Review of a paranormal romance series...yes I do read that stuff

Well with all the snow that seems to never stop I have been reading a lot.  Instead of being the good little writer that I am I have been catching up on new authors and their series.  This weekend since I was having trouble sleeping due to arthritis pain I managed to read all of the current Chicagoland Vampire books by Chloe Neill.

Oh this series was fun.  Starting with the common problem of a lot of heroines of not asking to be made into a vampire this story could have gone so many very ways.  Thankfully it was handled beautifully.  This series, while officially a paranormal romance, doesn't get into the romance part until the middle of the series.  The attraction/repulsion between the heroine and her maker is handled very well.

Like always I find myself enjoying more the secondary characters in this series.  Luc, the guard captian, Lindsey, one of the guards.  Jeff, the shifter computer genius, Chuck, the grandfather/retired cop and currnet head of the Omnibud office.  all this characters give a great depth to the tales being woven.

I looked over the reviews on amazon and I was surprised at the negativity in some of them.  The advantage of sitting down and reading the entire series in one shot you get a chance to see the characters develop and grow, the story unfold and all the interesting threads that are being woven.  Other reviewers seem to think that the sixth and seventh book were not as good as the ones previous and I have no idea why.  I found that the tale slowly evolved just as it should.  There was no stutters, no overworked bits or skinny light bits.  This is a fun series.  Not too dark or too light, a nice mix of good writing, great characterizations and interesting battles.  So I would say get this one for sure.

Now the author has another series.  This second one has not grabbed me the way that Chicagoland Vampires did but then it is a YA paranormal.  As much as I find I like paranormals, I am not so into ones meant for teens.  They tend to be less..everything for me.  While they are the most popular genre out there right now the stories most times just come off too light.  Occasionally you get something amazing but so far Ms Neill's Dark Elite series just doesn't grab me.  I will have to try again and hope it does.

Patricia Briggs

Okay I admit it, I have been a bad, bad blogger and writer.  I have taken time off to just sit back and read a few books.  Now if you know me you will realize that a few books is not two or three but more like ten.  I decided I needed to read and I just sat back and started with Ms Briggs Alpha and Omega books.  I had read her Mercy Thompson books before and this nice little series about Charles and Anna are a great pairing.

She deftly deals with the type of damage that being made into a rape toy would have on a woman.  As a turned werewolf Anna should have been taken care of, taught what she should be.  As an Omega she should have been treasured.  Charles' reaction to her is beautifully handled.

As an author I find I enjoy the well told tale even more.  A lot of writers tell me that they get caught up in structure and grammar or other little things.  I will say yes I found some things bug me more but I also have found I really understand and enjoy the work that goes into these tales.  The research and the understanding of how things should be.

These three books are strong examples of good storytelling.  They were so good and of course I had to go back and re read the Mercy Thompson books that I had all ready read.  thankfully there were three more that I had not read and one more on the way.  Spending a full day and half reading is a way of being recharged as a writer.

So today I honor Patricia Briggs and her amazing characters.  The rich world she has created filled with coyotoes, werewolves and magic is well worth spending time in.

Okay back to work...or how about another review I wrote?

After a month of computer issues, sickness, holidays, birthdays, and book releases I admit I have not been blogging like I should.  I have too many blogs I think at times but I like keeping my various selves separate.  I have put up reviews of some of the amazing indie authors I have had the pleasure of discovering over the past two years but I thought hey you do read other stuff too!

So instead of a review of a bright new star I figured I could put up one of my reviews of an established writer who is part of the traditional publishing world. 

Charlaine Harris is a name that most in the paranormal romance field know.  Many of us have come to adore the show based on her Sookie Stackhouse books, True Blood but she has written many others books.  Most that I have read fall into that paranormal romance category but not all of her work does.  This book is one from outside the field she is so well known for.

A Secret Rage could be considered a woman's book, a mystery or a literary fiction.  Published back in 2007 it is a very different piece of work.  here is my review.

Everything old is new, December 16, 2013

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: A Secret Rage (Kindle Edition)

After becoming a huge fan of Ms Harris' paranormal novels I really had to read everything I could find.

This novel is a simple gothic told in her style. It has little bit of southernisms that you expect from this multitalented author. The characters are crisp and intelligent and strong. The dark theme of rape and its effect on the women who suffer it is handled cleanly and well. Being set in the deep south like most of her novels this tale shows us the different ways that subcultures within our own deal with the victim.

I was actually both surprised and happy at how she dealt with the climax of this story. While the subject matter is dark this novel left me feeling content.

I have two new little friends!

Okay not so much friends as I have built two new gundams.  I am getting better at them and they don't take me as much time as I expect them to anymore.  No they aren't as cool as the ones my hubby builds but they are rather nice and cute.  So here you go

Okay these are of the same two little guys (or not so little on one of them).  I did not take these..these were taken by a combo of my daughter and my hubby...they are fun little guys.  both of them convert to other modes but I generally keep them in the same form all the time but my hubby loves to play with them.  I have another one coming in the mail soon that will be a centaur!  And it can combine with others so I will probably take one photo with legs, horn and wings...just cause I can!

Christmas themes are not just christian

Well this morning I saw a post over on facebook dealing with A Christmas Carol.  Anyone who knows me knows that I adore this story.  I have read it, hunted down various versions and try to watch all the different movies that have been put out.

Yes Charles Dickens wrote this tale a very long time ago and yes Britain that time was pretty much a harsh place to live in.  The tale as we know is all about teaching a miserly person to see the where his life went wrong and where he will end up if he doesn't change.

Now yes I will say that this has a lot of so called Christian ethos in it but I am sorry but Dickens wasn't writing this to promote Christianity...he was making a harsh statement against greed and the self serving attitude that was prevalent then as it is now.

Scrooge is taken through his life from start to finish and we see what turned him into the man he is.  The focus on being sucessful and not seeing what you have before you is not new.  Thanks in part to my generation this story is even more appropraite.  Everyone is so focused on owning the newest gadgets or us against them instead of seeing what is before them.

There are so many who need help in the world but the scrooges outweigh those who would try and help.  Yes we have had so many tragedies this past year but we need to look around us.  How many of you have tossed a coin in the red bucket this year?  Or baked something for a bake sale for charity?  Made a mitten or a hat for those in need?  I bet not as many as we need.

Every year I make baked goods for people, knit or crochet up hats and mittens for the school comfort drive and drop what change I can into those buckets.  I don't do this because I am a Christian, because I am not.  I am a Wiccan and my hubby is a Buddhist.  There are so many simple ways to see those around you who need help.

This season has been celebrated for thousands of years by every religion on the planet.  Many of the things that are thought of as Christian Christmas are from much older cultures and religions. 

Okay I admit I am rambling here but all the keep christ in christmas and bring back this or that people need to take a long look at their religion.  Those things they hold so close to their heart came from outside their religion.  Christmas trees, presents, festivals of light, food, songs, all of it started outside of Christianity.  Even the date chosen is not the true date of Christ's birth.

I agree we need to take the consumerism out of the holiday but please remember that it is not a christian holiday.  It is a world wide holiday.  A reason to celebrate family, life and love.  But mostly life...for with the longest night of the year just days before the 25th we are celebrating that the year is turning.  So instead of complaining about religion go out, help someone and be a good person.  No matter if you are muslim, jewish or christian.  You all have a reason to celebrate this festival and should  go out and help someone, somehow.

Shovel your neighbor's driveway or sidewalk, donate to the soup kitchen, buy a present for toys for tots and give a homeless person a mcDonald's gift certificate booklet so they can eat.  Just remember that we are all human and we all need to care for our fellows

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving all my favorite people! I hope you have lots of love, food, laughter, food, fun and of course food today! May your pants be comfy, your turkey be moist and the fixings be filling. May laughter ring through your halls and may you feel the love you all deserve.

As always I have a nice review for you all to look over.

		Novel Ideas Price: $4.99
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful Yes one person can make a difference, February 5, 2013 This review is from: Novel Ideas (Kindle Edition) This book starts out almost like a modern day family drama but as you get into it you realize we are reading the future. Not as we hope it will be but the way it could be if bad things happen. Not bad enough for war but how one ideology can go wrong and still think it is protecting the people. The heart of this story is a relationship, that between a grandfather and his granddaughter. The incredibly prolific writer who becomes a recluse is almost cliche now a days but having an unknown child come into his life and change it and him is so worth reading. You come to care for these two character and the cast of secondary characters around them. While you might not agree with where the author took America and the rest of the world the story is very well written and the characters are enchanting. A fine read for a cold day.

An odd yet highly interesting tale from down under

As you can tell if you follow my blogs, I read a lot.  I don't just read one type of story or one genre.  The best thing about being online like I have been is that you get introduced to a lot of writers.  In most cases these are writers who have yet to make a huge mark on the reading public.  I hope that those i have featured here will gather more readers because they are really good. 

Today I thought I would put up my review of Jo Robinson.  She is a very nice lady who has worked on a number of the anthologies I have been a part of.  This review is of one of her stand alone works.

		Fly Birdie Price: $0.99
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful A sweet story of transformation, September 27, 2013 Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Fly Birdie (Kindle Edition) When I started to read this I was convinced this character was lost, living in a place she did not understand. As the story unfolded the characters brought in started to change the heroine. From a sad, frightened woman she grew strong and loving. The care she lavished on the bird was sweet and wonderful. A great read.