Author Interview- Sandy Windham, Pink Tourmaline

😊😊😊I had the privilege to interview my friend, and fellow debut author, Sandy Windham about her book, Pink Tourmaline. It is going to be released December 5! So exciting. Sandy has been a friend and my critique partner for just over 3 years now. We met on the NaNoWriMo pen pal forums and have worked to support each other in our dreams to be writers.

 

1) Tell us a little about your book: It’s part historical romance, part time-travel caper. The story is about Quinn and her brother Michael who get stuck in the Los Angeles of the 1920s. To get home they have to track down their great-grandmother who’s spell landed them there in the first place. Except once they start looking for her, they discover everything they thought they knew about their family’s history is wrong. As if that’s not enough Quinn then falls in love with Rafael, a 1920s-movie star who helps them in their search.

 

2) Who are some of your favorite authors? I like different genres so there’s a few! I always liked Stephen King and Harlan Coben. I read all of Tracy Chevalier’s novels and I also love Philippa Gregory and Isabel Allende.

 

3) Who are some authors in your genre that inspire you? That’s difficult because this novel is a mix of genres. I think all the authors I mentioned above have served as inspiration in one way or another.

 

4) What are some great books you’ve read recently? 

The last book I finished is Love is Death – The Afterdeath Book 1 by L.P Masters which was great. The Japanese Lover by Isabelle Allende was good too and I’m looking forward to reading the third installment of Witches of Coolersville!

 

5) What types of books do you enjoy in your downtime? I tend to go through phases. Currently I’m going through a non-fiction phase though before that I read a lot of historical novels.

 

6) What sort of research did you do to write this book? I am very interested in crystals and the supernatural in general so I used a lot of books and material I already had. I also love the 1920s and silent films in particular so I read and watched biographies of movie stars from that time. I also researched life in the 20s in general and in Los Angeles in particular.

 

7) What are you working on now? I’m working on a sequel to The Pink Tourmaline. The working title is The Rose Quartz, in keeping with the crystal theme.

 

8) Is your book a stand-alone or series? It was intended as a stand-alone, but it will now be a series. I’m hoping to complete three novels in total.

 

9) What started you down the path of writing? 

It’s something I’ve always done. As a child I’d make up stories for my cousins and I to act out. As a teenager, I started to write poems and short stories and eventually the short stories evolved into full length novels.

 

10) How did you break into the world of publishing? 

It was a long road. I published a few poems and a short story before this but I didn’t have any luck with either of my two previous stories. The first one got nothing but rejections. The second generated a bit of interest from agents, but not much and it went nowhere. The Pink Tourmaline got several requests from agents and editors. In the end it didn’t land an agent and I was about to give up when I realized I could submit to small publishers without an agent. I went that route, got a few requests and eventually I got an offer from The Wild Rose Press.

 

11) As a new author, what is your favorite part of the writing/publishing process? Least favorite? 

Least favorite… rejections and bad reviews.

Favorite part is when the story comes together and when people like what you’ve written.

 

12) What does your writing space look like? I don’t have a designated writing area. I do have a desk but it’s not comfortable so I usually sit in a recliner with the laptop on my lap or on the floor with it perched on the coffee table.

 

13) What is your go-to writing snack/beverage? Coffee… I drink way too much of it. I usually drink iced coffee (made with the leftover coffee from breakfast!) in the afternoon. Surprisingly it doesn’t keep me up! I must be immune to the caffeine by now.

 

14) Are you a planner (detailed outline, have to know what happens) or pantser? (Flying by the seat of your pants with no plan at all) 

I start out with a general idea of what I want to happen and when I want it to happen, but I don’t make an outline. Sometimes midway through writing I get stuck and then I do make a little list with what I want to happen, but generally I just write as I go. This can be messy and I wish I was more organized.

 

15) When did you start writing? Was it something you started as a kid? When did you start seeking it professionally?  I wrote my first poem when I was…12 or 13. Before that I’d make up stories in my head and daydream a lot. I always had an active imagination. I didn’t write my first novel until 2001. That’s around the time I started sending out my poems to publishers and got one published in an anthology in the UK.

 

16) What do you do in your free time when you’re not writing? I like to read when I have the time. I also do artwork, acrylic painting especially and I like to spend time with friends. Next year I want to get back to learning languages. I speak English and German fluently and I have some basic knowledge of Hebrew which I’d like to improve. I also want to learn Spanish and French, if I find the time! Oh yes, I’d love to learn an instrument too!

 

17) What are your top three books of all time? That’s a hard question as they change frequently. If I have to choose it would be House of Spirits by Isabelle Allende, Bag of Bones by Stephen King, and What dreams may come by Richard Matheson.

 

18) Can you recommend any new or upcoming authors?

L.P Masters just published her debut novel, so that is one to check out for sure and of course Carey Starkey. I already read book two of the Witches of Coolersville series and I can only recommend it!  My friend Kristen Howe writes very exciting thrillers which I hope will find a publisher soon too.

 

19) Is there anything about the writing life that you think is misunderstood by the public?  The amount of time it takes to not just write and edit, but especially to query. People don’t understand how much competition there is and how time consuming and soul crushing it can be. Some weeks you might get a wave of rejections, other weeks you might get two requests at once only to have those turn into rejections. It’s very difficult and you get to the point where you just don’t want to do it anymore.

 

 20) Do you write full time or do you have a “Day Job?” I have a day job. I work in an RV park in the office as an admin.

 

21) What are some of the challenges you faced on the road to publication? 

The waiting and the rejections are hard. Plus, you have to be so careful because there are scammers out there who prey on up and coming writers who want to see their work in print.

 

22) Are there any tips you can give to aspiring writers? 

Understand how difficult and complex the publishing industry is. Just because you do not get an offer or you get rejected doesn’t mean your novel is not good.  Fortunately, there are so many ways to get published these days. Many great books I’ve read recently were self-published. So don’t give up!

 

 

Special thanks to Sandy for answering these questions! Keep an eye out for her book when it's out on December 5. You can pre-order the Kindle version now and print will be available on release day. I'm certainly adding it to my list. ^_^

NaNoWriMo 2016

I'm doing NaNoWriMo this year again! I am so excited about it. I'm going to be getting ready for the kick-off party for my region when I finish this post.

My project this year will be, at least, book 3 for my "Witches of Coolersville" series. I'm struggling to outline so I'm going to try and get as much out as possible and then revise like crazy. And, I'd also like to get the 4th book started. If I can at least use these 2 projects to meet the word count, that will count as something. And then, I can focus on finishing the story and then I just have to focus on editing over the coming year. I think that will be easier to work on while wedding planning in 2017.

Check out my YouTube channel. I'll be putting up videos throughout the month and then I'll have a special video in early December.

That's all for now. Bye!

Top 11 Tips for NaNoWriMo Success

Hi everyone,

It's that time of year again. No, not Halloween. It's NaNoWriMo prep month! For those who don't know, NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month. Every November, writers from all over the world see if they can write a 50,000 word first draft of a novel in 30 days. This will be my 4th time participating and, I hope, my 4th victory. If you would like to join in, here are 11 tips for NaNoWriMo success.

1) Manage your time- We all have busy lives. Not everyone can be a full-time writer. So, find even an hour in your schedule to write. It may mean getting up earlier. It may mean not binging on that show you've watched 30 times on Netflix. Try to find a time each day to make your time to write and only write.

2) Stay Hydrated- Coffee is the beverage of the gods. It's what fuels all that wonderful writer mojo. But, you still have to drink water. Getting dehydrated can make you seriously ill and then you won't be able to get out of bed, let alone write.

3) Get involved in the community- the forum on the NaNoWriMo website is fantastic. You can do writing sprints, find pen pals, share ideas, or vent about being stuck on something. There is also the official NaNoWriMo Facebook group as well as your region may have one as well. Go to write-ins hosted by your region through NaNoWriMo or other writing groups. It is so much fun. Having other writers helps so much because you're cheering each other on. Also, if you do want to seek being a professional writer, networking is so important to your career. Then, you can find critique partners and beta readers. You can share experiences and people can help you out.

4) Sleep- It is a common misconception that you only have to sleep 3 hours a night. You still have to get plenty of sleep so your brain is able to function and create that wonderful story.

5) Don't stress over the word count-  50K in 30 days seems like a lot. But, it breaks down to about 1667 per day. That's not much. The Harry Potter series is 1,084,170 words. Sorcerer's Stone alone is 76,994. If JK Rowling averaged that over 30 days, it would be about 2567 words per day. You can definitely pull it off.
Also, 50,000 words is an arbitrary number. The goal is to develop the habit of writing every day. Not just for November. Whether it's 1667 words per day, 500 words, or 5,000. Any amount is more than you had the day before.

6) Quantity over quality- This is the first draft of your novel. In a month. And, if you're focusing on that end word count, it's definitely quantity over quality. Write down anything you can relating to your story. Dialogue, back story, any details. What doesn't stay during revision can be saved for your notes. Especially if it's a series. Continuity is key. So, keep notes on character profiles and world building in a separate notebook.

7) Be passionate about your story- If you're passionate about something, whether it's painting, photography, cooking, writing those things probably fill your thoughts all day and you're constantly working and improving. This is key to success. If you love and are passionate about your story, it will reflect in your writing style and readers will enjoy it all the more. And, at some point, you will hit a rough patch and you'll start to lose motivation and wonder "What was I thinking?" So, you have to keep in mind why you're doing this. If it's because you're dreaming about this story you've had for years, then focus on that to keep going in those tough times and you can get through anything.

8) Get ahead when you can- Life happens. Your car breaks down. You need OT at work. You're swamped with homework. Whatever. So, don't just stop at 1667. If you have a writing day where you're on a roll, just keep going. Then, you're ahead of the game and not stressing about your words of something prevents you from writing for a day.

9) Minimize distractions- Turn off the Netflix, turn off the YouTube, turn off the social media. These things take away from writing time. What I do is I take the laptop onto the bedroom, turn off the WiFi, set up my iTunes playlists, and write until my hands ache. I'm not one that can focus in complete silence. But, if I have Internet, chances are I'll be looking at Doctor Who parody videos or talking online instead of writing. And, that won't help me get work done at all.

10) It’s okay if you don't hit 50K- Like I said, life happens. 50K is arbitrary. If you still think it's overwhelming, especially first timers, shoot for 30,000 or just 10,000. It's still more than you had at the beginning of the month and helps you get into that every day habit of writing.

11) BACK UP YOUR WORK- Computers will crash. Flash drives get lost or fail. So, it's key to back up your work in multiple places. I have my story on the laptop, flash drive, Dropbox, Google Docs, and I email it to my phone. Over kill? Not at all. Because I've lost a story before. And, it sucked. All that work just gone. So, save constantly and back up your work so this doesn't happen to you.

That's all from me today. Witches of Coolersville is available on Amazon in paperback and ebook. You can also order a signed copy on my Etsy shop. Enter TUMBLR16 until October 23 for 30% off. Good luck to anyone participating in NaNoWriMo this year. And, I'll have another post soon.

Sept. 20 Update

Up to chapter 17! My poor arthritic hands. But, I'm getting there. If I can do 3 chapters before my physical therapy tomorrow, I'll be in the home stretch. Did a rough formatting and at chapter 16 I'm around 115 pages for a 6x9 book. 23 chapters total so this one will be a little longer than book 1. That's okay. There's more to this story. Character development, big bad guy, intro to a few side characters that will appear further down the series. I'm also slowly printing this draft off so I can go at it yet again with the red pen. If I can get another round of Beta Readers for this draft, I can send draft 4 to the editor for the major fixes.

Won't be home after PT tomorrow so I'm bringing my notes for book 3 and beyond to maybe play with and brainstorm. If I get enough ideas set up that I can just write, I'll maybe start the planning stages of a bind-up edition. Either 3 or 5 stories, haven't decided which. May depend on length. I may go through Book Baby for that one so I can get a hard cover and wider distribution. I'll stick with CreateSpace for the novella sizes.

These are all just rough ideas. Gonna read for a bit then need sleep.
Good night all!

The Math Teacher From Hell- "New Witch on Campus" 3rd draft excerpt

I haven't posted any excerpts in a while and I just added this scene to my story. This is Dr. Benedict. He is Tara's math professor and he's terrible. This won't be touched upon much in this story but, down the line, I'm planning on making it a plot point. Let me know what you think.

 

They walked into the classroom and took a seat. Before they could say anything more, the instructor walked into the room.

Dr. Benedict was a tall, lanky man with a nasally, but monotone voice. Not the kind of tone you need to keep a student’s interest in math at 8:00 in the morning. But, he seemed either not to notice or not to care that half the class was beginning to doze before he finished his introduction to the syllabus. Tara and Michael managed to stay awake by slipping notes to each other. And, their shock at the start of his lecture.

“This is Math 90,” he began. “Beginning Algebra. Or, more accurately, a refresher course of what you were too stupid to pay attention to in high school.” A few heads jerked up at this and students whispered to each other until Dr. Benedict took a ruler and smacked the podium with it, shocking the class back into silence. “I don’t dick around. I don’t tolerate talking. If you can’t keep up, there’s the tutoring center or you may as well leave now and drop the class. I move fast. You have 16 weeks to learn this shit and move on to the next level of actual college level math. If you’re not on time, you fail the day. I lock the door when I enter. You miss the lecture, tough shit. Everything’s laid out on the syllabus what we’re covering each day. You’ll just have to figure it out yourself if you expect to pass my class. Your cell phones will be silenced or turned off. If I see it out, you will be asked to leave and you’ll not be marked for a whole week. You’re that stupid and need a calculator, go buy one. Don’t use your phone. I’ll just assume you’re texting or on Facebook. Now, open your packets to page 1 and we’ll go over my rules and the curriculum for this semester.”

September 10 Update

I’m so behind! *sob* If I wasn’t in pain all the time, I’d have book 2 edited, retyped, and sent off to the editor and book 3 at least mostly outlined and maybe partly written. But, nope. Pain and exhaustion was making it next to impossible to keep up with my writing. My alarm goes off at 5 a.m. and I glare at it for about 3 minutes before shutting it off and going back to bed for a few more hours and I’m still exhausted.

But, I have to get going on this. So, I’m laying out my goals to the end of the month. Starting today, I’m just diving into writing the third book. I’ll just word vomit and then worry about editing it later. It’s how I wrote a majority of book 1 anyway so it does, sometimes, work. I’ve tried to plan it out a few times but every time I’ve made the storyline insanely and unnecessarily complicated and that makes the writing part really hard because I look at my notes and think “What the hell kind of drugs am I on?”

So, this week, since I don’t have that many day job hours, I’m going to focus on word vomiting book 3 as much as I can. If I can get an average of 1500 words a day, or at least a chapter, I can get a majority of the story done before the end of the month. The main goal for this is to get this idea out of my head before I go back and edit book 2. Because the ideas for future books are distracting me and I have to get it out of my head. I think retyping book 2 will be a relatively quick process I can work on in October and send it off to the editor at last.

I’m also looking into saving for a professional cover design service I saw on another writer’s vlog. If I can redo the cover for book 1 and then have a fancy-dancy matching cover for book 2 and beyond, I’ll be very happy. I’m sure I’m not the only one who shares this opinion. I like when series covers coordinate. If nothing else, it looks pretty on the shelf.

So, since it’s September 9, and I’m almost done with chapter 1, I should be at chapter 21 by the end of the month. Which, if I follow the trend of my other books, it would be an almost complete manuscript. Now, I could do 2 or 3 chapters on off days. So, I may finish this very, very rough draft this month. I plan on taking the first weekend of October of because I will be busy celebrating my sister getting married to her long-time honey. Once all the lovey-dovey happiness and celebrating is done, then it’s back to work. And, hopefully, I’ll be back at book 2 so I can finally get it to my editor.
I also have a very special announcement! I’m offering a coupon code on my Etsy shop! Get 30% off my book at https://www.etsy.com/shop/WoCBooks when you enter the code Tumblr16 (because this was originally written on my Tumblr Blog). The code expires October 23 which is 7 months to the day I first published my novella. I do ship internationally. And, thanks to the Etsy Seller app, I’ll know right when I get an order and then I can send it off to you! I have 20 copies available currently in my home stock. If you want the ebook, here’s the Amazon link. (https://www.amazon.com/Witches-Coolersville-Book-ebook/dp/B01D81RJ0Q/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473472998&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=witches+of+coolersville) Paperback is also available on Amazon but I sign the ones sold on my Etsy shop.

If I get through all this and get book 2 to the editor, I’ll have a better idea when the book will be released. Aiming for early 2017. Exactly when is yet to be determined.

So, that’s it for now. I’m going to try and finish this chapter and then hit the sack. I work tomorrow evening so plenty of writing time beforehand. Maybe tomorrow will be a two chapter day. Who knows!

Have a great night. Thanks for reading and following and don’t forget to check out the links to my book!

Book 2 Update

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to post a quick update on how my Witches of Coolersville sequel is coming along. I'm editing the second draft with some Beta Feedback and looking for more to help me out. (See prior post for all the requirements) I'm also going to check out the NaNoWriMo forums to see if anyone would be interested.

I'm on vacation this week from my day job so I'll be able to do a LOT more work. I've also been reading more craft books and marketing books to continue to get the word out about my book. That's been a big help and I'm excited to start implementing some of the ideas I read about.

One thing I'm planning on is a guest blog post with my friend, Sandy. She's been working with a small press for her debut novel we're going to post on each others' blogs, not only to talk about our books but to share our different experiences in publishing. She said she's got another round of editing this week and then she should know a release date shortly after that.

Sandy is a lovely lady. We met through a pen-pal forum on the NaNoWriMo website. She's been my critique partner for both books. She sent me a draft of her book but that was right around when my computer decided to die on me so I couldn't read it. I'm so excited that she's been able to find a publisher.

I'll have more updates as the time gets closer.

Bye!
Carey

Beta Readers Wanted

Hi everyone!

 

I'm looking for more beta readers for my WoC sequel. I'm looking for girls and guys, preferably 16+, who would like to read a New Adult fantasy. You don't have to read book 1, but it would be helpful because book 1 sets up a lot of the story.

I'll have more information towards the end of the summer once I get feedback from round 1. So, if you want to read the first one, this gives you plenty of time to check out Amazon or my Etsy shop and get yourself a copy!

I'll be emailing you the second draft of my book with questions at the end of every chapter for you to answer. You will have a set time (to be determined) to read and fill out the questions and email it back to me. This draft is not professionally edited yet. I'm just looking for feedback on the story itself. Plot holes, inconsitencies, anything confusing, overall entertainment value.

 

Keep an eye out for more information as the time gets closer. Hope to hear from you!

Writing Tag

I saw this on Jenna Moreci's YouTube page. I plan on filming a collab with by friend, Lisa, but for fun I'm answering the questions by myself here.

1. A crazy hacker’s gone into your computer, and has deleted all of your music, except for one song off of your writing playlist. Which song is it?
Well, this wouldn't be an issue. I don't have a writing playlist right now outside my Pandora stations. So, that's not an issue.

2. Your protagonist and antagonist have been paired up by friends to go out to lunch together. Where do they go?
Yeah... I don't know how this would go. And, I don't want to talk too much about my book 1 protagonist because it's slowly revealed throughout the books and I don't want to give it away. I'll just say Tara would just end up being uncomfortable for a while. Book 2, there would be a fight. Book 3, one of my antagonists is this crazy billionaire running for mayor. He would pick a classic diner or steakhouse and they would just end up fighting the whole time.

3. You’re crossing a bridge when the troll living under it stops you. He demands to read a chapter from your novel, and won’t let you cross otherwise. Which chapter do you give him?
Chapter 6 is a very short chapter with an awesome dream scene. I had so much fun writing this one. Chapter 9 is a cute little date scene before the main issue arises. Then, there's chapter 20 with a big fight scene if the troll likes violence.

4. Your friends have invited you out to a party. Surprise! All of your characters are there. Who do you choose to hang out with?
This would be so fun! Yes!! Especially in book 1, I love all the characters. I'd probably sit with Gran and listen to her stories.

5. Crap. You left your car keys in your house, and you’ve (somehow) locked yourself out. Which of your characters picks the lock for you?
Darien. He's crafty and a little shady. He'd help me out with the expectation I'll repay him someday that he chooses. And, he'll also mock me for years to come until we're even.

6. The zombie apocalypse is happening right now. (It sucks.) Everyone is fleeing the planet, and moving to Mars. ONE of your characters can go with you. Who do you choose?
Hmm. As much as I'd hate to separate these two, I'd bring Lilia. She's tough and resourceful and super powerful and badass. Although, she'd probably work her way into a position of power and become queen of the planet.

7. You’ve been given the opportunity to travel to one place (town, building, landmark, country) in your book. Where do you go?
Hmm, well, since I never went to a "real college," I'd want to check out Continental College. The setting appears in book 2 of the series. It's a fairly large campus without being overwhelming. And then, just outside campus is a line of bars and clubs and shops to hang out at. It's just a cute little setting.

8. You meet your main character and start a conversation with them. Problem is, you’ve only got six words or less to do so. What do you say?
This is to start a conversation, right? So, I can use more later? Well, I'd probably say something like, "Have you read the Scarlet Trilogy?" Tara's a bookworm. So, I'd mention my favorite book series and watch her eyes light up as she talks about her passion.

9. Crazy acid rain is falling from the sky. Which of your characters would you use as an umbrella?
Easy, Abigail Tillman. She's a character in my 3rd book I'm currently working on. And, OMG, I already hate her. She's a snotty little rich girl. She is a party girl but her father is so stupid and absorbed in his own stuff that he thinks she's completely innocent and she's got him wrapped around her pinky. All she has to do is turn on the waterworks and she gets whatever she wants from him. And, when people refuse to put up with her shit, she gets Daddy involved to ruin their lives. Think a female Draco Malfoy.

10. You’re out at a restaurant with your main character, and the time has come to order dessert. What do you order for them?
Chocolate. Like me, Tara's a choco-holic. So, we'd probably order a molten brownie or something full of chocolaty goodness.


That's the writing tag! Whoever wants to do it next, feel free and I'll have another post soon. Bye!

New Website

Hey guys!
Real quick before I have to head out for the evening. I have a web site! Check it out here. It's hosted through VistaPrint and it's been really easy to put together. I'm slowly getting info up a little every day so I'll keep you all updated. Since I already have 2 blogs, the one on my web site will be strictly book news. Unless it's something I really want to share. Then I'll copy it here as well. Possibly in my RA one as well.

Later!
Carey

My Book is Out At Last!

Here it is! My book! I finally published it! Here's a look at my final cover design for my first book in the Witches of Coolersville series. 140 pages, 2 years of hard work, 1 1/2 years of talking about publishing, and I finally did it. I was going to originally have it out after Easter but I couldn't wait.

I took the leap. After trying and modifying for nearly a week, I did it! I'm so happy that this day has finally arrived.

I'm currently working on my sequel, although it's coming along slower than I'd like. But, now that book 1 is out, I will hopefully have more motivation to work on the next.

Here's the link for the physical book- http://www.amazon.com/Witches-Coolersville-Book/dp/1505607566/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1458531235&sr=1-1

Here is the link to the Kindle e-book- http://www.amazon.com/Witches-Coolersville-Book-ebook/dp/B01D81RJ0Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1458531235&sr=1-2

Videos Every Thursday!

Hey everyone,
This is going to be brief. Just wanted to make an announcement. I've been working on trying to get regular videos up on my channel on Thursdays. Here is the link. I already have 2 planned. One for tomorrow and one for next week. I may not always film on Thursdays. All depends on my work schedule. But, I have plans and I'll be working on posting them on Thursdays. I even figured out how to schedule videos. I'm so excited to do this. I feel like I've been slacking in the video department and I am sad about that. I have so much fun making videos and sharing my life and my passions for books and writing with you.

Check it out and please subscribe if you like what you see.
Thanks!
~Care

Story Sneak Peek

This is from my current story. Takes place in the middle of the book. When I originally wrote this, I thought it was missing something. And then, I had a dream and had to capture it in this story. It's only a first draft but I think it turned out pretty sweet.

 

The aching from hunger began to ebb away as time went on and her body adjusted to not eating. She spent most of the day attempting to sleep. She doubted she would have the strength to stand anymore since she remained chained to the cot. She started to sob but there were no more tears left for her to cry.

She may not have been hungry but she was viciously thirsty. Whatever they gave her, she could not get enough of it. It was the one thing sustaining her in this miserable period.

Not long after her arrival, she was unsure of how long time was passing but it was maybe a week if she had to guess, the nightmares began. Not the kind she would occasionally have as a child. She would wake up, call for her mother, and, once she realized she was in her room and safe, everything would be fine. No, these were beyond terrifying. Waking up screaming, crying, clutching the thin blanket to her chest and nearly hyperventilating for at least fifteen minutes.

The worst part about it was, these were memories. Her memories, or at least they seemed like memories. They featured people in her family, members of her father’s council, her brother’s friends. So, they had to be her own memories. And, they were horrible. They started with little things. Her father ignoring her when she wanted to show him a new song she learned on the piano or criticizing a poem she had stayed up half the night writing for her mother’s birthday.

Then, they gradually began to worsen. Her brother and his friends chasing her in the garden and pushing her into a rose bush. Being laughed at by the whole court when she forgot her lines during a court play. Her father and mother criticizing her when she was not successful in her lessons like her brother. “Why can you not be like your brother?” “Thank the Gods, you will not be queen. The nation would be doomed.” The insults and criticisms became gradually worse each time she recalled them in her half sleep. Until it came to the memory she wanted to forget the most. Kneeling before her father, in tears, begging him not to make her marry Duke Scumdart.

“Father, please,” she had cried. “Anyone else but him. Father, if you have any love for me at all, I beg you.”

“Oh, get up, child,” her father demanded. “Why must you create a scene about everything you dislike? The world is not going to end because I wish you to finally be wed.”

“But, Nicholas is older than me and he is not married yet,” she argued. “Why must I and not he?”

“SILENCE!” he shouted. He stood and she shrank back as he stepped toward her, glaring and continuing to shout. “I am your king, first and foremost. It is only by some unhappy accident I am even remotely responsible for your miserable existence. You will do as I say. You will marry the Duke within the month and you will be out of my hair at last. Once you are his wife, you will cease to be my daughter and become merely my subject.”

She turned a pleading gaze to her mother, who sat in the throne next to the king. “Mother?” But, she would not meet the girl’s gaze. “Do as you are told,” was all she said in a blank tone.

Trying to gather whatever dignity she had left, she staggered to her feet and bolted from the room. When she reached her bedchamber, she dismissed her ladies and servants, threw herself on the bed and sobbed.

With each time she woke from one of these nightmare visions, she found the feeling of sadness slowly fading away. For a while, she felt nothing. She, sometimes, did not even scream when she woke. She was merely short of breath from her heart racing at the emotion she recalled at the time. Then, the emptiness began to fill. With pure and utter hatred and loathing. She hated them all. She realized that her life was full of misery and despair. They never loved her. They only acted like they had until she was old enough to be married off and then they could pretend she never existed. She vowed that, if she ever got out of this hell hole they had shoved her in, they would regret everything. They would know her torment and she would be the one standing over them as they begged for the mercy they never gave her.

NaNoWriMo 2015- Day 1

Word Count:
My Total- 2978
Daily Goal- 1667

Wrote the prologue in the wee hours of the morning, taking advantage of the extra hour with Daylight Savings and just finished chapter 1 to put me at a spectacular 1st day lead! So excited! Shutting down now, though. Early day at work and then dinner with my dad. Going to try and write as much as possible before work and on break and when I get home again.

Boleyn King Book Review- no spoilers

The Boleyn King, by Laura Andersen
Book 1 Boleyn Trilogy
Star Rating- 3

I just finished this really fascinating book and I'm well into book 2. It's an alternate history, asking the question of "How would history be different if...?" This question being, "How would history be different if Anne Boleyn had never been executed and had a son and heir for Henry VIII?" The answer is 1) Not all that exciting for Henry. He, apparently, still dies fat and sick. 2) Not that exciting for Anne, either. While she well outlives her husband, she is pretty quiet in this story. 3) Pretty intriguing for her children and their friends. I'll try not to get spoilery in this review.

The story, first of three, centers around William (also known as Henry IX), his sister, Elizabeth (the real life Elizabeth I), and their friends Dominic and Minuette. Dominic is one of William's gentlemen and also childhood friend. Minuette is the daughter of one of Anne Boleyn's former ladies, born the same day as William, and Elizabeth's closest companion. I really like the friendship between these 4 at the beginning, and a good majority, of the book. Since they're all relatively young, by modern standards anyway, their bond kind of reminds me of a group of friends in high school or college. They vent to each other. They tease each other. There are times when they try to show each other up in little things. But, William is king so things are a little different and more complicated.

The story begins with William in the last year of his minority. He's 17. There's been a regency council put in place since the death of his father when he was 10 and when he's 18 he will be able to rule in his own right. But, there are issues. A courtier ends up dead, seemingly of a suicide but there are sketchy circumstances surrounding why she might want to kill herself. There is still the religious divide between Catholics and Protestants that was begun when Henry VIII divorced Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn. (We all know that story and what really went down there) The Catholic citizens see Mary, Will and Elizabeth's half-sister, as the only true heir to the thrown and there is a plot to prove that either Will is illegitimate or not even Henry VIII's son at all.

So, the 4 friends band together to try and solve these issues. Chaos and intrigue ensue. Feelings change. There's a love triangle and lots of excitement and drama. I am definitely excited to keep reading.

Why did I give it the rating I did? Well, I enjoyed it but I went into it thinking it was one thing and it turned out to be not quite as I expected. I guess it's from watching The Tudors on Netflix and reading Philippa Gregory books. I thought it would be more romance novelly. The romantic tension in some scenes are fantastic. But, it's all build up or just implied or mentioned that there was sex. As a fan of Nora Roberts-type books, this was a bit of a let down. Like I said, The Tudors and Philippa Gregory are to blame for this expectation in fiction based, however loosely or speculative, on this time period. Also, the pacing is pretty slow. The writing is enjoyable. The premise is fantastic. I love the characters and the varying dynamics between them. I was interested and I'm going to continue on in the trilogy but the pacing is making it a longer reading process than anticipated.

But, if you're interested in alternate history fiction, getting someone's answer to "What if...?" then, I recommend giving this book a shot. If you have read it, let me know what you think. I'd love to discuss other opinions. Maybe you noticed something I didn't. Or, you know another book in a similar style you loved and want to recommend. I'm always looking for new reads.

Thanks!
Carey

February 2015 Wrap-Up

Hello! Welcome to another wrap-up post. I read one book, started one book, and listened to an audio book for the month of February.

First, I completed Throne of Glass! It took me longer than I would have liked but it was so worth it! The sleepless nights I experienced were worth it! The writing was amazing. The characters were incredible and stand out so much in my memory. The plot was mind-blowing! I did a full review on my blog here. It starts off with no spoilers and gets more in depth with a few spoilers.

Next, I began a reread. I am rereading Scarlet by AC Gaughen. I did a video review on my YouTube channel so click here if you want to watch it. I am reading this a second time because I want to continue on in the trilogy. I have the second book, Lady Thief. I've had it for months. And book 3 comes out in May so I wanted to catch up and after reading Throne of Glass I wanted to tone things down a bit before diving into more fantasy. I was unable to complete it in February but I will for March and I will also read Lady Thief in March in order to stay on track with my reading challenge. I am about 2/3 complete and I will probably go read some more before bed. This was another book that cause me many sleepless nights but in that good, exciting way when you read books you love and don't want to put down. But, I wanted to refresh my memory so I can continue the series.

Suddenly, it was February 26! Only two days left in the month. How the heck am I going to read a book in two days with my work schedule? I don't want to fall behind in my reading challenge because that starts the whole domino effect and I end up reading 5 books all year.

Solution- Audio book! I listened to the Resurrection Casket. It's a Doctor Who book read by David Tennant. It is basically a Treasure Island in space story and it's so cute. I really enjoyed it. I've listened to it a number of times.

For March, I will complete Scarlet and read Lady Thief. If I can squeeze in a 3rd book, at least to start, bonus.

I'm off to read another chapter before sleep.

Happy reading!
~Carey

Throne of Glass Book Review (With Spoilers)

Title- Throne of Glass
Rating- 4.5 Stars

I just finished reading Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas! I loooved it! I was disappointed every time I had to put it down.

First, let me just say, look at how awesome that cover is! It is so beautiful. Even more so in a physical hard back copy. I squealed when I saw it on the shelf at the store because it is just so pretty.

I had heard so many people talking about this series. I know it's been out a while so I'm just kind of jumping on the bandwagon now. There are 3 books out in the series, not including a bind up of prequel novellas. According to Goodreads, there are supposed to be 6 books. This book is hugely popular among the BookTubers that I follow on YouTube. So, I figured I would give it a go.

The book takes place in this wonderful fantasy world ruled by a corrupt king who is very clearly bent on world domination and through the most brutal methods possible. Anyone who stands against him gets sent to a death camp. This is where we meet Celaena, our main character. She is the world's most notorious assassin. The crown prince comes to her and tells her he wants her to compete in a competition. The winner will work for his father, the king, for a period of time as his personal assassin and then she will win her freedom. Of course, Celaena jumps at this opportunity and agrees. She has to compete in a series of tests and survive to the final duel and the winner is crowned the King's Champion. Who wouldn't take that chance? Her competition is chosen by other members of the nobility. There are other assassins, thieves, former soldiers.

So, off she goes and there's drama and romance and intrigue and magic and the tasks are incredible and Celaena is just a bad ass and amazing and I just love her! The writing is incredible and fast paced. I actually would get upset every time I had to put the book down. I kind of had a Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire meets Hunger Games kind of feel as I read it. Goblet of Fire in terms of the tests they had to accomplish and Hunger Games because she's battling for her life and her freedom.

I highly recommend picking this up. I already got a coworker hooked on it. She saw me reading it on my break one day and asked about it and went to borrow it from the library. She came to me today and said, "Oh, my gosh. Carey, what did you get me into? This book is incredible!"

That's all I think I can say for the non-spoiler part. Now I'm going to get more in depth with the characters and the plot.

Bye non-spoiler people!

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Okay! So, who agrees that they already don't like the King of Assassins and we never officially meet him in the book? I've seen this in other reviews. At first you think, awe, he's actually kind of nice. Takes in this orphaned 8 year old and takes her under his wing. You can almost forgive the fact that he's training her to kill people for a living. But then, little by little, Celaena reveals the amount of crap she has to go through and you think, "Oh, my gosh. This guy is a rotten dirty bastard!" He forces her to break her right hand so she can gain skill in her left? Makes her stand on top of a building to overcome her fear of heights? Whaaat? That would be like sticking me in a room full of spiders to cure me of arachnophobia. Kill me now. And, she has to pay him back for food, training, and having a roof over her head. A touch of Memoirs of a Geisha there, how Sayuri has a debt to repay to Mother for raising her.

The love triangle- Oh, where to begin with that? First, I'm Team Dorian. I like Chaol. I think he's really cool and has his moments where he's really charming but Dorian I really love. And, not because he's the prince, although that is a perk. The way I picture him is like Jonathan Meyer in the first season of the Tudors. Dark hair, striking eyes, drop-dead-gorgeous looking. He's mischievous and charming. He is so nice to her and tries to give her confidence. Even though, his initial reason for asking her was just to piss off his father. But, I think he's trying really hard to find his own place and make a mark in the world that is better than the king's and it's not easy to do. And, he's not sure how to stand up to his father which makes life a little harder. Then, there's his mother who is constantly pushing him to get married. She's one of those moms who means well and tries to come across as being concerned for the future but just ends up being a pest.

Then, there's Chaol. He's the Captain of the Guard. He also trains Celaena for her tests. We don't get too much information on his background, aside from he's close friends with the Prince and he gave up some kind of title in his homeland. The name escapes me right now. Sorry. He takes his job very seriously. He doesn't trust easily. It takes him time to warm up to Celaena and see her as anything but "an assassin," especially when he sees that Dorian might be developing feelings for her and tries to say that nothing could come of a relationship with her.

The other characters I'm going to be pretty brief about because we meet a lot of people in this book and lots of them I still can't figure out yet. The King, Dorian's father, terrifies me. Every time he appears in this book I get the chills. Had this book been written 50 years ago, I could see an actor such as Vincent Price playing him. He is just mad for power and will do whatever it takes to get it. No matter how many people have to die.

Princess Nehemia I eventually came to like. I got the feeling she knew more than she let on about the Wyrdmarks and it was so cool that she has powers! (Magic has been banned by the king) I love how Celaena was able to have a female friend who is just as bad ass and cool as she is. They relate to so much from their prior life experiences. I hope we see plenty more in upcoming books.

Lady Kaltain annoyed me. This is a horrible comparison, I know, but she's like the popular cheerleader in high school who has to have the captain of the football team because of his title. That's how she goes after the Prince. She doesn't actually love him. She just wants him because she's the prince, which means one day he'll be king and she will be queen if they get married. But, I can't figure her out either. She gets these head aches and these voices about needing more power and reaching her ambition which she treats with opium. And, at first, I thought the opium was causing the voices. As part of her addiction. If she goes so long without it it's like a withdrawal symptom or something? But, then that last conversation between the King and Duke Perrington made me realize they're using her as a pawn for something. But we won't find out until further on in the series!

The description of the death camp where we meet Celaena was incredible in an awful and frightening kind of way. I wonder if they were inspired by the Nazi camps and the atrocities that took place there. (Hmm, something to Google later)

I love that even though magic is supposed to be banned from this country, there are still hints of it throughout. When Celaena is first released from the camp and is traveling with Chaol and the Prince, she can still sense the fairies and the spirits in the forest. The markings that she sees at the palace we find have an ancient power to them. The first queen of this land was part fae. Great set up for the rest of the series where I hope magic will be restored.

One of my favorite parts was one that just made me laugh so much. As Celaena is training, she's getting healthy again and this means her body is returning to normal. And since she is a young woman, this means she gets her period back. Any girl can sympathize with this. Apparently, she gets cramps so bad that it makes her physically sick. Chaol can't deal with this. He's just like, "Ugh! Girl stuff! Keep me away!" Dorian isn't phased by it and comes to talk to her anyway. Celaena being Celaena practically tells him where to go because she has cramps and doesn't want to be bothered. Their interaction is so funny!

As I've mentioned, the tests give me a Goblet of Fire feel. Some are pretty simple and just barely mentioned. Some are intense and exciting. I love when they have to spar against each other and Celaena takes down her opponent ridiculously fast. She tells the weapons master to "find her a real man" and maybe she'll make more of an attempt next time.

I wish the big bad didn't turn out to be Cain. It was pretty obvious. He was the biggest and best of the group of other competitors. It seemed like the obvious choice to make him the cause of the other opponents dying. If it was someone who was smaller and seemingly less significant, it would have been more of a twist. But, that could be just me.

The final battle. Oh wow. That had to be some of the most intense reading ever! I finished it in a few hours one morning. Had the day off and just woke up and read and read until I was done. At first, I thought it was too much. There was too much going on! I can't take it all in! But, when it was done, I was awestruck.

I'm starting to ramble now and I don't know what else I can say because there's so much to this book and it's only the first! Um, whaat?

Can't wait to get Crown of Midnight! I need to know what happens next!

What I Read In January 2015

I was going to do a video about this but many of my books are not currently at home. I'm slowly moving and my book collection is at my future home.
For the month of January, I read 2 books which keeps me on track for my Goodreads goal of 24 this year. I started 3, 1 of which I completely abandoned until later in the year and I'll explain why. 1 I think I have to be really in the mood to continue. And the other I'm so mad I left it because I'm dying to continue!

First book I read was The White Queen by Philippa Gregory. This book is the first in the Cousins War series. I reviewed this book in a previous post so I am not going to go into much detail but I enjoyed it and gave it 3.5/5 stars. I really enjoyed the concept of the story. The characters were wonderful and since it's based on history, I want to know more facts. There's just a touch of the supernatural in it for me to really love and, if you're a dreamer like me, you almost want to believe things happened like that. My problem was the pacing of the story was off. There would be all this action and romance and then nothing for several pages. But, I do want to finish the series. I just wasn't blown away enough to say, "Oh man, I have to read the next one now!" like I have with some of her previous books.

The next book I read, and the second I completed was Witch Child by Celia Rees. I first heard about this from the lovely Dawn Kurtagich. She did a Top 5 Historical Books video in December and mentioned it. It is the story of Mary who is a young woman living in England in the late 1650s and she is a witch. She was raised by her grandmother and practices healing. Her grandmother would tell peoples fortunes along with being a healer herself and tell supernatural stories but then she is persecuted as a witch and horribly killed. Mary flees to the New World with a Puritan community and has to try and blend in. The book is told as her diary so you see her thoughts and opinions about these people. Some she likes and some she doesn't and usually those people feel the same. What I liked about this book was similar to White Queen. The writing is amazing. I was so enthralled in her journey and her struggle to be the meek little Puritan girl when she is really very outspoken and not like the others at all. There was just enough magic to make it believable. Sure, there were the cliche witch trial scenes with the screaming girls that you just want to smack in the face but witch trial stories are like romance novels. There's only so many ways you can describe certain scenes so they're going to sound hokey and cliche. But, it's not overwhelmed with it like in the Crucible. This book got 5/5 stars from me.

The book that I abandoned was called Ouija by Katharine Turner. This was an on-a-whim buy for me. I don't really go for scary stories and certainly will never watch the movie because I heard it was a gawd-awful adaptation. But, this is not a book to be read at night. I picked it up one night because I was too lazy to go in the other room and get Witch Child out of my purse so I grabbed something within reach in the bedroom. I read about 3 chapters. Maybe 4? Don't remember. Had to put it down because I just started feeling weird and there was already a death. *Sorry, spoilers* And then that whole rest of the night I couldn't sleep and when I did sleep I had weird dreams. So, this will be a day time only read closer to Halloween and then I will watch lots of Disney movies before bed. But, I included the Amazon link if you are interested anyway.

Another book I began but is on hold is Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I thought with Valentine's Day coming up I'd go for a cute contemporary and I had heard a lot of great things about this book and the 2 companion/sequels in the trilogy. But, I just couldn't get into it that much. I don't mean it's bad. It's an interesting story and I'm starting to like the characters. Anna's awkwardness is definitely something I can relate to because I was a very awkward teen... and 20-something... and 30-something. ^^; But, I just couldn't stay hooked yet. So, I will try again down the road.

Finally, the book I'm really enjoying but I left it at my future home and won't get to read it again until Friday. It is Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas! I already know I want the next books. There are 2 out plus the prequel novellas and there are 3 more still to come according to Goodreads! I haven't gotten too far into it yet but I'm loving everything so far. The writing is awesome. The characters are fascinating and some you either one to love or hit. Some, like our lovely main Celaena, you can't quite figure out. I love how it's mostly from her story but then you get glimpses into Prince Dorian or Chaol (pronounced Kale as I found out from a review video). I had a heart-stopping moment and this shows what a geek I am. Chaol is giving her a tour of the castle and they find the library and he tells her it contains over ONE MILLION BOOKS! Oh! I read that at work. My heart stopped, I nearly fell out of my chair. I actually sighed out loud and had to set the book down to process that. People were probably staring at me but I didn't care. I can't wait to keep reading and I need to get my hands on the rest of the series!! I'll do a proper review either here or on my YouTube channel when I'm reading.

So, that's my January 2015 reading wrap-up. I'll have another at the end of February. In the meantime, keep an eye out for writing updates and other posts. Check out my social media and YouTube. Have a great night. Hope where you're at is warm and wonderful because here it's sub-zero and snowing. But, hey, book and a blanket weather!

Bye! ^.~
Carey

Story Snippet from New Witch On Campus

Here is a snippet from the first draft of my second book in my Witches of Coolersville series, New Witch on Campus. I'm having so much fun writing this and I've definitely turned up the drama level as this scene shows. Enjoy!

“You didn’t have to be so rude back there,” Tara continued. “You embarrassed me in front of my friends.”

“Oh, your new boyfriend?” Henry demanded.

“He’s not my boyfriend, you idiot,” said Tara. “You are. Michael’s just a friend.”

Henry let out a short laugh that sounded almost like a bark. “Oh, is he? He seemed to be getting pretty cozy over there. Applied for the same school as you. You and Marissa suggesting he work for your grandma. I saw the way he was looking at you. He’s got more than friendship on his mind. He might even be in love with you.”

Tara was taken aback at this statement. She tried to will herself to keep her expression indifferent but she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. “And, how do you know that, Henry James?” He winced when she used his first and middle name. “Are you psychic all of a sudden?”

“I know because it’s the same way I feel about you!” he shouted.

Tara glared at him. “Well, aren’t you just…” Suddenly what he said hit her. “Wait… what?”

Henry sighed. “That’s not how I wanted to tell you. But, I love you, Tara. And, I’m pissed at you at the same time.” He waited for a minute. “Well, don’t just stare at me. Say something, damn you!”

Tara just gaped at him. Her mind was screaming a thousand different things but she couldn’t get her voice to work. Henry rolled his eyes and turned to go and she forced herself to speak. “Don’t get mad at me. You freakin’ blindsided me! I don’t know what to say. You can’t blame me for that.”

“Whatever,” grumbled Henry. “Let me know when you have something to say. See you in class.” He walked away and she stood rooted to the spot for what felt like an eternity.

Book Review: The White Queen

Book- The White Queen
Author- Philippa Gregory
Goodreads Rating- 3 Stars
Actual Rating- 3.5 Stars

Oh, hey! This is my 100th post on my blog! Woo!

I love Philippa Gregory books so when I saw this series, nearly the whole thing, at Half-Price Books, I grabbed it and couldn't wait to read it. Her telling of historical events, obviously embellished because it's fiction has always interested me and the facts she uses gets me interested enough to research the time period more.

This first book in the Cousins War series was no exception. I have read and watched plenty of things about the Tudors but I just sort of glossed over the people before them and the story behind their rise to power. This first book focuses on Elizabeth Woodville, the mother of Elizabeth of York who became the wife of Henry Tudor or Henry VII. It's a beautiful tale with love and court drama and huge battles with a touch of fantasy. Elizabeth's family have a tradition in her mother's side where they believe they are descendants of a water goddess and practice magic. This, of course, is forbidden during this time but they pull it off by being discrete and the high position Elizabeth eventually rises to helps shield her from question... for the most part.

I read in the author's not that in Philippa Gregory's research, this was a fact and so she capitalized on it in her story in a way you'll have to read for yourself because I don't want to give too much away.

Elizabeth Woodville is a historical figure who seems to be a footnote in a lot of sources. I'm interested to read some more about her and find out why. I like the way she is portrayed in this story. A highly passionate, highly ambitious woman. She had a great love for her husband and her family. Much mystery still surrounds the fate of her boys, known now as the Princes of the Tower. This story mixed fact with fantasy enough to peek my interest in her and her family.

There were parts in this book that did get slow and boring. It took me a while to finish it. (I also started it around the holidays so that didn't help either) But, despite that, I am still interested enough to continue reading in the series and I can't wait to see what book 2 has in store.