Second Star Review

4 stars (or, for those who follow my ranking system, brown belt. The ending kept it from being a knock-out black belt.)

**I received a copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an unbiased review.

To be honest, I never really liked Peter Pan. I liked the concept, but it wasn't one of my favorite movies as a kid. That being said, I loved this contemporary retelling. Second Star is a well-paced, beautifully written novel, one that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a delightful YA read.

What I liked:
*the concept--Wendy's surfer brothers have been missing for 9 months and are believed to be dead. Wendy goes off looking for them and meets Pete, Belle, Hughie, etc. in the process.

*the narrative voice--it drew me in right away. I loved the author's attention to detail and the surfing knowledge. There were moments when the prose absolutely sang, and the writer in me was like "I wish I could write like this too."

*Wendy's character--I really felt for her the entire way through. Her reactions felt believable, and I felt I could relate to her.

*Wendy's relationship with Fiona. I really liked how carefully constructed both characters were.

*Wendy's memories of her brothers and her reflections on their disappearance.



What I didn't like:

*There were a few slow spots where I found myself wanting to skip ahead.

* The ending. It was okay, but I was a little disappointed in how things turned out. Can't say more without giving away spoilers, but it seemed predictable/done before. The concept itself, though a retelling, felt nuanced to me, but the ending didn't surprise me, and I wanted to be surprised.

Upcoming Podium Finish Blog Tour Dates and Sites

I'm pleased to announce the dates and sites for the Podium Finish Blog Tour. Thank you to all those who signed up to participate! And an extra big thank you to I Am A Reader for putting this all together.

Tour Schedule

January 21st
I Am A Reader – Interview
The Real Bookshelves of Room 918 – Review
Rachel Cotterill Book Reviews – Review
Button the Push Books and Giveaways – Spotlight
BookHounds YA – Spotlight
Katie’s Clean Book Collection – Review
FLY HIGH! – Spotlight
A Casual Reader’s Blog – Review

January 22nd
I Love to Read and Review Books – Review
Brooklyn Berry Designs – Review
Mel’s Shelves – Review
Tifferz & Her Sisterz Book Reviewz – Spotlight
Cassandra M’s Place – Spotlight
3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – Spotlight
Books Beside My Bed – Spotlight
Karen’s Book Light – Review

January 23rd
My Full Bookshelf Reviews – Review
Mary Had a Little Book Blog – Review
Between Printed Pages – Review
My Love for Reading Keeps Growing – Review
StoreyBook Reviews – Review
My Devotional Thoughts – Spotlight
Kaisy Daisy’s Corner – Spotlight
A Book Lover’s Retreat – Spotlight
Amethyst Daydreams – Spotlight

January 24th
Getting Your Read On – Review
Ice Queen’s Bookshelf – Review
books are love – Review
Fire & Ice – Spotlight
Confessions of a Frugal Mind – Spotlight

Interview with Aimee L. Salter and Breakable Review

If you can’t trust yourself, who can you trust?

When seventeen-year-old Stacy looks in the mirror she can see and talk to her future self. “Older Me” has been Stacy's secret support through the ongoing battle with their neurotic mother, relentless bullying at school, and dealing with her hopeless love for her best friend, Mark.

Then Stacy discovers Older Me is a liar.

Still reeling from that betrayal, Stacy is targeted again by her most persistent tormentor. Only this time, he's used her own artwork to humiliate her - and threaten her last chance with Mark.

She’s reached breaking point.

Literally.

"Original. Authentic. Heart-breaking. BREAKABLE has officially become one of my favorites!" -New York Times Bestselling Author of Losing It, Cora Carmack

My Review

Powerfully written, Aimee L. Salter's debut novel, Breakable, is a must-read Indie book that rivals traditionally published young adult novels.

Seventeen-year-old artist Stacy regularly sees an older version of herself, dubbed Older Me, in the mirror. Sounds cool, right? And helpful? Well...maybe not. Stacy's future self is full of warnings--don't go to that party, don't trust that person etc.-- but not so willing to give Stacy answers. Despite the warnings, Stacy makes her own choices and not all of them turn out well. Already the victim of some terrible bullying, not listening to Older Me, proves to make things worse for Stacy.

I can't say too much more without giving away any spoilers, so I'll stop there, but I will say this: I don't often read books twice, but Breakable is a book I could definitely see myself picking up again. The writing is lovely and well-paced, and Stacy is a character you can't help but root for. And as a quick, final note, the cover, a self-portrait of Stacy, fits the book perfectly. Check out Breakable. You won't be sorry.

My rating? (For those who've read my other reviews, you know I tend to use martial arts belts and not stars) Black belt! (AKA 4.5-5 stars)

* * *

And now without further ado, my interview with the super sweet Aimee L. Salter! 

1. I read that you got the idea for Breakable from the Dear Teen Me Series. Is there one thing you wish you could tell your teen self?

Oh, gosh. So many things! I think if I could tell her one thing, it would be to trust her instincts and to use them when she's making decisions.

Also, not to wear the blue mascara to that 9th grade school photo day...

2. What is your writing process like? Are you a planner or a pantser?

The very first book I wrote I pantsed and I lost so much time to going back and rewriting where I'd gotten sidetracked or off point, that I swore I'd never do it again. Since then I've outlined every manuscript I've started, even the ones I haven't finished. And I love it that way.

That said, I tend to “pants” scenes quite a bit. I usually know going into the scene what I need it to achieve, but I don’t generally know how I’m going to do get the characters from A to B. So I enjoy the ride, from that perspective.

3. Could you talk a little bit about the journey your book has taken from first draft to now? Why did you choose to self-publish?

Wow, it sure has been a journey! I started writing Breakable (then called Listen to Me) in February 2011 with no intention of trying to get it published.

But since then I’ve had two agents (for two different books). I’ve been on submission to Big Six editors twice, and both times had great responses to the manuscript, followed by consistent feedback for revisions. And in both cases, while we were in the middle of those revisions, both agents had to leave our contract for personal reasons (and no, that isn’t a euphemism). Lucky for me, the second agent (Brittany Howard – aka NYT and international bestselling author, Cora Carmack) believed in Breakable so much, she offered to do anything she could to help me “get it out there”.

She would have helped me find another agent. But I think I was discouraged by the idea of trying that entire process again, with no guarantee that, even if I could find one, we wouldn’t have yet another year of revisions ahead of us before we got a contract.

On top of that, Brittany/Cora’s career started with a self-published novel. She knew what was involved. She knew what I would need to do to give my book any chance of success. And she was in a position to help (she’s blurbed my book for me and helped me promote it, which is REALLY generous of her).

So, after about three weeks of vacillating, I decided to take the plunge. And honestly, I haven’t regretted it for a second since. Don’t get me wrong – there’s a lot of nerves involved in this process. I’m terrified of fading into obscurity like so many other debut, self-published authors. But at the same time, I’ve had the chance to put the book out exactly how I want to. I don’t answer to anyone. All the decisions have been mine. All the design aspects were approved by me. I did the formatting myself, and I wrote all the promotional material.

Of course, that means that if Breakable isn’t a commercial success, there’s no one to blame but me! But honestly, even if it doesn’t sell a ton of copies, I’ll be honest: I feel like I’ve achieved what I always wanted to achieve with this book. And I did it myself. It’s a great feeling. Even knowing the risks, I don’t regret it a bit.

4. What is the most important thing authors should know before deciding to self-publish?

No one is kidding when they say it’s a TON of work. No one. Not kidding. A TON.

Not afraid of hard work?  Me either. But bear with me for one more point:

The author who enters self-publishing because of impatience, or an unwillingness to let others speak into their work is likely to get hurt.

If you decide to do this, make sure you’re making what is it at least an arguably valid business decision. Don’t spend more than you can afford to lose, don’t expect the internet to overload Amazon looking for you just because you’re there, and don’t step forward before you’ve learned how to gird your loins.

When you’re the brain behind (almost) every idea, the hand behind every keystroke, and the inspiration behind the vehicle, inevitably you’re travelling alone. No matter how many people support you, love you, and love your book, in the end, it’s all up to you. That can be a very isolating feeling. And if something fails, it can be foundation-shaking.

I think you have to be a very strong person (or perhaps a stupid one? Ask me in a year) to self-publish. You have to be able to get up when you’ve been knocked down, stand up when someone tells you you’re wrong, and keep going when it feels like every force in nature (or on the internet) is working against you. You have to be happy with your own company. And you have to be willing to fail.

In fact, forget about the rest. If you’re considering self-publishing, don’t do it until you’re absolutely prepared to fall flat on your face. Because honestly? Chances are good… *Gulp*

5. What do you see as the benefits to self-publishing?

Two words:

1.     Control

2.     Speed.

‘Nuff said.

6. Was there a part of your book, maybe a particular scene that was your favorite to write? Why?

Hmmm…yes. The first time Stacy got kissed by Mark. I lived that moment with her. It was awesome. And, forgive me, a little bit hot.

Scenes like that are fun to revise too, but there’s nothing like the first time you inhabit that moment and find the words to describe it. It’s one of the best parts of being a writer.

7. I've read your blog posts about writing. They're great! Could you select a couple of your best tips/tricks of the trade to help aspiring writers?

Thank you! It’s so cool to hear from people who’ve read my blog and found it useful.

Tip #1

You can’t grow as a writer if you won’t let other people in to read your work and criticize it. Yes, it’s hard, but it’s a necessary part of maturing your skill. And there’s a really healthy by-product I hadn’t identified until recently: Having people critique your work and tell you what’s wrong with it prepares you for the process of being reviewed. Because it’s impossible to write the book everyone wants to read. So negative feedback and reviews are inevitable, no matter how your book is published. Learning to deal with that in a healthy way is really helpful when it comes time to facing the masses.

Tip #2

Whether you’re a Planner or a Pantser, I really think understanding and being able to anticipate the key turning points of plot and structure makes you a better writer. I’ve a got a plot development series on my blog [link: http://www.aimeelsalter.com/p/plot-development-tips.html] that touches on some of the key elements, but there’s SO MUCH material out there from better, more experienced writers than me. Learn the craft. I can’t stress that strongly enough. Learn from others and see what a difference it makes. (If you’re not sure, start with Dwight V. Swain’s Techniques of the Selling Writer. It’s 40 years old and written differently than we expect these days, but that book is GOLD for the writer who wants to truly understand how fiction works and how to make a story work for you).

8. Lastly, what's up next? Are you working on a sophomore novel?

I’m working on about five! (Nope. Not joking). Because I struggle to know which one should get my full attention, I’m offering readers a chance to win a character named after them. All they have to do is read three brief book descriptions, then tick the box on how much each concept appeals / doesn’t appeal.

I call it my reader survey, and if you’re interested, you can enter here:  http://aimeelsalterbooks.blogspot.com/p/reader-survey_28.html

Thanks for having me, Beth! Your support is awesome. And this has been a fun interview!

Aimee L. Salter is a Pacific North-Westerner who spent much of her young (and not-so-young) life in New Zealand. After picking up a Kiwi husband and son, she’s recently returned to Oregon.

She writes novels for teens and the occasional adult who, like herself, are still in touch with their inner-high schooler.

Aimee is the author behind Seeking the Write Life, a popular blog for writers at www.aimeelsalter.com. You can also find her on Twitter (www.twitter.com/@AimeeLSalter) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/AimeeLSalter).

Aimee’s debut novel, Breakable, releases November 4^th for Kindle, Nook and in paperback. You can add Breakable to your to-read list on Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18377058-breakable

 

Book Review: My Sister's Reaper

I must say there has been a fair amount of hype about My Sister's Reaper in the past few months. I'm not normally a fantasy/paranormal reader, but after reading the synopsis, my interest was piqued.

 

Sixteen-year-old Zadie's first mistake was telling the boy she liked she could bring her dead sister back to life. Her second mistake was actually doing it.

When Zadie accidentally messes with the Reaper's Rite that should have claimed her sister Mara, things go horribly wrong. Mara isn't the same anymore--Zadie isn't even sure she's completely human, and to top it off, a Reaper is determined to collect Mara's soul no matter what. Now Zadie must figure out how to defeat her sister's Reaper, or let Mara die...this time for good.

See what I mean? Interesting, right?

So what worked? First of all, I love the cover. Slam dunk on that front. Also, the book was very well paced. We dive right into the action without all the boring buildup. Mara's in a coma, and Zadie uses her powers to make her wake up. However, Mara doesn't act the way she used to, and Zadie doesn't really understand her own abilities. Add it all together and throw in some strange townspeople who may or may not have the answers Zadie's looking for and consider the spook factor met. 

As for what didn't work, for me, the narrative voice didn't feel authentic. Zadie's your average teen. She's got good friends, a working father, and an older, more popular sister, but she didn't jump off the page in my opinion. There were some great moments of prose, but overall, the narrative voice fell flat; so, while I loved the premise, I was disappointed in its execution.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. If you're looking for a quick paranormal read, definitely check out Dorothy Dreyer's My Sister's Reaper, available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Stripped Blog Tour: An Interview with Brooklyn Skye and Book Review

 

When I heard about Brooklyn Skye's blog tour, I jumped at the chance to participate. As a YA reader and writer, I was curious about New Adult, an emerging genre the covers the college years and young professional years, the gap between YA and Adult literature. I've read a few NA titles so far, and STRIPPED is my favorite, hands down. For those who have followed the book reviews on my blog in the past, you know I use belts instead of stars. (Black belt = 5 stars, Brown belt 4-4.5 stars etc.) So where does STRIPPED rank? Brown belt. And for those interested in the NA or looking for a well-written romance, I'd definitely recommend it. Below you'll find my review, my interview with Brooklyn Skye, and a chance to enter the STRIPPED Blog Tour Giveaway. Also, please feel free to check out the other stops of the tour!

Released: May 14, 2013

Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

“I like you.” His voice is low and soft, which I don’t deserve. I look away, down the rutted parking lot.

“Don’t... waste those words on me.”

He touches my cheek. “You just need someone to show you.”

“No.” I ease back again. “I don’t. So please, Torrin, stop trying to swoop in and save me. I don’t need saving.”

College freshman Quinn Montgomery will do anything to avoid the mistake her sister made—killing herself over a boy. But when she is forced into nude modeling at a local college to support her family after a bankruptcy, she begins to crack, just enough to let Torrin, the university’s top varsity oarsman, see that the real Quinn is not as feisty and unapproachable as she wants everyone to think. But letting someone in comes at a steep cost and, it turns out, Torrin is connected to Quinn’s family in more ways than she could ever imagine.

 The Review:

College freshman, Quinn Montgomery, has a lot on her plate. Her sister recently committed suicide and her father lost his job as the result of a rather public scandal. When Quinn's parents tell her they can't help cover all of her tuition, Quinn gets a job as a nude model at another local college, the one her fired used to work at no less.

Quinn walks out of her first session. Something about that made her real to me. She's a strong girl, but conflicted. At this point, I was in. I wanted to read more. Enter Torrin, the swoon-worthy oarsmen Quinn meets while waiting for the bus.

I enjoyed the connection between Quinn and Torrin. It wasn't insta-love. In fact, Quinn is a wonderful mixture of snarky, witty, stubborn, and vulnerable, a very interesting narrator, and Torrin likes her for it. There were many moments when their relationship reminded me of the saying, "Love isn't about being perfect. It's about being perfect for each other." Quinn isn't perfect. She's complicated, mature and naive at the same time, and as a reader, I found my self oscillating between rooting for her and shaking my head, thinking "You did not just say that." Personally, I enjoyed the complexity and found Quinn's inner dialogue entertaining, but I could also see how some readers might get frustrated with her. 

As for Torrin, well he's basically the stereotypical dream guy: hot, athletic, understanding, kind, but he has a secret too. I won't give the twist away, but I will say I enjoyed it and hope to read more about Quinn and Torrin in the future.

Lastly, a note about the writing. I loved how the author captured Quinn's attitude. The description was well-done and the scenes were well-paced. Some of the romantic scenes were a bit trite, but not enough to be too off-putting.

And Without Further Ado...The Interview!

I love that Quinn is both stubborn and guarded because of her life’s circumstances, yet like most college students, especially freshmen, she is trying to figure out who she is. What do you hope readers will take away from Quinn as a narrator?  

Some of my beta readers left comments like ‘Quinn is not right in the head,’ which is exactly what I was going for. The girl has been through a lot and the culmination of these events has significantly skewed her thoughts. On the flipside, Quinn is still just a girl trying to figure things out and I hope readers will be able to connect with that side of her too.

New Adult is an emerging category that bridges the gap between young adult and adult literature. What drew you to making Quinn a college student rather than say a high school senior?

When I wrote STRIPPED three years ago, I had the idea of a college girl doing something extreme to pay for her education. About halfway through the draft—after a bit of market research—I discovered college-aged protagonists were sort of a no-no in the industry. Against my gut feelings of THIS IS NOT GOING TO WORK, I changed Quinn to a high school senior. Once the draft was done, I hated it. Quinn was not supposed to be in high school and the YA voice just wasn’t working for me in this story. So I set it aside for two years and worked on a few other projects. About six months ago, I decided to pick the draft back up and rewrite it the way I had intended. About that same time, the New Adult category was starting to emerge and several books were popping up on the Best-Selling lists which gave me a little more encouragement to go with my gut.   

What would you say was your biggest challenge while writing Stripped?

At first it was the category issue, but once I decided to write it as New Adult the biggest challenge then was to make Quinn relatable. She’s not very nice—especially to Torrin—which makes her pretty unlikeable. I didn’t want to soften her in that sense, so I had to make sure readers could connect with Quinn and at the very least understand why she was that way. I’ve had an amazing reaction from readers thus far with comments like:   

“Quinn's sassy, stand-offish approach is hilarious.”

“I really found myself lost in Quinn's story, and also saw a little bit of myself in her when I was that age.”

“I loved Quinn. Her fear and devastation due to different types of loss are genuine.”

“I laughed and cried with Quinn on her journey through a very heart wrenching time in her life.”

“Quinn is a real, down to earth character, that is not afraid to speak her mind, and that's what I love about her.”

Of course there were others who didn’t connect with Quinn…which is fine too. Can’t please everyone ;)

What are you writing now? Will we be seeing any more of Quinn and Torrin soon?

Currently, I’m working on a novella that continues Quinn and Torrin’s story. When STRIPPED debuted, I received an overwhelming surge of people wanting more, requesting an epilogue and asking if I was writing a sequel. While I had originally planned for STRIPPED to be single-title, I decided to go ahead and write a novella that continues in Torrin’s point of view. WITHOUT YOU will release October 8^th.

I’m also planning a companion novel to give Nikki her own story to be released Spring 2014.

 

Please talk a little bit about your journey to publication. What was the biggest lesson you learned? Do you have any tips for your fellow writers? Anything you wish you’d done differently?

My journey isn’t very conventional, but then again are any of ours? The story of how I got my agent can be found in my interview with Writer’s Digest (http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/how-i-got-my-agent-nicole-steinhaus). The biggest question I get is why did I release STRIPPED myself when I work for a publisher and have an agent? Truth is, it was just a gut feeling I had. Being tied to the publishing industry, I knew New Adult books getting contracts were few and far between. I also knew several self-published authors were doing just fine without them. Would I change anything? To be honest, I don’t think I would. I’m very pleased with how well STRIPPED was received and the support I’ve been blessed with amongst the writing community. My biggest tip for authors is do what feels right for you, and don’t judge others if their decisions vary from yours. I’ve witnessed—and been the topic of—some very heated discussions revolving choices in publishing, and I think people need to focus more on themselves and their craft and not worry so much about what others choose to do.

Thank you for having me!

About the Author

Brooklyn Skye grew up in a small town where she quickly realized writing was an escape from small town life. Really, she’s just your average awkward girl who’s obsessed with words. Her Best Selling New Adult debut, STRIPPED, is out NOW! Represented by Bree Ogden of D4EO Literary Agency.

brooklynskye.wordpress.com

 

You can find STRIPPED on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. You can also follow Brooklyn on Twitter or visit her web site  for updates, teasers, and more.

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