Manic Monday #5


Manic Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Turn The Page where we get to decide who the 
next Indie/Self-Published author featured will be

Today could not be closer to the epitome of a Manic Monday... hence my very late post. It was a long, crazy, hectic kind of day. I went to bed late last night, woke way too early and worked 12 hours preparing for a new store opening. It was rough. Thankfully I had my bloggy friend Angela right there along side me, helping me to get through it. I can only hope that today is not a reflection of the rest of the week, because if it is... I might not make it.  With that said, I will say that Angela and I will be super busy with this new store opening, for the next couple of weeks so please bare with us if we lag at all. Believe me, I would so much rather be reading and blogging that doing what I will be doing.  

The chosen Indie/Self-Published Author for
Manic Monday Week #5 is:

Sandra Madera - Shattered 

Congratulations Sandra 














Monday May 20, 2013 Manic Monday Picks

1. Inseparable - Missy Johnson 
2. Me Again - Keith Cronin
3. Falling - Amber Jaeger

* If you've read it, tell us what you thought and tell me which book should be chosen as our Manic Monday Indie/Self-Published Author Feature for Week #6

Also, Tell me if you've found outstanding Indie books (for FREE or PAID) that you think deserve a spotlight in our Manic Monday. 

Navigating the rewritten rewrites...

          There are tides in the affairs of blogs, and the tide for this one
The Sterkarm Handshake
has been far out for a couple of weeks.

          Partly I've been very busy with selling my late parents' house, clearing it of all their stuff, and redistributing heirlooms. I've made so many trip to the local dump that the blokes down there - a very friendly, helpful lot - have given me my own parking space and put me on their Christmas card list.
          But somewhere in all this, I actually finished Sterkarm 3. Again.
          I was rewriting it because my agent wanted me to make a clearer distinction between the two - yes, count 'em - two gangs of Sterkarms. "We only have one bite at this cherry," she said. "I don't want to offer it until it's right."
          To help me keep track of 147,000 words, I've used Word's 'navigation pane', which is immensely useful. If you've never used it, it's a quick, simply way of putting a hyperlink into a file. A side-panel, or pane, opens down the left-hand side of the screen. When I highlighted a chapter heading, and then clicked on 'Heading 1', that heading appeared in the side-panel.

         If I wanted to be able to find a particular scene, I gave it a sub-heading, highlighted it and clicked 'Heading 2'. It then appeared in the side-panel under the chapter heading, but in less heavy type, and inset - so I could easily see the difference between the start of a chapter, and the beginning of scenes within it.
          As the words, and 50-odd chapter mounted up, so the chapter headings and subheading appeared down the left-hand side.
If I was suddenly reminded, as I worked on chapter 47, of some detail I should have added to chapter 9, then all I had to do was click on the heading 'Chapter 9' in the side-panel, and the hyperlink would jump me straight back there. If I knew the scene I wanted, I could jump straight to that scene. It's made rewriting a hell of a lot easier.
          But only so far. This must be the fourth or fifth rewrite. I thought I would be nipping through and doing nothing more than knocking out the sub-headings, to make a nice, tidy typescript for my agent to read. Instead I've been reading passages and thinking, 'Why on earth did I write that? How can I ever have thought that made sense? Or was good enough?'
          And so I'm cutting - slashing, sometimes - and changing and re-ordering. But I am intent on finishing this spruce-up in as short a time as possible, and will then email it to my agent. I promise.

 My sketch map of Sterkarm country, made of two pieces of scrap paper taped together and scribbled on.

          And this is where Blott has gone. He's out the back somewhere, chasing paranormal rodents round the bins.

 

WHAT I DIDN'T SAY!!

Getting drunk homecoming night your senior year is never a good idea, but Jake Hayes never expected it all to end with a car crash and a t-post embedded in his throat.  

His biggest regret about it all? What he never said to Samantha Shay. He's been in love with her for years and never had the guts to tell her. Now it's too late. Because after that night, Jake will never be able to talk again.

When Jake returns to his small island home, population 5,000, he'll have to learn how to deal with being mute. He also finds that his family isn't limited to his six brothers and sisters, that sometimes an entire island is watching out for you. And when he gets the chance to spend more time with Samantha, she'll help him learn that not being able to talk isn’t the worst thing that could ever happen to you. Maybe, if she'll let him, Jake will finally tell her what he didn't say before, even if he can't actually say it.

Author: Keary Taylor 
Title: What I didn't Say
Genre: Young Adult >Contemporary > Social Issues > Romance
Publication Date: April 2012
Links to Purchase: Amazon; Barnes & Noble
Reviewer: Megan

My Review: 4.5 out of 5 Stars 

I really really really liked this book. I almost absolutely loved it... It kept me entertained, hanging on and turning page after page. I loved Jake and Sam, well lets be honest, I liked Jordan, Rain, and Carter too! I think the message in the book is a great one -something we can all learn from. 
Underage drinking has become an epidemic in this county and teens think they are indestructible. I have seen first hand the way a car accident caused by carelessness can destroy lives. My story doesn't have the same outcome as Jake's... yes he is mute, but at least he is alive. My personal experience resulted in the death of my best friend. 

We all endure hardships in our lives, but it is how we move on from there, what we do to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves on and keep moving forward that defines us. Life is about obstacles and yes, there are some that make us want to give up. I think this was one of the things that made me really enjoy this book. The author shows us how easy this would be for both Sam and Jake- to just give up and say who cares. But, that's the cowardly way out and it takes a bigger person, a stronger person to keep moving forward. 

I felt connected to Jake and Samantha as people. They both went through some major life struggles at such a young age, but their perseverance was up-lifting. The way they learn to lean on one another is also touching. Their friendship wasn't over the top or unrealistic, which made it that much better for me. They were genuine, honest, and real. 

There wasn't anything I didn't like about this book... no gripes or rants I need to go on. Oh wait, okay maybe one... but this seems like a constant pattern for me... I wanted an epilogue. LOL. I was hoping to see a glimpse of Jake in college or later on in his life. However, not having this, in NO WAY changed my opinion of the book.  This book was great. It will leave a lasting impression on me forever. I was impressed by the authors portrayal of Orcas, of her character development, and her rich storytelling! 

 I highly recommend this book, you will no be sorry you read it! 


LINDSEY'S CHOICE!!

Manic Monday Indie/Self-Published Author Feature 
Week #3


Lindsey Connors is a typical 16 year old. As with many young girls her age, she is presented with many difficult choices and situations. As we know as adults, some of the choices, good or bad, we make at a young and vulnerable age may guide the rest of our lives.

Are you ready for the fun and unique part? This story is interactive. It allows the reader to participate in Lindseyʼs Choices. Live through Lindsey! It is tailored so the reader can control the direction of Lindseyʼs journey toward maturity.


The first tough decision confronting Lindsey is whether to start drinking alcohol at a party. Does she give in the peer pressure and be accepted by the popular crowd or does she decide to stay with her old friends?


The reader can identify with Lindsey and her friends and can think about what they would do in the situations presented to Lindsey. The reader can see that with each choice Lindsey makes, her life is changed, she changes, and her choices have a profound impact on the people around her.


Following the initial decision Lindsey makes, the story then branches into two story lines. Lindsey continues to be faced with many new and challenging obstacles: a friendship with a bullied and suicidal student, peer pressure to take drugs, and challenges in relationships. How can Lindsey pursue her passions and not get caught sitting on the sidelines? Read how with making certain choices she realizes what is important in life OR read how with making different choices she lets life pass her by.

This book enables the reader to make choices in a fictional world, in order to assist them in making the right decisions in their own lives.

Author: Laurel Peterson 
Title: Lindsey's Choice
Genre: Young Adult > Social Issues
Publication Date: October 2012
Links to Purchase: Amazon
Reviewer: Megan

My Review: 4.5 out of 5 Stars 

So let me just say, as a kid I LOVED choose your own adventure books. I have looked for them for my niece and nephews, but they are unfortunately not as popular today as they were 25 years ago. I had toyed with the idea of writing a book like this myself, so when I saw this Indie author had done it I just had to pick it up. 

I liked all the choices we were able to make for Lindsey and I think the author did a great job setting up those choices. There were times when it was predictable, but that could be because I am an adult who knows full well the repercussions of the behaviors Lindsey was faced with. But for teens reading this book, which hopefully they would read both versions as I did, they would see very clearly how different a situation can go, based on ONE CHOICE! I think that is the biggest message here... and I think Laurel paints the darker side well.

When I went back and read the alternate choice (I chose the darker version first) I liked that the author tied in every choice that led to the major decision Lindsey had made in the alternate version. Again, it showed the reader (teens) that how we treat people, how we act, what we do, and inevitably how the choices we make impact more than just ourselves. 

The one thing that I didn't like... hmm, that's not really the right terminology here. It wasn't a dislike by any means, but it was the reason it got 4.5 stars and not the full 5. I already mentioned some of the predictability, which was one thing, but also I guess I would have liked to see the darker choice a little darker (more dire consequences) and the other choice less fluff filled. This is not necessarily a bad thing, depending on who is reading it though... it just seemed to perfectly put together with a very pretty, shiny bow! 

And on that note, I will tell you I loved that the author showed us the outcome of Lindsey's choices in the future. She gives us a glimpse (in each version) of how Lindsey's life as well as those around her, turned out. This is a pretty big deal as it gives you a sense of not just the impact of our decisions like I already mentioned, but how those decisions effect the rest our life. 

I highly recommend this book to anyone with pre-teens heading into high school, teens, and adults who have teens. It paints a very real picture of the choices we make and the consequences that follow. 

Manic Monday #4

Manic Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Turn The Page where we get to decide who the 
next Indie/Self-Published author featured will be. 

Hmmm... pretty cold for a Monday in the middle of May. I feel like this happens purposely so that we will have something to complain about during Manic Monday! This yo yo weather is just making me bonkers. The weekend wasn't all that great either, if you take the weather into consideration. It was cold and rainy here in northeast Ohio! at least we had mothers day to round it all out. I am not a mother of the human breed, but I am definitely a mother to three furry, four-legged babies who are the center of my universe. Bailey, Madison & Emma treated me to some beautiful flowers and an adorable card, along with some much needed cuddle time. (All of this courtesy of my wonderful husband that is) So, now as we head into another week... another crazy Manic Monday we can only hope that today is not an indication of the rest of the week or I might as well just go back to bed now. 

Before we reveal this weeks Manic Monday winner I wanted to announce the two winners of the Emi Lost & Found series:  Anne Talberth & Sarah Vesper

So this week we had no votes for our Manic Monday choices... what a bummer! So instead we drew a winner from the three choices! 

The chosen Indie/Self-Published Author for
Manic Monday Week #4 is:

Laurel Peterson - Lindsey's Choice

Congratulations Laurel












Monday May 13, 2013 Manic Monday Picks

1. Shattered - Sandra Madera 
2. The Rocks Below - Nigel P. Bird
3. Be Always On My Side - Nicola Starks

* If you've read it, tell us what you thought and tell me which book should be chosen as our Manic Monday Indie/Self-Published Author Feature for Week #5

Also, Tell me if you've found outstanding Indie books (for FREE or PAID) that you think deserve a spotlight in our Manic Monday.