The Adventures of Zelda: Zelda Meets Peach

I am gearing up for the release of The Adventures of Zelda: Pug and Peach at the end of August, and I thought you might need to get in the Zelda spirit. Here's the last chapter of the second Zelda book. More Zelda teasers and spotlights are coming to the blog over the next month. Get ready!

Zelda Meets Peach

After the incident with the fake pug, I am staying low key around the house. Honestly, I am a little embarrassed at my mistake. My family, on the other hand, is busy with activity. Hannah is covering boxes during the day and placing them under the tree. I notice Hannah and Nate talking in hushed voices about “presents.” Lucy is running around the house mumbling about “Santa Claus.” Even Ben is more talkative and playful than normal. He keeps telling me how much I am going to love my Christmas present.

I watch and listen from my perch on top of the couch. I can tell we are getting close to the big day, the day when everyone unwraps all the presents under the pine tree.

“Okay, Zelda, we will be back later,” Ben says. “Tomorrow is the big day.” The family leaves without me. I watch the white stuff fall on the grass from the window. I hope I will get a new owl. Or Milk-Bones. Or a Nylabone. Or all of them. Christmas is the best.

When my family returns home, the snow is illuminating the darkness outside. My family greets me. Hannah and Nate send Ben and Lucy to bed. I am warm and toasty in my blanket, so I stay downstairs with Hannah and Nate. After a few minutes of conversation, Nate gets up and leaves the house.

“Zelda, it’s bedtime,” Hannah says. We walk upstairs together. I jump onto Lucy’s bed while Hannah checks on Ben. When Hannah returns, she gives Lucy a kiss and pets me. She says goodnight to us and closes the door.

I wake up in the middle of the night to a scratching noise. I want to bark, but everyone is sleeping. I don’t want to get in trouble. I listen for a few more minutes to the scratching. I hear a few whispers and the scratching stops. I fall back asleep.

The next time I wake up, Lucy is moving out of bed. It must be early; only a few streams of light are peaking through the window. As we walk down the stairs, Lucy is mumbling about Christmas and Santa.

Hannah and Nate are waiting downstairs. The pine tree is lit, and the number of gifts under the tree has doubled.

“Merry Christmas,” Nate shouts to Lucy and me.

“Shhhh,” Hannah says. “You will wake up Ben.”

“It’s time for him to get up anyway. It’s Christmas morning—time for gifts!” he replies. Lucy wanders down the stairs and sits in front of the tree.

“Wow, look at all these presents Santa brought,” she says. I hear a few creaks from above, and a few minutes later, Ben appears on the stairs.

“Merry Christmas,” Nate shouts again.

“Merry Christmas,” Ben replies. He walks down the stairs and takes a seat on the couch.

The fun begins. Presents are passed around, and the family opens the gifts. I run around and investigate all the new toys and objects. So far, there isn’t much for me. Only a few gifts remain when I hear a whimper from upstairs. And then, the scratching noise returns.

What is upstairs?

I run up the stairs. The whimpering and scratching is originating from Hannah and Nate’s room, but the door is closed. Hannah and Nate appear next to me.

“You grab Zelda,” Nate says, “And I will get Peach.” Hannah bends over and picks me up. Nate opens the door, and a dog runs out.

What?

I squirm and break loose from Hannah’s arms and chase the dog down the stairs. When I arrive downstairs, the dog is licking Ben’s face. She is dark brown and white with tall ears. She is bigger than me, but not by much. She doesn’t have a long snout, but she also doesn’t have wrinkles.

“Merry Christmas, Lucy and Zelda—meet Peach, the Boston terrier, our new dog,” Nate says. Peach wanders over to Lucy and starts licking her face. I stand motionless, unsure what to do.

Did I hear Nate correctly? Is Peach here to stay?

I walk up to Peach and bark a few times. She doesn’t seem to mind. When I get close, she backs away from Lucy. I nip at her front leg, and she allows it. She reciprocates, and we start rolling on the floor together. I find my owl and she chases me, trying to get it from me. When she finally grabs hold, we play tug-of-war.

“Well, I think they will get along fine,” Hannah says.

“Lucy, do you like Peach?” Nate asks.

“Yes, she’s nice. And now Zelda has a friend.” Lucy says.

“Yes, she does,” Nate replies.

“She’s so friendly and sweet,” Ben says.

“We definitely got lucky with Peach,” Hannah replies. “And with Zelda. She’s turned out to be a pretty good dog.”

“Yes, she is,” Ben says. I take a break from tug-of-war and wander over to Hannah, who is sitting on the couch again. I jump in her lap and give her a kiss. Peach follows my lead, and we both are in Hannah’s lap and giving her kisses. I have a friend to play with all the time. Even better, I have a family who loves me enough to find me a friend. My pug life is awesome. It’s another merry Christmas!

Learn more about The Adventures of Zelda series.

The Hero's Journey - A Character Study of Lebron James

Lebron James has always fascinated me. I love basketball–coaching, playing, and watching.  I grew up and have spent most of my life in Cleveland. Since I am the same age as Lebron (actually I am 8 months older than him), I grew up listening and hearing about him. I remember when my high school boys' basketball team played his high school St. Vincent St. Mary. His team obliterated my high school, led by Lebron who scored maybe 50 points. And my high school boys' team wasn't your average high school team. It's a big school with a great basketball program.  I say all this to let you know I've been paying attention to Lebron for years, and I am a fan of his, even when he left Cleveland four years ago.

If you are sick of the Lebron story, or simply the fact that a professional athlete is such big news in our society, I agree with that sentiment. But I think Lebron is big news because he's a great character, and his life is telling a great story. Here's a couple quick examples:

Good stories start with great characters. Readers love a character with a tortured backstory who rises above his or her circumstances to accomplish a goal.

• Lebron is a rags to riches story. He was born to a sixteen year old mother in a rough area of Akron, Ohio. He was introduced to basketball at age nine, and within a few years he was dubbed the next Michael Jordan capturing the basketball spotlight for the next fifteen years.

We resonate with a character who learns and grows through his or her mistakes. We want to read about a heroic character–a character who has a cause bigger than his or herself.

• Lebron has made mistakes throughout the years on the court and a few off the court. But, he keeps learning and growing so he can be a better basketball player, teammate, dad, and person. One of the reasons he cited for coming back to Cleveland was to bring home a championship to the city. He sees the hunger for Clevelanders to have something to celebrate. He wants that to be part of his legacy.

Lebron is one example of someone who makes a great character in a story. I love looking at real people and seeing what story he or she is telling. Usually it's the people close to me, but sometimes somebody in the spotlight catches my attention.

Do you know someone living a good story? Why is he or she a good character?

Author Spotlight with Laurel Garver

Today I'm excited to host an interview with author Laurel Garver. I read Garver's young adult novel, Never Gone last month. I really enjoyed the book, (read my review here) so I asked Laurel if she would answer a few questions. The interview is below, and her responses are definitely worth reading. I really enjoyed her comments about writing for young adults and writing from a Christian perspective.

Tell us a little about yourself and your writing. 

I grew up in north central Pennsylvania not far from The Office territory. To fend off crushing boredom, I joined every arty thing: band, choir, art club, school newspaper, and speech and drama. I often scribbled stories during class when my teachers thought I was taking copious notes. (As the youngest of five children, I have a bit of a mischievous streak.)

As an undergrad, I majored in English with a communications minor (lots of theatre classes) and studied abroad in the UK.  I went on to earn a master’s in journalism while working full time as an editor in Philadelphia. I have 20+ years experience in trade, association, and academic publishing.

During my post-college years, I gravitated toward poetry and put much of my creative energy there. (My poetry collection, Muddy-fingered Midnights, includes some early work as well as many new pieces).From 1995-2000, I was editor and publisher of a Christian literary magazine, About Such Things. Through it, I got to know the philosophy PhD student who became my husband. Our daughter was born in 2002.

I grew restless as a stay-at-home mom, and a friend urged me to pick up writing again. Something inside me lit up when I unearthed character sketches for Danielle Deane, a grieving teen I’d first imagined while on a walk in 1992. I’d heard her voice tell me about her difficult relationship with her mother since her dad had died, and her struggles to hang onto her faith when her church-going parent had been snatched away and she was stuck with the atheist. I’d lost my own father to renal failure a few years before this, and it felt like the time had arrived to work through that loss. There was enough difference between Dani’s circumstances and mine to help me have creative distance, yet emotional truth.

It took six years of writing and revision, research trips to NYC and England, and critiques from three writing groups to get Never Gone into its final form.

What does a typical work day look like for you? How much time do you spend writing fiction compared to marketing, blogging, working another job, etc? 

I work 5-6 hours each weekday as managing editor of a scholarly journal. My work load can fluctuate quite a bit seasonally, so I’m able to squeeze in research or social networking during quiet periods. For the most part, writing happens during my lunch hour, on the train, the late afternoon after work, or while my daughter is at her Irish dance or guitar lessons.

My evenings are typically filled with household chores (not cooking, thankfully--my hubby is our family chef), overseeing homework, going to the gym, critiquing for my CPs, and attending church activities.  Once my daughter is in bed, I most often creatively recharge by reading. If I’m feeling energetic, I usually try to make connections online, research marketing opportunities, write blog posts, and schedule tweets.

What draws you to write young adult fiction?

What turned me on to reading, and continues to captivate me, are stories that explore the places where heart and soul are tested and growing up truly begins.  Volunteering with my church youth ministry opened my eyes to how teens today struggle to be real in a culture that glorifies superficiality. When beauty, strength, and charisma are idolized, all the ways we are broken never see the light, never have a chance to heal. Instead, they fester under the surface, filling our lives with poison. So I write about kids in crisis who learn to let go of their pretensions and falseness and allow God to remake them as people who humbly hope, believe, and love.

As a Christian and a writer, I am intrigued by the intersection of faith with writing, especially fiction. Tell us about the decision to make Dani a Christian character. Did (or do) you feel any pushback from the Christian themes in your novel? 

I knew from the get-go that faith would be at the core of Never Gone. When a person is grieving, spiritual questions about the nature of life and of a higher power naturally come up. My approach was simply to write through the eyes of a character for whom faith is a natural part of life. It’s Dani’s framework for understanding the world, just like her artistic ability is. The imagery and stories of her faith weave through her thought world as much as the language of painting and drawing. Readers walk with Dani through sadness, longing, first love, turmoil, broken relationships, confusion and doubt. She has to come to grips with what is really real, who God is, and how she must grow and change in order to become her best self.

I’ve tried to walk the fine line of emphasizing the universality of grief while making sure readers are aware there is Christian content, so no one is blindsided by it. The response to my themes and approach has been overwhelmingly positive. Readers have appreciated my willingness to explore the dark emotions of loss while affirming that we can talk (and holler and cry) to our Creator honestly about our pain, which at root is an expression of faith that He hears, cares, comforts and makes things new.

What is on the horizon for you? What books are next to be released?

I’m wrapping up the final chapters of a sequel to Never Gone that takes place the summer after Dani’s junior year. I also have two nonfiction books in the works, one of which I hope to release later this year, Writing When You Can’t Write. It will be full of tips and exercises to keep your writing projects on track, even when you can’t be at the keyboard.

Finally, I'm always looking for recommendations for young adult fiction. What are a few of your favorite young adult books or series?

There are so many! The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, Where She Went by Gayle Forman, The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen, Summer to Die by Lois Lowry and pretty much everything by Sara Zarr and Deb Caletti. In terms of series, I adore J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books, as well as Susan Howatch’s adult fiction Starbridge series and St. Benet’s series.

Thanks again to Laurel for her thoughtful responses!

Connect with Laurel:

Goodreads

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Google+

LinkedIn

Buy Laurel's Books:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

The July Update

Every month I send out an email only update–some may call it a newsletter. In this email update, I share news on books and special offers that I don't reveal anywhere else. My email list is the first to know. If you want to join this list, click here. But this month, I thought I would share with all my wordpress friends and followers. So here you go!

Free Review Copies!

The adventures continue with double the sneezes, wrinkles, and slobber…

The third book in the Zelda series, The Adventures of Zelda: Pug and Peach, is next to be released. I will be sending out free review copies of this book.

If you would like a free copy, review the first or second Zelda book on Amazon or Goodreads. Send me a link to the review, and I will send you a free Zelda book next month! Please leave a comment with any questions.

Thanks to those who purchased a copy of my new novel, The Photograph. When you finish reading, please leave an honest review at Amazon or Goodreads. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

The Works in Progress

Besides preparing The Adventures of Zelda: Pug and Peach for release, I am writing, writing some more, and marketing.

My current writing project is the first draft for a YA fantasy novel. Technically I finished the first draft, but I write sparse first drafts, so I'm adding more depth and detail to the novel. The complete first draft will be done in a week or so.

After the first draft of the YA fantasy is finished, I will put it to rest for at least a month. The plan is to start the "sequel" to the Photograph. But in this novel, the protagonist will be Lillie, not Rachel. It would have made sense to write this directly after The Photograph, but I don't always make sense!

I am also working on booking author days, writing workshops, and book signings for fall. I am hoping to have a few events each month starting in September. My concentration is the greater Cincinnati area, but I am looking at a Cleveland area "tour" this fall. If you are connected with a school, bookstore, or library that would host me, please send an email.

Catch up on my Latest Blog Posts

In my latest video post, I talk about balance and margin as an author. Zelda and Peach make an appearance in this video. Well, actually they play in the background during most of the video.

I followed up on a popular post with specific details on Author Days in Marketing on No Budget - Part 2 Author Days. 

My June Book Reviews are up on the blog. I read a psychological thriller, two young adult books (one with time travel), and a faith based memoir.

Thanks for following and reading.

June 2014 Book Reviews

Happy summer friends! Summer is a great season to pick up a book and read by the pool or on the beach. I am looking forward to five days at the beach at the end of July during which I will be reading Brandon Sanderson's Words of Radiance. It's the second in an epic fantasy series, and quite lengthy, so I thought it would be a good beach read. Hah! The books I read in June are listed below with their respective reviews. If you are looking for a new book, maybe you can find one below, or from my past months' reviews.

Never Gone by Laurel Garver - Never Gone is a story of a fifteen year-old girl dealing with the loss of her father. The story didn't take me in the places I thought it would, but that was a good move for this book. I enjoyed the character development in the story, especially the relationship of Dani and Heather along with Dani and Theo. Never Gone was an interesting read for me because of the direct weaving of the Christian faith into the story. As a Christian, I found the faith aspect surprisingly refreshing and realistic, especially since overtly Christian characters are few and far between these days. I would recommend this book to a teen going through a rough patch or dealing with grief. 5 out of 7 stars

Sleep Tight by Rachel Abbott - Sleep Tight is a psychological thriller from author Rachel Abbott. A woman and her three children go missing with the husband as the major suspect. Sleep Tight had me hooked from the first chapter, but about halfway through the book, the narrative shifts. The first half was great as I tried to figure out what was going on and what characters to trust. The second half was more of a cat and mouse chase that I didn't find as compelling. Abbott threw in a few twists at the end, but the ending still felt a bit flat. Sleep Tight is the third in a series, but it wasn't necessary to read the first two. (I hadn't) I think I would have enjoyed the Tom and Becky more if I had, but it's a good standalone novel. If you like crime novels or psychological thrillers, you will enjoy the book. 5 out of 7 stars

Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist (A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes) - Bread and Wine is part cookbook, part memoir, with a touch of spirituality. Shauna (I feel like I can call her Shauna since I listen to her every week on the Relevant Podcast) shares her life though her experiences with food and around the table. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book, especially since the author's life experiences are very different than my own. I really enjoyed how her faith is woven through the book, and I can't wait to try the recipes that follow each chapter! 6 out of 7 stars

Timebound by Rysa Walker - Writing about time travel isn't easy, but Rysa Walker pulled it off in Timebound. The YA story was carefully plotted to explain the time travel, and I thought her take on time travel was very interesting, especially the Cyrist movement. I also enjoyed the historical aspects of the novel. It was clear Walker did her research with the World Fair sequence. The book was lacking for me in with character development. I didn't connect with the protagonist, and it hindered my ability to enjoy the story. The Kate and Trey romance was difficult for me because it didn't seem realistic. It may come together more in the next series because of the time travel, but I would have liked to go deeper with the characters in this first book. I can't decide if I will read the second when it comes out in October, but that doesn't mean you can't give it a shot, especially if you like time travel! 4 out of 7 stars

Rating System Guide

7 stars = Phenomenal book – one of the  best book’s I’ve read

6 stars = Great book – worth your time to read

5 stars = Solid book, if you like the genre pick it up

4 stars = Okay book, maybe lacking something in the way of language, character development, story

3 stars = I probably should have stopped reading this book.

1 or 2 stars = Serious issues with plot, structure, language, or not a book for me.

Margin and Balance with the Author Life

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhGG0IdwsrU] It's been awhile since the last video post. In this short chat, I discuss balance and margin for writers, especially those working other jobs in addition to writing. I also give a writing update on the next projects for me. For the Zelda fans, she makes an appearance along with Peach. In fact, they spend a good portion of the video being goofballs behind me.

Do you have margin in your life?

Launch Day for The Photograph!

Release day is here! The Photograph is now available on all major ebook platforms and in paperback!

Until June 21, The Photograph is only $2.99 in ebook form and under $10 for a paperback on the Amazon store, so pick it up now to save a couple bucks.  If you are ready to buy, scroll on down and click on the links for your platform of choice.

If you are new to the blog or a visitor, read an excerpt from the first chapter or scroll down to read the book blurb.

The Photograph was a three year-long project, so I can't believe it is finally ready to be in the hands of readers!  Enjoy the book and leave a review after you finish reading. Thanks for all your support.

BUY NOW:

Amazon, iBooks, Nook, Kobo or Smashwords.

On a quest for truth, one girl will find more than she bargained for.

Sixteen-year-old Rachel Brandt is excited about her six-month anniversary with her boyfriend, Brent, getting her driver’s license, and competing for a district championship in her first season on the varsity basketball team.

But when Rachel stumbles across a photograph of her parents, she can’t shake the feeling that she is meant to find her mother, whose identity is a secret her grandparents have closely guarded. All Rachel knows is that her mother disappeared around the time her father was killed in action in the Gulf War a few months after she was born.

Her discovery of the photograph sends Rachel on a search for her mother against her grandparents’ wishes and propels her life into a tailspin. She never imagines her search will reveal a series of lies that jeopardizes every important relationship in her life and ultimately lead Rachel to question her identity.

The Photograph is a contemporary young adult novel for ages 12-16 that follows Rachel’s search for her mother through the backdrop of her basketball team’s quest for its first district championship in twelve years.

Marketing on No Budget Part 2 - Author Days

A few months ago, I wrote a post called Marketing on No Budget. I was looking for cheap ways to promote my books. I came up with a few ideas, most of which were local events or options. By far, the most successful marketing idea was the Author Day. The author day is not a new idea, but a relatively new idea for me. Since I write children's and YA, author days are a natural fit. I contacted a few local elementary schools and asked if they were interested in hosting me for the day to talk to the students about being an author. I booked two schools for author days in May.

For one school, I spent the day with second graders. I met with six classes for 45 minutes each. I read from The Adventures of Zelda: A Pug Tale, led a discussion about reading and pugs, and talked about the "author life." I had a blast.

For the other school, I spent the day with fifth graders. I met with five classes for 45 minutes each. I read from the Zelda book and also led a discussion about the origin of my stories and the writing process. Since the students were older, I left more time for Q&A. I was asked great questions. My favorite was "what is your world view as an author?"

Here are my takeaways from the experience.

1. Author days are fun.

I had a blast at the author days. I loved sharing my experience with the students and teaching them about writing. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I do realize some authors may not enjoy public speaking or teaching kids, but  I have a background in education and working with kids and teenagers, so it fits me well.

2. Author days are exhausting. 

I came home both days wiped. Although I enjoyed the days, all the time up front is exhausting for me. The preparation for the days wasn't bad, but it wouldn't be great to schedule days back to back.

3. Author days sell books. 

For both schools, students in the classes associated with the visit took home fliers about my books to pre-order signed copies. For one school, they simply brought in the order slip with the cash or check. The other school didn't do any cash transactions at school (interesting), so I set up an online ordering and payment option. I set a preorder deadline for a week before the scheduled author date, so I had time to get the books signed. The second grade classes sold more books, but it's hard to say whether it was the grade level, school, or teacher promotion. But the fifth grade still sold enough books to make the visit worthwhile. Both were successful mechanisms to sell books.

4. Author days are a great way to build your platform.

I sent all the students home with a Zelda bookmark with my website information. In addition, my name is more familiar with the teachers. I'm sure some students will read Zelda and enjoy the books. They may even tell their friends, and more kids and adults will know of a little pug named Zelda.

With school out for the summer, author days are on the back burner. I look forward to scheduling one to two author days a month next school year. If you are connected to a school in the greater Cincinnati or Cleveland area, I'd love to come visit!

I'm always looking for more marketing ideas, especially lower cost options.

Have you had any success marketing with no budget?

The Photograph Teaser

Release day is almost here! To help you get excited about The Photograph, here is an excerpt from the first chapter.

Rachel walked through the front door into the living room. A huge banner that read Congratulations hung there with balloons attached on both sides. She walked toward the kitchen and spotted Papa and Nana reading at the table. Rachel opened her mouth and was about to speak when she noticed the bright blue Happy Birthday banner hanging across the kitchen cabinets. Taped to the banner was her school photo from a few years ago, with the caption, Aren’t you glad these days are over? Happy Birthday! It was the worst picture of her in existence. She had a bowl haircut and was wearing big blue glasses.

“Did you have to bring that photo out again?”

“Yes, you know I love that photo,” Nana said.

“Oh dear. I like the banners, though. Couldn’t decide what to celebrate?”

“No. I wanted to celebrate both and ran out of space in the living room,” Papa said.

“I love it. We should leave it up until Christmas.” Rachel knew that would never happen. Nana liked to keep her house tidy.

“Let’s compromise on Halloween,” Nana said. “Actually, Rachel, while I’m thinking of it, could you bring the Halloween costumes and decorations downstairs from the attic?”

“Sure, but first let me tell you what Brent got me for my birthday.”

“Oh, that’s why you are grinning from ear to ear. Let me guess.”

“You won’t guess,” Rachel said. “He got us tickets to the Harlem Globetrotters!” She ran over to the table and handed her grandparents the tickets. Rachel opened the door to the pantry and shoved a couple Oreos into her mouth.

“Wow, I think that Brent guy has you figured out. Don’t eat too many cookies, you will spoil your dinner,” Nana said, her blue eyes twinkling.

“No, I won’t. Cookies never fill me up. What’s the plan for dinner?” Rachel asked.

“Bad Apple Grill,” Nana said.

“Ooooh, Bad Apple. My favorite! When are we leaving?”

“Whenever you want,” Nana said.

“Okay, let me grab the Halloween boxes, then we can go.”

“Sounds good, I will get Papa moving,” Nana said.

The attic door was in the hallway on the second floor. Rachel pulled the rope; the ladder didn’t budge. She pulled harder a second time, and the ladder swung to the ground.

Rachel climbed the ladder and hoisted herself into the attic. She scanned the room but didn’t see any traces of ghosts or zombies; she was surrounded by dust, cobwebs, and her archenemy—spiders. She needed to get out of there quick, but the boxes were stacked three high and covered the attic. She noticed some were labeled—Christmas, decorations, Robbie. Without a box marked Halloween in sight, she started with the unlabeled boxes.

The first box was filled with clothes—probably her father’s clothes. She sighed. Sixteen years and her grandparents were still hanging on to her father’s belongings. When would they move on?

Rachel saw another unlabeled box taped shut. The box was too small to hold costumes or decorations, but her curiosity got the best of her. She ripped the tape off the box. Inside the box were hundreds of loose photographs.

Nana and Papa were photography buffs, and even with the advent of digital photography, they still preferred using film. They brought their camera everywhere and took turns shooting photographs on trips and events. When they returned home, Nana developed all the photographs. On cold winter nights, the Brandts sorted through the boxes of photographs and retold the stories captured in the pictures. But a few years had passed since the last time Nana and Papa had rolled out the boxes and albums of photographs.

Rachel rifled through the box for a few minutes. Pictures of Rachel at all stages of life dominated the contents. She saw herself covered with icing and cake on her second birthday. In another photo, Nana, Papa, and a seven- or eight-year-old Rachel held up a giant walleye on the boat. She dug around a little bit more and saw a picture of her father that caught her eye. He was wearing his Marine Corps dress-blue uniform, a grin on his face and his arm wrapped around a beautiful woman. Rachel didn’t recognize the woman, but her face had a familiar look. The woman was stunning; her light brown hair was pulled back, highlighting her bright, brown eyes. She wore a long black dress that accentuated her tall, thin figure. Rachel couldn’t remember ever seeing this photo before tonight; she took the photo, shoved it into her sweatshirt pocket, and shut the box.

The Photograph releases June 17. Learn more about the book here.

May 2014 Book Reviews

May was back to a normal variety of books, and I can honestly say I enjoyed every one. I read some fantasy, urban fantasy, contemporary YA, and historical fiction.  With the start of summer, I look forward to reading more and more in my lounge chair next to the pool. Happy Reading Friends! Broken by CJ Lyons - Broken is my first book by author CJ Lyons. Lyons writes "thrillers with heart," and Broken is her first foray into YA fiction. Broken is the story of a fifteen year old girl Scarlett with a life threatening heart condition. Despite her condition, she wants to live a normal life and enrolls in high school. In a week's span, she encounters her first friends, her first crush, classes, and bullies. When I first starting reading this book, I thought it would be similar to "The Fault in Our Stars." I was wrong. The story shifts into one of mystery and intrigue. I don't want to give anything away, so that's all I will share. I enjoyed the book and will read more from hybrid author CJ Lyons. 5 stars.

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas - Wow. What a ride. Crown of Midnight is the second in the series about Celaena Sardothien, a kick-ass female assassin in a fantasy world. The first in the series, Throne of Glass, was a fun and enjoyable book, but predictable with its plot and characters. Crown of Midnight went nowhere I expected, and I loved it. We saw Celaena's dark side in this novel, and learned more about how she became this killer. The love triangle between Celaena, Dorian, and Chaol faded away (yay). My only complaint was the plot structure. The first half of the novel felt a bit disjointed from the second half. Maas wrapped it up well in the last few chapters, so it made more sense, but I thought the continuity wasn't great. Overall, this was a stellar sequel because the storyline grew from Celaena fighting for her life to Celaena fighting to save the kingdom. 6 stars.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - When I started reading this book, I had high expectations. I read and heard great things about this YA book. Plus, as a history major, WWII was one of my favorite subjects to study, so I love reading both nonfiction and fiction set during WWII. The book had a rocky start–it jumps right into the middle of the story, and I needed a few chapters to get into the book. But once I did, I loved it. The story of these two women and how they aided the Allied war effort is truly great. The author wrote that all though this is fiction, it is based in truth. Women could have served in the roles that Maggie and Julie did. The characters embody courage and truth. This is a book worth picking up even if you don't normally read YA. 6 stars

The Element of Death by Becca Andre - The Element of Death is a novella which takes place between novels 1 & 2 in the Final Formula Series.  I picked this up in preparation to read The Blood Alchemist. The story is definitely spooky, but not enough to creep me out. I liked getting inside James' head in this book and his character development, along with the interaction with Rowan. 5 stars

The Blood Alchemist by Becca Andre - The Blood Alchemist is the follow up to The Final Formula, and just like the first in the series, this book is very enjoyable. The book is packed with explosions, magic, and murders. Addie, an alchemist, works with her Element friends to solve the seemingly random murder of magical people using bullets designed by Addie. Throughout the mystery and action, the character relationships continue to develop and evolve, and I really enjoy the snappy dialogue between the characters. If you are fan of urban fantasy, I recommend you pick up this fun read–I couldn't put it down. 6 stars. 

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne & Dave King - I picked up this book as a recommendation from a fellow writer. The book is not revolutionary, and I've heard most of the information and tips in other books or writing classes. But, it is a handy reference book to have around and skim through in preparation for revisions. The exercises are also helpful. I'd recommend this to any new writer. 5 stars.

Rating System Guide

7 stars = Phenomenal book – one of the  best book’s I’ve read

6 stars = Great book – worth your time to read

5 stars = Solid book, if you like the genre pick it up

4 stars = Okay book, maybe lacking something in the way of language, character development, story

3 stars = I probably should have stopped reading this book.

1 or 2 stars = Serious issues with plot, structure, language, or not a book for me.