I know, I don't usually review the books I've read here, but most of the books I've read were traditionally published, and people have already read tons of reviews on them. Today, I'm reviewing Tempest, by Jamie DeBree. I've been following Jamie's blog for several months. The paperback version Tempest is available for pre-order on her website now, and the e-book will be available from Amazon, Smashwords and Scribd on August 16. And now, onto the review!
I read the whole book in one sitting on a Saturday afternoon. I knew, based on Jamie's Indelibly Inked web serial that this would not be a book appropriate to read during a lunch hour at work! Sex scenes can be tricky, but I think that Jamie struck a good balance. The tension between Charlie and Jake is evident from the beginning of the story. Initially, I was concerned that Jamie might be building up to something she couldn't maintain, but each of their intimate encounters had the same intensity. The language and descriptions used were enough to get her point across, but definitely not the over-the-top cliches that are seen far too often in romance novels.
Adrienne, who appeared rather vapid and useless in the first chapter, went on to prove her worth. I appreciated the fact that she was portrayed consistently younger than the rest of the group, with her reactions more like what I would expect from a teenager, rather than an adult.
There were a few times that I had to go back and re-read a scene, particularly the ones that featured the full hiking group. However, Jamie managed to give every character a unique name, making it much easier to follow the large cast.
Personally, I didn't like the encounters with wild animals, but that was because they were written so well that they freaked me out a bit - I am definitely not a nature-lover. Congratulations to Jamie for making me cringe!
Unfortunately, there seemed to be a few lines missing from the version that I read. I downloaded the .rtf version from Smashwords, because I don't have an actual e-reader, and that might have been the problem. Luckily, they were at the end of paragraphs, and did not slow down the pace too much.
Aside from the small formatting issue, I enjoyed reading Tempest. If you like your intrigue with a side of romance (or your romance with a side of intrigue!), this is a good choice for you!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Other interests
I've been talking a lot with a friend who is taking a step back from writing, or at least from writing with an eye towards publication. She's been talking about priorities, and figuring out what's important to her.
Last night, I realized that I've been missing something that is important to me - dance.
My friend Colby has started teaching a Latin/Swing class at a local studio, and she convinced me to come out to her class last night. It was amazing. Not only was it a great class, but about halfway through it, I realized that I need to dance. It's not just a hobby, a fun thing to do from time to time - I need to dance.
I haven't danced in any sort of structured format since last summer's run of 'Chicago' ended. Before that, I hadn't taken a class since I moved in 2007. And I miss it! Sure, I've danced around my apartment; yes, I've used old dance warm-ups and 'Dancing With The Stars' videos to exercise, but it's not the same. There's just something about being in a room full of other dancers, watching everyone in the mirror, feeling that energy... I can't really explain it. But last night, I remembered, and I don't want to let go. So I'm going back next week!
Please, don't think that this means that I won't be writing anymore! I will still be writing - I need to write, much like I need to dance or breathe.
I've been working on fixing "Into the Fog." I'm taking the advice to heart, and trying to expand on it. Tuesday's fiction was part of that. I know that Meliora is a supernatural being, that she feeds on people's fear and/or discomfort. What I haven't fully formed is how exactly it works. I tried the incident with the cat, and while I didn't hate it, I don't think it feels right. It seemed plausible in my head, but I don't like it on paper (or screen. whatever.). That's what I'm working on now, though. I'm working through what needs to be done to get this story filled in, and ready to re-submit.
The other thing I'm working on more intensively is "Partners." It just seems right to work on the piece about dancers. :)
Last night, I realized that I've been missing something that is important to me - dance.
My friend Colby has started teaching a Latin/Swing class at a local studio, and she convinced me to come out to her class last night. It was amazing. Not only was it a great class, but about halfway through it, I realized that I need to dance. It's not just a hobby, a fun thing to do from time to time - I need to dance.
I haven't danced in any sort of structured format since last summer's run of 'Chicago' ended. Before that, I hadn't taken a class since I moved in 2007. And I miss it! Sure, I've danced around my apartment; yes, I've used old dance warm-ups and 'Dancing With The Stars' videos to exercise, but it's not the same. There's just something about being in a room full of other dancers, watching everyone in the mirror, feeling that energy... I can't really explain it. But last night, I remembered, and I don't want to let go. So I'm going back next week!
Please, don't think that this means that I won't be writing anymore! I will still be writing - I need to write, much like I need to dance or breathe.
I've been working on fixing "Into the Fog." I'm taking the advice to heart, and trying to expand on it. Tuesday's fiction was part of that. I know that Meliora is a supernatural being, that she feeds on people's fear and/or discomfort. What I haven't fully formed is how exactly it works. I tried the incident with the cat, and while I didn't hate it, I don't think it feels right. It seemed plausible in my head, but I don't like it on paper (or screen. whatever.). That's what I'm working on now, though. I'm working through what needs to be done to get this story filled in, and ready to re-submit.
The other thing I'm working on more intensively is "Partners." It just seems right to work on the piece about dancers. :)
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
The cat
As Carver walked back into the house, Meliora watched through the fog, a scowl on her face.
"You're no fun," she muttered as she turned away. Without Carver to play with, she was going to have to find someone else. The fog started to lift as she walked down the street, keeping her eyes open for anyone else who might be outside. Unfortunately, with the sun starting to set, most people had gone in for the evening.
Meliora scowled, her footsteps turning into irritated stomps as she walked along.
A hiss from the shadows caught her attention. Meliora's eyes narrowed as she saw the orange cat, its fur raised as it stared at her. Meliora didn't like cats. Cats definitely didn't like Meliora. Still, she thought, there wasn't another soul to be found...
The fog started to roll in again, faster than it had the last time. The cat's back arched higher still, and it hissed again. Meliora hissed back at it, and the cat backed up. The fog was so thick that anyone else would have been blinded. Meliora, however, stared steadily at the cat. The cat struggled, unable to move through the suddenly-thick air.
Meliora reached out her hand towards the cat, pointing at it. The fog swirled around her finger, then moved towards her, as if drawn in by some sort of vacuum. The cat hissed wildly for a moment, then stopped, its body sagging. Meliora withdrew her finger, and the fog slowly lifted. The cat slumped to the ground, its chest rising and falling as it struggled to breathe.
"You'll be fine," Meliora said, rolling her eyes. "You've got eight more lives."
Feeling much better, she strolled back towards the house, a light trail of fog following behind her.
"You're no fun," she muttered as she turned away. Without Carver to play with, she was going to have to find someone else. The fog started to lift as she walked down the street, keeping her eyes open for anyone else who might be outside. Unfortunately, with the sun starting to set, most people had gone in for the evening.
Meliora scowled, her footsteps turning into irritated stomps as she walked along.
A hiss from the shadows caught her attention. Meliora's eyes narrowed as she saw the orange cat, its fur raised as it stared at her. Meliora didn't like cats. Cats definitely didn't like Meliora. Still, she thought, there wasn't another soul to be found...
The fog started to roll in again, faster than it had the last time. The cat's back arched higher still, and it hissed again. Meliora hissed back at it, and the cat backed up. The fog was so thick that anyone else would have been blinded. Meliora, however, stared steadily at the cat. The cat struggled, unable to move through the suddenly-thick air.
Meliora reached out her hand towards the cat, pointing at it. The fog swirled around her finger, then moved towards her, as if drawn in by some sort of vacuum. The cat hissed wildly for a moment, then stopped, its body sagging. Meliora withdrew her finger, and the fog slowly lifted. The cat slumped to the ground, its chest rising and falling as it struggled to breathe.
"You'll be fine," Meliora said, rolling her eyes. "You've got eight more lives."
Feeling much better, she strolled back towards the house, a light trail of fog following behind her.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
A busy week
It's been a crazy week! But in a good way!
I feel like I got a lot accomplished, at least craft-wise. I started with making some cards:
I'm going to have to wait a few days (until the next payday) before I can send, but I can't wait to get it in the mail! I've got one ball of light blue baby alpaca yarn left. I'm not entirely sure what to do with it. Any suggestions?
Finally, I'm coming very close to finishing the yellow-and-white wave blanket.
I've used a ball and a half this week, and I've got half a ball left. Even better, it's got a home now! My little sister is going to get this blanket once it's done. It's not too big, just enough to cover up when she's curled up on the couch.
I also did four rows on the baby blanket for Rachel or Karen (I've got two blankets going, and the gender of the babies will determine who gets which blanket).
Hmm... only three photos... I almost feel unsatisfied. But crochet can be time consuming, especially when working with a 3.00mm hook, so I'm going to ignore that feeling. Now, on to the writing!
I feel like I got a lot accomplished, at least craft-wise. I started with making some cards:
I was really happy with the way this one turned out - it's just a piece of printed cardstock, with "hello" from the new Stampin' Up set that my sister sent me. I cropped the corners with my new corner cropper, and voila! Hooray for easy, but pretty.
I also finally finished Spencer's blanket!
I'm going to have to wait a few days (until the next payday) before I can send, but I can't wait to get it in the mail! I've got one ball of light blue baby alpaca yarn left. I'm not entirely sure what to do with it. Any suggestions?
Finally, I'm coming very close to finishing the yellow-and-white wave blanket.
I've used a ball and a half this week, and I've got half a ball left. Even better, it's got a home now! My little sister is going to get this blanket once it's done. It's not too big, just enough to cover up when she's curled up on the couch.
I also did four rows on the baby blanket for Rachel or Karen (I've got two blankets going, and the gender of the babies will determine who gets which blanket).
Hmm... only three photos... I almost feel unsatisfied. But crochet can be time consuming, especially when working with a 3.00mm hook, so I'm going to ignore that feeling. Now, on to the writing!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Baby steps
I re-read yesterday's blog in my Google Reader this morning, and I got lost. Apparently, I went with the stream-of-consciousness style of writing, but it didn't work. So here's a revision, which (I hope) will be a bit easier to follow:
I've been working out lately. No, not full-on going to the gym and lifting weights or taking aerobics classes. I started small. Every other morning, I'm doing 3 sets of squats, push-ups, and crunches. It's been almost a month that I've been doing this. I started out with 10 reps of each, and I've increased to 12 squats with arm raises, 12 push-ups, and 15 crunches. There was a day, back at the beginning, when I overslept and didn't have time to do my exercises. Once upon a time, I would have just shrugged, and taken the next day off, too, because it wasn't scheduled for exercises. Then I'd come up with some other excuse for the day after, because by that point, it would have been three days without exercising, and I really wouldn't want to do it anymore.
Instead, I woke up that next morning and did the exercises, even though it hadn't been scheduled as an exercise day. I got back into the routine, and I've been exercising every other day since then.
A few times, I've considered adding in more. I did actually add some arm stuff to my squats, and this week I've added a weighted ball to that part, too. But I decided against adding anything more just yet. Why? Because I don't want to push myself so hard or so quickly that I decide it's not fun anymore. (Okay, I'll admit, I've never found exercise 'fun.') There have been a few other times that I've thought, "Why not do this EVERY morning?" Again, I realized that, if I do that, I'll probably start to feel overwhelmed and quit. So I don't do it every morning.
Now the big question: how does my new work-out schedule apply to my writing?
Baby steps. I am, and have always been, great at starting projects, but not so good at finishing them. Part of that is because I take on things that are big. An afghan is a large, time-consuming knitting project. A novel is a large, time-consuming writing project. After I spend a few weeks or months working on something, I get bored. I want something new. So I move on and start a new project. The old one is there, and I do come back to it from time to time, but the thrill is gone. More importantly, the routine is gone. I've jumped into something too quickly, with expectations that are too high.
I know that I need to start writing more. Well, at all. But if I just jump in and start writing like crazy, I'm going to burn out again, and then I'll have to take another long break from writing anything worthwhile. So what's the solution?
Baby steps! I just need to pace myself. I need to keep some sort of consistency, but without letting myself get out of control. I've got a plan, though. I will write, and I will do it every day. But I won't write a lot. In fact, I'm only scheduling 15-minute sessions. I can write a blog post in that amount of time (usually), and I can get started on something else if I want to. I can do a couple of pages of edits. I can do a page of re-writes. So I'm sticking with the 15-minute blocks. I do realize that writing is a bit more fluid than exercising, though, so I won't enforce the endpoint if I'm in the middle of a scene or almost at the end of a blog. I just need that 15-minute block to get myself started.
Now that I've got the timing sorted, what am I going to write? The plan is as follows:
See? Baby steps. No new projects, just work on some old ones, things that need to get done. And hopefully, I'll stick with it!
I've been working out lately. No, not full-on going to the gym and lifting weights or taking aerobics classes. I started small. Every other morning, I'm doing 3 sets of squats, push-ups, and crunches. It's been almost a month that I've been doing this. I started out with 10 reps of each, and I've increased to 12 squats with arm raises, 12 push-ups, and 15 crunches. There was a day, back at the beginning, when I overslept and didn't have time to do my exercises. Once upon a time, I would have just shrugged, and taken the next day off, too, because it wasn't scheduled for exercises. Then I'd come up with some other excuse for the day after, because by that point, it would have been three days without exercising, and I really wouldn't want to do it anymore.
Instead, I woke up that next morning and did the exercises, even though it hadn't been scheduled as an exercise day. I got back into the routine, and I've been exercising every other day since then.
A few times, I've considered adding in more. I did actually add some arm stuff to my squats, and this week I've added a weighted ball to that part, too. But I decided against adding anything more just yet. Why? Because I don't want to push myself so hard or so quickly that I decide it's not fun anymore. (Okay, I'll admit, I've never found exercise 'fun.') There have been a few other times that I've thought, "Why not do this EVERY morning?" Again, I realized that, if I do that, I'll probably start to feel overwhelmed and quit. So I don't do it every morning.
Now the big question: how does my new work-out schedule apply to my writing?
Baby steps. I am, and have always been, great at starting projects, but not so good at finishing them. Part of that is because I take on things that are big. An afghan is a large, time-consuming knitting project. A novel is a large, time-consuming writing project. After I spend a few weeks or months working on something, I get bored. I want something new. So I move on and start a new project. The old one is there, and I do come back to it from time to time, but the thrill is gone. More importantly, the routine is gone. I've jumped into something too quickly, with expectations that are too high.
I know that I need to start writing more. Well, at all. But if I just jump in and start writing like crazy, I'm going to burn out again, and then I'll have to take another long break from writing anything worthwhile. So what's the solution?
Baby steps! I just need to pace myself. I need to keep some sort of consistency, but without letting myself get out of control. I've got a plan, though. I will write, and I will do it every day. But I won't write a lot. In fact, I'm only scheduling 15-minute sessions. I can write a blog post in that amount of time (usually), and I can get started on something else if I want to. I can do a couple of pages of edits. I can do a page of re-writes. So I'm sticking with the 15-minute blocks. I do realize that writing is a bit more fluid than exercising, though, so I won't enforce the endpoint if I'm in the middle of a scene or almost at the end of a blog. I just need that 15-minute block to get myself started.
Now that I've got the timing sorted, what am I going to write? The plan is as follows:
- This week - finish NaNo-related post for FFC
- This weekend - write an outline for what I want to do with Damagos next weekend
- Sunday – blog about crafts
- Tuesday – five-minute fiction
- Thursday – blog about how all this has worked for me!
- Next week - re-write chapter 1 of HEA
- Next week - start edits on chapter 2 of HEA
See? Baby steps. No new projects, just work on some old ones, things that need to get done. And hopefully, I'll stick with it!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Not Pretty
She was not a pretty crier.
Anna's nose was red and shiny, like a drunkard on a binge. Her eyes were rimmed in a matching shade, and seemed to be partly swollen. Splotches covered her cheeks, and her face was shiny with tears. She sniffled, but a little trail of snot still escaped her nose.
Her shoulders shuddered as Anna tried to catch her breath, but to no avail. She let out a wail, and it sounded like someone had stepped on a puppy. The sound was as unpleasant as Anna's appearance. She wasn't surprised that no one had stepped up to hold her and comfort her – Anna didn't even want to be around herself.
With that thought, she lapsed into another bout of wailing, giving in to her despair and letting herself crumple to the floor. There she sat, in a sniveling, whimpering, wet, snotty, slimy mess, unable to do anything but feel sorry for herself.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Feelin' good!
I have had an awesome weekend. Absolutely awesome. Did I mention it was good? Like, really good?
I sat down to write my usual craft update, and I feel like I don't have all that much to post... I mean, I finished one little project, and some cards, but aside from that, all of my work has been on projects that are big enough that I can't finish them in a short time frame. Plus, I tend to get bored if I work on the same thing for too long...
First, the photos:
Illoria's dice bag! Now all of the girls in Tanya's clan have special dice bags. Whee! I'm thinking that next time we game, I'll take a photo of all of the bags together.
The card for Grandpa and Karen (Yes, I make multiples of cards. It's easier that way.)
Birthday cards for friends who shall remain nameless (because I haven't sent them yet, and I don't want to give it away).
Second, the list! These are the projects that are currently in progress, in order of pressing need for completion:
I sat down to write my usual craft update, and I feel like I don't have all that much to post... I mean, I finished one little project, and some cards, but aside from that, all of my work has been on projects that are big enough that I can't finish them in a short time frame. Plus, I tend to get bored if I work on the same thing for too long...
First, the photos:
Illoria's dice bag! Now all of the girls in Tanya's clan have special dice bags. Whee! I'm thinking that next time we game, I'll take a photo of all of the bags together.
The card for Grandpa and Karen (Yes, I make multiples of cards. It's easier that way.)
Birthday cards for friends who shall remain nameless (because I haven't sent them yet, and I don't want to give it away).
Second, the list! These are the projects that are currently in progress, in order of pressing need for completion:
- Spencer's baby blanket
- NaNo Hamsterbeans
- Hufflepuff scarf
- Rachel's baby blanket
- Karen's baby blanket
- Picnic blanket
- Pillowcase
- Dance sweater/legwarmers
- Yellow/white wave blanket
- Purple/pink/white wave blanket
- Pink/white granny square blanket
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