book blogging – Life Gone Write

Horrid- I’d eat this book.

Horrid’s first page is one of the best beginnings I’ve ever read.

Horrid by Katrina Leno

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Karina Leno’s Horrid is like the old house it takes place in, a typical haunted mansion that you’ve seen a hundred times, but you still want to explore the dark insides.

I was excited when I came across the Owl crate addition of HORRID in a used bookstore, especially since the timing aligned with my YA Horror binge. I loved the cover, and the creepy poem in the beginning hooked me immediately. Leno’s use of the old rhyme is stellar, and as a writer that loves to add poetry to prose, I’m 100% partial to a creepy nursery rhyme being part of a novel.

That said, I went in with low expectations. I hadn’t heard raving reviews for Horrid. After all, I found my copy in a used book store less than year after it’s release.

Maybe that’s why I loved this story so much! I got a much better book than I anticipated. I adored the creepy house and garden, the Agatha Christie references, and the simple, classic feel to the writing. The first page is perfect, one of the best beginnings I’ve ever read. Horrid doesn’t have a flashy plot. It’s not groundbreaking. The characters are familiar because I’ve seen similar ones before. But Horrid is creepy, and sometimes I want less flash, more comfort. Horrid is a thunderstorm read, a book you grab over a quiet fall weekend and read by the window while it rains. Exactly what I needed at the time. I devoured it in two days.

I have a feeling the ending might throw some readers, which I can understand. If you aren’t prepared for a horrid ending (Sorry about the pun, I couldn’t resist), or you’re looking for something truly terrifying or out of the box, I recommend passing on this one. I happen to be in the mood for classically creepy when I read this, so I loved this book. That said, I’m ready to find an out of the box YA horror now.

View all my reviews

The Publishing Industry is Subjective

If you are a writer who’s ever pitched a novel, or simply googled insight into the publishing industry, chances are you’ve heard this before.

I know I’ve heard it. I’ve experienced it. I’ve even accepted it. But it wasn’t until this past week I truly understood it. The following experience gave me a different view on those words.

About a month ago, I was given the opportunity to judge the first round of a writing contest. It was a simple “answer these questions, see if you qualify, and you can judge” sort of thing, but I was still looking forward to it. I couldn’t wait to see what the contest process was like from the other side! I opened the entries with excitement, read through them, made notes, and instantly attached to a certain story. A week later I reread my samples, focusing on the technicalities and quality of writing. I carefully considered, tried to provide helpful feedback, and sent my judged files back to the contest coordinator with a sense of satisfaction. My judgments were fair. Every score I gave could be justified (at least by me!).

But here’s the crazy thing-

I didn’t give my favorite story the highest score.

Why? Because technically, it wasn’t the best. The highest scoring story flowed better. The sample was flawless. There were no mistakes, no awkward phrasing, and no grammatical errors (that I picked up on). It was simply well written.

However, something about the second ranking sample spoke to me. The characters grabbed me, and the story drew me in. I wanted to read it.

What’s really puzzling is if I were to summarize the story lines, the highest ranking book had a better plot. More happened. It moved at a quick pace. But there was something about the second place book I loved. I don’t know what it was. I can’t explain it. It simply connected with me.

As I ponder this experience I’m blasted with an understanding I thought I previously grasped, but obviously didn’t.

The love of a book is subjective.

My judging experience opened
my eyes to a new side of things. I’ll probably need to reread this post in the future to remind myself, but I finally understand. If I were an agent, I wouldn’t have requested a full for an arguably well written book, simply because it didn’t speak to me.

This taught me how important it is to find people who connect with your work. If my writing is good, and I constantly strive to improve my craft, eventually I will find the right people to help me get my book out there. A big part of success is commitment.

At least, that’s what I tell myself. jessica grace kelleyt signature

Until then, I’ll keep writing

WonderWall by M.H Soars

I requested this book on a whim. I’ve read an abundance of dark dystopian lately, and although that genre will forever be my favorite, I needed something else in my life. Something with more lovey-dovey boy drama and a little less “the world is burning down around us”. “Wonderwall” caught my attention because of the cover and the promise of a bad-boy rock star. It promised me drama and love, and that’s exactly what I was in the mood for.

Did “Wonderwall” deliver?

Yes! Wonderwall is Wonderful! ( Sorry, I couldn’t resist the play on words).

Wonderwall is a contemporary romance centering around first love, first heart break, life’s rough punches, and the cost of fame. Olivia, the girl next door, and Sebastian, the boy next door, fall in love at a young age. The rug is ripped out beneath their friendship-turned-romance when a tragedy sends them spiraling into messy territory. Sebastian can’t cope (and no one with a heart can blame him) and Liv pays the price. Fast forward a few years and Sebastian is an international superstar in a boy band. Liv is living out her career dreams with a brand new internship at a posh London hotel. They’ve moved on with their lives-

Except for their damaged hearts, which are still stuck on each other.

Queue the lovey-dovey drama people!

It’s going to get sticky!!!!!!

I enjoyed this book. It has a few cliché’s in it, but they are well executed. The plot is driven. The pacing is great. There are clever lines scattered throughout, and the writing is worth reading . The characters are likeable, loveable, and sometimes hate invoking, which is what readers should experience in regards to a novel’s cast. I wouldn’t let a young teen read this book because things get risqué here and there, but it is a solid New Adult Contemporary Romance.

And it has bad-boy rockstars. So, that’s a big plus.

tumblr_ni1hprwWug1tkg1m9o1_500 — This guy …Sebastian?

“Bas” is a mess. He’s a tortured guy who seems to have everything on the surface, but there is a gaping hole is his heart. There is only one person who can fill it, and it is not his model girlfriend. He is a jerk most of the time, but he loves Liv, despite his best efforts not too. Liv has not been able to move on, and it doesn’t help that the ex love of her life is so famous his face pops up everywhere.

There is some heavy subject matter in “Wonderwall”, but for the most part I’d consider it a light read. I read it for entertainment, not for life changing lessons. It fulfilled its purpose quite well. Parts of this book get cheesy. Especially the ending. It is horribly, wonderfully, tickly butterflies in my stomach cheesy. Not everyone appreciates cute. I get that. I have to be in the mood for mushy gushy. But when I am in the mood, what can I say? I LOVE ME SOME CHEESE!!!!!

The only issue I had with this book was how easily Liv caved when Bas came back. I mean, make him work a little harder! But I guess it would be easy to forgive a gorgeous guy who professes his love for you on stage in front of thousands of people.

Still, I can’t give the book five stars because Liv gave in too easily.

Four stars for M.H Soars “Wonderwall”! This is the first book of her new series, and I will be reading the next installment.

Add me to your newsletter M.H Soars! I will happily write a review for the next one. Good job!

How to get Free Books!

This has been a big month for me!

My first novel made it into the finals of a contest (Yaay!), I found out my novel formatting is incorrect ( Noo!), and I found another way to get free books.

I have been enjoying the world of book blogging for about five months. I have deeply educated myself on how much I don’t know about the literary world. I am slowly catching on. A few new bloggers reached out to me this week and asked how I got started, so I want to share the four main things I have learned.

1- Ask for a book before you buy it.

I always request review copies from the authors or publishers of books I am interested in adding to my website. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t. I figure it’s better to ask and receive a no than to never know. Right? Requests usually work out in my favor. Authors want to get their book in the hands of people who are going to rave about it. Are you a book lover? Are you passionate about the genre they are writing? Then you are who they are looking for! It’s a win-win!

2- Sign up for your favorite Authors’ newsletters.

Newsletters do more than provide news on release dates and book signings ( although as a book reviewer you should be paying attention to these things). Authors often use them to reach out to their fan base and let them know about contests, book giveaways, and their need for book reviewers. Newsletters are what really got me started. It was so simple, and it got me connected.

3- Join a review website

A while ago a favorite author of mine sent out a request for book reviewers ( Oh look, # 2 in action!) . I was all over that like white on a polar bear that’s never left the north pole. She sent me a link to a little website called Xpresso Tours–

And my world was forever changed.

Did you know there are websites for book reviewers that GIVE AWAY free books?!?

I also joined Net Galley, and I am sure there are many more websites and avenues I have yet to discover. So far I have received four books, and I definitely have things to say about them.

One little tip- don’t over request if you join these websites. You are expected to fully review each book you receive. If you don’t your feedback rating will go down and publishers will stop giving you review copies.

4.- Use twitter!

All of the above actions can be done using tweets. Twitter is a great way to instantly connect with your favorite authors. It is also an easy way to be added to their newsletters. Once you start following a few people in the book business, they will follow you. I started using twitter to connect with authors, readers, and publishers a few months ago, and my network has increased by 300. If I really put some effort into connections ( it’s on my to do list, I swear!) I could see that number tripling in a month. While we are talking about this, follow me on twitter guys! right here! Follow me! @_AnchoredGypsy

One more thing before I sign off. It’s the most important part of this post, so listen up!

Don’t expect every book to be free.

If an author doesn’t need any more reviews I am happy to pay for their book. Remember, this is their livelihood, and it is important to support the people who create these worlds we love much. I Love books. They are worth my money.

Now I have a question for my fellow book bloggers who are much more seasoned than I am.

What other resources are available for the word gobblers out there? Enlighten me, please!

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