~ Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Nine-Lives-Fifth-Highland-Novel/dp/1461070090
Guest Post:
I am nothing if not a quirky person and that quirkiness is definitely represented in my needs for writing. I have discovered over the years that without certain things, I am not a productive writer.
The first thing I need is a good environment and that means not my house. I do not write at home. I have found there are far too many distractions in my home for me to be productive. From my loving Chihuahuas who want my undivided attention to the laundry piling up in the hamper, there are so many things I “should” be doing that writing at home is a no-go. That means packing up my stuff and heading out to the closest Starbucks.
Since I don’t write at home, I need to be sure that my word processing is portable. I have worked on everything from pad and paper to my current iPad. I’ve discovered that when my technology isn’t meeting my needs, it impedes my writing process. To keep that from happening, I have experimented with and found the apps and software that work for me.
Once I have my technology organized, I need to block out the rest of the world. That means music to match either my mood or the writing I want to do. When I write darker things, I like heavier music. Romance requires lighter music. On the whole, I like instrumentals when I write, but sometimes the words in the songs help move the writing.
Finally, I must have the all-important IDEA. When an idea comes and is ready to be born, it is a wonderful, if frightening, thing. The first three books of the Highland Home series came out in under a month of 10-hour writing days. Other books, like Feuding Hearts, take years. Feuding Hearts took me twelve years to finish, but the story was there and the idea refused to die.
I know my must-haves may seem strange to you. Perhaps you like writing at home or can’t have music playing or must write with a pen and paper. No matter what you need to write, it’s right because you need it to be creative and productive. Enjoy your must-haves and your gotta-get-its and write, write, write.
Publisher: Self Published
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 138
Source: Review copy provided by author - thanks!
Interest: Blog Tour
Book Review:The first thing I need is a good environment and that means not my house. I do not write at home. I have found there are far too many distractions in my home for me to be productive. From my loving Chihuahuas who want my undivided attention to the laundry piling up in the hamper, there are so many things I “should” be doing that writing at home is a no-go. That means packing up my stuff and heading out to the closest Starbucks.
Since I don’t write at home, I need to be sure that my word processing is portable. I have worked on everything from pad and paper to my current iPad. I’ve discovered that when my technology isn’t meeting my needs, it impedes my writing process. To keep that from happening, I have experimented with and found the apps and software that work for me.
Once I have my technology organized, I need to block out the rest of the world. That means music to match either my mood or the writing I want to do. When I write darker things, I like heavier music. Romance requires lighter music. On the whole, I like instrumentals when I write, but sometimes the words in the songs help move the writing.
Finally, I must have the all-important IDEA. When an idea comes and is ready to be born, it is a wonderful, if frightening, thing. The first three books of the Highland Home series came out in under a month of 10-hour writing days. Other books, like Feuding Hearts, take years. Feuding Hearts took me twelve years to finish, but the story was there and the idea refused to die.
I know my must-haves may seem strange to you. Perhaps you like writing at home or can’t have music playing or must write with a pen and paper. No matter what you need to write, it’s right because you need it to be creative and productive. Enjoy your must-haves and your gotta-get-its and write, write, write.
Review:
Nine Lives by Shari Richardson
Release Date: August 23, 2012Publisher: Self Published
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 138
Source: Review copy provided by author - thanks!
Interest: Blog Tour
When in the midst of the usual supernatural uproar which surrounds her, Kerry Cote finds herself pregnant, she thinks the worst has finally come. But when her fiancé doubts her love and her child while the supernatural world lays itself at her feet, Kerry knows she must be strong. Nine Lives takes readers through Kerry’s pregnancy and an epic battle among vampires to bring them out on the other side with the birth of her child.
- GoodreadsRating: 3.5 / 5 Riceballs
*Disclosure: I actually have only read the first, third, and fifth book of the series, the fifth being Nine Lives. I realize I skipped some parts of the story as well as finding some spoilers I was supposed to cover before. Even though I understood the context of the story, I still recommend a reader to read all four books before reading Nine Lives. This review will cover my thoughts and opinions on the fifth book, Nine Lives.*
Frankly, I didn’t enjoy the first book as much as I enjoyed Nine Lives. There were various issues in there that personally I didn’t particularly enjoy, but they were either not mentioned or a big factor of my reading experience of this book, so I definitely enjoyed this installment much more. There was a lot more action, less romance (good for me!), and an ending that actually made me a bit sad. However, I would not recommend for a reader to skip the first four books in the series, since there is some background context I grasped from the first books.
One of the biggest factors in this book was the fact that “insta-love” wasn’t as omnipresent in this book. At this point, Kerry & Xavier’s relationship had already progressed enough to “true love”, although there are struggles that made this book less focused on romance. Kerry especially suffers a lot, and I empathized with her for quite a bit, but also admired her for not completely breaking down for the whole novel. The relationships and friendships within Kerry’s friends, families, and acquaintances were more focused on, and I was quite attached to some of the characters. I felt that in this book, the author was able to influence my emotions the way she wanted them, compared to the first novel where I didn’t empathize with Mairin as much. There were times where I seriously wanted to rip the head off of some of the characters, since I was so frustrated at them! I’m not sure if this is a good or bad thing, since this reaction is probably what it’s meant to be.
(On a side note, there is a pretty cute and romantic scene in the beginning which, as a teenager, I guiltily admit that I enjoyed. It was cutesy, maybe vomit-in-mouth cutesy, but it’s definitely a treat for romance fans!)
I also liked the hierarchy and world that the author created. The concept of the maker and child, as well as “the pride”, were-animals, and angels had an interesting take on the supernatural world. This is a factor that may be a bit confusing if a reader has not read the previous books, since there are characters from there that have special positions. Still, I feel like once explored, this world is actually quite intriguing.
And the ending.
(And Tom Hiddleston who plays Loki - woohoo!)
I don’t want to give too much away, but that’s what I looked like o___o The ending was pretty quick and full of action, but definitely eventful and full of emotion.
Just. Whoa. *faints*
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Frankly, I didn’t enjoy the first book as much as I enjoyed Nine Lives. There were various issues in there that personally I didn’t particularly enjoy, but they were either not mentioned or a big factor of my reading experience of this book, so I definitely enjoyed this installment much more. There was a lot more action, less romance (good for me!), and an ending that actually made me a bit sad. However, I would not recommend for a reader to skip the first four books in the series, since there is some background context I grasped from the first books.
One of the biggest factors in this book was the fact that “insta-love” wasn’t as omnipresent in this book. At this point, Kerry & Xavier’s relationship had already progressed enough to “true love”, although there are struggles that made this book less focused on romance. Kerry especially suffers a lot, and I empathized with her for quite a bit, but also admired her for not completely breaking down for the whole novel. The relationships and friendships within Kerry’s friends, families, and acquaintances were more focused on, and I was quite attached to some of the characters. I felt that in this book, the author was able to influence my emotions the way she wanted them, compared to the first novel where I didn’t empathize with Mairin as much. There were times where I seriously wanted to rip the head off of some of the characters, since I was so frustrated at them! I’m not sure if this is a good or bad thing, since this reaction is probably what it’s meant to be.
(On a side note, there is a pretty cute and romantic scene in the beginning which, as a teenager, I guiltily admit that I enjoyed. It was cutesy, maybe vomit-in-mouth cutesy, but it’s definitely a treat for romance fans!)
I also liked the hierarchy and world that the author created. The concept of the maker and child, as well as “the pride”, were-animals, and angels had an interesting take on the supernatural world. This is a factor that may be a bit confusing if a reader has not read the previous books, since there are characters from there that have special positions. Still, I feel like once explored, this world is actually quite intriguing.
And the ending.
(And Tom Hiddleston who plays Loki - woohoo!)
I don’t want to give too much away, but that’s what I looked like o___o The ending was pretty quick and full of action, but definitely eventful and full of emotion.
Just. Whoa. *faints*
Giveaway!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*
