Bound to Enjoy

Happy Friday!
It would be much happier if the sun would decide to peek out from behind the clouds for a day. I've been using the dreary days as motivation to plant my big behind in my writing chair. Truth be told, I'd be just as happy to plant it in the sun & write, should spring ever decide to swoop in. What gives, Mother Nature?
Big news on the Elsie Love blog; but first let's get to the review of the week.


1.Bound to Love, Sally Clements.
Oh la-la. What a steamy, dreamy, thrill ride. A romance, rated on the 'softer' side (meaning the details of the encounters between the main characters are juicy but not overly detailed ie erotica. Yes, I need to clarify--not everyone reads according to how many roses or hot peppers or whatever ratings the publisher uses). Well, it sure got my juices flowing. It. Was. Hot. 

Here's the synopsis via Amazon.com:

Jake Forrester, a controlled, self-reliant security expert scarred by his father's murder, is pursuing his goal of an independent life, relying on himself and logic, until he's forced to accept the help of an impulsive, spirited goldsmith who follows her instincts, wherever they may lead. When Tempest MacKenzie witnesses a gorgeous stranger being bundled into a van, she tries to help him, but becomes tangled in a complex web of intrigue. Tempest finds stubborn Jake attractive, compelling and infuriating, his logic the complete antithesis of her reliance on her instincts. And Jake is fascinated and attracted to the feisty redhead. As they spend time together trying to thwart a heist at the British Museum, the attraction between them flares out of control. The thief has a grudge against Jake, and danger stalks their every move. Will Jake learn to trust Tempest's intuition, before it's too late?

Sounds like your typical romance, right? I wouldn't know, I think the last romance novel I read was in the early nineties and all memories of the event have been erased. So here's my break down of the book:

A. The cover: Yum. A++. The cover artist deserves a standing ovation. I've always felt I was supposed to be a red head of the Copper family, so maybe I'm a bit overzealous in my love; but really...look at it! It screams "good book here!"


B. The Plot/Story: B I enjoyed it. It was fun. It was hot. It made me want to build a fire with my husband or jet of to Paris.There was a turn or two that wasn't over the top obvious to me, which earns the book bonus points. I hate knowing every twist and turn from page one. I did find the beginning (which is supposed to be the big draw you in part) a little too cheesy. Jake & Tempest feel a connection that is so overpowering. I would have liked a little more conflict in the beginning working towards the intensity as opposed to instant attraction followed by questioning. 
Overall, it was very well written story. Kudos Ms. Clements, very nice work!


C. Overall Grade: A Caveat: if you are a romance reader, this will be a solid A or an A+. If you are a bits and pieces sampler it will be in the A- to B- range due to the fact that as a romance book, you will find some of the facets to be a little bit out there. I add the second rating only for those that aren't romance readers & are considering a cross over. A summer fling, a juicy dip on the European side...whatever you'd call it. 
The thrill of the heist/kidnapping/craziness rates in the B range...romance in the A range. Make sense?
Overall a great little read. I would recommend you give it a whirl. Currently the book is selling for $3.99 for the Kindle Version on Amazon. Worth the chump change, for sure. Pick it up!


2. New Ratings System (big news)
I'm dropping stars as a ratings system. Maybe it's because as a writer I'm drawn to letters. Maybe it's because I'm a free spirit and I don't want to be penned in by a 'ratings system' that leaves no room for free will. Maybe it's because having to stick stars on my blog creates another tool bar that detracts from the reviews...maybe all three. At any rate I'm now going with letter ratings. 
A=Awesome 
B= A good solid read 
C= Okay, nothing super special 
D= pretty big flaws in story & technique/ and or not really enjoyable 
F= a waste of time & money. 
Got it? Good. Moving on....


3. Follow Friday.
 As always, I'm a little late to the party. I'm working on joining the Follow Friday Blog hop craze to increase my list of followers. There's a button somewhere on the side bar. Find it, add it to your blog, follow me & I'll follow you. It's a little nutty, but I think I'm getting the hang of it.
When I hit the big 5-0 on the followers bar I will host a book giveaway.

That's it folks. I've got nothing else to report. Stay tuned for next week's review:

Painted in a Corner
 by Autumn Dickinson


Cheers!

Tales Still Need Edits

Good morning fellow readers, writers & bloggers. I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter Holiday weekend filled with different cuts of pig, hard boiled eggs, and other assorted delicacies. I know I sure did. I consumed enough ham to cure my insides. The homemade strawberry cake was the closest I came to fruit all weekend (it did have strawberry puree in it). I'm beginning my week with a sugar/fat detox. 

Enough about my piggy eating habits. On to the topic of books, writing & other assorted randoms.

1. Tales of Aradia, The Last Witch. Book One

This gem came to my attention via another site. The author, L.A. Jones, posted a request for reviews, with a link to download the book for FREE on Smashwords. I jumped on it. We all know that when it comes to Elsie's (Egads, I'm relating to myself in third person?) favorite things Kindle & FREE reads get my heart pumping with excitement. Plus, the cover art was simply divine.We aren't supposed to judge books by their covers, but we all do, and in this case the cover made the download. It was good enough that I might have even paid for the book. Might. Let's not get crazy here.

The story is a YA tale. The bulk of it happens in Salem ( a little cliche for a book about a modern day witch, but in a clean Disney way). The main character, Aradia, is the last true witch. She has supernatural powers & no idea that she is a witch. She knows she's different, but has no idea how or why.

Her friends in Salem High are the usual characters: Vampires, Werewolves (therewolf! Sorry, couldn't resist), Fae, and other assorted 'hidden' elements that live happily alongside humans without any suspicion being cast. Sound a little Twilightesque? Yeah, it kinda is. But that is the least of it's problems.

The real issue with this book, is that it lacked editing. I mean, really lacked any & all editing.

The way the book was written, I felt like I was reading a book written by a someone the same age as Aradia. So much so, that I researched L.A. Jones to try and uncover her age (listed as 23).

I think young teen girls might really enjoy this book, but most adults won't be able to get through it due to the haphazard writing style.  Perhaps the first book is free and the second & third volume (at roughly $5.00 a pop) had a serious make over? I'm not willing to fork over cash to find out.

I give the book two stars...for the STORY.  One star for the lack of editing (no, it doesn't add up to three. it comes in at one and a half). I split it (which I NEVER do) because I think there is potential for a much better book if Ms. Jones gets a publisher & an editor. 

Again, if you have a twelve to fourteen year old girl moping around that likes Vampires, witches, magic & wolves, give it a shot. It's clean & Free...why not? Everybody else, skip it.

2. My Freelance Debut.

It isn't out yet, so I can't post a link.

Remember my snarky 'resume' I submitted to the publisher in London? They loved it! They gave me the opportunity to submit two editorial type pieces of work each month!!!! This is a HUGE milestone for me. 

It is the very first thing I can put on a real resume that give me some creds as a writer (dare I say journalist?).

I submitted my first piece last night. As soon as they post a link, believe me, I'll share.

The title?

"If Your Title Starts with 'A' (and you make it free) They Will Come."

Come on, you've got to admit, that's funny right? You love it. I just know it.

3. Nook On Sale

Last tidbit for your Monday enjoyment.

Most people have at least considered coming over to the dark side of eReaders. Deny it all you want. I know you've looked. If your tech budget is meager, and holding you back from that purchase, now is a great time to look at a nook.

Right now on OVERSTOCK.COM 

They are selling refurbished (but guaranteed to work for two years) nooks with basic wi-fi for $79.99. That is the cheapest yet. They also have great sales on other varieties of the nook (with built in 3G etc) and all the accessories you could imagine. All shipped for $2.95. So, if you need a sofa, check those out too. Might as well get your money worth.

Well, that's all I have for this dreary Chicago Monday. Enjoy your week. Get out, walk off that ham and if the sun should appear...sit in it & read a book (Because you never know when it will dip behind those clouds again).

Cheers!