Book Review: Red Glove

Around the House
The job hunt continues as does the writing.  Yes I am not just talking about my edits I am actually doing them for a change.  I am excited for a date tonight.  I hope it goes well, but if it doesn't their is always more fish in the sea right?  At least this will give me something to do.  I was actually worried that I was going to get blown off.  Well surprised never cease to amaze.  So after this review I am going to curl up in a hot shower and get ready to put the show on the road.  I don't know if I will get through another chapter of edits tonight, but I am going to try.  This round is just making small revisions and handling notes before my next read through to rework the wording and bring my engaging voice back to this almost over worked piece.

My Thoughts
The dark twisting turns of Holly Black's latest installment of the Curse Workers: Red Glove surprised even this most jaded of reader.  Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen next she shoved another piece of information at me that threw me for a loop.  Reading the Curse Workers is like reading someones private journal full of dark and sweet candy coated gossip.  This amazing book will keep you riveted until the end.  Expect a sleepless night or two as you plow through the world of Cassel Sharpe in the Curse Workers.

The Red Glove is the follow up to White Cat, where we are rethrusted back into the twisted life of Cassel Sharpe.  Loving a girl that cannot love him back, a family damaged by the power of the curse, and secrets and lies makes this world of fantasy better than anything on T.V. tonight.  Cassel is the most superbly written Anti-hero of not only the year but of the decade.  As a reader, you will want everything to turn out okay for him, but you will wonder how it can when he has to make choices that can ruin his life, his family, and his friends just to keep himself going.  Holly Black is amazing at translating the outsider feel of the teenager into a fantasy character where he is trying to be what he will never be - like everyone else - but could really succeed in living the con of his life if he could only let go of Lila.  She makes every writer jealous of her talents.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Book Review: The Last Apprentice Rage of the Fallen

Around the House
Still playing catch up with my book reviews.  This is the last one that I haven't gotten too.  Also, I am itching to get my hands on the new Sookie Stackhouse book that just came out.  I preordered it, so I am waiting for it along with the next Charliane Harris Anthology.  Till then I will continue to edit and work my way through the books I am dying to read.  I am still job hunting since I am not happy at work.  I have decided to really open myself up to new paths.  You never know where the world will take you.  I am also very excited by the CDs I forgot I owned.  I am looking forward to filling my nook with my favorite songs for car rides and trips to the gym.  Yea it is time to start working out and getting all hot for the summer.  I have really let myself go a bit.

My Thoughts
Joseph Delaney had done it again with the latest installment of the Last Apprentice Series: Rage of the Fallen.  He has managed to add another depth to his world of magic and mystery by graying up the edges the Spooks have held for generations.  It is especially nice to see this graying since Tom is as gray a character as you can get.  You can't help love the young apprentice Tom Ward as he makes his run to fight evil.  Joseph Delaney does a great job of finally closing up some plot holes while leaving more unanswered questions for the readers.  I wonder how far he will take Tom and if he will really live up to the Prophecy made by his mother.  I only hope that in the end Alice does not follow her mother in the dark.

Rating 7 out of 10

Book Review: The Lost Gate

Forgot to post this last month sorry!

Around the House
I need a few drinks.  This last couple weeks have been really rough.  I haven't been sleeping anywhere near enough, but I have been reading a lot as a method of distracting myself.  So I will keep job hunting and ignoring my writing because I am not in the mental space to look at my works.  Hopefully next month.

My Thoughts
I recieved this book as a free copy, and I was very apprenesive to read it.  I wasn't sure the Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card was the type of fantasy story I was looking for.  I was afraid I was going to be sucked into a world of traditional fantasy with elves, dwarfs, and other mythical characters.  I was completely wrong.  The story was an amazing peice of fantasy work that would be a prefect compliment to anyone that is in love with the current works of Rick Riordan.

The Lost Gate is the first of a series of books that looks at mythology in a new and fun way.  Instead of symply placing the old gods into modern society he has explained there exsistance in a fun and exciting way.  The Mithermages is a great tie in to the upcoming Thor movie as well because it primarily focuses on the Old Norse Gods.  It is a great look at how people with magical abilities are currently living in society while struggling to regain their status as gods.  That the names of the gods we know from Mythology are just names given to individuals with a particular aptitude to a certain set of powers.  While the break down of the individual powers can be confusing at first following Danny on his adventure to find himself with the forbidden powers he possesses is a fun and fast paced tale that makes the reader crave more.  I recommend everyone run out and enjoy this book today.

Rating 9 out of 10

Book Review: Gunn's Golden Rules

Around the House
Well I got the official rejection email today, so I am back to job hunting and writing today as you can see.  I have been drowning myself in a couple new stories, so you can expect a couple book reviews to hit pretty quickly over the next week.  I am also working on ripping all of my CDs onto my computer so that I don't have to pack them up and move them again.  I figured since October is coming up I need to start spending the time condensing my life.

My Thoughts
Tim Gunn's conversation on life lessons through personal stories, comments on life, and thoughts on society are not only funny but an inspiring way to look at life.  His conversational tone kept me smiling while making me evaluate how I personally behave in society.  Tim Gunn is full of great advice for every man and a keen look into the mind of the fashion industry for everyone.  The reader will especially love the commentary about characters from Project Runway as well as a further tearing of the fashion industry veil. 

Rating 9 out of 10

I've Been Quiet

Around the House
I know I have been quiet, I know there are no excuses for leaving you all wondering about what has been going on, but I didn't know what to say.  I am sitting here wondering what I should and could say.  I have been under a confidentiality notice about a job I wanted.  It wasn't a writing job, and it wasn't a job I am going to get.  I makes me sad to think about it.  While yes I have been pursuing other avenues of employment because my current work situation hasn't been the greatest; I was really hoping to get this job. I should have sat back and though about what is my fate in life.  I am an author.  No I am not a big enough author to just live off my work, but I have known for years that I am an author. 

While writing I have been working in the Family Entertainment field.  For those of you that don't know what that is, it is recreation and entertainment venues that cater to families like movie theaters, recreation centers, water parks, arcades, and bowling alleys.  My last job which I loved closed down operations, so I have been struggling with what do to with myself while I work towards making a career as an author.  You know what I have realized?  I think fate is kicking me in the ass for living in the land of perpetual hope.  Yes, that is a condition I possess so strongly that I allow it to over take my life.

I should have sat back and realized that I should not have been dumping myself into new jobs, when I have two completed books ready to go out that just need some more fine tuning as well as a new collection of short stories.  All of these I planned to get done this year, and now I have let two months of good working time escape me for nothing.  While I could still get the job, I think fate is showing me that this is not where my energy should be placed.  I should be working towards doing what I love and that is telling the stories that thrive in me.

So, now that I have had my hope crushed that is what I am going to do.  I am setting a new goal tonight.  I am going to finish the edits on the first volume in the Chronicles of Illumination, the follow up to my collection of short stories, as well as the other two books I have and get them out to all of my readers.  I am going to do what I know I am meant to do.  I am going to write.  So here is the plan starting on Tuesday - I need a night to relax.

1. Finish the current edit of the Chronicles of Illumination vol. 1 by the end of May.
2. Finish the edit on the Pandora book by the end of June.
3. Assemble the collection of short stories Cursed and the Chronicles of Illumination and get them both out by mid June.
4. Get the Pandora book completed and out there by Fall.
5.. Finish the first draft of the Chronicles 1.5 on Death and get started on book two by fall.

Those are the goals.  I need you all to help me keep going.  So start commenting and hit me on the head if I seem to be slowing down.

Love you all for your support!

Editting Nightmare

Around the House
My niece is currently in the hospital, so that has gotten a lot of my attention today.  She is fine, but has a very bad bladder infection so they want to make sure she is okay before releasing her.  The poor kid.  I wish she was home for lots of hugs.  Anyway, I worked today which you all know by now I hate my job.  Well I really don't hate it, it is just really boring.  And as always I have been curled up editing my next book which I have let sit on my desk top for the last year.  I know I have been bad, or so Editor Tim says. 

My Thoughts
Every author has their own writing process.  For me I get inspired at random times of the days and will add sections to the work I am currently doing, but when I finish a project/draft I need to table it to work on something else for a little bit.  That is how I managed to craft a book of short stories.  Then when I get back to the project I have a fresh perspective on my writing and can really go all hack and slash with the process.

When initially writing something new I do it in two ways.  I start at the beginning and just write till I run out of story.  Then as scenes pop into my head I begin adding them to the end of the document I am working in which slowly grows and allows me to flesh out the tale.  Then when I get back to reading through what has been written I can fill in the gaps.  Then by the time I start editing my work I get inspired by all the little scenes I wrote along the way that it allows the characters to take a life of their own.  They start to run away with the story.

So where am I now?  I am currently editing the first book in a series that follows my recently published book, Witches, Demons, & Deals.  I am also editing and rewriting the first two books of the Preludes - a Deluxe version of Witches, Demons, & Deals I am tentatively calling Cursed and book 2.  I have also started to work on book three of the series, but can't get much father until I firm up and remind myself of the events in book two.  I think I have given away too much already, but I do plan to have two new books coming out this summer/fall so keep watching for updates.

TV Show Review: Body of Proof

Around the House
Sorry I have been quiet for the last week or so.  I have been writing/editing projects and dealing with a dead computer.  The screen on my laptop died.  I finally got a new one so I am back in action.  Otherwise the house has been fairly quiet which is a good thing.  I have also spent the last couple weeks doing a mental inventory of my life and looking for ways to clean house.  Yes, I still plan to continue to write, so that means I still have plans to put out two projects this summer.  Also doing inventory and getting ready to edit for the anthology, but the publisher isn't sure it is big enough yet so I am reaching out to additional authors for support.  Feel free to contact me if you have items you want included.

My Thoughts
I am a fan of Desperate Housewives and was very sad to see the changes they made to Dana Delaney's character of Katherine.  I really missed her die hard bitch attitude that made me love her, but I was still sad to hear that she was leaving the show for her own show.  Now after watching the first episode of Body of Proof I have to say that I am in love with it.  The character of Megan Hunt has just the right about of bitch factor with streaks of vulnerability that Dana Delaney plays so well.  I am very excited to see how is this progresses.  It is a top ten recommendation for this year.  If you haven't put it on your DVR do it now you will love the twisty murder mystery element tied in with an emotional character development.  I must say that I have to give ABC a big thumbs up for the drama based shows that they have rolled out over the last couple years.  I see Body of Proof as a long standing stable to be loved by all.

Rating
4 out of 5