Top 3 Series That Just Keep Getting Better! (Laurie)

Do any of you get a little nervous when you fall in love with the first book in a series? There's always the excitement and anticipation of getting to dive back into that story world, revisit those characters, and see what happens next. But also a hint of anxiety...what if the next book isn't as good? What if the plot starts to fall apart, or the later books just don't have the same magical pull as that first one? I've experienced that disappointment enough times to know the worry is justified, but on the flip side, there are so many series out there that just keep getting better in each book! So today, I wanted to celebrate some of those series, in the form of a Top 3s, of course :)


3. The Chronicle of the Three by Tabitha Caplinger

This series had a lot going for it right from the start. Relatable main characters with a fun group of friends and lots of banter. Action, demon fighting, mystery, a prophecy. But there was also a lot of world-building and backstory to establish in the first book, and the writing style was more omniscient than what I typically read. But by books two and three, the tension just kept getting higher! Characters made sacrifices for each other, loyalties were called into question, and I got so emotionally involved with these characters! Add in more pie, lollipops, and hilariousness from Maggie, and I was hooked :)


2. The Green Princess series by H.L. Burke

I enjoyed the first book in this series - cool world-building, interesting characters, Burke's signature heart and snark. But the romance tended a bit too much toward insta-love for my taste, and the main characters had a few frustratingly naive moments. But I'm so glad I kept reading! In books 2 and 3, several years had passed, during which the main characters developed and matured. After spending some time apart, their romance was stronger and more meaningful. And the world-building just kept getting better, creating high stakes and an epic conclusion. By the end, I was loving every moment with these characters and couldn't put it down!


1. The Sentinel Trilogy by Jamie Foley

This series started out with a bit of a Harry Potter feel as the main character found himself at a new school, discovering a world of supernatural powers and training to use his own unknown abilities. So, of course, I was in love! And it just kept getting better! The writing was so good, the characters so complex, the world-building so fascinating. The story expanded from a boy trying to adjust to a new environment and worldview to an entire cast of characters making difficult choices and fighting for survival. And it all came together so brilliantly, with just the right ending for each beloved character and so many laughs and tears for the reader! Just what a series conclusion should be, in my humble opinion :)



I have so many potential runners up that I'm not going to even try to list them, but let's just say I've read a lot of great series! Plus, I didn't include any ongoing series that I have a feeling will come to epic and satisfying conclusions once they're complete (hmm, there might be the potential for another Top 3s post in here somewhere...). But now I want to hear from YOU! Have you read any of these series? Which series would you recommend that just keeps getting better as you read?


See you next time!
Laurie

Creative Outlets Anyone? (Katie)

What's Your Creative Outlet?

Writer's Life (Katie)

Writing is definitely a creative outlet. It's something I've been doing since early childhood (have I mentioned before that I can remember the first stories I wrote as a kid?). But there are times I need a break from writing. At those times I focus on other creative outlets. I thought it'd be fun to talk about those things today, and I'd also LOVE to hear about your creative outlets!

Baking

When I was a little girl, my mom always baked with us kids. We made rolled sugar cookies for just about every holiday you can name. I can also remember making cakes.

Today, it's something I still do when I need to keep my creative juices flowing but don't have the energy or "muse" to write. I love tweaking recipes to make something a little different or new. I love fruity desserts, chocolate desserts, sweet and savory desserts. 

The other day I decided I needed fruity, so I created a mini dump cake from blueberries and lemon creme. I used lemon cake mix on the bottom and top, and I topped it all with butter. They turned out very yummy (even though they're nothing pretty to look at, I know!).

Walking

While it's not technically something I'm DOING to be creative, getting outside and enjoying nature is also a MAJOR source of keeping my mind clear and helping me think through plot holes and writer's block for when I am being creative. We have a cotton field behind our house, and we like to walk the dirt paths through it. We also have a cow pasture in front of us, so walking our road is relaxing and beautiful!

Gardening

OK, I have to admit, this has slowly worked it's way to my top creative outlet when I need a break from writing. 

I love growing things, be it flowers, fruits, or vegetables. Working in the dirt is relaxing and cathartic, and it gives my brain a break when it needs it! I am always thinking of ways to rearrange, prune, or better "feed" my plants. I promise you, watering plants is just about one of my favorite things! Does that make me weird? (ha!)

*So, what about you? Do you have a creative outlet you like to do to clear your mind and help you think? There are other types of art, of course, like music or drawing. And lots of people like to get out and do adventurous, physical things (rock climbing, anyone?). Those are fun for me too, but these ones I've mentioned are definitely my go-to's. I'd love to hear about yours and get a few new ideas, so let's have them!

Top Three New to Me Books (Lauricia)

I was recently invited to be a book reviewer for a book website called ReedsyDiscovery. I had never heard of this website before, but now that I’m occasionally reviewing books for them, I have found some new-to-me authors that I’m pretty impressed with. The top three stories I’ve read so far are:

The Star of Fate by David T. Myers

Lando Bailey is having a bad day.

He’s having a string of bad days, actually – six months of them. All he wants is a chance to turn his life around, to change his fate.

Which is exactly what he gets after witnessing the death of a girl he’s never seen before. This single event sparks an action that alters the course of Lando’s life forever. His sudden change in fortune would be a dream come true if it didn’t feel like a practical joke. When people start dying, however, Lando realizes that his reversal of fortune is a joke to no one except, maybe, the Fates, themselves. Even so, Lando is determined to be the master of his destiny – if he can only wrestle it from the hands of the Moirai and the cult that serves them.

Set in Melbourne, Australia, The Star of Fate is an urban fantasy thriller filled with ancient Greek goddesses, demigods, shamans, and shadowhounds. The equivalent of Percy Jackson for adult readers, this fast-paced story draws readers in with its constant action and leaves no chance to walk away until the end. There is some mild adult content, but it is minimal.

I enjoyed this novel immensely – so much so that I will look for more from this author – and I recommend this story highly.

Raven Thrall (Legends of the Ceo San #1) by J. Elizabeth Vincent

Mariah is Ceo San, touched by the gods and gifted with the ability to shape-shift into a hawk. It’s supposed to be a blessing, but for Mariah, it feels more like a curse. Stuck somewhere between Human and animal form, Mariah must hide the wings that betray her identity or else she will be conscripted into the king’s army, enslaved to live as nothing more than a weapon.

Betrayed by someone she thought she could trust, Mariah is forced to flee her home. She manages to create a life of safety, even if it does mean being alone, until she meets Xae, a raven shifter whose family has been captured. Mariah is forced to choose between her life of relative safety or helping Xae rescue his family. In the process she learns more about herself than she ever thought possible and receives a calling on her life that could change the fate of the Ceo San forever.

Raven Thrall is an epic fantasy novel that examines the impact one person can make. Mariah’s conflicts do not influence her world on a grand scale, but they represent the common battles each of us face on a regular basis. Mariah’s growth throughout the story is organic and realistic and speaks to the way each person’s life can make a difference. This book will be especially appealing to readers who like strong female characters with strengths that lie outside the realm of mastery in weapons.

The Magician’s Sin by Alexander Thomas

Anson Walker is a retired-wizard-turned-monster-hunter who can’t die.

It’s a curse, really. One that can only be reversed during the Aberration, a magic event that occurs once every seventy years. Exhausted by the centuries and jaded with life, Anson plans to take advantage of the upcoming Aberration and end his unnatural existence.

Until the disappearance of Dixie Dupree, Anson’s ex-wife. When Dixie’s daughter recruits him to find her mother, Anson can’t turn her away. And as he searches for his former love, he discovers that he’s not quite as ready to die as he thought.

The Magician’s Sin is a fantasy noir novel that combines the elements of a gumshoe detective story with splashes of superhero, classical mythology, and occult motifs. The story is well written, and the pacing and tension are nicely balanced. I enjoyed the story and recommend it to fans of the genre. The only reason I gave it three stars instead of four is because the copy I read contained frequent typographical errors.

As a hard-core fan of fantasy literature, I’m always on the look-out for a new, really great book, so I’d love to hear what you’ve come across. Who are some of your favorite new-to-you authors?

Review of Adrift (Lizzie)

Adrift by J. F. Rogers is the sequel to Astray (reviewed here) and is the second story in the Ariboslia trilogy.

Here's the blurb:

The long-awaited day has come, Fallon’s eighteenth birthday. Her chance to return to Ariboslia and aid her friends in the battle against vampire-like creatures—the fasgadair. This time, she knows what she’s up against. This time, she’s prepared.
Or is she?

Unlike last time, Fallon knows who her friends are. She knows her enemy. She knows her abilities and what her blood can do—redeem fasgadair. But how can she save a few when thousands want to destroy her?

Shortly after Fallon’s return, fasgadair overrun the last refuge and push survivors across the sea to a land from which none has ever returned. There they meet a hostile race. With enemies squeezing in on all sides, even infiltrating Fallon’s mind, she struggles to continue her quest. But if she fails to find her way back, the fasgadair will rule Ariboslia with no hope of redemption … and Fallon and her friends will die.

My thoughts: I loved the characters in book 1 and found the worldbuilding interesting. Unfortunately, the secondary characters I loved in book 1 were little more than cameos in book 2 (including her newly found mother). And including the love interest from book 1. The story line itself wasn't what I was expecting from the first book. The victory in the first book was seemingly worse than pointless, because when Fallon is allowed to return to Ariboslia a year later (beginning of book 2), a far worse enemy has been appointed to replaced the one killed in book 1. Now, the land if overrun and everyone not dead (seems like most of the world population) is fleeing.  I wasn't expecting all the death (though not graphic, you just hear about thousands dying while a small group escapes--not my cup of tea).

There's a good bit of adventure and quest-like feel to the book and I did enjoy some of the newer characters and places. But the lack of character-interaction continuity was a big disappointment. The biggest disappoint--really a MAJOR frustration to be honest--was what happened with Declan, the likable love interest from book 1. Granted, he was in an arranged engagement, but I figured that would get worked out by the series end and we'd get our happily-ever-after. [spoiler alert] Well, that's not happening because after 1 1/2 books of wishing for the happily-ever-after romantic relationship between Fallon and Declan, we learn that Declan is her brother. They're triplets. Not a fun joke on the reader. By this time a new guy has come on the scene. He's nice but we're under the impression at first that his and Fallon's attraction is all part of some  unavoidable selkie-gachen magnetism and that Declan will show back up in true form (he's been in hiding but secretly helping Fallon). I was hoping this brother thing was just soap-opera level drama made up by the cackling bad guy to distract Fallon. Nope. Declan's a brother and the "magnetism" thing is a lie.

While the writer definitely has talent and I did enjoy some aspects of this story, book 2 was not at all what I was expecting.

Top 3 Snacks to Eat While Writing (Julie)

How many of you love to eat while writing? I certainly do, despite the warnings. I may not start out writing with food nearby but invariably I will get up and find something to munch on while working on my WIP. There are many go-to snacks, but I've narrowed it down to three top choices for me.

Let me start by saying, chocolate is not on the list. Its a given that that yummy substance would be the top choice of anyone(except maybe my sister;) So I'm going to give "other" options for creative thinking foods.



3) Nuts (I have to put at least one healthy choice on here). I specifically like eating almonds while working. They are easy to eat, just pop a few in your mouth and chew. And they don't make your fingers greasy.

2) Ice cream. As long as I don't eat it too fast and get a brain freeze!! But there's something so energizing about eating a cold, smooth bite of ice cream.



1) Popcorn. I love popping a bag of kernels and sitting and munching on them while writing. The only downside to eating popcorn is I can only type with one hand until I'm finished. Unless I want greasy computer keys. It's satisfying and for some reason helps me focus. 

What about you? What is your go-to snack of choice while writing?

Facebook Party Tips (Laurie)

Back in 2017 (how was it that long ago??), I did an "All About" series where I talked about various aspects of marketing and book launches. In case you're interested, they discussed Cover Reveals, Street Teams & Newsletters, and Reviews, ARCs, & Beta Readers. I always meant to do a fourth installment on Facebook parties, but when my book launch came up in early 2018, apparently I never got around to it! Since I happened to be a guest author in a Facebook party just this past weekend, I figured now would be a great time to finally share my thoughts on the subject :)

If you're not familiar with Facebook parties, they're events that happen right on Facebook. Usually they run for a few hours, but sometimes events can be as lengthy as a day or even stretch over a week or month. During that time, people post in the Facebook event, creating a virtual "party" where anyone, regardless of their location, can participate from the comfort of their own homes. I enjoy Facebook parties because they can be a fantastic way to interact with readers, collaborate with fellow authors, and talk about books! Probably other things, too, but the Facebook parties I'm a part of always center around books :)

I've been involved in enough Facebook parties as either a host or guest author by this point that I have a pretty good sense for what works and what doesn't. I'm sure other authors may have slightly different advice, but here are a few tips from my own experiences:

1) Be interactive! The event is called a "party," after all, and nothing will kill the feel of a party more quickly than a string of promotional posts that don't invite others to participate in some way. There are so many options, including questions, gif wars, quizzes, games, etc. And, if your posts do invite interaction, then actually interact! Readers will quickly figure out that your statement of "I can't wait to learn more about you!" wasn't genuine if you never show any evidence of reading their comments. In a really active party (I've seen posts with 60+ comments), it clearly won't be possible to respond to everyone, but make an effort to show you're actively involved.

2) Don't be afraid to promote yourself! I know this seems to contradict what I just said, but read on! If you're hosting a Facebook party or have a slot as a guest author, you've put time and effort into planning for the party and may be offering a giveaway, so make sure you get something out of it! Not every post needs to be promotional, of course, but there are lots of ways to promote and interact at the same time. Find things readers have in common with your characters, share about the theme of your book and ask attendees about how that theme connects with them, make a quiz about the types of magic in your book, talk about the authors that inspire you and find out about everyone else's favorite authors - the possibilities are endless! And having participants sign up for your newsletter or follow you on social media can be a great way for them to enter a giveaway.

3) Graphics are attention-grabbing. Facebook parties can get very crowded with posts, so graphics can be a great way to help your posts stand out. My preference is to use a consistent background and fonts for all of my graphics so it's easy to distinguish my posts from what other authors are sharing, plus it gives off a professional vibe, but a more eclectic look can be fun, too! Either way, graphics can be a great way to highlight book covers, art connected with your books, giveaway prizes,and even a question you want people to answer. These are a few examples from my most recent party in case you're curious!

4) Be responsible. Hopefully this goes without saying, but I know these issues come up fairly often with these types of events so they're worth mentioning. If you are given or sign up for a certain period of time during which to post, make sure you follow through. Double check time zones, since those can get tricky when people from around the country or even world are involved. And if you have any concerns about being able to post during your time slot, you can always schedule them in advance. Dead space from an author no-show makes it really hard to keep the attention of party-goers. Also, if you offer a giveaway, make sure you actually pick a winner, contact him or her, and send the prize. Again, I know none of YOU would do these things, but it's still good to be aware :)


That's all I have for now! I could do a whole additional post on organizing a group Facebook party and finding opportunities to be a guest author, so if that would be helpful to anyone, let me know in the comments and I'll consider it for the future! And let me know if you have any questions! What's your take on Facebook parties? Have you ever been to one, or is the concept too bizarre?


Thanks for reading!
Laurie

Top 3's: A Birthday Celebration! (Katie)

Top 3 Birthdays! (Katie)

Hi everyone! In case you didn't know, today is my birthday! Hip hip hooray! In celebration, I am doing a giveaway (you can find the details at the end of this post)! I mostly like my birthday, and I haven't ever been too caught up on getting older. I get that it's a touchy subject for a lot of people, and I also understand that many people take the "you're only as old as you feel" stand. I am not one of either of those types. I absolutely feel my age (OK, usually I feel older than my age), but it doesn't bother me in the least. 

So, Happy Birthday to me! Today, I'm sharing 3 of my top birthday memories. Now, in the spirit of full disclosure, not all of my birthday memories are great. Like all of us, I have had ups and downs. But some of my birthdays have been exceptionally nice.

# 3

Sweet 16! My best friends threw me a slumber party at one of their houses. We ate pizza and ice cream and went swimming, and I remember having a really GREAT time. I've got lots of good memories from that party.

#2

Turning 18! So, my husband and I weren't allowed to start dating until I turned 18. That meant our first official date got to happen right around my 18th birthday. Sure, we had lots of fun times with friends and family before that date, but it was the "official" beginning of a wonderful thing!

#1

Birthday of 2018! OK, so this was just last year! We went to Walt Disney World for my birthday, and it was Ah-Maze-Ing! We've been to Disney World a few times, and it's my favorite place, but we have to work hard to make those trips happen. It usually includes lots of scrimping and saving, as well as picking up side writing jobs to make extra money. Last year we were in Magic Kingdom for my birthday, where we got my little boy's first haircut at the little barber shop on Main Street USA. We also had a hoe down with Mickey Mouse himself, which was super fun. It is currently my favorite birthday memory!

***How about you?! Share a great birthday memory and in celebration I will enter you to win an e-copy of your choice of one of my books!***

Fairyeater and Heartmender | What We're Reading (Lauricia)

As summer is binge-reading time, I have a stack of books I'd like to share with y'all (for those who don't speak Texan, that's you + all: y'all). Unfortunately, there are more books than there are days to read them in a lifetime. I can't share insights to everything I've recently read and loved, but I can bend the rules a little today and tell you about two (instead of my usual one): Fairyeater by Pam Halter and Heartmender by V. Romas Burton.

Fairyeater by Pam Halter

Fifteen years ago, Tzmet’s father was defeated in his attempt at world domination. Since then, Tzmet has preyed upon the earth fairies in order to weaken their power enough to facilitate her father’s return.

Akeela is a fifteen-year-old with the power to see the aura of living things and the ability to see fairies for what they are, not the disguises they wear. These things, combined with an unusual birthmark that she has to keep hidden, point to Akeela’s future as the next Fairy Guardian. Charged with the task of protecting fairies from the Dark Lord and his daughter Tzmet, Akeela must choose between living the life she wants an fulfilling the purpose for which she was born.

Charged with painful moments of beautiful sacrifice, Fairyeater is a story of facing the difficult truths of life and honoring what is right over what is comfortable, easy, or even greatly desired. I was first drawn to this book by its concept and its cover. I was impacted by this book through its unflinching but gracious treatment of some of the truths about life that contemporary readers desperately need to wrestle with. Fairyeater is an excellent story about sacrifice, love, and finding friendship in unusual places.

Heartmender by V. Romas Burton

Heartmender is the tale of Addie, a teenage girl who lives in a world where hearts are extracted before they can become hard and dead and are then traded for the bearer’s greatest wish. However, Addie’s heart is neither hard nor dead, and her greatest wish is not to be granted at the fair. In order to obtain her wish, Addie must protect her extracted heart from those who seek to possess it and must overcome a series of trials that very few survive.

I was drawn to Heartmender because of its eerie, surreal tone and the realistic but kind depiction of crippling anxiety. The more I read, the more I enjoyed this story, especially for the way it resonates with the cinematic otherworldly feel of Mirrormask and Pan’s Labyrinth. The artistry is hauntingly surreal yet truthful for its depiction of a young woman who must overcome the trials of life that blindside so many of us. An enchanting allegory, Heartmender is a story that will be greatly enjoyed by readers of clean YA fantasy.

Now that I've shared my newest discoveries with you,  I'd love to hear what you've been reading. Let me know your to favorites "so far" in the comments.