2k to 10k Book Review

Before I get into the review, I would like to apologize for the lack of post yesterday. For the past couple days I have been nose deep in two different books on writing. This is because I'm stuck. I may go into detail tomorrow.

Now onto the review!

First, I love Rachel Aaron's voice. I haven't read any of her other books (note to self: Add Eli Monpress novels to TBR list. P.S: Make TBR list.), but when reading this book, it's as if she's sitting there talking to you. At least, I assume that's the way she meant it.

Second, this book makes me rethink everything I've ever written. But in a good way! Looking back at my process while writing Mortality, it makes me want to scrap it and start over. In all honesty, it would save me hours and hours and possibly days of editing. However, I think my mother would probably kill me.

Third, I'm so going to try what she has to say when writing the last half of my book. Considering I have very little planned, this is a good thing. Hopefully I can knock out the last half of the book in a shorter time than the first half. Bear in mind it's taken me... eight years to get the first half done?

Also, it's .99c on Amazon. You have no reason not to.

I rate it ***** stars.

Follow Rachel Aaron on Twitter @Rachel_Aaron
Or go to her website www.rachelaaron.net

Plotting (And a sorta Book Review)

Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success

Alright, So I'm not a plotter. At all. I tried to plan my NaNoWriMo novel this year, and got sick and tired of it 8,000-some odd words in. Now, I don't know that I can blame that all on the plotting aspect because I was writing in a setting I usually don't. (Modern-ish Times)

I've been trolling Amazon recently, mostly downloading free books of about anything that catches my fancy. I bought this one awhile ago (it was not one of those free books, but cheap enough I didn't feel guilty buying it.) 

Two days ago, I got stuck on my novel. I knew what had just happened (obviously) and I knew what I wanted to happen about a month down the timeline, but I didn't know what happened in between. 

Instead of just going off on random tangents that would have meant nothing, I followed the advice in Outlining. 

As I said, I'm not a Plotter. 

But I pulled out a brand new notebook and a pencil, sat down and plotted as K.M Weiland advises you do. Guess what? IT WORKED! I didn't go into any detail, I just talked to myself through my pencil and figured it all out. I won't say anymore about the process except to tell you to go buy the book. It's 3.99 on Amazon here. Seriously, click the link. Buy the book. 

It's even an ebook, so you don't have to wait two weeks to get it, you can get it instantly on your Kindle. If you don't have a Kindle (as I don't), there is a free Kindle Desktop App. It's what I use. Or you can just read it in your browser through Amazon's Cloud Reader. 

Really, it's less than $4. What excuse do you have not to?

Even if you're a skeptic as I was, or a tried and true pantser, you WILL become stuck, and if nothing works, follow what Weiland suggests. What can it hurt? It worked for me.

Ah, the book. ***** stars, definitely. (That's 5 stars, people, not profanity.)

Treason Review

Treason by S.M. Boyce

"Ourea has always been a deadly place. The lichgates tying the hidden world to Earth keep its creatures at bay—for now.

Kara Magari ignited a war when she stumbled into Ourea and found the Grimoire: a powerful artifact filled with secrets. To protect the one person she has left, she strikes a deal that goes against everything she believes in. But things don’t go as planned.

Braeden Drakonin can no longer run from who—and what—he is. He has to face the facts. He’s a prince. He’s a murderer. He’s a wanted man. And after a betrayal that leaves him heartbroken, he’s out for blood.

To survive, both Kara and Braeden must become the evil each has grown to hate."

First, I have to get this out of my system. I began reading this and my only reaction was OHMYGOD! Squee! *dinosaur hand motions* I was in total fangirl mode. Heck, I still am. I love these books. I love the characters. And I love S.M. Boyce. Seriously. I am Boyce's biggest fan and she better realize that. Okay! On to my review!

At first, I thought the beginning started out slow, but as things started picking up speed I realize that it's actually perfect. The book picks up speed so fast that the slower beginning gives you time to get your breath before the plunge.

The middle is all go-go-go and I loved it! S.M. Boyce is a master at her craft, and just when you think things are slowing down, something goes wrong! Just when they are "safe" someone turns out to be a foe that I, at least, never expected. Not even in my most cynical moments did I expect the turns that this second book takes.

The end. Ooh, the end. The epilogue is just like... I want to be happy about that, I really do. And I was. And I felt terrible for it. The end is perfect, but gah! I want more. Like now. But the next book (Heritage) doesn't come out until next fall. *sniff* I have to wait.

I absolutely loved this book and find nothing at all to nit pick about. Nothing stood out to me as being an egregious error, nor do I remember finding any spelling/grammar errors. (And I had an ARC.)

Definitely Five out of Five stars.

Yeah, this Review was a tad fan-girly. But what can I say? I'm a huge Boyce fan.

October 27

Alright, I know many of you will not know the significance of that date.

BUT I DO!

This. Does this mean anything to you?!

It should. Oh my god, it should.

If you recall, I reviewed the first book in the Grimoire Trilogy, Lichgates. AND I LOVED IT! (Yes, I realize I'm using a lot of caps lock in this post. But lemme tell you a secret *whispers* I don't have a caps lock key.)

Anyway, the second book in the trilogy, Treason, is going to be released on the 27 of this month. *fangirl squee* DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?!

We have just enough time to read it before NaNoWriMo starts. *happy dance*

Anyway, that's all I really wanted to say today. I didn't have any other blog post planned or in mind, and I'd been meaning to do this one for awhile now.

Thank you, for reading my little outburst.

I will leave you with this:

What book are you most looking forward to?

Lichgates Review

(This is my first book review, ever, so go easy on me alright?)

Lichgates by S.M. Boyce

“The Grimoire turns its own pages and can answer any question asked of it…and a Magari is its next target.

Kara has no idea what she’s getting herself into when she stumbles across the old book while hiking along a hidden trail. Once she opens it, she’s thrown into Ourea: a beautiful world full of terrifying beings that all want the Grimoire’s secrets. Everyone in this new world is trying to find her, but most just want to control the new-found power the Grimoire bestows upon her. 

Braeden Drakonin grew up in Ourea, and all he’s ever known in life is lying. The Grimoire is his one chance at redemption, and it lands in his lap when Kara Magari comes into his life. He has one question to ask the book—one question that can fix everything in his broken world—and he’s not letting Kara out of his sight until he gets an answer. 

There’s no escaping Ourea.”

When Kara stumbles through a Lichgate, (which, I may add, should have been better marked) she is thrown into a world unlike that which she has known her entire life, she is hunted by creatures she barely understands, and has, understandably, a hard time knowing who to trust. Braeden is the first remotely friendly face she meets in Ourea, and even he may lead her to ruin, or worse, her death. However, he has been trustworthy thus far and she is loathe to give up her constant companion as she slowly redraws her definition of normal.

S.M. Boyce has created a vibrant world full of memorable characters. The writing is simple and easy, making for a quick read. The plot is easy to follow, with few subplots to detract from it over all. Written in a limited omniscient style, we as readers are given a glimpse into the minds of Kara and Braeden, immersing us into the story that much deeper. There are a few spelling errors and the like that were sadly missed during the editing process, but only one or two are so egregious that they pull the reader out of the story.

The beginning is artfully done, showing a view into Kara's “normal” life, just before she is thrown for a loop and pulled into Ourea. The first few chapters bounce between Kara and Braeden's view points until the two finally meet, each chapter ending with a well done cliff-hanger. I quickly came to empathize and fall in love with the characters. Also well done was the introduction of the antagonist. Carden is a well-created character, and S.M. Boyce has no hesitation in painting him in the worst light possible. It was hard for me to find a redeeming quality in him, though I do admire the reasons for doing what he does, most would agree his means are evil by definition.

The meat of the book shows us Ourea in all its glory. Boyce paints the landscape fully in the mind of the reader, with minimal, succinct descriptions, letting us fill in the blanks. It is done tastefully and with a light hand. In the middle of the book, we are introduced to, I think, all the characters that will play a role in the later novels. The middle moves quickly from place to place, staying just long enough for Kara to grow to love, or hate, it before moving on.

The end of the book is quite sudden. The forward movement of the rest of the book seems to be picking up speed, and it's just go, go, go, and then when it comes to the end, it's jarring. It ends on a large cliffhanger, which is nonetheless well done. In the epilogue we are introduced to a character who has, until this point, only been spoken of in absentia. This reader was left wondering just what his role in the grand scheme of things would be.

Things I liked: Characters, Description, Easy-to-read, Pacing

Things I disliked: Too Fast, Some errors, Ending too sudden

Overall, I absolutely loved the book and can't wait for Treason which comes out this month (the 27th to be exact). Four and a half out of five stars.

You can visit S.M. Boyce here, and I highly recommend you buy the book here, or the paper back here.

Well hello

Greetings, and well met. 

My name is Cheyenne, and though I very much dislike my name, I would hate to write under any other. 

I am brand new to this whole "Blogging" thing, and just for clarification, I am not old, merely new to blogging. I have been considering it for awhile, though, and so here I am. 

I was not sure, at first, what to blog about. On the recommendation of S.M. Boyce, I have decided I will do book reviews. But, as I am lackadaisical by some definitions, I may meander through topics. 

I will not stay to one topic, such as book reviews, but will also post about writing, editing (when I reach that point), movies, politics, characters, plot, coffee, caffeine, other blogs, and whateverelseImaythinktoadd. 

This post is seeming a bit short at this point, and since I have managed to make it this far, it would be pointless to stop. So, a little bit about me, you ask? Well, there is not much to tell. 

I am just out of high school, living on my own (which in this day is a feat on its own), working nights, writing when the mood strikes me and sometimes when it doesn't, fighting with the characters in my head and the boyfriend (on occasion), not getting out of the house as much as I probably should, shying from the light of day (as I'd much rather sit under false light than the glaring sun, as many authors are wont to do), battling writers block and chronic laziness, training my kittens and my boyfriend, and trying to maintain my sanity on a daily basis. 

I believe I have failed on that last point, but you may be the judges of that.

How long have I been writing, you ask? (Well, you didn't, but I would want to know)

Well, I normally say about ten years, or since I could, but the truth is, I'm not sure. Obviously I've been writing since I began the great public school system of the United States. But writing fiction? My current Work in Progress, Mortality, which you will hear much more about, I recall having in mind eight years ago. I have been very spotty in my writing, and have a hard time with anything that isn't perfect, so it has remained unfinished. 

However, I reached the hundred page mark about a week ago, and have stopped worrying about perfection long ago, now I fight writer's block and the shiny internet on a daily basis. I hope to finish it before the year is up. Perhaps in a month so that I may participate in NaNoWriMo. I don't think that very likely, though I may do it if I put my mind to it. I don't plan on starting anything else until I finish it, though. 

Well, I can't think of anything else to go on about that you may even remotely care to read, oh, but my next post that will hopefully be up in an hour or so will be a review of the book Lichgates by the aforementioned S.M. Boyce. 

Farewell and fair travels, 

Cheyenne