#Review : Obsession by Jennifer L. Armentrout #PNR #NA

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Obsession

An Arum Novel

NA / Paranormal

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

He’s arrogant, domineering, and... To. Die. For.

Hunter is a ruthless killer. And the Department of Defense has him firmly in their grasp, which usually doesn’t chafe too badly because he gets to kill bad guys. Most of the time he enjoys his job. That is, until he’s saddled with something he’s never had to do before: protect a human from his mortal enemy.

Serena Cross didn’t believe her best friend when she claimed to have seen the son of a powerful senator turn into something... unnatural. Who would? But then she witnesses her friend’s murder at the hands of what can only be an alien, thrusting her into a world that will kill to protect their secret.

Hunter stirs Serena’s temper and her lust despite their differences. Soon he’s doing the unthinkable—breaking the rules he’s lived by, going against the government to keep Serena safe. But are the aliens and the government the biggest threats to Serena’s life… or is it Hunter?

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My Review:

Gotta admit, I was thrilled to find out JLA had written a book about the 'bad guys' from her Lux Series. It's truly enlightening to find out the story behind the evil ones, the aliens bent on stopping our favorite heroines & heros.

This book was excellent. I really don't know what else to say. At first I was skeptical because I hated the Arum so much, but after a few chapters I was rooting for Hunter, the MC. Why? Because although alien, Ms. Armentrout was able to make him seem so humanistic, so real - with problems & emotions everyone can relate to.

It's a universal love story, one that shows attraction and caring rises above all else. Taboo? In their world, absolutely. 

Lastly, I have to mention the heat. JLA sure is good at bringing about sexual tension between two characters. Every interruption was like 'darn it!' for me. LOL. Hunter is hot. 'Evil' alien, but hot all the same.

SO worth the read - even if you haven't read about the Arum's arch rival, the Luxen.

#WWW : Hitting the Wall by Sarah Allen #WritersLife #WriteTip

I'm pleased to have fellow blogger and aspiring author, Sarah Allen, with me today. 

Lets dive right in ...

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Hitting the Wall

So there's something that happens after you've been writing for a while. Even a short while. You finally get some words going, you get in the flow, it's coming, and then all of the sudden, it happens.

You hit the wall.

That's what runners call it anyway, and I think it's an apt metaphor. Because its an abrupt stop, ramming the momentum you had head on into brick.

It happens to me every few hundred words. I'll get three or four hundred words down and then finish a scene or get pulled away by my wonderfully distracting sister or mindlessly clicking onto Pinterest. Then I'm stuck. The flow stops flowing. (By the way I think minimizing distractions i.e. Pinterest is key to pushing back the wall and something I'm going to try to do better at).

I'm pretty sure it happens this way for everyone. Maybe a lot of you can go a lot further than me without hitting the wall, but it happens eventually, right?

If not--if you never come up against The Wall--please tell me your magic secret? Please???

Anyway. When you get to this point, what do you think is the best thing to do?

The way I see it, there's two options. Either you sit there and push until you've broken through the wall, or you go away and use your mental powers elsewhere until the wall has gone away. Which do you think is the best thing to do?

On the one hand, we are WRITERS DANG IT and WRITERS WRITE and no dumb ol wall is going to stop us. On the other hand, sometimes it is a FREAKING THICK WALL and you don't want the writing to sound forced anyway and it’s Just. Not. Coming.

After some thought, I think the answer I've come up with is that neither approach will work in every situation. I think sometimes the wall isn't going to go away on its own and you have to push through. Other times no amount of shoving will budge the stupid thing, and you have to take a breather or its going to stay there like a stubborn mule.

The pattern that I think works best for me personally is this: Usually the first wall or two I come to aren't super thick. They're definitely there and they leave me staring blankly for a while, but I can push through and get another few hundred words down. Then a wall will come that really throws me off and I start feeling like my butt is beginning to fuse to the chair anyway so its time for me to at least step out onto the balcony for a while and probably get something to eat. Sometimes it takes until the next day for the wall to go away, and sometimes it still takes a little forcing, but if I make myself sit down the next day and get started, the words will eventually start flowing again.

That's how I've seen it working in my own head. Anybody else have clearer ideas or a better approach? Do you think it's better to push through or take a break?

Sarah is an aspiring writer living in the DC area and working on querying her first novel and finishing her second. If she’s not writing she’s probably obsessing over a movie or show with painfully stunning acting. Slyther-puff. Anglophile. Jane Austen groupie. Secret lover of jazz and post-grunge rock, not so secret lover of Colin Firth, white chocolate, cavalier king charles spaniels, and Frasier.

Links:

Blog  /  Facebook  /  Twitter 

What's The Number One Marketing Method? #MarketingTip

WORD OF MOUTH!

  

Sure, the internet has given us authors a global reach, but who are you more apt to listen to? A fellow writer you met in a forum, a cyber-space genre-loving-reader who recommends a book, or your best friend who rants and raves about the latest release from their favorite author?

I'm going to go with those around me. Those who know me. My friends, family, & acquaintances. 

THESE are the people we need to use ... er ... have help us promote our books. Let's face it folks, it's not all about who you know - it's about who you  know knows. Confused??

Look at it this way ... your neighbors or neighborhood friends might have contacts where you don't - a local bookstore, the library, a coffee shop who enjoys hosting book signings. Perhaps they work at a local newspaper, or their cousin does.

Why NOT ask these peeps to help us out? The more people you have talking about your book, the more exposure it gets. 

Make a list of people you know, those nearby and those not so nearby. I'm new to my neighborhood, so I don't have a lot of local contacts. While that makes my local tasks a bit more daunting, my hometown contacts rock. Surely you have a few in your back pocket if you think hard enough. 

Small business owners who might have a rack of books for sale?

Neighborhood newsletters? Local papers? Library reading groups?

And let's not leave other authors off this list. Think of those online and offline. Writing groups you're involved in? If you're a debut novelist like me, you'll be relying a bit on those who've gone before to help get that ball rolling. Surely they know LOTS more peeps than you.

There's nothing wrong with asking for help. The worst that could happen is they'll say no, but that's no biggie. You've written a novel and doubtless been told 'no' countless times, yet you stubbornly pushed onward to publication. 

Now it's time to take the next step and make that publication successful!

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Have other people or places to suggest we hit up for help? 

If you're one who's gone before, is there a particular person who helped you the most?

Blog Tour: King by R. J. Larson #Review #fantasy

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Books of the Infinite #3

by R. J. Larson

Publication Date: July 1, 2013

Publisher: Baker Publishing Group

Akabe of Siphra is certain his people are insane. 

Why have they made him a king? 
What, in the name of peacetime boredom do kings do?

Frustrated by a lengthy silence from his Creator, the Infinite, Akabe decides to prove himself as king by undertaking a monumental task, his own lifelong dream: Rebuild the Infinite’s temple in Siphra. 

But Akabe’s impulsive decision sweeps him into a storm of controversy. The Infinite’s enemies join forces in Siphra, and beyond, conspiring to destroy the emerging temple—and to kill their king and his mysterious new queen.

Purchase Links:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble

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My Review:

This is the third book of the series, but the first I've read of Ms. Larson's. Most times it's tough to dive into a story midway, but I had no problems or issues understanding what was happening or who characters were. Each book is about a different person, so it's not like I dove into the middle of an epic plot. Enough back story was tactfully woven in that I didn't feel I had missed out on anything.

Although King is the story of Akabe, I was definitely more intrigued and empathetic toward Kien and Ela, two supporting characters whose stories are told in books #1 & #2. I had a better grasp of who they were and their emotional turmoil than Akabe's - possibly because Ms. Larson had visited these characters so much within her mind already.

I'm not a fan of purple prose and lengthy descriptions, but I do enjoy having my senses satisfied whenever possible. This book really lacked in that area for me. Propelled forward by dialogue, I felt cheated of experiencing the world these people live in. I want to taste the scents of the air and feel the dust between their teeth - show me through imagery and precise wording. 

In this way, King is a definitely 'telling' story, lacking life.

The plot is good - intriguing enough that I wanted to know the outcome. Unfortunately it DID take beyond the 25% mark for me to decide I really wanted to finish regardless of the story-telling. I'm truly glad I did, for I wanted to see Kien, Ela, Akabe, and his queen find their HEAs.

Do I recommend this book? Yes. I'm not jumping for joy, but the supporting characters make it a worthwhile read.

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Author R. J. Larson

R. J. Larson is the author of numerous devotionals featured in publications such as Women's Devotional Bible and Seasons of a Woman's Heart. She lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with her husband and their two sons. Prophet marks her debut in the fantasy genre.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

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