li>The female sociopath who manipulates and kills because people are mindless dolls for her to play with.</li>
<li>The animal torturer who just wants to hear bones break.</li></ul>
<p>Building a better villainess is all about building a character that just happens to be a villain. No one acts without motivation, and the best thing to keep in mind is anyone at any time can be a villain to another person. Imagine the devil/angel scenario, the villain can make the devil choice on most of her decisions, or just on really important one. While the hero is on the sides of the angel most of the time or just once. In Deadpool, Colossus says a person has 3 or 4 chances to be a hero. So, too can a villain or villainess.</p>
<p>I love villains, but I'm always disappointed in villainesses. The narrative is slowly changing with television and movies, but books have got to get with it. Women need to move out from the sidekick and tag-along role especially on the antagonistic side. It's time for the curtain to be pulled back to reveal a fully fleshed out woman in the driver's seat with her own journey and story that is determined to make this trip to OZ Dorothy's last.</p>
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Stephanie Bolenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436172923386375689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3657049096238762505.post-44994658168626463042016-06-02T07:19:00.001-07:002016-06-08T16:26:26.235-07:00Lingerie Wars by Janet Elizabeth Henderson<html>
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<p>This book is a five star read. It isn't a classic or groundbreaking, it is just damned good. Henderson knows what she is doing and does it well.</p>
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<p><b>Rating</b></p><div class="box"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZCxvB4rEgXE5jzs1QiK0_UPBAfKakhf3FlTZ0JAOmljzFN9KmrQBxWxBPBSIPUsdvBmfFeOqRFOhCbztKq914a5Oer7i_qxYHp8c800On_Wxh6oKYR3QfmbIitlw3iXK48j_dmAAmX8u/s1600/star.jpg" >
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZCxvB4rEgXE5jzs1QiK0_UPBAfKakhf3FlTZ0JAOmljzFN9KmrQBxWxBPBSIPUsdvBmfFeOqRFOhCbztKq914a5Oer7i_qxYHp8c800On_Wxh6oKYR3QfmbIitlw3iXK48j_dmAAmX8u/s1600/star.jpg" / width="10%" height="10%""></a>
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<p>I bought this when it was offered for free on Kindle, but I would have actually paid the 4 bucks it's asking now if I had known how good it was. That is my highest compliment, I would have paid money. I'm the Queen of Freebies, especially when it comes to books. I'm on two different mailing lists for free e-books, and I manually search myself when they are giving me links to stuff I already own. But back to the book</p>
<p><b>Synopsis:</b> Logan is a British military man, purr. He has dedicated his life to leaving his hippie upbringing behind him, but when his sister makes a muck of the knicker store he bought for her it's big brother to the rescue, yet again. Kirsty is a model with a tragic past, who comes back to her hometown to heal and lick her wounds. She tries to make her living at the only thing she knows--lingerie. There's only room for one lingerie store in the little town of Inventary. It's England vs Scotland in this Lingerie War.</p>
<p><b>World:</b> The best part of this book is the world. The little Scottish town of Invertary contains quirky characters, beautiful vistas, and lots of love. There is an underwear gnome, a house breaking group of knitters, and of course Logan and Kirsty.</p>
<p><b>Pacing:</b>The correct mix of humorous scenes, emotional angst, tension filled climax, and emotional growth. I devoured it because one thing seamlessly blended into the other with no obvious page filler.
<p><b>Characters:</b> You will fall in love with everyone, except maybe Logan's parents and the bad guy. I want to know more about them I want to read the second book. Rainbow was my biggest annoyance, but I have a feeling in the second book I will grow to love her.</p>
<p><b>Writing</b> As the old saying goes, "Dying is easy, comedy is hard." Getting a comedic instance to read as funny to someone who has to visualize it takes talent. Henderson has that talent. Her emotional scenes ring true, and her characters are actual people not just character sketches.</p>
<p><b>Plot</b> Not a unique one by any means, lovers at cross purposes. But even the multi-layered climax doesn't read as a set up, instead it is just a bunch of unique elements that blended together to make a tragedy. Hopefully, I'm not giving too much away, because this books is worth the read.</p>
<p><b>The Good:</b> Hmm, everything.</p>
<p><b>The Bad:</b> Rainbow and the villain, but even they serve their respective purposes and don't seem to be unnecessary.</p>
<p><b>Recommendations</b>
<p><u><a href="https://www.amazon.com/One-Money-Stephanie-Plum-No-ebook/dp/B000FC0SJ6?ie=UTF8&keywords=one%20for%20the%20money%20kindle&qid=1464875834&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1"></a>One for
The Money by Janet Evanovich</u></p>
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<p>Now, I know Stephanie Plum has gotten a bad rap, and some of it is warranted but not in the first books. The first books are laugh out loud funny with interesting situations. If you've never picked up and read one I highly recommend them. Stephanie is sarcastic, loving, and lovable. Ranger is smoking hot, and Morelli is the bad boy grown to be a good man. And the supporting characters are quirky and cute.</p>
<p><u><a href-"https://www.amazon.com/LOVE-LIES-HEELS-SPOILED-SASSY-ebook/dp/B007UAUPT4?ie=UTF8&keywords=love%20lies%20and%20high%20heels&qid=1464876642&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1">Love, Lies & High Heels by Debby Conrad</a></u>
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<p>Rusty is a rich girl that bounces around the world going from adventure to adventure. Until her dad lets her know he's dying. Luke is foreman of Sam's ranch and his best friend. So when Sam asks him to lie to his estranged daughter Luke goes along with it. Little do they both know that the old man is playing them like a fiddle. Sam's scheme will give them both what they have been looking for without knowing it: a home and someone to come home to. If that is they don't end up killing each other first. Oh, and to sweeten the deal this book is available FREE on Kindle.</p>
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Stephanie Bolenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436172923386375689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3657049096238762505.post-41355566790183182402016-05-24T23:54:00.002-07:002016-06-02T07:24:23.117-07:00All of Me by Leanna Morgan<html>
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<p><b>Rating</b></p><div class="box"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZCxvB4rEgXE5jzs1QiK0_UPBAfKakhf3FlTZ0JAOmljzFN9KmrQBxWxBPBSIPUsdvBmfFeOqRFOhCbztKq914a5Oer7i_qxYHp8c800On_Wxh6oKYR3QfmbIitlw3iXK48j_dmAAmX8u/s1600/star.jpg" >
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<p><b>Synopsis</b>: What do you do when you want to hide away from life? Apparently, move to Bozeman, Montana--a la Sheldon Cooper. Tess is running from a tragic past, and so is Logan. Will they find peace together or will their inner demons deny them happiness. In helping others, they find hope. Is it enough?</p>
<p><b>Plot:</b> Tess is a café owner and baker who doesn't like reporters. Logan is a reporter running from post traumatic stress disorder, literally at 4 in the morning every morning. They come together to help out a bride and groom in crisis. They find help with the wedding and much more.</p>
<p><b>Pacing:</b> It dragged a little at the end, but it was mostly set up for the next several books.</p>
<p><b>Characters:</b> Everyone was unique and likeable, but the book had a big cast so it was hard keeping track of everyone. It was easiest to identify everybody at the end when the sequels were being set up.</p>
<p><b>Writing:</b> Average as far as romance novels go, the comedic timing wasn't great, there were no quotable moments from the authors or the characters, but it wasn't full of annoying slang or repetitive words either. Written in third person, so a generic informative author voice is expected.</p>
<p><b>World:</b> Bozeman, Montana modern day but could have been anywhere.</p>
<p><b>The Good:</b> Writing, Characters, the food descriptions made my mouth water, it was a cute story, and it was <a href="https://www.amazon.com/All-Me-Bridesmaids-Club-Book-ebook/dp/B00SUN4BC2?ie=UTF8&keywords=leanna%20morgan&qid=1464158374&ref_=sr_1_5&sr=8-5">FREE on Amazon</a>, for Kindle right now.</p>
<p><b>The Bad:</b> Not that much action but it didn't really need that much, and too many subplots tried to make up for the lack of a cohesive main plot.</p>
<p><b>Recommendations:</b></p>
<p><u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Trouble-High-Heels-Fortune-Hunter/dp/0451219120/ref=sr_1_38? ie=UTF8&qid=1464158825&sr=8-38&keywords=christina+dodd">Trouble in High Heels by Christina Dodd</a></u></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihb_1O1MFquX8nmd1EdAL9WcvDpCFHComUckf3ygK5_dhVur4_E6iqe2mQ-uIgB6Z25EpSEwRqi4avuGxUQbsRCktcbJU5f1U2diJ0l8GDK2J53NRwD4UEb6uFvAPkd8qCaGEmVEmYhNJv/s1600/dodd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihb_1O1MFquX8nmd1EdAL9WcvDpCFHComUckf3ygK5_dhVur4_E6iqe2mQ-uIgB6Z25EpSEwRqi4avuGxUQbsRCktcbJU5f1U2diJ0l8GDK2J53NRwD4UEb6uFvAPkd8qCaGEmVEmYhNJv/s320/dodd.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>She writes a consistently good story. Her characters are very much like Logan and Tess, good vanilla people. I always know I'll enjoy the book when I see her name. She writes mainly historical romance, but this one is modern with great main characters.</p>
<p><u><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Double-Trouble-Coxwells-Book-2-ebook/dp/B008KQ9XOK?ie=UTF8&keywords=deborah%20cooke&qid=1464159151&ref_=sr_1_7&sr=8-7">Double Trouble by Deborah Cooke</a></u></p>,
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<p>Not as well known of a name, but if you like the style of comedy in this book, you'll like her. She writes funny, quirky stories with heartwarming overtones. Above all, this book is Free on Amazon, for the Kindle.</p>
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</html> Stephanie Bolenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436172923386375689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3657049096238762505.post-83643131111889718822016-05-22T04:25:00.001-07:002016-05-22T21:46:02.618-07:00My top 10 advice for Writers<html>
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I'm very proud to be a beta reader, and I would love to tell you about my fabulous authors who I love dearly if you had a couple of hours. Instead, I'll share some advice I've given them that I think all writers can benefit from.</div>
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<strong>1. Be Brave.</strong> In your novel, you're God. Don't hesitate to hurt your hero: make her miserable, make her crawl, make her fail, and make her bleed. <br />
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<em> Writing Prompt</em><br />
Think of the worst possible scenerio, the hero alienates her allies or gets separated from them, the love of her life is killed, and then she dies. Now write it. Kill her over and over again until you no longer feel bad about hurting her. </div>
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<strong>2. Focus on plot.</strong>Write out your plot using the establishment of character, inciting incident, advancing action, climax, declining action and denouement graph format. One scene at each point, then fill in the rest of the scenes. If it doesn't fit in the graph or your graph looks lopsided then something needs to be deleted. This is important even if you are going to do multiple books. Each book must contain all the elements of plot, and the series is tied together by loose ends and subplots. Subplots follow the same pattern but must be stretched over multiple books.</div>
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<em>Writing Prompt</em> <br />
Create a story using a single five word sentence. This will teach you brevity.</div>
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<strong>3. Research is your friend.</strong> Research doesn't have to be all boring statistics, or reading history books. Try to learn new things just so you can be accurate, like sword fighting or horseback riding. Read books that relate to your subject, not just genre fiction. </div>
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<em>Writing Prompt</em> <br />
Part One: Write a descriptive scene of something you are already familiar with: cooking, writing, art, playing a sport, etc. Be sure to include all the five senses as well as feelings you have.
Part Two: Read a book about the thing you experienced first hand. The book could be a biography of a famous chef, a history of football, or a philosophical discussion on the importance of art.
Part Three: Brainstorm all the ways you can possibly use the research.</div>
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<strong>4. Follow your heart not trends. </strong>You don't have to write in a certain genre just because it is popular. E.L. James started writing with fan fiction. J.D. Robb was a best selling romance author. Their hearts guided them to new places, and they found success.<br />
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<em>Writing Prompt</em> <br />
Many story ideas can be taken in different directions. Take a classic fairy tale break it down and spin it in a new direction. An example: <u>A cursed girl awakens with the arrival of a boy, but he doesn't know she was cursed with good reason.</u> </div>
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<strong>5. Know your characters and world.</strong> Not just their physical characteristics, but what makes them tick. And yes, I'm including the world in the previous statement. It's not just enough to know where everything is at. You have to know what makes Winterfell differ from King's Landing. <br />
No place is generic, what Tokyo and Western North Carolina look like, sound like, and feel like in the dark when no one is around are what make those places live in the readers memory. Even the rural Appalachian areas of West Virginia and Georgia have their own characteristics, their own cultures, and we know if you know them.<br /></div>
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<em>Writing Prompt</em> <br />
Your main character has landed in a new world, and a character from that world has taken her place. Write a world you know. I was thinking a swap with Eugene from the Walking Dead, Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, or Regina from Once upon a time could be interesting. Take a character totally opposite of yours. How do they survive in your world, interact with your other characters, and then flip it and make their world and characters react to your lead. If there are no conflicts weaving these other characters into the story or adapting them to the world then you need more definition. Regina is awesome but she'd scare the living daylights out of Peta. The touching berry scene would be her forcing him to eat the berries, so she could go home. Katniss would blend in easily in the Enchanted Forrest, but she would have problems adapting to the rest of Regina's life.</div>
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<u>Characters, relationships, and worlds are cogs in a story, replace one cog with a different one and you could bring the machine grinding to a halt.</u> </div>
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<strong>6. Action, action, read all about it. </strong>What is pivotal to the story and what is unnecessary? Vonnegut said "A sentence must do one of two things--reveal character or advance the action." An example: <em>He didn't want to be a wizard</em>, tells the reader nothing. Versus: <em>Wizards were charlatans and thieves who preyed on the weak minded</em>. This sentence sets up the world and the main character's viewpoint. Be definitive. Don't say a character is cursed, show me that she can't even form a lasting relationship with a half-dead, blind, three legged mutt without it being stolen in the night by her enemies. Make me cry over that dog. </div>
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<em>Writing Prompt</em><br />
Write a love story that has no dialogue--internal or otherwise. Chance Meeting, First Date, First Kiss, First Moment they fell in love,<em> </em>Being in Love, and Living Happily Ever After. How does one convey emotion without saying a word or having a voice over? Up did it perfectly and Wall-E could only say his name.</div>
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<strong>7. Why are you repeating yourself?</strong> Forget restating anything from emotional landscape to qualifications. Readers get tired of repetition quicker than anything else, whether it's a word, an emotional conflict, or the same sequence of solving the main problems in the series. This happens to seasoned authors as well as novices. Next time, the repeat seems to be on try this exercise.</div>
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<em>Writing Prompt</em><br />
The repeated sentence: John is a dog. Describe John's life without saying he's a dog. Use the thesaurus to describe the brindled lethargic canine. Write John's internal dialogue: how does he view his human? does he have a human? does he have pack mates? Are they dogs too or is it an assortment of animals? Play with John's point of view and narrative voice: have him be dumb and lovable, sarcastic and witty, submissive/dominant, gullible/curious or absolutely apathetic. Explore John and all the ways you can describe and expound on his mongrel ways. Now do this with whatever you are repeating, something will shake loose the repeat button.</div>
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<strong>8. Be Realistic</strong> Your story could be about cat people from the planet Zoobe, and you would still have to be a realist. There are always rules. Gravity, government, religion, physics, or culture we are surrounded by rules. This goes hand and hand with world building, but it also brings in causality. How A affects B is just as important as customs. Which animal are they like: Tiger, Lion, Cheetah, Lynx or house cat. Each cat is different in social structure, hunting technique, mating rituals, and habitat. This also ties in to research, but you must go beyond that to come up with the rules, and you must never break them. If the cat people are like Lynx, they can't magically survive in a harsh dessert environment. That is what creates conflict and conflict are what makes stories great. Hey, gravity is a rule, but the stories of the people who dare to defy it and the consequences to themselves and our world make for great watching--Apollo 11, Gravity, and The Martian.</div>
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<em>Writing Prompt</em><br />
Write the rules. Option 1: Have another person write a story following all of your rules, and showing the consequences of following them or trying to break them.<br />Option 2: Write a story with multiple characters breaking a cardinal rule, and show the consequences. You could have a pair be punished as severely as possible, have another think they have escaped the consequences only to have their decision come back to haunt them, and have one bend the rules in a way that has lasting effects.</div>
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<strong>9. Be critical or at least listen to your critics.</strong> There are haters, and then there are critics--do not confuse the two. Haters have nothing to say, while critics have taken the time to dissect your writing. Just because you don't want to listen to your critics doesn't mean you wouldn't benefit from allowing them to rip your writing to shreds. Is your female lead a good role model? Was she supposed to be? If so, here's where she failed utterly, and maybe she should seek counseling rather than a boyfriend or husband. And that's not really being a hater. I can think of several authors who are world famous who need this advice. I'm not naming names but, they are publicly known for disliking any sort of criticism on their books. All criticism is "haters" to them and their books suffer because of it.</div>
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<em>Writing Exercise</em><br />
Write down every criticism you can. Post anonymously to a writing forum, ask a reader's opinion, and send off that story you have been keeping close to your vest. Ask for honest feedback. Anything from: <i>it just didn't hold my interest</i> to <i>the main character has no redeeming qualities</i> can make your writing better. Remember the five keys: Pacing, Plot, World, Character, and Writing. Any of these can be fixed if you can see that there is a problem in the first place.</div>
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<strong>10. Everyone who writes should have a text to speech program.</strong>This is priceless advice that my college professor said I would benefit from, and I've shared it with several of my authors. Being able to hear what you have written helps with sentence flow, missing words, and sentence agreement. Spellcheck doesn't fix what it doesn't know is broken. He and the are both words, but they are not anywhere close to the same word.</div>
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<em>Writing Exercise</em><br />This needs to be done on a document at least 5 pages in length to be really noticeable. First read the document aloud, fix anything you notice. Then feed it into a text to speech program, I've used several free programs over the years. The program must have adjustable setting so you can control the speed of the speech, an area where you can copy and paste to, and must hold its place in the document if you have to pause the recital. Most will be able to handle a chapter, but not a book. You don't want to listen to your whole book, anyway. You'll follow along reading as the program is speaking, that's why the variable speed is important. You want to be able to hear and read the word at the same pace--trust me. As you listen to the machine, you'll notice hesitations some will be the machine, but some will be awkward wording. This is especially good to catch non-agreement. You may correct the word in your head, but the machine reads what is on the paper.</div>
<div dir="ltr">Did my advice help? Did you notice anything that I missed? Drop me a <a href="mailto:ajadewitch1997@gmail.com">line</a> or comment below.</div>
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</head></html>Stephanie Bolenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436172923386375689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3657049096238762505.post-51952505547797846422016-05-22T00:07:00.001-07:002016-05-22T00:07:24.354-07:00Biscuits<div dir="ltr">
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Now, biscuits mean a different thing to a Southern girl than they would to an English lady. But I say they are still the perfect book snack. You can open them up and fill them like sandwiches, crack them in two and eat the top and bottom separate with jam, or just eat them with a little smear of butter.<br />
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I'm not much for the canned kind and see no point in the mixes. My recipe is so cheap and easy anybody can make them. These are called drop biscuits there is no rolling out the dough, flouring it or cutting. You're just plopping dough on a cookie sheet, but the results--Heavenly.</div>
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You'll need <br />
A large mixing bowl <br />
A cookie sheet<br />
Cooking spray<br />
Vegetable oil or any oil you want to use<br />
A milk product, I use evaporated milk because it can live in the pantry<br />
Self rising flour<br />
<u>Cold</u> water</div>
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and spray the cookie sheet with the cooking spray. </div>
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Then in the mixing bowl, add the flour. The ratio is 3:1 flour to milk product. I like three cups, but you can easily double or triple that as long as you keep the ratio in mind.<br />
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Add to that your milk product, I've used a cup of evaporated milk. But any milk product that has fat in it will work. Traditionally, the milk product is buttermilk, but I've found that the taste doesn't justify spending money on a quart that will sour after a week. I've also used almond milk, powdered milk, and whole milk. All of the biscuits turned out the same. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6KaWegUivFqopgbOe-ObEfn3VPYaEYvAevZNSNHZYrPv9_bXLfJyayP88nDoqUFzT_kJfh79iqCtRUJMo6OnHO48-zCC-BXxOYtLLKuJXFp_KxtgSqWn_Bc2j8phyZIKcEoYTpr8O3yD1/s1600/Milk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6KaWegUivFqopgbOe-ObEfn3VPYaEYvAevZNSNHZYrPv9_bXLfJyayP88nDoqUFzT_kJfh79iqCtRUJMo6OnHO48-zCC-BXxOYtLLKuJXFp_KxtgSqWn_Bc2j8phyZIKcEoYTpr8O3yD1/s320/Milk.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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After adding the milk product begin stirring the mix. I like using a large table spoon. Some people like mixing by hand after all the ingredients are in the bowl. I like adding the cold water a little at a time as I mix because in North Carolina the humidity makes a big difference in the amount I use.</div>
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The batter should be sticky, but not wet. It should want to come away from the walls.<br />
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The trick to a great tasting biscuit is fat. Now, lard is how my grandma made them. I've chunked up cold margarine, but my favorite quick and easy way to add fat to the biscuits is adding oil to the batter. I use vegetable oil because that's what I have on hand, but any oil will do. Add a tablespoon or two coat the top of the dough. </div>
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The batter should have a gloss from the oil, but there shouldn't be excess oil in the bowl.<br />
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The batter is ready to be portioned out. Coat a tablespoon or teaspoon with oil or the cooking spray. And scoop out the batter with the spoon onto the cookie sheet. Whenever the batter starts to stick to the spoon apply more oil. </div>
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If using a teaspoon scoop three times, if using a tablespoon scoop once, for good sized biscuits. The biscuits should be two to three inches apart. And the dough should render twelve biscuits. But I like mine big so I use two tablespoons per biscuit, but I usually only get six giant biscuits to a batch. Experiment with the size until you get results you are looking for. </div>
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Bake for 35 minutes, then broil for a minute. I like them crunchy and golden brown. Now, Momma Nancy sets her timer to 30 minutes, but she likes hers to be soft enough to crumble. She still browns the tops for a minute. So, try both ways and see which one you like best. And to make them look extra pretty brush a bit of oil or melted butter on top after you pull them from the oven.</div>
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Now, a lot of recipes tell you to let your baked goods cool. Not so, my biscuits. You get that plate, filling and knife ready. So you can slice a big beautiful biscuit right down the middle, smear your choice of filling either savory or sweet on both sides, and then pop it right on your plate while it's still hot. It's called the perks of being the chef.<br />
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Stephanie Bolenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436172923386375689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3657049096238762505.post-25662056784129745892016-02-19T00:04:00.001-08:002016-03-08T20:16:05.698-08:0015 ways to save money on books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you are like me paying retail prices for books would soon lead to sitting on a street corner homeless with a massive stack of books. Now, don't get me wrong I do occasionally splurge. But the days of spending all my money at the bookstore stopped when I started being an adult. So, how do I keep myself in reading materials without breaking the bank? Here are fifteen ways I save money while still keeping me in reading material.</div>
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15. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/">Amazon</a> has a lending program where your friends can give you a two week loan of books that are in their library.</div>
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14. Flea Markets are often an unexpected source for books. Sometimes people are there for the weekend, yard sale style, or they can have a used bookstore they open every weekend. You can often develop a relationship with the vendor and have them keep you in mind while they are hunting books.</div>
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13. Friends and family always offer a chance for a freebie. Never underestimate the power of letting people know about your passion. This is a great tip for networking in general, but it is also a good way to score books. I don't know how many times I've been given books because people know I'm a reader. </div>
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12. Internet groups can be an alternative if you live away from people, don't have friends that read or, the horror, friends that don't read your style of books. These are hit or miss as far as scoring books, but you could come out with a friend or two at least.</div>
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11. E-readers can save you money on books in the long run. I have the basic Kindle, no bells and whistles, and I paid 75 bucks taxes and all. I have yet to pay money for an eBook.</div>
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10.Copyright free ebooks are available at most large online book sellers for free, but there are also sites specifically dedicated to the them like <a href="http://www.gutenburg.org/">Project Gutenburg</a>.<br />
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9. EBook clubs like<a href="http://www.pixelofink.com/"> Pixel of Ink</a> and <a href="http://www.bookbub.com/">Bookbub</a> offer greatly discounted and FREE ebooks that you can download from Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, Smashbooks, and others.<br />
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8. The Library is still a great place to acquire books to read, some including mine have eBook lending where you can download a loaned copy of the book. You can also request specific books. Libraries often have a system where they can have a requested book sent from another library. And if you hang out there instead of a coffee shop, you can even influence what kind of books get purchased.</div>
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7. Bookworm friends can significantly reduce the cost of supporting your reading habit. My friends and I did a book exchange every couple of weeks for a whole summer. We would bring books we didn't want and go through each other's library for books to borrow. Plus an excuse to get together talk books and hang out.</div>
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6. <a href="http://www.bookmooch.com/">Book Mooch</a> and <a href="http://www.paperbackswap.com/">Paperback Swap</a> offers books at the cost of shipping or at a reduced price. Great place to get rid of multiple copies.<br />
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5. Online book sellers offer free ebooks. Just do a keyword search, "free Nook books" at bandn.com for example.<br />
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4. Thrift stores are a great place to find reduced books. Think of it more as a treasure hunt than a milk run. You will find gems, but there will be times you have to settle or leave entirely empty handed.<br />
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3. Being a test reader can get you books, and you can even influence how it comes together before it goes to print. Alpha testers have to deal with copy editing issues like grammar. Beta testers have to read for overall flow. And always a plus you can build a relationship with authors.<br />
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2. Used book stores are a great place to get reduced books; most used book stores have a resell program that allows you to sell books for store credit. They pick out what they want, so be prepared to comeback with at least one book. I like the clearance shelves, but I always browse to see if any of my authors' latest books have made their way there.<br />
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1. Yard Sales are my favorite place to get books. They are more of a gamble than thrift stores. But, you can haggle and most sellers just want to get rid of them. </div>
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I'm always looking for new ways to get books on the cheap. Do you have a method I don't know about? What's your best find? Did I teach you a new method? Comment below.</div>
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Stephanie Bolenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436172923386375689noreply@blogger.com0