Category: books

Hidden Deep, by Amy Patrick

Hidden Deep, by Amy Patrick (Courtesy of Oxford South Press).
Hidden Deep, by Amy Patrick (Courtesy of Oxford South Press).

Amy Patrick is the author of several contemporary romance novels. Her first young adult fantasy novel, Hidden Deep, is the first book in the Hidden trilogy, and is available now.

Ryann Carroll and her mother have just moved back to the small Mississippi town her grandmother calls home. After her father’s affair, they needed a change. Ryann loves the change, and the deep woods surrounding her grandmother’s home. Ten years before, she became lost in those woods and almost froze to death, but a mysterious boy saved her life. A boy that everyone convinced her never actually existed.

Which she believes, until he shows up out of the blue one day, while she’s skinny dipping, naturally. All grown up now, Lad is the most attractive boy she’s ever seen, and Ryann is drawn to him more than any boy she’s ever met. But there’s something different about Lad. He says he’s home-schooled, but Ryann suspects something a little more…exotic.

Lad has thought about Ryann for years, even though he risked his life and those of his people when he saved her life. Now she’s back, and Lad is torn between his love for Ryan and the safety of the people he’s sworn to protect.

Hidden Deep is a young adult fantasy novel set in steamy rural Mississippi, and the steam spills over to the attraction between Lad and Ryann. The characters are great, and the unique setting comes to life on the pages of this engrossing read.

(Galley provided by Oxford South Press via NetGalley.)

Bon Appetèmpt, by Amelia Morris

Bon Appetèmpt, by Amelia Morris (Image by Grand Central Publishing).
Bon Appetèmpt, by Amelia Morris (Image by Grand Central Publishing).

Amelia Morris is an award-winning writer, a food blogger, and a cook who knows that those pictures in cookbooks aren’t really accurate of most people’s results. Her first novel, Bon Appetèmpt, is her coming-of-age tale that explores growing up, living creatively, and finding herself.

Growing up in a small town isn’t easy. Especially when both of your parents are doctors, you have an older brother who excels at wrestling, and you don’t have an athletic bone in your body. It’s even harder when you’re five years old and your father has a child with his mistress, causing your parents to divorce and everything in your world to turn inside out.

Despite having two sets of parents and two different families, Amelia had a hard time fitting in. When she decided she wanted to be a writer, she didn’t realize how hard it was going to be. Add in a husband who also wanted to create things, a cross-country move to L.A., and more bills than money, and Amelia’s struggle to find herself turned into an epic battle. Through it all, she turned to her love of good food—and the realities of creating it—to show that those dazzling pictures in cookbooks are truly larger—and more photogenic—than real life. But it’s the small, messy moments that make life worth living.

Bon Appètempt is not a typical cookbook. Sure, there are recipes of delicious food. But there are also the behind-the-scenes messes, mistakes, and mishaps that fill everyday life. Ms. Morris explores the good, the bad, and the ugly in her memoir of her challenging childhood and her growing into the creative life she always dreamed about.

(Galley provided by Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley).

 

Heartsick, by Caitlin Sinead

Heartsick, by Caitlin Sinead (Image courtesy of Carina Press)
Heartsick, by Caitlin Sinead (Image courtesy of Carina Press)

Caitlin Sinead is a new adult author. Her debut book, Heartsick, is available now. In it, she combines romance, mystery, and thrills to keep her readers on the edge of their seats. Her next book, Red Blooded, will be available this summer.

Quinn is a senior at Poe University. She wants to enjoy her senior year: hang out with her best friend, party a little bit, flirt with the hot genius she knows, and figure out what she’s going to do after graduation. Normal senior-year stuff. She isn’t expecting to meet Luke, a handsome local guy, at her favorite bar. She also isn’t expecting people’s eyes to start turning purple.

But after a party, that is exactly what happens, one by one. And no one seems to know what’s causing it. As it sweeps through the town, theories pop up, turning the townspeople against the college students in a series of frightening clashes, until no one is safe.

Quinn is determined to find out what’s going on, but soon she becomes the target of the student religious group and their escalating attacks. She doesn’t like getting involved, but Luke’s support is the only thing that gets her through, and she turns to him, despite the secrets in his past and his dying sister—the reason he moved back to town. Soon he’s the only one she can trust. Luke and Quinn must figure out what’s going on—and who’s causing it—before the entire town goes up in flames, taking them with it.

Heartsick is an intriguing story, set in a small college town full of quirky characters. It starts off a bit slow, but soon starts zipping along, full of gripping scenes, unanswered questions, and a few scary moments. The good and bad sides of human nature are on display, and Ms. Sinead digs into these moments, showing why some people do the things they do, both good and bad.

(Galley provided by Carina Press via NetGalley.)

Kissing Frogs, by Alisha Sevigny

Kissing Frogs, by Alisha Sevigny (Swoon Romance).
Kissing Frogs, by Alisha Sevigny (Swoon Romance).

Kissing Frogs is Alisha Sevigny’s first young adult novel. Ms Sevigny’s website says “A shameless romantic, Alisha and her husband have travelled the world together. On a trip to Panama Alisha fell in love with the country, culture, and their national emblem, the Golden Frog.” The result of that trip is her first novel.

Jessica Stone is popular: she has lots of friends, a hot boyfriend, and plans to hit the beach for Spring Break. But Jessica wasn’t always a cool kid. She used to be a really smart, goody-two-shoes type of kid. None of her new friends know about her past, and Jessica intends to keep it that way.

But Jessica’s Spring Break plans come to a screeching halt when she finds out she’s failing Biology. Her only chance to pass: a trip to Panama with the Conservation Club to save the Golden Frog. Like that’s not bad enough, one of her partners on the trip is Travis Henley, who knew her back in her nerdy days.

Except Travis has changed. Oh, he’s still the annoying prankster Jessica remembers, but he has depth. And Jessica finds herself wondering if she still has depth, or if her obsession with popularity has changed her beyond recognition. Soon Jessica finds herself on the adventure of her life as the group fights to save the Golden Frog before it’s lost forever.

NaNo Wishes

It’s November.  Not a news flash, I know.  But if you’re a writer, you might know this month better as National Novel Writing Month, or NaNo.  If you don’t know, NaNo is all about writing a complete, 50,000-word novel in 30 days.

The first novel I ever completed was my first year doing NaNo.  I’ll never forget the rush, the thrill of knowing I was writing alongside thousands of other writers all over the world.  That alone was inspiration enough, but if my motivation ever flagged or I had questions, the forums were a fantastic place to go find it again or find answers.  I didn’t finish that novel in November, but I finished it just a few weeks later.  Since then, I’ve honestly forgotten how many times I’ve done–and “won”–NaNo, but I think it’s at least four (For the record, at least twice I wrote 100,000 words during NaNo.  Yes, I’m a masochist.  And clearly insane.  I have papers.)  I was even wearing my NaNo shirt when I met Laurell K. Hamilton, and she asked me about it because she’d never heard of it.

I haven’t done NaNo for the last…um, four years, I think.  Because of school mainly.  I can only juggle so much, and what amounts to two full-time jobs keeps me pretty busy.  I haven’t even found time to write a single page in weeks, much less around 1,700 words a day.  (There isn’t enough caffeine in the world to keep me awake for all that.)  But in early October, when I remembered it was almost time for NaNo, I was tempted.  Oh, so very tempted.  Fortunately, common sense prevailed.  I have a little.  And, in the face of working 3 11-16-hour days a week, plus 2 8-or-so-hour days doing homework, and crazy busy weekends filled with half-marathon training…Yeah, common sense sucks, but it was right.

But I’d like to wish everyone doing NaNo lots of luck (and caffeine).  If you are so fortunate, I’d really like to hear about how well it’s going.

Populatti, by Jackie Baardenwerper

Populatti, by Jackie Bardenwerper

 

Jackie Bardenwerper is a self-published author of young adult fiction. Her first novel, On the Line, is an honorable mention recipient in the Writer’s Digest Self-Published eBook Awards. Her second novel is Populatti, and deals with issues faced by young adults every day, including social media struggles and bullying.

At sixteen, Livi Stanley thinks she has it all: a new life free from the traumas of her middle-school-year awkwardness and unpopularity, great grades, good friends, and membership in Populatti, an exclusive website that allows her access to the hottest social scene around. Which includes Brandon Dash, baseball star and Livi’s long-time crush. But along with all the benefits, membership in Populatti has a catch: the other members can vote you out at any time.

When the online rumors start, growing uglier by the second, Livi’s place as a popster is threatened. Her friends don’t really seem to care, so Livi will have to look for help in places she never imagined. With her insider view of the reality behind Populatti, Livi has some questions: Why is everyone voting against her? Are these people really her friends at all? And does she even want to stay in Populatti, no matter what the votes decide?

Populatti is a book dealing with real issues faced by young adults today, in a world colored by the distorted lens of social media. The characters are well-imaged people, not cardboard cutouts, and the trials that Livi goes through are realistic—if also slightly horrific. This fast-paced novel captures the nuances of the high school social scene, and one girl’s realization that there is more to life than popularity and social media.

(Galley provide by JKS Communications)

Populatti Blog Tour

Community

Holly Lisle is looking for readers and writers to build a community that fosters the growth of new writers.  The readers will have the opportunity to help writers they support to grow and learn, the writers will gain support and assistance where they need it.  Holly does wonderful things for other writers, and this is a fantastic new idea of hers that is still in beta development.  If you’re interested, check it out here.

Writing Inspiration

Sometimes, I just need a little inspiration to get my butt in the chair and my fingers on the keys (Actually, judging from my complete lack of writing lately, I apparently also need to be chained to the chair, but that’s another story.). Reading other writers’ posts that are inspiring, usually snaps me out of whatever funk I’m in. With that in mind, here are three great posts from writers that have me eager to get back to work.

Here’s one from Raymond on Writing in a Dead World:  Deleting the Best Part of You.

One from Shannon A. Thompson:  Writing is Misery.

And one from Christian Milan:  Are Writers Crazy?

Check them out, even if you don’t need writing inspiration.

Kirin Rise: Cast of Shadows, by Ed Cruz

Kirin Rise: Cast of Shadows, by Ed Cruz
Kirin Rise: Cast of Shadows, by Ed Cruz

Ed Cruz is a martial artist who was born in the Philippines and raised the U.S. He has a large online following, and had devoted himself to mastering the art of Wing Chin Gung Fu, the only art ever created by a woman. His first novel, the first in a series, is Kirin Rise: The Cast of Shadows.

Kirin Rise doesn’t look like much: she’s tiny, unassuming, and most of all, female. So when she appears in front of the cameras at Chum Night—the weekly blood bath publicized by the mighty United Federation of Mixed Fighting—the world is sure of her defeat, and her probable death. But with one hit, Kirin shatters all assumptions and catapults herself into a world she never imagined.

America in 2032 is a different place. Gone are family values and helping out your neighbors. In their places are selfishness and corporate greed—led by the Federation and its lust for total control. With the Federation usurping the place of every single competitive sport and dominating the government and the public eye, all eyes are on Kirin Rise, as she opposes the most feared fighters in the world.

But her opponents in the ring aren’t the only ones Kirin has to worry about. The Federation is more powerful than she imagined, and soon everyone she loves is in danger—her family, her friends, her Sifu, and Hunter, the guy she’s known for years. Can Kirin Rise win against the Federation fighters, or will she find defeat as she battles corporate corruption.

Kirin Rise: Cast of Shadows is set in a world very similar to our own, with a familiar culture and way of life. But this world is overshadowed by the Federation, which has spread its tentacles throughout every facet of existence, leading to a dark stain of corruption. The characters, particularly Kirin and Sifu, are larger than life, and not stereotypical martial artist figures of student and master. The characters have distinct personalities, wants, and goals, and they fully inhabit their world, a terrifying rendering of what our world could be like if things stay on the course they are on.

Kirin Rise Blog Tour
Kirin Rise Blog Tour

What’s On My Mind Today

Well, to be frank, money. It’s not an easy subject to talk about, but people have to pay their bills and buy food in order to survive, so it’s something we all have to have (since we don’t live in a trade/barter society). And as much as I’d like to say, about writing, “I just do it for the art,” that doesn’t pay the bills.

Don’t get me wrong, I do write for the art. Because I love to make up worlds and people, and see what happens to them. But that in and of itself doesn’t pay the bills (or at least, it doesn’t pay mine), so I need to get compensated for what I do. I’m not talking about now. Right now, I’m not actively pursuing publication or trying to make money off my writing. But in the future, I intend to.

With that end in mind, I’m trying to get together a coherent…”business plan,” we’ll call it. I have school left to finish, and a day job that pays my bills (sort of) right now, so it’s a long-term plan, not an I-won-the-lottery-so-I’m-quitting-my-job immediate plan.

But I’m having a little bit of trouble getting ideas into a coherent, plan-like form. The basic formula is the same for a non-writing job ( 1)Do the job. 2) Get paid.), but coming up with a concrete plan is messing with my mind a little bit.

So I’m looking for suggestions. People who have/are writing professionally, people who have thought about it or come up with a plan themselves, people who just have suggestions…I’d appreciate any of your thoughts. Please understand, it doesn’t have to include strictly fiction writing. I’m getting an English degree with a focus on professional writing, so suggestions for how to utilize that (columnist, feature writing, whatever) are very useful, too. I need help, and I’m not afraid to ask for it.