From the Stacks: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemison

Wow, and here we are at the first VF book club review of the year. I'm hoping to be able to keep up with reading their book pick each month and have it as my final review, but writing and finances might get in the way. Still, I was able to finish off the January pick because I bought it over a year ago and somehow never got around to it, a shame since it was a pretty darn good read.

Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Plot: This was a fun and interesting pick for the VF book club, because the book seemed to focus a bit more on the political side than the romantic side. It took a long time for the romance to appear and even then it took some time before there were any love/sex scenes. Now look, I don't need to have lots of smutty scenes to make a romance worthwhile, but sometimes those books do somewhat cheer me up, because romances practically always end with a happily ever after (or a happily for now, whatever). I did like the political scheming but I also feel that it could have been developed a bit more. There were a couple of mysteries brought up near the beginning of the novel, such as who killed Yeine's mom, and they drew out that mystery until about the very end, which was both nice and frustrating. Having not met her mom and only getting tiny bits and pieces of past memories and such, I didn't find it to be all that important. But I did like the intrigue of figuring out which of the gods was telling the truth and which were lying and whether or not to trust the other heirs to the throne. 

I found another review of this book that summed up the plot of the gods rather nicely and I'll try to paraphrase it. Basically it is the story of three gods, who for simplicity's sake we will call Order, Chaos, and Balance. Taking elements of both Order and Chaos, Balance created the world. But since Order, Chaos, and Balance were also siblings they had their fights and long story short, Order killed Balance and then enslaved Chaos as well as the children of the gods, forcing them to obey the Arameri (humans). Obviously the lack of Balance in the world caused problems, and this story is really about the world sort of beginning again, with a new Balance being created. I'll probably read the other two books when I have the time and some extra cash.

Characters: Yeine seemed capable in some respects but pathetic in others. I get that she had never been to Sky before and therefore didn't know how they operated, but she seemed to be led around quite a bit by the other characters. And once she figured out that she was only named an heir so she could be the sacrifice that named the true heir, she spent quite some time just accepting that and not fighting for her own life, which seemed to contradict her "barbarian" lifestyle.

I thought Nahadoth (he would be the Chaos I mentioned earlier) was a really intriguing character. He had so much depth to him and you never really knew if you were going to get the dark beast side of him or the gentle and almost human side. It was mostly for him that I kept reading the story in the beginning.

The other worthwhile character in my mind was Sieh. He was also a god, and one who was very childlike and actually spent a lot of time in the form of a child. It was because of her fondness for the boy that Yeine actually had a few moments where she fought to protect and save others, so Sieh was nice to have around. Plus, he was one of the ones who helped Yeine get around and taught her a lot of what happens in Sky.

Get Your Own Copy: B&N, Amazon, BAM, Kobo, Audible

A Look at Souls Unknowing

Today, I'm going to give you all a peek into my next novel, Souls Unknowing, which will be released February 28, 2014. It is the first of a three book series revolving around ghosts that I've been writing and editing for a long time.

Something has caused the spirits of Rolling Hills Preparatory School to grow extremely restless, and it is up to a small group of mediators to discover long buried secrets to prevent such a tragedy from occurring once more. 

Unfortunately there are a number of hurdles to overcome and there are more secrets than just what happened preceding the fire that destroyed the school fifty years earlier. 

Tru Martin struggles with accepting her true place as one who communicates with spirits, due to a desire for normalcy. Veteran mediators Megan, Allie, and Ian all seem to have different opinions on how to proceed with crossing over the spirits. And the arrival of another mediator who has a history with one person in particular may lead to the greatest shock of all. 

With time running out and graduation looming around the corner, can this friendship formed out of a shared ability survive all the secrets, spirits, and dangers, and solve a mystery before tragedy strikes again?

By the way, this current synopsis is not completely set in stone, so if you have any suggestions then feel free to comment on the blog, send me a Tweet @DanielleThamasa, find me on Facebook, or send me an e-mail to daniellethamasa@yahoo.com with the subject as Souls Unknowing synopsis.

I am working really hard to get this done and published for my current deadline. Thanks to everyone who has stuck by me through this writing and editing process and I hope you enjoy the finished product. Tru and the rest of the gang have been constant companions of mine since 2004 and living with people for that long makes you think of them as family. I care about basically all of my characters (there are a few villains that I would really like to just disappear, lol) and I sincerely hope that other people feel some sort of connection with them as well.

Okay, and just for those of you who are reading this and have stuck with it, how about a sneak preview of the prologue for Souls Unknowing?

Prologue: Let the Flames Begin, 1964

This place has always felt like a prison to me, with the bars on the windows and all of the rules and restrictions. Yet if I had known then what I know now, then perhaps a lot of this could have been prevented. Looking back it all should have been clear to me, each event and strange occurrence clearly revealed the tragedy that was to come as well as who was responsible. One thing is absolutely certain though: I will not let it happen again.

I am dead. That is the one absolute, the unchanging fact, and it is something I wish I could have known of in advance. There are so many things I never got to do, and so much I never could tell my family. But I am not the only one who died and I am certainly not the only one who feels trapped in this school, waiting and watching for something to change.

I can feel that the time is growing near and when the chance comes to me, I know I must do what I can to help, which seems ridiculous as no one can truly see me, hear me, touch me. It has been fifty years and even with all of the others like me, it feels quite lonely here. Watching all of the youth as they grow and make mistakes and figure out what is next for their futures is incredibly bittersweet. I remember when I was once that way, when the future held nothing but possibilities, when I was ready to graduate from high school and truly start my life.

Patton High School was once a glorious place, despite some of the outward appearances. If you simply looked at it from the road then it looked more like a juvenile correction facility, complete with bars over the windows, as if they expected some sort of danger or breakout attempt. I though it nothing more than a safety hazard and it was that point alone that led to the demise of so many of us that spring morning.

The day had started off like any other. I had been dropped off at the school by my father, my little brother following at my heels, acting more like a child than a freshman, but I suppose it had been a difficult first year of high school for him, and really, I thought of him as one of my best friends. Still, I had not said much to him that morning, instead lost in the thoughts of my looming graduation and what would happen when I moved away for college in the fall. Would my father and brother be fine on their own? I hoped so but most days I had my doubts.

We parted ways as I reached my locker. He had to walk all the way upstairs and to the other side of the building to reach the wing of freshman lockers and all I said to him was that I would see him at lunch. That never happened; I lost my brother that day and no matter how hard I have looked, I still have not managed to find him. If he somehow survived I would have known, I should have felt it or seen him at some point, but the void in my chest tells me that he too passed away in the tragedy of Patton High School.

It was during third period history that I started to think that something was off. The desk to my right was empty, a sight I had not witnessed in the whole four years of classes here. The young man who sat there had not missed a day, obsessively coming, even when ill. I had always thought it annoying, but now I was unsure what to think.

I supposed I was the only one who noticed his absence before the Mrs. Johnson took attendance. She had called out his name twice before the others started looking around. “Has anyone seen Trevor today?”

Not a single person answered, which wasn’t surprising. Trevor had no friends and most people avoided him. It had nothing to do with his appearance, his home, or his family, but because he was just a bit odd. He really enjoyed discussing different methods of warfare and weaponry and along with most other people, I found that to be quite unnerving.

After that awkward few moments, Mrs. Johnson finished up her attendance call and jumped straight into the lesson, continuing our discussion of World War II. I could not help but think that there would have been more back and forth conversation that period if Trevor had come to school. Then again, if he had, then he too would have been wandering these halls as a ghost.

I have made my peace with what I am, with my existence, though I still long for the future that was taken from me. The fire ruined all of it. It was at lunchtime that the pieces began to fall together. When some of the seniors tried to take their lunch out to the courtyard, they found the doors locked, or blocked.

They called out for the cafeteria monitors, who rushed over to the doors to help out. One pulled out keys, but whatever prevented the doors from opening was not simply a lock. As the chatter in the room grew louder, I found myself looking for my brother. He should have arrived to sit with me, but I could not see his face in the crowd of students.

I stood up and walked out into the hall, scanning back and forth, but aside from more and more students filing out to see what the commotion was, there was no sign of Logan anywhere. A shout came from down the hall, followed by several others. It took a few repetitions before I could tell what they were yelling…fire.

When the fire alarm started blaring, it became even more apparent that it was not a drill. Chaos followed in the next minutes, as students ran out of their classrooms and towards the nearest doors. I stood frozen for longer than I sometimes cared to admit to myself, thinking that maybe by not moving it would be proved as nothing more than a rather lucid nightmare. Then I finally moved, making my way to the nearest exit; I could find Logan when we were all outside. There was no way I would find him inside the school.

Yet when I reached the doors I found teachers and athletes alike shoving and groaning against the thick doors. It seemed that much like the doors in the cafeteria leading to the courtyard, these were blocked closed. The panic in those around me seemed to intensify with that realization. Their cries filled the air as thick dark smoke crept into the halls, beginning to obscure everything in sight.

I simply felt numb, detached from what was going on all around, as if I was watching it from outside my body. Where was Logan? I needed to find my brother, to make sure he was all right. The thought should have struck me then that none of us would be all right. We were trapped in the school as the smoke overtook everything and it became harder to breathe or think clearly.

The intensity of the heat down the south wing was what truly brought me into the reality of the situation. If the fire had started that way then it was the worst possible scenario. My mind latched onto the realization that the flames would soon reach the boiler room and that would cause an explosion, which would only make the fire stronger.

“Logan!” I yelled before choking on the smoke and falling into a coughing fit. I couldn’t draw in enough air to continue on with anything, nor could I see more than a few inches in front of my face. Dropping to the ground I hoped that would help with something, and it allowed me to draw in a few breaths but it would not last long.

My last thoughts as I heard a large boom from down the hall was that I had not been able to voice my concerns of the future with my brother.

Aside from all of the dead who linger in this place, there is one other fact that is without question: We were murdered and our killer is still out there.

From the Stacks: Dirty Magic by Jaye Wells

I was first introduced to Jaye Wells when I found her books while browsing the shelves at B&N. I thought Red-Headed Stepchild sounded good, and it turned out I was right, so I bought the rest of the series. When I got on NetGalley and saw the first book in a new series, I was intrigued by the concept and yet again I have another interesting series to follow.

MAGIC IS A DRUG. CAREFUL HOW YOU USE IT. 

The Magical Enforcement Agency keeps dirty magic off the streets, but there's a new blend out there that's as deadly as it is elusive. When patrol cop Kate Prospero shoots the lead snitch in this crucial case, she's brought in to explain herself. But the more she learns about the investigation, the more she realizes she must secure a spot on the MEA task force. 

Especially when she discovers that their lead suspect is the man she walked away from ten years earlier - on the same day she swore she'd given up dirty magic for good. Kate Prospero's about to learn the hard way that crossing a wizard will always get you burned, and that when it comes to magic, you should never say never.

Overall Rating: 5/5

Plot: Dirty Magic is set in the fictional city of Babylon, Ohio (though I am not at all prejudiced by the fact that the book is set in my home state). I can admit that discovering that fact did make me pay more attention to the setting, which according to the author is sort of based on Cleveland. The city itself is even located along Lake Erie. It makes me think of how much fun a novel set in the middle of winter will be due to all that lake effect snow. Anyway, the world created for this series basically has magic as a drug. There is clean magic and dirty magic, where clean magic is manufactured in pristine labs and uses more expensive and slightly safer ingredients, and dirty magic is done in places like kitchens and bathrooms, using whatever ingredients happen to be at hand, which naturally can cause dangerous side effects. In Dirty Magic the new drug on the street is Grey Wolf and boy, it does have a nasty side effect, namely causing people to wolf out and go on a bloodthirsty rampage. So patrol cop and former magic cooker Kate Prospero ends up getting neck deep in the investigation, even joining a special magic task force. I thought that the investigation and discoveries moved at a decent pace, but it was about the last 25-30% of the novel that made this book impossible to put down. The whole discovery of who was behind Grey Wolf and why, plus all the people who were caught in that crossfire made it all incredibly intense.

Characters: First we have Kate Prospero, who is also called Cupcake by a certain somebody I'll discuss in just a few moments. She walked away from her coven ten years prior to the novel, and even goes to what is basically an AA meeting for magic addicts, though people don't realize that she was addicted to making the magic potions, not using them. Anyway, she became a cop to try and make a difference because she started seeing exactly what these magic potions were doing to people, especially after the death of her mother. It was that loss that left her to raise her little brother Danny and caused her to leave her boyfriend John Volos.

Kate raised Danny away from magic, not talking about it or allowing it in the house or anything, but naturally Danny is now turning 16 and that just leads to all sorts of problems. I thought the kid was pretty endearing, and in arguments with Kate he raised quite a few points as to why he should be allowed to at least learn magic, because it is in his blood. They may be related, but that doesn't mean that he'll have the same problem dealing with the rush/addiction to the power of cooking up potions.

John Volos ends up involved in this story in a couple different ways. In the beginning he is the primary suspect for the investigation into Grey Wolf, but then he is also drawn even further into the story when Danny goes to him in an attempt to learn how to cook behind Kate's back. Obviously there is a lot of tension between Kate and John due to their history, but I can honestly say that I hope Kate has moved on. I think John is too addicted to power at this point and rekindling a romance would be more danger than it's worth.

Speaking of romance, and my mention of Kate being called Cupcake, we have Drew Morales, who is a member of the task force Kate ends up joining. At first I thought he was going to be mostly an antagonist for Kate, but then their banter evolves from a psuedo-rivalry/dislike or each other to something more like the banter of friends, and by the end I think it holds a little flirtation in it as well. Drew is caring and protective, not that Kate necessarily needs an Alpha male to boss her around or defend her since she is pretty badass herself, but still, I liked Drew from the beginning and I really look forward to seeing their relationship develop.

We are also introduced in this book to Pen, who is Kate's best friend, a counselor at Danny's school, and also a member of the support group Kate attends. She helps Kate through a lot of issues, particularly with Danny, and it was nice to see that Kate did have this family she formed after both losing some of hers and walking away from the rest.

Thanks to the task force we are also introduced to Mez, who is a clean cooker, who seems to be a wiz at cooking up some pretty cool protection patches and amulets, as well as potions that seem to do just about anything. I'm thinking that maybe as Kate has to work with magic more now thanks to being in the task force that eventually we might get to a point where she is cooking with Mez, which I'm guessing could cook up some amazing products. We'll see. It's going to be a great series and I very much look forward to seeing what happens with all of these characters and the possible scenarios thanks to the magic as drugs world-building.

Get Your Own Copy: B&N, Amazon, BAM, Kobo, Audible

The next book, Cursed Moon, will be released August 12, 2014.

Finding the Right Beginning

I started writing Souls Unknowing back in 2004, when I was a sophomore in high school, and after a considerable hiatus, I finished the novel in 2006. I enjoyed the story and the characters, but I knew that it would need a lot of work before it would be even remotely close to publishable. As the years passed and I learned more about my writing, I thought about what changes I needed to make if I wanted to really make SU shine.

One of the biggest issues was that I originally wrote the novel in third person present tense. I cringe even thinking about that decision now. But, another issue that had cropped up thanks to the input from several of my early stage readers back then was that the prologue seemed to be emotionally distant and several people suggested that I focus that prologue on just the experience and feelings of one of the soon-to-be ghosts.

I can honestly say that now, after re-writing the prologue, those people who made that suggestion were all geniuses. Not only did I focus it on one character, but it is told from her point of view and without ever mentioning her name, because that will become an important part of the later plots. I love the new prologue quite a bit.

However, I can also say that I don't exactly consider that prologue to be the start of the story. It is the start of the novel, but practically the entire story--aside from the prologue--takes place in the present day. The more I read the original draft, the more I sort of hated it. I had Tru and her brother Luke in a car with their dad as he drove them to their new boarding school. It felt dull and forced and like so many other books I'd read, where the story starts off with a character or characters arriving at school and settling in, blah blah blah.

When I tried to re-write that first chapter I kept running into issues with trying to start the story with a focus on Tru, and it never felt right. Eventually I just wrote the basic idea down and continued with the story, since I put myself on a personal deadline for getting the story re-written, polished, and released.

Today, at work, I was finally struck with the perfect idea to fix that beginning with Tru and from that point I could just feel the words bubbling up and ready to explode from me and onto the page. I can still have the focus on Tru, but utilize another important character from the story to do so. Instead of following as Tru settles into her room and meets people, I can instead have Ian basically observing what happens when this new girl arrives at school and the ripples it causes around everyone else. Plus, with Ian already being so knowledgeable and accepting of his gift to see and speak to ghosts, he can also already point out that Tru is gifted, which brings the paranormal aspect in just a little sooner.

The big question now will be just how much this new beginning will affect the rest of the novel. If it slips seamlessly into place then I should still be able to have Souls Unknowing out by the end of January. But, if it causes a couple other scenes and such to be moved around or edited in any way then it may push the publication day back just a bit. At the very latest (I swear), this novel will be out by February 28, 2014. In some ways that could be nice, because then you'll be able to enjoy Project Death: Revelation in June/July and then Souls Abandoned will be out Dec/Jan 2015.

From the Stacks: Betrayal in the Highlands by Robert Evert

This is the second book of the series and I reviewed the first one, Riddle in Stone last February. I highly recommend this series, seriously. Also, I checked, and as of writing this post (January 16th) you can find Riddle in Stone for NOOK, Kindle, and Kobo (possibly other e-retailers as well) for only $0.99. Go buy it if you don't have it already. Betrayal in the Highlands is only $3.99, too, so you can grab both books for less than you would pay for one book at a bookstore.

Pursued relentlessly by goblin hunters for the ancient secret he knows, Edmund the stuttering librarian fights back in the fast-paced sequel to the epic fantasy novel, RIDDLE IN STONE. 

Edmund’s old, boring life is gone forever. Knowing the answer to a cryptic riddle that, if in the wrong hands, could destroy all of humanity, Edmund is hiding in a sleepy coastal town as far from the frozen mountains of the Undead King as possible. For a moment, he believes he’s finally safe. Then he learns that Molly, the woman he’s loved since childhood, is telling stories about him—stories that will get him and his friends killed. Edmund is forced to embark on a perilous journey home to confront the woman who broke his heart. If he fails, all will be lost.

Overall Rating: 5/5

Plot: This one moved at a much faster pace than the last one, and it is so much improved by the action, and the character interaction, and the suspense, and all of the plot threads that are being woven together and drawing closer around Edmund until he can't really run anymore. The goblins are still a threat, and the magic users are now considerably more active, and everyone is looking for Edmund because of the secret he knows. Betrayal in the Highlands was not just an adventure story, but also certainly a homecoming for Ed. During his travels he speaks of finding a place to settle down, where he can be left alone and not hunted, and upon returning to Rood, it is clear that the place will always be his home. Now it is just a matter for Edmund to realize that he is so much more than just a stuttering librarian.

New characters are introduced in this novel, which makes things interesting, and Edmund has to deal with even more love and loss as he struggles to figure out what to do so he can help his friends and keep everyone he knows and cares for, safe. It doesn't always work out, but I still see so much growth in the characters and in the story. It is enchanting and I very much look forward to reading more.

Edmund's story really is that of an underdog. He is a middle-aged librarian who has turned into an adventurer and has even lost an eye. And hey, if Edmund can find confidence in himself, and use his mind to solve problems and work for a better life and a better world, then there is help for all of us.

Characters: Edmund is back and most of the time it almost seems as if he has some semblance of control over his stuttering. It certainly feels that it lessens quite a bit more as the novel progresses, so I'm hopeful that it will continue into the third book. He is also growing a little more confident about his worth, though not much. Still, he is growing, and his successes and failures only make him more endearing.

Ah, Pond. What can I say about you? Never change. Yeah, I think that about sums it up. Pond is pretty darn awesome and is a worthwhile friend and companion to Ed, which is great. I love that they are so loyal to each other, especially after all they've been through, and that Pond has no problem pushing Ed to broaden his horizons a bit and to step a bit out of his comfort zone, which leads to some fun scenarios involving Pond trying to talk up Ed as a romantic prospect to numerous women.

Becky the dog was not as cool as Thorax, but by the end of the book she had certainly impressed me. We basically follow her from puppy to fully grown and she is a fierce protector who even manages to fight and scare goblins and magic users alike.

And the award for my favorite character in this book goes to...Abby! I'm not going to lie, in the first book I knew that Molly and Ed would not work out, mostly because I thought Molly was not exactly the nicest to Ed, and she just rubbed me the wrong way. That being said, I do feel sorry for how this book ended for her. But, if Ed can finally get over his infatuation with Molly, maybe he'll see that the perfect companion to his life is right there. Abby has a very sharp mind and it is obvious that Edmund finds her attractive. I was almost instantly drawn towards Abby's character, and hoped she would be a main character.

Now I just hope for a happy ending in book three.  Robert Evert is getting better with each book, and I'm sure that the best is yet to come. I will be impatiently awaiting the next installment.

Get Your Own Copy: B&N, Amazon, Kobo, Audible

In Search of Alpha Readers and Beta Readers

A lot of the writing process is incredibly solitary, but I've found that it really helps to have people around you to keep you inspired and motivated and even to keep you from making really silly spelling and grammar errors. I have a couple friends who have read through some of my novels-in-progress over the years, but I'm looking for people who want to help with the process so the books are as shiny and polished as they can be before they are published.

There are two different areas to help, and if you think you fit either category, please let me know. These areas are Alpha Readers and Beta Readers, and each are very important for different reasons.

Alpha Readers are on the front lines of the writing process. The way I see Alpha Readers are that they are looking at big areas that could derail a novel: specifically looking at characters, plot, description, dialogue. They are reading through the story to be certain that it makes sense and has a nice flow to it, without holding every sentence up to a magnifying glass, because Alpha Readers will likely be getting to look at a fairly rough draft.

Once the novel is finished I typically set it aside for a few days or a week and then do a read-through to see if I can catch any glaring errors. After that, the process should move on to the Beta Readers, who are basically editors. They are looking for problems with spelling, grammar, and anything else they want to nitpick on. It is best if Beta Readers are very detail oriented and are good with proper spelling and grammar. I can catch quite a bit of my mistakes but sometimes after reading through something a dozen times your brain skims over even the most obvious of mistakes.

I mostly write fantasy, paranormal/supernatural novels. Currently my novels feature angelic beings, Death, the Angel of Death, ghosts, mediators, kitsunes, werewolves, witches, vampires, merpeople, etc.

So, if you'd like to be an Alpha or Beta Reader, let me know in the comments, find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/magicinthestacks), or send me an e-mail at daniellethamasa@yahoo.com with the subject Alpha Reader (or) Beta Reader.

From the Stacks: Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Today's From the Stacks post is an apocalyptic/dystopian YA novel that features characters based on the Major Arcana of the Tarot deck, which is pretty interesting. It is a book that I had looked at in the store a lot and thought about reading, but then it turned into a book I needed to read after being selected as the alt. pick one month for the Vaginal Fantasy book club last year. Unfortunately all the other books I was reading as well as my writing projects pushed me behind on the VF reads (I'm basically six months behind right now, but I plan to catch up again this year) but I've missed watching the monthly discussions so I finally picked it up. The book: Poison Princess by Kresley Cole.

She could save the world—or destroy it. 

Sixteen year old Evangeline “Evie” Greene leads a charmed life—until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, killing everyone she loves, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they’re still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux. 

But she can’t do either alone. 

With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can’t totally trust Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him? 

Who can Evie trust? 

As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it’s not always clear who is on which side… 

In Poison Princess, New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole introduces a dark and intriguing world, full of unspeakable danger and irresistible romance.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Plot: In the beginning I thought that this story was moving pretty slow, and I get that it is the first book in a series and Kresley Cole is trying to handle both character development and world building and to set everything up for future books as well, which can be a difficult process. Also, the story kept jumping from the POV of Arthur to the POV of Evie, and I get how that was necessary, but more often than not when it switched back to Arthur it threw me out of the story for a moment and I had to mentally refocus on everything, which was a bit distracting. I'm not going to lie that I honestly thought about giving up in the beginning 25% of the book or so, but I decided to stick it out, and I'm glad I did, because everything started to improve as the book progressed. The characters became stronger and more developed, the world and plot started to come together, and the story pace picked up so that when I had to stop reading I kept wondering what would happen and would be lost in that dream world until I picked up the book again. I actually enjoy when that happens.

From the world building perspective as well as character development, I really enjoyed the Cajun dialect thrown into the story. It lent some authenticity and helped me to imagine everything better. I could hear the dialogue in my head based on the regional spelling of certain words and the distinct phrasing of sentences, particularly from Jackson.

Learning about the Arcana characters was interesting, and I'm glad that it took the whole book for Evie to really start to learn about who she is and what she can do. It wasn't like she instantly knew everything, which was great for the plot and the readers because it basically eased us into everything instead of dropping us straight into the deep end of the pool and expecting us to swim. Also, I thought the whole concept of the Flash and dealing with the aftermath was well done.

I am really looking forward to seeing what happens with Evie and the others in Endless Knight.

Characters: In the beginning Evie really really really annoyed me. She was the pretty and popular girl who had a secret she was keeping from everyone. She thought she was going crazy and even spent the summer locked up far away from home as doctors etc. tried to figure out what was wrong with her and medicate her to deal with her "hallucinations". I get that there are girls out there who really only care about their hair and clothes and makeup and worrying about their boyfriends and such, but I just don't really connect with those kinds of characters. But, after the Flash, Evie had to start worrying more about survival than looks, and once she finally leaves her house to try and find her grandmother, I feel like she really starts to develop and becomes someone I don't mind reading about as much.

However, the reason I stuck with this book long enough for it to get good was Jackson Deveaux. Oh Jack. You motorcycle riding Cajun. I think lately I've started to really enjoy the "bad boys" more in books, movies, and TV shows--such as Damon in "The Vampire Diaries", and Jack certainly hits the spot. Plus, as a motorcyclist myself, I guess I really do enjoy other biker characters. I didn't even mind that there wasn't much description about the motorcycle itself since the story is from Evie's POV and she obviously knows nothing about them. Though, watching as Jack basically gushed over a Ducati at a later point in the novel was adorable. Jack is Evie's protector through a great deal of the book and he basically earns the title of badass. He is good with mechanics, with weapons, and with survival. It is also nice that the relationship that seems to be building between Evie and Jack is not an insta-love situation, which really is quite annoying and seems to happen a lot in YA. I liked that they had a number of moments of basically disliking each other and then they built up trust in each other and a sort of friendship before the real romance started to come out in the open.

Other characters include other Arcana cards. Evie is The Empress, and we are also introduced to Matthew who is The Fool, and Selena who is The Moon. Other Arcana are introduced as well, but they don't play as big a role as Matthew and Selena in this book. Matthew is the character who explains a lot of the Arcana stuff to Evie, but a lot of what he says only seems to confuse her because he speaks in odd phrases and such that don't mean much at first. Later, when Evie actually meets Matthew in person she discovers that he is autistic and that explains a lot of his mental mannerisms from the first 75% of the book. Selena is technically The Moon but she is called The Archer quite a bit through the book as well, and in a number of ways she is a hybrid of Evie and Jack. She has the fashion and makeup and wealth of Evie, but the love of hunting and motorcycles and such that Jack has, which brings out Evie's jealousy as Selena and Jack start to spend time together, which I found slightly annoying, but I can say that Selena grew on me faster than Evie did. Since there are so many Arcana cards, I'll just say that we also meet, The Tower, Death, Temperance, The Hermit, The Devil, and Judgment. There's also the mention of other cards, such as The Sun, so I guess we'll be meeting more Arcana in the next book.

Obviously, you can tell by this review that there is a lot going on in this book, and it is a pretty good read with a lot of nice complexities. And, since Endless Knight was selected a couple months ago as an alt. pick for Vaginal Fantasy book club, I will be reading it soon enough.

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A New Year of Writing, Editing, and Self-Publishing

2013 marked the year that I started publishing my novels. In the six months that Project Death: Resurrection has been out I have sold roughly 32 paperback copies and there have been 40 e-book downloads. While I can admit to wishing that the numbers were bigger, I still feel happy that some people have purchased my book and read it. All the verbal reviews I've received through my mom's friends have been positive, and there are a few lovely people who are begging me for the sequel--sorry, that won't be out until this summer. So, though I am hoping for more sales for this book/series, I am also looking forward to everything I have on my schedule for this year.

Souls Unknowing will be coming out toward the end of the month. It is a paranormal YA book revolving around a group of teens who can see and speak to ghosts. This is the first book in the trilogy, and in it there are many secrets/truths/mysteries to be solved. I will have a post solely about the book up very soon.

Then, after Souls Unknowing is released, I will be focusing my attention on finishing/editing Project Death: Revelation, the second book in the Project Death series. What I love about this book is that it is part prequel, part sequel, and you really do need to read the first book first. There have been some interesting times with working on this book because unlike the first book where Tamesis told the story, this one is told from the POV of Thanos, and he is a lot more reserved and controlled than Tam. Also, since he is not fond of talking about his past, he sometimes doesn't even want to tell his story to me and that occasionally makes progress quite slow. Still, I expect Project Death: Revelation to be out in June or July.

They haven't announced when the sessions of Camp NaNoWriMo will be this year (and they change every year-- July and August, then June and August, and then April and August) but lately my mind has been returning to a novel I wrote for NaNoWriMo back in 2007, and the characters are getting pushy again. I like the characters and certain points of the plot still work, but everything they have told me lately means that a great deal of the story needs to change, and that means a re-write is in order. So, just to give myself a bit of a breather from the two series I'm writing and publishing now, I'll spend the first session of Camp working on Bounty: A Hunter's Tale, which is actually the first of a seven book series that I am considering publishing after I've completed the Souls Trilogy.

After that I'll return to the world of Tru and her mediator friends and finish up Souls Abandoned, the second book in the trilogy that I'm hoping to have published in December or possibly next January. I have the story mostly written so now it's just about wrapping up everything in a way that makes you want to delve straight into the final book. It should be fun, especially since Souls Abandoned has evolved so much since I started working on it back in high school.

I have not yet decided what to work on for the second session of Camp NaNoWriMo. I guess that will depend on how I'm doing with my other projects. If I don't finish Bounty in the first session, I may work on it for the second session, but then again, I might need to focus on Souls Abandoned. I really won't have everything set in stone until I get closer to summertime.

Of course, if nothing else is immediately pressing for the second session of Camp, then I may bump my NaNo project up from November to Camp session 2, and start work on Project Death: Redemption since I need to have it finished and ready to go for summer 2015. What will be fun with Redemption is that is shows yet another side in the war between the Resurrectors and Death/Balance by following a young woman who died without a Resurrector to save her or a Reaper to guide her soul to the afterlife. The third book will also delve a little more into Addie's history, which I hadn't predicted when I started the series years ago. It has been amazing learning more about the characters and the world through this whole process.

So, that's all I can think of for now. The year of 2014 will be spent working on at least four novels, publishing two (maybe three), and setting myself up for hopefully even more book sales and fans and new experiences. I'll probably do the December book signing again in 2014 and with more books available I might be able to entice more people into my books. It would be pretty darn awesome. I'm even thinking about maybe trying to set up a book signing or something in the summer to celebrate the release of Revelation. We'll see what happens.

From the Stacks: The Fairest of Them All by Carolyn Turgeon

Aside from the books and authors on my auto-buy list, I am going to attempt to spend 2014 reading the books I have but have not finished before buying all the new shiny and awesome sounding books. I don't know how successful I'll be, but I will at least make an effort. Because of that, a number of my From the Stacks reviews may or may not be "older" books. 

Also, because of needing to spend more time on my creative writing and not all of my reviews here, I am halting the two-reviews-a-week for the foreseeable future. So, my blogging schedule right now is that there will be a writing update post on Tuesdays and a From the Stacks review on Fridays (though the occasional bonus review may still crop up).

So, for my first review of the year, I have The Fairest of Them All by Carolyn Turgeon, an author I discovered a couple years ago and who is on my auto-buy list. She does retellings, mostly of the fairy tale variety. The Fairest of Them All is a hybrid retelling that brilliantly combines the stories of both Rapunzel and Snow White.

What if Rapunzel was Snow White’s evil stepmother? From the author of Godmother and Mermaid, The Fairest of Them All explores what happens when fairy tale heroines grow up and don’t live happily ever after. 

Living in an enchanted forest, Rapunzel spends her days tending a mystical garden with her adoptive mother, Mathena. A witch, Mathena was banished from court because of her magic powers, though the women from the kingdom still seek her advice and herbal remedies. She waits, biding her time to exact revenge against those who betrayed her. 

One day Rapunzel’s beautiful voice and long golden locks captivate a young prince hunting in the forest nearby. Overcome, he climbs her hair up to her chamber and they fall into each other’s arms. But their afternoon of passion is fleeting, and the prince must return to his kingdom, as he is betrothed to another. 

Now king, he marries his intended to bring peace to his kingdom. They have a stunning daughter named Snow White. Yet the king is haunted by his memories of Rapunzel, and after the mysterious death of his wife, realizes he is free to marry the woman he never stopped longing for. In hopes of also replacing the mother of his beloved daughter, the king makes Rapunzel his queen. 

But when Mathena’s wedding gift of an ancient mirror begins speaking to her, Rapunzel falls under its evil spell, and the king begins to realize that Rapunzel is not the beautiful, kind woman he dreamed of.

Overall Rating: 5/5

Plot: Finding a way to put a unique twist on Rapunzel and Snow White is interesting enough but to combine the two tales together and make Rapunzel into Snow White's step-mother...that is genius, and it works so well. This novel is told from Rapunzel's POV and you really feel for her in her loneliness and her struggles, particularly after she meets Prince Josef. There are so many little connections in this story, not just with the classic fairy tales but also with Greek mythology. The first part of the story takes place in the forest and in Rapunzel's tower, and after the Prince (now King) comes for Rapunzel the story moves to the castle, and that is where all the various plot threads weave together, and we discover what set Rapunzel on this path as well as what outcome is in store for the kingdom. It is a well put together story that is quick and easy to read.

Characters: Rapunzel is definitely an anti-heroine and after becoming the Queen she does teeter on the brink of turning into a villain, but I'd like to think that her overall goodness keeps her on the right track. She does not have the easiest of lives, with the secrets kept from her, the lies told to her, the struggle of using magic and the ethical issues inherent in that struggle, and dealing with the consequences of her actions. Plus, I have to say that I really enjoyed the relationship between Rapunzel and Snow White; it was adorable and I kinda liked that for once it seemed that Snow White had a decent stepmother who cared for her. Mathena Gothel, the woman who raised Rapunzel is who I would call the villain in the story, but she wasn't exactly evil. She had just been treated badly and was in a way seeking justice for what happened to her. Prince/King Josef was more a secondary character and he spent most of the time entranced by Rapunzel's voice and hair in a way that made his love and passion fueled by that magic rather than anything honestly true. I did believe in his love for his daughter though. The male character I did enjoy was Gilles, who plays the role of the Huntsman in the classic Snow White tale, though in this rendition he is not a classic hunter but a falconer/hawker, which is pretty cool. I actually wish a little more time had been spent with him because much like with Josef, this was more of a secondary role. Then again, it was nice that the main focus of the story was on the leading ladies.

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