Book Review: Dead in Bed by Cameo MacPherson

Hello Everyone,

I just finished Dead in Bed by Cameo MacPherson , a novella about beauty pageants and zombies! The story revolves around Lizzy Blaine, a young woman who enters a beauty pageant in hopes of winning the crown. The pageant is cut short when the zombies get hungry, and amidst the chaos, Lizzy manages to make off with the crown. While on the run from the agitated zombie horde, she stumbles into Harry's Quality Mattress Emporium and meets Harry's son Luke, who promptly decides that he is going to marry her. Dead in Bed is a fun quick read, with many funny moments. It kept me eagerly turning the pages until I reached the end.

I thought that Lizzy, the main character was quite well developed. Despite being a pageant contestant, the story did not focus on her looks. Although Luke was the "prince charming" of the story, Lizzy turned out to be quite capable of standing on her own two feet, and was able to get herself (and Luke) out of some difficult situations. The character of Luke could have been fleshed out more, however. After deciding that he was going to marry Lizzy, he became solely focused on fighting the zombies, and consequently, we didn't learn much more about him. I also feel that if the story had been a little longer, the romance and the plot twists that occurred would have worked better. Due to the length, I felt that everything wrapped up too quickly, in "too neat of a bow".

Despite the length, I enjoyed the plot twists and the conclusion of the story. The story was well-edited, with few, if any typos. In sum, Dead in Bed is lighthearted and humorous, and definitely worth reading. I would be interested in reading more about these characters. I would love to read a sequel about Harry's adventures, or a story revolving around the zombie pageant queen, for example!


My Review: 4 stars

Five Questions With Teddy O'Malley, Author of Tokka Tuomela Sixth Grader At Large

Hello Everyone!

Posting an interview with Teddy O'Malley, author of Tokka Tuomela: Sixth Grader at Large which I have not yet had the opportunity to review. Enjoy!

1. Tell me about yourself and how you first became interested in writing?

I am not very good at talking about myself. I love creating something that I hope will bring joy to others. I first became interested in writing when I was seven. I had an assignment to write a one page story about a day at the beach. I started writing the story, and I didn't want to stop. The words just flowed onto the paper. It was as natural as breathing.

2. What was the inspiration behind your book Tokka Tuomela Sixth Grader at Large?

I think of Tokka as my inner voice, the one that is not afraid of anything. She inspires me and I hope she will inspire others.

3. What's next on your plate?

I am working on my Destiny and Faith series and a book to follow Tell Me How You Say Goodnight.

4. Is there any particular writer or book that inspired you, either while growing up or as an adult?

As a child, Judy Blume was an huge inspiration. As an adult, Janet Evanovich is my hero.

5. What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

No matter what life throws at you, and no matter what people say, keep writing, keep creating, and keep dreaming.

A recently updated version of the story is available for free through Foboko. Teddy is also the author of Tell Me How You Say Good Night (a picture book), as well as Destiny and Faith Go to Twincentric Academy. Both are available on Amazon!

Review: Lost in London by Aditi Chopra

Hello Everyone,

Sorry for the long delay! I just finished Lost in London, a romance written by Aditi Chopra. I must say, the title and cover of this book are quite appealing, and made me eager to start reading! Lost in London revolves around Rahul, a consultant who lives in California. In the story, Rahul meets and falls in love with Priya, a beautiful woman from London. He is hesitant to pursue a relationship with her because of his feelings for Mona, his attractive co-worker, who pursues him quite relentlessly.

I found this story to be a quick and fun read. I felt however, that it needed a little work. In terms of character development, I found Mona to be somewhat two-dimensional. She was the stereotypical sexy co-worker, and if she had more shades of grey, it would have made the central conflict more interesting. I thought Priya was better developed, and liked that she was a little feisty, helping to make the conflict more than good girl vs. bad girl. I also liked the character of Rahul, and felt that he was appropriately developed. In technical terms, I felt that the dialogue needed some work, and some of the descriptions were a little choppy. Including sentences of varying lengths would help to fix this.

The story itself was quite romantic.I felt like I was being transported to each city as Rahul and Priya visited them. There was also enough passion between the characters to keep things interesting, and prevent the story from becoming too sappy. I felt that the ending was appropriately done. I liked that Rahul and Priya faced several realistic challenges while their relationship was developing. I also liked that Rahul wasn't shown to be 100% perfect. I wish that the story had been a little longer. I would like to read more about Rahul and Priya!

All in all, this was a nice story, and with some editing, it could become even better. I look forward to reading more of this author's work. I actually have another story from this author in my queue so stay tuned to learn more!

My Rating: 3 stars

Review Pending, Please Enjoy These Pictures/Quotes