Essence of Heroes Character Aesthetics

A while back, I had some fun and made some character aesthetics for the five central characters in my Essence of Heroes series. I had shared these on Twitter, but I never got around to putting them up here on the blog until now. Along with the main aesthetics for the characters, I'm including links to their aesthetic boards on Pinterest in case you ever want to check them out. I've found that these are a pretty useful way to learn new things about your characters, because it really made me think about the things they liked and what they would be associated with.

Aly's Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/kspangler95/character-aesthetic-aly/

Riley's Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/kspangler95/character-aesthetic-riley/

Leo's Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/kspangler95/character-aesthetic-leo/

Becca's Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/kspangler95/character-aesthetic-becca/

Vanessa's Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/kspangler95/character-aesthetic-vanessa/

Book Review: Rose by Another Name

Today, I will be reviewing Rose by Another Name by Melanie Thurlow.

Here's the synopsis:

“Her worth decided over a game of cards, Lady Rosalyn Hayes has accepted her future. She will marry a duke she doesn’t know to protect her sisters’ reputations. But when a year of preparation for her debut vanishes in the blink of an eye, Rose flees her gilded cage in search of unrestrained adventure.

Lord Robert Phillip Clarence, Duke of Brighton, lives a life of debauchery far from his country estate, and even farther from the lady he must marry in order to restore his family’s ancestral lands. But when he is summoned home to meet his future wife, he realizes he hasn’t lived at all.

Rose and Robert do not meet when their eyes lock across a ballroom swathed in candlelight. They do not meet amid fine clothes, genteel manners, debonair charm, and chaperones. They meet, alone, upon Rose’s near death. It is this near-death experience that catapults the two nobles, disguised as servants, towards a romance that seems destined for failure.

They think they know each other. But when their true identities are revealed at a house party, will they live happily ever after or will the ton be shocked to see a lady run?”

My rating: *****

Even though I don't read them a lot, I love a good historical fiction. Rose by Another Name is the first regency historical romance that I've read, so I personally don't have a lot of books that I can compare it to in this genre.

I will say that the story had a bit of a slow start, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It's good, because it gave the story time to immerse the reader into the world of the story. It also helped the reader to learn more about Rose and Robert and see their romance unfold. The one downside to a slow start is that it took me a little longer to really get into the story.

But once I did get into the story, I kept looking forward to seeing what would happen next.

I loved the characters of Rose and Robert. They were interesting and intriguing, and had great chemistry with each other. From the moment they met, I was looking forward to when they would realize who the other was. I was rooting for them to be together and to live happily ever after. Something I felt Rose really deserved, because she does not have an easy life.

I thought I knew exactly where this story was going and how it was going to end.

Boy was I wrong.

I have to give Melanie Thurlow some major credit, because she provided a twist that I did not see coming and ended this story in a way that I wouldn't have expected from a historical romance.

This is the first book in a series and I look forward to seeing what will happen with Rose in the next book. If you're looking for a regency novel to read, I would recommend checking this book out!  

The Sequel Writing Journey: Sequel Writing Joys

Last week I talked about some of my sequel writing woes, but sequel writing isn't always difficult. This week I want to talk to you about some of the joys I've experienced with writing Iridescent's sequel.

I think my favorite thing about starting Coalescent was how easy it was to start. I already had a little bit of chapter one written before Iridescent was published, so I could include it as a sneak peek at the end of the novel. The differences between writing the first chapters of these books is amazing to me. With Iridescent, I had to introduce everything. Who is Aly? What is she doing here? Why is she here? What's going to happen? With Coalescent, I didn't have to do that. Sure, I did have to reintroduce her, but it felt easier this time around.

I didn't know who any of the characters were when I first started Iridescent, which could be a little frustrating. I would keep getting stuck on chapters, because I didn't know how to move forward with a particular character (most often Leo). Now, I know these characters. I know who they are and where they're going. I'm still learning new things about them, but it's knowledge that's adding onto their characters, not changing them to something completely new.

At least in most cases.

There are a handful of characters that are changing to me. It's like they've went, “Hey, I get what you thought about me, but you're missing a few things about me. Let me see if I can give you a new outlook on who I am.”.

And it's great!

Characters I didn't originally have a lot of ideas for, I now have new directions I can take them in.

I love getting to explore my characters and getting to discover new things about them. In the first book, I created these characters and started them on their journeys. In the sequel, I'm getting to see how they're going to grow and change along the way.

It certainly adds a fun experience to sequel writing!

The Sequel Writing Journey - Sequel Writing Woes

Ever since I published Iridescent back in July, I've been working on its sequel. I have to admit that I'm way behind schedule when it comes to this WIP, and that's something I really need to work on. This is the first sequel I've written, and that makes it a learning experience. And what better way to discuss this learning experience than in a blog post or two?

Obviously writing any story can be a learning experience. Iridescent taught me a lot. It was my first story, and the first story I've ever published. Since publishing it, I've learned that there are some areas where I can improve with my writing. Which is great. I imagine there will always be new things to learn as I grow as a writer, and I hope that I can continue to make my stories better. I'm hoping that I can take everything that I've learned from Iridescent and use it to make Coalescent even better.

But here's the thing.

Sequels are hard.

I know what I want to do with this story, but I keep getting stumped in trying to make it better than my first novel. I'm constantly feeling I'm being plagued with questions. Is the pacing going better this time? Is it too boring? How can I make sure these characters are more interesting this time around? How can I make sure that the interesting characters stay interesting and don't get boring?

Oh, and of course my very favorite question.

Does anyone besides me even want this sequel?

Ah, insecurity and self-doubt, how nice of you to pop back in again.

I'm going to be honest here. In my ideal fantasy world, Iridescent would have taken off the second I hit the publish button. Reality, though, is much different. I'm grateful to everyone who has bought a copy of Iridescent so far, and to everyone who has left a review. It really does mean a lot to me.

That being said, I think it's safe to say that this story still hasn't entirely found it's audience.

Which is fine.

These things take time and like I said before, this is all a learning process for me. Marketing a book and finding an audience for it is no easy feat. I can admit that I'm not the best with social media. I think it's probably safe to say that this blog post itself will have very few viewers. I'm still learning, I'm still trying.

But that only makes the sequel writing more frustrating.

It's hard finding motivation when you don't know if anyone is going to want to read your work. It's hard when you see other people finding their audiences and gaining fans of their work. It's easy to get jealous.

And I know the age old saying that I shouldn't compare my work and life with others. That doesn't mean that it's not an easy trap to fall into. It's way too easy to get caught up thinking 'Why isn't that happening to me?', 'Why are things going so easily for them?'. The thing is, I'm sure that these writers have their own struggles that I can't see, and that's something that I'm trying to remind myself. That, and that things will work out when the time is right.

I love my characters. Aly, Riley, and Leo in particular have invaded my mind and they're making it clear that they're not going away until I finish telling their stories. Which is good, because I do enjoy writing these characters and the adventures they go on.

So I'm going to keep writing them.

Even though it can be hard and frustrating, I'm going to keep pushing on with this sequel. I'm going to find my motivation and inspiration.

And you know what, sequel writing isn't always a frustrating mess. There are some big high points to it as well, but I'll talk more about that next week. ;)

Book Release Day!

Today's the day! Iridescent is now available for purchase! You can find this book in the following places:

Amazon.com ebook format

Amazon.com paperback format

CreateSpace paperback 


After reading the book, you can leave a review on Amazon and Iridescent's Goodreads page.

I hope that you will enjoy this book!

Book Review: Unsanctioned Eyes

Today, I will be reviewing Unsanctioned Eyes by Brianna Merritt.

Here’s the synopsis:

“Her death was just the beginning.

Quinn Rogers doesn’t exist. There are no records of her name. Her DNA has no match. She is a ghost. A phantom killer no one can trace. The perfect assassin. Or so she thinks.

At the top of her game, Quinn’s no longer looking over her shoulder. Her master will protect her, save her, like he always has. But there are forces at work neither of them suspect.

Can Quinn find the truth in a world of lies? Or will her unsanctioned past catch up to her in the end?”

My rating: ***** (Closer to 4 ½)

Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense is one of my favorite genres to read. I love how the stories keep you guessing with twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. Unsanctioned Eyes is no exception to this. Throughout the story I kept wondering what would happen next, and how the characters would get out of the situations they were in.

Speaking of characters, I have to be honest and say that I really didn’t like Quinn at first. She is a killer, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. I couldn’t connect with her, and really, I didn’t want to connect with her. When Nathan arrives, a new side of Quinn starts to emerge and by the halfway point I could see how her character was starting to change. Quinn’s changes felt very natural to the story, and I do love a good redemption arc, so I’m curious to see where this character will go in the next story.

The other characters were interesting too. I think my favorites were Nathan and Jason. Jason was entertaining to read about, and I really sympathized for Nathan. He was not in a good situation in this book, but he was able to make the best of it and really helped Quinn to start seeing the light.

Overall, Unsanctioned Eyes was a great read and I’m looking forward to seeing where the next book will take these characters. If you’re looking for a good thriller, I recommend checking this book out! 

Iridescent Cover Reveal and Release Date

Hello, everyone!

Today, I'm excited to finally reveal the cover and release date for Iridescent. Yes, the novel is finally finished and it will be coming out very soon. I've been looking forward to this day for a while now, because I've really been wanting to show off this cover.

So, without further ado, here it is:

Synopsis:

Things are more than they appear...

Aly Roberts wasn't expecting much out of small town Airyville, NC. 

She certainly wasn't expecting to get caught up in a conspiracy involving the town's gated community, Lagniappe. 

The people of Lagniappe are private, and Aly's new friend, Riley Monroe, is certain that they're hiding something. 

Lagniappe's secrets are dangerous, and uncovering them may just change their lives forever. 


So when will this book be coming out?

July 11

Iridescent will be available for purchase on Amazon.com and CreateSpace on July 11.

Throughout the next weeks leading up to the release day, I'll occasionally be posting quotes and snippets from Iridescent on Twitter and Instagram. You can find me here:

https://twitter.com/kaitlyns95
https://www.instagram.com/daydreaming_butterfly/


I'm really looking forward to sharing this story with all of you, and I hope that you'll enjoy it!