Book Review - Juggernaut

Happy Tuesday! I'm back with another book review for you all. Grab your coffee or tea, get warm, and let's get going!

First, a little about the book up for review today:

Title: Juggernaut
Author: K.S. Adkins
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance (18 and up)
Length: 371 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle  ~  Paperback

Blurb:

jug·ger·naut
ˈjəɡərˌnôt/
noun;
1. A literal or metaphorical force regarded as mercilessly destructive and unstoppable
2. Any terrible force, especially one that destroys or that demands complete self-sacrifice

In other words, me.
I truly was a dancing, singing, man-plowing, alcohol-guzzling, human wrecking ball of fun.
With a reputation for chaos so legendary, I made a career out of it.
Men came (pun intended), men went, but as long as I had my girls and Sunday brunches, I was solid.
I didn’t need a man to complete me. Hell no, I was in total control of my destiny.

But see, that’s where I went wrong.
I challenged the universe.
It accepted by sending a man who knew my weaknesses.
All it took was lemon drops, one kiss and a wish.
By granting it, I doomed us both.
No mortal man could handle my kind of destruction forever.
Even if he begged for it.
I was called Juggernaut for a reason.
In my case, be careful what you wish for was very, very, literal.

He really should have listened…

~~~~~~~~~

On to the good stuff!

I picked this paperback up at Great Lakes Book Bash in October of 2017. Why did I grab it? Well, I heard it was based on a true story. I love books based on true stories. I dove in right after I finished Weeds of Detroit, and I gobbled this book up just as quickly. Anyone who calls their circle of friends "The Sh*t" is someone I want to see into the mind of. It's awesome how books give you that ability. Anyway, let's get to the review!

From a Reader's Perspective:
Oh, where to start? Maybe that I identified with one of the characters right off the bat? Our MC is named Taylor (aka The Juggernaut), and she's a firecracker. Outspoken, brash, and tougher than a box of finishing nails, this lady's antics will leave you with your jaw hanging. But that wasn't the best thing about her. No. She's also fiercely loyal. That was the trait that had me rooting for her through the whole book. Loyalty is everything to me, and Taylor has it in spades. I wanted her to get the guy, and I needed her to have a happily ever after. That's the tantamount of a great read, in my opinion, and "Juggernaut" knocked it out of the park.
As far as flow, the book did a great job of going from A to Z without meandering along the way. There were a few stories on the side in there, but I felt they were necessary to show Taylor's personality, the friend group dynamic, and how much she'd be willing to sacrifice for someone else.
There's not a lot of flowery stuff in this book. It gets right to the point (which I love), and world-building was done in a direct way. I could see the scenes in my head, but I didn't get bogged down in details.
Pacing was right on the mark. It starts a little slow, with just enough to hook you, and then it takes you on a wild ride to the end. There was never a time I wanted it to speed up or slow down.

From an Editor's Perspective:
There were several typos and grammatical errors, but the story was so dang good, I was able to ignore them after a while. If you're a stickler for this kind of thing, you'll need to turn that off. I can only give half a star for editing.

Rating:
1 Star for giving me characters that made me laugh, get angry, and fist punch the air
1 Star for flow
1 Star for world building
1 Star for pacing
.5 Stars for editing
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars, but I round up, so this goes to five. Highly recommended if you love a great best friend read with a romance that'll make you sigh.

What do you think? Have you read it? Plan to?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Gifted

Happy Friday, everyone! Let me tell you what. Oh, yeah. This has been a very busy week for me. Four book reviews and several IBGW projects happening. Do I need to tell you I'm a wee bit tired? So, please forgive me if this post has errors. hahaha! Ready for the details on this awesome book by Liz C. Long? Grab a cup of Joe and let's get going.

Information about the book:

Title: Gifted (Donovan Circus #1)
Author: Liz C. Long
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Suspense
Length (print): 398 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Paperback $12.30

Blurb:
Even in a world of freaks, being a Firestarter is considered a dangerous Gift. Lucy was born with the ability to create and control fire. She longs to leave the human world for one filled with Earthshakers, Transporters, and Chameleons, to name a few. When she rejoins the circus, it’s everything she hoped it could be—new friends, a potential love interest or two, and a place where she can be herself. When troupe members begin turning up dead, however, Lucy is suspected of foul play. She must not only prove her innocence but also realize the full extent of her power. To find the real murderer, she must uncover the truth behind her father’s fiery legacy while figuring out whom to trust within her new circle. Little does she know the history of the Donovan Circus and its enemies might actually destroy the entire gifted world.

~~~

I grabbed a paperback copy of Gifted on Amazon after watching copies fly off a table at a book signing conference. There was this innate need inside me to find out what secrets were hidden on the pages. Full disclosure: I'm a total geek over X-Men. Total. Geek. I used to play the video game at the arcade (Storm was my favorite character to play as), I own all the movies, and I love supernatural ability stories--I'm also a huge Heroes fan. Why did I bother telling you all that? Because if you love those kinds of things, you're going to adore this book. Now, let's move on to the review so I can regale you with all the awesome.

From a Reader's Perspective:
I both loved and hated the main character, Lucy. She was spunky, smart, a bit weak at first, and someone I'd love to hang out with in real life. A couple of her tendencies irritated me at the beginning of the book, but once I realized where her actions were stemming from, they were a little more acceptable. Best of all, despite her being gifted, I could identify with her on a human level. Huge points to the author for that.

Pacing was awesome, and I was able to finish this read in two sittings. Yeah, I was left wanting more, but not because there was a cliffhanger. It all stemmed from the awesome on the pages. Totally geeked out.

Long's descriptions are rich and vivid, but they don't go on and on about each detail. She allows you to paint the scene in your mind by giving you nuggets to build on. My favorite kind of writing is when I don't have to skip pages to avoid getting bogged down. Needless to say, world-building was amazing.

But let's talk about the plot! Up until the villain revealed themselves, I had no clue who it was. What fun I had trying to figure it out, though.

My favorite character was certainly Lucy, but I also loved Brooklyn (she's so passive-aggressive awesome), Delia, and Bianca. I won't ruin the awesome by sharing what they can all do, but it's super cool. Their dialogue felt so natural, too.

Oh, and the action! Yes, there's plenty of that. You get to see all the abilities at work constantly. I loved it.

From an Editor's Perspective:
There were no plot holes, and the flow and pacing were amazing, but the commas were kind of everywhere they shouldn't be and not where they should. So, I'll give half a star for editing.

Rating:
1 Star for creating a complex main character with layers I had to peel back
1 Star for description and world-building
1 Star for keeping the answer to the mystery elusive
1 Star for all the action
.5 Star for editing
-.5 Star for fairy-like commas that flitted hither and yon

Overall, 4.5 out of 5 stars. Everyone who's ever read one of my reviews knows I round up, not down, so this book gets a five click. Recommended for those who love books about paranormal abilities.

What do you think? Will you read it?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Frenzy

Happy Monday, everyone! As you all know, this week will be filled with book reviews. On my list this week (in the order they shall be seen):

Frenzy (Frenzy series volume I) - Because I beta-read (and re-read after release)
The Bedwife Chronicles (the complete triology) - From my 12 Days RR Event
Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles book 2) - Because I'm reading the series
Have You Seen This Girl? (Flocksdale Files Volume I) - It was an accident
Untamed (Splintered companion novella) - Because I read the series

This title will be added to the Time 4 Books 2016 Review Team pool. Check out those reviews here!

As you can see, today is all about Frenzy. This book just released last week, but I had the very amazing pleasure of being one of the beta-readers. Anywho, grab your cup of Jo and let's get going!


As always, we'll start with a little about the book:

Title: Frenzy (The Frenzy Series Volume I)
Author: Casey L. Bond
Genre: Dystopian
Length (print): 174 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $0.99  ~  Paperback $9.99

Blurb:
After the world was ravaged by a viral apocalypse, Blackwater is one of the only colonies that remains. The survivors came together to create this safe haven. Nestled between a fierce river and a city’s flood wall, the well-being of its residents hangs on a long-established treaty with the night-walkers. Sounds simple enough, but lately, the people of Blackwater have been dying, and the humans believe the night-walkers are to blame.

Porschia Grant starves for more than her parents’ affection. Forced to enter the rotation, she will be given extra food rations in exchange for becoming a vampire’s breakfast and dinner for a week. The rotation has an extra responsibility as well: leave the colony and enter the dangerous forest to hunt for food. A night-walker will protect the hunters from the infected that roam the woods. But with the treaty hanging in the balance and tension between the humans and vampires rising, anything could happen in the darkness.

What would you do if your only chance at survival might kill you?

Now, on to my review!

I'm a long-time fan of Casey L. Bond, and when I heard she had a zombie/vampire mashup novel, I was intrigued as hell. I knew that if anyone could pull off something of this magnitude, it would be Casey. Not only did I get to beta-read this book, I also bought it when it hit the shelves so I could read it after it was edited. Enough of my gabbing. Let's get to the good stuff.

From a Reader's Perspective:
I liked the sassy main character, Porschia. She made me feel like there was hope when I was pretty sure none existed. There she sits with no technology, a broken world, and people surrounding her she can't trust. Yet, she's driven, sees the silver lining around the storm cloud, and loves unconditionally. I'd like to know her in real life. World building was amazing. I could picture the small village with its simple inhabitants who've been forced back to the ways of the pilgrims. There was never a dull moment, and I often found myself gripping the edge of my seat, waiting to see what would happen next. Pacing was perfect. This is a shorter story that you should be able to read in one sitting. Did I see the end coming? No. No I didn't. I was left with my jaw on the floor. I can't wait to read Frantic.

From an Editor's Perspective:
There are several tense jumps, comma splices, and run-on sentences, but nothing that threw me out of the story, and they were scattered out enough that I could ignore them. Most readers probably wouldn't even notice. Story line is consistent throughout.

Rating:
1 Star for giving me a truly unique story.
1 Star for keeping me guessing.
1 Star for awesome world building.
1 Star for pacing and that amazing ending.
.5 Star for consistency.
-.5 Star for tense jumps and grammar issues.
Overall, 4.5 out of 5 stars. I always round up, not down, so this book gets a 5. Recommended for those looking for a new twist on a couple of old genres.

What do you think? Will you pick it up?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Honey Queen

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I bring you another book review. This one wasn't on my TBR for the year, but I won a paperback at Utopia and took it on a trip with me. I devoured it. This title will go into the 2015 Time for Books Review Team pool. As of today, there are 373 book reviews posted there. You must check them out. Amazing authors on that list! Anyway, enough of my gabbing! Here's the book up for review today:

Title: Honey Queen
Author: Christina Mercer
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Mythological Romance
Length (print): 284 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Paperback $11.99

Blurb:
A Regional SCBWI "Best in Show"

Love is honey sweet, but it comes with a fatal sting . . .
Melaina Maris needs wings to fly the gap between loving Sam and her family's ancient curse that forces carnal love and then kills the male lovers. She won't let the same fate that killed her father befall another. She refuses to allow her goddess-created bloodline to continue. But there's no easy way out, specially after the curse turns her into the Honey Queen--savior to honey bees--intensifying her charms.

To help her fulfill the curse's demands in the least harmful way, her grandmother takes her to mate with terminally ill Boyd. But Boyd's gay. And an expert in mythology. Instead of having sex, Melaina learns how she might summon the goddess who created the first ancestor bee-charmer and cursed her bloodline. Melaina's magic--tears to save honey bees from endangerment--could be enough to persuade the goddess to end the curse. But an unexpected discovery soon changes that hope, spinning Melaina into a swarm of love, friendship and death.

***Will not appear in review elsewhere. Let me tell you, the cover and interior of this book blow me away! What a wonderful job by the designer. Love the branding with the bees. So amazing! I'd like to see the author's name a bit more prominently, but that's just a nitpick of mine :)***

Let's get to the review!

I won a copy of this book in a drawing at Utopia, a conference for women writers. I can't begin to tell you how excited I was, because I'd had my eye on this novel for a long time, but hadn't had an opportunity to add it to my TBR. Well, having a paperback turned out to be the thing that got me reading it (on an airplane, no less). I dove in and devoured this book in a little over twenty four hours. Now that you know how I came about a copy, let's get to my thoughts on what's inside.

From a Reader's Perspective:
What an interesting premise for a novel! I have to say, I've never read anything quite like it. Mythology, sure, but honey bees? I fell in love with the main character right away. Watching her struggle through the curse made me smile because she's funny when she's frustrated. Melaina's grandmother was awesome. I adored the interactions with her and the guys chasing her granddaughter. Quite a spry old lady. Tears of the Honey Queen being the savior of the bees was a great twisty idea.

Romance in this novel was a slow burn that had been building over the years. Take two characters that have known one another since childhood (and seem destined by the gods to be together), and you have a recipe for perfection. However, the romance didn't play front and center, even though it was the reason Melaina wanted to be free of the curse. It was beautifully complex.

Another thing I got into was the description of the cars. You can tell the author likes American classic muscle by the way she describes Melaina's vehicle. Roaring, even. I loved it!

Pacing was awesome, and didn't let up on the action from page one. Like I said above, I read all 200+ pages in just over twenty-four hours. There was never a time I felt like things were dragging.

One detail threw me off, and I mention it because it was questioned, clarified, then stated again several times. Melaina talks about how she's the last in the line of descendants from the goddess Aera. But the last daughter has always been the last in line--the only one left--until she procreates. There's one place where the characters mention how Iliana had two daughters, but then it's clarified when we find out one of those daughters died. So there's always been just one. Gran was the last when she was a teen, Melaina's mother, then Melaina. I just didn't quite understand why this girl was the most important "last" one.

From an Editor's Perspective:
Plot, grammar, and punctuation were all on the up and up. Nicely done!

Rating:
1 Star for making me love the main character and her Grandmother
1 Star for the fresh idea
1 Star for pacing and wonderful humor
.5 Star for the slow romance
-.5 Star for the confusion
1 Star for editing
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars! I round up, so this book gets a 5. Recommended for those who like a good dose of gods and goddesses and a fresh story idea.

What do you think? Have you read it? Plan to?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Refuge

Happy Wednesday! You all know what Wednesday means, right? Yup, you got it, a book review. This will go into the 2015 Time for Books Review Team's pool, making our count to date 323! Want to join in the fun? You still can! Grab the badge, decide on a commitment level, create a post on your book blog saying you're joining, add your name and link to the linky thing here, and get to reading! That's it. Every time you read a book and review it, come on back and put your review in the list. Easy peasy!

This title is from my TBR created during the 12 Days of Review Requests event here on the blog. As a quick reminder, here's where I am in the process:
The Release Club 1 - Misty Provencher - Review HERE
Dry Stories - Kate Baggot - Review HERE
Fragile Creatures - Kristina Circelli - Review HERE
8 Weeks - Bethany Lopez - Review HERE
Moonlight - David Rose - Review HERE
Refuge - Violet Haze - Review Below

Currently reading: From the Wreckage - Michelle G. Miller - Amazon Kindle FREE

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Shadows on Snow (A Flipped Fairy Tale) - Starla Hutchon - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge - Christine Nolfi - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Facade: A Vampire Love Story - R. M. Webb - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Siren - Jennifer Melzer - Amazon Kindle (Pre-order) $3.99 Grab a sample on Drive!
Queen of Someday - Sherry Ficklin - Amazon Kindle $5.99
At One's Beast - Rachel Barnard - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Unseen - Stephanie Erickson - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Heart Thief - S. Lee Benedict - Amazon Kindle $4.99
Kindling Flames-Gathering Tinder - Julie Wetzel - Amazon Kindle FREE
Kinetic: Book One of the Kinetic Trilogy - C. M. Zimmer - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Destiny Finds Her - Miranda Lynn - Amazon Kindle $2.99
To Get Me to You - Kait Nolan - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Lady of Souls - Jenn Gott - Amazon Kindle $4.99
Sticks and Stones - Shawn McGuire - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Good Luck With That Thing You're Doing: One Woman's Adventures in Dating, Plumbing and Other Full Contact Sports - Karen Yankosky - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Desprite Measures-The Caledonian Sprite - Deborah Jay - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Last Guardian Rises - Rebecca Trogner - Amazon Kindle $0.99 

Here's a little about the book:

Title: Refuge (Evie #1)
Author: Violet Haze
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Length (print): 112 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $2.99

Blurb:
Zee has no idea who she is, or how she ended up in the psych ward of a hospital three months ago. Living a rather blissful life of quiet time, three meals a day, and therapy involving two doctors — one of which has a sexy voice and nice hands — Zee isn’t ready to cope with her truth.

As her memory returns, Zee discovers exactly who she is and what happened, and reality catches up with her in a way she’s not sure she’ll ever be able to deal with.

Ultimately, Zee makes choices which lead her and the one person closest to her down new paths neither of them could’ve seen coming.


Ready for the review? So am I! Let's get to it:

I grabbed a sample of Refuge when the author pitched it to me during my 12 Days of Review Requests event on my blog. Mental illness? Yes, please! I'm familiar with Haze's writing from her other name, C. S. Janey, so I figured I'd enjoy it. Well, I was intrigued enough by the end of the sample to snag a copy and add it to my TBR for 2015. Okay, enough about how I came to own the book, let's get to the good stuff.

From a Reader's Perspective:
This was a quick, short read that packed a lot of punch. I enjoyed the author's storytelling. There were moments when I wondered what the heck was going on, only to have a chapter that took me back in time to show me. While short stories usually don't give you much of a feel for the main character, I felt like I got a good handle on the main character, Zee. Much of her life is completely identifiable, and her reasoning in the end was on par with what someone in her situation might do. Flow/pacing was great, and the plot was a most excellent one. Completely tore at my heartstrings. I wanted more, but the end of this novelette says there's a book two, so I'm okay and not okay with the way it left me hanging.

From an Editor's Perspective:
I found a number of misplaced commas, but they were only slightly bothersome. While I'll have to detract half a star, because it's such a short work and I expect fewer mistakes, it's nothing to worry over. There's plenty of structure variation to keep you interested.

Rating:
1 Star for plot and engagement of my emotions
1 Star for character development
1 Star for twisting and turning in a most excellent manner
.5 Stars for the ending (me being sort of okay)
-.5 Stars for the ending (me wanting more but being sad)
.5 Stars for construct and variation of sentences
-.5 Stars for comma usage
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars. Recommended if you're looking for a short read with an excellent plot and good character development.

Have you read it? Plan to?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - The Fly House

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Squee! Boy, do I have a book review for you today. I found myself guffawing over this one, and I'm excited to introduce you to this awesome Indie author. This title will go into my Indie Fever Reading Challenge list, because I've never read a book by Misty before, and am thrilled to now say I have. Anyway, before I get to it, here's my review recap (notice changes to the list):

Misty Provencher The Fly House  REVIEW BELOW
Elle Todd The Elect REVIEW HERE
Molly Taggart Off Target REVIEW HERE
Gloria Piper Finnegan's Quest REVIEW HERE
Skylar Hamilton Burris The Strange Marriage of Anne de Bourgh REVIEW HERE
Tamar Hela Feast Island REVIEW HERE
Rebecca Trogner The Last Keeper's Daughter REVIEW HERE
Scott Marlowe The Five Elements REVIEW HERE
L.K. Evans Keepers of Arden: The Brothers Volume 1 REVIEW HERE
Sarah Mäkelä The Witch Who Cried Wolf REVIEW HERE
Felicia Tatum Masked Encounters REVIEW HERE
David T Griffith The Bestiarum Vocabulum REVIEW HERE
Thaddeus White Sir Edric's Temple REVIEW HERE
Heather Topham Wood The Memory Witch REVIEW HERE
N. L. Greene Illusions Begin REVIEW HERE
J. A. Huss Tragic REVIEW HERE
Pauline Creeden Sanctuary REVIEW HERE
Casey Bond Reap REVIEW HERE 
Casey Bond Devil Creek REVIEW HERE
S. G. Daniels The Druid's Doorway REVIEW HERE
Peprah Boasiako The Hitman WILL NOT REVIEW
C. S. Janey Surrender To You Amazon Kindle $2.99
Morgan Wylie Silent Orchids Amazon Kindle **FREE** ~
Laura Howard The Forgotten Ones Amazon Kindle $0.99 ~
Christina Marie Morales Ambience Amazon Kindle $2.99

A little about the book up for review today:

Title: The Fly House
Author: Misty Provencher
Genre: NA Science Fiction
Length (print): 472 Pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $3.99

Synopsis:
The Earth’s atmosphere is swiss cheese. To avoid the oncoming oxygen crisis, black-sheep heiress, Maeve Aypotu, has been chemically suspended in one of the Archive’s plush, underground, multi-million dollar chambers. Scientists claim they can patch everything up in about 15 years, so, just to be safe, the Archive programmed the chambers to open in 17 years.

And then, everything on Earth went wrong.

Up on the surface, Pluto has taken control of the planet, scorching away all signs of human civilization and reconstructing the environment to suit the Plutian’s lucrative dragon trade. Humans are now laborers, using survival and repopulation as currency among their Houses.

The Archivers, finally emerging from their chambers, are entering into a whole new world. Learning to trust this new community of humans may need to start small—with the fusion of one powerful Rha and one bad ass black sheep—if a damaged race ever hopes to regain control of their alien Earth. 

***Contains adult material***

Now that you know what the book is about, let me get into a few things.

*Will not appear in review elsewhere. Before I read the book, I was completely enchanted with the cover. Dragons? Yes, please! But, once I'd completed the novel, the cover made a lot more sense. I won't go into that here, but you'll love the subtleties once you're done and take another look.*

Time to get into my review!

I snagged this book during a Facebook party where the author was doing some insane promotion. Sad to say, I have a huge TBR list because of my one-click finger obsession. But, I was making a review list, tossed this title into the hat, and was thrilled when it ended up clutched between my fingers. I dove in with gusto and consumed the book in a little over 24 hours. Let's move on to why.

From a Reader's Perspective:
I'm always honest in my reviews, and I have to say, the first chapter of this novel had me wondering how I was going to comprehend what I was about to read. It was difficult to understand without the new language on Earth, and there were few definitions of terms. Needless to say, I was worried the whole book would be written in the same style.

Not so.

After that first chapter, the story really took hold and the language/writing became smoother. Pacing was off the charts perfect, because I had a hard time putting the book down. There aren't long passages of world description, it comes out organically, so I didn't find myself skimming. Score one for the author. But, I got enough to really picture the future Earth I was reading about, with many things being left to my own imagination (which I love).

Character development also is done over the course of the novel, and I was delighted to find I'd want to be BFFs with the main character, Maeve. She's tough, damaged, and demands a man win the right to be with her (much like the dragons). It's probably why Diem, the love interest, was so drawn to her in the first place. He trains dragons. Enough said. One of my favorite characters was the Plutian overseer of the Fly House. His references to human body parts left me with tears leaking from my eyes. I will forever after use the term: pain berries.

Once you read it, you'll understand.

I was able to go back and read chapter one again (and understand it) after I finished the book. So, there's that!

From an Editor's Perspective:
Commas! Eep! I found a bunch of places where commas should've been and weren't, or shouldn't have been and were. It caused me to stumble more than once. Word confusions: metal vs. meddle, seating vs. sitting, woman vs. women, etc... And one big confusion in the story where Diem has been off flying for a while, then returns and wonders why his dragon didn't detect Maeve earlier.

Rating:
1 Star for characters I loved and were complex
1 Star for world building without infodumping
1 Star for pacing and plot
1 Star for making me laugh out loud more than once
-1 Star for editing
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended for those over 18 years of age, who love a good sci-fi novel.

Have you read it? What did you think? If you haven't, do you plan to?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - The Elect

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! How about a new book review? *grin* I'm barreling my way through my TBR list, and only have a few weeks left in the year to get to them all. I won't be doing reviews in November, so you'll get the rest of these in October and December. Yeah, it's a big task, but I'm getting there! Without further ado, I bring you my recap!

Elle Todd The Elect REVIEW BELOW
Molly Taggart Off Target REVIEW HERE
Gloria Piper Finnegan's Quest REVIEW HERE
Skylar Hamilton Burris The Strange Marriage of Anne de Bourgh REVIEW HERE
Tamar Hela Feast Island REVIEW HERE
Rebecca Trogner The Last Keeper's Daughter REVIEW HERE
Scott Marlowe The Five Elements REVIEW HERE
L.K. Evans Keepers of Arden: The Brothers Volume 1 REVIEW HERE
Sarah Mäkelä The Witch Who Cried Wolf REVIEW HERE
Felicia Tatum Masked Encounters REVIEW HERE
David T Griffith The Bestiarum Vocabulum REVIEW HERE
Thaddeus White Sir Edric's Temple REVIEW HERE
Heather Topham Wood The Memory Witch REVIEW HERE
N. L. Greene Illusions Begin REVIEW HERE
J. A. Huss Tragic REVIEW HERE
Pauline Creeden Sanctuary REVIEW HERE
Casey Bond Reap REVIEW HERE 
Casey Bond Devil Creek REVIEW HERE
S. G. Daniels The Druid's Doorway REVIEW HERE
Misty Provencher The Fly House Amazon Kindle $3.99
Peprah Boasiako The Hitman Amazon Kindle $0.99
C. S. Janey Surrender To You Amazon Kindle $2.99
Morgan Wylie Silent Orchids Amazon Kindle **FREE** ~
Laura Howard The Forgotten Ones Amazon Kindle $0.99 ~
Christina Marie Morales Ambience Amazon Kindle $2.99

Title: The Elect
Author: Elle Todd
Genre: YA Paranormal Urban Fiction
Length (print): 355 Pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $3.99


Synopsis:
Allison Noble never liked the Baileys. They were too good-looking, too popular, too charming to be legitimate. For most of their high school career she avoided the pair, convinced their outward affability was just a ruse to disguise their true character. Okay, yeah, she’s a little neurotic. Even so, she never suspected that what they were hiding was dangerous. It never occurred to her that they might have abilities based more in fiction than reality. Why would it? People can’t produce fire with their bare hands. There are no such things as mind control and telekinesis. Except, she discovers, there are.

The Baileys are Elect, gifted with supernatural powers Allison is able to not only sense, but use herself. In the history of the Elect, there has never been one such as she, and with good reason. Because she wasn’t born to such power, she has a difficult time controlling it. Accidents happen, putting them all at risk. As others draw near—some who wish to protect her, others who want to destroy her—she is forced to uncover the secrets of her past, and face the consequences of being what her own kind refers to as an abomination.

***Will not appear in review elsewhere. I adore the cover on this novel. While the type disappears at thumbnail size, the imagery is spot on. I'd like to see that type given an overhaul so it shows up better, but wow. Hullo, fire starter! *grin* This picture is spot on with the story inside.***

Speaking of the story!

I grabbed a sample of The Elect when Ms. Todd pitched it to me during my 12 Days event on my blog. From there, I was sucked into the story and knew when I got to the last page and wanted more, I had to have this novel. So, I grabbed it, added it to my TBR list, and dove in. Let's move on to my thoughts.

From a Reader's Perspective:
Hello? Two girls breaking in to their high school to pay it forward to a girl who's wrecked the life of more than one person? I'm in! So many things could've gone wrong, and the drama of the people those girls find in the school not knowing who they were? Great tension in the beginning of this book. I was turning pages to see what happened next. But then, bam! I had the brakes thrown on me. My resulting whiplash served to annoy the heck out of the brain that kept screaming for more. As a result, I found myself putting the book down more than once out of frustration. What I'm saying is, there's a huge lag of action through the middle part of the story as the characters are built and go through day-to-day operations and interactions. Then, all of a sudden, near the end, the story picks up and rushes to a close. I left feeling like a lot of the potential for plot pacing wasn't realized. There's also a huge cliffhanger, which left me wanting the next book, but also peeved about the dragging on only to rush to an open end.

I loved the characters, and their personalities and abilities were interesting as all get out. They're people I could relate to those in my own life, and I could picture them perfectly. But, like I said, I would've liked to see them built as the action unfolded. World building was phenomenal, Ms. Todd really outdid herself with the infrastructure of this whole Elect secret society thing. It was charming.

Nate and Ryan. Couldn't keep those two straight. They needed more than one syllable to differentiate. But some of the twists were cool, and I chuckled more than once at the teen interactions and speech.

From an Editor's Perspective:
I've started highlighting only those things I think should be pointed out when I'm reading for review. Otherwise, I end up with pages and pages of notes. Pronouns were all over the place, and some things I had to re-read more than once to make sense of them because of those issues. Commas are sprinkled around where they shouldn't be, and they were left out where they should appear. It creates, problems when, reading a sentence. See what I mean? Because of these, I can't give a star for editing.

Rating:
1 Star for giving me a great beginning and wonderful characters
1 Star for world building, and a unique perspective
1 Star for the couple of twists I didn't see coming and the laughter
-1 Star for nomenclature of characters and a middle that dragged on and on and on
-1 Star for grammar, punctuation, and pronoun issues
Overall: 3 out of 5 stars. Recommended for those that are looking for a different take on young adult paranormal.

What do you think? Have you read it? Do you plan to?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Off Target

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Wow. I can't believe we're already blazing through October. NaNoWriMo is right around the corner. I do hope you're all prepared. Today, I have another review for you all from my Indie Fever Reading Challenge 2014 list. I've sworn to get through them all before my review request event happens in December. Some of these titles were added after the event, and will be reserved for reviews next year (I already have them scheduled), but they weren't part of my promise list. So, yada-yada. I've marked the additions with a ~.

Here's the list again. Progress is being MADE!

Molly Taggart Off Target REVIEW BELOW
Gloria Piper Finnegan's Quest REVIEW HERE
Skylar Hamilton Burris The Strange Marriage of Anne de Bourgh REVIEW HERE
Tamar Hela Feast Island REVIEW HERE
Rebecca Trogner The Last Keeper's Daughter REVIEW HERE
Scott Marlowe The Five Elements REVIEW HERE
L.K. Evans Keepers of Arden: The Brothers Volume 1 REVIEW HERE
Sarah Mäkelä The Witch Who Cried Wolf REVIEW HERE
Felicia Tatum Masked Encounters REVIEW HERE
David T Griffith The Bestiarum Vocabulum REVIEW HERE
Thaddeus White Sir Edric's Temple REVIEW HERE
Heather Topham Wood The Memory Witch REVIEW HERE
N. L. Greene Illusions Begin REVIEW HERE
J. A. Huss Tragic REVIEW HERE
Pauline Creeden Sanctuary REVIEW HERE
Casey Bond Reap REVIEW HERE 
Casey Bond Devil Creek REVIEW HERE
S. G. Daniels The Druid's Doorway REVIEW HERE
Misty Provencher The Fly House Amazon Kindle $3.99 ~
Peprah Boasiako The Hitman Amazon Kindle $0.99
C. S. Janey Surrender To You Amazon Kindle $2.99
Elle Todd The Elect Amazon Kindle $3.99 
Morgan Wylie Silent Orchids Amazon Kindle **FREE** ~
Laura Howard The Forgotten Ones Amazon Kindle $0.99 ~
Christina Marie Morales Ambience Amazon Kindle $2.99

About the book up for review today:

Title: Off Target
Author: Molly Taggart
Genre: YA Contemporary Coming-of-age
Length (print): 198 Pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $2.99

Synopsis:
Sophie Mitchell may be the top marksman on her high school rifle team, but she has bad aim when it comes to boys. Her best friend Cory tells her that she doesn’t have to date, but how else is she supposed to fit in? Even her own mother thinks she’s eccentric. What almost eighteen-year-old girl isn’t interested in romance? So Sophie resolves to date even while she remains bullet-proofed from love. As Cory observes her amorous adventures from downrange, he worries that, these days, Cupid might be making armor-piercing bullets.

Off Target is a humorous coming-of-age story and a tender romance that can appeal to any adult, young or old, who has ever learned through love.

***Will not appear in review elsewhere! What a cute little cover! I do wish for stronger typography, but the imagery is bang on (no pun intended). It also has good contrast. It just feels somewhat flat.***

On to the good stuff!

Off Target was pitched to me during my 12 Days of Christmas event, where I ask Indie authors to pitch their books for purchase and review. I grab a sample of the ones with great pitches and give them a read. This title was intriguing because of the eccentricities of the main character, Sophie. Let's get going, and I'll tell you about it.

From a Reader's Perspective:
Sophie cracked me up, made me cry, and had me cheering throughout. She's a tough cookie with a penchant for everything guns. I know girls like that, so I could totally see it. I'd be friends with someone like her. That being said, I would've liked to see her with more flaws. She seemed way too perfect. Sure, she had her moments, but her hair, eyes, grades, shooting, and ideals about boys felt just a hair contrived. Either way, I liked her crazy moments, so I'm choosing not to give too much weight to the perfection. Cory was interesting, but I liked his twin brother, O, better. Surprisingly, he was more fleshed out. Pacing of the book was excellent. I didn't find there was a time where it dragged on. In fiction, I prefer none of the comparisons to older times, or things other people said in the past, to be put in parentheses. This novel had a lot of that going on. Feels like an infodump when it comes up, and without all the little quips, it would be an even better story. Plot was awesome, and surprised the heck out of me a couple of times.

From an Editor's Perspective:
There were some inconsistencies in age when things began to happen in the story, misspellings (riffle instead of rifle, a sleep instead of asleep), and one huge snafu where the parents are yelling and tell the MC she's about to be seventeen (she's about to be eighteen). Sadly, this many errors take away the ability to give anything for editing.

Rating:
1 Star for giving me a main character and a supporting cast I'd actually like to meet
1 Star for pacing and plot
1 Star for the happily ever after and tying up all the loose ends
- .25 Star for perfection of the MC
- .75 Star for parenthetical sections that came up way too often
- 1 Star for editing
Overall, 3 out of 5 stars. Recommended for those who enjoy coming-of-age tales with a tough cookie for an MC.

What do you think? Will you pick it up?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Becoming a Book Blogger - Building an Audience

Happy freaking Friday, good people of the blogosphere! It's been a long haul, but we're on the final three posts. You'll get one today, one on Tuesday, and one on Friday. I have some awesome stuff coming your way next week: An author interview on Monday with B. J. Sheldon, a book review of Off Target on Wednesday, and a cover reveal for A Reaper Made on Thursday. So, it's gonna be an exciting week! By this time, if you've been following along, you should have a name, policy, look and feel with imagery, a posting platform, a well designed blog, and a rating system. Today, we focus on building your social media presence. Okay, enough of my jawing, grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

 Here are the past posts and what's coming:

• Choosing a Name and Review Policy
• Branding Yourself With Imagery
• Picking a Platform for Publishing
• Design Considerations
• Structuring Your Rating System
• Building an Audience - Social Media Crazy (you're there now)
• Writing Reviews
• Money, You Say?

How many social media networks are there?

A ton. I'm not gonna list them all.

Here's the thing: You don't have to be on all of them, you just need to be on the right ones. I'm referring to the places your target audience hangs out, which outlets you feel most comfortable with, and which ones will do what you need them to (drive traffic to your blog).

So, here's the link list of social media sites I encourage you to sign up with, and a little bit about how to build your audience once you're there:

Twitter - This is a place where people with short attention spans can gather a lot of news without being bogged down by huge chunks of text. It's easy to share tweets and simple to follow someone. Build your audience here by following at least thirteen new people every day. Do a search for this: #amreading Then, follow about thirteen people who use it. Why? Because they're readers! Alternate with a search for this: #amwriting Give those folks a follow, too. Why? Because they're the writers who'll want you to review their books. Alternate by days and give a follow back to anyone who adds you organically. Once you have a couple, go at least three times a week and retweet some content. You'll find your follower base grow by leaps and bounds.

Facebook - Create a page if you haven't already. Here's a trick you must know to succeed on Facebook: It hates auto-posts and buries them beneath muck. You'll be lucky if fifteen people see an auto-post. Seriously. You'll be better off posting to your Facebook page organically, with no links in the main message (put all links in the comments). Invite all your friends to like your page. Interact at least three times a week with folks. Join a reader group on Facebook. Go to your search and type in: readers. When the box drops down, click on groups. Get to know people. Once in a while, ask them to share your blog with any writers who may want a review. Now, go do the same thing with writer groups. Be sure you're sharing if you expect others to share in return.

Goodreads - Yeah. Just do it. Go poke through the groups and join a couple there, too. Goodreads has a ton of review groups. There are always authors there asking for reviews. But wait! Join reader groups, too! This is a place where you'll be led to wonderful works of fiction, and it's a place where you can discuss books with others. Wow. Plus, you'll need a Goodreads account when you start writing reviews. More on that Tuesday!

Google+ - When you set up a gmail account (you did that, right?), you automatically got a Google+ page. Go to it, add your stuff, and set your custom URL. Then start adding people you already know. Yeah, I bet a lot of them read, too! Readers attract readers as friends.

YouTube - If you think you may ever want to do video reviews, go ahead and set up a YouTube channel. It can't hurt. Share videos by other book reviewers.

Here's another tidbit for thought: Go to one of the major book review sites (like Reader's Favorite or KBR) and apply to be one of their reviewers on staff. All they can say is no, right? You won't know if you don't try.

Two more places to put in your name:  Netgalley  and  Edelweiss
Both of those companies work with major publishers and will send you physical copies of books to read and review before the release dates. Just make sure you do it, or they'll drop you from the list.

Of course, it you want to stick strictly with Indie authors, we'll all love you forever and spread your name like wildfire through our ranks *grin*

I think I've given you all quite enough to do over the weekend. So get to it!

Any of you other book reviewers, where do you connect with readers and writers?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Becoming a Book Blogger - Design Considerations

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Today, we're going into design considerations for your blog. Step four in becoming a book blogger. I do hope you're getting excited as you follow along and create your blog. By now, you've chosen a name, have a URL, and have picked a publishing platform. More than that, you have your review policies (what you will and won't review and how to submit)! You should also be a little bit familiar with your hosting service. This post is going into your blog design (layout) and content. So, grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!

First, a recap of the past posts and what's coming:

• Choosing a Name and Review Policy
• Branding Yourself With Imagery
• Picking a Platform for Publishing
• Design Considerations (you're there now)
• Structuring Your Rating System
• Building an Audience - Social Media Crazy
• Writing Reviews
• Money, You Say?

Now, take a close look at my blog. You'll see there's a background that encompasses my logo and color/design scheme. On the sidebar, I don't have a ton of clutter for folks to wade through. One thing I have going on right now is my UtopYA con author interview posts. Because of that, I have two additional images on the right hand side. But, as you can see, my subscribe box is above the fold (this is referencing the part of your blog that's visible before the scroll).

Moving on down, you'll see another couple of ways to follow me and my posts (you do want your blog to be read, right?), then it goes right into my archive. Not having an archive where people can browse your past posts isn't a good idea. You want them to stay and look around a while.

Let's go back to the top!

You see my banner telling you what my blog is about, then a set of links I think are pertinent for everyone on social media to make as easy to find as possible. Note they're above the fold.

Because I'm OCD, and my blog is my haven for all the information I impart to my fellow Indie authors, I have a categorized link list. This is a whole separate page on my blog I use to sort posts into categories (with a little snap of what the post is about) so people don't have to wade through my archive to find specific information.

But my blog loads fast on a browser. Six seconds. Ideally, you want five or less, but I'm okay with six. I've visited blogs that took over a minute to load because there was all this extra "stuff" all over them. I waited, but only to take a look at the mess, click away, and never return.

You have about fifteen seconds to catch someone's attention. They won't wait much longer than that (if they wait at all). So, keep the clutter down and increase your load times.

Black text on a white background in an easy to read font is the next thing you need to consider for your design. If you make it hard to read your posts, people will be turned off and not come back.

You want them to come back. That's why you're blogging.

Make sure all your stuff is harmonious. Not that everything has to be identical, but when someone clicks on the link to your Twitter page, make sure it at least resembles your blog, website (if you choose to have one), and Facebook page. Don't let them doubt they've found the person they're looking for.

The Chicken Coop can have one chicken image on their blog, a different one on Facebook and Twitter, and still another on their website, and (as long as the look and feel is the same) they'll connect the dots.

Remember your name! If you've chosen The Chicken Coop for your blog, be @TheChickenCoop on Twitter as well. Be facebook.com/TheChickenCoop or facebook.com/ChickenCoop. Sign up for TheChickenCoop [at] gmail!

Be consistent and keep it simple.

If you want a couple more tips and tricks on making your public appearance gel, grab my free PDF on branding here. Feel free to download, study, read, print, and redistribute at your leisure. As long as you don't charge for it, I'm good.

What do you think? Have you built up your blog yet? Got any subscribers?

Go on and get those signup boxes going! I'll be back later in the week with advice on structuring your rating system.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Becoming a Book Blogger - Picking a Posting Platform

Happy Monday, everyone! We're continuing on our journey to you becoming a book blogger. If you've been following along and working with me, you'll have a review blog name, policies, and an idea of your branding imagery. Today, I'm gonna talk about choosing a platform. No, I'm not gonna choose a platform for you, this is just gonna be an introduction to the various ones out there. Once you find a blogging platform you like and it's easy for you to use, then you go get a book on how to use the darn thing and go from there (there's a great one at the library - title to come at the end of the post). Grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!

As always, a little recap of the series and links to previous days:

• Choosing a Name and Review Policy
• Branding Yourself With Imagery
• Picking a Platform for Publishing (you're there now)
• Design Considerations
• Structuring Your Rating System
• Building an Audience - Social Media Crazy
• Writing Reviews
• Money, You Say?

Now we can get into the various platforms available for you to choose from. These links will take you to the main page for each service. There are no affiliate links on the Jo Michaels blog, so you can click freely here. I get paid when I see you being successful.

FREE Blogging Platforms

• Blogger
• WordPress
• Anchor
• Tumblr
• Weebly

PAID Blogging Platforms

• SquareSpace
• Typepad

How to choose? Well, go check each one out! Play with them or take a peek around their control decks. See which one is the most user friendly and customizable for your needs.

Maybe you'll want to have more than one. I have two: Blogger and Tumblr. Each has a very different audience, but readers nonetheless. Like choosing anything, go with the one that makes you the most comfortable and won't have you tearing your hair out after a few hours of setup time. Still not sure what you're doing? Call someone who does or check out these books from your local library:

Blogging for Creatives: How Designers, Artists, Crafters and Writers can blog to make contacts, win business and build success. by Robin Houghton
and
Blogging all in One: For Dummies by Susan Gunelius

Speaking of libraries! You can find books in the how-to section on almost everything having to do with blogs.

Moving on!

Now that you've chosen your platform, go register your new blog name (get your URL - something like TheChickenCoop.blogspot.com) and get your pages set up. At this point, you should have at least two pages: Home (where your blog posts are) and Review Policies. Get those two up and going, and we'll go into design choices you'll make for your blog tomorrow.

Baby steps!

What's your preferred blogging platform? Why?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Becoming a Book Blogger - Branding Yourself with Imagery

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Continuing on with my Becoming a Book Blogger series, today I'm gonna talk about choosing the imagery to go with your name. If you've been with me so far, you have a great name picked out, a tagline, and a review policy. As I stated yesterday, I'll be using The Chicken Coop as the name for the example review blog. Grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!

Recap!

• Choosing a Name and Review Policy
• Branding Yourself With Imagery (you're there now)
• Picking a Platform for Publishing
• Design Considerations
• Structuring Your Rating System
• Building an Audience - Social Media Crazy
• Writing Reviews
• Money, You Say?

When considering branding yourself with imagery, keep this post in mind. While you want to be different and exciting, be sure you aren't cluttering your blog up with stuff that'll keep it from loading quickly. Remember, you have three to five seconds to make an impression. Use it wisely.

Here's a quicky for The Chicken Coop Book Reviews:

Now, this doesn't take into account any kind of color scheme you may have going on, and you may want a smart looking chicken, standing up, reading a book behind the banner, but you get the idea. This will matter when we get to structuring your rating system, too. Themes are fun!

Monday, we'll go into picking a platform to host your amazeblog.

What do you think? Are you coming up with some great ideas? Want to share?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Becoming a Book Blogger - Naming and Policies

Happy Thursday, everyone! Today, we're continuing the series on how to become a book blogger. Why am I doing this series? Because I've had so many people come up to me and tell me they're readers that consume at least three to four books a week, and don't write reviews for those books. What a loss for all those Indie authors out there! I know I'd give my book to someone who wanted to read and review it, and there are plenty of us out there who need those reviews. So, for those of you who love to read and have ever considered starting to write reviews, this series is for you. Grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

First, a recap of the series:

• Choosing a Name and Review Policy (you're there now)
• Branding Yourself With Imagery
• Picking a Platform for Publishing
• Design Considerations
• Structuring Your Rating System
• Building an Audience - Social Media Crazy
• Writing Reviews
• Money, You Say?

I'm starting with choosing a name because that's something that'll probably take you the longest, define your brand, and what everything else will follow. It's the single most important thing you have to consider. If you aren't creative like that, here are a couple of cool names not yet in use:

The Chicken Coop
Flower Power
The Book Gardener
Razing the Page

All of those can have awesome taglines that tell potential readers you're a book blog and here's why. Of course, The Chicken Coop would probably center on Hen-Lit. *grin* I'll use this name for the duration of the series for example purposes.

So, make a list of potential names and do a Google search to find out if the ones you like are already in use. When you find a suitable one, come up with your tag line (something like The Chicken Coop - Scratching Around for Great Books) and write it all down.

A WORD OF WARNING: Book bloggers are very protective of their babies. Don't steal a name from someone else or create a name that's too similar to one that exists. You'll be in for a war. Consider the information imparted.

Once you have your new, exciting name chosen, start on writing out your review policy.

This is for authors who find your blog or website, like your review/rating system, and want you to review their book. They need to know how to submit to you, how long it may take you to review the book, and your policy on rating books you can't finish (do you leave them alone or review and say you couldn't finish and why). How do you choose among the hundreds of submissions you get?

Also write a disclaimer about what you do when you're unable to finish or review a book. Will you contact the author privately, or will the title just fall away into the ether? No one really likes to coast along without knowing if they'll be reviewed or not, so be sure you're clear.

I think I've given you enough to think about for one day, so get busy and get that name chosen!

Anything you book bloggers might want to add about naming or policies?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

How To: Start a Book Review Blog - Series on Becoming a Book Blogger Introduction

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm giving you some information about a new post series that'll walk you through the steps of creating your very own book review blog. So, if you haven't subscribed yet, and you're interested in reading great, free books (and making money doing it) get on it. You may subscribe on the right ------------>

For this first of many posts to come on this topic, I'm giving you all a topic list that'll be updated as we go through the process. Why? Well, it's so I can show one link (to this page) and folks can find the information they're looking for. I love simplicity and organization (yeah, have you seen my link list?). Haha! In order, here are the post topics I'll be covering:

• Choosing a Name
• Branding Yourself With Imagery
• Picking a Platform for Publishing
• Design Considerations
• Structuring Your Rating System
• Building an Audience - Social Media Crazy
• Writing Reviews
• Money, You Say?

When you see the following image, you'll know you're on one of the building a blog pages:

I can't wait to get started. May the odds be ever in your favor!

What do you think? Interested?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Resist

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today, I'm bringing you another book review. No, this one isn't from my review list. I'm working on Scott Marlowe's The Five Elements (The Alchemancer: Book One) in that pile. I think, from this point forward, I'm gonna put all the titles in a hat and draw one every time I finish the one I'm reading. His book, I'm about halfway through. So we're getting there. If you're late to the party, I'm referring to my 12 Days of Christmas review pile that's part of my list on the Indie Fever 2014 Reading Challenge. We commit to reading a certain number of Indie books every year and reviewing them. I love taking part. It's really an awesome thing to give back.

As always, I'll start with a little bit of information about the book up for review:

Title: Resist (Harvest Saga - Book 2)
Author: Casey L. Bond
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Length (print): About 213 pages
Buy links: Amazon Kindle $2.99

Synopsis:
Abby Kelley returns home from the Greater city of Olympus to find that things in Orchard Village are bad, very bad. The Olympian Guard has taken over village affairs. The Lessers are being worked to the bone in the coldest winter Orchard has seen. Villagers are being dragged away for the slightest indication of what they call “resistance.” She needs to keep her head down and her mouth shut. But, it’s so hard to do when everything within you screams rebellion.

Kyan is coming on strong, trying to convince her to take a chance on him. Shocking news of Crew’s activities in Olympus sweeps through the Villages. When Abby is taken away by the Olympian guard, Kyan sends word to Vesuvius for help. But, no one could have predicted their idea of help or what they might expect in return.

Who will be left to pick up the pieces of Abby’s heart?

Resist is the second book in The Harvest Saga series by Casey L. Bond. It is highly recommended that you read Reap (book one) before reading Resist.

***Will not appear in review elsewhere. Holy wow at the covers on these books, huh? While the type treatment is weak, the imagery is awesomesauce. I can't wait for the third installment. I must know how this ends! I reviewed Reap and you can see that on my blog here.***

I ran out and bought Resist the day it went on sale. I loved Reap, and couldn't wait to continue the story of Abby, Crew, and Kyan. Casey is quickly becoming a go-to author when I'm in the mood for a great story. Enough of my rambling! I'm sure you're eager to hear about the story.

From a Reader's Perspective:
Let me tell you, there were some major shockers in this book. They had me putting my hand to my mouth and gasping for air. This is an edge-of-your-seat read for sure. Many times, I find the middle book in a series lacking punch. They kind of go tra-la-la to move the plot along, and there's nothing interesting on the pages. Resist isn't one of those books. It'll keep you biting your nails, cringing, and tearing up over and over again. Pacing is spot on, and I wanted more when I hit the last page. As in Reap (book one), the world building is awesome. I love that there are more than one Greater factions in control of the Lessers. It made the twisty plot even more of a page turner. Warning! There is a cliffhanger. It's a big one. So, if you don't like that sort of thing, wait for the last book to come out before you start reading. If you don't mind, pick up these books ASAP.

From an Editor's Perspective:
So many errors in the writing. Mostly punctuation and pronoun confusions, but there were a few oops moments that should've been caught. Example: Even though it was only a rouse, she would be hurt. This should read: Even though it was only a ruse, she would be hurt. Sadly, what would've been a 5 star book, is dropped to 4 because of the errors. I had to turn my inner editor off.

Rating:
1 Star for keeping me on the edge of my seat
1 Star for awesome twists I was blindsided by
1 Star for world building
1 Star for pacing and wonderful conflict
-1 Star for editing
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars. A fantastic read that'll keep you gripping your chair despite the writing errors. Recommended if you can look past writing errors and really get into a story.

Have you read it? What did you think?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Reap

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today I bring you yet another book from my Indie Fever 2014 Reading Challenge list. If you haven't heard of Indie Fever, I invite you to sign up and join us here. It's never too late to join the party! We're a group of readers trying to give Indies the love and attention they deserve. So far this year, I've read and reviewed twelve books by authors I've never read before. I've written a number of reviews this year of books by authors I love and follow, but I don't include those on my list. Because I haven't shared it in a while, I'll give it to you again.

Rebecca Trogner The Last Keeper's Daughter Amazon Kindle $7.99
Scott Marlowe The Five Elements Amazon Kindle $2.99 (currently reading)
L.K. Evans Keepers of Arden: The Brothers Volume 1 REVIEW HERE
Sarah Mäkelä The Witch Who Cried Wolf REVIEW HERE
Felicia Tatum Masked Encounters REVIEW HERE
Peprah Boasiako The Hitman Amazon Kindle $0.9
David T Griffith The Bestiarum Vocabulum REVIEW HERE
C. S. Janey Surrender To You Amazon Kindle $2.51
Thaddeus White Sir Edric's Temple REVIEW HERE
Gloria Piper Finnegan's Quest Amazon Kindle $4.99
Elle Todd The Elect Amazon Kindle $2.99
Heather Topham Wood The Memory Witch REVIEW HERE
N. L. Greene Illusions Begin REVIEW HERE
J. A. Huss Tragic REVIEW HERE
Morgan Wylie Silent Orchids Amazon Kindle **FREE**
Laura Howard The Forgotten Ones Amazon Kindle $2.99
Pauline Creeden Sanctuary REVIEW HERE
Casey Bond Reap REVIEW BELOW
Casey Bond Devil Creek REVIEW HERE
Skylar Hamilton Burris The Strange Marriage of Anne de Bourgh Amazon Kindle $2.99
Christina Marie Morales Ambience Amazon Kindle $0.99
Tamar Hela Feast Island Amazon Kindle $2.99
Molly Taggart Off Target Amazon Kindle $2.99
S. G. Daniels The Druid's Doorway REVIEW HERE
Misty Provencher The Fly House Amazon Kindle $0.99

I'm getting there. Slowly but surely!

Now, more about the book to be torn apart reviewed today:

Title: Reap (The Harvest Saga #1)
Author: Casey L. Bond
Genre: YA Dystopia
Length (print): 247 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $0.99

Synopsis:
The remnants of the United States of America have been divided. From five enormous, technologically-advanced cities, the Greaters rule over the Lessers.

In the Lesser village of Orchard, things are not as perfect as Abby Kelley thinks they are. When the apple harvest draws near and the Greater’s engineered fruits become too much for one village to handle alone, reinforcements from neighboring villages are called upon.

Having to choose between her best friend, whom she has no romantic feelings for, and mysterious newcomer Crew, Abby finds herself in the middle of a harvest that she had no intention of becoming a part of. She becomes involved in a situation that threatens the strict rule of the Greaters, and just might give the Lessers hope for a better tomorrow. But, can she help the Lessers without losing Crew? And if she chooses Crew, will she lose her best friend? 

***Will not appear in review elsewhere. I have to say, I LOVE the cover for this book.  I want to jump in there and take a big bite out of that apple. I adore the colors, the layout, and the light. One tiny criticism would be to just use two fonts, enlarge the R, and apply a little kerning on some of the text. But, that's my designer eye looking at it.***

Let's move on to the stuff between the pages, shall we?

I snagged a copy of this book on Amazon and I'm so glad I did! It was an amazing little read and I got through it in just two days. You won't look at life the same way after you read this story. It's something you won't be able to quit thinking about when you're done reading (a sign of a great story). When you have to put it down to do something else, you'll be thinking about the story and yearning to pick it up again. But, enough of my rambling, let me tell you why it's awesome.

From a Reader's Perspective:
Holy wow. I couldn't put this book down until I got to the last page (and I still wanted more)! I'm completely intrigued to find out how this is all going to turn out in future books. Fans of the Hunger Games will see vague similarities in the Harvest Saga series, but Bond is taking it in a whole other direction. There's no slaughter in this book in order to reign supreme, rather a struggle to just be human and be allowed to live life. I adored the idea of Greaters and Lessers, and found it amazing that the author could think up something like that. Abby was a character I loved. I was shown her tough, motherly side in the first chapter, and she felt like she fit in with people I'd pal around with because of their virtues. Bad guys in this book are despicably evil, and the good guys are awesome, though the lines get blurry now and then as you read. I got so angry with the behavior of one of the devious characters, I wanted to reach in the book and slap his whole family. That's when you know you've gotten hold of a good read. World building was perfect, and the ending was everything a first book in a series ought to be: Engaging, nerve-racking, and surprising in many ways.

From an Editor's Perspective:
Well, let me just say, there were a ton of run-on sentences, comma splices, and tense jumps; but, oddly, none of it took me out of the story. I kept reading until I was finished. While those things were irritating sometimes, they didn't take away from what I was getting out of the words. Sadly, I can't give a star for editing in this case.

Rating:
+1 Star for keeping me engaged and vested in the story
+1 Star for awesome world-building
+1 Star for the characters and the connection (and, alternately, mad hate) I felt
+1 Star for a wonderful ending that felt like the author didn't rush, but left me on the edge of my seat
- 1 Star for editing
Overall 4 out of 5 stars! Highly recommended read for fans of dystopian novels with a twist of romance.

What do you think? Plan to check it out?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo