Thursday, July 23, 2015

The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins



This book holds secrets.
There's a lot of darkness. Lots of wondering about what goes on behind closed doors. People wondering about how much they really know a person. And why is this woman riding on a train day after day after day?
And then everything starts getting pieced together via the thoughts of a drunk, an serial adulterer, and a... narcissistic adulterer.
I guess at the end all I have to say is: Don't marry someone you don't know well.
And now lets talk about the sanctity of marriage. Why oh why must everyone be an adultering whore? Why can't people just get married and not sleep around?

I've read a lot of reviews where TGOTT has been compared to Gone Girl.
They're both thrillers but unique in their own way.
By the time I got done reading Gone Girl, the characters morphed throughout the book into people I couldn't stand.
In TGOTT, I couldn't stand the bad people throughout the entire book. I was sad for Rachel, but the rest of the characters were... well, you'll have to read it and find out for yourself.

It was a good read.
But the adultery turned me off big time.
3.8 stars

PS : I always wonder to myself why books like these sell so well. Is it the thrill, the mystery, the drama of crumbling marriages and secrets kept between spouses? Am I the last human on the planet with an ounce of morality?


Tuesday, July 21, 2015

New Release Tuesday

Happy Book Birthday to fellow KindleScout author 
Monte Dutton

His novel Crazy of Natural Causes releases today!



Facebook posts


really, it's the worst.

Posted by M. R. Pritchard on Monday, July 20, 2015

Monday, July 20, 2015

Please welcome Joshua Jacobs author of The Withering







I caught up with Joshua after he got back from vacation. I was insanely jealous because... he went on vacation.
Let's see what Joshua had to say about zombies, reading, and writing. 


1. It’s the zombie apocalypse and writers have got to stick together to survive. Pick 3 authors to be on your zombie apocalypse killing team and tell us why you’d choose them.
Joshua says: Stephen King, Neal Shusterman, and George R.R. Martin. I would pick the first two because of the extensive list of diverse books they’ve penned. Their imagination is boundless, and their creativity is sure to help us get out of bad situations. I would pick George R.R. Martin simply because he’s a man who clearly knows how to do the dirty work, which in a zombie apocalypse is going to be essential. Stephen, Neal, and I would have to be wary, though, or George might kill us off when we least expect it…
Meredith says: I feel like George knows how to make people die when you least expect it. That could come in handy.
Joshua says: Or come back to bite me in the ass!
Meredith says: Literally. Like, by a zombie...


2. If Stephen King and J. K. Rowling were drowning in a river, who would you save first? And now you have to tell us why.
Joshua says: Stephen King. And this is no hate toward J.K. Rowling. I’m a huge fan of the Harry Potter series, but I still read and enjoy the books Stephen King continues to write. I wish I could say the same about J.K. Rowling’s work. Now if she wanted to write a prequel to the series…
Meredith says: I haven't read any of her other stuff. But a prequel would be kinda cool. I was a Stephen King fan before I was a Rowling fan. The first book I bought for myself was 'Bag of Bones' and it continues to be one of my favorite books. I think I've read it about 20 times.
Joshua says: I’ll have to read ‘Bag of Bones.’ I’ve seen the movie, and as everyone knows, Stephen King movies leave a lot to be desired.
Meredith says: You're supposed to read the book first, Joshua. Always read the book first. (I'm joking! I've watched the movie first on more than a few good reads) I feel like the ‘Bag of Bones’ movie barely hinted at the great parts of the book, as usual.

3. We authors are voracious readers. My TBR list is approximately 8 miles long. What are you currently reading?
Joshua says: I’m currently reading The Martian by Andy Weir. If anyone else has read this, I’m curious to hear your thoughts.
Meredith says: see below


4. What is the one book that you could read a million times and never get bored with?
Joshua says: Night by Eli Wiesel. If you’ve read it, you know why.
Meredith says: Gosh, I haven't read that since high school. Makes me want to read it again.
Joshua says: Everyone should read it at least twice.

5. Last year my favorite read was The Martian by Andy Weir. What was your best read of 2014?
Joshua says: Well look at that! We MUST have a discussion about this book. My favorite book from last year was probably Looking for Alaska by John Green. Green’s writing is so simple yet incredibly powerful, and his ability to write unique, consistent characters is a skill I wish I had.
Meredith says: Ooooh! I've been waiting to read Looking for Alaska.
Okay, on to The Martian! How far into the book are you? I found that during the first quarter of the book I got real tired of potato calories being counted, the only thing that kept me going was Mark Watney's sense of humor and phenomenal use of swear words.
Joshua says: Yes! Thank you! I’m about 100 pages in. I was reading it while on vacation, and I felt like I needed to take a vacation just from that book. I felt like I was reading a science report from high school all over again. Please tell me it’s worth it.
Meredith says: It's worth it! So so worth it. The science report stuff will be over soon. At least with the potatoes. I think he goes into some electronics and physics but it doesn't drag as bad as the potato part.




6. This year my favorite read has been The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. What’s the best book you’ve read so far in 2015?
Joshua says: This year’s leader is the YA novel, An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. I breezed through it so quickly, I forgot it was almost 500 pages.
Meredith says: Nice. Adding it to my TBR list.


7. You’re a writer by day and a superhero by night. (Take off those geeky glasses Superman) What’s your superpower?
Joshua says: I want to fly!! Which is a little ironic since I’m mildly afraid of heights…
Meredith says: That is kinda funny. But if you can fly you can't fall!
Joshua says: True, but super heroes always seem to have their weaknesses come back to hurt them in the end.

8. I have writing spots all over my house: my desk, my couch, the patio, and my bed. Where’s your favorite spot to write?
Joshua says: I used to write everything at the desk in my loft, but I recently moved and no longer have that writing space. As of yet, I haven’t found a new favorite writing spot. Wish me luck!
Meredith says: Good luck!! I got rid of my dining room table and replaced it with a desk, if you're looking for suggestions...
Joshua says: Ha! Who needs a dining room table these days anyway, right?
Meredith says: I don't even miss it.

9. We’re supposed to love all of our children equally, but there are some scenes I’ve written that really stick out in my mind. Tell us your favorite scene from your book The Withering.
Joshua says: My favorite scene comes relatively early in the book as Alice returns to the city in which she grew up. She’s waylaid by two men looking to rape her. For me this scene is pivotal because it shows two things 1) just how dark a place the world has become and 2) just how brave Alice really is despite her weaknesses.
Meredith says: There is so much emotion in scenes with violence or near-violence, and I feel like if you can portray the emotions effectively, it makes for a powerful scene that no one forgets. Kudos, I can't wait to read it.
Joshua says: I look forward to what you have to say!
10. Sometimes a little too much of myself slips into my characters. Which one of your characters most resembles you?
Joshua says: This may come as a surprise because he’s naïve and even downright ignorant at times, but there are pieces of me in Ethan’s character. Though our circumstances are wildly different, his character growth throughout the novel in many ways resembles my own growth throughout my mid-twenties.
Meredith says: I always come across this quote on writing that says "write what you know." I feel like sometimes we have no choice but to put ourselves in our books, it makes the characters authentic and real.


11. I’ve always got tunes rocking while I’m writing. Tell us five songs that are on your playlist.
Joshua says: I’m so jealous! I wish I could listen to music and write at the same time, but I am too easily distracted. However, my top five songs would be, in no particular order, I’m Ready by Jack’s Mannequin, Santeria by Sublime, Cecilia and the Satellite by Andrew McMahon, Trap Queen by Fetty Wap, and Shotgun Rider by Tim McGraw. Yes, eclectic, I know.
Meredith says: Okay, that is one of the most eclectic playlists I've come across. I mean, Tim McGraw and Fetty Wap...
Joshua says: I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s a little something for any situation.

12. If you could tell an aspiring author one tiny tidbit of information, what would you say?
Joshua says: Practice your skill! Read other authors and analyze what they’re doing that works, write often, take writing classes, read books on writing. I’ve met too many writers over the past ten years who simply stop growing at an early point because they believe their work is ready to be published. I’ve never met a writer who can objectively look back at the first book they wrote and praise it. Most are like the first book I wrote back when I was twenty: total crap!
Meredith says: So important! I remember looking back at my first book and thinking it was crap. And then I rewrote it all. So important to read read read and analyze. I feel like there are a lot of new authors who don't do this and it's a detriment to their work.
Joshua says: That’s impressive that you went back and rewrote it. These days I’m afraid to even open the document that contains my first novel.
Meredith says: Open that sucker up and roll in the gloriousness of your improvements.


Get your copy of TheWithering




Connect with Joshua Jacobs:





(Meet Joshua. I want to call him Josh)



Saturday, July 18, 2015

Why editing a 85,000+ word book is so difficult

You know the words that are supposed to be there, you've read them a thousand times, sometimes your eyes just fill in the errors.

Can you do it?
Posted by Grammarly on Friday, July 17, 2015

Monday, July 13, 2015

Please welcome Olivia Vetrano author of Neverland




When Olivia finally got a break from her final exams, she let me pester her with questions. Let's see what she has to say about zombies, reading, and writing.


1. It’s the zombie apocalypse and writers have got to stick together to survive. Pick 3 authors to be on your zombie apocalypse killing team and tell us why you’d choose them.
Olivia says: I don't know if it's because I'm particularly pessimistic, but I would not for a second assume I'd have any chance of surviving any kind of apocalypse. So instead of assembling a fighting team of authors, I'd pick the ones I'd like to spend my final moments with. Morbid, sure, but if I was about to die, being surrounded by my favorite authors might soften the blow. Only being able to choose three is tough, but I'd narrow it down to J.K. Rowling, Laurie Halse Anderson and John Green (can you tell I'm into YA fiction?)
Meredith says: Great picks to die with, lol. I love YA fiction too! Also, LHA lives near me. She frequents our local indie bookstore but I haven't worked up the courage to make an appearance.


2. If Stephen King and J. K. Rowling were drowning in a river, who would you save first? And now you have to tell us why.
Olivia says: J.K. Rowling. I wouldn't even think twice. Even putting aside the legendary Harry Potter series, I would unquestioningly save her over King. Rowling's life story is so inspiring. I remember watching a documentary on her when I was 14 and thinking "woah, if she can overcome what she did and go on to make literary history, what's stopping me?"
Meredith says: When I get down, I pull up articles on JKR's ascension to literary awesomeness. It makes me feel better, strangely enough.


3. We authors are voracious readers. My TBR list is approximately 8 miles long. What are you currently reading?
Olivia says: I have an awful attention span. So I tend to read two books at a time, a chapter of one book, a chapter of the other, repeat. Right now I'm reading a dual biography on Reagan and Kennedy by Scott Farris (because I'm an American Studies/History major/ giant nerd). I'm also flipping through a collection of Walt Whitman poems. I love Walt Whitman for many reasons, but especially because he's a perfect combination of history and poetic genius.
Meredith says: I read tend to read 2-3 books at a time. Glad I'm not the only one :)


4. What is the one book that you could read a million times and never get bored with?
Olivia says: Catcher in the Rye. Hands down. I feel such a personal connection to that book. The first time I read it, it was for school, so naturally I had to hate it. But the following year I had the inexplicable need to go back and reread it. And it changed my life.
Meredith says: Yay! Another rereader!


5. Last year my favorite read was The Martian by Andy Weir. What was your best read of 2014?
Olivia says: I read All Quiet on the Western Front for the first time last year. I don't even know how to explain what that book did for me. I judge books on their ability to make me feel, and All Quiet on the Western Front went above and beyond in that department. I actually have a word document on my computer with dozens of quotes from it and they all give me chills.


6. This year my favorite read has been The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. What’s the best book you’ve read so far in 2015?
Olivia says: I had a really tough spring semester, so I've been slacking when it comes to reading. I plan to change that over the summer though.
Meredith says: Let's go girl! We're nearing the 7th month of the year. But seriously, when I was in college I rarely had the time to read for pleasure.


7. I have writing spots all over my house: my desk, my couch, the patio, and my bed. Where’s your favorite spot to write?
Olivia says: I do the majority of my writing in bed. But admittedly that's more laziness than genuine preference.
Meredith says: I love writing in bed. No judgement here.


8. We’re supposed to love all of our children equally, but there are some scenes I’ve written that really stick out in my mind. Tell us your favorite scene from your book NEVERLAND.
Olivia says: Oddly enough, there's not one chapter that sticks out to me... but I do like the dream chapter towards the end because I'm able to tie in my favorite Walt Whitman poem, "O Captain! my Captain!" It's kind of cool because I used an excerpt of the same poem earlier, so it comes full circle. It's almost as if the two excerpts serve as book-ends, enclosing around a bunch of unanswered questions. And to be completely honest I didn't necessarily plan it work out like that, so when I realized how it came together I was thrilled.
Meredith says: Cool!


9. Sometimes a little too much of myself slips into my characters. Which one of your characters most resembles you?
Olivia says: My main character, Hayley, is a big fan of dry sarcasm, which I am most definitely guilty of using.


10. I’ve always got tunes rocking while I’m writing. Tell us five songs that are on your playlist.
Olivia says: My mind runs wild when I listen to music, almost as if I'm writing separate stories to fit particular songs. For that reason, I have to write in silence. Lame, I know, but it's my only chance of being remotely productive. That way, I'm more inclined to fill the empty spaces with my own ideas.
Meredith says: Not lame. I know plenty of other authors who have to write in complete silence.



11. If you could tell an aspiring author one tiny tidbit of information, what would you say?
Olivia says: Don't let time make you feel small. The pressure to write at a certain speed will only mess with your head. Recently I met a bunch of authors who told me their average novel takes them a month. Neverland took me two years. And as impatient as I am, I know that if I were to try to rush the story, it would hurt the overall book. No deadline is worth losing your voice. 
Meredith says: Wow, a month. The fastest I ever wrote a book was in 2 weeks but that was just a rough draft. I like King's suggestion that a book should take a season to write. But I tend to follow my own deadlines.


Get your copy of Neverland


Connect with Olivia!
Twitter @oliviavetrano
Instagram @oliviarosevetrano


(This is Olivia)

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Half a King (Shattered Sea #1) by Joe Abercrombie





I finally got my hands on a Joe Abercrombie novel. His work has been on my TBR list for a few years now and I'm happy to say that I finally read one of his books.

'Half a King' was a dark and gritty fantasy about a crippled boy who becomes a king after the deaths of his father and brother. Betrayal sends Yarvi to the benches as an oarslave, there Yarvi learns strength and determination and what it means to be a true leader.
I couldn't put it down.

5/5 stars







The blurb:

“I swore an oath to be avenged on the killers of my father. I may be half a man, but I swore a whole oath”

Prince Yarvi has vowed to regain a throne he never wanted. But first he must survive cruelty, chains and the bitter waters of the Shattered Sea itself. And he must do it all with only one good hand.

The deceived will become the deceiver

Born a weakling in the eyes of his father, Yarvi is alone in a world where a strong arm and a cold heart rule. He cannot grip a shield or swing an axe, so he must sharpen his mind to a deadly edge.

The betrayed will become the betrayer

Gathering a strange fellowship of the outcast and the lost, he finds they can do more to help him become the man he needs to be than any court of nobles could.

Will the usurped become the usurper?

But even with loyal friends at his side, Yarvi’s path may end as it began – in twists, and traps and tragedy...