Review: She Dies at the End, by A.M. Manay

She Dies at the End by A.M. Manay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have to preface my review with this: I don't usually choose read vampire stories. I was reluctant to read this one, but agreed based on a friend's recommendation. Now for my review.

On page one, I thought, "Wow. This is slick writing." Very tight. No extra words. No unnecessary adverbs or weasel words. Just good, clean writing. By the end of the first chapter, I was in love with November, the main character. By the middle of the second chapter, I couldn't put the book down. I finished the book two days ago, and I still think of the characters as if they will show up in front of me, just to give me an update. To me, that is the mark of an excellent book. I crave book two.

This book gave me a rare "aha" moment. I thought I didn't care for fantasy/sci fi. As I read this book, I thought of the way I connected with Stephen King's Salem's Lot, and I finally understood. I LOVE a good fantasy novel, as long as it is well written. This one is superb.

The characters in this novel are magnetic. From the first pages, I felt as though they were people I knew and wanted to spend time with. To me, characters make the book. I LOVED these characters. I miss them already. I need that sequel. A.M. Manay is talented, and I can't wait to read another of her works.




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Blogging Because I'm Stuck

In two days I am going to a writing workshop at the local public library with my daughter. We started writing together in June, but after two chapters, we got busy. She's been with her grandmother a lot of the time, and I had two erotic stories with deadlines to work on. The problem is that I'd like to have a few more chapters ready before we attend the workshop. I can't fall back on the erotica I've written because my daughter is twelve.

So, you may ask. Why are you writing this instead of your story, Lee? Excellent question. I'm stuck. In the weeks since we've worked on it last, the story has lost its spark. I can't get back into the groove. I've tried reading. I've tried jigsaw puzzles. All my usual tricks for jump starting my brain. Still nothing.

It doesn't help that I didn't write down what I think was an important piece of the plot, so I'm not even sure where I was going with that. (I don't know how I managed that. I write EVERYTHING down. When I make a phone call, I write my own name down, just in case.) Sigh...

Here's my plan. I'm going to put myself into the head of a ten-year-old girl and take a shower. All the best ideas happen in the shower.

Thanks for listening.

Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pnash/4211817208/in/photolist-4ReSvr-4Re79g-67gdEV-6VXYiE-v6ND11-6WRGEZ-qDQCV7-4G7FuP-5sWJC7-8YoJy2-dZTJa3-7qbEw5-4ReZ3K-bqVhh1-3K1ZTW-4oELpx-e95YRw-5WfpFB-bpkGgT-8821t5-4dRPkG-ocV4Qy-bxyRPP-5sSjbi-e7rWPL-5wiyC7-dpvaDx-c5ATFE-33qrxh-jE32uJ-bkc5DC-dKA7M3-4SbUyk-33kVBk-33kVnV-33kTMp-bUMrLY-7ywQ5T-5SrSR1-77JQwn-87XW22-VT4bn-5XB1yC-33kTTM-33qryy-8Goah4-6rt8Sg-fPhDAk-6WTEz5-7y4Qma

Review: Walk on the Wild Side by Suzie Jay

Walk on the Wild Side: The Reinvention of Violet Monte by Suzie Jay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Walk on the Wild Side is a quirky, fun read.

Violet devoted her life to loving one man, and he betrayed her. In her search for her life's purpose, she takes a trip, tries her hand at being a detective, starts a business, meets an interesting friend, finds a fabulous apartment, and meets a new man.

Suzie Jay tells the story from Violet's point of view, allowing the reader to connect with her quirky personality and her sometimes crazy plans. This book was a pleasure to read.

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Review: Donut Slut by Bryce Calderwood

Donut Slut!: Ariana's Cream-Filled Magical Sex Adventure by Bryce Calderwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Before you read this book, be sure to watch the video of Ariana Grande licking the doughnuts in the bakery. This ridiculous behavior was screaming out for somebody to write a silly story, and Bryce Calderwood did.

The story is funny and whimsical, especially in light of Ms. Grande's stunt. If it weren't based on this touch of reality, I would not have thought the story so clever. Calderwood gripped the real-world drama by the sprinkles, and crafted something funny and delicious.

The story features Ariana Venti, who tempts fate by ringing a bell in a bakery in spite of written instructions not to. The result is a hilarious limo ride with talking, fucking doughnuts. Calderwood walks the fine line between parody and the ridiculous, and does it with finesse. With the exception of pastry fetishists, readers will not find the story particularly arousing, but it is certainly entertaining.

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Review: Patti Kake- Something Different

Something New by Patti Kake
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very hot. I love college roommate stories, especially lesbian stories. In this story, Janie wants a guy who is out of her league. Delilah convinces Janie that she can give her the experience she needs to get the guy.

Except they both get hung up on each other and the pleasure to be found between two women. This college roommate story is particularly steamy with tons of hot, lesbian sex. I love that.

What keeps me from awarding the extra star is 1) Mechanics. There are some wonky comma issues- Run on sentences, commas where they don't belong, commas needed where they don't exist. 2) Repetition. Sometimes there's a little too much. 3) Names vs. descriptions. It would make for a smoother read if you say things like "the blond did such and such" or "the skinny girl did..." It would keep you from repeating their names over and over. It's tough when the characters are the same gender. It's easy to confuse pronouns. Giving some descriptive phrases helps.

I enjoyed this a lot. I look forward to watching your writing grow. (You'll be surprised how quickly that happens!) Excellent work, Patti Kake!

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Review: Gathering Clouds by Sandra S. Kerns

Gathering Clouds by Sandra S. Kerns
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Compelling story and slick writing.

A sweet romance with layers of suspenseful action. Even without the heat between Gabrielle and Theo, the action would have kept me reading to the end. I know a guy just like Theo. You nailed his self-doubt and his clouded view of his own worth. An excellent read. I'll be checking out other novels by Sandra Kerns.

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People Believe What You Tell Them to Believe

Don't use the word "aspiring" when you're describing yourself on Twitter or anywhere else.

Author Dakota Skye (Dakota Skye ‏@DakotaSkye69) posted this on Twitter this morning: Be careful who you share your weakness with. Some people can’t wait for the opportunity to use it against you.

This reminded me of something that I learned in my 30s. People believe what you tell them to believe about you. I'm usually a pretty humble person. I am the first one to see (and point out!) my flaws. This tendency has plagued me throughout my life, going back as far as I remember.

My stomach churns as I write this, but I'll give you the most blatant example. Twenty-plus years later, I'm still ashamed that these words left my mouth. *deep breath* 

When I was a senior in college, I filled out the paperwork to student teach at a local high school. I double-majored in French and Spanish, which I believed was an excellent choice because it doubled the job opportunities for me. I didn't anticipate the effect it would have on how much of each language I would learn in school. The student teaching application asked that dreaded question.  

What is your greatest weakness?

I answered honestly. Anybody with any life experience would have coached me to say something different, but I didn't even think to ask. Stupid, naive, twenty-year-old me wrote, "My greatest weakness is knowing less of each language than I could because I split my studies between the two." (Keep in mind, I learned from coursework. I didn't have the money to travel, and honestly, I didn't have the confidence. That's a whole nother blog post though.)

The result of this foolish statement was rejection from the school I was assigned to, two days before winter break, leaving me to scramble to find another placement. (The upside is that not only did I find another placement, I filled in for a teacher that needed immediate leave, and I got paid a first year teacher's salary for student teaching. Everything happens for a reason, right?) Had I said nothing, and named my weakness as something less damning, no one would have suspected that I was insecure, and I wouldn't have faced that rejection.

I didn't learn from this experience right away though. The year my first child was born, a new principal came to our school. His regime was brutal, with "letters in teachers' files" coming without warning. We called him Hitler, for many reasons, but mostly for the fear he instilled in experienced professionals. 

After my baby was born, I suffered brutal postpartum depression which exacerbated the undiagnosed anxiety disorder I'd lived with all my life. When Hitler got in my face, he reduced me to nothing. Since I was out for two months on maternity leave and had a schedule change when I got back (to remedy a staffing situation with another member of my department), I was not doing the best work of my career. I said things like, "I don't think I'm cut out to be a teacher. I just don't know what else to do. I don't know how to fix this." It wasn't true, but Hitler believed me.

His regime was short-lived. He's a gypsy. He doesn't stay in one place for long. He can't, and here's why. Hitler can rock a job interview. He can sell a school board promises of academic success that he cannot deliver. He gets hired because he tells people what he wants them to believe, and they believe it.

I finally sought treatment for anxiety and depression under his regime. For that, I am grateful to him. He pushed me off the deep end, and I came out okay on the other side. He taught me something important though. He taught to keep my mouth shut most of the time, and when I speak, to say only what will make people believe about me what I want them to believe. 

Do I lie? Nope. I tell the truth, but I don't advertise my flaws. 

We've had a couple different principals since Hitler left. They don't know that I ever struggled with my confidence. Our current principal thinks I've got all my shit together (I do, by the way). He asks if I'll meet a deadline, I smile and say, "Of course." The old me would have made the deadline, but would have expressed the doubt that always nags at me. He asks if I need help, I say, "I got this," and then work with my colleagues to make it happen.

I hear this man talking about other teachers. His opinion about some very good teachers is not high. I know that it's because they tell him to believe that they are not good through their words and actions. He asks, "How are you?" They say, "I was up all night grading papers, and I spilled coffee on my shirt." I say, "Fine, thanks. How are you?" I was up all night grading papers too. My coffee stain is hiding under my sweater. I couldn't find my keys, and I had to turn around halfway to school because I forgot my glasses, but he doesn't know that. He thinks I'm fine because that's what I told him to think.

My Tagxedo illustration at the top is taken from the "About" page on my website. The humble, not-so-self-assured woman inside me is screaming about the size of the word "awards." It kills me to put that out there, front and center. I can't stand bragging. I usually hide my accomplishments, reveling only on the inside. 

But I want people to read my books. What good is writing if no one reads? Therefore, I have to make people believe that I have won awards (I have. It's not a lie.) in order to convince them that they should choose MY BOOKS when they're searching for something to read.

If your Twitter description says "aspiring author," or anything like it, change it. If you want people to read your books, tell them that you are an author. Don't go overboard. If you've never finished writing anything, don't add "award-winning," but you're selling yourself short by telling people that you're "aspiring" to be a writer. If you write, you're a writer. Tell people that, and they'll believe it.

Pretty soon, you'll believe it too. 

 P.S. The bat shape is there to inspire me to finish my story for our Halloween anthology. I swear. I'm going to WRITE today!