BiteMarks

BiteMarks was one of the first books I read when I joined authonomy and when it became published I jumped at the chance to download my copy and I was not disappointed, in fact quite the opposite.
 
This was a truly wonderfully written book and has become one of my favourites.  Many would think this book is about vampires and in a way it is but not in the true sense of the word.  I don’t want to give away too much of the storyline but this aspect is only one of many in this multi layered story.
 
It is about abuse and how different people do or don’t recover from it.  It is about the light and dark that can live in people and how they can overcome it or how they can just become dark.
 
This story had me turning pages over and over to find out what would happen next.  The characters in this are complex and endearing and Drew is able to slowly dish out the suspense and story so that it has you wanting more, wanting to know what happens next.  How Shane Marks came to be the character he is and how the investigation would turn out.  Added to this was my little crush on Shane and I found him engaging and his darkness simply made him more likable.  The other memorable character in this book is his partner, Marcus.
 
Not only was the story suspenseful and the characters rich but Drew paints a vivid tapestry as he guides us through Shane’s life with poetic prose.  This is one of those books I wish I had written.  
 
If you can handle a little blood and want an enchanting story then Bitemarks is for you.

The only negative thing I can say about this story – it had to end!
 
Here is the link: 
http://www.amazon.com/BiteMarks-ebook/dp/B004WE7RIS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=A24IB90LPZJ0BS&s=digital-text&qid=1306897085&sr=1-1


 

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. 

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
(make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the
book for others!)

Share the author and perhaps a link to the book so that folks can add it to their own TBR lists.
Link to the book: 
http://www.amazon.com/BiteMarks-ebook/dp/B004WE7RIS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=A24IB90LPZJ0BS&s=digital-text&qid=1306822239&sr=1-1

Don't forget to pop over to the host site below.
http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/2011/05/31/teaser-tuesdays-may-31/

Here is my teaser from BiteMarks by Drew Cross

Summer amongst the long grasses, their dusty-lipped fronds kissing and brushing the bare legs of three pale children, two boys and a girl running joyful and free from umbilical restraint.

Tomorrow I will review this excellent book. :)

So am I the only one with delusions of grandeur and cast my book as a movie?

Probably not, so for manic fun today, I am going to cast Spoilt and Twisted Fire.
 
First there is Chelsea and Lucas.  Well I have always had Mila Kunis in mind for Chelsea. 
Although she may not be exactly right for the part, she is the closest I have found.  Lucas was far easier,
Josh Hartnett has been in my mind from the moment I started writing Spoilt.
 
Now that decision is made I need to move onto two of the other main characters in Charlotte and Maggie. 
I have Katherine Heigl for Charlotte. Though once again not sure if she is quite right but I believe she can pull it off.  Finally, Maggie, this was an easy one for me, Charlize Theron would be my first and only choice.
 
The other smaller parts of Chelsea’s parents and Carrie (Lucas’ sister) are harder and I’m still on the search. 
Though I believe George Clooney could probably fit the part of Chelsea’s father. There is also Nathan
(Carrie’s husband) and I think Matthew McConaughey would do perfectly.
 
Of course if Spoilt is to be a movie, there has to be a sequel.  This is where I get
stuck.  I have yet to find a leading man for my Jarrod.  I do have Kellan Lutz in mind and had actually‘discovered’ him before I saw Twilight so... not sure.
 
The final character that hasn’t carried over from Spoilt is Mitch, Jarrod’s brother.  Leonardo DiCaprio works here for me.
 
So am I the only one who has cast their movies?  Perhaps you already have people in mind when you write, to give you the image.  I would love to hear other’s thoughts about this. :)

I haven't done this for a couple of weeks... so I thought I would post something this week.

Prologue
Mecaldorf
 
“Cornelius is your spell ready?” Mecaldorf asked of his protégé who at two hundred and thirteen human years was a young warlock.

“Yes, Master.  I am ready.”

Mecaldorf and Cornelius edged closer towards The Mystic Garden.  The Pixie Princess, Nermina, collected flowers by the river and her protector, Nermo, although not close to her, stood alert for any imminent danger. 
Little did he know he would not perform his assigned duties well today.

 “Cornelius, now!”  The Wizard Mecaldorf said in a fierce whisper.

The warlock began his incantation which was only the first of many the wizard had planned for the inhabitants of The Mystic Land.
 
1
Princess
Seraphina

Sera sang happily as she brushed out her hair while waiting for Sam to collect her.  Sam was her best friend and she’d known him for as long as she could remember.  The male version of her as she liked to joke could very well have passed as her brother. With the same dark wavy locks and dark blue eyes she often wondered if they‘d been separated at birth.  Even though they’d never actually gone a day without seeing each other and of course he was a year older at twenty one.  
 
Always having viewed Sam as an older brother and friend there were no romantic feelings whatsoever, no matter how much her mother, Anna pushed the issue.  For his age Sam was strong and quite buff and if she didn’t consider him a friend she would think him incredibly attractive. He’d been very popular with the girls at school but he wasn’t remotely interested.  Sera could never understand why.  Never short on attention herself she supposed she was like Sam in this way too as she’d yet to meet anyone she wanted to date. 

She added the last touches to her eyes before switching off the music playing at an extreme level.  Sera decided to wait for Sam in the living room once she’d located Anna to say goodbye. Anna was an older version of Sera and she looked more like an older sister than her mother.  Sera always hoped she would age as well as Anna appeared to.  
 
As Anna read Tarot Cards for a living, there were clients waiting to see her in the ‘office’ which branched off from the main living area when Sera walked past. She claimed to have always been psychic, as her mother before for and informed Sera continuously that one day she would be able to source her psyche too.  Sera wasn’t holding her breath, she didn’t believe in clairvoyance.  Although Sera didn’t actually know what she wanted to do with her life, she knew it wasn’t reading fortunes.  
 
Since leaving school the previous year she threw around a few ideas with Anna who suggested perhaps she could take a year away from study before deciding what she wanted to do with her life.  Sera thus far had still failed to
decide.

As her father – who died when she was a toddler– had been wealthy, money really wasn’t an issue. 
Sam’s family were in a similar position and he never appeared to be in any hurry to pursue a career either.  
 
Anna was plunging coffee in the kitchen as Sera flopped onto the couch to wait both for Anna and Sam. 
Sera disliked waiting immensely therefore had been deemed extremely impatient more times than she cared to remember, which also went hand in hand with her particularly inquisitive nature.  Whenever meeting someone of interest her endless curious questions would have put the Spanish inquisition to shame.  Sera knew this about herself but to her, wisdom was power.

When the doorbell rang, assuming it was Sam Sera sang out a goodbye to Anna and rushed to answer the door.  What she discovered instead of her best friend were two of the most beautiful people she’d ever seen.  Both with pale white blonde hair and blue eyes almost as pale, similar to the colour ice can appear when it assumes a blue tone, they were breathtaking. They seemed almost surreal.  

Her hair was very long, slightly wavy and cascaded down to finish at the small of her back.  She was tall – taller than Sera who was tall for a girl - and willowy while her lips and cheeks were quite pink against stark pale
skin.

He stood behind her albeit close as though he was guarding her against imminent danger. Sera decided he was the most incredible looking man she’d ever encountered.  His hair finished slightly above his collar with a kink and was dishevelled as though he’d run his hand through it only recently, it was messy in a styled sort of manner.  His lips and skin were the same in hue as his companion.

“Good morning, Seraphina,” the female spoke in a melodic voice.  “Is Annaphina at home?”  
 
For several moments Sera merely stared.  How did this beautiful woman know her name and her mother? 
Who was the wonderfully striking man with her? She was awestruck by his ethereal beauty and presence. 
Sera looked him over as long as politely possible and couldn’t help but notice his hard, lean body beneath his strange olive green leather – she assumed – pants and square cut vest.  His arms, as pale as his face, looked firm and strong.  He too, was tall, slightly taller than her.

“Seraphina?” she spoke again.  “Are you unwell?”  
 
Sera shook her head to tear herself out of her reverie and assimilation of the man before her.

“Um yes, I’ll get her for you.  Would you like to come in?”

 “Yes, thank you.”  
 
The female walked gracefully as though floating and her companion followed without saying a word.  She was in the process of closing the door when Sam bounded up the stairs towards her. He always managed to appear out of nowhere and she could never quite understand how he did this.

“Hey, Sam,” she called.  "Come in, my Mum has...guests and I just have to let her know.”

“No problem,” he replied.  “The movie doesn’t start for an hour.”  

She closed the door behind him and turned to the two pale figures in her living room that both opted to remain
standing.

“Sam this is...”  She stopped realising she didn’t actually know who they were.

“Keela, Keelor, what are you doing here?”

“Something has occurred and we need to convene the chosen and their elders.  Sampson, you will of
course be required to accompany Seraphina.”

“What is going on here?” Sera asked.

“She doesn’t know?” the male finally spoke.

“Annaphina has decided to wait until the time is right, Keelor.”

“The time is now.”

“What is going on here?”  How do you know these people, Sampson?”  She asked now totally confused.

“Forgive our presence which is foreign to you, Princess.  We are unaware you were in the dark about your heritage.”  Sera almost missed his brief study of her face as Keelor spoke before turning to Sam.  “Sampson, next time you address Keela, please do so appropriately.”

“I beg your pardon, Princess Keela.”

“Forgiven, Sampson, alas Keelor can be a little overzealous at times.  I understand your need for discretion.”

“What is going on?  Sam, who are the chosen?” Sera asked again.

"I think I’d better answer your questions, Seraphina,” Anna told her daughter as she entered the room.  “I’ve rescheduled my clients so we can talk.  Please make yourselves comfortable.  Would you like refreshments?” 
 
This was returned with a shake of the head by all.

“Mum, what is going on here?”

“I knew one day I would have to tell you who you are but I’ve put it off for as long as possible.  Since you came of age I knew it would just be a matter of time.  I’ll tell you all about who they are and how it applies to you in a moment, honey but first I wish to find out what has happened for them to venture from...home.”

"Please forgive our intrusion, Elder Annaphina, however the chosen must assemble at once. Nermina has been abducted and Nermo incapacitated.  We believe it may be the work of Mecaldorf.”  Keela said.

“Do you think he intends to use her as ransom?”

"Yes, Elder Kalar believes this to be his intention.  She has foreseen Mecaldorf recruiting lost folk.  We believe one of these folk is responsible for Nermo’s imprisonment.”

Sera’s head swung from one to the other as they spoke, unable to grasp exactly what it was they were talking about.  When she glanced at Sam he didn’t appear confused or surprised by any of the information.  
 
Keelor stood vigil beside the seated Keela as though he was powerless to leave her side. She noted now her assumption was indeed correct and his attire appeared to be constructed from leather however the trademark sound usually accompanying movement was absent.  Upon his back appeared to be some type of long stick, maybe a staff and this only added to her puzzlement.  Was he carrying a weapon of some kind?  Did Sam?

“Oh dear,” Anna murmured before turning to Sera.  “I suppose I had best tell you who you are, Princess
Seraphina.”

I apologise for not doing my usual Teaser Tuesday and not spruking this wonderful book... so here is my review instead.

I planned to give a detailed review as I usually do but I feel I’m not adequate to give this book one it deserves. 

So I’m going to make it brief but glowing... Dan’s writing sings... each page of beautiful prose captivates. This lyrical writing is not only excellent it is wrapped in the emotional journey of Sandrine.  The story was unexpected and helded me entranced for

If you enjoy a good literary fiction then Songs is for you. It will mesmerise you and leaving you wanting more.
 
I look forward to reading The Company of Fellows which I have ready on my kindle.
 
Here is the link:  
http://www.amazon.com/Songs-Other-Side-Wall-ebook/dp/B003LN1UBG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=A24IB90LPZJ0BS&s=digital-text&qid=1306290996&sr=1-1

So I’ve come to a point where I say, what do I prattle on about?  Do I keep blogging?

I figure well I guess so... I should be working on my rewrite or one of the many WIP’s I have going but procrastination is a not so welcome friend I know well so...
 
It was my birthday on Friday. Yes I mention it again (for those who are fb friends and fellow Twitters) but I figure... this is the only thing I’ve been manically excited about this past week.
 
Now I probably should have grown out of the excitement by now but I haven’t. I love birthdays (in particular my own). I love spoiling other people and being spoilt myself. Being an only child this is a given... but I was extra spoilt this year for many reasons.  Not only did I receive some lovely shiny gifts: my kindle, a sat nav (which the kids also love and I use even when I know where I’m going), flowers (always a bonus), beautiful Bohemia crystal champagne glasses and very nice earrings but I had a lovely dinner with close family and loads of margaritas and other such beverages.
 
I spent the day with my kids, went to dinner and the remainder of my weekend was spent with my best friend. What more could a girl want? Well that would be a long list...
 
So in usual spoilt Jo fashion my birthday became a weekend thing and I spouted to everyone that would listen that it was my birthday.  Yes the kid in me will never fade... a bit like my friend procrastination.
 
So now it is all over and I had a lovely time... and I’m a little tired today... 

My Teaser Tuesday for tomorrow will be Songs from the Other Side of the Wall by the very talented Dan Holloway.

Blindsided

This is a great story about trust, unconditional love, betrayal and most importantly forgiveness. 
 
There were moments where it cut close to home and evoked emotions in me as I read. I felt it all right along with Lee and in the end understood why she made the decision she did.
 
With strong, well layered characters and poignant story telling this book will take you on an emotive journey of the soul. It shows what can happen to love when it isn’t nurtured, or that love can sustain despite betrayal
and heartbreak.
 
I don’t, as usual, want to give too much away so I will keep my review brief. If you like a love story with more bite and a dose of reality then you should read Gemma Rice. I have read more than one book by this author and every time she produces a unique story filled with her own edgy style and excellent metaphors.  This book, along with all Gemma’s stories is well worth a read. 
  
This was also the first book I read on my new kindle so it was a double thumbs up for me.

Here is the link to Blindsided: 
 http://www.amazon.com/Blindsided-ebook/dp/B004Z2JPG4/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&m=A24IB90LPZJ0BS&s=digital-text&qid=1305684953&sr=1-7

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. 
 
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from
somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
(make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the author and perhaps a link to the book so that folks can add it to their own TBR lists.
Link to the book: 
http://www.amazon.com/Blindsided-ebook/dp/B004Z2JPG4/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&m=A24IB90LPZJ0BS&s=digital-text&qid=1305612367&sr=1-7

Don't forget to pop over to the host site below.
http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/2011/05/17/teaser-tuesdays-may-17/

Here is my teaser:  Blindsided by Gemma Rice

I did acting, a long time ago, and can fool anyone who doesn't know me. I flash the nubile plump temptress my friendliest smile, hooking my arm through hers, leading her away from him, smelling him all over her, accosting my nostrils with the love of my life, she's wearing my soul's cologne on her sun-tanned skin.

I will be posted my review of this fab book tomorrow.

So it is Manic Monday and once again I ponder what to write.

The newest exciting things are my new kindle which now has a list of books to read so long I think I will be set for the rest of the year. Yet I’m still downloading new (and yes free!) books on my kindle every day like a demon... I’m set for the long haul. I’m very excited about my new toy and can’t wait for the pretty skin and cover to arrive in the post. 
 
I’m manic cos it is my birthday on Friday and I love my birthday. Self involved much? Um, yes! I know most people probably grow out of their birthday when they become adults. I probably shouldn’t be rejoicing that I’m getting older and closer to a number I don’t want to say aloud nevertheless I get as excited as a kid in a candy store on my birthday. Perhaps it is because I still have the maturity of a fourteen year old. Perhaps it is because I like being spoilt and being the centre of attention. It is probably a combination of it all. But come on, admit it, you all get excited on the one day you can call your own (unless you are a twin or share your birthday with a loved one).
 
The final thing that has me manic which is probably going to leave me depressed is my football team. I believe this year could be the first time we get the wooden spoon. At least it is a new record to achieve. All I can hope for is that we win more than one game. I may be being too hopeful for we are playing quite badly but no matter what, you never give up on your team. Even when they seem to have given up on themselves.
 
Tomorrow is Teaser Tuesday and you may be Blindsided by the extract. ;)

Clichéd J is back... 

What to blog about? Well I thought I would talk about tv because it does fill some of my life. HBO programming in particular, Sex and the City, Entourage, Six Feet Under, Hung, True Blood, Big Love, The Wire and Rome, the list goes on but there does seem to be a trend with my regular viewing... setting aside Dexter, an old favourite in Friends and new in Grey’s Anatomy.
 
So what cliché can I conjure from television.  Is this a rhetorical question?
 
Writing and television or movies for that matter go hand in hand as they do with the novel, just a different kind, the screenplay.  
  
I’ve contemplated this for most of my writing comes from a scene or place in my mind with two players hammering it out in many forms. So would screenplays suit me better? Perhaps. Maybe I should do a course.
 
My question today... how many authors would be better screenplaying? I know that there are some authors who awe inspire and astound me. These are true artists who know there craft. Then there are writers, like me, who create the stories in their head on paper... which is kind of like screen writing?
 
Narration isn’t my strong suit. I can create a scene and tell a story but the in depth descriptions and creating a bigger, longer narration is the thorn in my side (cliché!) and I do struggle for the most part to get past
70k words. So is this an avenue I should pursue? Jury is still out on that one.