My hiatus has ended! I'm back :)

I almost forgot what a blog was it's been so long since I've written anything up! Let me start by apologizing to anyone who has asked me to write a review for you or have messaged me on Twitter or FB and I haven't responded back. The last couple of months have been rough. Rough actually barely describes what I've been through. I'm glad though that after being sick, losing a friend, and then being sick again, I'm finally starting to get things back on track. My mother continuously tells me that everything in life happens for a reason. After these last couple of months it's hard to believe, but I keep hearing her say it in my ear and I forge on.

First, I want to thank everyone for their support with my first novel Such is Life. Without really being able to promote it once I started feeling under the weather I've still manage to keep the books selling and the numbers rising. For that I have to thank you guys! It's always a pleasure having people come up to me telling me how much they enjoyed the book or messaging me through FB and TT. The good news is now that I'm starting to feel better I am able to get back into the game with Such is Love and Happiness, the sequel in the Such is Life series. I'm about to have my first round of beta readers look it over and I'm hoping to have it out by Valentines day. I was hoping for Christmas, but I'm sorry fans that's just not going to happen without a miracle.

Also in the works I'm hoping to do a blog tour in August so if any of you want to be a stop or know anyone who would be interested in being a stop let me know. I've been away from twitter for what it seems like forever and my social media is slightly rusty. I plan on doing giveaways, sneak peaks of Such is Love and Happiness, free e-book and paperbacks. I'm pretty much giving everything away except the kitchen sink. (I'm sorry I need my kitchen sink). Hopefully by my tour I'll have my short novella, Sweet Red Rose, ready for ya'll to check out.

Hmmm....Let's see what else...I think for right now that is it. I'm going to be doing a review of a good and talented friend of mines book next week and hopefully an author interview. V.L. Locey the author of, "Of Gods and Goats" a contemporary comedy with action, love, and well, let's just say "good times." Trust me when I say you don't want to miss out on it.


Thank you guys for still sticking by me! If you haven't gotten a chance to write a review for Such is Life stop by Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and Goodreads. I could definitely use more reviews. Reviews help out more than you'll ever know. I know ya'll read it so let's review it ;)

Happy Friday the 13th Bloaders!!!!

Hope by Victoria Ferrante

Review 

(I apologize in advance for the long review. Happy reading)

When I was first emailed to review this novel I was thinking about turning it down. Reading the description of Hope I found it to be interesting, but I don’t like reading sad books. I prefer to watch a sad movie and read a happy book.

The story of Hope is about a mother's struggle dealing with her little girl, Hope, who is autistic. Juggling between having to deal with a husband who doesn't help out unless it with money and trying to remember that she also has another son, the story of Hope leaves you praying for the families who have children with mental disorders. 

The story read to me like a diary. I felt like I was reading a mother's struggle through life with her children and husband. I'm not sure if that's how the story was supposed to read, but I felt like that's what I was reading. In my opinion it read better as a diary than as a book to me. (Though it was not a diary). Reading through the novel I couldn't help but to keep referring to the movie My Sister's Keeper. I'm not sure if you guys have ever read it or seen the movie, but it's about a girl who has cancer and her sister who was born to be a pin cushion and body supplier (bone marrow, blood, etc.) to her sister. Even though dealing with a child who has cancer and dealing with a child with autism don’t correlate with one another, it's what kept ringing in my head as I read it. I didn't want to watch My Sister's Keeper because no matter how much I watched and hoped there to be a happy ending I knew there wasn't going to be. In Hope I had the same feeling. The feeling that no matter how much I wanted to believe that it was going to have its happily ever after, in the back of my mind I knew it was just wishful thinking. 

What I liked about the novel is the way the author Victoria Ferrante describe the way that Hope would have a meltdown. It was like you were there watching a her have the meltdown and hearing it piercing your ears. I also enjoyed how the story flowed. One day didn't drag on for a chapter. It was a quick and easy move throughout the story that kept me reading trying to figure out if I was going to be happy with the way the story ended.

What I didn't per se like about the story is somewhat complicated to voice. Bear with me as I try and explain this as clearly as possible without sounding like an idiot :) The main character in the novel frustrated me(Christina) I was having a hard time in some cases feeling sympathy for her character being a character. Does that make sense? Let me explain. If it was a true story I would have without a doubt understood where the character was coming from and why she was the way she was. From a work of fiction there was never a happy moment. I refer back to My Sister's Keeper and even though it was a heart wrenching story there were parts where I felt happy that the character was happy. In Hope I never felt like the character had a moment to breathe. There never seemed to be a happy moment.

It's so hard for me to write this and try to explain. Maybe this is a way to clear what I mean up. Even in the saddest of books that I've read there was always a moment that I was elated with the characters. I didn't feel it in this novel. I felt nothing but sorrow for the mother, but that could have been what the author was going for. To give a true vision to the folks of what it's like to deal with an autistic child. 

(novel point of view) I hated reading about the father and how his character didn't seem to really care about how hard Christina worked and tough the situation was for her. (From real life point of view) I understood what would made him frustrated. The same things that made him frustrated were the same things that made me frustrated throughout the story. I was truly surprised he lasted as long as he did. I also have to add though that his weakness seemed to make her stronger. I liked that.

Now for the controversial ending which I will warn you that this might be somewhat of a spoiler. It reminded me of Gone Baby Gone movie. (If you haven't seen it drop everything and run out and rent it :p Just a suggestion!) You ask yourself the question, "What would you do?" How could one judge the ending without being in the situations? I could see people saying that was a terrible ending how could someone do that? Then I could see people saying that they weren't surprised with the amount of stress that Christina felt dealing with her daughter after years of trying to find a cure or at least a solution to deal with the meltdowns and the constant feeling that no matter what you did it wasn’t right. You might ask well what did I think? I thought it was a sad ending to a realistic story. I could without a doubt see it happening. I also believe I've heard of situations like it before. Though reading about it and seeing it on the nightly news is two totally different situations. In the book it's fiction on the news you feel the sadness from it being real and you judge no matter what the person has to say. Reading the book though I didn't feel the same way, I felt as if I understood. I don't feel the same way when I watch the news, but this book has made me see things differently.

I hope this all make sense. I haven't ever written a review where it was a realistic story. Therefore I might be all over the place with my opinion. I recommend picking up a copy of this novel if it's the type of drama that you enjoy reading. 

 

The Forever Girl: Sophia's Journey

Review

Click cover for goodreads description


When I first started reading The Forever Girl and when I read the description it wasn't a book that I thought I was going to be into. I'm really not into the whole vampire thing, yes I did read Twilight, but other than that I'm not into vampires, werewolves, leprechauns, unicorns, all mythical creatures. I'm not into the it, but yet again this was another fantasy book that has changed my mind about the genre.

(I always forget to add a little tidbit about the story so I'm adding this in after I wrote the rest of this) The novel is about Sophia Parson, an outcast Wiccan, who gets thrown into a world that she doesn't understand or truly believes exist. After dealing with the knowledge that their are vampires, shifters, and other out of the ordinary beings she needs to figure out who she is and what she's truly capable of. With the help of Charles Liette she learns more about her family tree and gets the answers she looking for, while all along forming a bond with the mysteries Charlie along the way.

There isn't many times that I've said that I loved the female lead, but the main character Sophia Parson kept me interested throughout the whole book. There was never a time when I thought, holy crap I can't take her anymore or was annoyed. Even in some of my favorite books I get frustrated with the characters, but I didn't with her. I found her to be very likeable, smart, and strong. I would also like to add that it was also the first time I liked the female character better than the male. (I'm a sucker for a hot male lead) Speaking of the hot male lead Charles Liette I wanted to shake him and tell him to make up his mind about his feelings. Though those are the best part about books. The sexual tension and attraction between two characters I believe is what keeps you reading. This book does not lack that at all. I found myself smiling a few times as I read about the two of them.

From start to finish the book will keep you guessing the storyline. I would have never been able to guess what the hay was going to happen. The concept of the forever girl and the background of how one becomes a forever girl is not only creative, but the way she created the back story was amazing. Without giving anything away my favorite part of the book was the back story about her best friend Ivory. The whole concept that Rebecca Hamilton wrote going back to the Salem witch trials made me sad but happy that someone could love someone so much. I absolutely loved it!

I would have to say that the only thing that threw me off a little was the cover. The character that I pictured and the character on the front cover in my head didn't match up. From the cover I thought it was a YA book and that also threw me off once I began to read, but I was happy that I was wrong. To make clear I like the cover, but I guess I'm a fan of not seeing a picture of the character so I can use my imagination instead.

I highly recommend The Forever Girl even if it's not something you're normally into. It has everything you need for a good story: action, romance, mystery, magic, and sass. I love sass! Definitely looking forward for the next book in the series.

Author interview

FreeEbook
Hey to all my followers! If you haven't gotten a chance to stop by http://noveldtales.blogspot.com/ My author interview is today the first five to stop by and leave a comment will receive a  free ebook copy of my novel Such is Life!  There is an excerpt on the site but here's a little extra my book trailer! There are still three spots left for a free book so make sure you stop by!

The Hidden World Blog Tour with author S.M. Boyce

Hey guys! Thanks for stopping by for the Hidden World Blog Tour. It's my pleasure to have S.M. Boyce with me today. I've gotten to know Boyce over the last few months and I've learned there is no end to her many talents. I'm glad to have her with us today! Now on to the interview :)

Where did you come up with the concept and the names for your characters?
The concept for the Grimoire Trilogy is a snowball. By that, I mean that I first had the idea almost a decade ago. I didn’t really think much of it at first. I’d have a daydream here or there about a character, but it wasn’t until I was 16 and started taking writing seriously that the idea for the trilogy came about. After that, I’d get an idea there or be inspired by something here, and over time, Lichgates came about. It’s been a 7-year journey, and an amazing one at that. I’ve never put this much effort into any one thing besides learning the writing craft itself.
The characters are half mine and half my writing peers’. Kara had about 7 names before I settled down with one, including Fiona and Kait. It’s been a long road! Ha. My friends J. N. Chaney and Aly Sanger were some of my greatest aids in coming up with names. Point is, don’t be afraid to ask for help!

When is the second book in the series going to be released?
Treason is coming out as early as Summer 2012. My goal is to have the entire series published this year. I’m still not sure if that’s possible, though, so at the latest, you’ll see Treason in Fall 2012 and Origins (Book 3) in Fall 2013. That’s the latest, though. You should see them both sooner.
On top of the trilogy, I will also be releasing an encyclopedia of the world, a collection of short stories and deleted chapters from the series, and even a few novellas from the perspectives of minor characters. At latest, everything in the Grimoire Trilogy should be available by the end of 2013. Exciting times!
If you’re impatient (like me) and want some of these extras now, you can check out the official book website by clicking here.

EBook versus print which do you prefer?
Ah, the great debate! My eReader rocks, because I can have hundreds of books at any moment, anywhere – as long as I charge it. Print books don’t ever run out of battery, but they’re a beast to store and transport. So, I have a compromise: I buy almost all of my books as eBooks, and then buy my favorites in print. 

Who is your favorite author and book?
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. I know it’s a children’s book (I’m a seven-year-old at heart) but it’s just a good story. It’s timeless, magical, and fun!

What are your plans for your books?
After the Grimoire series is finished, I’m going to dive into zombies and ghosts. It’s going to be freaking amazing.

Are you self-published?
I am! It was a hard decision to make, and I spent weeks researching and debating my options. I’m pretty sure I drove my husband a little crazy with it, since he’s my go-to for venting and advice on tough decisions. However, I couldn’t be happier with my choice. If you want to read more on why I went indie without querying agents, you can check out my blog post here. I have nothing against traditional publishers, of course. I just feel that this is the best way for new writers to break into the market.

If you could be any fictional character in your book or in any other book who would you be and why?
Whew, lots of options!
Well, from my book? Probably Kara. We share a lot of the same humor (I’m a sarcastic twit, too), so it wouldn’t require much adjustment.
From any other book…Arwen Evenstar. Elvish princess, a destined king’s lover, and gorgeous? Yes, please. She’s fiercely loyal, can ride a horse like a pro, and she’s immortal. What’s not to love?

What/Who is your inspiration for writing?
My husband is one of my many inspirations. He’s a computer programmer, and yet helps me tweak the plots I design. His mind is incredible, and I know that I am one lucky lady to have him.
…I know. We’re gooey.

When did you realize that you wanted to be a writer? and was it always fantasy or do you write in other genres?
I’ve written everything from fantasy to literary fiction. I’m game for anything, really, because I’m a daydreamer. I love to come up with stories and conflicts, no matter what genre. I’m biased towards fantasy, urban fantasy, and paranormal fiction, though, because I’m a magic-nut and love to see the impossible.
When I was five, I wrote my first story…it was about a lonely pickle. It was pretty bad. I’ve improved since, though, and writing has just always been a part of my life. I’m just so lucky that my parents supported me, even when I had to break the news that I wouldn’t be a lawyer. Ha!



Thanks for the interview today and letting me apart of your blog tour. This was my first time so I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I have. I'm going to have a button made up that says, "I survived my first blog tour!" I'm just kidding, although that would be pretty sweet! Before I bid you all farewell, I would also like to mention that Boyce also has an editorial service. She's my editor and saved me from pure embarrassment of spelling simple words wrong and putting commas everywhere! If you need an editor you should without a doubt check out her services. I am definitely using her for the rest of my series and editing my blog tour post. JK ;)  http://edit.smboyce.com/ 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cupcake MADNESS

It's been awhile since I've had time to blog about cupcakes but here goes. I made peanut butter cupcakes awhile ago and I wasn't happy with them. I got the recipe off food network where I get most of my recipes. As I was making the peanut butter recipe from the website I found that at first taste the peanut butter was good but as thirty seconds after it had the worst after taste. JUST HORRIBLE! So I gave up and worked on perfecting my vanilla icing (which I have) The other day I was staring at my Reese peanut butter chips that I bought for reason that I don't remember but not the point, I decided that I would try and make them the same way I make my chocolate frosting. Turned out to be the best way to do it! Using peanut butter is some peoples preference but I can't stand it, everyone else enjoyed them, but I said no way Jose. So what I do is take two separate recipes and mix them together. At first I thought it would be too sweet, but if you cut the ingredient in half it turns out to be perfect. Probably not the healthiest but I'm not making Tofu here! :)

Okay so here is the recipe I used: (secret ingredient left out and no it's not love...although love is added)
Use whatever vanilla icing recipe the you prefer, but cut the ingredient in half except the salt.
-3c confectionery sugar
-1/4c crisco or non salted butter
-2tsb salt
-1/4c milk
-2tsb vanilla
-I always sift in the confectionery sugar because sometimes you don't need a full three cups. Also add the milk then sugar then milk than sugar. You might not even need 1/4 cups of milk.
-I also freeze my bowl before I use it and then put whatever icing I make in the fridge for five minutes

For the peanut butter icing
-1/2 bag of Reese's chips
-1/4 cream cheese
-2 oz (secret ingredient)
Endless cups of love (See I told you it was in there)
-add more peanut butter chips for more of a stronger peanut butter taste

I recommend using a double boiler for the chocolate chips and the cream cheese when you melt it down. I put a picture below of how I make my own double boiler since I don't have one.

Who want em?

These are the first peanut butter cupcakes
I made. See how far I've come?
(actual peanut butter)

Had to slap my dad's hand away he kept taking them and adding chocolate frosting I had left over from a cake I baked.

My double boiler :)

Happy baking!!!

Had to use a zip lock bag to do the icing because I didn't have piping bags



YUMMY!




Next cupcake I'm trying are going to Orange flavored. We'll see how they turn out ;) Till next time! Happy baking!



My ebook is finally here!!!

After months of trying to figure out the best way to publish my book my ebook is now available! It's a day late due to techincial difficulties, but IT'S HERE!!

I've been working on this for the past two years and I am hope y'all will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!  So cheesy right? Everyone always says that, but it's so true! I had a great time writing about Melissa, Brett, Shawn, and the rest of the gang and I can't wait to get started in the editing process of the second book in the series (no title yet). I am looking for Beta readers though! Let me know if your interested.

It's very true that once you start writing your characters, they become a part of you. A big part of you! Surprisingly, enough I also found out things about myself that I didn't notice until reading through the book. Apparently, I'm not very girly when it comes to relationships. My first editor told me I think like a man. That was something I found to be rather interesting to learn. I also found out the type of man I go for. (Brett *wink wink*) Ladies you'll him. Advisory warning, he is not real and if he would be taken...by me!

And although I've already thanked them. I would once again like to thank my editors: Cara, Glenna, and Sarah. I would also like to thank everyone in my writer's group! Sitting through unedited versions of my work must have been rough. From My Shelf for answering the million questions I had. Vicki and Michele for putting up with my constant fear about EVERYTHING and to the rest of my friends and family that have supported me throughout the entire process! If I missed anyone specifically I apologize, I'm going on a week of barely any sleep!

Again, thank you guys for all your support and If you would like to purchase a copy of my first book, Such is Life, click on Such is Life tab for directions. Don't forget to click on Follow this blog for updates on the upcoming release of the print edition of Such is Life, Contest and Giveaways, book signings, and much more. It'll take ya two minutes just to click Follow this blog and sign up :)