Saturday 21 April 2012

Finished Book

I finished writing my YA novel on Thursday,well when I say finished,I wrote and typed up the last chapter. I know I will have to edit it to make sure it's as good as I can make it. My teenage daughter has to proof it and offer any comments, as will a few trusted friends. I decided, that until I had all the feedback in, I wouldn't touch it. I know that one day next week I will read through it and make any changes but until then I'd have a break from it.I thought I'd be quite pleased to be free of it for a few days; How wrong was I? Friday I spent all day trying to resist picking it up to read. Today (Saturday has been easier, as I've been busy with family. I've lived with these characters for nearly a year and they are still talking to me, maybe it's because I know that the book isn't completely finished! I had very mixed emotions on completing my book, the evening before I was excited because I knew I would finish the next day but on Thursday, as I typed the last word, I felt a bit empty. Of course, I know that once I do finally decide the novel is finished, I shall be busy trying to find representation for it, so it will be a while before my mind can focus on something else. Writing is a consuming business!

Thursday 19 April 2012

Shooting Stars - Allison Rushby

Love them or loathe them, photographers are a part of celebrities lives but what if one of them was a schoolgirl, following in her father’s footsteps, trying to make enough money to follow her dream of becoming a portrait photographer?


“Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she's known in the biz. The best pint-sized paparazzo out there, Jo loves shooting the stars, and she certainly doesn't mind doing whatever takes to get that one perfect picture.
But then Jo is sent on a major undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett-teen superstar/heartthrob and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her-at an exclusive retreat facility in Boston. Among the cheesy group therapy sessions and embarrassing “team building” exercises, Jo finds there’s more to the reclusive Ned than meets the eye-and maybe more to herself, too.” Shooting stars – Allison Rushby.

Allison’ story has you hooked from the start; with great central characters that you hope will succeed. Her descriptions of the trials faced by teenagers are told with sympathy and humor and you want to know how all of them are coping, even when they have left the retreat.



For more information on Shooting Stars visit www.bloomsburyteens.com
http://www.amazon.co.uk

Monday 16 April 2012

Kiera’s Quest: Awakenings – Kristy Brown

Kristy’s book for teenagers is a good blend of fantasy and reality, with a fast pace throughout. The characters are all well written and believable and you want to know more about them; from the loyal friends, to the Witch Queen, and of course, Kiera and Zakk.

“Meet Kiera, a pretty, intelligent, and talented girl, brought up by her uncle, and abandoned by her parents. Life is as normal as she believes it to be, apart from the deep ache inside her, telling her she’s different. For years, Kiera had dreams where she ventures into a different reality. She’s not alone; a presence is always there, keeping her safe, yet she feels vulnerable, and hunted.

Zakk, Prince of Zantar, is under the Witch Queen’s spell as she tries to take over his world. He crosses paths with Kiera, and their fates are entwined.

As their journey unravels, she learns that she is not the only one affected by this prince. Who is on her side? Will she find out why she has been chosen? How can someone so young, defeat such evil? Will she find the strength to save the ones closest to her? Will this be Kiera’s only Quest?” Kiera’s Quest: Awakenings Kristy Brown

Awakenings is the first of four books in the Kiera’s Quest series, with the second book due out in July. Once your teenager reads the first one, they will be counting down the days until they can download the next one.

For more information or to download the book follow one of the links below.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kieras-Quest-Awakenings-ebook/dp/B005WXN1RE/ref=cm_rdp_product_img

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kieras-Quest/331392551035?ref=share

http://museituppublishing.com/musepub/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=152&Itemid=82

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12937815-kiera-s-quest

Get on with it.

Had a lovely family day out in the sunshine as an end of school holiday treat yesterday. Packed the kids off to school this morning and have completed the most important of the chores (getting food in the house) now I should be writing the last chapter of my book - so Get on with it and stop wasting time!

Wednesday 11 April 2012

Titanic Deception - John & Toni Rakestraw

With 2012 marking the 100th anniversary of the sailing and sinking of the Titanic it was always going to be the year for news reports, documentaries and books about the famous ship. One such book is Titanic Deception by John and Toni Rakestraw, but this isn’t a nonfiction book, this is a mystery story set in present day, with flash backs to 1911 and the diary accounts of a survivor of that fateful journey in 1912.

“With stars in her eyes, Alice Clarke boards the Titanic, heading to a new life. On board, she falls in love, only to lose him in the disaster. He leaves her with a pocketwatch, which holds more secrets than she realizes.
Her great-grandson, Michael Kearney, inherits her diary. When he overhears an unusual story about why the ship was wrecked, he finally reads it and finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy that stretches across a century involving some very powerful people.
With the help of Soft Kitty, an irascible conspiracy theorist, and his girlfriend, Sylvia, he must bring the truth to light and bring down the men behind it, no matter what the cost. Maybe some secrets are better left at the bottom of the sea.” Titanic Deception – John and Toni Rakestraw

I enjoyed reading the Titanic Deception, the conspiracy theory the book is based on is one I’d heard before but it was cleverly woven into the story and the fictional characters worked well alongside their more famous counterparts.
I particularly liked the description used when introducing Michael, as he blended into the background whilst going about his job of serving a meal to executives, at the firm where he worked. It is because of this ability that he first hears about the conspiracy theory surrounding the Titanic and from there on he makes decisions that will not only put his life in danger but change it forever.
If you like mystery stories, especially those based on an historical event, you will like Titanic Deception.