Musings of a Hopeful Author

Enter to Win by Kirsten Jany My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway. I really enjoyed this book! I enjoyed the plot, the premise, and the way the story was told through the eyes of the main contestants/suspects. I like the pace of the book. The chapters were short, varying by contestant point of view, and did a good job of conveying information to you with a slant based on who was telling the story at that time. The plot was engaging, and kept you guessing until the end. Overall, it was a solid story that entertained as it unfolded a mystery of who did the crime and why. View all my reviews

The Pickup Pros by Maria-Foteini Alevizou My rating: 3 of 5 stars This is an entertaining take on career "professionals" attempts to pickup ladies using their workplace jargon/mindsets. Delivered in comic strip form, it was a quick read that brought a smile to your face. View all my reviews

I just finished reading Masks by E.C. Blake and really enjoyed it. If you're interested in seeing what it's about, here's my goodreads review: Masks by E.C. Blake My rating: 5 of 5 stars I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I wasn’t sure how I would like Masks due to the premise that everyone in the autarchy had to wear them once they achieved adulthood, but I was pleasantly surprised by the way Blake weaved the masks into the story. Everything about this book felt like it was deeper than you originally thought. The characters were well written and had pasts that you get glimpses of throughout the story that underlines what motivates the various characters. I also enjoyed the way Blake explains the various roles of the masks in society and how they are masks into the wearer’s soul so to speak. As for the structure of the book, I thought Blake did a great job of grabbing your attention right at the beginning even though you didn’t f

I just finished reading Jack of Hearts, a book I won on Goodreads, and wrote a review of the book.  If you're interested in hearing what I had to say, please see below. Jack of Hearts by Ricardo Bare My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. I don’t generally read books about alternative worlds and magic, but I thought this book looked interesting and I loved the premise. Overall, I enjoyed the story and thought the characters were unique and engaging. I thought Bare did a good job of describing Jack’s world and his various encounters and adventures on his journey. As for the book, I thought that the opening did a great job of getting your attention. It outlined who Jack was and why he was different, and it did a great job introducing you to Jack’s world. After that it slows down a good bit, and though the writing is good it took some determination on my part to get through the middle of the book. It takes a while for you to ga

Have you ever found that you have something you want to write, say a piece of a bigger story you are still thinking over, but you also have a book or ten you want to read?  I find that I run into that very conundrum all the time!  I tend to have any number of stories churning in my mind at any given moment, and yet if I don't feel like I have a place to go with any of them just yet I become one of the easiest people in the world to distract.  Books tend to be my main distraction, and since I have something of a problem where I collect them, the distraction is no small one.  What kinds of books you ask?  Oh, all kinds!  I don't like to limit my collection to any particular genre or topic. However, I have found that I tend to go through phases where I collect books on specific things.  I am currently on something of a Sherlock Holmes kick where I am not only reading the original series by Conan Doyle, but have also expanded to include books by other authors where Holmes is a ke

I don't know about other writers, but of all the stories I come up with and set to paper, there is one that will always be closer to my heart than any other.  It's the one that first ignited my imagination and opened my eyes to the idea of writing a book.  It's the one I think of when my mind is wandering or when I am trying to clear my mind to fall asleep at night.  It's the story that I would rather spend the rest of my life writing than get it wrong.  It's the story that I want to succeed more than any other, and yet it's the story that I feel will never be as good as it could be... it's the second book in my three part Marcus Saga. Laying Down Arms is a love story that I think would do well as a stand alone book, but to truly appreciate it you need the history that is provided in the first book and the Swan song that is the third.  It's a story that I have been developing ever since my senior year of high school through college and into my life as

I am not someone who would ever be described as fearful or easily discouraged, however, when I think of sending out query letters to potential agents I feel a level of anxiety I haven't experienced since I took Calculus as a freshman in college.  I can at least justify my dread of Calculus.  I wasn't allowed a graphing calculator, so I was flying solo with only my flapping arms keeping me in the air rather than the super sleek jet I had anticipated having with me.  I would have you know that I did not fail Calculus.  I did not get an A either, but I made a grade that was sufficient to let me to mark it as complete and advance to the next hurdle.  In telling that story I can only assume that I am supposed to walk away with the life lesson that I overcame adversity in an area that I was only barely competent in, how much better should it be for something I truly care about and enjoy?  Due to my complete lack of attempts to actually wade into the big world of editors, agents, an