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Wednesday 31 August 2011

WW28: SKIN GAME

WW28
A chance to showcase your favourite!
  • First you grab our Wicked Wednesday pic.
  • Then you grab a book. Turn to page 28. Take the first sentence. And then you post it in your site with a link back to WW28.
  • Come back to Cherry Mischievous - WW28 and give us the url of your post (in a comment at a WW28 post) so that other WW28 readers can find your WW28 offering.

WW28 book offering : Skin Game by Ava Gray

Page 28, 1st Sentence:
Gerard Serrano gazed out over the skyline.
That line doesn't sound like much, eh? But some could argue that it could sound like our character is "dreamy"...

About Skin Game:
A beautiful fugitive—wanted dead or alive.
Kyra is a con woman and a particular kind of thief. She steals with a touch, but she only takes one thing: her target’s strongest skill. Which means she can be a fighter, an athlete, a musician, an artist—anything she wants… for a limited time. Heartbroken, she turns her gift toward avenging her father’s murder; with deadly patience, Kyra works her way into casino owner Gerard Serrano’s inner circle. After pulling off the ultimate con, she flees with his money and his pride.

A hit man who never misses the mark.
Reyes has nothing but his work. Pity for Kyra, he’s the best and mercy never sways him once he takes a job. He’s been hired to find out where Kyra hid the cash—and bring her back to face Serrano’s “justice.” Dead will do, if he can’t locate the loot. He’s never failed to complete a contract, but Kyra tempts him with her fierce heat and her outlaw heart. So Reyes has a hell of a choice: forsake his word or kill the woman he might love.
Source: Info in the About Skin Game was taken from the author's website at http://www.avagray.com/books/skin-game/ on 07/05/2011.

Tuesday 30 August 2011

I So Want To Read This: WITCHLANDER

Witchlander by Lena Coakley

Publication Date: 30 August 2011

About Witchlander:
High in their mountain covens, red witches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future.

It’s all a fake.

At least, that’s what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes—one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people’s old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?

But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he’s ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change, when he discovers that the prophecies he’s always scorned—

Are about him.
Source: Info in the About Witchlander was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9917925-witchlanders on 15/08/2011.

Saturday 27 August 2011

Review: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UNDEAD

The Good, The Bad And The Undead by Kim Harrison
Book 2 of the Rachel Morgan series

Genre: urban fantasy, chick lit

About The Good, The Bad And The Undead:
Rachel Morgan's back, and in more trouble than ever! Fans of Laurell K. Hamilton and other vampire novels won't want to miss the second novel in Kim Harrison's addicting--and already bestselling--supernatural series.

Former-bounty-hunter Rachel Morgan has it pretty good. She has left the corrupt Inderland Runner Service and started her own independent service. She has survived werewolves, shape-changing demons, bad-hair days, and sharing a church with her vampire roommate Ivy. She even has a cute (if human) boyfriend - what more could a witch want?

But living with a reformed vampire isn't all it's cracked up to be, particularly when your roommate's very bad ex-boyfriend wants her back, and wouldn't mind you in the process. And especially when he's six feet of sheer supernatural seduction, and you've got a demon mark that makes vampires literally hotter than hell....

To save herself and Ivy, Rachel must confront the vampire master - and the dark secrets she's hidden even from herself.
Source: Info in the About The Good, The Bad And The Undead was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30262.The_Good_the_Bad_and_the_Undead on 018/06/2011.

Review:
I had to put this book down several times for extended periods of time because I got irritated with the main protagonist. I knew from book 1 that she can be irritatingly stupid but after I put the book down for sometime I'd forget just how irritating and pick the book up again. It was like that, on and off, on and off, until I eventually finished reading it after more than two years. Maybe a more forgiving reader might find this book a quicker read than I did.

Rachel Morgan, the main protagonist, is just this side of stupid who blunders around from danger to danger and survived by sheer dumb luck. Not only does she endangers herself, but also people around her. WTF!! Character development? I think that rates really low. However, there is also Jenks. Who became my instant favourite pixie! Tends to fly around my head and sass every single character in the book! The pixie image to the right is not quiet right because his wings is suppose to be more like a dragonfly, but that pic is the best I could find. And then there's the demon, Big Al! The wildcard character, shrouded in mystery and not quite sure yet whether he would turn out to be the biggest bad guy in the entire Rachel Morgan world, but he's likeable to me! I hope he turns out to be not too bad... Come to think of it, everybody else in the Rachel Morgan world is well developed, even the bad guys' characters. It's only the main protagonist who is too stupid to live.

I really like the world building. It's rich and vibrant. It's painted with skillful and masterful flair. It got all the good fantasy elements, fairies, weres, witches, and vampires, yet still feel authentic. The kind of urban fantasy world which really appeals to my fantasy buff self. Despite that, I don't think I would be buying anymore books in this series because I couldn't stand the annoying stupidity of the main protagonist. If ever, I would borrow it from the library than waste my money.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story Telling Quality = 3.5
World Building = 5
Character Development = 2.5
Pace = 1
Plot = 2
Ending = 1.5

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 cherries

Thursday 25 August 2011

Wishlist: UNLEASHED

WISHLIST:
Unleashed by Sara Taney Humphreys

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: The Amoveo Legend #1
Publication Date: 1 Oct 2011

Description:
A fresh, exciting take on shape-shifters, which is one of the hottest areas of paranormal romance. This debut was originally self-published in a limited edition and was a word-of-mouth sensation for booksellers in a major national book chain. ——The acclaimed and highly original world-building of Sara Humphreys introduces the Amoveo race—beautiful, strong shape-shifters who live secretly among humans and are threatened by outside forces as well as enemies from within. After endless searching, Malcolm has found his mate Samantha, but she doesn't know who she really is and won't believe it when he tells her...
Source: Info in the Description was taken from Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10880685-unleashed on 08/07/2011.

Wednesday 24 August 2011

WW28: RIVER MARKED

WW28
A chance to showcase your favourite!
  • First you grab our Wicked Wednesday pic.
  • Then you grab a book. Turn to page 28. Take the first sentence. And then you post it in your site with a link back to WW28.
  • Come back to Cherry Mischievous - WW28 and give us the url of your post (in a comment at a WW28 post) so that other WW28 readers can find your WW28 offering.

WW28 book offering : River Marked by Patricia Briggs

Page 28, 1st Sentence:
"I have a request," I told Adam, as he handed the parking ticket to the lady in the booth.
For such a good book we have to hit the lamest sentence in it ever!

About River Marked:
Car mechanic Mercy Thompson has always known there was something different about her, and not just the way she can make a VW engine sit up and beg. Mercy is a shapeshifter, a talent she inherited from her long-gone father. She’s never known any others of her kind. Until now.

An evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River—one that her father’s people may know something about. And to have any hope of surviving, Mercy and her mate, the Alpha werewolf Adam, will need their help…
Source: Info in the About River Marked was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8087906 on 28/04/2011.

Monday 22 August 2011

Review: THE IRON KING

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
Book 1 of the Iron Fey Series

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

About The Iron King:
Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.
Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.
Source: Info in the About The Iron King was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6644117-the-iron-king on 02/07/2011.

Review:
I really enjoyed the writer's style, the way she wrote about the backgrounds of the Nevernever and characters. It was hard putting the book down just to go to bed. The first few chapters was a bit confusing because, I first thought that I am reading an old fairy tale and not a new and fresh story. What I mean by that is, is that the writer used old fairy tales and it did not feel that it was her own and that it started to become a bit predictable for the ending of the book. But the more I read the more the writer started to make it her own and that is when I started to enjoy the story.

There was however one character I did get annoyed with and that was Meghan Chase. I find her weak even though she has incredible powers. This character also cry to much in every chapter and that she does come across as someone that is blind to her surroundings and predicaments. Even into the Iron Daughter Meghan still has not grown up yet and still cry and hide to mush. As a reader I just could not get into Meghan's character.

But apart from Meghan Chase I fell in love with the books and the characters, the story is well written and very addictive.

I am looking forward to The Iron Queen to come.
Books In The Iron Fey Series:


Thank you to Mira Ink for the review copy of The Iron King by Julie Kagawa received!

Saturday 20 August 2011

Review: FORGIVE MY FINS

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs
Book 1 of the Fins series

About Forgive My Fins:
Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.

When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.
Source: Info in the About Forgive My Fins was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6710476-forgive-my-fins on 21/07/2011.

Review:
Tera Lynn Childs is a new-to-me author and I like her "author's voice". She had me laughing and crying in turns. I like that! Consequently the reading was quick-paced and the book ended way too soon.

Tbe heroine's character development feels to me slightly stilted. I really wanna like her character and to some degree, I do. But it seems that everybody else in the story is a well developed character except the main female protagonist! WTF! But I like Quince, I can connect with him. I can sympathize with him. Okey, okey, I'm a sucker for angsty heroes! Anyway, like I said, everybody else is well developed except for Lily, the main female protagonist. So I can't really give the overall character development a low rating. And no, Lily doesn't look like this mermaid pic we have here. This pic is what Lily aludes to as the fairytale-lized mermaid.

The plot: The heroine's stupidity is drawn out and the profound realization of a person's true depth hit her all of a sudden without much of a precipitating factor, just like that. So why hasn't this realization occurred before then? Why not at some point in time afterwards? So what made that point in time different from any other that the realization happened? There isn't much of a reason that I could see other than that it is convenient in the story to be so. It brings the suspension of disbelief down a couple of notches. I like it better if there is a gradual build-up to a salient point in the story. A logical flow of events. Instead of just drop it down on the reader like a bomb. Having said that, I would say that the author's voice is that good that I can forgive this weakness in the plot.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I would read another work by this author again.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 3.5
Plot = 2.5
Pace = 4

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries


http://www.cheezyfeetbooks.blogspot.com
I would like to thank Bella of Cheezyfeet Books for hosting a contest which made it possible for me to win Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs from the wonderful people at Templar!

Friday 19 August 2011

WISHLIST: ARIEL

Ariel by Aaron Patterson

Genre: YA urban fantasy  

Series: N/A

Description:  All Airel ever wanted to be was normal, to disappear into the crowd. But bloodlines can produce surprises, like sudden mysterious illness. Then there’s Michael Alexander, the new guy in school, who is impossibly gorgeous…and captivated by her. Somewhere in the back of her mind she can hear the sound of pages turning, and another, older story being written. It is the story of an ancient family, of great warriors, of the Sword of Light, and the struggle against an evil so terrible, so far-reaching, that it threatens everything she hopes for even now. Airel knew change would be inevitable as life went on. But can she hold on when murder and darkness begin to close in and take away everything she loves? Will she have what it takes when the truth is finally revealed?
Source: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=250424498311796&set=a.242996502387929.62442.180079758679604&type=1&theater

Thursday 18 August 2011

Top Ten Mistakes of New Fiction Writers

Top Ten Mistakes of New Fiction Writers

There are thousands, perhaps even millions of would-be writers of fiction the world over who find their stories and text coming back time and time again with those oh-so polite yet soul destroying rejection letters. Needless to say, writing has no set checklist to achieve perfection, but if everything really seems to be in order, it could be that one or more of the following top ten errors are all that stand in the way of unbridled success:

Insufficient Editing – Even the most seasoned veteran writers need to write, re-write and often re-write again. In the case of new writers across the board, there is a misconception that the editing process involves nothing more than a quick read-through for spelling mistakes and grammatical disasters. The best way to look at any writing project is to interpret what appears to be the final draft as nothing more than the first, going over even what appears to be perfect at least one last time with fresh eyes.

Restricted Writing – One of the biggest mistakes new fiction writers make is not allowing their imagination to run riot and instead remaining within the confines of what they think others would consider acceptable. This leads to homogenized story writing that has been done to death by millions of others – all looking to tick all the same boxes. On the other hand, draw up a new list of boxes to tick and standing out from the crowd comes as a certainty.

Irrelevance – It can be tempting to go massively into detail when building characters and back stories surrounding the main plot, but it has to be remembered that particularly in shorter works, it is essential not to take focus away from the main story. Of course, add all of the required detail and elements required, but opt for a subtle ‘drip-feeding’ approach rather than tangents with no relevance.

Language – Something of a balance must be struck here, as there are essentially two enormous mistakes just waiting to be made. On one hand, there are those who lose themselves in the plot and forget to push their vocabulary, while on the other hand there are those who use as many clever words as possible just for the sake of it. Needless to say, both can be fatal and should be avoided at all costs.

Clichés – Avoiding clichés when writing new works of fiction can be quite staggeringly difficult, as doing so not only involves the creation of original storylines, but also the attention required to make sure each and every encounter, scenario and even therein doesn’t simply scream ‘been there and done that’. Don’t rely on tired clichés or tricks to build the mood and environment, just rely on the core inspiration and say what really needs to be said.

Setting the Scene – The characters used in any work of fiction are never simply the result of breeding, but also the environment dreamed up to house them. Setting the scene can be as important to character development as anything else, therefore must be afforded due care and attention. Never be limited to simply describing how a place looks, but also include the smells, the sounds, the atmosphere, the objects around, the temperature, humidity and so on.

Structure – Something of a no-brainer but remarkably easy to stray away from, almost all short stories are most effective when concentrating on a single person in a single situation that spans a short period of time. It can be incredibly tempting to move away from the central plot and become sidetracked, which can be effective in epic novels, but in smaller works there is little to be gained from darting all over the place.

Dialogue – Remember that although the characters are not real, their dialogue must be as realistic as possible to maintain believability. At the same time, avoid fluff and nonsense used simply to increase the word count.
Technical Flaws – Brushing up on grammatical skills every now and then is a hugely important practice as it really does not take long for the odd mistake here and there to become a truly detrimental long term habit. Take a couple of online test or maybe consult a guide or two to see where the strengths and weaknesses lie.

Fresh Eyes – When it appears the story could not possibly be any better, leave it out of sight for a week or so without even going near it and re-read with a fresh pair of eyes – it never fails to be astonishing just how many little additions and tweaks become necessary this way.

"Article courtesy of Christine Connor, who frequently writes on behalf of moving services specialist Upack."

Wednesday 17 August 2011

WW28: THE DRAGON WITH THE GIRL TATTOO

WW28
A chance to showcase your favourite!
  • First you grab our Wicked Wednesday pic.
  • Then you grab a book. Turn to page 28. Take the first sentence. And then you post it in your site with a link back to WW28.
  • Come back to Cherry Mischievous - WW28 and give us the url of your post (in a comment at a WW28 post) so that other WW28 readers can find your WW28 offering.
WW28 book offering : The Dragon with the Girl Tattoo by Adam Roberts

Page 28, 1st Sentence:
I offer it to you because I think you can do it, if you have the proper incentive.

About The Dragon with the Girl Tattoo :
Lizbreath Salamander is young and beautiful. Her scales have an iridescent sheen, her wings arch proudly, her breath has a tang of sulfur. And on her back a tattoo of a mythical creature: a girl. But when Lizbreath is drawn into a dark conspiracy she will have to rely on more than her beauty and her vicious claws the size of sabres . . . A dragon has disappeared, one of a secretive clan. As Lizbreath delves deeper into their history she realises that these dragons will do anything to defend their secrets. Welcome to the world of The Dragon With The Girl Tattoo. A world of gloomy Nordic dragons leading lives uncannily like our own (despite their size, despite the need for extensive fireproofing of home furnishings), a world of money hoarded, a world of darkness and corruption. A world where people are the fantasy.
Source: Info in the About The Dragon with the Girl Tattoo was taken from the author's blog at http://dragonwiththegirltattoo.blogspot.com/2010/10/dragon-with-girl-tattoo-by-adam-roberts.html on 08/12/2010.

Monday 15 August 2011

Getting Past Writer’s Block

Getting Past Writer’s Block
By Pamela Samuels Young
You’ve been staring at the computer screen for several minutes, waiting for inspiration to come to you. But nothing happens. You press both hands to your cheeks and exclaim, “Oh no, I have writer’s block.”

Personally, I don’t believe in writer’s block. In addition to writing legal thrillers, I have a very demanding day job as an in-house lawyer for a large corporation. For me, having time to write is a luxury. I’m unwilling to waste that time staring at a blank computer screen or piece of paper. When I have time to write, I write.

You must treat your writing career as you would any other profession. I can’t walk into my office tomorrow and say, “Sorry, I can’t provide any legal advice today. I have attorney block.” You get paid to do a job, so you do it. You may not be getting paid to write just yet, but you’ll never get to that point if you allow yourself to use some imaginary “block” as an excuse for not finishing your novel.

Here are four tips to help you when and if writing malaise (not writer’s block!) hits you.

1. It’s All About Attitude

If you tell yourself you can’t do it, then that’s exactly what will happen. Keep a positive attitude. If writing a novel were easy, everyone would be doing it. You have a special passion and talent that require nourishment. Find people and things to help you stay motivated. My favorite human motivator is my husband, Rick. When I start to think that I can’t, he’s always there to remind me that I can. My favorite non-human motivator is Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream. I often reward myself with a few scoops after a particularly successful writing session.

2. Just Write

Even if you do experience writer’s block, your fingers won’t be paralyzed. That means you can still type or hold a pen. So get going. Just write. You don’t have to create prize-winning prose. Just write something. You can always come back and make revisions. The real writing is in the editing.

3. Study the Writing Craft

If you absolutely don’t want to write (operative word don’t, not can’t) use the time to study the writing craft. Select a book in your genre that you think is particularly good and study the writer’s technique. How does she hook you at the end of the chapter? What makes his descriptions compelling? An hour or so of this type of study may just cause your own juices to start flowing.

4. Go Ahead, Take a Break

There will be times when you may simply need to take a break from writing. The body can only take so much. Those of us who don’t have the luxury of writing full time sometimes forget how much stress we have in our lives. If you’re working all day and writing all night, you won’t be able to burn the candle at both ends forever. You have to take care of yourself physically. That may mean a few days away from your novel.

So, don’t just stare at that blank computer screen, start writing!

Pamela can be found at:
www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com
MySpace
Pamela's latest release:
About Murder On The Down Low:
A high-profile lawsuit erupts into chaos, revealing its place in a larger spree of violence in this scandalous tale of lust, lies, and vengeance. A brazen gunman is targeting prominent African American men on the streets of Los Angeles, and police are completely baffled. At the same time, savvy big-firm attorney Vernetta Henderson and her outrageous sidekick, Special, lead the charge for revenge against a man whose deceit caused his fianceé's death. For Special, hauling the man into court and suing him for wrongful death just isn’t good enough. While she exacts her own brand of justice, a shocking revelation connects the contentious lawsuit and the puzzling murders.
Source: Info in the About Murder On The Down Low was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3479576-murder-on-the-down-low on 03/08/2011.

Sunday 14 August 2011

Wishlist: The Goblin King

WISHLIST:
The Goblin King by Shona Husk

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: NA
Publication Date: 27 Sept 2011

Summary:
Cursed by a Druid millennia ago, Roan lives a bleak existence in the Shadowlands, desperately trying to retain his soul and not succumb to the goblin horde. When a beautiful human summons him to grant a wish, he sees a glimmer of hope. But will she ever agree to be his queen?
Source: Info in the Summary was taken from Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11293194-the-goblin-king on 08/07/2011.

Thursday 11 August 2011

Review: GHOST STORY

Ghost Story by Jim Butcher

Genre: urban fantasy

About Ghost Story:
When we last left the mighty wizard detective Harry Dresden, he wasn't doing well. In fact, he had been murdered by an unknown assassin.

But being dead doesn't stop him when his friends are in danger. Except now he has nobody, and no magic to help him. And there are also several dark spirits roaming the Chicago shadows who owe Harry some payback of their own.

To save his friends-and his own soul-Harry will have to pull off the ultimate trick without any magic...
Source: Info in the About Ghost Story was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8058301-ghost-story on 08/08/2011.

My Take On This Book:
I am once again reminded why I love reading Jim Butcher so much. Truly a wonderful read! Though I do have a few nitpicking issues with this book, I am willing to overlook all of them for the wonderful reading experience I had with this book!! Another salient point why I like Jim Butcher's work is that all his books have coherent story structures. Has a beginning, a central dilemma and an ending. Always. Even if the book is part of a series. And even though he also adds teasers for the next book at the end, enough to keep the readers hooked to the series. (As if I need hooking!) I say Jim Butcher has a very good writing style indeed! And it's nice to get to see Mouse again. I missed the furball!!

I have only two complaints about this book. One, it's too quick a read. And second, I have to wait for another year to read the next book!!

Empirically, I would rate this book as:
World Building = 5
Character Development = 5
Story Telling Quality = 5
Plot = 4
Pace = 5
Ending = 4.5
Cover Art = 5
CymLowell
Cherry's Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries


I would like to thank RKCharron of FICTIONALL for holding a contest and made it possible for me to win a copy of Ghost Story by Jim Butcher.
 
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