Let me begin by saying Merry Christmas.
Since my last post I have read the following:
The Deadly Cavern (Quest Chasers #1)
I received a free copy of this book via
Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A touching story with dynamic characters that
it’s impossible not to care about. The author has set up a world that is so
beautiful it’s hard not to want to visit there.
An imaginative world with dynamic characters in this first book sets the
stage for a promising epic journey for all ages. I highly recommend including a
glossary for the wonderful vocabulary used.
Noblesse Oblige by Kiona Willoughby
I received a free copy of this book via
Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
WARNING This is for adults only.
A unique blend of the nature of furries and
their lifestyles with an overarching romance. This is not a book for the faint
of heart. It is not a book I would consider to be in my preferred genres, but
I’ll admit the writing was done well with well rounded characters and vivid
landscapes. This author has promise.
I received a free copy of this book via Hidden
Gems and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A fun and touching billionaire romance. This is the first of the billionaire romances
I’ve read that actually felt like it could be believable. I was interested in knowing what happened to
the characters. I believed the characters really felt tension and their actions
reflected their personalities. There was
a slow spot toward the middle but once over that hump it’s a great read wit
great passion and romance.
Forsaken Prince
(Kilenya Chronicles, #1)
I received a free copy of this book via Bookosprout
and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The author creates captivating characters
with wonderful personalities which are relatable to young and old readers. The author paints vivid pictures of
wonderful landscapes and enemies. I
can’t wait to read more and find out more about their journeys.
Scattered Screams: (The
Disruption, Book One)
by C.A. Huggins
I received a free copy of this book via Hidden
Gems and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A vivid tale of friendship and overcoming obstacles.
All the characters are well rounded and are true to their characterization. The
tension is believable and isn’t just inflicted on the characters. The characters must work to solve their
problems. I did find it confusing the text referred to beasts zombies,
monsters, mutants, creatures, and I think something else. Is this the sort of
thing that requires a bestiary?
Her Demon Harem: Reverse Harem Duology
1 (The Succubus Chronicles #1)
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout
and am voluntarily leaving a review.
WARNING THIS IS A 18+ BOOK
A journey packed with romance, tension, and
straight up explicit sex. The author creates dynamic characters which you care
about. The main character is intriguing
and her demons all have personalities and are interesting with their own unique
personalities. The set up for book two has a lot of promise. I’m excited.
Evilly Amused: A Twisted Rose Mystery Novel
(Twisted Rose Mysteries Book 1)
by Marlowe Blue
I received a free copy of this book via hidden
gems and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A fun mystery with countless twists and
turns. There were places where the internal dialogue felt repetitive. The
language in this was enjoyable and creative. A character having a cat named
Simba wins points with me. I want to know more about how this turns out and
therefore will continue to follow the series.
30 Day Whole Food
Slow Cooker Challenge: 101 Irresistible Whole Food Slow Cooker Recipes That
Will Help You Lose Weight, Prevent Disease, and Make You Feel Better Than Ever
Before
I received a free copy of this book via hidden
gems and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A collection of phenomenal recipes and great
information. This book includes a
preface which provides some insight into the whole food diet. I think you could
still stand to do a little extra research but I like to be thorough. Even if this isn’t the diet for you, the
recipes are clear and don’t require a ton of ingredients.
Forevermore (Ever More #2)
I received a free copy of this book via hidden
gems and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A wonderful continuation of the series. The characters remain consistent and continue
to grow which is refreshing. A wonderful
cross between the heart wrenching drama of Nicholas Sparks with the passion of
a typical billionaire romance. This isn’t your typical billionaire romance
however. A tale of two well off well rounded characters with lives of their own
and a plot that’s well developed make this a great, steamy read.
Jack Frost: A Holiday Romance
by Angela Blake
I received a free copy of this book via
Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the type of book I expect lovers of
the genre will enjoy especially when they love holiday romances; however it is
not the type of book that will bring readers outside of the genre in. The
characters aren’t very well rounded and while I applaud the author on trying to
not romanticize everything this style of writing doesn’t compliment the genre.
If you like second chances or Christmas romances give it a go; if not, move on. I
enjoyed the writing style so I will look for more by Angela Blake.
Tome: The Forgotten Guardians
by W V Hansen
I received a free copy of this book via Hidden
Gems and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The second half of this book was exciting and
I couldn’t put it down, the first half however was a slog. I’m not sure I would
have kept reading to get to the good part of the book. There is promise here and I’d happily read
more to see this author grow. This could
be a good example of good and bad writing for a writing class. The story itself has a good premise but
moved slowly in many places which contributed to my frustration. There is a good imagination and a spark, if
it is nourished this author could be something really good.
The Borough Boys box-set: The complete
collection
by Tamsin Baker (Goodreads Author)
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout
and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Overall this is exactly what I expected from
a shifter genre book. This is specifically a M/M shifter romance genre. If this
is your genre then this is definitely a book set I suggest. There were some
political ideas explored however most was self imposed reflection not author
intended reflection.
Grayson’s Mate:
An enticing tale of an Alpha being mated to a man. The political implications and the feelings and lack there of play an exciting role in this story. The story and their relationship develops both in a domestic family setting and in an action paced tension filled setting. I love we got to see all the characters in a variety of situations. 34%
An enticing tale of an Alpha being mated to a man. The political implications and the feelings and lack there of play an exciting role in this story. The story and their relationship develops both in a domestic family setting and in an action paced tension filled setting. I love we got to see all the characters in a variety of situations. 34%
Aaron’s Mate:
A close follow-up to the previous book. The characters were consistent as you read from one book to the next. The middle book definitely felt like the hump book. I kept reading hoping for action and it just didn’t seem to come. 66%
Brad’s Mate:
Things here still seemed to be a mismatch of
things happening around our characters. I felt like I cared more about Brad
than I did Aaron. Maybe I missed it, but I felt as though the significance of Aaron isn’t revealed until book three so you wonder in book two why we are learning
about Aaron. I felt the same way in this book however their story felt more
compelling. I really appreciated the
action in this book. I also appreciate the author’s attention to the senses in
narration.
Trading Husbands
Swapping Wives - The Complete Series: Partner Swap Stories
by Jamie Hunter
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout
and am voluntarily leaving a review.
An enjoyable steamy read with frequent
encounters of a varying nature and an overarching story of two couples and
their times together. Two couples save their relationships by trying swinging
and these are their tales. This is
definitely a steamy read.
I received a free copy of this book via Hidden
Gems and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The story was fine as a stand-alone. I can
see where people would have enjoyed references to previous books but it won’t
matter what order they are read in, it seems.
The recipes are definitely not the easier recipes I’ve seen. These are recipes which will frustrate some
parents without children in the kitchen let alone with children in the kitchen.
I think the concept is brilliant. The story is good, the recipes need work.
As a reward for myself and just for a bit of
fun I present to you my 50th book of 2017.
Tovi the Penguin Goes
Camping
An adorable story of a penguin conquering
their fears. The book contains a fair balance of sight words and developmental words for
reading with children. Children will be able to assist with the large text and
the easy words and will also be able learn with the tougher words. Vividly illustrated and done with humor this
is a wonderful bedtime story or a fun book for a classroom.
The Mad Dash: A Little League Team’s Pursuit
of Championship Glory
by David Aretha
I received a free copy of this book via Hidden
Gems and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A great sports book for boys and girls who
love baseball. Characters are well
developed and the tension in the book is exciting even to an adult reader. I would highly recommend this book for homes
and classrooms based on the language used and the good moral content and it is
a good enjoyable story.
The Practice
Boyfriend
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout
and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A fabulous retelling of the ever common it
girl theme. With unique characters with
interesting motives and bonds this is the start of which I hope is a promising
collection of stand alone books. I felt
for the characters and wanted them to succeed and at times fail. I can’t wait
to read more form Christina Benjamin
Her Demon Harem : Reverse Harem Duology Book
2 (The Succubus Chronicles #2)
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout
and am voluntarily leaving a review.
More action than her previous book and for
that I’m thankful. I love the lore that she has created and the careful
research around succubi. Like it’s predecessor this is a book for 18+
readers. The action and suspense make
the romance full of tension and therefore makes the whole book interesting. I
couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait to
read more my Savannah Skye.
Crossing Over Easy: Witches of Salem: Nora
Bradbury (Nora Bradbury Paranormal Cozy Mystery, #1)
by Nova Nelson (Goodreads Author),
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout
and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A great start to what I’m hoping will
continue to be a phenomenal series. The characters were well rounded and
believable with consistent strengths and flaws.
Friendships and other ties are an integral part of this story making it
captivating to read at all points. The fantasy
of the world is astounding. I can’t wait to see more out of their imagination.
The Silent Corner (Jane Hawk #1)
by Dean Koontz
I received the next book as an ARC therefore
I felt it appropriate to read and review the first book prior.
A wonderful suspense thriller. As my first
Dean Koontz book this definitely makes me want to read more. The characters
were so deep and developed with many layers.
The people felt as if they could be real people and the story could
really be someone’s story. I got to a
point where I didn’t want to put it down because I was dying to know what
happened next. The short chapters make
it so you can stop when needed in the action but also allow for great crisp
scenes which keep the story moving at a rapid pace. I can’t wait to read The Whispering Room.
Dreadmarrow Thief (The Conjurer Fellstone
Book 1)
I received a free copy of this book via Hidden
Gems and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A wonderful fantasy adventure. Marjory has
created a wonderful fantasy world with phenomenal characters, politics, history,
and socioeconomics. This is a wonderful
story of love and adventure with friends that paints a bigger picture for
readers of bigger issues in our world today.
Exactly what fantasy should be. I
can’t wait to read more.
For His Pleasure (Gay Erotica Collection 1)
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout
and am voluntarily leaving a review.
An absolutely erotic collection of gay
erotica stories. Filled with passion,
intimacy, friendships, and steamy sex scenes, this is a wonderful collection for
anyone who enjoys the M/M erotica genre. The author presents great images of
characters, settings, and situations. I can’t wait to read more from this
author.
Esme's Wish
I received a free copy of this book via hidden
gems and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A
great new epic fantasy featuring a female protagonist without the ties of
romance. With vivid descriptions and imaginative
creatures and settings its easy to get lost in the world and even want to visit
ourselves. With beautiful characterization
and webs of sub plots this is a wonderful read for readers of all ages. I can’t wait for the next book.
The Almost Boyfriend
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout
and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A
fun teen romance with great humor and lovable characters. The author creates wonderful webs of
relationships between the well developed multi dimensional characters. The tension and angst were humorous for me
as an adult but would be wonderful for its intended audience.
The Goodbye Boyfriend (The Boyfriend Series
Book 3)
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout
and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A touching read. I cried multiple times. This is the best book in the collection. The characters were wonderfully developed
with multiple layers of depth. I was
amused by the Ashley’s and I wonder if the author watched Recess. The plot is phenomenal and the way the
characters interact is natural. I can’t wait to read more from her.
The Beginning (Jessica Christ #1)
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout
and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A laugh out loud religious satire. I couldn’t stop laughing and yet I spend a
good amount of time reflecting on ideas presented in the text as well. With crass humor and realistic situations
that ponder the burning questions we have about Jesus’s youth the author
presents a wonderful image and a fun piece of speculative fiction. I can’t wait
to see what happens in the rest of the series.
When the Sun Falls
Ashleigh Reynolds
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout
and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A book that will really make you scratch your
head. A mental thrill that will leave
you with chills. With a detailed environment and deep characters, readers feel
like they are there. I was let down by
the ending but the author made the right choice.
Take Me Home: A Bodyguard Christmas Story
(Hot and Dangerous 0.5)
While it seemed unbelievable it was a fun
erotic romance. I enjoyed the characters
and their motives. I enjoyed there was more of an adventure story and that it
wasn’t just romance. This book definitely makes me want to read more of the hot
and dangerous series.
I have worked on the following
I started a
NaNoWriMo project which I didn’t complete.
I plan on continuing to work on that project.
I’m working on the following
I am working
on developing as a writer and debating attending a masters program in creative
writing. I will also continue to read and review ARC books.
Thoughts
There are
many things I could do to become a better writer. Note it would be my goal that
times would increase over time and some goals could be added. I also know that
adding too much at one time is a recipe for disaster. What are your thoughts
writing community? Where should I start? Is there something I missed?
· Write for 15 minutes every day on my
designated piece.
· Free write/prompt write/meditate write
for 15 minutes every day. (these I would consider posting for accountability and
for your inspiration.)
· Returning to the read a short story a
day attitude I held earlier in the year and at the end of last year. Again I would
write, brainstorm, and or reflect on each piece and post it here for
accountability and for your inspiration.
· Spending 30 minutes a day on
professional development at least 5 days a week.
· Watch and reflect on one movie a week.
· Close read absent distractions for one
hour a day.
First! I think your goals are realistic as a starting point. But maybe rather than a short story a day, think of a number of words per day to complete... short stories vary widely in length. Even if you work, you've only probably set aside 2 or so hours per day for writing--should be able to squeeze it into you schedule most of the time! Best o' luck in 2018!!
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