Author: mel

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Just Finished…Forgotten Self by Rachel Carr

Oh yes – it gets 5* 🙂 

 

Forgotten Self is a really good read. Although I’ve not read a huge amount of books in the YA Angel/Demon field – Hush Hush series, Katherine Pine’s After Eden (good) and a couple more I won’t mention as they were shockingly poor – I quite like them when they’re done well. Forgotten Self is done very well and of those I’ve read I would rate it as the best.

The story is a good length and I read it in a couple of days in two long-ish sittings. Even though it’s not a long book it is well-detailed; the ‘angelic’ world has a good depth to it, the explanations for which are delivered nicely throughout the book alongside Abby’s ‘real’ life. The characters are very well drawn, especially Abby, whose POV we read from. And although I tend to plump for one guy or another in a book, I found both Jonathan and Lucas appealing – there are some nice, subtle dynamics for romantics to enjoy without it being a straight ‘love triangle’.

In the first couple of chapters I was enjoying the scene setting with Abby’s life, school friends and her relationship with cousin Kelly. I thought the descriptions of spiritual experiences and Abby’s grief were captivating – then BAM! Chapter 3 hits and there’s a very curious car accident and you were sucked into a bigger mystery with Abby. From that point on I struggled to put the book down as the pace was kept up in a perfect rhythm of events and mystery solving.

I think to compare with something like Hush Hush, Forgotten Self is more sophisticated – although I like Hush Hush there are some things – like not being able to stay away from the good-looking but dangerous seeming boy that felt a little cliché. The delivery of the narrative in this is simply better. Abby’s character feels more genuine and likeable than Nora’s: she nicely sarcastic, reasonably pragmatic, but also real has teenager ‘moments’.

This book is really well-written, from description to dialogue and emotions there is little repetition of images (something I found has irritated me in some other YA books) and they are quite original whilst being easy to read.

For anyone thinking of trying a YA Angel book – forget about the New York Times Bestselling series, this is the first I’d be recommending to them J

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30 Days of Hunger Games…If Prim had a diary…

In the last hour the cameras have gone. Finally. The news crews, interviewers and other bizarre creatures of the Capitol have faded away into the darkness, leaving only silence and fear. Well, in our household that is. I’m sure – even though no one would say it – there is relief in many homes across the seam tonight and I don’t blame them, we’ve felt the same every reaping day for the last five years: sorry for them, but glad it’s not us. But now we’re them, Mother and I.

Katniss asked us to be strong. I think she meant Mother more than me. Mother will try I think, but I’m not sure she’ll be able to do this. I’ll have to do it for both of us. She’s not crying anymore, so I left her in the kitchen, sitting beside the table with our untouched reaping ‘feast’ laid out beside her. I had to get away from there before I began to scream: inside my head, all I could think was that this was the same table I’ve seen bear death, suffering and pain throughout my childhood. The two things kept crashing over themselves: the reaping – death – pain – the reaping. It seems so wrong that anyone – but especially Katniss – should have to face all that and worse, thousands of miles away from home and the people who love her.

So here I am, sitting outside The Hob in the cold, invisible beneath the thick night that’s covering District 12. I wonder if other Districts are like ours? Blanketed in smoke from coal fires or maybe they are warmer, brighter, cleaner? What kind of people will Katniss meet tomorrow when she reaches the Capitol? I’ve seen them over the last couple of years of course during the Hunger Games, but today I’m struggling to remember anything much. There was that girl though, the little one they named as Rue. Was it District 8…District 11? Twelve years old and small, just like me. But no one stepped forward for her. She wasn’t pulled aside so that her sister could take her place.

My eyes slid shut, then slowly open again. Even natural movements like blinking feel forced and excruciating. Now I’m staring blankly into the black at an empty wall, but my head is full of pictures. I can see Gale – looking right through me as he left our house this evening. I don’t believe that he wishes it were me, I just think he wishes it wasn’t anyone. He didn’t speak when the news people were around, which was probably a good thing because he looked like he was on the edge of control. And I’ve heard him say things secretly to Kat before, which would not go unpunished had anyone else ever heard them. So I’m glad he stayed quiet.

If Gale had been able, I know he would have bolted to the woods – it’s where Katniss would have wanted to go if their positions were reversed – but there was nothing normal about today. Capitol guards swarmed around District 12 in the aftermath of the reaping, preventing anything even bordering on subversive behaviour. So Gale was trapped like the rest of us.

In my chest there’s a hollow space. It feels like there should be something inside there, but I’m really not sure what. At first I thought it was my heart – I felt something a little like this before, when Dad didn’t come home from the pit. But then I realised it wasn’t quite the same. And now I think perhaps it’s my soul that has gone. Because it happened in the instant after Kat called my name. It happened the second my fear became relief.

Does this make me a bad person? As bad as the people sitting in the homes that surround me tonight, thankful that themselves and their children have been spared?

No. NO!

None of us are at fault. Surely to feel relief in being saved from certain death is not wrong, just natural. We cannot help feeling guilt for surviving, can we? But we shouldn’t have to – that’s the real truth.

Gale is right. It is the Capitol that is wrong.

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This piece was written by Mel Cusick-Jones, author of Hope’s Daughter, as a little creative experiment to compliment the 30 Days of Hunger Games activities taking place on Aside from Writing and World of Words…there’s more to come – so keep an eye out for our Hunger Games features, especially if you’re a visiting tribute collecting points 🙂

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Guest Post…Are Book Covers and Blurbs Really Important?

Today’s guest post is by author, Emi Gayle, where she considers the importance and value of the relationship between a book, its blurb and its cover… Emi’s blog sites are two of the most visually dynamic we’ve come across, which demonstrates how she links images and books. It was the ‘Read or Not’ feature that first brought her to our attention.

Should we judge a book by its cover? Let’s find out!

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I have a fascination with book covers. Yes, I really do. They are my first impression to a story and often to an author. I LOVE that the paperbacks I own color the shelves in my house. No, I don’t buy them anymore, now, I ‘collect’ them virtually, on my desktop shelves and on my Kindle.

It’s the same reason why the ‘art’ in my home is of my own creation — photos of my kids and family — though I own far more of them in digital format. I realized, recently, that I’ve always been this way. I picked books off the shelf at the library ages ago, not by the contents within but by the covers. I’ve always been entranced by the visual appeal, the connection a book makes just with my eyes.

I learn the same way. In a recent work conversation, I had to explain to someone why teaching by audio-only content doesn’t work. It’s because most people are visual. So when we teach through a combination of sight, sound and tactile experience, we learn better. But I learn best by seeing. Doing, yes, but seeing? Yes. Pictures really are worth a thousand words.

That may be why I became a photographer, to showcase life, as I see it or know it, as I experience it or live it, in a medium that pleases … of all people … me!

So … I decided, about four or five months ago, to take my obsession and use it to the advantage of others. Yep! Others. How do I do that? Why?

The ‘How?’ is with a series called “If you saw it, would you read it?” tagged with the hashtag #ReadorNot. I have very distinct criteria for the selection of books for this series.

First — the cover has to be the ‘thing’ that catches my eye. It has to. Why? Because in this day and age of technology, many readers don’t pick up a book by browsing at a bookstore or at a library. They browse online catalogs. There is no tactile feel with this anymore. It’s all visual. That cover has to ‘wow’ and if it doesn’t, for the genre that it’s in, it will not get reviewed further.

Second — the blurb. Some readers don’t read these for fear it will give away the story. Others are religious about reading them because it tells them whether they might like the book. I think the blurb has to fit the cover otherwise it will bring out an inconsistency with the viewer. If the cover is awesome and the blurb sucks, what’s that going to say about the content within? You see, the blurb is the second piece that a potential reader has access to without clicking further into a book.

Yes, Amazon has the “Look Inside” and that’s great, but if the cover and blurb don’t call to a reader, they aren’t going to take the next step and look inside. It’s all the ‘outside’ that gets a book from point 0 to point 1. If you’ve won over a reader there, the content and story take over.

Since I write under two pen names (Aimee Laine and Emi Gayle), I do my weekly #ReadOrNot post about adult and YA books respectively. I, obviously, have preferences when it comes to covers. I like bright colors, boldness, neat designs and in my favorite genres of paranormal, romance and urban fantasy. Does that mean I don’t look at other genres? Nope. If a cover catches my eye — if it makes me look twice, I may, in fact, review it.

So how do I do this review? First, I analyze the cover (that was what first took my attention, right?) Then I read the blurb and analyze it. After that, I compare the two. Do they match? Don’t they and answer the question why? or why not?

Very few books have been spot on – some so disconnected when I got to the blurb that I nixed it from my review. Many have been close. Some have been amazingly connected and I added the book right then to my To Be Read pile.

Why do I do this? For books that pull me in by their cover, I want to give them a shout out. It’s just a way of helping my fellow author, but doing it in a way that I hope will help others in their evaluation of a book as well as authors and publishers in their development of a book cover and blurb. If they don’t match, readers will notice and if the cover stinks, readers won’t even take notice.

In our age of technology, where the Internet is fast becoming the place to buy books and to share information about them, the covers and blurbs are remarkably important.

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Want to know more? Check out the links!

http://www.emigayle.com

I post #ReadOrNot blogs on Wednesdays at http://www.aimeelaine.com/blog and on Tuesdays at http://www.emigayle.com – I hope you enjoy the series!

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Mel’s Thinking…It’s Not That Easy Talking About Yourself

“Are you animal — vegetable — or mineral?” the lion asked Alice.
Who am I? It probably sounds like a weird question, but as soon as you start doing interviews or telling people about yourself and why you wrote a book, it definitely needs some thought. And it’s not that easy to answer.
I’m sure potential readers don’t want to know that I prefer dogs to cats, drink tea not coffee, can tidy but not clean…or maybe they do? Perhaps it would give some perfect insight into my writing. Then I have to decide on whether to go with *serious face* professional author interview or something lighter…am I funny, or is that only in my own head?
You can see from the number of questions I have – I’m really not sure who I am when it comes to writing about myself. I think everyone has so many personality facets it’s hard to decide which ones are relevant when you’re asked to write about yourself. It gets even harder when you’re used to focusing on what characters do and how they behave, rather than yourself. I’m sure of my characters, less so of myself it seems.
Is it just me – or do other authors find this pretty hard too?
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Just Finished…Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

It’s taken me a while to put ‘fingers to laptop’ (somehow doesn’t sound as good as ‘pen to paper’ does it?) on this book, partly because I’ve found it difficult to separate my thoughts on the story in itself from the split reaction Beautiful Disaster has had among other reviewers (very few people give it a middle-of-the-road rating  – it’s a love it or hate it book it would seem).

Firstly – the story – the characters are certainly YA, although I would honestly characterise them as ‘older YA’ – they are not 19 year-olds in the Bella Swan mould, but pretty ‘real’ from a drinking, partying, first-time-away-from-home, frequently reckless side of things. This is why the synopsis features a clear indication of suitable audience (it did when I purchased for Kindle at least).

Abby and Travis are certainly not perfect individuals – and at times border on having some serious personal flaws – however, (aside from being a fighter for money [Travis] and poker player supremo [Abby]) they are reasonably realistic in their behaviour: they behave quite randomly in their relationship, antagonising each other one minute, then in perfect bliss and harmony the next. I certainly saw a number of similar ‘car crash’ couples like this during my late teens and early twenties, who would veer from one end of the spectrum to another with seemingly endless frequency. Some people will never experience this, or will do it to a lesser degree, then ‘grow out of it’. There are others still who will remain in couplings like these where volatility appear to be the basis of attraction and even the relationship itself.

Abby and Travis quite often lack self-awareness and this drives many of their misunderstandings and subsequent conflicts. But this for me, felt realistic. When you’re really learning about yourself for the first time and what it is like to be away from family influences and your past you do some weird things – that’s because it’s all new. You decide something because it seems like the best thing to do – maybe you think that’s how ‘grown-ups’ behave, or you saw it on TV and want to emulate that behaviour in your own life as you begin to understand where your own morals lie. You certainly get lots of things wrong, but that is the whole point – it’s a time to make mistakes and the right choices, but there’ll always be a mixture of the two.

So for a book rating I’d say 3.75/5 – I enjoyed reading it, got through it quickly and I engaged with the characters. Overall – the book flows well, the dialogue is quick and the dramatic episodes are fun. As a YA romance/coming of age book it works. Yes there are some spelling issues (latter half of the book) but you can see for the majority of readers that doesn’t bother them. The plot is a rollercoaster ride with Abby and Travis veering from one experience to another as they work out who they are and what they want – I liked the uni life and parties the best. The Vegas episode was fine, but it didn’t especially add to the story for me, but I can also see why it was there. Travis and Abby are ‘big’ characters and so you get some spectacular fireworks around them – which you’ll know from other reviews is probably one of the most divisive features for reviewers.

So…the reaction of readers…I’ve read a lot of the reviews on Goodreads before I decided to read this book – I found it interesting how clear the split was: love it (majority), hate it (few, but with a passion it seems). Because of the negative reviews I was quite wary of tackling Beautiful Disaster – I expected incessant misogyny and violence with a dippy female focal point. I did not see it that way.

Travis undoubtedly has some very odd ideas about ladies – but as you are shown throughout the book, the female characters choose the paths they take, they might not always like the end results (perhaps being shown the door after a one night stand without having your number asked for…) but they chose the path nonetheless. I don’t want to get too deep into this – but I do think that ultimately feminism is about having freedom of choice – and the women in Beautiful Disaster have this – they don’t always make the most prudent choices, but they have that ability. As a character Travis begins to see women in a different way, because Abby behaves differently. Things begin clearly black and white, but end up being confusingly – but realistically – grey.

The reality of life is that you cannot change the way a person views the world – someone like Travis perhaps – by telling them to do something. Most people learn through their experiences. We might moderate our behaviour for right and wrong, but it doesn’t always mean that we believe in how we behave.

In the book girls frequently put themselves in a particular role and subsequently get judged on how they’ve behaved. Is it ‘right’ that girls are referred to as skanks, sluts, bitches, etc.? No, it isn’t ‘right’, but it is REAL. Look around at the girl-on-girl bullying and the insults used; look at how girls divide themselves between groups and friends and how we talk about each other. Look at how women are portrayed in the media, in film and in music. It happens and it happens all the time. On several occasions in Beautiful Disaster a character criticises another for using that kind of language, demonstrating that it is not acceptable. It still comes up though, because in reality it comes up every day.

You also see that in a role-reversal Travis suffers for his ‘man whore’ label. There is a whole load of baggage that goes with his escapades; a perception that other guys have of him and it frequently derails his early relationship with Abby. How much of the Travis you hear about is real and how much an embellishment? Compare the man you see 1:1 with Abby and his close friends and the Travis that other people see and she hears about?

The violence is another area people seem to have issue with. Beautiful Disaster takes this into quite a lot of detail, because it forms a picture of who Travis is. What book staring an underground fighting ring champion wouldn’t be violent? Me personally – would I date him? Not at all – I don’t do volatile people really and pounding on people’s faces when you don’t agree with them is reasonably out of control from my perspective. Do I like those aspects of his character – again, not really. But if Abby chooses that kind of guy – with all the associated risks and drama, then that’s her choice.

For me the most interesting thing about Beautiful Disaster isn’t the events but the characters. Travis and Abby are both flawed, which makes their behaviour unpredictable. The book is about the flaws and the impact they have on life. Writing a story about these kind of characters is what makes this book different: Travis is controversial because of his behaviour and the extreme lengths it runs to; something that may be hinted at in other YA books, but is taken and developed here. It is laid bare for you to examine. Is there much difference really between Edward Cullen fantasising about flinging Mike into a wall just for thinking about Bella in a way he deems inappropriate and Travis thumping someone in the lunchroom? The raw emotions and desires are there in many characters we deem acceptable, they just have more control.

I don’t think there is a right and wrong with this book – it all comes down to your reaction to the characters. I can see why some people really didn’t like them; I found them interesting more than likeable I suppose. Writing a story about someone who is controversial is something that many authors shy away from, perhaps because we lump together liking a book with liking the main people in it? Whatever the reason I think Beautiful Disaster is interesting for this reason. Difficult characters are something you see more often in ‘adult’ fiction than YA, which still leans towards standard goodie/baddie characters. I’d be interested to see what Travis’s perspective shows, (the book is currently being written I believe) – it might be deeper than people expect.

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On a connected note – Jamie McGuire, author of Beautiful Disaster and several other YA books – will be joining us on the blog in March (hopefully) with a guest post on why she chose to write about a controversial character. So if you’d like to know she has to say on the subject, look out for her post.

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Interview…with author and blogger Marie Landry

Our interview today will be of interest to authors and readers alike as our guest is Marie Landry, author of Blue Sky Days and book review blogger on Ramblings of a Daydreamer. Let’s see how these two very distinct areas of interest have influenced one another…

Hi Marie, welcome to Aside from Writing, can you tell us a little about yourself, how you came to be a blogger and then an author?

Thank you so much for having me here today! Over the years, I’ve started several blogs, but none of them really stuck. When I started Ramblings of a Daydreamer, it was mostly a place for me to share my writing—I was writing articles for online magazines and websites—and little bits of my life. I wrote a handful of book reviews for one of the sites I worked for, but didn’t do any reviews on my blog. In April 2011, I joined the A to Z Challenge, which challenged bloggers to write 26 posts during the month of April—one for each letter of the alphabet. I hadn’t really gotten serious about blogging yet, so I knew this was perfect for me—I wrote mainly about writing and books, and the challenge helped me get into the habit of blogging every day.

It was while visiting the other participants of the challenge that I discovered the world of book blogging. I don’t have many friends who like to read, so finding all these people who not only loved to read, but loved to talk about books, opened up a whole new world for me. I started writing reviews for my blog, participating in weekly book memes, blog hops, blog tours, and other features.

When I realized that the majority of book bloggers I came across read mostly YA books, I was intrigued. I hadn’t read many young adult books since my teens, but I decided to give them a try, and I fell in love. It was then that I decided to turn Blue Sky Days—which I’d written seven years before, and which had been an adult romance—into a young adult book.

You’ve recently been working hard on the book launch (January 2012) and blog tour for Blue Sky Days – what were the best bits about going through this process?

Hands down, the best part has been connecting with readers. I made quite a few friends and acquaintances in the book blogging community, so I had a lot of people to reach out to when the time came for me to start sending out ARCs of Blue Sky Days, and planning the blog tour. Getting to know fellow bloggers and book lovers has been an incredible experience.

Having hosted authors and tours on your own blog in the past, was your recent experience of doing it yourself what you expected it to be?

Yes and no. I knew the logistics of it from hosting guest posts, interviews, and giveaways, so I knew there was a lot of work involved, but it was so much more than I thought. I did everything on my own—a lot of authors find or hire other bloggers to plan their tours, but I planned it all on my own, which meant contacting people, then sending out the books, and scheduling dates, plus then all the interviews, guest posts, and other features I had to write, as well as sending out books to giveaway winners. I also visited every blog along the tour, and spent a lot of time promoting on Facebook and Twitter.

Do you think being a blogger has helped you with your creative writing and/or launching Blue Sky Days? And if so, how?

Absolutely. I think that if I hadn’t started out as a blogger, I would have been virtually unknown when I published Blue Sky Days. A lot of authors are unknown when they publish their debuts, but traditionally published authors have a whole team behind them helping to promote the book and take the author from an unknown to a potential star. As for helping me with my creative writing, I think blogging has helped, because it’s gotten me into the habit of writing on a daily basis and keeping those creative juices flowing.

What’s an ideal day for you – and how do you fit your writing, reading and blog work into that?

An ideal day for me would be one without distractions, but that rarely happens (and that’s often my own fault, because I’m addicted to social media, and check it compulsively). I work from home, and I spend almost all day working on one thing or another. If I’m not writing I’m reading, if I’m not reading I’m blogging, and round and round the cycle goes.

Any advice for bloggers who have an interest in creative writing?

Write every day, even if it’s just a few sentences. Learn from others—there are thousands of bloggers out there who write about tips, tricks, and their own personal experiences. If writing is something you want to do professionally, build a platform, even if it’s just as a book blogger at first—get your name and face out there so people know who you are. Make connections, make friends, but be genuine about it. Most importantly, keep writing. Don’t let anything or anyone stop you if it’s what you really want to do.

Alternatively, do you have any advice for other authors looking to network with bloggers for reviews and support with marketing?

Again, be genuine. I think most bloggers are smart enough to know when someone is sucking up to them because they want something, and when someone is genuinely trying to make a connection. One of the best things you can do is be seen, and that’s usually by visiting and commenting on other blogs. Hop around from blog to blog—almost every blog has a blog roll of other bloggers they love, so take time to visit some of them and leave thoughtful comments or join discussions. There are also always a ton of events going on in the blog world—hops, giveaways, read-a-thons. Participate in those, and be visible to bloggers so your name is familiar to them.

If you could only do one – the blog or write books – which would it be?

Write books. Creative writing has always been my first love, and I think and hope it always will be. I was born to tell stories.

So – what else do you have planned for 2012?

Right now I’m switching gears from YA to adult, and writing what I guess people would term chick lit, or women’s fiction. I’m a romance junkie, so there’s a romance in the story, but it’s not the main focus of the book like it was with Blue Sky Days. After that, I have ideas for several projects, but I’m not sure which I’ll start next. I might go back to YA and work on an idea I’ve had for several years that involves faeries—but that’s all I’m saying!

Random Questions:

If you could be a character from any book – who would it be and why?

It would probably be Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables. She basically led a simple life, but she had the most vivid imagination that let her live a life that seemed anything but ordinary. She made the best of every situation, and even though she got herself into a lot of trouble with her imagination, she was happy and free-spirited, and a good and loyal friend. Plus, I love Prince Edward Island, where the book was set, and I was totally in love with Gilbert!

Favourite fictional world – where would you live?

Hogwarts, without question. It’s my absolute favourite fictional world—the school itself, the people, the magic, getting to go to Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. I love it all.

Best super-evil baddie?

I’m sticking with Harry Potter and saying Voldemort. He was so evil and cruel, but he was also clever and devious. And not only that, but he represented so much more than just a villain—good versus evil, the power of friendship and love—JK Rowling is an incomparable writing in my opinion.

Thank-you for taking time to talk to us today!

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Marie’s debut novel Blue Sky Days is out now!

Would you like to know more? Check out the links! 

Debut novel, Blue Sky Days, available now on Amazon and Smashwords
Blog: Ramblings of a Daydreamer Author blog: Marie Landry, Author
Facebook fan page, Facebook book page, Twitter, YouTube

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Just Finished…Justice by Jade Varden

RATING: 4*

Justice is a really great read. In fact, it surprised me how good it was and how quickly I got hooked on it.

I have to admit, I’m not crazy about the cover and would have skipped over it had I seen it on the shelf – maybe I’m not a pink person, but to me it looks much more like a romance novel than it actually is. In reality Rain Ramey’s story – it’s told from her first person POV – is predominantly a mystery, with smatterings of romance and school angst thrown in.  Because of the tarot connection and the details that emerge as she investigates the situation she finds herself in, I’d have preferred more sinister artwork to draw you in – however, I think the blurb IS good, which is why I gave this a go. (The author Jade Varden has contributed guest posts the blog, which was how I first saw this book – so look out for those coming later in February).

Rain’s character is very well done – you really get a feel for her through her interactions with the other characters – and because of the out of control situation she finds herself in you can sympathise with her actions and behaviour. The fact that events come one on top of another adds to the pace of the novel and so there are mini-questions within the overall mystery. Some I guessed, others I didn’t, so I liked those aspects.

Book 1 – it’s obviously a series – and so there’s some questions I’ve got from this book I’d like to see get answered and the new mystery thrown in towards the end is a good cliff hanger…I have my suspicions but will have to wait and see whether they’re right!

Overall, a well written YA mystery – good pace and enough action to keep you reading (I read pretty much in one sitting) – look forward to seeing where this goes. And FYI – I’m rooting for RVR!

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Synopsis (taken from Amazon.co.uk)

A House of Cards…

When you build an entire life on a foundation of lies, it only takes one truth for the whole thing to come crashing down. I never invited the truth in. I never went searching for it. I never had any reason to suspect that the two people I loved most were dishonest with me every second of every day.

I made one bad decision, and in a single day my entire world changed. If I’m ever going to discover the truth about myself and my parents, I have to trace all the lies back to their source. I have to try to find the truth that they’re hiding.

The more I discover about myself, and my past, the more I realize that lies really are better than the truth. But now that I know the lies are all around me, I can’t stop until I’ve discovered them all. I’ll pull each lie away, one by one, and examine it to see what’s underneath…until this house of cards crumbles into dust at my feet.

I just hope I can survive the crash.