Perserverance & Friends

So there I was in chapter 11 of my book and I was floundering. I needed to go through my first 10 chapters and elaborate and edit, but I just couldn't bring myself to do so. If I had to read that first chapter ONE more time, I was going to pitch all of that work. I just couldn't do it but I needed to. I wanted to claw my eyeballs out. I had Chapter 1 pretty much memorized.

This is where wonderful friends enter the picture. My BFF, Heather and newest friend, Laura have gotten the first 5 chapters to critique & edit. Dana is in the process of reading it but she goes to college. :) I also gave my farrier, Karl and trainer, Jill the first two chapters so they could give me their opinions. Turns out I don't have to do all this on my own! Who would have thought? I mean, I know I ask for opinions but this was a good idea.

Laura was the first to return the pages to me. My prolouge and Chapter 1 went from 3 and 8 pages to 4 and 12. She was very helpful! I can't wait to get the feed back from everyone else. Its exciting to see my friends reactions. Its also very very very very cool to see what I've written invokes an emotional response from "my readers". That what I wrote made them ask the questions I wanted them to.

I do all of this 1.) I have a story I want to tell 2.) I'm decent at writing and think I may have a LONG shot at being published. 3.) I have friends that are horse people. They will ALWAYS give me an answer as to if something sucks. 4.) Its an adventure. I'm finding things out about myself that I NEVER knew. I had no idea what it took to write a book until I started doing it. 5.) I HAVE GOT TO finish the story otherwise I will feel incomplete. 6.) Its actually rexlaing. Go figure... the writers' block included.

Thanks for reading and I hope to give you a couple books reviews in the next week. Until then, take care! :)

Writing Woes

Oh its times like these that I think I'll never finish my book. I write and write and hope some inspiration hits me so that my store can move forward. I'm kinda at a road block, a detour... and I can't figure out how I want the next few chapters to play out. I know where I want my story to go but I don't know how to get there.

Its frustrating because I don't want to write crap. I want it to be good... I know that not everyone will like my story but my friend Laura was right when she said if you can't stand a certian section in your book, how do you think your reader will feel.

Maybe I'm trying too hard. Is that even possible? Maybe I'm over thinking and trying to aim for prefection when I need to be aimming for a rough draft. I need a body of bones before I can add muscle and flesh. But what if the bones don't come. I'm just not feeling very creative... the mojo ain't flowin' dude. I'm tired and my mother is watching Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings in the next room over. I can't focus.

I know I'm bitching but it can't be helped. I told you this was going to be a place for me to confess my writing woes. Is this writer's block? I think it may be but isn't writer's block. You know what I need to do. Step away for the night... maybe even a day... and come back with fresh eyes. I need to listen to some music, rider my horse, read a book for enjoyment, and not touch my story for a couple days. Yes, I think that's what I will do. I don't want to... taking a break isn't really in me but something's gotta give.

I gave my BFF, Heather, the first 5 chapters of my book and I should wait for her feedback. Laura said she'd help me too... I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.... I'm the little engine that could. I'm walking away and not think of it for 24 hours... starting now 7:56pm, Monday evening. Until next time, thanks for listening to me whine. ;)

Book Review #4: Vampire Academy & Frostbite by RIchelle Mead

Oh. My. Gosh. Its books like these that gives me hope that my book will one day be published. I struggled to finish the 2nd book and that are 6 in this series. The story is pretty good... and I'm really not a fan of vampire books. (while I'm off on this tangent, I don't buy the whole vampire deal. Makes no sense to me, like how the heck are they supposed to be walking around, blood flowing in their veins, BUT yet they have no heart beat. I just don't get it!)

Anyway, the books. I REALLY wanted to like them because my little barn sister, Caela told me to read them. (She gave me the Mortal Instruments series and I loved those.) However, I just couldn't get into these.
They are about a girl named Rose who is a dhampire. She's half human half vamp. She is charged with protecting (as all dhampires are) the Moroi. More specifically her best friend, Lissa. The Moroi are a special race of vampire who are actually alive (with beating hearts!) and have elemental magic. They protect them from the Strigoi who are the evil vampires that kill anything, human, Moroi, dhampire... anything to gain increased power and immortality. Its more high school drama than actual supernatural coolness.
As I mentioned, the storyline... the actual idea of the books isn't bad but the writing sounds like something that I would have done in 8th grade. The main character, Rose, is loyal, dedicated, and hard working. She struggles with anger... great character but the writer lacks the ability to take the reader any deeper than the surface. I want to know more about her (actually all the "players"), but what ya see is what ya get. It will attract the middle school/high school age young people because it does have a lot of things they deal with in real life. (ie: pressure to have sex, cutting, gossip, etc...) Lots of cussing and adult situations so you may want to read it before your kid does (if you're a parent). Two hearts because I like the characters. ♥ ♥

Book Crush turned into Book Review #3

When you read as much as I do and you don't have any kind of romantic outlet, sometimes you develop these crushes on characters. Now, its like not creepy crushing but enough to make you not feel so blue. :)

My most recent love of my life is a character named Harry Dresden. He's a detective wizard who works in Chicago. He's not particularly attractive and the crush didn't happen in the first 5 books... its taken my a while. But I've finally admitted that I'm more attracted to him than I wanted. haha. I have discovered as often as Jim Butcher (the author pictured below) puts him through living hell, Harry never loses his focus of right and wrong. He's kinda the white knight with tarnished armor. He gets beat to kingdom come in every book but has a funny, sardonic, cynical attitude. He never looses his focus on the end game. He's got this noble trigger in him that hates to see women suffer or be used and abused. Harry has this skull that an air spirit, named Bob, in it; a recently acquired dog, named Mouse, who is a GINORMOUS guard dog; and his wit.

I did not intend for this to be a book review but more about Harry however it's turned into one. I do recommend all of these books but they have a fair amount of cussing, violence, and adult situation... so a no go for the young ones. Written in first person (again my fave style) Harry makes me laugh... a lot. and out loud. I'm not done with all of the books but there are 12 (soon to be 13) and I'm on #9: White Kinght. As a series in its entirety I give it 5 hearts. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Individually, some get 3.5 - 4 ♥'s but most are a 5.

Book Review #2: Percy Jackson & The Olympians by Rick Riordan

I read all 5 of these books before the first movie (The Lighting Thief) ever came out. I was meandering around Boarders one day and noticed the books because they were showcased away from all the other childrens' books. I went in with the purpose to buy the next book in a series, of which I decided I didn't care to continue.
I read the first few pages, of the first book, and was pretty much hooked. Its written in 1st person (which is my preferred style of writing) from Percy's point of view. The kid is sarcastic and witty. I love the way Mr. Riordan weaves Percy's story.
Anyway, Percy is just a normal kid who... uh, okay not really... he's dyslexic and ADHD because he's discovered that he's a demi-god or half blood. His father was a god (I won't tell you who, you'll have to read to find out) and his mother was a mortal.
As the series progresses, Percy (with his bff's Annabeth and Grover) battles his archenemy while dealing with the possible end of the world and these feelings as he discovers girls don't have cooties anymore.
I enjoyed every book... though the first one started slow because the stage had to set. Its clean so okay for the children. Easy read for kids but is funny and mysterious enough to hold an adult's imagination. Five hearts. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Book Review #1: The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

   I realize that a series is more than one book but you MUST read this in one go round. My friend Caela told me that I HAD to read The Mortal Instruments after failing to properly describe what the story was about. I thought that it was a good idea because I didn't actually have to buy the books!
   Its based on a girl, named Clary, just as her life is dramatically altered when she starts seeing people that others can not. From there her mother is violently kidnapped, the man she's grown up knowing as a father-figure tells her he wants nothing to do with her, and she's left with a group of people called the Shadowhunters. More specifically, a boy named Jace.
   The Shadowhunters are a race of people who descend from an angel who mixed the blood of man with the blood of angels. They are faster, more agile, warriors who fight demons who've infiltrated the human world. They also become invisible and amp up cool fighting abilities by placing runes on their bodies. (Sounds weird, but trust me, by the end of the series, you'll want rune tattoos too. I know I did!)
   Then there are the Downworlders (these are your warewolves, vampires, faries, and warlocks) who don't like Shadowhunters (because they are the ultimate authority when it comes to anything supernatural). And also normal humans are called mundanes.
   The series takes you on Clary's journey of self discovery, deeply embedded secrets, totally intense fighting, and forbidden love that twists your heart out. The storyline is predictable but OH-MY-GOSH kind of fantastic! Make sure when you start the series you have your weekend cleared. Once you sit down to read them, you'll want to devour them as fast as possible. They are the type of books that make me want to read faster. Five hearts totally, hands down! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥