I’m so excited to finally share the cover to The Uprising, book three in the young/new adult dystopian romantic adventure series, The Union! Once again, Mark Sgarbossa created a true work of art that so perfectly captures the story. See below for the cover, information, and a preorder link.
The Uprising (The Union Series #3) by T.H. Hernandez
About the Book
Title: The Uprising Series: The Union Series #3 Author: T.H. Hernandez Release Date: January 19, 2016 Genre: Young Adult/New Adult Adventure Links: Goodreads | Amazon
Synopsis Recovering from a near-fatal gunshot wound, eighteen-year-old Evan Taylor must find a way to stop the Uprising, an underground movement committed to destroying the Union, before her homeland is attacked.
After spending the last four months in the Ruins trying to get back to the only girl he’s ever loved, nineteen-year-old Cyrus needs to get past his jealousy over Evan’s involvement with Bryce or risk losing her again.
Together, Evan and Cyrus join with their friends to devise a plan to save both the Ruins and the Union, but when the pressure’s on, bickering and infighting threaten to undermine their goals. New information revealing a weakness in the Uprising is uncovered, forcing them to act quickly or risk losing everything.
With the help of old friends and new allies they set out to make history, but it might just take a miracle for everyone to make it out alive.
THE UPRISING is the third book in THE UNION series, a young adult romantic adventure set in the near future..
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Excerpt The unevenly paved Mexico streets are as jacked up as any out in the Ruins. Rainey and I make our way past colorful buildings with chipping paint and rusted railings surrounding precarious balconies. But at least the ground isn’t moving.
“You’re looking a little less ripe, there, Cyrus,” Rainey says with her raspy voice.
I cut my eyes to her, but don’t respond. I’ve never been as sick in my life as I was on that boat. All I want to do is get to a hotel and lie down. Aside from the sea sickness, we had an uneventful trip. No one paid any attention to us when we docked, and we’ve walked for several hours now without being accosted.
Since we’re posing as a couple, when we approach the center of town, I reach down and take Rainey’s hand. It’s even smaller than Evan’s and feels foreign resting in mine.
Rainey lifts her gaze to mine and smirks. Yeah, she’s about as thrilled with this ruse as I am. We enter the lobby of a stained green two-story hotel with crooked, worn shutters. A stone floor lists to one side as we make our way to the registration desk where a guy with a thick mustache and a bright orange button up shirt greets us. He says something in Spanish with enthusiasm, smiling so hard his cheeks nearly touch his ears.
Rainey responds, indicating me and continues on in a rapid fire conversation. She hands him a few bills and he gives her a key.
I follow her back outside, carrying our bags. One duffel is filled with a handful of clothes and toiletries and the others are stuffed with more bags to carry guns and ammo back to the Union. Money is sewn in hidden pockets in our fatigues, a knife is strapped to my ankle, and a gun sits in the waistband of my jeans.
Rainey heads down an alley only wide enough for us to fit through single-file. Behind the hotel is a staircase that wobbles with each step. Great. She stops at a door at the end of a narrow balcony with only a suspect railing to keep us from tumbling down the rocks to the beach a hundred feet below.
We enter a dark room smelling of vomit and dirty socks. A queen-sized bed is against the wall and a beat-up upholstered chair and ottoman sit in the corner.
“Only one bed?”
“We’re supposed to be a couple visiting from the Northern Territories,” she says. “I couldn’t very well ask for two beds.”
Rainey is about half my size, but there’s no way I’m letting her sleep anywhere but the bed.
“Okay, I’ll take the chair.”
She snorts. “You don’t have to do that. Your virtue is safe with me. Plus, you’re not exactly my type.”
My head swings her way. “Wrong plumbing?”
“Ego much? Wow, just because I don’t want to get all sweaty and horizontal with you, I must not be into guys. Is it really that rare for a hetero girl not to fling herself at you?”
I roll my eyes, not in the mood for this, but if we’re going to share a bed, might as well get this conversation over with. “No. It was the way you said it. I don’t know, forget I said anything.”
“You’re not bad to look at or anything, I just prefer my guys to be…less pathetically in love with someone else.”
“Point made. I’m gonna lie down until my stomach stops heaving. Join me or don’t.”
I flop on the bed and close my eyes, still feeling the gentle, and then not-so-gentle, rocking of the waves until I doze off.
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The Ruins (The Union Series #2) by T.H. Hernandez
About the Book
Title: The Ruins Series: The Union Series #2 Author: T.H. Hernandez Release Date: June 16, 2015 Genre: Young Adult Adventure Links: Goodreads | Amazon
Synopsis Heartbroken, grief-stricken, and wracked with guilt, seventeen-year-old Evan Taylor returned to the Union, leaving behind the boy she loved.
Now, she and her friends must find a way to do the impossible – warn the citizens of the Union about an impending rebel attack without alerting the government and risking retaliation against her friends in the Ruins.
When every move Evan makes is thwarted, it soon becomes clear she’s being watched.
Faced with a daily fight to stay one step ahead of her pursuers, she returns to the Ruins. But life in the Ruins has its own dangers, and soon she’s fighting a different battle – to stay alive long enough to discover the truth.
THE RUINS is the second book in THE UNION series, a young adult romantic adventure set in the near future.
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The Union (The Union Series #1) by T.H.Hernandez
About Book 1
Title: The Union Series: The Union Series #1 Author: T.H. Hernandez Release Date: November 18, 2014 Genre: Young Adult Adventure Links: Goodreads | Amazon
Synopsis After global warming and a second civil war devastated the former United States, two different societies rose from the ashes – the Union, a towering high-tech utopia, hugging the perimeter of the continent, and the devastated, untamed midsection known as the Ruins.
Seventeen-year-old Evan Taylor has an easy, privileged life in the Union. What she doesn’t have is any idea what to do with the rest of her life. She only knows she wants to do something meaningful, to make a difference in the lives of others.
When she’s kidnapped and taken into the Ruins as a pawn in a dispute involving her boyfriend, Bryce, her ideal world is turned upside down.
What she learns while in the Ruins shakes her faith in everything she’s ever known, from Bryce, to her family, and even the Union itself.
Now Evan must choose whether to stay with Cyrus, the sexy, resourceful survivor who believes she’s in the Ruins for a reason, or return to the only life she’s ever known.
But when she stumbles upon a dangerous plot that threatens both worlds, her decision could tear her apart.
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Author T.H. Hernandez
About the Author T.H. Hernandez is the author of young adult books. The Union, a futuristic dystopian adventure, was a finalist in the 2015 San Diego book awards in the Young Adult Fiction category.
If she’s not writing, you can usually find her reading, finishing more than 200 books over the past two years. She loves pumpkin spice lattes, Comic-Con, Star Wars, Doctor Who marathons, Bad Lip Reading videos, and all things young adult, especially the three young adults who share her home.
When not visiting the imaginary worlds inside her head, T.H. Hernandez lives in usually sunny San Diego, California with her husband and three children, a couple of cats and a dog who thinks he’s a cat, often referred to as “the puppycat.”
About the Artist Mark Sgarbossa is an award-winning artist from San Diego, California. A partial list of his clients include Three Seconds of Summer, Jason Mraz, Target Stores, Tony Hawk, Franz Ferdinand, Major League Baseball, San Diego State University, Snowboarder Magazine, 3 Doors Down, and AC/DC.
In addition to art, Mark is a talented musician. He played rhythm guitar and sang vocals in the indie band The Shirlies as well as playing synth and singing in the live electro duo ROTATOR.
Today’s theme for 1 Line Wednesday, sponsored by RWA’s Kiss of Death Chapter is Friendship. Here’s a line from my new young adult superhero novel, Superhero High.
The album is filled with pictures of us. Ballet recitals, swim meets, birthdays. We’ve been together for all life’s important events. Until now. I swipe away a tear and whisper, “I can’t do this without you, Ronny.”
You can see previous week’s themes and lines here.
Synopsis On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary.
Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge.
Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior.
Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?
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My Review I got the unabridged version of this book from Audible. All 19 hours and 11 minutes worth. At times, I loved the story and took the long way to and from my destination, or lapped the block one more time to continue listening. Other times, I hated it, chose music over audiobooks for months at a time. It took me nearly ten months to finish it. What I can’t deny is that Gillian Flynn is a hell of a writer. The story is intriguing, captivating, unnerving. The audiobook production is among the best I’ve ever listened to, and I listen to a lot of audiobooks. The narrators are talented and brought the characters to life. And what characters they are. Complex, deep, fully three-dimensional, and unfortunately, utterly loathsome.
I absolutely salivated over the brilliant writing of Gillian Flynn, took notes, wished I could write like that. The story was engaging at times, difficult to read at others. The pacing was slow in spots, and those were the times I felt myself less inclined to listen for awhile. At other times, it was fast, riveting. At no point did I figure out what was going to happen next. The plot twists are inspired. So with all of this going for it, why couldn’t I give it five stars? The book left me unsettled, and not in the way a good thriller does. It left me feeling ambivalent toward all the characters, as in I don’t really care what happens to them. In some ways, I wish I’d never read about them. And the ending was flat, not living up to the expectations the author set with her amazing plotting throughout.
Plot
The plotting was fantastic. There were so many twists and turns and unexpected surprises. Gillian Flynn is a master of pre-shadowing. Everything that happens has a purpose that may not become clear until a long time later, but her method of storytelling ensures even the smallest detail is memorable.
Characters The characters are well developed, believable, stunningly crafted. Even the smallest character was thoroughly developed. I just didn’t care for any of them. Didn’t care what happened to them, and still don’t. But they will not soon be forgotten.
What Didn’t Work for Me 1. The ending. I absolutely despised how it just ended in a way that felt unfinished. Sometimes, I wonder if maybe it went on longer than necessary, other times, I think it stopped too soon. I just know it feels unfinished and not in a “sequel is coming” kind of way.
2. The characters. Man, I hate them all, with the exception of maybe Margo and Boney. I can’t deny the characters are three-dimensional and wholly realistic. The world is full of people who are difficult or impossible to like. But in the end, I had no one to root for in Gone Girl.
What I Enjoyed About Gone Girl
1. The writing. Flawless, beautiful prose underlies a dark mystery with contemptible characters.
2. The plot twists. There were so many of them and they were so perfectly woven in, they were nearly seamless.
3. The narration. Both voice actors were amazing. This is one of the best audiobook productions I’ve ever listened to.
4. The character development. Yes, I loathe them, but they are so well crafted, I have to remind myself they’re fictional.
5. Attention to detail. The vivid writing made the scenes come alive in my mind as I listened. In some ways, I feel as if I watched a movie.
Bottom Line Gone Girl is a disturbing tale, beautifully written, and the audiobook version is one of the best produced I’ve ever listened to.
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About the Audiobook
Title: Gone Girl Author: Gillian Flynn Release Date: May 24, 2012 Publisher: Random House Audible Narrators: Julia Whelan andKirby Heyborne Length: 19 Hours 11 Minutes Genre: Contemporary Mystery/Thriller/Suspense Story Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars Audio Production Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars Links: Goodreads | Audible | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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Author Gillian Flynn
About the Author Gillian Flynn is an American author and television critic for Entertainment Weekly. She has so far written three novels, Sharp Objects, for which she won the 2007 Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for the best thriller; Dark Places; and her best-selling third novel Gone Girl.
Her book has received wide praise, including from authors such as Stephen King. The dark plot revolves around a serial killer in a Missouri town, and the reporter who has returned from Chicago to cover the event. Themes include dysfunctional families,violence and self-harm.
In 2007 the novel was shortlisted for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar for Best First Novel by an American Writer, Crime Writers’ Association Duncan Lawrie, CWA New Blood and Ian Fleming Steel Daggers, winning in the last two categories.
Flynn, who lives in Chicago, grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. She graduated at the University of Kansas, and qualified for a Master’s degree from Northwestern University.
Bad Romance A Stepbrother Novel by by Jen McLaughlin
Synopsis In this explosive novel from New York Times bestselling author Jen McLaughlin, a good girl falls for the ultimate bad boy: her stepbrother. Perfect for fans of Sabrina Paige, Caitlin Daire, and Krista Lakes, Bad Romance proves that passion can be so wrong it’s right.
Seven years in the army will change a guy. But after a shoulder wound ends his career as a sniper, Jackson Worthington finds himself back home, fighting a battle that’s all too familiar: keeping his hands off Lily Hastings. She’s still her rich daddy’s little angel, innocent, impossibly lovely, as squeaky-clean as Jackson is dirty. And she’s still his stepsister—forbidden but not forgotten, not after the soul-melting kiss that got him kicked out of the house at eighteen. He couldn’t resist her then. How the hell can he resist her now?
Lily is about to marry a man she doesn’t love, and commit to a high-stress job she hates, all to please the father who controls every waking moment of her life. On top of everything, her teenage crush is back, with a sleek, chiseled body and a trace of the rebellious boy whose lips sealed her fate. Jackson’s timing couldn’t be worse . . . or better. Because Lily’s all grown up, too. She’s aching for another taste. And for the first time, she’s ready to be a bad girl.
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My Review Anyone who follows my reviews knows I love a good angsty forbidden romance, and what’s more forbidden than a stepbrother? Granted, they don’t meet until they’re teens and aren’t really raised as siblings, but there is still something salacious about it.
Jackson and Lilly are both messed up in very different ways. Jackson was abandoned by his father at a young age and he’s always felt like a burden to his mother. Lilly has been the apple of daddy’s eye her entire life, which he’s scripted for her. Everything from her career to whom she’ll marry is out of her control.
Jackson acts out, and an off-limits Lilly is the perfect act of defiance. Lilly always behaves the way she’s expected, never making her own choices, until Jackson. She wants him. The story is filled with lies, a few surprises, and intense emotions.
Plot
It’s a straight-up story of forbidden love. With so many things keeping these two apart, it seems at times like they’ll be insurmountable. Although the reader knows Jackson and Lilly belong together, Jackson’s self-loathing and Lilly’s sense of duty at times make us question if they really do. The plot moves at a steady pace and there aren’t a lot of twists, but there are a few surprises that keep it from being just another contemporary romance.
Characters
Jackson and Lilly are well-developed, complex characters. Lilly experiences more growth through the story than Jackson, and I would have liked a little more from him. Their parents, on the other hand, seem a bit cliche at times, which works well for the plot. For a story light on characters, it would have been nice to find out more about why their abominable parents are the way they are, but that didn’t detract in any way from my enjoyment of the romance.
Ending I thought the ending was almost anticlimactic. There’s a big event that leads up to the end that was unexpectedly awesome. I’m not disappointed, but I thought the actual ending lacked the same punch the climax held. I will say the conclusion was more than satisfying, though, and that’s all I can ask for.
What Didn’t Work for Me
1. Too much waffling. I found Lilly to annoying at times. I totally understood her motivation, but she seemed to waffle on it a lot. Like way more than necessary. 2. Repetition. There were times I felt like we revisited the same issues over and over again.
What I Enjoyed About Bad Romance 1. Loyalty. Jackson’s loyalty to his country, to Lilly. Lilly’s loyalty to Jackson, her father, the people who work for her father’s company. Both of them were good people which helped me overlook some of their annoyingness. 2. First loves. There’s a sweetness underlying the sexual chemistry of Jackson and Lilly that took their love story to another level for me. 3. Forbidden love. One of my favorite types of romances. 4. The angst. Another one of my favorite romantic elements. 5. Passion. There was so much passion between Jackson and Lilly it became almost its own character in the story.
Bottom Line Bad Romance is a page-turning romance about forbidden love and learning to live your own life.
Disclaimer
I was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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About the Book Title: Bad Romance: A Stepbrother Novel Author: Jen McLauchlin Publisher: Loveswept Release Date: September 15, 2015 Pages: 242 Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
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Author Jen McLaughlin
About the Author Jen McLaughlin is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of sexy books with Penguin Random House. Under her pen name, Diane Alberts, she is also a USA TODAY bestselling author of Contemporary Romance with Entangled Publishing. Her first release as Jen McLaughlin, Out of Line, hit the New York Times, USA TODAY and Wall Street Journal lists. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. She is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.
Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal-clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, and four cats. Her goal is to write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.
A special thank you to author Christi J. Whitney for today’s guest post on which character from her Romany Outcasts Series would make a great companion for Doctor Who. I always love when I discover a fellow author who is also a Whovian, so I couldn’t resist posing this topic to her, and I’m absolutely delighted with her response! To find out more about Christi and her book, Grey, a young adult fantasy including buy links and details on her giveaway, please see below.
1) Why ____ from the Romany Outcast Series would make an excellent companion for Doctor Who – and the first time/place he/she would request to visit would be ____.
I have to say, when I received this topic to write about for my guest post, I couldn’t stop grinning. It combines two of my favorite passions – writing fantasy and watching Doctor Who. I’ve been a fan of the British television show since I was twelve years old. I first set eyes on that crazy-haired, long scarfed, completely eccentric Fourth Doctor on late-night public television reruns on Saturday evening…and I fell in love.
Of course, Doctor Who wasn’t big in America when I was growing up. Actually, I didn’t know anyone that even knew what the show was! I would’ve loved to have gotten my hands on some merchandise – to have a Tardis toy or a stuffed K-9, but you couldn’t find anything in stores. I used to record episodes on my old cassette tape recorder and play them in my room at night to go to sleep. I didn’t even know another Doctor Who fan until I was in my mid-twenties.
Suffice it to say, when the show came back for a reboot in 2005, I was in heaven. And now, I can go out to the store and actually find Doctor Who stuff in the aisles. I can order string lights and t-shirts and sonic screwdrivers to my heart’s content. It’s a great time to be alive!!
I love the idea of one of my characters from Grey being visited by the Doctor himself and asked to go on some adventures.
I feel my main character Sebastian Grey would be a bit skeptical when the strange man with the big blue box dropped into his back yard. Sebastian is dealing with enough secrets and weird occurrences in his own life. He wants answers to what’s going on, but he’s also afraid of what he may find. However, his best friend Katie Lewis would absolutely jump at the chance to fly off with the time travelling alien.
Katie’s been wracking her brain to try and figure out what’s been going on with Sebastian, and the Doctor might just be able to help her figure it out. Plus, she’s always loved to travel, anyway. What would it hurt to go and visit a few places while she’s at it? Katie’s never met a stranger and has no problem speaking her mind, so she feels she could pretty much keep the Doctor in his place if he starts to get off track.
Just a few pit stops, though…Paris, definitely. England in the Victorian era. And ancient Rome. Because, why not? Besides, she’s always wanted to see how those togas actually worked as a fashion statement.
But then, off to get some answers about Sebastian. Why is he so secretive, and what’s going on with him lately? She’s pretty sure it has something to do with Josephine, but she can’t get anything out of him. But with the Tardis and the Doctor at her disposal? She might just find out!
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Grey (Romany Outcasts #1) by Christi J. Whitney
About the Book
Title: Grey Series: Romany Outcasts #1 Author: Christi J. Whitney Publisher: Harper Voyager Release Date: April 30, 2015 Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Harper Voyager | Book Depository
Synopsis Sebastian Grey always thought he was a fairly normal teenager –- good friends, decent grades, and a pretty sweet job in his foster brother’s tattoo shop.
But when Romany gypsies arrive in town, Sebastian discovers that his world is not what it seems.
There is an age-old feud between his family and the gypsies — and this isn’t the only secret his brother has been keeping from him. His life is not his own.
The girl he’s been dreaming about has just turned up at school, and he feels compelled to protect her at all costs.
Even if that means life might never be normal again.
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Trailer
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Upcoming Releases by Christi J. Whitney
SHADOW (Book 2 in “The Romany Outcasts Series”) – 2 June, 2016.
MIDNIGHT (Book 3 in “The Romany Outcasts Series”) – 2017.
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Author Christi J. Whitney
About the Author Christi J. Whitney is a former high school theatre director with a love for the dramatic.
She lives just outside Atlanta with her husband and two sons.
When not spending time with them or taking a ridiculous number of trips to Disney World, she can be found directing plays, making costumes for sci-fi/fantasy conventions, geeking out over Doctor Who, and watching superhero movies.
Synopsis Every decade, the world’s monarchs and their heirs secretly convene to discuss global politics and social issues—and arrange marriages between kingdoms.
Elsa may be the Hereditary Princess of Vattenguldia, but she finds the entire situation archaic and unsavory. While she wants what’s best for her country, she isn’t about to jump into an unwanted relationship—let alone a marriage—with a virtual stranger. Of course, her feelings matter little to her parents, whose wheeling and dealings over trade pacts and alliances achieved at her expense begin the moment they set foot in California for the Summit. So when a blindingly handsome royal runs into her, she doesn’t hesitate to tell him there’s no way she’s marrying him.
Christian is all too happy to agree: no marriage. As the Hereditary Grand Duke of Aiboland, his main goal is to get through the summit without a bride being foisted on him. Which is why he suggests they help each other field potential intendeds. As Christian slowly gets to know Elsa, though, he realizes they have a lot more in common than just their feelings about the Royal Marriage Market. Only he can’t fall for her, because royal or not, they’re not meant for each other.
Elsa and Christian will have to evaluate matters of the heart verses those of state and crown, and decide whether or not tradition trumps love.
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My Review Royal Marriage Market is about two twenty-something royals who must choose between love and duty. Set in modern day, Christian and Elsa are the heirs to the respective thrones of their tiny northern European countries. Each country needs something that only an arranged marriage can solve. Both Christian and Elsa are dead set against being used as bargaining chips by their parents. Their initial meeting is antagonistic when Elsa assumes Christian is looking for a good time. Just because all the world’s single royals are gathered at Hearst Castle in California for a modern day dating game, doesn’t mean shenanigans aren’t going on behind the scenes, and Elsa refuses to partake in any of it.
Of course these two are destined to be together because, well, the rules state they can’t be. As they straddle a fine line between bickering and flirting, they fall reluctantly in like and then love just as their marriages to others are sealed by their parents.
Plot
The plot is about Christian and Elsa and forbidden love, but a few nice little subplots weave through that show us why these two can’t be together, and why their respective parents have chosen their particular mates for them.
Characters
Elsa and Christian are both delightful, but there is also a phenomenal supporting cast. Both Christian’s and Elsa’s personal assistants, Parker and Charlotte, are fully-developed and intriguing in their own right. Family members and other royals round out the cast nicely, providing just the right mix for Christian and Elsa’s story.
Ending I love that I wasn’t able to figure out the big mystery behind the pairings and I like the way the story wrapped up in a satisfying conclusion.
What Didn’t Work for Me
1. Not much. The story is witty and charming, but I felt it took a little long to develop. I found myself setting it down more often than not in the early chapters. But once it got going, it was a fast, easy read.
What I Enjoyed About Royal Marriage Market 1. The chemistry. The heat between Elsa and Christian is immediate and spark-y. 2. The magic hour. I love the whole idea of a magical hour of firsts. 3. Forbidden love. Some of my favorite romances involve this trope, and RMM is no exception. 4. The language. They are royals, and therefore the dialogue is refined, but I love how it’s peppered with a healthy dose of colorful language! 5. Parker and Charlotte. How fun would it be to get a book from their points of view?
Bottom Line Royal Marriage Market is a fun twist on the contemporary romance genre with plenty of chemistry and more than a few laughs.
Disclaimer
I was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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About the Book Title: Royal Marriage Market Author: Heather Lyons Publisher: Cerulean Books Release Date: December 15, 2015 Pages: 335 Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | iBooks | Kobo
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About the Author Heather Lyons has always had a thing for words—She’s been writing stories since she was a kid. In addition to writing, she’s also been an archaeologist and a teacher.
Heather is a rabid music fan, as evidenced by her (mostly) music-centric blog, and she’s married to an even larger music snob.
They’re happily raising three kids who are mini music fiends who love to read and be read to.
Synopsis Endless ideas at your fingertips, and at the turn of a page…
Need an idea for a short story or novel? Look no further than The Writer’s Idea Thesaurus. It’s far more than a collection of simple writing prompts. You’ll find a vast treasury of story ideas inside, organized by subject, theme, and situation categories, and listed alphabetically for easy reference.
Author and award-winning writing instructor Fred White shows you how to build out and customize these ideas to create unique plots that reflect your personal storytelling sensibilities, making The Writer’s Idea Thesaurus an invaluable tool for generating creative ideas and vanquishing writer’s block—for good.
Inside you’ll find:
•2,000 unique and dynamic story ideas perfect for novels and short stories of any genre or writing style
•Twenty major idea categories, such as The Invasion of X, The Transformation of X into Y, Escape from X, The Curse of X, and more
•Multiple situations that further refine the major categories, such as The Creation of Artificial Life, The Descent Into Madness, Love in the Workplace, The Journey to a Forgotten Realm, and more
•Invaluable advice on how to customize each idea.
The Writer’s Idea Thesaurus is an interactive story generator that opens the door to thousands of new story arcs and plotlines.
My Review The concept behind The Writer’s Idea Thesaurus intrigued me. I don’t suffer from a lack of story ideas, but sometimes in fleshing them out, I need a little inspiration. It’s definitely an interesting concept, but I found it a little overwhelming. I tried to consume it the way I do most books, by starting at the front and working my way to the back. It’s really designed to allow you to jump around, so I gave that a try next. Ultimately I came to the conclusion it’s really more of a reference book, just like your regular thesaurus. Once I figured that out, I realized it’s got a lot of promise. Think of it as one of those flip books for kids with the three parts — you flip the pages to put a cow’s head on an ostrich body with kangaroo legs. Pick and choose from various concepts to put together your own unique story idea.
Bottom Line The Writer’s Idea Thesaurus lives up to its name as a unique reference guide to aid writers in developing story ideas.
Title: The Writer’s Idea Thesaurus: An Interactive Guide for Developing Ideas for Novels and Short Stories Author: Fred White Publisher: Writer’s Digest Books Publication Date: September 30, 2014 Pages: 320 Category: Writing Fiction Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars Links: Goodreads | Amazon |Barnes & Noble
A special thank you to author Randi Cooley Wilson for today’s guest post on why she chose Gargoyles to populate her Revelation Series. To find out more about Randi and her book, Restoration, a new adult paranormal romance, including buy links and details on her giveaway, please see below.
The Sexy Appeal of Gargoyles
Those of us obsessed with urban fantasy and paranormal romance stories understand the pull and fascination we as readers have with sexy, brooding, supernatural beings. After all, angels, demons, vampires and werewolves aren’t the only supernatural creatures we’re obsessed with these days.
The newest, and sexiest, fantasy boyfriend comes in the form of Asher St. Michael. A protector in The Revelation Series, which includes: Revelation, Restraint, Redemption, Revolution and Restoration. Asher is the leader of the London Clan of Gargoyles. He’s a brooding bad boy, who is loyal, sexy, wealthy and struggling with falling in love with his charge, Eve Collins.
“Gargoyles?” you question with disbelief lining your voice. Gargoyles, I assure. You mean the ugly stone statues that sit on top of buildings? Yep, those are the ones! Over the years, Gothic folklore tells tales of gargoyles as living, breathing creatures who watch over a charge. In mythology, they are perceived to be noble beings, protectors of mankind, and over the centuries they have bound themselves to ensure human safety. What could be more sexy than that?
As an author, I am fascinated with mythology and the history behind the why’s of certain tales. In my opinion, when you delve into the history of gargoyles, it seems only natural that these creatures, which were created to protect, make their way into our paranormal romance stories, which is why I wrote an entire series based around these supernatural beings.
So how do you make stone statues sexy and appealing to readers? When writing about these otherworld characters, I found myself drawn to a few key ingredients that make up a hot, sexy, brooding, bad-boy leading man and applied them to the main characters in this series.
When I developed the character backgrounds for The Revelation Series’ gargoyles, I first started with the mythology behind the beings. I began with how they were created to protect, and then developed key character traits I felt were important in that line of work. For instance, which side, Heaven or Hell, would they be protecting? Would they love once, mate for life, or multiple times? Since gargoyles are bound to a charge, would that be a blood bond and what would happen if that bond were with a female, who is not their mate? It was also important that each clan member had a connection to garish and old-school Gaelic with names and historically correct regional and physical traits.
In my research, I discovered that most gargoyles found family, or clan, of high importance. In addition, they were considered fiercely loyal and had keen protective instincts. Add those elements to more human personality aspects such as: confidence, sense of humor, how deeply they can love and family bonds — and you’ve got yourself ingredients for some pretty sexy gargoyles. Of course, some tattoos and piercings never hurt a leading male either.
Aside from looks, wealth, strength and the physical beauty of The Revelation Series’ Gargoyles is that above all else, they are willing to sacrifice everything in order to be with the person they love and that, in any species, human or supernatural, is really the core of what each one of us is looking for. To be loved completely, and accepted for who we are..
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Restoration (Revelation #5) by Randi Cooley Wilson
About the Book
Title: Restoration Series: Revelation #5 Author: Randi Cooley Wilson Release Date: November 30, 2015 Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords
Synopsis Would You Run
Would You Fight
Would You Fall To Fate
If your heart was full of love, could you give it all up?
Eve Collins will do anything to save those she loves, especially her gargoyle protector and mate, Asher St. Michael. With the world crumbling down around them, Eve and Asher must face the final battle between darkness and light. One that will end in great sacrifice.
When the skies darken and love in it’s truest form is tested, would you run? When death becomes silence and battle lines are drawn, would you fight? If you had to sacrifice, to save the one you loved, would you fall to fate? Would you dare to let it go?
The End, Begins.
Restoration is the highly anticipated finale in the Revelation Series, a mesmerizing epic romantic journey filled with dark themes, beautifully melancholic musings, divine secrets, sacrifice and forbidden love.
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Author Randi Cooley Wilson
About the Author Randi Cooley Wilson is a new adult paranormal/fantasy and contemporary romance author.
A resident of Massachusetts, she makes stuff up, devours romance books, drinks lots of wine and coffee, and has a slight addiction to bracelets.
Next Door to a Star (Star Series #1) by Krysten Lindsay Hagar
Synopsis Hadley Daniels is tired of feeling invisible.
After Hadley’s best friend moves away and she gets on the bad side of some girls at school, she goes to spend the summer with her grandparents in the Lake Michigan resort town of Grand Haven. Her next door neighbor is none other than teen TV star Simone Hendrickson, who is everything Hadley longs to be—pretty, popular, and famous—and she’s thrilled when Simone treats her like a friend.
Being popular is a lot harder than it looks.
It’s fun and flattering when Simone includes her in her circle, though Hadley is puzzled about why her new friend refuses to discuss her former Hollywood life. Caught up with Simone, Hadley finds herself ignoring her quiet, steadfast friend, Charlotte.
To make things even more complicated, along comes Nick Jenkins…
He’s sweet, good-looking, and Hadley can be herself around him without all the fake drama. However, the mean girls have other ideas and they fill Nick’s head with lies about Hadley, sending him running back to his ex-girlfriend and leaving Hadley heartbroken.
So when her parents decide to relocate to Grand Haven, Hadley hopes things will change when school starts…only to be disappointed once again.
Cliques. Back-stabbing. Love gone bad.
Is this really what it’s like to live…Next Door To A Star?
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My Review I’ll admit I wasn’t sure about this book at first. I almost gave up on it, but I’m so glad I didn’t. Krysten Lindsay Hagar has created a very convincing young teen. The voice is so youthful, I had to remind myself and adult wrote it. Don’t get me wrong, the writing is solid, but the character comes across as relatively immature, which is normal for a girl her age. My issue was that I didn’t much care for Hadley. She was insecure and shallow. Both of those are also very legitimate trates in a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl, which made it difficult to really care what happened to Hadley.
I was ambivalent at best over whether or not she made new friends, got to meet her idol, or hang out with the popular girls. But see that’s just the thing, girls that age grow up a lot and change as a result of that growth. Because Hadley was so difficult to like in the beginning, for me, her development was that much more rewarding.
Plot
This is basically the story of a girl trying to fit in. When her best, and really only, friend moves away, Hadley realizes no one else in her small school wants her around. Eager for a fresh start, she spends the summer by the lake with her grandparents who just happen to live next to, Simone, a girl who used to star on a teen soap that sounds a bit of Dawson’s Creek. Simone only reluctantly spends time with Hadley, preferring her popular friends, the story of Hadley’s life. Charlotte, the butt of many jokes by the cool kids, is willing to spend time with Hadley, which means Hadley’s less interested. She blows Charlotte off time and again to be with Simone instead, even though Simone stands her up repeatedly. This is when I really didn’t like Hadley. But Hadley learns a lesson about what matters and her growth is organic, logically flowing from the events in her life.
Characters
Other than disliking most of the characters, they are very believable as the often shallow, messed up young teens they are. In fact, Hadley is one of the most authentic young teen characters I’ve read in awhile. Because of that, I’m really glad I’m not a teen any more. I’d forgotten how mean they can be to one another, how much image matters, and how rude they can be without remorse.
Ending The ending wasn’t earth shattering, but it was definitely worth sticking through the story for. Watching Hadley, Simone, and some of the other girls really grow and become more self-aware gave me hope for their generation (one my fifteen-year-old daughter is a member of).
What Didn’t Work for Me
1. The pacing. There were too many times when the story just moved way too slow for me. Hadley would go into town and get ice cream at least a dozen times and nothing much seemed to happen as a result. There seemed to be a lot of events that didn’t advance the plot. 2. Black holes. A couple of things I thought would lead to something else, never did, leaving me scratching my head as to why they were mentioned. 3. The epiphany. Hadley realizes something in a pretty big moment, but the way it unfolds came across as odd to me.
What I Enjoyed About Next Door to a Star 1. The author’s voice. Hadley comes across as so authentic, there are times I still can’t believe it was written by an adult. 2. The friendship dynamics. So much of the fighting among teen girls, not being allowed to like a boy because one of your friends liked him first, not being able to talk to someone because someone else is pissed at them, the shifting loyalties and jockeying for position, took me straight back to my own teen years. More middle school than high school, but it definitely went on until graduation in some form or another. 3. First kisses. The romance was super sweet because of the ages of the characters, but I thought the emotions the author brought to it were spot on. 4. The character development. They had a lot of room to grow, and grow they did. Their growth all seemed to be a logical progression of the events in their lives and never felt forced. 5. The entertainment angle. It’s refreshing to read a young adult novel about show business that gives us the less pleasant side of it. Simon’s experiences were realistic and not sugar-coated.
Bottom Line While Next Door to a Star moves slow at times, it’s filled with a colorful cast of young teens who think and act like the kids on the cusp of adulthood they are.
Disclaimer
I was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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About the Book
Title: Next Door to a Star Series: Star Series #1 Author:Krysten Lindsay Hagar Publisher: Limitless Publishing, LLC Release Date: September 1, 2015 Pages: 185 Genre:Young Adult Contemporary Romance Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon International | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | BAM!
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Author Krysten Lindsay Hagar
About the Author Krysten Lindsay Hager is a young adult author who writes about friendship, self-esteem, fitting in, frenemies, crushes, celebs, and values. She writes the Landry’s True Colors Series and the new Star Series. Best Friends…Forever? was ranked at #1 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases in Teen & Young Adult Values & Virtues Fiction.
Her work has been featured in USA Today and on Living Dayton. Coming soon in early 2016: Landry in Like (Landry’s True Colors Book 3) out on January 12, 2016 and Competition with the Star (The Star Series).
As someone who has Kindle Unlimited, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Pandora, and makes regular visits to my local RedBox, I was excited to find out about Playster. Playster boasts the world’s most diverse digital catalogue, and considering they provide eBooks, audiobooks, music, movies, and game, that’s probably a fair statement, although it’s unlikely they have the most diverse catalogue in each category. Still, with the temporary account Playster provided me to evaluate their service, I was impressed with the content they have available. Current releases in each category are available along with classics. Playster is still in beta mode, but you can get a free thirty-day subscription to check it out.
Overview Playster is the world’s first all-inclusive online entertainment service, bringing together music, movies, books and games into a single subscription. The service boasts millions of titles in all genres across every media platform, from timeless classics to the newest blockbusters.
Playster’s extensive media library gives users instant, unrestricted access to a wide variety of relevant and exciting titles from anywhere in the world, with the North American and European markets benefiting from the strongest array of content. As well as providing members with the biggest names in entertainment, Playster also offers a social experience and a powerful platform on which to discover new niches.
Playster works on virtually any web-enabled device, and has a limitless potential for growth. Currently in BETA, the Playster app is set to launch in the summer of 2015, paving the way for the service to become the most complete portable entertainment experience on the market.
What I Liked
1. Extensive library. Playster has a lot to choose from, and I’m told new content is being added weekly. Many of the books in their library are not available on Kindle Unlimited. Playster is working with top content providers, including HarperCollins, Simon & Shuster, and Harlequin. They’ve also teamed up with distributor, Digital Entertainment Group, allowing Playster’s subscribers to gain access to DEG’s extensive collection of movies, music, television shows, and video games.
2. Cost. At $25/month, it’s a pretty good value. If you have both Audible and Kindle Unlimited subscriptions, you’re already paying that much without the music, movies, and games. If you only have Kindle Unlimited and Netflix, you’re almost at that without the audiobooks, music, and games. And if you only have a gaming subscription service, you’re likely paying close to $20/month without books, music, or movies. If you sign up for a full year at $25/month, they’ll send you a tablet and a set of headphones for free. And, if you want to add a second household member to your account, it’s only an additional $10/month.
3. Indie authors. One of the best things about Kindle Unlimited is the ability to discover an amazing array of indie authors. Some of my favorite books are written by indies, so I don’t want to give that up. Playster works with indie authors, so readers and writers alike benefit. If you’re an indie author, be sure to check outtheir page on how to get your books included in the Playster library.
4. Intuitive user interface. The site couldn’t be any easier to use. There is nothing complicated or confusing about it. Click on the desired category and select the book, movie, TV show, song, game, or audiobook you want. It’s as simple as that.
5. Donation to charity. A portion of the proceeds from your subscription is donated to Unicef. So while you get unlimited access to a plethora of entertainment options, you’re helping mothers and babies in some of the poorest countries around the world.
What I Didn’t Like
1. Limited ability to download. Currently, you need internet access to use most of the services, with the exception of ebooks which can be downloaded. Unless you have unlimited data, listening to an eBook while you walk the dog can end up being rather expensive. This also means if you want to download a movie to your tablet to watch on the plane or to entertain the kids on the long drive to Grandma’s, you can’t. At least not yet. A representative from Playster told me there’s a possibility that other media types will be available in the future for offline use, but no timeline is currently available for this functionality.
2. Limited mobile support. An Android app is currently available, but I wasn’t able to test it since I don’t have an Android device. An iOS app is currently under review by Apple. I’ll be able to comment on this functionality after I’ve had a chance to try it.
3. Cost. This is both a positive and a negative. It’s a good value for what you get, but if you don’t use all the features, you could end up paying a lot for the services you do access.
Bottom Line Playster is an intriguing entry into the subscription marketplace, offering a lot of variety, but it’s not quite time to cancel your other services just yet. If and when Playster offers offline capabilities, the marketplace is about to get crazy competitive.
About Playster Website: Playster.com Cost: $24.95/month with a free 30-day trial Services: eBooks, audiobooks, music, games, movies, TV shows Limitations: Internet access required Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars Links: Website | Authors & Publishers | Facebook | Twitter
Since I decided to give NaNoWriMo another go this year, I didn’t get as much reading done as I normally would. Still, sixteen hours in a car, travelling to Northern California and back, provided some much-needed reading time last week. Here are the books I reviewed in November:
Return Once More (The Historians #1) by Trisha Leigh
About the Book
Title: Return Once More Series: The Historians #1 Author: Trisha Leigh Publisher: Bloomsbury Spark Pages: 289 Category: Young Adult SciFi/Time Travel/Romance Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars Links: Goodreads | Amazon |Barnes and Noble | Bloomsbury
Synopsis If you could learn the identity of your one true love—even though you will never meet— would you?
Years have passed since refugees from a ruined earth took to space, eventually settling a new system of planets. Science has not only made the leaps necessary to allow time travel, but the process engineered a strange side effect—predicting your one true love.
If you could save your one true love from an untimely death, would you be able to resist?
Sixteen-year-old Kaia Vespasian is an apprentice to the Historians—a group charged with using time travel to document the triumphs and failures of the past—and she can’t resist a peek at her long-dead soul mate in Ancient Egypt. Before she knows it, she’s broken every rule in the book, and the consequences of getting caught could destroymore than just her new romance.
Or would you have the strength to watch him die?
But when Kaia notices a fellow classmate snooping around in a time where he doesn’t belong, she suspects he has a secret of his own—and the conspiracy she uncovers could threaten the entire universe. If her experience has taught her anything, to changing history means facing the consequences. The Historians trained her to observe and record the past, but Kaia never guessed she might have to protect it— in a race across time to save her only chance at a future.
Bottom Line Return Once More is an engaging time travel scifi romance with an intricate plot and intriguing characters.
Title: Rival Love Series: Rival Love #1 Author:Natalie Decker Publisher: Swoon Romance Release Date:August 26, 2014 Pages: 286 Genre:Young Adult Contemporary Romance Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Links: Goodreads | Amazon
Synopsis Skylar Fletcher is a proud Harris Academy Bulldog! She has everything she’s ever wanted: a perfect boyfriend, great friends, and her dream college waiting for her in the fall. But nothing lasts forever. Skylar’s world shatters when her mom decides it’s time to move and drags Skylar, kicking and screaming, into Bobcat territory.
At Delmont High School, home of the Bobcats, Skylar has no friends and is often bullied. To make matters worse, her home life sucks thanks to all-star quarterback Caleb Morgan, nephew of her mom’s live-in boyfriend.
At first, Skylar and Caleb want nothing to do with one another. But they soon discover they’re not that different after all–and each is harboring a secret attraction to the other. But can a Bulldog and a Bobcat ever really be more than friends? And are Skylar and Caleb willing to risk everything to find out?
Rival Love is a debut young adult contemporary romance from Natalie Decker.
Bottom Line Rival Love is an contemporary teen romance with themes of bullying, belonging, and finding love and acceptance for who you are.
Title: Never Trust a Happy Song Author:Natalie Bina Release Date: March 14, 2015 Pages: 180 Genre:Young Adult Contemporary Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Links: Goodreads | Amazon
Synopsis When Cassidy Diamond is admitted to a prestigious summer program at Stanford University, she looks forward to being surrounded by people just like herself: smart, studious, and antisocial.
But when Cassidy is assigned to stay with the Harper family and meets their vivacious and uninhibited daughter Grace, the two girls clash at first sight.
Cassidy is determined to not let Grace distract her from her studies, while Grace wants to show Cassidy that maybe her grades aren’t all she has going for her, and that life might be about more than building the perfect resume.
Bottom Line Never Trust a Happy Song is a realistic contemporary teen story about learning to let go in order to find yourself.
The Revolution of Ivy (Book of Ivy #2) by Amy Engel
Title: The Revolution of Ivy Series: The Book of Ivy #2 Author: Amy Engel Publisher: Entangled Teen Release Date: November 3, 2015 Pages: 400 Genre: Young Adult Dystopian Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Links: Goodreads | Amazon│Barnes & Noble│iBooks | Kobo│Google Books
Synopsis **WARNING: Contains spoilers if you haven’t read book one**
Ivy Westfall is beyond the fence and she is alone. Abandoned by her family and separated from Bishop Lattimer, Ivy must find a way to survive on her own in a land filled with countless dangers, both human and natural. She has traded a more civilized type of cruelty–forced marriages and murder plots–for the bare-knuckled brutality required to survive outside Westfall’s borders.
But there is hope beyond the fence, as well. And when Bishop reappears in Ivy’s life, she must decide if returning to Westfall to take a final stand for what she believes is right is worth losing everything she’s fought for.
Bottom Line The Revolution of Ivy moves away from familiar territory, raising the stakes, and finishing the series on a high note.
Get Yourself Organized for Christmas by Kathi Lipp
Title: Get Yourself Organized for Christmas Author: Kathi Lipp Publisher: Harvest House Publishers Release Date: September 1, 2015 Pages: 144 Genre: Organizing/Holidays Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars
Links: Goodreads | Amazon│Barnes & Noble
Synopsis Have you lost your Christmas joy? Does the thought of jam-packed malls, maxed-out credit cards, overcrowded supermarkets, and endless to-do lists give you the feeling that maybe Scrooge was on to something?
In Get Yourself Organized for Christmas, Kathi Lipp provides easy-to-follow steps to reduce the stress of the holiday season, including tactics for how to
put together a holiday binder you’ll use year after year determine a budget that won’t break the bank gather your elf supplies get your gift list together (including ideas for various ages and relationships) collect your recipes and prep your kitchen
By putting into practice Kathi’s tricks and tips, you’ll finally be able to fully enjoy this most wonderful time of the year.
Bottom Line A good book for someone who is really disorganized. If you’re looking for something revolutionary, it’s not here.
Abby and the Cute One (Backstage Pass #5) by Erin Butler
Title: Abby and the Cute One Series: Backstage Pass #5 Author: Erin Butler Publisher: Entangled Crush Release Date: November 16, 2015 Pages: 172 Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Synopsis He’s cute. He’s famous. And he could ruin everything…
Every member of Seconds to Juliet has a girlfriend-except for Nathan Strong. Now the band’s manager is leaning hard on “The Cute One” to play the role of the band’s heartthrob. With the band’s sales in decline, it’s up to Nathan to keep the fans’ fantasy alive.
The plan is to stage a fake relationship and a fake breakup, and then let the fans fight to be the one to mend Nathan’s broken heart. Just one problem. There’s another girl in the picture-one Nathan can’t stay away from. In private, Nathan’s stealing kisses with the band’s new opening act, Abby Curtis.
If they’re caught, no one wins. Abby will be fired, and the band might not recover the success they need to survive. But even with the pressure mounting, Nathan and Abby can’t stop themselves from stealing one more touch, one more kiss. And it’s only a matter of time before it all falls apart.
This Entangled Teen Crush book is as forbidden as the secret romance it contains! It has hot kisses, graphic language, and extreme misbehaving. DO NOT GET CAUGHT WITH THIS BOOK…unless you want everyone to know you believe in true love.
Bottom Line Abby and the Cute One is a lighthearted contemporary romance that’s as adorable as the characters themselves.
Mirror X (The Van Winkle Project #1) by Karri Thompson
Title: Mirror X Series: The Van Winkle Project #1 Author:Kerri Thompson Publisher: Entangled Teen Release Date: June 30, 2014 Pages: 360 Genre:Young Adult SciFi/Dystopian Romance Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Synopsis I was born more than a thousand years ago. Put into a cryogenic tube at age seventeen, forgotten during a holocaust that decimated the world, I’ve finally been awakened to a more serene and peaceful future.
But things at the hospital are new and strange. And it’s starting to scare me.
Everyone is young. Everyone is banded and tracked. And everyone is keeping secrets.
The cute geneticist Michael Bennett might be the only good thing in this crazy new world where “life is precious” but no one seems free to live it. The problem is, I don’t think he’s being totally honest with me, either.
When I’m told only I can save the human race from extinction, it’s clear my freeze didn’t avoid a dreadful fate. It only delayed the horror…
Bottom Line Mirror X is an interesting scifi/dystopian adventure with some unique aspects. I’m interested to see where this series goes.
Writing Deep Scenes – Plotting Your Story Through Action, Emotion, and Theme by Martha Alderson and Jordan E. Rosenfeld
Title: Writing Deep Scenes: Plotting Your Story Through Action, Emotion, and Theme Authors: Martha Alderson and Jordan E. Rosenfeld Publisher: Writer’s Digest Books Publication Date: October 2, 2015 Pages: 248 Category: Writing Fiction Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars Links: Goodreads | Amazon |Barnes & Noble
Synopsis Take a Deep Dive into Plot and Scene and Improve Your Writing
Whether you’re planning your first novel or have already written a first draft, you need to master the concepts of plot and scene to truly realize your story’s potential. “Writing Deep Scenes” teaches you how to write strong, layered, and engaging scenes–the secret to memorable, page-turning plots. It’s filled with practical tools for building layers and nuance into your scenes, employing the right scene types at the right junctures, and developing a profound understanding of how plot and scene intertwine.
Inside you’ll learn: How scenes are comprised of three key layers: action, emotion, and theme.How to recognize each layer and weave them seamlessly into a scene.How to develop an intricate relationship between the action and emotion in every scene.How thematic imagery embedded in scenes increases a story’s tension and contributes to the story’s meaning.Using contemporary examples from a variety of genres, “Writing Deep Scenes” provides an effective method for plotting at the scene level. Use these techniques and enrich your fiction and memoirs with page-turning suspense and pathos, and explore new depths in every story you write.
Bottom Line Writing Deep Scenes presents solid techniques for developing your plot and creating layered scenes, but the terminology takes a little getting used to.
