Book Recommendation: Forest of the Forsaken by Joanne Brothwell

Another quick book recommendation for you guys. This one is called Forest of the Forsaken by Joanne Brothwell. She’s a self-pub author and this book is…it’s just fantastic. Trust me.

It’s a modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel, but it’s not just a different spin on an old tale. She takes the most basic concepts of the story and incorporates them into something completely different. You can feel the basis for the original in there, but overall it looks completely different.

The book is sexy and thrilling and exciting and funny. It’s full of characters that have tragic pasts and are so well written that they leap off the page and into your room to act out the scenes in front of you. It’s scary and exciting, and there are a couple of great twists as well.

However, note that this book is not for the faint of heart. She classifies it as New Adult, but it is borderline erotica. The great part about this is that these scenes support the story – they don’t overtake it. Yeah, there’s sex. And yeah, there’s adult material. But the plot – the story – is always at the forefront. And that’s what makes it an excellent book.

Here’s the description:

Forbidden love. Buried secrets. The ultimate betrayal.

Following her mother’s death to cancer, Meg’s world crashes in around her. Her father re-marries within weeks of their loss, her step-mother is cold and rejecting, and her new step-brother, Joey, has some rather unusual sexual preferences. Meg’s only hope is to move away and leave her father and the dark memories behind.

When her father forces her to attend his honeymoon with this new and unwanted blended family, Meg finds herself in the remote wilderness of the Rocky Mountains, miles from civilization. Meg begins to see things in the forbidding forest—strange, unexplainable things she believes are the result of compounding stress. But when her father and step-mother disappear, leaving Meg and Joey to fend for themselves, lost and without supplies, she realizes her terrifying visions are not merely her imagination after all.

Will Meg and Joey find their way back to civilization? Or will they submit to the darkness within the Forest of the Forsaken?

In this eerie, erotic adaptation of Hansel and Gretel, the fairy tale ending may be far from happy.

You can check the book out on Amazon. If you do end up buying it and reading it, please remember to leave her a review! That makes or breaks self-pubbers, and I know she’d really appreciate it.

Let me know what you guys think of it as well. I have a feeling some of you will really love this. (And it’s not just me! My friend bought it after my recommendation, and she really enjoyed it as well.)

What do book ratings and reviews mean to you?

I’ve been doling out a lot of ratings lately for books that I’ve read, especially ones that I’ve edited, and it’s gotten me thinking. What do ratings mean to people? Surely they can’t be interpreted the same way from person to person. What exactly does a 5-star review mean? Is it a book without any flaws? Is a book you enjoyed immensely? Is it a favor you decided to do for an author you happen to be friends with?

There’s a lot of gray areas with ratings. I don’t even have a specific guideline for what I decide to leave as a review. I just sort of go with my gut. But what about other people? What do the ratings they give mean to them?

When I see a:

4 or 5 star review, I consider the book to be “good.” These are lumped together because a 4 star to me might mean a 5 star to someone else. Or vice versa. Either way, the book is above average and worth reading.

A 3 star average is just that – average. It tells me that people either loved it or hated it, or they just thought it was okay. It’s not a bad thing, but I actually tend to stay away from books with an average rating this low (unless I think it sounds amazing or have a friend who highly recommends it). It tells me that I probably wouldn’t want to spend the time reading 500 pages if it was just going to be a standard, run-of-the-mill, cookie-cutter type book.

I tend to ignore 1 or 2 star reviews (unless the average rating is this low – then I run for the hills). I figure some people are just cranky or the book wasn’t what they were expecting. Some people just like giving low scores for the heck of it. Nothing impresses them. These ratings are usually void in my mind. I like seeing why people give them a rating like this, but it usually won’t deter me from trying to give the book a shot.

I tend to give out a lot of 4 or 5 star ratings myself. I give a book 4 stars if I enjoyed it, but probably wouldn’t read it again. A 5 star review means I loved the book and would love to read it a second time. 3 stars is about as low as I’ll go, and that usually means I didn’t like the book all that much. I don’t think I’ve ever given anything a 1 or 2 star review.

What do these various ratings mean to you? Are you put off by a 1 or 2 star review? Are you put off by a lot of 5 star reviews for indie authors, thinking that perhaps they were just given by family and friends? Are you a tough or easy rater?

Book Recommendation: ‘His Only Star’ by Christopher Stocking

Back for another book recommendation! Short and sweet, as always.

Chris has written and published a couple of books so far, and I’ve been lucky enough to pretty much read them all. His Only Star, though, is an amazing YA novella that I literally flew through. It’s a five-star read and completely worth your time.

It’s a story about Oliver and Trista, two young runaways that learn hard lessons while they’re out on their own. It’s a story about drugs, sex, and that ever elusive thing called love. It’s a gritty and realistic portrayal of life, and one that grips you tight and never lets go.

It’s action-packed and funny and emotional and poignant and heartbreaking all at the same time.

It’s half love story and half adventure, but it’s 100% enthralling and, to tell you the truth, I can wait to read it again. It was that good.

Here’s the cover:

You can check out Chris on his blog, Twitter, Facebook, or on Amazon. You can buy the book on Kindle for $1.99. Trust me when I say it’s completely worth it!

Click HERE to add it to your Goodreads list!

Book Recommendation: The Corps Justice series by C.G. Cooper

Hey, everyone! I’ve got another book recommendation for you guys. Gonna keep this post short and sweet so as to not waste your time if you’re in a hurry or this isn’t your cup of tea. I would really appreciate you taking the time to read this and spread the word, though!

C.G. Cooper has written a series called Corps Justice, and it’s all about a company called Stokes Security International that takes the security business to a whole new level. They use their technology and high profile connections to work outside of the law in order to protect the United States from all sorts of danger.

The best way I can describe these books is the A-Team meets the Avengers.

 

If that’s got you intrigued, and I hope it does, you can check out book one, Back to War, and book two, Council of Patriots, on Amazon. They’re good, quick reads and really worth the couple of bucks you’d invest in them.

If you like military type thrillers, then I think you’ll like this. It’s action-packed and full of enough butt-kicking to get anyone’s heartbeat up. I find his writing and scenarios to be realistic and the cast of characters to be vivid and memorable. Neil is my favorite, so keep an eye out for him!

 

I didn’t meet Mr. Cooper until both the first two books were already published, but I’m currently working my way through the third novel, Prime Asset, which he’s releasing episodically. You can get the first episode of this third book for FREE right here. I just returned the second episode to him yesterday, so that should be going up soon.

Again, thanks for reading and being supportive. It really means a lot to me and the people that I work with!

What books are you currently reading? Got any cool indie or self-pubbed author recommendations for us?

Book Review: Noble Intentions Season 2

Hello there, avid readers! I’m back again to do another quick book review for L.T. Ryan’s Noble Intentions series. Season 2 recently went live in its entirety, so I thought it’d be a good time to tell you what it’s about and why I like it so much.

Noble Intentions is a series of episodes (five per season) about a character named Jack Noble. Jack isn’t exactly a good guy – he’s a gun for hire. That is, if you’ve got enough money. He’s taken out all sorts of targets, including high profile politicians all across the world. If you like anti-heroes, Jack’s your man.

Be sure to check out my review of season 1.

Season 2 follows the events after the explosive ending to season 1. Jack must put his life back together and face the consequences of what happened in the last book’s finale. All our favorite characters are spread out across the globe, each trying to lead their own life. But by mid-season, the gang is back together and on a mission to take down the people that have made their lives a living hell. Loyalties are tested and each one of them has to decide which lines they’re willing to cross.

And, of course, there’s always that question of who will be left standing at the end of the book!

The reason why I enjoy these books so much is because each episode is roughly 100 pages – they’re quick and easy reads. They’re written in such a way that no word is put there without a purpose. They books are concise and action-packed, and each one acts like a mini-novel within the season’s overarching plot.

But don’t take my word for it. The first episode of the first season is up on Amazon for FREE. Download it and see if you like it without fearing that you’ve wasted your money. If you do like it, please make sure to leave a review and go on to purchase the rest of season 1, which is on sale today (1/10) and tomorrow (1/11) only for just $0.99. That’s a SUPER deal for a 500+ page novel.

If you’ve already read season 1 and are itching for the next installment, season 2 is online right now as well! There’s also a related book that takes place before season 1 that’s called Noble Beginnings. It’s just as good as the others, but shows you a different side to Jack that maybe you didn’t know existed!

Now, I know this seems like I’m just spewing an advertisement at you guys, but I hope by now you know that I don’t just throw any old thing up on my blog for the heck of it. My blog reflects what’s I’m passionate about, and I wouldn’t keep harping on about this series if I didn’t think it was out of this world! And if you don’t believe me, just go check out the ratings. He’s got tons of 5-stars!

If you’ve read the books, or plan on reading them, let me know! I’d love to hear what you think.

My year in books (2012)

My goal for this past year was to read 25 books. Re-reads weren’t allowed – these had to be brand new books! Luckily, I met my goal and even managed to read an extra one!

Here’s a rundown of what I’ve read with a quick blurb about how I felt about each one. I would definitely recommend most of these books for anyone, so be ready to have your Goodreads tab open.

Writer’s Market: Guide to Getting Published: This is a good resource, though I think the website is a lot more helpful. It definitely gave me some insight into the world of publishing, but it was not nearly as specific as I was hoping for.

The Devil’s Mixtape by Mary Borsellino: Read my full review here. This book was really different, but in a good way. It’s dark and raw, which was actually more refreshing than off-putting.

102 Solutions to Common Writing Mistakes by Bob Mayer: Although many of the mistakes and solutions were already known to me, there were some gems in here. It was worth a quick read just to cement some rules in my head that I tend to forget about.

Eon by Alison Goodman: A solid read, though a bit slow. Everything I was looking forward to happening either took place in the last 20 pages or ended up in the second book. Beautifully written world and very detailed.

Tiger’s Voyage: I had a heck of a time getting through this, but the ending of the book was almost worth it. Almost. It’s a wonderful concept, but I find it hard to get through the back-and-forth love triangle part. Needs more action. If you like the Twilight series, you’ll probably enjoy these books.

Oppression by Jessica Therrien: Read my full review here. I became interested in this book when I heard it was about Greek mythology in the contemporary world. What? Yes, please! It was a quick and interesting read, and full of some cool characters. I’m definitely looking forward to the second book, which will be out this year.

Marty Boggs and the Curse of Kutkara’s Tomb by M.T. Acquire: I actually read this as a Beta Reader. It’s middle grade, but still quite interesting – especially for the part of me that still secretly wishes she had become an archaeologist. It’s definitely in the vein of Nancy Drew, and is full of cool Egyptian stuff.

Noble Intentions Season 1 by L.T. Ryan: Read my full review here. This is actually a compilation of five shorter books. I love these novels because they’re fast-paced, full of action, and have a host of memorable and endearing characters. All the good guys in the book are a bit shady, and yet you can’t help but root for them. That’s the mark of a good writer.

Noble Intentions Season 2 by L.T. Ryan: Jack Noble is back! The second season was just as good as the first. I found myself falling more in love with the characters than ever before. And the end of this season definitely makes you want to dig into the next one.

London Darkness: Infernal Inventions by Chris Stocking: This was my first real jump into Steampunk, and I enjoyed it. The concept Chris set up is really interesting and unique, and the characters are all super memorable.

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan: Read my full review here. I loved this book, and it was definitely one of the highlights of my year. I have a little trouble with the imagery in these books (they’re middle grade and tend to be a little ridiculous), but that’s the story Riordan wants to tell and who am I to complain? But in the end I loved it, and I’d still read anything Riordan writes.

Noble Beginnings by L.T. Ryan: This is actually a prequel book to the Noble Intentions series. It gives us a look into Jack’s past and how he came to be who he is. It also let us get inside his head a bit more, as it was written in first person POV, rather than third. It falls perfectly in line with the other books and was just as great.

Eona by Alison Goodman: The second books was harder for me to get through than the first, though I did enjoy it. It just read too slowly for me, and felt like a historical romance (which is a genre I tend to avoid). But if that’s your sort of thing, then I would definitely recommend this book.

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling: Read my full review here. I was pleasantly surprised by this book because I had been hearing a lot of not-so-good things about it before I picked it up. The writing was fantastic and the story stuck with me long after I read it. The lack of real plot until the last 200 pages or so was a letdown, but otherwise this was an interesting and new type of book to read from Jo.

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion: Read my full review here. I thought the concept was better than the actual execution, but I still really enjoyed this book. It was faced paced and exciting. Definitely a cool new twist on the zombie genre. It left me highly anticipating the movie.

On Fire by Nancy Holder: Listen to my full review here. The book didn’t live up to my expectations, though I still enjoyed reading it. If you’re a fan of the TV show Teen Wolf, I would definitely give it a try, as it goes more into the backstory of some of the characters.

Corps Justice: Back to War by C.G. Cooper: I was pleasantly surprised by this book because it isn’t something I would normally pick up. But it was well written and full of some really great characters. I keep saying it’s like the A-Team meets the Avengers. The ending definitely left me in anticipation for book two.

Corps Justice: Council of Patriots by C.G. Cooper: I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one. It was on a grander scale than the first, which lent itself to the story. New characters are introduced that are both scary (in some cases) and awesome (in others). The ending of this one was even better than the first. Waiting to find out what happens is going to be painful.

~~~

So, there you have it. 26 books down! I’m hoping to do the same thing again this year, though I didn’t make it an official goal of mine. Still, I’d like to do the same amount or even better. My bookshelf is overflowing, so I should have no trouble finding some things to read!

Have you read any of these books? Which ones did you like the best? Are there any on this list that you’ve been meaning to read or are thinking about picking up now?

Book Review: Warm Bodies

I first heard about Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion when I saw the trailer for the movie. I watched it and was pleasantly surprised that it actually looked good, despite the kind of ridiculous sounding story line.

What’s the story line, you might ask? Well, it’s a zombie love story.

Yeah. A zombie love story.

And I’m not just talking about two people falling in love while zombies are on the loose. I’m not even talking about two zombies falling in love. I’m talking about a regular girl and a zombie falling in love.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Zombies are gross (true) and girls falling in love with dead supernatural beings has been done (also true).

But the cool thing about this book is that it’s different. It’s fast-paced and refreshing. It’s honest, raw, and unique. It’s a spin on zombies that I haven’t seen before, and it’s nice to see them (some of them at least) acting kind of human.

Even though I really enjoyed this book, I do have to say it read like an outline. I wanted a more fleshed out (ha ha) story. The different scenes sometimes bled into each and it got confusing. The premise lends itself to this sort of writing, but I’m not sure it always worked. I enjoyed the story so much that I wanted more of everything – more of R’s thoughts (he’s the zombie), more interaction with Julie, more confrontations, more backstories, more, more, more.

I guess that’s both a good thing and a bad thing – I left feeling a little let down, a little empty inside. But I also wanted more. I enjoyed living in this world so much that I didn’t want to give it up. I heard he’s going to be writing a sequel, so maybe I’ll get what I want when that gets published.

I do recommend the book, though it seems to fall into a strange category. Those who like love stories a la Twilight might not be totally into this, but those who love zombies might not like this softer version of the genre. It’s good for people who like zombies well enough, but can’t really get into the blood-and-guts that usually come with it.

I’m highly anticipating this movie. Check out the trailer below:

 

It looks weird and creepy and funny and awesome all at once. It captures the essence of the book pretty well, and some of my favorite scenes from the book are in the trailer. I’m also hoping that the filmmakers are able to fill in some of the gaps that left us hanging in the book. The novel is only about 150 pages long, so it was probably fairly easy to adapt into a screenplay. Here’s to hoping that it’s a faithful adaption and that it’s a runaway success!

Have you read the book? Looking forward to the movie? If this isn’t usually your cup of tea, would you be willing to give it a shot?

P.S. Here’s a review of the movie from someone who got to see it early. It’s a little spoilery, so I’d avoid it until you’ve read the book!

Thoughts on ‘The Casual Vacancy’

[This post has no spoilers, but the same can't be said for the comments section!]

About a week ago I finally finished up The Casual Vacancy. I had heard a fair amount of negative comments about it, so I wasn’t exactly looking forward to reading it. Regardless, I’m glad I read it, and I think it served its purpose.

Did I enjoy it? Maybe not.

But I don’t think all books need to be enjoyed. This is a perfect example of that. I didn’t find the story particularly enthralling, but I did learn a lot about what I like and don’t like (always important as a writer), as well as characterization, realism, and heroes.

So even though I didn’t particularly like it, it taught me a lot about writing.

The Writing

I don’t think anyone could argue that JKR is a bad writer, so it shouldn’t come as a shock to learn that her prose was one of my favorite things about this book. The phrasing of her sentences and the words she chose painted a vibrant picture. This is what you need to point to if someone tells you writing isn’t an art or a science (I believe it’s both, by the way) because you can tell she took the time to place each word with care in order to give us a strong overall feeling for the novel.

With that being said, there were some things I didn’t enjoy. Some of the words she chose seemed a bit pretentious, especially given who some of the characters were (uneducated, superficial, etc.). Her extensive parentheses and overuse of semi-colons were a little grating, as well. But nothing worth putting the book down over.

Characterization

The thing that stood out to me the most in The Casual Vacancy was the characterization. There’s a huge list of players in this book, and I had hardly any trouble keeping track of them. Why? Because the characters Rowling creates are so unique and memorable that she doesn’t need to blatantly remind you of who they are.

Her characterization was subtle. It was the way in which their section was written (this being an omniscient POV), the tics they had, their dialect, their personality. Nobody was a repeat of another, and each had a role to play. So many authors give you a rough sketch of a character. You know who they are on the outside, but you don’t know their soul. With the characters in this book, I felt that I could write a three page essay on each one, psychoanalyzing their personalities and actions. It’s the way in which she showed us the character, the things she didn’t say, that ended up being the brightest colors on the canvas.

Heroes

Rowling said there are only two characters she would call heroes in this book – Barry Fairbrother and Krystal Weedon. This is ironic, and if you’ve read the book, you’ll know why.

Despite that, I would agree for the most part. I ended up not liking Krystal’s character after all, but that doesn’t necessarily make her un-heroic. Given the setting and plot of the story, it’s interesting to look at what makes a hero in a book like this. They’re not the ones that take up sword and shield and attack a dragon. Their heroism is more subtle, more internal – especially in Krystal’s case. I think that’s important to be aware of as a writer. Not everything our characters do have to be big and bold and life-and-death. Sometimes it’s the things they don’t do that are more important.

The Best and the Worst

There were plenty of things I didn’t like about the book, besides the writing. This felt like a book without very much plot. Most of it was a setup for what occurred in the last 200 pages. That’s fine and dandy, but if it was anyone other than JKR (with a few exceptions, of course), I think the the author would’ve been forced to change it in order to streamline the story a little bit.

I’m not a fan of the omniscient POV, though I do see why it was necessary for a book like this. It allowed us to drop in on any character at any time, which was helpful in understanding the personality and role of each person. Speaking of which, I often found the realism a little unsettling. It wasn’t a bad thing, per se. Perhaps it was just a neutral thing. It’s amazing to look at these characters and know that each one of them actually does exist in our world. The problem with this realism is, however, that it was very hard to like any of the characters.

I thought the best character was Sukhvinder. I think that, above everything, she was the person that was the most kind, despite having every reason not to be. I felt closest to her character because it was easy to see why she did the things she did. I have had friends in similar situations and know, through my relationship with them, how difficult it is to live a life that you feel is not worth living. In the end, however, I would say she came out on top, and above everyone else. This was probably the one thing that saved the book for me, and I’m glad that it happened.

Oddly enough, the character that I related to the most was Fats. I’m not sure why this is (and you’re not allowed to dissect that answer and tell me!! ) I appreciated his self-awareness and need to be authentic. I often feel this way about myself, and although I don’t take it to the level that he did, I enjoyed analyzing his character as a way to learn more about myself.

This is quite the philosophical book if you let it be. While I doubt I’ll give it a second read, I’m glad I powered through and read it at least once, despite the generally unfavorable reviews I had been hearing about.

Have you read The Casual Vacancy? If not, is it on your to-read list? If so, what did you think of it?

P.S. It looks like the BBC is going to be turning this into a mini-series. I think it’ll do well in this format, and it’ll be interesting to see these characters comes to life. What do you think?

Book Review: Noble Intentions Season One

If you’re familiar with my backlog of posts, you’ll know that I write about a little bit of everything. I tend to focus on TV and movies, plus art and travel. I also like to post about writing, and every once in a while I throw in something random to make you smile.

I think I’ve done a grand total of two book reviews so far. It’s not because I don’t read – I do! (Though, maybe not as much as I should.) My main reason for not doing so is that I often skip over these things on other people’s blogs. Along with author interviews. I know, I know – it’s terrible! But the thing is, I follow your blog because I want to hear YOU, not someone else.

So when I do an interview or a book review, you know I mean it. It’s not just to fill space or because someone agreed to talk with me. It isn’t because I can’t think of anything to say. It’s because I feel like I’ve found something that needs to be shared with the rest of the world.

Enter L.T. Ryan. He wrote Noble Intentions: Season One. This is a collection of five separate “episodes” that have been put into one volume. They are standalone stories, but each one is part of the whole.

Here’s my disclaimer: I edited three out of the five books for Lee. Does that make me biased? Maybe. But I have plenty of friends and acquaintances who have written books that I’ve critiqued and I haven’t featured them. That doesn’t mean that I don’t think they good enough for my blog (I would NEVER think that). It just means that I think Lee’s book is different. I can’t stop thinking about it, and my only outlet is my blog.

Noble Intentions follows the story of Jack Noble, assassin for hire. He doesn’t hesitate. He doesn’t feel remorse. He does it for the money and his conscience is clean. Until one day when he stops to help a lost child. He doesn’t know why he did it, but it begins a series of events that will take him all around the world.

And that’s just in the first episode.

I can tell you that Jack is a pretty awesome character. He’s a cold blooded killer, but you can’t help but like him. He’s smart, funny, and someone you definitely don’t want to piss off. But the best thing about him is that even deep down under all that blood on his hands, he’s still a good guy. He still cares about a handful of people.

His best friend’s name is Bear. He’s is probably a terrifying guy to look at, but he’s got his own soft spots too. And Mandy is one of them – she’s the little girl that Jack accidentally took in. Then there’s Clarissa. She’s not a damsel in distress at any point of the story, and you know that if there’s one girl who can keep up with Jack, it’s her.

If you read this book, you’ll travel to different countries, hear different languages, and meet a whole slew of characters. They’re all different, all unique, and all lend themselves to this story.

But, you might ask, how’s the writing? It’s quick and to the point. Jack’s a hired gun – he doesn’t have time to beat around the bush. His thoughts are like words on a flash card: factual and concise. No time is wasted and his actions are always calculated. This story is funny, smart, and exciting. It’s a page turner. And before you know it, you’ll be at the end of season one and you’ll be begging for season two. I’m sure of it.

Lee recommends the story for anyone who likes Jack Reacher, John Rain, or Jason Bourne. Even if you’re not usually into those sorts of things, I would still tell you to give it a try. It’s an adult novel about an assassin, so there is violence and strong language but nothing is vulgar.

So, without going on and on about how great this series is (which I could mostly definitely do), please just trust me on this and give it a try. I don’t get anything out of it except maybe the knowledge that my opinions can sway you guys into action. And that’s always a good feeling.

If you want to just try out the first episode, you can find it on Smashwords and Kobo FOR FREE. I love free stuff, don’t you?

If you want to buy season one, you can purchase it for $4.99 right here.

You can see my reviews of each one on the book’s Amazon page. If anyone has any questions or wants me to go into any more detail, the comments are open to you! A second series is in the works now and I can’t wait to get my hands on it!

If you do end up purchasing any of the books, please see this post by Fabio, which gives a GREAT list of how you can help out authors after you buy from them.

You can also find Lee’s website here and the Facebook fan page for Mr. Jack right here. If you end up reading any of his books, please feel free to leave a comment for the author and I’ll be sure to pass along your kind words!

A Dragon, a Wizard, and a Really, Really Big Tree

Q: What do these three things have in common?

A: They can all be found on Fabio Bueno’s blog!

Today I’m over there giving you some recommendations for YA reading. The first series is the one I’m currently into, the second one is in my top five all time favorite books, and the third one is the epic follow-up that didn’t disappoint even a diehard fan.

If you like reading YA, but hate putting away characters after just one book, check out these series and let me know what you think! I’ll be hanging around the comments section over on Fabio’s blog. See you there!

P.S. Hope everyone in the U.S. has a great Labor Day! As for you suckers in other countries…happy Monday!