Top Ten Tuesday: Books to read if you liked the movie
Posted: April 29, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: top ten tuesday 6 Comments
This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is my top nine books you must read if you loved the movie or TV show (and one you shouldn’t if you loved the play). In some ways, it’s probably redundant, because I can’t imagine I have too many readers of this blog who wouldn’t have read the books first anyway. But I guess you never know when someone might wander in from the untamed wilds of the internet, looking for ideas.
Disclaimer: These images are all stills from the various movies and TV shows. I make no claims to ownership…although I wouldn’t mind owning Richard Castle. Just saying.
Harry Potter. Given how fabulously popular — and justifiably so — this series was, it’s hard to imagine there’s anyone left who loved the movies and hasn’t bothered with the books. But if you’re one of those, GO READ THE BOOKS. The richness of Rowling’s world is masterfully executed, and there are little moments in the books that never made it to the movies.
Lord of the Rings. As with Harry Potter, there are plenty of moments in Tolkien’s world that didn’t make it to the movies. Walk with the hobbits; you won’t regret it.
The Hunger Games. I loved the first two Hunger Games books (and liked the third). The movies really did them justice. I’m actually hoping the Mockingjay movie/s make me love the story more than the book did, which is a little peculiar, I admit. But regardless, read the first two books in the series at least. You won’t regret it.
Sookie Stackhouse. The True Blood TV show took some fairly hefty liberties with the plot and characters, for example letting some survive that died in the books. While that doesn’t bother me — I’m not a purist about these things — the books are fun stories in their own right.
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. A lot of my friends, who fondly recall the original dodgy BBC TV series of these books, really didn’t like the movie. I enjoyed it — I can still burst into a rendition of So Long and Thanks For All The Fish — but the Hitchhikers books were my first experience of comedic fiction. It was a revelation. Read it and laugh: it’s good for the soul.
The Mortal Instruments. As a disclaimer, I haven’t seen the movie yet. But I really liked this trilogy (with a slight qualifier on the last book in that I wish Clare had resolved one plot element sooner than she did).
Castle. This is a weird one on my list, because the TV show came first. Now there are ghost-written books by “Richard Castle” that parallel the books the character writes on TV. Maybe it’s my giant crush on Nathan Fillion, but I really liked them too — and I don’t usually read crime fiction.
Divergent. I haven’t seen this movie either, but I loved the first two books in the trilogy. I’ve held off reading the third, given the reaction it provoked among fans…
Eragon. The Eragon movie was, let’s be honest, a stinker. I wanted to like it, given I enjoyed the series (and it has ANIMATED DRAGONS!), but I just couldn’t. If you’re the same, loving stories about dragons and wanting another one, these books could be for you.
Wicked. Ok, this is an anti-recommendation. A warning, if you will. I’ve been obsessing on the Wicked musical lately, and I’ve also read the book. If you love the musical and want to follow Elphaba’s story in more depth, don’t get too excited or it may leave you wanting. When the musical was written they took elements of the book and then strung them into a coherent story, whereas the book is disjointed. I’ve been really wishing someone would write a book based on the play’s version instead, but I guess that’s never going to happen!
What books would you recommend to others?
Book (re)launch, excerpt and contest: ‘The Best Man’ by Ana Blaze
Posted: April 28, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: novella, romance, self-publishing 2 CommentsThose of you with especially keen memories may recall that I’ve promoted The Best Man before. This was another of the books published by Entranced. It’s now being re-launched, with a cover that I personally love more than the original. And do you know what the best part is for you, as a reader? Another giveaway! Also, that excerpt makes me want to rush out and buy the book RIGHT NOW!
The Best Man
by Ana Blaze
Genre: Contemporary Romance Novella
Rating: Steamy
Available now in e-book or audiobook!
Beth Chase is too busy planning perfect weddings to worry about the lack of action in her own love life. But if she was looking for a man, she wouldn’t be looking at Colin Pratt. Her boss swears that Best Man Colin is a quiet scholar and science fiction writer who couldn’t possibly cause a fuss at his own brother’s wedding. He’s clearly never met the man in question.
Snarky, sexy and more than a little inebriated, Colin is the final obstacle between Beth and the last perfect wedding she needs to make partner. Of course, when she helps him into a taxi at the end of the night she has no idea that he’s only just begun to poke holes in her professional exterior. Colin might have the skills to seduce a romance professional, but can he convince her that he’s the best man to share her happy ever after?
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Giveaway
Enter here to win a $10 Starbucks gift card (open internationally)!
Excerpt
Colin was right; she let him take her to dinner. He wanted to call and have a limo pick them up, but Beth insisted on driving. She did let him pick the restaurant from a list of suggestions.
They were seated at a very nice Italian place with an old stone fireplace and a dozen small round tables covered by pristine white cloths. Classical music played quietly, allowing for the possibility of private conversations.
Colin smiled at her from across the small table. “You look lovely.”
“You already said that.”
“It’s still true.”
“Thank you. You look rather handsome yourself.”
“Wait until you see me without any clothes. I’ll blow your mind.”
She bit her lip to keep from chuckling too loudly. “I have seen you without your clothes on.”
He nodded. “That’s right. How did that go over again?” His head dipped to the side and studied her.
“I was under the impression you knew how to behave in public as long as you weren’t dosed with Xanax and the entire contents of the courtesy bar. Should I have prepared a list of appropriate dinner topics for you?”
“Ah, like the rain in Spain? No worries, love. If I have learned anything from television we are now expected to surreptitiously survey the couples around us and guess at their lives.”
Beth giggled. “Is that so?”
“Definitely. Take this lovely couple to our right.” He inclined his head in the direction of a grey-haired woman who was arguing with the white-haired man across from her. “Oh. Don’t look directly at them! Sneakiness is an essential part of this mating ritual. So, what do you think, first date or high-priced escort?”
Charmed and feeling playful, she leaned closer. “No way. Clearly, they’re spies. Only they work for enemy organizations. Twenty-five years ago they met on an assignment that involved seducing each other and accidentally fell in love. Now they meet in secret once a year in honor of the life they couldn’t have because of their duty to their respective groups.” She sat back in her chair and grinned.
“That’s good.” Colin nodded. “Damn, that’s brilliant. You must go on a lot of dates because you are very good at this game.”
She nodded to a young couple across the room. “Go ahead. Try again.”
He nodded. “Cause a distraction so they don’t see me looking.” He glanced over at them quickly and then back. “Challenging.”
“If you’re not up for it …”
Colin held up his hands. “I didn’t say that. I’m just suggesting that successful completion of this mission should allow me access to the next level.”
“The next level of what?”
“Us. I want to know your middle name, at least one honestly embarrassing story, and I want to be in your bedroom tonight.”
Grinning, she shrugged. “Deal. Impress me.”
“This is their third first date.”
Beth raised an eyebrow.
“Hear me out, love. Their first, first date went horridly awry. He made an utter fool of himself but knew immediately that she was the only girl for him. Seeing no other option he obviously created a vessel for time travel and went back to try again. Their second date went only slightly better, so he is trying a third time in hopes that she will agree to go out with him again.”
“Do you think she’s going to say yes tonight?”
His eyes softened when they met hers. “I hope so. But if she doesn’t he’ll keep trying until she does.”
“He does seem persistent — what, with the whole time machine thing.”
“He has to be. He’s never fallen for a woman quite so hard before, and first impressions are very difficult to override.”
Beth nodded. “My middle name is Rose.”
“That’s … My mother was named Rose.” His voice took on a wistful note.
“If another man told me that I’d be sure it was a pickup line.”
He smirked. “And it no doubt would be. All other men are total scum. You should give up dating them completely.”
She rolled her eyes. “What kind of stuff do you write? You write, don’t you? You said that last night.”
He stared at her for a moment before responding. “How do you feel about poetry?”
Her lips twitched. “You write poems. Poems?”
“Of course not.” He shook his head. “Only total saps write poetry. I write manly guides to … manliness, and also … motorcycles.”
“So that’s a yes on the poetry? I thought you said something about short stories.”
He sighed. “I write, in general, everything. The poetry is the worst. I’m complete rubbish at it, but I like it the best. I also write short stories — generally in the science fiction genre. I have one entirely un-publishable novel and a few more unfinished, but almost equally unlikely to find an audience.”
“Tell me one of your poems.”
He leaned across the table. “No.”
Beth leaned in and dropped a sweet kiss on his mouth, smiling as she sat back again. “I’m glad I came out with you tonight.” She was having fun, nearly too much fun given their temporary status. The air sparked between them.
He grinned and sat back in his chair. “I am too, Beth. But, I’m still not going to recite any of my poetry.”
“Fair enough, though I’ll bet hearing one would have gotten me all … hot for you.”
Colin snorted. “Doubtful. Besides, we both know you just changed the subject so that you could get out of telling me your embarrassing story.”
Beth nodded to the waitress as she placed their food on the table. Colin gave the woman a quick smile and said, “Thank you.”
“I don’t have any embarrassing stories.” She twirled some pasta around her fork, brought it to her mouth, and groaned in appreciation. Colin was smirking at her. Beth blushed. “This is really good.”
“I’m very happy to see you enjoying it.”
“This whole don’t-mind-me-I’m-just-a-shy-book-guy thing is totally an act, isn’t it?”
“Book guy?”
“You know what I mean. The nice manners and excellent vocabulary come in handy by getting girls to lower their shields, and then you swoop in with all the innuendo and … touching.”
“Ah, yes. You’ve got me. I’m a dreadful rogue.”
About the Author
Ana lives just outside Washington, DC, with her very supportive husband and three rather demanding cats. She loves the ocean, Indian food, Ikea, and cooking. Before settling down as a writer, Ana was an elementary school teacher, a preschool teacher, a camp counselor, a waitress, a research assistant, a canoe tour guide, and one glorious summer during college she spent eight hours a day placing stickers inside library books so they would be part of the fancy new automated checkout system. She won’t say which job she liked best.
Ana is a member of Romance Writers of America.
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Review: ‘Haze’ (The Rephaim #2) by Paula Weston
Posted: April 27, 2014 Filed under: Reviews | Tags: AWW, reviews, urban fantasy 7 Comments
Gaby Winters’ nightmares have stopped but she still can’t remember her old life. Still can’t quite believe she is one of the Rephaim—the wingless half-angels who can shift from place to place, country to country, in the blink of an eye. That she was once the Rephaim’s best fighter. That demons exist. That Rafa has stayed.
But most of all, she can’t quite believe that her twin brother, Jude, might be alive.
And Gaby can’t explain the hesitancy that sidetracks the search for him, infuriates Rafa, and sends them, again, into the darkest danger
I’m struggling with how to review this book, given it’s the second in the series and a lot of people reading this probably won’t have read the first (which is Shadows). I could just write IT’S AWESOME GO BUY IT RIGHT NOW in all caps and then put in some animated gifs of people squeeing all over the place, but that’s not particularly coherent.
At the start of Shadows, Gaby is miserable. She lost her twin brother, Jude, in a car accident a year before. Her sleep is tormented by nightmares of his death and of a strange vision of demons rampaging through a nightclub—and when she has good dreams of their time backpacking together they tear her up just as much, because he’s no longer with her.
Then Rafa shows up, defiant, sexy and disbelieving Gaby’s claim that she doesn’t remember who he is.
Rafa tells Gaby she and Jude are the half-angel offspring of Fallen angels who broke out of hell. A year ago, the pair disappeared together. Gaby woke up in hospital believing she was human. Now, both Rephaim and demons are very interested in finding out what she and Jude did, and will go to all kinds of lengths to get hold of her.
I love Gaby as a main character. She’s sassy and confident. Although Jude’s loss—because regardless of who they really are, he’s still gone—has left her broken, she lifts her chin and soldiers on as best she can.
The chemistry between her and Rafa is volatile. He can be an asshole, but it’s a blustery front to hide his own pain: pain over events from Gaby’s past that she no longer remembers. And when he lets his guard down, showing his compassion and tenderness…woo. *fans self* Haze has the exact right blend of romance and plot that I love in a good urban fantasy. The romance is present, and the slow burn is sexy as anything, but it’s not the main focus of the story.
The two books are set over about a two-week period. That’s how fast the pace is. There were times reading Haze that Weston would throw in a reference to something that happened “this morning”, for example, and I’d be like, WHAT THOSE CHAPTERS WERE ALL ONE DAY? So much was packed into them it seemed impossible—but it really gives you a sense for how exhausted the characters must be, the urgency of the storyline. When they had a chance to pause for food or a sleep I was relieved on their behalf!
I gather there’s at least one more book in the series, maybe two. Like Shadows, Haze has an ending that has equal parts closure and setup for the next book. I MUST HAVE IT NOW!
Paula Weston is an Aussie writer, so that’s another plus—although I gather a deal has been signed for them to come out in the UK and US so you guys don’t have to miss out on this particular slice of awesome. Yay you!
This is a five star read.
Meet my character: Isla Blackman
Posted: April 25, 2014 Filed under: On the Isla's Inheritance trilogy | Tags: blog hop, Isla's Inheritance 5 CommentsI was tagged in the Meet My Character blog hop by the fabulous historical fiction author Nicole Evelina. (Thanks, Nicole!) The idea is that you can write about a character in a new release or WIP. Given my impending release and WIP are both about Isla, she was my obvious choice.
However, I’ve written this based on the first book, for reasons.
Jenna-Louise Coleman, who looks a lot like I imagine Isla would. (Source.)
What is the name of your character? Is she fictional or a historical person?
Her name is Isla Rose Blackman, and she’s about to turn eighteen. Her father is David Andrew Blackman, a small farmer and hobbyist ironmonger with a farm outside Canberra. Isla lives with her aunt, Elizabeth Kent, and cousins, Sarah and Ryan. But she sees her father regularly and adores him.
This meme started among the histfic writers, hence the second half of the question. Since I write urban fantasy, the answer is always going to be “fictional”. As much as it might be hilarious to write a vampire story involving a real life politician, for example, I suspect I’d be sued shortly afterwards!
When and where is the story set?
For the most part, it is set in Canberra—Isla moved in with her aunt when she started high school so she’d be closer to class. And it is a contemporary story…in timeframe if not always in subject matter.
What should we know about Isla?
Isla has a good head on her shoulders. Her father raised her to be practical and have a critical mind; for example, she never went through the new age phase Sarah did as a teenager. When her cousins drag her to a Halloween party, she thinks it’s all a bit of fun but nothing more—an excuse to dress up. She only ever agreed to take part in the séance because Dominic was there, and she’d had a crush on him when she was younger.
Turns out he’s still hot.
What is the main conflict? What messes up her life?
The first speedbump in the road is when the séance tries to contact Isla’s mother, who passed away in childbirth, and the “spirits” reply “SHE IS NOT DEAD”. Isla can’t understand why the girl running the séance would set her up like that, given they’ve never met before…but then all sorts of weird things start happening.
What is the personal goal of the character?
At first, Isla hopes for a lightbulb moment where she suddenly knows what she wants to do with her life. She has the grades for university, but decides to take a gap year because she isn’t sure what she wants to study.
After a while, though, she just wants everything to go back to normal.
When can we expect Isla’s Inheritance to be published?
October 2014. *faints*
Who’s next in this blog hop?
I’m tagging two awesome writers, contemporary author Lauren K. McKellar, and fantasy and urban fantasy author K. A. Last. I loved both of their recent releases, The Problem With Crazy and Immagica respectively. Check them out!
Excerpt and giveaway: ‘Lore: Tales of Myth and Legend Retold’ anthology
Posted: April 24, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: contests Leave a comment
Lore: Tales of Myth and Legend Retold
by Brinda Berry, Karen Y. Bynum, Laura Diamond,
Jayne A. Knolls, Theresa DaLayne, Cate Dean
Release Date: 03/2014
A collection of six folklore retellings that will twist your mind and claim your heart.
SHIMMER: A heartbroken boy rescues a mermaid… but is it too late to save her?
BETWEEN is about a girl, a genie, and a ton of bad decisions.
SUNSET MOON: Eloise doesn’t believe in Native American magic–until the dreamcatcher spiders spin her down an unknown path.
THE MAKER: An incapacitated young man bent on revenge builds a creature to do it for him.
A BEAUTIFUL MOURNING: The story of a Maya goddess torn between duty and love, and the ultimate sacrifice she must make to achieve true happiness.
THE BARRICADES: When a human girl risks everything to save the life of an Eternal prince, will their feelings for each other change the world they know, or tear it apart?
Buy Links:
Excerpt from The Maker
Cassandra Francesca Levinsky had been mine, more or less, since the second semester of freshman year. Addiction was probably a better term for it than a romance—I couldn’t get enough of her—nor she of me. Everyone knew us as Brettandra—I know, like Brangelina—that’s how legendary we were—Brett and Cassandra, the best looking couple on campus.
In the end, I only drank so much to deal with the sight of her throwing herself at every other guy in the room—and to obliterate the green haze of jealous rage that overtook me when others wanted a piece of her. But if I were forced to admit it, I kind of got off on that, too. Like I said, we couldn’t get enough of each other.
I’m not sure exactly when those long weeks of getting the cold shoulder first started. My memory’s not what it used to be. And I don’t have much of a recollection of what happened after we left the party. Maybe I blacked out. The next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital bed, my skull on fire. I learned later that Cassandra walked away from the wreck without a scratch on her. She left me for dead, my skull cracked open like an egg.
The guy we hit never walked again. Yeah, I felt kind of bad about that, but I’m not in such great shape either.
They found me in the driver’s seat, the engine’s firewall inches from the tree we plowed into. The wrecked BMW was registered to me—so as far as anyone knew at the scene, Cassandra was never even in it. The medical report stated that if she’d called for help right away, instead placing an anonymous call after she was long gone, the bleeding might not have been so extensive.
That I might have made a good recovery.
But, if that were the case, then this story would never have been written.
Author Bios:
Brinda Berry:
Brinda Berry lives in the southern US with her family and two spunky cairn terriers. She’s terribly fond of chocolate, coffee, and books that take her away from reality. She doesn’t mind being called a geek or “crazy dog lady”. When she’s not working the day job or writing a novel, she’s guilty of surfing the internet for no good. Find Brinda at www.brindaberry.com
Karen Y. Bynum:
Dragons, unicorns, genies…oh my! NA/YA author, coffee-lover, olive-hater, tea-drinker, music-listener. Random becomes me. Easily distrac— Blog
Laura Diamond:
Laura Diamond is a board certified psychiatrist and multi-published author of all things young adult paranormal, dystopian, and horror. When she’s not writing, she is working at the hospital, blogging at Author Laura Diamond–Lucid Dreamer, and renovating her 225+ year old fixer-upper mansion.
Jayne A. Knolls:
Jayne A. Knolls lives and works in New York City. The Maker is her first published work of New Adult Fiction. Jayne can reached at JAKnolls@optonline.net
Theresa DaLayne:
My name is Theresa DaLayne and I’m a new adult author with Bloomsbury Spark, an amazing digital imprint of Bloomsbury publishing. Website
Cate Dean:
Hi there – thanks for checking in. My name is Cate Dean, and I write romantic suspense and paranormal, with some action packed YA paranormal and fantasy thrown in. I love to write, and I have been doing it most of my life. I’ve made up stories in my head for as long as I can remember, and I am thrilled to be able to write them down and share them with you. If you want to be the first to know when the next book is released, or be in on some fun, exclusive contests and giveaways, join my list here: http://catedeanwrites.com/join-my-list. You can learn more about me and my books at my website: http://catedeanwrites.com
***GIVEAWAY***
This Writer’s Space: Pippa Jay
Posted: April 23, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: this writer's space 2 Comments
Today on This Writer’s Space I have Pippa Jay, sci-fi romance queen!
Where I Write
Since our home computer died back in July last year, my desk in an alcove of the dining room has largely become redundant, except as a bit of a dumping ground for all my paperwork. With Wi-Fi finally installed, I’ve spent most of the winter curled up on my sofa with my laptop.
My writing space in its former glory
But hopefully, this summer my writing spot will be here, in our summerhouse, painted a glorious TARDIS blue for good measure. While it might not dematerialize and travel the universe, I guess I’ll just have to imagine it does and explore new worlds inside my head and on my computer.
My planned writing space now
Where I’m Inspired
I’m lucky to live in the historical town of Colchester in the UK. Walk ten minutes one way and you’re out in the countryside.
Nearby Friday Woods
Half an hour the other way, and you’re in the town, with its medieval buildings and a Norman castle built on the burned remains of a Roman temple. The remaining Roman walls still carry the scars of a siege by Cromwell during the civil war.
Colchester Castle and the surrounding park
Half an hour drive, and you’re on the East Anglia coast, where you can choose between wide sandy beaches, mud flats rich in wildlife, or gravel beaches where dedicated hunters can find ancient sharks teeth and other fossils. Plenty of inspiration to be found!
Frinton-on-Sea
When the surroundings fail, trawling for images on stock photo sites, copious amounts of coffee, and a constant stream of music on my mp3 keep the ideas going. Most stories have a playlist that has inspired the general feel, if not actual details throughout the tale.
To Be Read
At the last count, my TBR pile on my Kindle alone totalled a rather scary 248 titles (I know it only says 70 in the picture, but that’s because the rest are archived from my old Kindle). And don’t get me started adding the paperbacks, Kobo books, and PDFs still sitting on my computer! Mostly scifi romance, but you’ll find all levels of scifi with a smattering of fantasy, paranormal, and the odd humorous title.
Part of the Kindle list. And yes, my Kindle is called Idris. Whovians should know that one.
About Pippa
A stay-at-home mum of three who spent twelve years working as an Analytical Chemist in a Metals and Minerals laboratory, Pippa Jay bases her stories on a lifetime addiction to science-fiction books and films. Somewhere along the line a touch of romance crept into her work and refused to leave. In between torturing her plethora of characters, she spends the odd free moments trying to learn guitar, indulging in freestyle street dance and drinking high-caffeine coffee. Although happily settled in historical Colchester in the UK with her husband of 20 years, she continues to roam the rest of the Universe in her head.
Pippa Jay is a dedicated member of the SFR Brigade, a community of science fiction romance authors and publishing professionals committed to writing and promoting the very best in the genre.
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Excerpt and giveaway: ‘Ex Factor’ by Elisa Dane
Posted: April 23, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: contests, young adult 1 Comment
Ex Factor
by Elisa Dane
Release Date: 22 April 2014
***
Bodie Scott knows about grief all too well. Critically injured in an alcohol related accident the year before, Bodie struggles with the fact that he’ll never play football again, and he’s so far behind in credits he can’t see straight. That is, until he meets Nev. Haunted by their bloody pasts and wary of a shared future, Nev and Bodie turn to one another for comfort and support, and realize they’re not so alone after all. And when the party scene at school threatens the life of a loved one, the two stop at nothing to keep the past from repeating itself.
Available from:
Amazon * Barnes & Noble
Excerpt
Clueless as to what had her so excited, I sat quietly and waited for her to calm down. It was apparent she wore her emotions on her sleeve, and I knew right away she was a straight shooter. This girl couldn’t lie to save her life. The truth would always show on her face.
She hooked a finger toward me and leaned in close again. “I cheer with Livvie on the Diamond team. She’s been talking you up, telling everyone what a great tumbler you are. Are you excited about your tryout tonight?”
My stomach fell as soon as the words “excited” and “tryout” fell out of her mouth. I was most certainly not excited. In fact, if I were being honest, I was dreading it. I’d lain awake most of the night, worrying the girls at the gym wouldn’t like, or accept me, and terrified I wouldn’t be able to meet the coach’s expectations. X Factor Cheer was looking for a ringer for their level five squad, an ace in the hole—someone with amazing acrobatic skill to “wow” the competition judges and audience.
Someone emphatically not me.
About the Author
I’m a lover of books (YA & Adult romance), chocolate, reality television, and am a proud mother to three All Star cheerleaders. Woot!
I write Contemporary YA romance with cheerleaders. Yep. I write what I know, and it’s my hope that my stories will not only take you on a romantic journey that will warm your heart, but that you’ll find a new respect and interest in the sport of Cheerleading you may not have had before.
Author Links:
***GIVEAWAY***
Top Ten Tuesday: Characters I Crushed On
Posted: April 22, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: top ten tuesday 6 Comments
I thought about going with “characters that broke my heart” for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, but as most of them did it by dying, I thought it’d be a bit spoileriffic. Instead, here are ten characters I’ve had a crush on over the years.
One: Masterharper Robinton from the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey. I think Robinton was my first book crush — kind, charming and a musically gifted older man (at least to me as a teenager when I read it). I adored him.
Two: Aiken Drum from The Saga of the Exiles by Julian May. Aiken is the classic charming bad boy — society offers him the choice of jail, “docilisation” or euthanasia, but instead he chose to be exiled back in time. He comes good in the end…sort of…
Sam Merlotte
Three: Louis de Pointe du Lac from Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. I fell in love with vampires when I read this book. I eventually fell more or less out of love with them again by the time I encountered Edward, but Louis was the classic reluctant vampire, full of self-loathing.
Four: Sam Merlotte from The Sookie Stackhouse Novels by Charlaine Harris. I was torn between Sam and Eric, but at the end of the day Eric’s completely domineering personality tipped me over toward Sam. (Bill? Meh.)
Five: Herald Kris from the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy by Mercedes Lackey. This was a tossup between him or Vanyel, but in Vanyel’s case it was always going to be unrequited. :S
Simon Lewis
Six: Simon Lewis from The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. Strong, confident and funny, but also a total nerd. That’s my kind of boy!
Seven: Silk/Prince Kheldar from The Belgariad by David Eddings. Clever, confident, cynical, Silk is one of those characters who laughs at the world so that he doesn’t have to face his problems.
Eight: Peeta Mellark from The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. At first I preferred Gale and Peeta seemed a bit wet. But Peeta grew on me. Like cookie dough in the oven. 🙂 The way he and Katniss lok after each other is really sweet, even if there’s a heavy dose of self-preservation on her part.
Aragorn
Nine: Aragorn, son of Arathorn from The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkein. The first time I read this I was more fixated on the hobbits and not that interested in Aragorn. I think that was because of my age, because as I got older…wooh! (Also, Viggo Mortensen with black hair and a beard!)
Ten: Jean-Claude from the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series by Laurel K. Hamilton. Think of Eric from the Sookie Stackhouse books, only French and even sexier. That’s Jean-Claude. He is much better at restraining his inner beast than Eric, though.
Who would you add to the list?
If my manuscript were a song…
Posted: April 21, 2014 Filed under: On the Lucid Dreaming duology | Tags: Lucid Dreaming, music, pitches 1 CommentYesterday I entered Lucid Dreaming in Pitch Slam. The theme is one of those musical talent shows, like Australian/American/Armenian Idol. You audition (send your pitch) and if Simon Cowell doesn’t hate you, you move on to the next round. The agents, if they make requests, do so as record executives.
I know, right? How cute is that? 🙂
Anyway, as well as providing details like genre and word count, I had to name a song that sums up my manuscript.
For Lucid Dreaming, that was easy. (For Isla, I’d have a lot more trouble.) It’s Enter Sandman by Metallica. But it has to be an orchestral version, because violins. VIOLINS!
Ahem. What song would you choose for your manuscript/s or WIP/s?
Review: ‘Cinder’ by Marissa Meyer
Posted: April 20, 2014 Filed under: Reviews | Tags: reviews, sci-fi, young adult 3 Comments
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future
I know I’m coming a little late to the whole Cinder thing and many of you will have already read it, but IF YOU HAVEN’T THIS IS REALLY GOOD YA.
Take Cinderella, stick her in a future Earth and make her a second-class cyborg. Stir in some political intrigue, a terrible plague and a handsome prince, and I’m so there!
One of the things I really enjoyed about Cinder is the richness of the characters. The wicked stepmother is suitably loathsome (but also kind of tragic). The stepsisters are interesting; Pearl is as shallow and cruel as you’d expect — the fairytale required that someone do it, I suppose — but the younger girl, Peony, is lovely and cares for Cinder despite what the rest of the family think of her.
Likewise, Kai isn’t just a two dimensional Prince Charming looking to marry a hot girl with glass shoes. He’s charming, sure, but also funny, kind and terribly conflicted about some of the diplomatic and personal sacrifices he’s asked to make to save his people. I’m not usally one to crush on the typical main character (I was Team Simon, not Team Jace, for example) — but in this case, it’s all about Kai.
Of course, there aren’t really any other alternatives, unless you count the doctor researching the plague cure, and he’s more of a crazy grandfather type. 😉
Cinder‘s plot moves along at a good pace, the story (and Cinder herself) taking the reader from one event to the next without leaving you time to get bored. There is a plot twist but I saw it coming from the first hint in the first two or three chapters — I don’t really think Meyer intended it to be an OMGWTF moment at the end of the book, though, and I never grew frustrated with the characters not figuring it out like I do in some books.
The only thing that was a little unsatisfying is that the ending is a bit of a cliffhanger. My advice would be to buy the second book and have it to hand so you don’t have to wait to dive into it when you finish this one.
Five stars! 🙂
Cassandra Page 