NaNoWriMo 2013 - It's That Time Again

For the past 2 years I've taken part in NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, and I'll be doing so again this year. YIPPEE!!! For any of my readers doing NaNo, I love writing buddies so look me up - kristin73. Look at the bottom for a small blurb about what I'll be writing during the month long bout of creative madness.

NaNoWriMo Website

Who doesn't know what this hoopla is about?

Okay, here are the basics:

You have 30 days, the month of November, to write a 50,000 word novel, or 50,000 words of a novel. 1667 words a day, every single day for 30 days. Jiminy Frickin' Crickets!!! Talk about a group of masochistic individuals. Why would anyone subject themselves to this craziness?

Insane, right? But here's the catch for someone like me, writing in a sprint makes it impossible for me to keep editing what I just wrote over and over and over and over... okay, well, you get it. Plus, I've met some wonderful, funny, talented people in those 30 days. The twitter word sprints are fun and challenging. And the pep talks by authors like Neil Gaimon, Rainbow Rowell, and James Patterson are inspiring to say the least.

What do you get at the end of the 30 days?

Hopefully 50,000 words that can be added to, then shaped and molded into some sort of novel. Yeah, there are some pretty cool prizes if you meet the 50,000 word count, but the best prize of all is knowing somewhere in your head you managed to create a few characters, dropped them into some creative scenarios, and came up with something all your own.

What do you do with this book you've written?

At the end of November, I would hope you edit before you dream of doing anything else because as much as I'm praying this will be the year that my NaNoWriMo work of art turns out perfectly and I can start querying agents, I'm dreadfully doubtful. After that, or even on December 1st, you never have to look at your manuscript again. Or you can edit, edit, edit... then stick it in a drawer never to be seen again. OR... you can query agents and publishers or self-publish. Heck, maybe just keep it around for friends and family to read (but I'll be the first to admit I've never let any of my family read a single word I've written, never). Whatever you decide, you get to know you wrote a novel!!! How awesome is that?

What am I writing?

Well, this is something I've never done before. I've never admitted to anyone other than my critique partners what ANY of my books are about, but this once, I'll let you in on my secret.

A talented musician has a secret he had hidden from the world... until he didn't. His fight with schizophrenia won. The world turned on its axis. The stage, the rush, the fame--it's all Holden's ever known and it's gone, taken because of a rash decision. Ironically, all his worst decisions happened during those sane times, like running off the only woman he had ever loved or deciding ten years of medications had cured him. Someone as talented and adored as the Holden Blake could never fall from his perch. Right?

A fictional tale of the real life struggles of people with mental health issues and the ones who love them.

(SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

{Book Review} Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Title: Wanderlove
Author: Kirsten Hubbard
Publisher: Delacorte Books
Publication Date: March 13, 2012
Genre: Young Adult; Contemporary
Suggested Age: 12+

Goodreads   Twitter   Facebook   AuthorBlog

Amazon   Barnes & Noble

Blurb:

It all begins with a stupid question:

Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

I've read Wanderlove twice now, and each time the feeling to get up, find a back pack, and travel to Central America overwhelmed me. 

Bria, a freshly graduated 18 year old, decides she wants to travel. See the world--with her boyfriend, except, well, he was now the ex-boyfriend, so scratch that, she'd go with Olivia and Reese, her two best friends. But they bailed on her too. Determined not to spend the summer crying over Toby and fussing over which of her friends she would hang out with, because they didn't exactly like each other, she became A Global Vagabond... only better.

She boards the plane, headed for Central America, ready to explore the sites when a whimsy girl plops down beside her. Starling is flouncy and curious, friendly. Overly so considering Bria has not a freakin' clue what she's spewing from her mouth. What Bria doesn't realize is Starling is an experienced backpacker and Bria is only causing herself to look like a fool every single time she spoke.

Only one foolish thing to bite her in the butt, right? Well, not quite, but when Bria meets up with the tour group she's traveling with, they're all middle-aged and not at all what she pictured. Every single minute of their day is planned, the Vagabonds are filled with rules of where you can go, what to eat, who to talk to, so basically it was like living at home, only worse.

I enjoyed Wanderlove with all my heart. Bria's experiences, even the ones I shook my head at, feeling a secondary embarrassment for her--when Rowan invited her to dinner--were ones I wished I'd been smart enough to take on right out of high school. Travel, even by backpack. My family camped, I was no stranger to the wilderness. The time learning to take care of myself away from my family would've been some dang good therapy. Though I cannot imagine my mother's face if I told her I was going to Central America to backpack my way from one place to another. I'm actually smiling thinking about it now.

Kirsten Hubbard's words carved a miraculous world and filled the pages with beautiful, but sometimes, broken characters. Starling, the optimistic friend and sister who never let anyone flail, lost and wondering for too long. Rowan, the charismatic prankster who had had his share of fun and, equally, his share of trouble, who wears his heart on his sleeve, wove his way into my heart. Making me angry one moment and causing my body to shake with laughter the next. And Bria, the brave heroine. She's never whiny, and takes to the world of backpacking with the grace of ballerina.  

I'm certain some parents would not appreciate what I took from this story, but the advice I've given my oldest--and will give my youngest when she's there--is to really experience all you want in life when you are young. Travel, have fun, but most importantly, no matter how you do it... keep learning. Education, in all its forms, is invaluable.

{Series Sunday} The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

Series: The Mortal Instruments
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderberry Books

Synopsis:

Clary Fray is a normal teenage girl, until she sees an apparent murder in a club, and then her mother goes missing and she learns about the Nephilim -- half angel, half human demon hunters -- and that she is one of them. Clary will be thrown into a world of demons, werewolves, vampires, Fair Folk and warlocks. In the midst of this, she will fall in love, with perhaps the worst possible person...

Okay, I know most people who read this blog have long since read this series, but since I just blasted through it in a week and a half, I thought I'd do a Series Sunday and give my thoughts (trying to keep spoilers to a bare minimum). Keep in mind, I audiobooked the series, so a week and a half for five books is no slow pace.

To start, there weren't many twists for me in the first book, by virtue of the fact I saw the movie first. That's okay as it didn't lessen my enjoyment of the series.

Here are what I feel the series' strengths.

Characters: I have had issues with lead female characters fairly often, especially when she's a heroine up against the so-cool bad boy. I kind of expected to be irritated by Clary, but I'm not. I actually really like her. She does have her faults--and occasional bouts of horrible judgement or obliviousness (which I feel are more realistic than plot device)--but on the whole, she's well-developed and relatable. I care about her and empathize with her.

I heart Jace. The tormented jerk with a heart of gold. He's intelligent, surprisingly deep, snarky, but charming. He walks the line of too perfect, but he does enough aggravatingly stupid (and very guy) things while attempting to protect himself or others that he keeps (for me) from being too perfect. And don't jump on me when I say stupid.I mean it in a surprisingly good way. I don't find his bad decisions random or meaningless. They're real, believable, they're just bad decisions. Though I will say of the audiobook for City of Fallen Angels, the narrator gives Jace a Brooklyn accent that was sooo at odds with how I hear Jace in my head... not to mention quoting poetry in a Brooklyn drawl is just wrong. Stereotypical, yes, but true.

The supporting cast are equally as well-built and flawed, but in a way that works really well for me. Everyone makes bad decisions -- teenagers more than most -- but those decisions have consequences and fall out. I really enjoy Alec, Magnus, Isabelle and Simon.

Setting: I don't know NYC well, but I know that the author does. She knows in her mind exactly where everything is taking place and brings the city to life in a way that adds a great dimension to this world.

The magic: The magic system of the Nephilim is original and cool. The runes and the consequences of using them. I just thought it was a pretty unique idea. I really enjoy it.  Although, I admit, as the series progresses on, the overall magic of the world is getting sort of loosely defined and little free-handed (the magically-traveling house, anyone?) However, still really love the runes.

The overall story arc is pretty good, too. Not blow me away with it's amazingness (in fairness, not much does from a plot standpoint), but strong.

Things I wish I had a little more of: Alec and Magnus. I got my fill in City of Lost Souls, but I wish I had a little more to establish them earlier in the series. I (being the crazy slashy fangirl I am), adore them, but even I have a hard time seeing how they came together. There is so little that seems to be common ground for them. I'd just like it built out a little more. They're rather fully developed individually, but as a pair, less so.

A minor pet peeve of mine is pop culture references. I dislike them in my books, because I think it can so very easily date the books. They're fun now, but if I want my kids to read them 10/15 years from now... they may not get them (or they'll be really dated). Even a silly thing like Clary's flip phone dates them slightly, and the first book came out in 2007. Yet almost every instance of someone using a cell phone mentions it being closed--how many people do you know who actually have flip phones anymore? 

There's also a sort of continuity flub, almost. Isabelle is deathly terrified of anyone finding out Alec is gay, yet, once he comes out, it's a relatively minor event. Granted, there's a lot going on around the situation, but her extreme apprehension is at odds with the fact that there's virtually no fallout that isn't common to a mundane coming out after the fact. Alec isn't the main character, so taking time to highlight that may just not be in the cards for the series, but I would still expect to see a little more reaction.

My biggest issue with the books is: Spoiler

Maia and Jordan kind of irk me. Extenuating circumstances or no, something about her going back to him really rubs me the wrong way. Strangely, for me, worse than biting her (which I can buy as part of the first turning and whatnot), he hit her. And she gets back with him. I don't know if it's in spite of or especially because of her age that it bugs me, but I don't like it. Her loving him doesn't make him hitting her okay. There's also an age thing there--this happened when she was 14. She was introduced as 15, she was bitten about a year before. It just... it really rubs me the wrong way.

Overall, though, I'm really interested to see how this series resolves itself. It has far more strengths than weaknesses. I like Clary and Isabelle -- they're strong female role models, and pretty kicka$$ in their own rights. Simon is geek done right. Jace is Jace, charismatic and hard not to be drawn to. Although this is common in YA, the sheer uselessness of most of the adults is annoying (Luke notwithstanding).

Still, very worth the read, and I'm definitely looking forward to the last book and to the Infernal Devices.

{A Kelly Coffee Review} The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Title: The Name of the Wind
Author: Patrick Rothfuss
Series: The Kingkiller Chronicles #1
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: DAW

Goodreads   Author Website   Facebook

Amazon   Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

"My name is Kvothe. I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I have burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during the day. I have talked to Gods, loved women and written songs that make the minstrels weep. You may have heard of me."

So begins a tale unequaled in fantasy literature - the story of a hero told in his own voice. It is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man's search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend.

I stumbled across this book while looking for something for my husband and I to listen to in the car (that was essentially kid-friendly for my way too bright three year old), that neither of us were at different places in. We've got a couple of series we're both reading but were in different places in them. We had a ten-hour drive ahead of us, so we wanted something that was about twenty hours. And I stumbled across The Name of the Wind.

The reviews for the quality of the audiobook itself were excellent--the narration was fantastic. I also have to admit being swayed by a quote from Game of Thrones author, George R. R. Martin: "he's bloody good, this Rothfuss guy."

Okay, so the audiobook is twenty-seven hours, not twenty. Still, I agree with Martin's assessment. The worldbuilding in this book is phenomenal. I just adored it. The setting, the magical system, the width and breadth of the cultures--everything feels so real. There's history, things lost, things forgotten, the world feels complete. I want to know more. I'm currently beating down my own tendency towards spoilers. This is a rare occasion in which I just want to read.

It's a different take--the infamous hero's tale from his own mouth. And Kvothe as a narrator is charismatic, magnetic, incredibly compelling. There's humor, tragedy, a real sense of the fragility of life and the emotions associated with loss and poverty. It's also great fun to hear the true stories of what come to be infamous tales.

Not only is the world a masterclass example of worldbuilding, and the narration fantastic, the character building is done with equal skill. Characters long dead you feel like you could know, they're just that well built. I think the synopsis covers the greater part of Kvothe's life, whereas The Name of the Wind really covers from ages 8 to 16-ish, childhood to the cusp of adulthood, when he begins to gain infamy. This allows school-age antics with a group of close friends to provide some levity in what can otherwise be a dramatic and tragic story.

And on top of all of that is the prose--the language. This is literature. The prose can bounce from playful to heart-wrenching, from satire and sarcasm to statements that seem like profound truths.

"Remember this son, if you forget everything else: A poet is a musician who can't sing. Words have to find a man's mind before they can touch his heart. And, some men's minds are woeful small targets. Music touches their hearts directly, no matter how small or stubborn the mind of the man who listens.”

There is a care and a craft to the storytelling as a whole that is deeper than anything I've read in a good long time. And, it's something I strongly feel will last the test of time. As much as I enjoy contemporary fiction--even contemporary paranormal, I think a lot of fantasy has a longevity much greater because it doesn't involve modern element which can be so quickly outdated. The Name of the Wind, I feel, could definitely become a piece of classic fantasy literature.

So, go read it. It's awesome. I've got some other books on my plate before I can read the second and the third will hopefully be sometime in 2014. I can't wait.

Also, given the time period that most of this book covers, it almost counts as YA and it's pretty clean in terms of language and sex.

"Words are pale shadows of forgotten names. As names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts. There are seven words that will make a woman love you. There are ten words that will break a strong man’s will. But a word is nothing but a painting of a fire. A name is the fire itself.”

{Excerpt} The Muse by Kenya Wright

Title: The Muse
Author: Kenya Wright
Series: Dark Art Mystery
Genre: Multicultural Romantic Suspense

Add it on Goodreads 

Blurb:
On the first day of her nude modeling job, Elle deals with a corpse, an eccentric dark artist, his sexy brother, and a grandmother that can see someone's future by just touching their hands. Although these crazy distractions shove her on edge, it's just what she needs to mend her battered heart and forget about her ex-boyfriend. Besides, she does get to live in their castle for the whole three months.

Everything seems magical and perfect. Until more dead bodies are discovered.

There's something going on at night, right in the artist's garden. Under the moonlight, young women are being cut and sliced, and no one has a clue to who's doing it. And the more she's around the weird family in the castle, the more she realizes that they all are hiding secrets.

EXCERPT:

We all came to watch her die.

We were distorted silhouettes against a moonlit sky like goblins or ghosts who came out at night, when the moon was full and welcomed wicked things to earth.

We surrounded her in a large circle, and she fluttered her eyelashes like an injured butterfly wagging its broken wings in a last attempt to fly. And similar to the insect falling to its demise, she lay on the wet ground in the midst of a garden, dying among growing things—carrots and cabbage, grass and fertile earth.

Stars glittered in the night. The moon glowed. A breeze kissed her flesh for the last time. It was beautiful in a way that was immorally wrong.

And then her expression froze into a picture, one discarded among forgotten things, except no one would ever forget her.

“I'll make sure they remember.” I took a strand of her hair.


Everyone nodded in silent agreement, and then one by one disappeared into the castle’s dark shadows where night met blackened air and creepy things whispered the most haunting words into the wind.

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Interracial-Romantic-Suspense-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00FSHRH3I/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1381542113&sr=1-2

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-muse-kenya-wright/1117087577?ean=2940148679493

Kenya Wright always knew she would be famous since the ripe old age of six when she sang the Michael Jackson thriller song in her bathroom mirror. She has tried her hand at many things from enlisting in the Navy for six years as a Persian-Farsi linguist to being a nude model at an art university.

However, writing has been the only constant love in her life. Will she succeed? Of course.

For she has been coined The Urban Fantasy Queen, the Super Iconic Writer of this Age, The Lyrical Genius of Our Generation. Granted, these are all terms coined by her, within the private walls of her bathroom as she still sings the Michael Jackson thriller song.

Kenya Wright currently resides in Miami with her three amazing, overactive children, a supportive, gorgeous husband, and three cool black cats that refuse to stop sleeping on Kenya’s head at night.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ YouTube ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon

{Series Sunday} The Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Series Title: The Caster Chronicles
Authors: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Publisher: Little, Brown and Co.

Kami's Website  Margaret's Website



Synopsis:

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. Mysterious, suspenseful, and romantic, Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos and Beautiful Redemption introduce a secret world hidden in plain sight. A world where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen. Sometimes life-ending.

So, I only started this series ten months ago. I got interrupted by the encyclopedia that  is the Wheel of Time and life in general. I finished the other three books a couple of months ago--and because I'm terrible at writing reviews for series unless I'm stuck with time between them--decided to do a Series Sunday about the whole thing instead of one-offs. So here it is.

When I started this series, I loved it. I was charmed by Ethan's voice and narration. The setting was spectacular, the supporting characters solid. It was campy in places, and a little trite, but I was deeply engaged.

I blew through Beautiful Darkness nearly as well, and still really enjoyed it. Maybe not quite as much as Beautiful Creatures, but still a lot.

I have no idea what happened with Beautiful Chaos and Beautiful Redemption. I really do not. I just know that I struggled to finish them--and probably wouldn't have if I hadn't been listening to them on audiobook (which, while driving, is fairly effortless). I just got lost somehow. I really struggled with Beautiful Chaos. I'm not sure why. Maybe because it was interrupted by another series (which, admittedly, was my fault). Maybe it was the turn that that plot took. I'm not sure. I just know, that when I did finish it, I gave it two stars on Goodreads. I disliked it that much.

I suspect things started falling apart for me when Amma goes to see the bokor. That's about where I allowed myself to get wrapped up in WoT. Something about that move, that decision, was just... I'm not sure if "out of character" is the right description or unexpected, but it turned me off. Badly.

Chaos never really recovered for me. I felt like it was predictable--and painfully so. I saw what was coming, and I didn't like it. I didn't want to read it. I wasn't surprised by the ending. I was annoyed.

I didn't really care much for John Breed, either, incidentally. And he becomes much more
important in the last two books. I've mentioned that character is really big for me, and it's odd, because John would usually be a character I liked. I don't know what it was, but I just didn't like him, didn't like the whole setup. It felt forced. It was "let's set up these characters together because they don't get to be with who they want to anyway."

Redemption didn't really redeem itself for either. I had read so much in the series that I felt I had to finish it, and it was easier than Chaos, but I still was left feeling indifferent. I have to admit to some really original ideas of death and afterlife in it, but overall, when I was done, I felt "meh."


Another symptom of my "meh" reaction is the fact that I didn't go searching for more information about the series and what would happen. In series, I am a sucker for searching out spoilers. I'm terrible at letting the intensity build and hanging on the edge of my seat to find out. I want to know more, and I want to know now. Even with the arguably huge cliffhanger ending in Chaos, I felt no compulsion to find anything out. As I'm writing, I think it may have been a lack of depth to the world. I just didn't feel like there was much beyond what we were seeing. While the concept was original and a new take, I felt a distinct lack of deeper worldbuilding.

I didn't understand the Council of the Far Keep, didn't understand their function or how they really worked or why. I don't think it was fully developed and it left me feeling indifferent. Parts of the world portrayed didn't feel real, didn't seem to fit to me, just didn't make sense.

You'll have to forgive the negative-sounding review. I'm much better at picking apart things I don't like than pinning down things I do.

However, in spite of the feeling the last two books left with me, I still really enjoyed the first two. The character building and setting are excellent, the concept an original take, and a fun, charming narrator makes the first two absolute must-reads on my list.

For the second two, well, you'll have to decide that for yourself. For me, I wouldn't have felt bad just reading a detailed summary--I don't think I would have felt I missed much.

So, definitely encouraging the first two. 4.5 stars for them overall. 3 stars for the series as a whole.


Books in the Series:

1) Beautiful Creatures
2) Beautiful Darkness
3) Beautiful Chaos
4) Beautiful Redemption 

{ARC Review} Deeper by Blue Ashcroft

Title: Deeper
Author: Blue Ashcroft
Published: August 3, 2013
Self-Published

Goodreads    Facebook    AuthorWebsite

Amazon   Barnes&Noble

Blurbs:

Rain Wilson isn’t ever going to love again.

It’s a promise she made the day her boyfriend died in a water park accident, one she still blames herself for. Now she’s a senior lifeguard in a new town with a new pool and she’s just going to keep her head down and everyone safe.

Until a mysterious guy follows her into the waves at the pre-season bonfire and kisses her senseless. It’s just one mistake, and Rain is determined to put it behind her, until the dark haired, blue eyed hottie turns out to be her new co-supervisor Knight McAllister.

Knight is hot, tatted, and carrying baggage of his own. He’s not happy about having Rain for a co-supervisor, and he’s even less happy about his attraction to her.

But between lifeguard drama, hot underwater kisses, and a growing attraction between them that can’t be stopped, Knight and Rain are being pulled deeper into their pasts, and realizing that sometimes too much broken can make a relationship impossible.

Then again sometimes it’s the broken parts of us that fit together best.

When I read the synopsis of Deeper, I immediately pushed the request button from Netgalley and smiled like the Cheshire Cat when I was approved. Hot, tatted lifeguards, bonfires, oceans, waterparks... what's not to like? The names Knight and Rain definitely caught my attention. I think I'd melt at the feet of a lifeguard named Knight, seriously.

Short synopsis:

Rain left her home and moved to a place no one knew her after a tragic accident, involving one of her coworkers at the waterpark she worked at the previous summer. She felt responsible for the accident, and came to her new job determined to save everyone--the patrons and her staff. After all, a supervisor should be held accountable for everything happening during their shift. But what happens if when things go beyond her control? She's not one to ask for help, but she's going to have to learn to work with the most infuriating man she's ever known, her co-supervisor, Knight. Unfortunately, they met under less than perfect circumstances and he's less than happy to have her as his partner.

Knight has his own set of tragic circumstances, which lead to his need to protect everyone, especially females he cares about. And when you mix a person who is overprotective with another person who is willing to put herself in dangerous situations so others aren't hurt, well, the waters get a little rough. Knight also lost someone, his girlfriend who he loved. He's not afraid to move on, but he may have chosen the wrong person to fall for, because Rain has a set of rules she's bound herself to--no love, no sex, no life. Okay, maybe the "life" part isn't in there, but Knight believes she isn't really allowing herself to live. Maybe he's right.

My Thoughts:

Overall, I enjoyed Deeper. The plot kept me intrigued, I needed to know what happened next. Knight interested me and Rain interested me. I enjoyed the suspense of each of their stories, for a while, but then I became frustrated. Pieces of their backgrounds are fed to us in flashbacks, but they're trying to be in some sort of a relationship while keeping their entire pasts from each other. No way will this work without some major damage being done to both of them, hurting each of them more.

Obviously, with only 3 stars, there were a number of things that didn't hit me right. I've read a number of NA books that use rape as an emotional heart string, most do it tastefully and bring it around to a lesson or to educate young women on ways to handle certain situations and how to go about reporting the incident and how to find counseling and so forth. AND, they have a single incident, not multiple accounts of inappropriate sexual contact.

Off the top of my mind, I can think of at least three, if not more, instances of inappropriate groping and flat out rape. And other than for the sake of building tension and putting either Amy, Rain, or young girls at the water park in uncomfortable situations, there was little reason behind the plotting. Rain had already done her maturing and growing between the previous summer and the current summer, so it wasn't like the incidences led to an epiphany and she suddenly turned from a weak girl to a strong woman. Knight didn't learn from his past mistakes and suddenly learn to keep girls who'd been raped from committing suicide, something that was never in his control anyway.

Also, the blurb does a horrible job of describing the true details of the book. Rain never actually had a boyfriend. She was never in love. In fact, one part of the book implies Rain meant to reject William, so all the misery she's put herself through is actually for nothing. So this was also a bit off-putting.

But, Knight and Rain's chemistry was undeniably hot. Even with Rain's "no sex" policy, their make-out sessions raised the hairs on my arms and put butterflies in my stomach. Their interactions always appeared sincere and very realistic. The friendships between the coworkers at the water park formed bonds and looked out for each other, the kind of place I would have loved to have worked, friends I would have loved to have made.

Final Opinion:

While I enjoyed the book, I suggest readers be warned of the numerous inappropriate and unwanted sexual situations between young women and men ranging from college-aged to adults. Knight and Rain are both enjoyable characters who have needs. Knight is hoping Rain can fill the holes in his heart, and Rain is refusing to let anyone love her or love anyone. Maybe they can help each other, or maybe they'll fall apart. You'll have to read to find out. 

{Blog Tour & Giveaway} Crest of the Blood Moon

Welcome to the kick off of the Crest of the Blood Moon's Blog Tour! This is the third book in Robin P. Waldrop's BLOOD MOON series, and in my personal opinion, the most intriguing and spine-tingling of all. Gen meets new friends, finds old enemies, and rushes to save werewolves, vampires, Rafes, and humans from the evil Laszlo is certain to bring should he get his way and indulge in Genevieve's blood on the night the Blood Moon rises.

Gen's matured since her days in Ties to the Blood Moon and she no longer just sits around waiting on someone to save her. She found her leverage and it's huge, something I never saw coming, and let me just be honest here... I've spent nearly as much time looking at these books as Robin has, and she still manages to pull an OMG and WTF from me. Seriously! And I have to say, this, of all Robin's twists and turns, has to be my personal favorite. It brings the tension to a whole new level.

We find out that people aren't who we thought they were, and that while all the lore rings true, there are ways around it. Twins of evil people show up and turn out to be pretty good peeps, twins of heroes prove to be traitors. It's a hell of a brain twister.

Robin throws plenty of shock and awe in the last few chapters. Her fight scenes are well written and gave me the chills when I read them. The romance finally comes to a head and we see what finally happens between Gen and William. Do they make it, or has the stress and the miles between them just been too much? This one I'll give no hints on, you must read.

And one last note, to anyone who compared Ties of the Blood Moon to Twilight, just keep reading, because Ms. Waldrop takes a swift and mighty turn that will leave you certain you have not just read another book about vampires and werewolves.

Buy Links:

Amazon     Barnes & Noble    Smashwords

Social Links

Goodreads     Twitter     Facebook    Pinterest     Personal Blog

Blurb:

Inside a castle tower high in the mountains Genevieve is being held against her will. Can she escape her gilded cage and find the answers she seeks?

As Genevieve's birthday nears, time is running out. Who can she trust?

Peter?

Dahlia?

Or maybe a dark stranger Laszlo is holding in the dungeon?

Mistakes are made...

The race is on to reach Alaska. To gather the Adlet Wolves and find William.

Is Genevieve's and William's love enough to save them? Save their friends?

Laszlo is close and on the night of the Blood Moon plans are made for the All Hallow's Eve Ball... The Ceremony. The Sacrifice.

When the blood moon crests will Genevieve die?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Bio:

Obsessive coffee drinker, unicorn enthusiast, batman devotee, video rock band guitarist, softball fan, rockin' grandma, voracious reader, and award winning author of YA/urban fantasy and suspense/thriller novels and short stories.

Tour Stops

October 1 - Better Read Than Dead - Tour Kickoff, Review, Giveaway
October 2 - Paperbook Princess - This or That
October 3 - Interpretations of a Part-Time Bibliophile - Author Interview
October 4 -
October 5 - Weekend
October 6 - Weekend
October 7 - Murder by 4 - Guest Post, Giveaway
October 8 -
October 9 -
October 10 - Margay Leah Justice - Guest Post, Giveaway
October 11 -
October 12 - Weekend
October 13 - Weekend
October 14 - Is It Amazing - Playlist, Giveaway
October 15 -
October 16 - Murder on My Mind - Guest Post
October 17 - Just Julie Blogging Books - Review
October 18 -
October 19 - Weekend
October 20 - Weekend
October 21 - Stacy Claffin, Author - Author Interview
October 22 - Wicca Witch 4 Book Blog - Spotlight
October 23 -
October 24 -
October 25 - The Book Rogue - Review
October 26 - Weekend
October 27 - Weekend
October 28 - Interpretations of a Part-Time Bibliophile - Review
October 29 -
October 30 - Paperbook Princess - Review
October 31 - Indy Book Fairy - Review
                           Murder on My Mind - Review