What do you look for in a review?

        Todat I'm participating in a blog hop organized by Reading Romances. The question the bloggers participating in this blog hop were asked was:

What do you look for in a review?

      As a blogger who reviews quite a few books a month I think this is a very poignant question. When I write a review for this blog, or read a review form on eof the many book blogs I follow I think the key feature is honesty. I never ever write a dishonest review or accept money to post a good review, not only is this bad taste in my opinion but it ruins your reputation as a book blogger. Who wants to read a book review that's biased, because money was offered as an incentive?! You read a review to find out what other people thought of the book and if you should buy it, and when someone writes a dishonest review for money you'll never really know if the book was actually good or not.

      In addition to honesty, I want to know why the reviewer thought what they did and inturn I try to explain my ratings in my own reviews. Now, this does not mean I look for the exact sentence Why I rated this book..... if everyone wrote that, I think book blogs would be extremely boring. However, I think its important to mention the reasoning behind a rating, for example, was it a low rating because of typos? you didn't like the genre? the writing style wasn't your personal favourite? When an explanation is provided in a review it gives the review a level of credibility because their thoughts are supported with some sort of evidence.

 

     So now I'm asking you; what do you look for in a review?

Island of Tory Review

Rating: 5/5

Title: Island of Tory

Author: Regina M. Geither

Page Count (ebook): 192

Official Description

Arella Cline, a sixteen year old teen from Wexford Pennsylvania, finds her life turned upside down when her family summer vacation begins with a tragic car accident which kills both of her parents. Going to live with her Great-aunt Fi, Arella tries to start a new life on a tiny island off the western coast of Ireland. Everything about Tory Island, however, is objectionable to her–the gray and wet weather, the stringent academy she is forced to attend, as well as the island’s lack of modern day amenities. The only thing Arella likes about Tory is Declan McQuilan, a handsome, dark-haired boy who attempts to show her the island’s hidden charms.

But there are too many strange things happening on Tory to make Arella feel that she could call the island home. She keeps seeing shadow figures and strange auras and hearing her parents’ voices. The people on the island are very secretive. And when Arella tries to leave on a ferryboat, she blacks out only to find herself back at her aunt’s cottage as predicted by Cannon Fidelous, another teen stranded on the mysterious island.

When Arella quits The Academy of St. Colm Cille, Father Cillian, a kindly old priest, offers to tutor her using an ancient book of prophecies which is now considered the history of Tory. What he teaches her will lead to a journey into ancient magic and Tory’s cursed past. Arella is forced to face her fears and newly discovered powers to turn back the pages of history in order for her to return to the present.
    

My Thoughts

       Island of Tory completely enchanted me, it has been quite a while since I've read a Young Adult book this good! Everything about this book was spot on. The language was beautifully descriptive without being overbearing, which made the setting so vivid I felt as if I walked into the damp mist of the British Isles myself. The character development was exquisite, every detail about the characters was revealed at just the right moment, making them entirely believable. The story itself was also extremely fluid flowing purposefully through the celtic tides of the tale. I became so enthralled that I finished this story in one day, I simply could not leave the book for a single moment!

      I urge to read this immediatley, the suspense will leave you itching for more as its dark romance and irish lore sucks you deep into this celtic enchantment.


Book Links

Book/ Author Site

Place an order through the author's site

Train Station Bride Review

Rating: 4/5

Title: Train Station Bride

Author: Holly Bush

Page Count (ebook): 147

Official Description

      1887 Debutante, Julia Crawford endures a lifetime of subtle ridicule as the plump, silly daughter of a premiere Bostonfamily. Julia strikes out on her own to gain independence, traveling to theMidwest to marry an aging shopkeeper and care for his mother. Julia finds hernew home rough and uncivilized after the sophistication of a big city, while closely held secrets threaten to ruin Julia’s one chance at love.

    Jake Shelling was sixteen and grew up quick when his parents died from influenza on the North Dakota prairie. Left with a half-cleared farm and two young sisters, he spent little time on his own needs... till now. At thirty-five, he figured it was high time to have some sons and a mail order bride would suit him just fine. Noexpectations of love, just a helpmate from sturdy stock, ready for farmlife.Will fate and chance play a trick on Julia and Jake?

My Thoughts

     From the girlish Julia Crawford, unconfident and unsure of herself to the handsome and obstinate Jake Shelling, Train Station Bride is in every sense, a romance novel. The plot is split between the perspectives of Julia and Jake as they both embark on a journey to meet their 'mail-order' spouses and is filled with the playfulness of true love mixed with the sharper truths of being female in a strict society. Unlike some straight forward romances, Train Station Bride is filled with a slew of twists which I whole heartedly commend; I just love an unpredictable story! The artful way Bush wove the twists into the novel, added dimension to both the romance and the subplots within the book, creating wonderfully suspenseful scenes. Aside from the fact that I thought some of the love scenes could have been a bit more...steamy and polished, the romance between Julia and Jake was nevertheless well written and 100% believable.

I'm interviewing Holly Bush tomorrow so be sure to check back then!

Links:

Amazon

Author's Page

The Sound and The Echoes Review

Rating: 3/5

Title: The Sound & The Echoes

Author: Dew Pellucid

Page Count (ebook): 279

Official Amazon Description

The Sound and the Echoes is a high-concept, fantasy adventure for young adults, with 27 magical illustrations.

Imagine that everyone around you has a mirror image living somewhere else. Your world is like a sound, which produced that other world of echoes. And in this land men are governed by a terrible law—no Echo is allowed to live after his Sound dies.

One Sound especially must die. The Prince’s Sound. The Fate Sealers and Fortune Tellers will make sure of that! Because after this Sound dies, the Echo Prince will have to die too.

Now, twelve-year-old Will Cleary is about to discover that he is the Sound the Echoes are hunting. And so begins his perilous adventure into a see-through, sparkling world, filled with spying crystal balls, an eerie fortress of castaway children, a hunt for clues in an ancient book of riddles, and a last-chance escape through a frozen gem-studded lake into a secret land that holds the key to placing the Prince on the throne and returning freedom to the Echoes.

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My Thoughts

      Though the description of The Sound & The Echoes states that this is a Young Adult novel, at several points in the book I found myself wondering exactly how it could be defined as belonging to the YA genre. Most of the YA novels I have read feature characters between the ages of 15-19 who are teenagers in every sense of the word. However, The Sound & The Echoes' main character was twelve years old for the majority of the book and it seemed to be written for an audience of the same age, which left me feeling more than a bit confused as to how this could be classified as a YA book.

        I did enjoy the story, it was extremely creative and unique, something I appreciate in a literary world where there are far too many cookie cutter books around. And at points, I even felt like I was reading some alterior version of the Harry Potter series, with the main character being a male twelve years in age who arrives at an orphanage of sorts with a Dumbledore-esque headmaster and proceeds to become aquaintances with an equally outcast boy and girl.

    I think this is an excellent book for a younger age range, simply because it seems to revolve around the sort of interests a younger audience would appreciate; I believe my twelve year old self would have loved this book. Overall, I found that The Sound & The Echoes was a good read, with an excellent plot line, though I would say it belongs more to an age range of 9-13 than the typical YA genre.

     In your opinion what makes a novel, a YA book?

Book Links:

Amazon

Book site

Interview with Kea Noli Author of Pearl Lover

      Today I am fortunate to be able to welcome Kea Noli, the author of Pearl Lover to my blog for an interview.

LL: Me (Lace & Lavender)

Kea: Kea Noli (Author of Pearl Lover)

Kea Noli

The Interview

LL: Tell us a bit about yourself.

Kea: Sarah, I am Australian by birth but American by choice.  Pearl Lover reveals a lot about me.

LL:Why did you decide to become a writer?

Kea: When I was a designer in the building industry, I was frustrated because of the bureaucracy, permits, licenses, and inspections. I quit my job, and said: “to hell with all that” and I started writing.

LL:How long did it take you to write Pearl Lover?

Kea: Seven months, after about 4 years of shredding manuscripts.

LL:What was your main inspiration to write Pearl Lover?

Kea: To challenge the status quo on the traditional ideas of jealousy.

I’d had enough of romances with hysterical females venting negative emotions. 

Another inspiration—the famous Rudolph Nureyev and the Ballets Russes inspired me.  Kolya Kosov is modeled after Nureyev.  The Ballets Russes (Ballets Russia) was a 20^th Century Company.  Most of the ballets produced in the west can be traced back to the Company’s influence.  Pearl Lover is a contemporary story with the rebirth of Ballets Russes (images of some dancers on the wall behind me).

LL:If you could sum Nixie Veidt into one word, what would it be?  

Kea: Imp

LL:What is your all-time favourite book and why?

Kea: Atlas Shrugged.  Because after I discovered it, I ran away from home.

LL:What were your main challenges when writing Pearl Lover?

Kea: To be dramatic in all scenes. 

LL:What is your advice to new authors and aspiring writers?

Kea: If you do not know the answer to a problem, look beyond yourself.  Do not think that there is something wrong with you, just because you cannot work it out.  Find the answer.  I found that comment in Fiction Writing by Ayn Rand. 

LL:What do you do in your spare-time when you’re not writing?

Kea:  Seriously, I have been writing for about 5 years, living frugally, on breadcrumbs, so to speak, but I have one purpose—to succeed as a writer—that means to write

LL:Is there anything else you would like to say to your fans and readers?

Kea:I enjoy emails from my readers.   

Read Kea Noli's Pearl Lover for yourself:











Pearl Lover (Amazon Kindle)
Goodreads

To read my review of Pearl Lover Click Here

Giveaway of FREJA Nordic Fairies Book Two

     After talking with Saga Berg, author of the Nordic Fairies novella series I've decided to host my first giveaway! I will be giving away two free copies of Freja, the second book in the Nordic Fairies series to my followers. To enter this awesome giveaway which is open to anyone (i.e. its international) check below:

 

How to Enter:

-Write a meaningful comment (to prevent spammers from enterring)

-In the comment include your email address & how you are following my blog (email, gfc etc..)

I will be announcing the winners of the giveaway Wednesday, August 30th, 2012.

Good Luck!!!

Interview with Colleen Conally (Author of Seductive Secrets)

       About a month ago I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing Colleen Connally's debut novel, Seductive Secrets. At the time I had been searching for a good historical romance and had the good fortune of discovering it on smashwords, though it is now also available on Amazon. I haven't read a historical romance nearly as good as Connally's Seductive Secrets since, and am super excited to be able to share my interview with her; happy reading!

The Interview 

LL: Lace and Lavender (Me)
CC: Colleen Connally

LL: Tell us a bit about yourself.

CC: I'm a Southern girl now living above the Mason/Dixon line—along way from home. If anyone had ever told me I would end up living in Boston when I was young, I would have thought they had lost their mind. When I say I grew up in the South, I mean the deep, rural South...on a farm. I grew up surrounded by lots of animals and fields and fields of cotton and soybeans. I loved every minute of it. I never thought about leaving my home. Then I fell inlove with a Yankee. That was twenty-seven years ago. But as the saying goes, you can take the girl out of the country, but not the country out of the girl!


LL: Why did you decide to become a writer?

CC: As with most things in life, a dream. Writing has always been a dream of mine. I’ve always been an avid reader.  I love getting caught up in another world if only for a few brief hours. Although I don't think there was a precise moment when I decided to become a writer, I believe it was always in me. Although when I went to college I majored in a different field, my heart lay with English literature. The writers in these courses inspired me probably from the time of Romantism. I would read for hours authors' works such as Jane Austin, Ralph Waldo Emerson, andEmily Dickerson. 

LL: How long did it take you to write Seductive Secrets?

CC: From the time I began to the last edit...probably a year.The way I write it doesn't necessarily mean it took a full year, but I would go to a certain point and let it sit for a time. Then I would go back to the manuscript.

LL: What was your main inspiration to write Seductive Secrets?

CC: My love for history draws me to write historical stories andI can’t help but write romance. I believe in the power of love. Seductive Secrets is the first book in a series that will deal with just how powerful love can be in life. I believe Seductive Secrets holds several strong connections with the power of love—Julian and Alyce, Julian and Roland, Alyce and her best friend Charles. I mention Charles here because one of the underlying inspirations inwriting Seductive Secrets was the character of Charles. I had a conversation with someone one dear to me who is gay. During this particular conversation, they mentioned that growing up gay they didn't have any positive role models to look up to especially in books. Things are changing, but it got me thinking. I can write a positive gay character. Once I decided on the course of action, Charles was created along with it, the challenge of having a major secondary character gay in a regency romance. But I love this character and believe Charles added another dimension to the story.


LL: If you could sum Alyce into five words, what would they be?

CC: Compassionate, loyal, innocent, feminine, mysterious.


LL: Are you planning to write more romance/historical fictionnovels in the future; if so can you give us an idea of what they might beabout?

CC:  I have a few things coming up. I'm in the midst of completing my second novel under Colleen Connally. Broken Legacy hopefully will becompleted at least by December. I have a couple of series set during the American Revolution under my name Jerri Hines. Ruse of Love which will be released August 7th. It is the second book in the Winds of Betrayal Series.Then in September, Another Night Falls will be released in the Tides of Charleston Series. Excited about both of these upcoming releases! If you like fantasy, I have an epic fantasy series, Whispers of a Legend under my pen name Carrie James Haynes, you might enjoy as well. ]


LL: What is your all-time favourite book and why?

CC: Hard question.  I love so many books and authors. I love all the classics from Jane Eyre to Wuthering Heights. Two of my favorite romance books include Ashes in the Wind by Kathleen Woodwiss and Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. I'm a huge fan of Lord of the Rings and the Kent Family Chronicles by John Jakes. I hold a certain writer's envy pertaining to two particular writers I admire, Suzanne Collins and J. K. Rowlings. I love their originality and their seamless flow of words. But if you hold me to my all-time favorite book has to be To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I believe it’s my Southern roots that adds a draw to the story. I've read the book many, many times and each time it touches me.


LL: What is your advice to new authors and aspiring writers?

CC: Very simple...just write. Don't stop.


LL: What do you do in your spare-time when you’re not writing?

CC: I would love to say travel the world. I love to travel, but that doesn't happen as often as I would like. Instead, I read and let the books take me to places I've never been. My children are older. My youngest is going to college in the fall. So a new chapter in my life will begin. I will have to adjust to empty nest syndrome, but I'm sure my husband and I will manage. We love to garden, play with our doggies and watch sporting events.


LL: Is there anything else you would like to say to your fansand readers?

CC: I so appreciate everyone who has taken the time to read oneof my books. I hope my books can supply a few hours of escape from the worldoutside. Enjoy and thank you.

To read my review of Seductive Secrets click here.

Pearl Lover Review

Rating: 3.5/5

Title: Pearl Lover

Author: Kea Noli

Page Count (ebook): 176

Page Count (paperback): 275

Official Amazon Description

    A beautiful girl. A wicked mother. A twisted love triangle.

    In this thrilling romance, Nixie Veidt is forced to choose between money and love. She must stay faithful to the bureaucrat she married to save her inheritance, but her love belongs to a Russian dancer. When she hires the dancer for her company, she puts it all on the line. Will she lose everything? Or does love really conquer all?

     Is it moral to love two men? Be prepared for an unconventional ending (extended description)

My Thoughts

     I'll have to admit in the beginning I definitley struggled with how to rate this book and I can't say I had made any more of a definitive decision by the end of the book. So, finally I decided that instead of struggling any longer with whether I should rate it a three or a four, I would just settle on three and a half.

     Pearl Lover was a unique reading experience; and not in a bad way. In Pearl Lover Noli proved that she is very good at enticing the reader. Similar to Kolya continually offering love just when Nixie thinks they are over, in her book Noli kept offering intriguing details about the triangular romance between Kolya, Morten and Nixie, that made it impossible for me to put the book down. One of the reasons I liked Pear Lover so much was because of these intriguing details, that were purposefully thrown in here and there; I just had to keep reading to find out who she would choose Morten or Kolya! And then there is that cover, I mean what is not to love about it!? The far off look in her eyes, the stark contrast between the hat and the backdrop and of course, the pearls! In my opinion this cover gets an A+.

    Unlike most of the other books I have read Pearl Lover continually alters between multiple perspectives. In the beginning of the book the story is told from Nixie's perspective in addition to Morten's and Voclain's (a friend of Nixie's father) perspectives, but as the story progresses it is mainly told through Nixie's and Kolya's perspective. Personally, I found that due to the continual switching between characters, the first forty five pages of the book were immensley confusing. For some reason after that, things started to make sense, whether that was due to the less frequent changes in perspective or the fact that I just got used to Noli's writing style (a writing style which I have now grown quite fond of) I'm still not quite sure. I would have definitley rated Pearl Lover higher had it focused upon one or two characters rather than multiple characters, because I find that I connect better with characters when there are fewer perspectives. I felt by the end as if I still didn't really quite understand some of the characters, this could have quite possibly been the author's intent, but regardless it has left me a bit confused. Overall, I would recommend Pearl Lover to anyone who likes to read novels which are told from multiple perspectives, while dealing with a variety of very real issues that artists face on a day to day basis.

If you want to read a further discussion of this book cover, and about what my readers thought made a book cover great click here.

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Pearl Lover (Amazon Kindle)
Goodreads

Interview with Jennifer Kitchens (Author of A Lady By Any Other Name)

Today I have the pleasure of sharing my interview with Jennifer Kitchens, author of A Lady By Any Other Name. I am currently quite swamped with reviews so I won’t be posting a review on this novel but I couldn’t resist sharing the interview with you. I always find it so interesting to hear about the different writing experiences of authors, how they come up with the ideas, what their favourite books are etc. So without any further ado, check out the interview below!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a stay-at-home mom who loves everything to do with romance. Growing up in California I started my obsession with regency romances by borrowing books from my grandmother who adores them. I left home for college and found my own true love. We now have two wonderful little boys and I spend all my free time (which isn’t much) either reading or writing romance novels.

Why did you decide to become a writer?

To be honest, it was a suggestion by my husband. I would often make up stories in my head, whether they be sequels to books, alternate endings, or the like. He suggested I try to write a book of my own and I tried it. Only recently after when I put in focused effort to work on and complete this story did I realize just how much I enjoyed it.

How long did it take you to write A Lady By Any Other Name?

That’s a complicated question. I know, it seems like an easy one, but I had a stilted experience writing. I started writing it about four years ago and worked on it on and off for a few months. Then I had our second child and the book got put on the back burner…or maybe back in the pantry – for a while. About eight months ago, long after I started reviewing books, I decided to pick up my own manuscript once again. So in total it took about a year of fitting it in between raising my kids and running a review blog to complete the book.

What was your main inspiration to write A Lady By Any Other Name?

My husband was my biggest supporter in writing period. But for this story itself…I wanted to write something fun and sweet and exciting that I would let my daughters (if I ever have any) read. I wanted to give them an example of a clean romance that was an enjoyable book. I hope someday to have a daughter who can grow up to read it. Until then, I’ll have to be satisfied with other people’s daughters reading it. J

If you could sum Nicole Farrington into five words, what would they be?

Kind. Naïve. Impetuous. Resilient. Sweet.

What is your all-time favourite book and why?

This is a terrible question (especially for someone who is also a book reviewer). I’d have to say The Twelve Days of Christmas by Regina Scott. I love Christmas stories and the balance between the romance and reality is wonderful. I love the give and take of the relationship. Simply sweet!

What were your main challenges in writing your first novel?

I had a hard time not getting discouraged. I often would end up putting it down for days or weeks at a time, losing focus or feeling like it would never be good enough. Thankfully I had a wonderfully supportive husband who was always there to read through the chapters and tell me to keep going. I also struggled to figure out how to write from a male perspective – another thing my husband helped me to figure out.

What is your advice to new authors and aspiring writers?

Keep going. Whatever stage you’re in – outlining, writing, editing, re-editing, finalizing, publishing, etc –don’t give up. If you keep at it, you will get to the end.

What do you do in your spare-time when you’re not writing?

Reading. J As a book reviewer, I spend hours reading new books. But aside from all that…I love experimenting making gourmet jams (I have a cookbook out with some of my favorite recipes), spending time with my kids, and just plain being with my husband. Late nights at home with my hubby are the best – playing monopoly, watching bad movies, eating the sweets we told the kids they couldn’t have, and just keeping the romance alive.

Is there anything else you would like to say to your fans and readers?

Thank you so much for reading this and I hope you check out my book. Let me know what you think – I’m always happy to hear from readers and fans.

If you want to read A Lady By Any Other Name Click Below

Amazon (paperback)
Amazon (Kindle)

If you want to read Candy in a Jar (Kitchen's Cookbook) Click Below

Amazon (paperback)
Amazon (Kindle)

Interview with Saga Berg (author of the Nordic Faries Series)

You may have noticed (or not) that within the past week or so I’ve been writing a lot of reviews on the Nordic Fairies series. If you have been reading those reviews than you’ll know I completely fell in love with series! So naturally, I’m super excited to be able to share my interview with Saga Berg (a.k.a the author of the Nordic Fairies series) today! Go ahead scroll down and check out the interview for yourself!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

     I live with my boyfriend in the south of Sweden, in a small village on the country side, population approximately 1 000. My house is from the 1920‘s and from the window where I sit and write Nordic Fairies I have a view over an old church from the tenth century, which is the same century Svala and Viggo turned Liosálfar.

      I’ve studied and worked in marketing for many years, and even though I’ve written stories all my life, Nordic Fairies is my first published work. Writing is definitely what defines me.

      English is only my second language, but I learned it early, and I’ve always been fascinated by what a rich language it is. My native tongue is Swedish, as is Svala and Viggo’s.

       I’m currently working on the fourth part of Nordic Fairies. There will be a fifth part as well, and then we’ll see.

Why did you decide to become a writer?

    According to my parents, I said I wanted to become a writer at the age of 7. I don’t recall having said this, but I’ve created stories in my head for as long as I can remember. When I was 13, my father gave me an electric typewriter, and I started writing my first novel on it.

Why did you decide to write a series of novellas instead of one novel?

     It was how the story about Viggo and Svala made sense to me. I liked the idea of going back in to one specific moment in time in each part and explore that it separately. Dividing the novel into parts helped structure the plot better. I suppose when all parts are out it would also work as a full novel.

     I initially had the idea for part one, two and four, and I came up with the idea for part three and five while writing the first two parts.

What was your main inspiration to write Nordic Fairies series?

     This was one of those stories that just came to me. It happens sometimes and it is something of a mystery even to me.

If you could sum Svala into five words, what would they be?

    Strong, independent, kind, unselfish and loyal

What is your all-time favorite book and why?

    Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood. I love Atwood’s writing style, and especially her ability to unfold a story by going back and forward in time in a seamless manner. She’s the author who has inspired me most. There is something about the way she tells a story that appeals to me, she is very subtle and never obvious, which I like. I love almost all of the Atwood books I’ve read, but with Cat’s Eye I could relate a lot to her main character.

What were your main challenges in writing the Nordic Fairies series?

    Currently, how to end it; I still haven’t decided. I have a few different outcomes in mind, both happy and sad, but I simply can’t decide on which one to go with.

     I also keep getting new ideas, so it’s sometimes difficult to limit myself to the plot and staying on track, but other than that, the Nordic Fairies series has been an absolute joy to write.

What is your advice to new authors and aspiring writers?

     To write. I know this sounds evident, but writing a lot is the best way to develop and grow as a writer. Also to ask someone who is not a close friend or family to give honest feedback on your work. Don’t get offended by harsh criticism, take it in and learn from it.

What do you do in your spare-time when you’re not writing?

     I love to travel and learn about other cultures. I also spend a lot of time with my friends and family. Though, to be honest, I never completely let go of my writing, it’s always there in the back of my head. If I’m not writing, I’m usually plotting in my mind.

Is there anything else you would like to say to your fans and readers?

     I want to thank everyone who’s read the series and given me such wonderful feedback. I’m overwhelmed by the response on The Nordic Fairies series so far, and I never dreamed so many would fall in love with the story and its characters. I’ve always created stories because I love to write, and learning that others love what I write as well came as a pleasant surprise to me. It is such a strong motivator to continue writing on the story.

     The fourth part will be out sometime after the summer, though I can’t say when since I’m still working on it, Part four will take us back to the 80’s where Svala and Viggo end up in High School together with their daughter, Freja, who is then the same age as Svala.

     For those of you who haven’t read Nordic Fairies yet, you can go to Amazon or Barnes & Noble and get the first copy for free, then decide from there if you want to continue reading the story.

My Reviews of the Nordic Fairies Series

The links to the novellas on Amazon Barnes & Nobles etc. can be found at the bottom of the respective review.



Nordic Fairies (the first novella)



Freja (the second novella)





Döckálfar (the third novella)

Freja

Rating: 4/5

Title: Freja

Series: Book Two of the Nordic Fairies

Author: Saga Berg

Page Count (ebook/novella): 43

Official Amazon Description

     Four months have passed since Svala met Viggo in New York, and she hasn’t heard from him since. When Viggo appears in a popular interview on TV, Svala and her friends gather in Svala’s and Trym’s living room to watch. Svala with the hope Viggo will give her a sign, and let her know how he is doing. He doesn’t. Instead, something happens during the interview that takes Svala completely off guard. On national television, she is reminded of a painful memory from their past.

     In the second part of Nordic Fairies, the public display of Viggo and Svala’s most painful secret from their past forces Svala to remember her past. Driven by guilt, Viggo breaks the rules and tries to contact her, but his attempt leaves Svala with more questions than answers.

     What is he up to? And what exactly is going on between Viggo and his co-star actress, Amanda Jones?

My Thoughts

     I had a few minor concerns about Berg being able to live up to the promising start that was the first nordic fairies novella. But after finishing Freja, the second installment in the series, all of my doubts were banished, and I am now hopelessly addicted to the series! In my opinion Freja was even better than the first novella in the series. Not only is the transition from the first novella to Freja seemless but the plot develops wonderfully. This novella goes into greater depth as to what it means to be a Nordic Fairy and places a larger emphasis on character development (a.k.a. you get to learn more about the intriguing romance between Viggo and Svala!!). In total Freja is a must read for any fans and sceptics of the first novella, and anyone who is looking for a way to break out of reading the vampire/werewolf young adult trend.

Click Below to Read it Yourself

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords
Goodreads

My Previous Reviews of this Series

Nordic Fairies (the first novella)

Life is a Review

Rating: 3/5

Title: Life is a Review- Observations and Collections of My Passages through the Times

Author: Deborah L. Parker

Page Count: 108 pages

Official Amazon Summary:

Life Stages, Transitions, Lessons. From our first steps or words, to relationships, education and careers, there are assigned instructors who take note of our progress in these events. Yet eventually, there’s a time for us to personally examine what we’ve learned, and how we gained our perspectives. In Life is a Review, Parker does this type of reflection. Gleaning lessons from her varied life stages such as watching the careful way in which her grandfather grew collard greens in her youth, to the emotions of seeing a fellow soldier and friend off to war for the first time, Parker vividly brings readers to her experiences. Join her as she warps time through this compilation of articles, essays, blogs, poems, and speeches from the past 25 years. And in assessing her own journey, she shares, “like many of us, I’ve passed some exams and flunked others; educationally as well as experientially, as I also wondered and wandered. Then Parker looks at the final review of her loved ones, those who’ve passed in human finality, while leaving enduring teachings for her life’s purpose.

My Thoughts:

        To be honest I do not usually read memoirs that often, so when I was requested by the author to review Life is a Review, I was hesitant at first. However after thinking it over, I decided that it couldn't hurt to step outside of my literary comfort zone once in a while. I guess I sort of expected that all memoirs followed the cookie-cutter pattern of a first person narrative that smoothly, and chronologically followed the author's perception of their life. As I started reading Life is a Review I quickly realized this was not to be the case, just as the summary had said Life is a Review contained mostly "articles, essays, blogs, poems, and speeches" with the occasional interlude of first person narrated self reflection.

       Stepping outside the box is not necessarily a bad thing and in the case of Life is a Review, Parker's decision to deviate from the cookie cutter memoir added some very postive aspects to the story. I enjoyed reading many of the speeches, and life guidelines that were included in the collection, they were well written and I felt at times as if Parker herself was reading them to me. I must say however that I did find the continuity of the book wanting, I felt that the transitions between the different articles, blog posts, and speeches were a bit bumpy, which in my opinion made it harder to stay focused on the book's message. But despite this and the occasional spelling mistake, something nearly unavoidable when self-publishing, I thought it was presentable.

     Though I recieved the book for free in exchange for a review, I feel that I should note that in my opinion the kindle price of $6.99 for this book is too expensive, as I have noticed many ebooks of similar length sell for $0.99-$4.99. What do you (guys) think is the best price for an ebook around 100-110 pages in length?

If you want to check out this book follow the links below:
Goodreads
Amazon/Kindle