Book Review: Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

I rated it 5 out of 5 stars.

 

Overview: If you could read my mind, you wouldn't be smiling.

Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off.

Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn't help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she'd be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam's weekly visits to her psychiatrist.

Caroline introduces Sam to Poet's Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more "normal" than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.

Review: A big thank you to Disney-Hyperion and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of Every Last Word in exchange for an honest review. Every Last Word is scheduled to be released on June 16th, 2015, and trust me, you'll want a copy.

Completely heartfelt, genuine, with a lot of substance, this is one of those YA novels that leaves you reflecting on your own views of life. With flawed yet likeable characters, you'll be immediately invested in them. You'll want to keep reading, because you'll love seeing these characters grow and come into their own. With a great cast, Stone makes this book completely relatable to anyone who's gone/going through a rough time and simply needed/needs safe place, by making this story that safe place for them.

Beautifully written with its tinges of poetry between the pages, Stone has structured this story so that the pace is perfect and the twist so surprising, yet well planted that you wonder how you missed it before. Add a touch of friendship, romance, and vulnerability, and you have a Contemporary YA that needs to be read. This is one of those YA books that I wish I had during my high school years. And as full adult now, I'm still able to get value out of it. So come June 16th, get this book in your hands or add this to your TBR list.

Book Review: The Wrong Man by Kate White

I rated it 4 out of 5 stars.

Overview: New York Times bestselling author of Eyes on You and The Sixes delivers a compelling thriller of mistaken identity and psychological suspense about an accomplished career woman who thinks she's met the man of her dreams--but instead he turns out to be her worst nightmare.

Bold and adventurous in her work as one of Manhattan's hottest interior decorators, Kit Finn couldn't be tamer in her personal life. So, while on vacation in the Florida Keys, Kit resolves to do something risky for once. Flirting with Matt Healy--the rugged stranger she literally bumps into at her hotel--is one thing. Going back to his room after their date is another.

Instead, Matt offers to cook her dinner when they're both back in the city. But when Kit arrives at his luxury apartment ready for the date of a lifetime, who is the man who opens the door?

Kit's usually so good at reading people. How could she have been taken in by the deceptions of a con man? And why has he targeted her? Piece by piece, Kit realizes that this treachery goes a lot deeper, and gets a lot deadlier. Now the only way out is to expose the vicious puppet master who's turned her life upside-down.

Adrenaline-charged and filled with harrowing twists at every turn, The Wrong Man will leave readers guessing until the final page.

Review: Big thanks to Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency and friend, Karla Gomez for giving me an ARC for The Wrong Man, expected to hit the shelves on June16th, 2015! If you're into romantic suspense, thrillers, and mysteries, then this is one you'll want to tuck into your bag and read any chance you get. Nicely paced and polished, with clever twists and turns, this book will keep you engaged from start to finish.

With a likeable main character, Kit, who isn't the type to take things laying down, you'll be at the edge of your seat as you go along her real-life nightmare situation she finds herself in. Add in the minor characters and the cast is both intriguing and interesting. With a carefully devised plot, you won't be disappointed. This is the perfect escapist read for the summer. And come on, aren't you dying to know who the one night stand is? Because I sure was!

Weekly Writing Progress Report - M4 Week 7

The end of week seven... and I hit all my goals! That's right, I'm done with the first draft of M4! If writing is 10% drafting and 90% Revising/Editing, then I am so ready, because revising is where the story really lifts off the page.

But before revising, I need a break. Like a serious book binge while my story stews some more. Good thing I have some lovely ARC's loaded up on my Kindle!

Now onto the stats!

Week 7
Project - M4 YA Fantasy
First Draft

Word count this week: 11,987
Word count total: 74,134

This week in writing:

So... tired.... That's literally how I felt all week. Remember my sister weekend trip I've mentioned, but haven't blogged about (I know, need to do that soon!)? Returning from it and getting back into daily life was fatiguing. I'm also currently at the end tail of the busy season at work, so that also contributed to my exhaustion. But despite all of that I had to finish this draft. I had to meet my goals. After shelving M3, I refused to let the trend of shelving projects continue. I needed to break the habit, and I know deep down that this story really has something. So I pushed through it and got to work, and lo and behold at 12:17 p.m. on Saturday I tapped out these two words I've been waiting so long to write: The End.

Then I proceeded to jump around my home office shaking my tail feather while my cat and boyfriend gave me funny looks :P

Draft One Summary - Goals:

• I made the goal of a 70,000 word count draft in seven weeks. 
• I achieved that and more at 74,134 words in exactly seven weeks! This is now my personal record for drafting, my standard is 8-9 weeks for first drafts.
• Aim for about 10,000 words weekly.
• Definitely made that ;)
• Do not go back and revise chapters--write it completely, tack 'The End' when I get there, then leave it to stew a bit before revising.
• I didn't go back and revise, which was big for me. I ended up putting one word in front of the other and I eventually got there.

To see more about my goals and the beginning of this draft. Check out week one here.

What drafting M4 taught me:

• After drafting multiple times with different projects (complete and incomplete), no process has ever been the same. I guess I'm still at that stage where I am trying to find out what works for me. One thing that this draft taught me was to take it one chunk at a time, wether that was one chapter, 1,400 words a day, or simply taking one line at a time.
• You can't be a writer, unless you're an avid reader. For the duration of this draft, I've been constantly reading as I write. In these seven weeks of writing, I've read six books. More than I normally do when I'm writing/revising, and I must say, it's made me a more productive writer. By reading, I'm keeping my mind engaged with words, feeding off other people's stories, which gives me a sense of energy and encouragement for my own writing. Also, reading other people's work gives me an opportunity to learn more about story structure. Stephen King said in his memoir, On writing, “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There's no way around these two things that I'm aware of, no shortcut.”
• Write for the right reasons. Don't force yourself to write for the sake of recognition or publication. Write because you love it. Write because you need to. Write because it's your way of life. Write because you want to touch other people's lives with your stories. When you're writing for the right reasons, the words will come. Just show up and work. Don't wait for inspiration, because sometimes we can't rely on a muse to make it happen. 
• No matter how much you've written, no matter how many manuscripts you've completed, no matter how many novels you've published, there's always room for growth. There's always room for learning.
• Pursue your dreams. You want to be a writer? Me too. But wanting gets you nowhere. Doing, does. Actively pursue your dreams. Write a little bit. Write a lot. Take a break. Read some more. Enjoy life. Learn all you can, and just keep going. Because trying is better than quitting. And maybe trying will be just enough for our dreams and reality to collide. 
• Believe in yourself. So cheesy, I know, but doubt is one m***** f***** and will mess with your mind and keep you up at night. My best defense, believing in myself and knowing that I am capable of more. Because if we don't believe in ourselves, how do we expect other people too? Lucky for me I have a wonderful support system who believe in me more than I do. Anytime my 'believe' tank is empty. They're always there to fill me up. 
• I may not have the authority to give advice on the matter, considering I'm only an aspiring writer, but I learn so much from other bloggers, writers, and dreamers, so this is me giving back with some encouraging words. And perhaps documenting my progress and my journey will inspire you to do so too. And if your 'belief' tank is empty, shoot a message my way, because we've all been through it and sometimes we just need someone to talk it through with.

In the meantime, I'll be taking a little break from M4, and then it's time for revisions. And once I do, you know these Weekly Writing Progress Reports will be back :)

Happy Writing Everyone!

<3, Michelle

My 'Hell yeah I finished' smirk.

Book Review: P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

I rated it 5 out of 5 stars.

Overview: Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.
She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.
When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I've Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that’s part of what makes it so amazing.

Review: I rated this as 5, because as a teenager, I knew I would have loved the book. And as an adult, the fact that I can still love it warrants the high score.

In a nutshell this book is sweet, charming, light-hearted, and very cute. It's like teddy bears and chocolate chip cookies, truffles and unicorns cute. Not sure if I'm getting the point across correctly, but you know what I mean, right? It's first love cute, which is exactly what it is.

I actually liked this sequel better than the first book. Han was still able to get the plot line going, and familiarity of the characters was welcoming. Her characters are vivid with their own personalities and the scenes remind me of my own time in high school rendering her main character's point of view relatable. The whole cast was realistic and the roller coaster ride of the relationship and insecurities that go along with it was done very convincingly.

The prose is not magnificent, and setting not very memorable, but what is memorable is the nostalgia that comes along with it. Whether it's pigging out on ice cream sandwiches with friends, digging up time capsules, playing tag, and making Valentine's. It takes me down my own memory lane. Jenny Hans knows young adults, and she is specifically writing for them. For that I applaud her.

Also bonus points for adding some culture and adding in some dialogue about feminism and beautiful talk about not needing a man to fulfill you. Good points to have there for young girls!

If you haven't started the duology, check out my review on To All The Boys I've Loved Before.

IWSG: Distance

Hi All--

Last month I wrote about high anxiety and I'm happy to report that I am doing much better. Within the month I've been really focusing on drafting project M4 in seven weeks, with this week being the seventh! Almost done! I have high hopes for this story and I'm really hoping that it's 'the one.' The one with enough hook, the one with enough complexity, the one with enough heart that will capture an agent's eyes (after extensive revisions of course). But at the same time I have so much doubt within in, that I wonder if I'm just pumping myself up for no good. Because maybe this isn't 'the one.' Maybe it won't be enough.

I know I should take it one day at a time. One word at a time. One paragraph at a time. One page at a time. But then my mind wanders though I know I should be patient, but all I'm thinking about is the distance. The distance between now and where I want to be, and it drives me crazy!

Will I ever get there? How long will it take? Am I doing enough? Am I up to par with the competition? Cue nonstop questions that give me heart palpitations.

Am I insane for thinking I can do this?

I go back and forth constantly. I'm determined, but at the same time I'm tired. I treat writing like a second job and sometimes I'd just like that one job that gives me some cash flow and more freedom to write, aka the dream job.

But there's a difference between dreaming and doing, and I find myself doing both. How do you guys keep your sanity at times like this? Comment below.

This post is in participation of an amazing writers support group started by the just amazing Alex J. Cavanaugh, making writing a little less lonely and filled with encouragement. Thanks also goes to this month's co-hosts: M. Pax, Tracy Jo, Patricia Lynne, Rachna Chhabria, Feather Stone, and Randi Lee

Weekly Writing Progress Report - M4 Week 6

Hi All--

Another week done. And now I am on my last week (hopefully). After taking three non-writing days for traveling, I completely forgot about my post. I guess I was just too excited to reunite with my sisters for the getaway weekend. Can't wait to post all about it in the following days to come.

Week 6
Project - M4 YA Fantasy
First Draft

Word count this week: 8,596
Word count to date: 62,147

This week in writing & what I've learned:

Last week was a short work week from the three day weekend, but boy did it feel long. Sometimes I felt like I was counting down the hours until my sister weekend. Towards the beginning of the week, I was pretty focused, but once the mid week hit, I think my mind was elsewhere and I started to lose it.

Now that I've entered the 'ending' part of my manuscript, it's proven more complicated than I imagined. Now I keep second guessing myself wondering if there's too much stuff going on that will confuse the reader. I guess that's what CP's and Betas will clarify for me. It can also be a pacing issue too, which is something I can hash out during revision.

This is really bad that the editor side of my brain is pushing my creative side out. I guess, more wine please? Ha. I promise I'm not an alcoholic. The weird thing that happened this week was that I imagined a certain scene unfolding a certain way. But as I wrote it, it kind of took its own turn and the characters revealed one of my twists in a way I hadn't planned. I woke up the next day thinking about what I'd written and wondered if I should leave it alone. Spontaneity is fine, but I just imagined this scene a specific way since I'd started the manuscript. Should I go with my first gut instinct or trust my characters? If I decided on the former, that would mean going back and changing two chapters I wrote after this scene. Oh dear. Cue stress. But this is just the first draft, so what did I learn?

• Stick to your goals, draft and don't look back. If you want to change something suddenly, then do so, but there's no need to go back and revise chapters affected until after getting to 'The End.'

What's even more ironic? I forgot about my second 'twist' I'd planned for the ending. So after another day of overthinking, I realized my characters were right to reveal the first twist when they did, because the second twist was way bigger and more important.

• So trust your characters even when you aren't sure why something happened a certain way. Maybe it was meant to happen differently.
• Oh yeah, and don't forget your plot twists after planting them for like the whole of the manuscript! I swear I don't think I forgot per se, I just knew it as fact for so long I forgot that my characters didn't. Whoops.

All in all, the week has been crazy busy, but I've squeezed in some fun with bubble baths, happy hours, yummy dinners, and books.

Oh yeah, speaking of which. Look who loved my book review of Magonia? Maria Dahvana Headley herself! She even retweeted it! Hahaha. I know. I'm so fangirling right now!

Book Review: Awake by Natasha Preston

I rated it 2 out of 5 stars.

 

Overview: Scarlett doesn’t remember anything before the age of five. Her parents say it’s from the trauma of seeing her house burn down, and she accepts the life they’ve created for her without question—until a car accident causes Scarlett to start remembering pieces of an unfamiliar past.

When a new guy moves into town, Scarlett feels an instant spark. But Noah knows the truth of Scarlett’s past, and he’s determined to shield her from it...because Scarlett grew up in a cult called Eternal Light, controlled by her biological parents.

And they want her back.  

Review: First off, thanks so much to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for giving me an ARC (advanced reader's copy), in exchange for feedback and an honest review. The pub date for Awake is scheduled for August 4, 2015.

Can I just say the cover art is beautiful? It's something that would've caught my eye and would have made me pick it up to read the blurb. Not many cult books out right now, so it definitely has that 'different' appeal, but that's where all the appeal ends.

Right off the bat, Preston begins with an insta-love relationship. The two main characters seriously fall for each other within two chapters. Frankly, the whole thing is kind of unbelievable. Not only because the romance was flat, but because the characters themselves were pretty flat. Next was the forced dialogue. It didn't flow at times, and kind of made me cringed. I felt the writing style took away from the book, rather than supplementing it. Perhaps the stilted writing was supposed to illuminate the creepy aspect of the story, but it just didn't register for me. Also the ending was just a bit too perfect, 'everything falling into place' sort of thing. Combine everything I've mentioned and it rendered the whole story unrealistic.

I really wanted to like this story and I think the message about perception, beliefs, and how our environment or society plays a role in it is a very powerful one indeed. But the way it came off the page did not do the message justice. Add a little more depth, emotion, but less angst in the characters, then a dash of complexity and then I think Preston has something. It just has to be more convincing for a higher rating. Unfortunately, I gave it two stars out of five.