Pics of Stuff

My Book Signing Flyer

Book Signing Flyer 2

My Reading List, 2011

I've added a reading list to my sidebar for already read, currently reading, or upcoming books. I'll keep adding as I finish and as I find books to read. You're welcome to send any suggestions my way, though I am not guaranteed to read everything.

Hopefully, this will help to keep me accountable on my quest to read more in 2011. While we're here, and since I'm nosy, what are some of your favorite genres? What kind of books can you just not put down?

Writing is Hard

Well, duh, you say. Or else everyone would have a best-seller. Or then, maybe no one would, because there'd be no exceptional books to stand out from the rest. It's a good thing. But it's draining as a writer.

Sometimes, stories or scenes spill from my fingers through the magic of my keyboard like a full-fledged concerto, composed by a brilliant composer (not so brilliant in my case), but other times the words just get stuck. Plot holes develop with bottomless pits that I can't escape.

I get a (what I think is) brilliant idea for a plot development, only to realize that it just won't work with the current characters' back story or how I want the ending to play out. So, I keep re-thinking, re-writing, re-drafting, jotting indecipherable notes in my notebook in front of me, scratching most of those out when I realize they won't work either.

It's enough to make me want to take a nap. But then I can't, because I have three kids, and they have to be fed at least every other day. (That was a joke.)

The point is, well, writing is hard. It's fun, it's rewarding, it's my therapy, but when it gets down to it, it's work. Let me clarify. Writing something others actually want to read is work. Is it worth it? Only the writer can be the judge of that. If you think only in terms of income, probably not, since very few of us can actually make our living from writing (at least where fiction is concerned). From the aspect of accomplishing a huge task forged from our own imagination and hours of research, planning, and editing, something we can look back at and say, "Yeah, I did that," then yes, it is worth it.

What makes writing worthwhile for you?

Review of "The Wicked Heroine, Legend of the Shanallar, Book 1"

Buy now at Amazon.com!

In my quest to read more in 2011, I started with Jasmine Giacamo's first novel, "The Wicked Heroine, Legend of the Shanallar, Book 1".

When I reached the end last night, my first thought was, "Darn it! She left me hanging!". Of course, this is book 1 of a duology, so I knew it would be a cliffhanger, but I was still sad to see it end where it did, even though it went out with a splash!


The book centers around the legendary and immortal Shanallar (Meena), who has gone by many names and influenced countless peoples over the centuries. Now, she's out to destroy the Dire Tome, a book of unspeakable evil that the other characters are on a quest to find after the Shanallar herself hid it away long ago. Meena's character alone was lovable from the start. She's brash, throws manners out the window, is easily irritated by those she decides to protect, but she also possesses this motherly instinct that emerges now and then and really endeared me to her character. The other main characters--Geret, the young prince of Vint, his protector/rival Salvor, and Sanych, a fifteen-year-old female archivist with a gift for memory--are young, naive, and change a lot over the course of the book. There is a definite coming-of-age theme here among these young people and also a bit of a love triangle, which did indeed pique my interest. What can I say? I'm a romance-a-holic.

Add to the interesting characters, some fantastic settings and unique cultures--and here is a recipe for a true fantasy tale that takes you to places you could hardly imagine. The characters and settings are truly the books strengths, in my opinion.


I admit I've not read much in the high/epic fantasy department. My reads tend to be lighter, shorter, on the more romantic side. And while the story itself was strong, I stumbled on some really lengthy descriptions and information that the author could have omitted and not suffered for it. Some of the fantasy names for people and places I had a hard time pronouncing in my head, and there were several words in the prose itself I needed to look up in a dictionary. Perhaps my own vocabulary skills were to blame for that one, but the words could have been substituted with simpler ones and the story would have been just fine.

Other than those minor wordy issues, this book was amazing. The writing is superb, and I can tell the author did her homework in describing mechanical issues of ships, etc. It's a well-planned, full-fledged fantasy tale. Read it. You won't be disappointed.

Angie Kinsey's Entry

From Angels and Appetites (working title), a novel in progress by Angie Kinsey.
Angie's FB Page 

Angie Kinsey on facebook

Angie Kinsey via twitter

http://www.angiekinsey.com  Home Page and Weekly Blog

http://www.anjikinzywhimzy.com Daily Blog M-F

Crystal grabbed her coat and her cowboy hat. The Angel appeared just beyond the doorway taking up most of the space in the trailer hallway, "I tried to warn you about Sam."
Crystal pulled her keys out of her coat pocket, reached for the door, and opened it.
The Angel's face was still free of emotion, "This will turn out badly for you."
"Aw, keep it to yourself," Crystal said as she went down the steps and her boots scraped the steps.
"I warn you not to go," The Angel said.
Crystal turned around in the middle of the driveway, "And why exactly shouldn't I go? How exactly do you know the future?"
The Angel disappeared.
"Well ain't you just little miss chatty-Cathy when the real questions come," Crystal said as she slipped her hat on.

Jim O'Brien's Entry

From Family Life, a work in progress by Jim O'Brien:

"Have you seen our daughter?" asked Debbie, settling on the couch with a plate of birthday cake and ice cream.
"She and her cousins just left," I answered.
"Where are they going?"
"To the bathroom, so Kayleigh can show them her new underwear."
"It's Scooby Doo underwear," Deb said.
"I know," I said, "I dressed her this morning, remember?"
"Well, I laid it out for you."
"Yes, but, I washed them and folded them, so they would be there in the drawer for you to lay out."
"If I hadn't picked them out at Wal-Mart, you wouldn't have been able to wash them." Deb thought she had me there.
"Well, I fathered the children who made the underwear in Kathy Lee's sweatshop."
"I didn't know you were overseas."
"I mailed it in!" I said straining to keep a straight face.
"Oh, please…"
"Anyway, I thought we were raising her not to worship material objects."
Deb shrugged. "Well, we are trying, but there she is nonetheless, proudly showing off her Scooby Doo underwear."