WWW Wednesday 10/16/13

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions: • What are you currently reading? • What did you recently finish reading? • What do you think you’ll read next?


What am I currently reading?    







What Did I recently finish reading?









What Do I Think I will Read Next?

Teaser Tuesdays 10/15/13

Tuesday  Teasers!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be  Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

 

• Grab  your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences  from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make  sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT  participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

 

"You may kiss me now," she stated in a voice devoid of music.  The mirthless bow of her full lips betrayed her intent to me, but I knew the invitation, like my costume was a lie. She was pretending to be human."

Review - The Starlight Chronicles: Slumbering.

The Starlight Chronicles: Slumbering by C. S. Johnson

The Prologue opens with an episode much later in the book. Wingdinger is introduced in an episode fighting a sinister-ling, in this case Daiken. Daiken had a “villainous twinkle in his eye all too reminiscent of his many demon predecessors and his fearless Sinister leaders.”  Wingdinger is a super hero accompanied by Elysian, who is a celestial dragon/changeling. He is unsuccessful in his fight and is upstaged by Starry Knight.
 

In this world of the Supernatural,

God created the Stars as He created People:

Each for a different purpose,

Each to bring glory to His Name.

But Stars can be just as fickle as Mortals.

These are their stories: The Starlight Chronicles.

The chapter gives young adults a teaser to excite as the next part of the book introduces the ordinary world of Hamilton Dinger.  Hamilton is a self-absorbed, egotistical sixteen year old. He has charisma, good grades and loves to play video games. He is sure of himself and his place in the world.

Then the earth is hit by a meteor and evil is unleashed and brings an end to Dinger’s world. Hamilton’s life is changed as he and his friends are attacked my forces they do not understand.  All Hamilton Dinger wants is to play football, participate in the school play and continue life as a normal teenager.

As the reader is introduced to evil forces, changeling dragons and ‘sinisters’ Hamilton learns he is marked and has supernatural powers.  What Hamilton Dinger has a difficult time with is not just believing but accepting his role. Why should forgo his happiness and be a superhero?

“Here’s the thing about beliefs – real beliefs. They change you….I didn’t think, even when the meteorite struck the earth, I would ever change, or ever believe in the truth that began to stalk me.”

Johnson has written the first book in a new YA series. Ms. Johnson has a way with words as evidenced in this sentence: “The nails sank in harder, a black steam rising as she released toxins of deceit into Gwen’s blood.” The Starlight Chronicles Slumbering is fantasy with strong spiritual overtones. 

 

I enjoy some young adult literature.  I like TCS Slumbering. I believe young readers will become fans of the series even though – and fortunately – there is no angsty love triangle.

The story engaged me as a reader. Two small issues bothered me about the book and they are small issues. The first being I am so removed from high school I found the recitation of everyday activities of students bogging me down. I wanted the storyteller to pick up the pace. However, this may be something that will lure and appeal to young readers.

Second, again because I liked reading, I wanted Hamilton to move from continuing denial and self-absorption to acceptance and action.  However this is an important factor in the tale so my complaint is unwarranted.

Johnson has written an excellent book for young adults.  Parents will have virtually no issues with the story or the message. The underlying theme is about belief and choosing to be a part of a greater good. Recommended.

 Author Interview

I Recommend Amazon Prime Free 30 Day Trial

 

  

 

 

Author Interview: C.S. Johnson

Author Interview

Can you give me a Synopsis of Your Book?

"Slumbering" is the first book in my epic (not just awesome but the literal epic) novel series. It follows the story of Hamilton Dinger, who is a cynical narcissistic but charismatic and talented teenager, who insists he leads a 'perfect' life (so he says!) Hamilton finds out after a strange meteorite crashes into his town he has supernatural abilities, which he must use to protect his city from danger. He is reluctant to do so, however, knowing if he does, the control he has on his life will likely vanish. Along with the evil Seven Deadly Sinisters, and their leader, Hamilton finds himself in the company of Starry Knight, a beautiful warrior with a deadly bow and arrow, and Elysian, a changeling dragon who breaths celestial fire. It quickly becomes apparent the self-sufficient Starry Knight views Hamilton as a nuisance, and Elysian is more a hindrance than a help, as he asserts himself into the position of Hamilton's 'mentor.'

What is the primary theme of your book?

The main theme is about belief. There are ideas and events in our lives which define us, but we can just as easily define them on our own terms. Hamilton, determined to follow the life he has chosen for himself - which includes finding a girlfriend who is 'a good fit' for him and his life, gaining recognition for his athleticism, and graduating at the top of his class and eventually becoming a successful government worker - doesn't want to believe there is anything better for him than what he has planned out. So when something supernatural does happen to him, he is anything but happy. Much of the book seems to focus on his origins as a 'superhero,' but it actually is more concerned with his moral development and his gradual acceptance of truth. He goes from wondering if he is insane, to forced ignorance, to denial, to wondering if he is physically unwell, to being paranoid, irritated, and constantly inconvenienced by the new truth in his life. Needless to say this makes for some very funny scenes and relatable reading, but it is really only funny because it is true of us as well.

What drove you to write this book?

A complicated amount of incidents, really. 'Wingdinger,' Hamilton's superhero name, sparked the character idea; a stirring debate over morality and religion set the stage for his cynicism, and my own self-reflective identification with the character's simultaneous disdain and yearning for a true surprise lent itself to the plot. High school memories, both pushed away and held close, provided a starting stage. Life inspired the true love despite pride.

What is your writing process?

Fru-fru coffee, write, go back and edit, write some more, wash, rinse, repeat, read it completely, take half of it out, change the tense, change it again, get reluctant husband and/or other victim to read it, try to determine how 'nice' the reviewer is being vs. how truthful, go back, read, think "This is great! I can't believe I wrote this," submit to whoever or whatever I am writing for, read it again, get depressed, more coffee, lots of hoping and praying and trying not to go crazy, read other books, think, "My book is WAY better than THAT," then pray to ask God for forgiveness for being so proud because of secret fear I will lose my writing ability if I get too cocky, see the reception of my writing, see all the good, and feel like I just conquered the world within myself, and see the one bad remark and feel like the world just collapsed...talk to my mother and then begin again.

You self-published through Westbow Press. Why did you choose this publication path? Can you share the pros and cons of self-publication?

I actually submitted my manuscript through the 2012 Munce Manuscript competition. I won 2nd place, which won publication though WestBow (I was aiming for the grand prize, which was publication through Thomas Nelson. I am still hoping they call me up and offer 2.4 million for the complete series) I chose the publication here because I didn't have to pay for it, which is the major con of self-publishing. The pros of self-publishing are just that you can write, design, and market your book your own way; these are things which depend on your purpose and goals for writing. Personally, I see writing as both a necessity and an indulgence. I need it, and I need it to matter. And the WestBow team assured me, out of the 250+ manuscripts, mine was really great.

If you were to re-write your book or edit anything in the published version what would you change?

I don't think I would really change anything. Some of my reviewers have told me Hamilton is a bit over the top, but I know people (including myself) who act a lot like him. The major difference is you can read his thoughts, and see how proud and cynical and conflicted he is, but you do start championing for him in the end. Others have told me the dialogue sounds a bit forced, but I can only say the teenage years require a lot of that. So does adulthood if you haven't gotten it all out of your system! There is also a lot of extra curricular events, including sports and drama which people said didn't seem to be needed quite so much, but I secretly laugh at them. There are very important and intentional reasons I included what I did, and a lot has to do with the series itself as it unfolds. I insist on keeping my writing realistic, even though I am writing fantasy, and 'real' life goes on even if the world is ending. Besides, the first time Hamilton meets someone like Starry Knight, do you really think he is going to pay the 'proper amount' of attention? No, he will walk right by her several times, maybe looking at her but never truly seeing her.

Do you have more books in the works?

There is a whole series in front of Hamilton and company with "The Starlight Chronicles." I am hoping to get book 2 finished by the end of next year, though possibly sooner. I have an interim short story for the series coming out in anthology soon, which I call the Christmas episode. I also have my debut adult fiction work, "Soul Descent," out for judgment on The Next Novelist (via nextnovelist.com) and I have a new trilogy in the works that is much more sci-fi and much less satire than "Slumbering." I also have a couple of good ideas for stories that I need to research.

Is there any one thing you would like to share with readers?

The books I write are much more than paper and glue splattered with silly ink patterns. They are my brainchildren, the making-real of the worlds I have escaped to when chased by pain, teasing, and heartbreak. To you, $3.99 for the ebook might seem like a lot, but I could never put a true price on these stories. They are a very real part of my life, even if they are not really real. And while I wrote them for God, and for myself, I also wrote them for you.

If it helps, think of the $3.99 as shipping and handling costs and buy it anyway (please.)

For more on the author: For Book Review Go Here. 

https://www.facebook.com/TheStarlightChroniclesSlumbering and

http://www.csjohnsonetc.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

 

I Recommend AmazonPrime Free 30 Day Trial

 

Coming Soon. PreOrder for Week of 10/14/13

Books Coming Soon.

Just One Evil Act: A Lynley Novel (Inspector Lynley) by Elizabeth George.

Available October 15, 2013.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth George delivers another masterpiece of suspense in her Inspector Lynley series: a gripping child-in-danger story that tests Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers like never before.



Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding. Available October 15, 2013. Bridget Jones—one of the most beloved characters in modern literature (v.g.)—is back! In Helen Fielding's wildly funny, hotly anticipated new novel, Bridget faces a few rather pressing questions:

• What do you do when your girlfriend’s sixtieth birthday party is the same day as your boyfriend’s thirtieth?
• Is it better to die of Botox or die of loneliness because you’re so wrinkly? Is it wrong to lie about your age when online dating?
• Is it morally wrong to have a blow-dry when one of your children has head lice? Is it normal to be too vain to put on your reading glasses when checking your toy boy for head lice?
• Does the Dalai Lama actually tweet or is it his assistant?
• Is it normal to get fewer followers the more you tweet?
• Is technology now the fifth element? Or is that wood?
• If you put lip plumper on your hands do you get plump hands?
• Is sleeping with someone after two dates and six weeks of texting the same as getting married after two meetings and six months of letter writing in Jane Austen’s day?

Pondering these and other modern dilemmas, Bridget Jones stumbles through the challenges of loss, single motherhood, tweeting, texting, technology, and rediscovering her sexuality in—Warning! Bad, outdated phrase approaching!—middle age.

Available the week of October 14, 2013:

 

 

UnSouled (Unwind Dystology) by Neal Shusterman. Available October 15, 2013. I can't wait for this one!

Connor and Lev are on the run after the destruction of the Graveyard, the last safe haven for AWOL Unwinds. But for the first time, they’re not just running away from something. This time, they’re running toward answers, in the form of a woman Proactive Citizenry has tried to erase from history itself. If they can find her, and learn why the shadowy figures behind unwinding are so afraid of her, they may discover the key to bringing down unwinding forever.

Cam, the rewound boy, is plotting to take down the organization that created him. Because he knows that if he can bring Proactive Citizenry to its knees, it will show Risa how he truly feels about her. And without Risa, Cam is having trouble remembering what it feels like to be human.

With the Juvenile Authority and vindictive parts pirates hunting them, the paths of Connor, Lev, Cam, and Risa will converge explosively—and everyone will be changed. Neal Shusterman continues the adventure that VOYA called “poignant, compelling, and ultimately terrifying.”

I Recommend AmazonPrime Free 30 Day Trial

Wacky Word of The Day.

Definition of Twine: T'wail, t'whimper, t'complain!

WWW Wednesday 10/9/13

 

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?



Currently reading:
SlumberingThe Forest Bull by Terry Maggert. Three lovers who stalk and kill the immortals that drift through South Florida (tourists are a moveable feast, after all) are living a simple life of leisure- until one of them is nearly killed by woman who is a new kind of lethal. When Ring Hardigan isn't making sandwiches for, and with, his two partners, Waleska and Risa (they're cool like that), he's got a busy schedule doing the dirty work of sending immortals to the ever after. Wally and Risa provide linguistics, logistics, and finding the right place for him and his knife-- together, they're a well-oiled machine, and they've settled into a rhythm that bodes ill for the Undying. Warlocks, vampires, succubae and the odd ghoul have all fallen to their teamwork. Life is tough, but they soldier on killing the undead, liberating their worldly goods for charity, and generally achieving very little.

Refreshing my read for review of  The Morac by Colleen M. Bratley.






Finished Reading: Last Week I read very little. So my list is short.



Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Recommended.
I refreshed my read for review of The Starlight Chronicles: Slumbering by C.S. Johnson.




Reading Next:

I Recommend AmazonPrime Free 30 Day Trial