Vacationing With Your Characters

Recently I went on a beach trip with my best friends. I had a lot of fun, and it was a great time to relax and catch up on my reading (which means that I have some more book reviews coming your way soon). I hadn’t planned on necessarily bringing my characters along with me, after all a vacation is supposed to be for R&R. However, this vacation provided me with a unique opportunity to gain some new knowledge on the main character in my WIP novel, Iridescent.

Iridescent takes place in a small rural town. It’s a setting that is very familiar to me, as it’s where I’ve lived my entire life. I’ve experienced poor Wi-Fi, crappy cell service, and having very limited options of entertainment when hanging out with friends, but I’ve also experienced the beauty of the mountains and nature around me (deer are a regular occurrence, and during the past few weeks adorable fawns have made an appearance). So I know how the majority of my characters live and things that they can do in their free time. There is one notable exception to this, my main character Aly.

Aly did not grow up in a rural town, she’s moved to it. For her entire life, she’s lived close to the ocean at a popular tourist destination. This move would be a huge change for her, and there’s bound to be plenty of things that she would miss. While I was on vacation, I was able to see some of the differences between a location similar to where Aly grew up and one where the rest of my characters live.

For example, Aly would have access to more things to do with her friends after school and on the weekends than the characters who grew up in the rural setting.

These differences help me understand what Aly would be missing in her new town, but also see what she would be gaining at the same time.

There were several things that I saw on my trip that I would find myself wishing that I had back at home, and that thought would be immediately followed by Aly. This was something that I don’t have, but she probably did before she moved.

I had never thought about using vacation time as research time before now. But vacations are such a great opportunity to see things that I don’t get to experience on a daily basis. Not to mention it gave me time to plan out future chapters for this story and its sequel.

I usually follow a certain routine when I write. I have my writing spot, my beverage of choice for the day (tea or coffee), and then I’ll get to work on hitting my word count goal. However, floating around in a lazy river with my eyes closed produced better results when it came to plotting and getting in sync with my characters (after all this is their story, I’m just writing it down). So I’ve decided that I should shake up my writing schedule and try working in new places. You never know what will work until you try it after all.

So if you’re ever having trouble getting the right perspective on a character, try taking a little road trip. It doesn’t have to be far, even going a few towns over or to a nearby city can give you a chance to scope out a new setting and meet some new characters. You also might find that idea that you didn’t know you were looking for just by relaxing and having a good time. 

Book Review: The Crown

Time for the second book review of the week to catch up on things! Today, I’m reviewing the final book in Keira Cass’s Selection series: The Crown.

Here’s the synopsis:

"In The Heir, a new era dawned in the world of The Selection. Twenty years have passed since America Singer and Prince Maxon fell in love, and their daughter is the first princess to hold a Selection of her own.

Eadlyn didn’t think she would find a real partner among the Selection’s thirty-five suitors, let alone true love. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and now Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more difficult—and more important—than she ever expected.”

My rating: ***** (Really more about a 3 ½)

I don’t really know how to put my thoughts together on The Crown. I didn’t hate the book by any means, but I feel overall it isn’t the best ending to have for this series. Eadlyn’s Selection is rather rushed when you consider it, though to be fair it takes place over two books whereas we had three during Maxon’s. Actually it almost feels unfair to compare them. With the first three books in the series, we’re reading through the eyes of America. As a result, we see two possibilities for her future. She’s either going to win the Selection and be with Maxon, or she’ll wind up with Aspen. With Eadlyn, it’s rather unclear who she’s going to go for because she has so many options. This makes things difficult as not enough time is spent with the boys for us as the audience to really make as much of a connection with them.

Of course, everyone still has that one guy they want her to end up with and some people are going to be disappointed as a result. I won’t say who I was leaning towards for the sake of avoiding spoilers, but I did feel like there could have been more building towards the relationship of the guy Eadlyn does end up picking. The way things went felt a little unrealistic. I know it’s a fictional novel, but the characters really weren’t given enough time to get to know each other to fall in love this fast. And that honestly would go with just about any of the guys in her Selection.

Really I think Eadlyn needed three books like America and Maxon. So much was happening in this book with the politics and the romance, it was hard to focus on one particular aspect. 

The novel was still a good read, and I don’t regret purchasing the book. I think in every series there are going to be some books that you don’t care for as much as others, and this book was more in that category for me.

I do still look forward to seeing what Kiera Cass comes up with next, because she comes up with interesting story ideas. 

Book Review: The Stranger

Long time no see, blog world. School and work have kept me busy the past few months, but now I have some more free time and I can catch back up on blog posts. I have two book reviews coming for you, the first of which is this post. So I’ve been able to do plenty of reading, just not much blogging. Let’s get started with the first book review.

When it comes to mystery and suspense, my absolute favorite author is Harlan Coben. He always delivers thrilling stories with fantastic characters. As I mentioned in my Top 5 Favorite Book Series post, his Myron Bolitar series is one of my favorites to read. Today though, I’m reviewing one of his standalone stories: The Stranger.

Here’s the synopsis:

“The Stranger appears out of nowhere, perhaps in a bar, or a parking lot, or at the grocery store. His identity is unknown. His motives are unclear. His information is undeniable. Then he whispers a few words in your ear and disappears, leaving you picking up the pieces of your shattered world. 

Adam Price has a lot to lose: a comfortable marriage to a beautiful woman, two wonderful sons, and all the trappings of the American Dream: a big house, a good job, a seemingly perfect life. 

Then he runs into the Stranger. When he learns a devastating secret about his wife, Corinne, he confronts her, and the mirage of perfection disappears as if it never existed at all. Soon Adam finds himself tangled in something far darker than even Corinne’s deception, and realizes that if he doesn’t make exactly the right moves, the conspiracy he’s stumbled into will not only ruin lives—it will end them.” 

My rating: ***** 

The Stranger is a real page turner, that constantly keeps the wheels in your head turning as you try to solve the mystery. The characters were all intriguing and I felt for Adam Price throughout the book. The one thing that keeps me from giving this book a full five-star rating, is that the ending didn’t quite hit it out of the park for me. It’s not a terrible ending by any means, but the overall mystery of the novel doesn’t feel fully resolved.

One of my favorite things about Harlan Coben’s novels is that they take place in the same universe. So if you read his various books, you may just spot a character cameo here and there – and this novel is no exception with that. I love it when I’m able to spot a familiar face in a book.

Speaking of familiar faces, I’m also very excited to see that Harlan Coben is releasing a new Myron Bolitar book this year. I’ve missed getting to read the stories about him, and while I’ve enjoyed the YA books about Myron’s nephew Mickey, it’s not quite the same.

If you’re in the mood for a mystery, I recommend checking out The Stranger and some of Harlan Coben’s other books.

Can I Do This?

I would like to be able to say that I am always 100% confident that I will be able to finish my novel, publish it, and that it will be at least somewhat successful.

Unfortunately, that would be a complete and utter lie. In reality, most of the time I’m honestly wondering if I’ll be able to do that at all. Will I actually be able to tell a good enough story that someone will be willing to publish it? If not, would I be able to self-publish it? I’m not great at using social media and talking to people, so if I did self-publish how could I even be remotely successful with it? What if everyone hates it?

I think it’s fairly safe to say that I’m plagued with way too many self-doubts when it comes to writing. And I’m probably not the only person out there who feels this way. Whenever I look at articles and blogs about publishing, so many mention that a writer’s first novel may never be published. Rejection is a huge part of the publication process. And that isn’t exactly the most encouraging thing to see when you’re working on your first novel. At times I start to wonder, am I just wasting my time? I saw that JK Rowling recently posted some of her rejection letters. Seeing that, there's that little voice screaming, "If JK Rowling was rejected, what chance do I have!?" 

The thing is, thinking like this doesn’t do any good. If I spend so much time worrying about failing, then I will fail. I’ll never accomplish anything if I don’t try. Maybe I will fail. But I’ll never know if I don’t try. This is my dream, and it’s not something I can give up on easily.

If I do fail, I can learn from my mistakes and give it another go. Because if there is one thing that I do know, it’s that I love writing. I love coming up with story ideas and the characters that inhabit them. And I am determined that this is something I want to do for the rest of my life. So I will try to prepare myself for the struggles I know will lie ahead, and to try to stay positive at the same time.

I’ll keep reading inspiring quotes of the day. That always seems to be a good pick me up! So can I do this? I'm sure gonna try!

Book Review: The Siren

One of my favorite book series for the longest time has been The Selection series by Kiera Cass. As a result of this, I was very interested when I saw that her first book that she’d written had been re-released. Like all of her books, The Siren had a gorgeous cover and the story sounded so interesting that I just had to check it out!

Here’s the synopsis from Amazon.com:

Kahlen is a Siren, bound to serve the Ocean by luring humans to watery graves with her voice, which is deadly to any human who hears it. Akinli is human—a kind, handsome boy who's everything Kahlen ever dreamed of. Falling in love puts them both in danger . . . but Kahlen can't bear to stay away. Will she risk everything to follow her heart?

For starters, this book is a bit different from my usual reads. Spies, detectives, and occasionally princesses, but I can’t say that I’ve read any stories dealing with sirens. I think that’s what makes this story unique. While mythological creature romances aren’t anything new, it’s refreshing to see something that’s not dealing with vampires, werewolves, witches, or zombies.

Kahlen’s story is a fascinating one, and I was rooting for her and Akinli to be together from the moment they met. Akinli was super sweet, and I could easily see why Kahlen fell in love with him. Their love is naturally forbidden, but this love story had a creative solution that I honestly didn’t think would happen.

Aside from the love story, I also enjoyed seeing Kahlen’s friendships with her fellow sirens. Each of the girls were enjoyable to read about, and I found myself liking all of them. I also enjoyed how the sirens traveled to Pawley’s Island, South Carolina for a while, as I had been there with my own best friends back during the summer. It’s not very often that I can say that I’ve been to one of the settings in a book.

The Siren is a lovely read, and I recommend checking it out! 

Top 5 Favorite Book Series

            There is nothing like finding a new book series to read. I’ve been lucky to find so many great series, and as a result I have several favorites. So today, I thought I would share my top five favorite book series. This list is in no particular order, and I’ve included the synopsis and image from Amazon.com for the first book in each. Each of these books are ones that I would read again and again, and I hope that if you haven’t read them yet, you’ll check them out.

       1.)    Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovich

Book 1 of 22 (soon to be 23) – One for the Money: “Welcome to Trenton, New Jersey, home to wiseguys, average Joes, and Stephanie Plum, who sports a big attitude and even bigger money problems (since losing her job as a lingerie buyer for a department store). Stephanie needs cash--fast--but times are tough, and soon she's forced to turn to the last resort of the truly desperate: family.

Stephanie lands a gig at her sleazy cousin Vinnie's bail bonding company. She's got no experience. But that doesn't matter. Neither does the fact that the bail jumper in question is local vice cop Joe Morelli. From the time he first looked up her dress to the time he first got into her pants to the time Steph hit him with her father's Buick, M-o-r-e-l-l-i has spelled t-r-o-u-b-l-e. And now the hot guy is in hot water--wanted for murder.

Abject poverty is a great motivator for learning new skills, but being trained in the school of hard knocks by people like psycho prizefighter Benito Ramirez isn't. Still, if Stephanie can nab Morelli in a week, she'll make a cool ten grand. All she has to do is become an expert bounty hunter overnight--and keep herself from getting killed before she gets her man.”

My thoughts: The Stephanie Plum series is a fun, light read. Stephanie’s life as a bounty hunter is a hilarious adventure, and we get to watch her exploits with the dashing Joe Morelli and the mysterious Ranger Manoso. Read the series and then make the decision of whether you’re a Babe or a Cupcake.

2.)    Heist Society by Ally Carter

Book 1 of 3 – Heist Society: “For as long as she can remember, Katarina has been a part of the family business-thieving. When Kat tries to leave "the life" for a normal life, her old friend Hale conspires to bring her back into the fold. Why? A mobster's art collection has been stolen, and Kat's father is the only suspect. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help.”

My thoughts: Teenage thieves, what’s not to love? Kat and her friends pull off some amazing heists in this series, and I sincerely hope that Ally Carter will write another book in this series too.

3.)    Myron Bolitar by Harlan Coben

Book 1 of 10 – Deal Breaker: “Sports agent Myron Bolitar is poised on the edge of the big time. So is Christian Steele, a rookie quarterback and Myron’s prized client. But when Christian gets a phone call from a former girlfriend—a woman who everyone, including the police, believes is dead—the deal starts to go sour. Trying to unravel the truth about a family’s tragedy, a woman’s secret, and a man’s lies, Myron is up against the dark side of his business—where image and talent make you rich, but the truth can get you killed.”

My thoughts:  The Myron Bolitar mysteries are really fascinating, with some great characters. These books pretty much cemented Harlan Coben as my favorite mystery writer. In fact, these books are so good, that it’s hard to get a hold of them at the library. There’s also a YA spinoff series that stars Myron’s nephew, Mickey Bolitar, that’s really good.

4.)    The Selection by Kiera Cass

Book 1 of 4 (soon to be 5) – The Selection: “For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.”

My thoughts: First of all, the covers are gorgeous and are great at drawing you in. It’s a dystopian novel, but different from the likes of The Hunger Games and Divergent. Actually it’s pretty much like a dystopian Bachelor, which is pretty fascinating.

5.)    The Glenbrooke Series by Robin Jones Gunn

Book 1 of 9 – Secrets: “The storybook town of Glenbrooke is about to become Jessica's new home and she can't wait to settle in. She has eagerly planned this chance for a fresh start and knows how important it is that she hide the details of her past.
However, an unexpected encounter with a compassionate paramedic named Kyle changes everything.
Come to Glenbrooke - a quiet place where souls are refreshed.”

My thoughts: I read this series during my senior year of high school. It’s a great Christian romance series, and it leaves you wishing that Glenbrooke was a real place that you could move to. Seriously the town sounds like the perfect place to live. This series also introduced me to Irish Breakfast Tea, which I discovered is quite good. Each book centers on a different character, but all of the stories find a way to intertwine. 

Now you know my favorite book series, do you have any to recommend? 

Book Review: See How They Run

                One of my favorite authors is Ally Carter and I started reading her books when I was in sixth grade. My mom had bought me the first book in the Gallagher Girls series, I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You, to read while I was at the orthodontist. I remember how funny it was when my orthodontist said, “That title scares me a little bit”. After reading that one, I was hooked and could not wait to start on the next one. Even though I’m no longer considered part of the young-adult bracket, Ally Carter’s books are some of my favorites and I always look forward to reading her books when they come out.  

I recently finished the second book in her Embassy Row series, See HowThey Run. It seemed only fitting that this be the first book review on this blog.

 Here’s the synopsis from Amazon.com:

For the past three years, Grace Blakely has been desperate to find out the truth about her mother’s murder. She thought it would bring her peace. She thought it would lead her to answers. She thought she could put the past to rest. 
          
But the truth has only made her a target.
          
And the past?
          
The only way to put the past to rest is for Grace to kill it once and for all.
          
On Embassy Row, power can make you a victor or a victim; love can turn you into a fool or a fugitive; and family can lead you forward or bury you deep.  Trust is a luxury.  Death is a very real threat. And a girl like Grace must be very careful about which secrets she brings to light.

            See How They Run begins right where the first book in the series, All Fall Down, left off. The truth behind her mother’s murder has not brought Grace the peace that she hoped for. Instead only more mysteries and secrets are rising. The more Grace learns about the secrets of Adria’s history and those of her own family, the more of a target she becomes. See How They Run is a gripping page-turner that leaves you wondering what will happen next.

            Adria, as we learn in this book, has a very interesting history and that history is coming back to haunt those in the present. I’m not going to give any spoilers, but I will say that the cliffhanger ending leaves us with a secret about Grace that I never saw coming.

            The Embassy Row series is a series that can appeal to all age groups, and I’m anxiously looking forward to Ally Carter’s next installment in this series!