Book Review: Loosely Translated by Simon Wheeler

Hello Everyone!

I just finished Loosely Translated by Simon Wheeler. This lighthearted romantic comedy focuses on Maria, an aspiring writer from Spain and Mike, the British author of a once popular mystery series starring an arrogant and chauvinistic detective. Mike has lost his motivation to continue his series. Meanwhile, Maria, frustrated with her inability to get anything published, decides to try translating books into Spanish. Her editor offers her a job translating Mike's books into Spanish. Maria scoffs at the writing style and detests the main character. She subsequently takes some liberties when translating, and the Spanish version becomes very successful. Mike is then invited to Spain for the book launch, where he meets Maria, and sparks fly...

I absolutely loved this book! It was well-written, well-paced, and an all-around charming story! I immediately identified with Maria. She was a well-developed and intelligent character who stood up for herself. I was prepared to hate Mike right off the bat, but was pleasantly surprised by his character. He was definitely not the shallow and arrogant guy I initially thought him to be. As Maria and Mike spent time together, exploring Spain, I found myself rooting for the couple. The conversations they had and the romantic places they visited were very well written. As I eagerly turned each page, I found myself wishing I was in Spain.

I do wish, however, that some of the supporting characters could have been better developed, particularly Carmen and Maria's parents. I felt that Carmen was a little stereotypical, and that Mike's interactions with Maria's parents could have been expanded upon. I did enjoy Mike's scenes with Maria's father, however, and found them to be quite humorous. Other characters such as Lola, Cesar, and James fell a little "flat."

The conclusion with its multiple epilogues, worked nicely for me. I enjoyed finding out what happened to not only Maria and Mike, but also to the rest of the characters. It would have also been interesting to have one additional epilogue at the end, re-visiting Mike and Maria at a later point in time to bring everything full circle. All in all, this was a really good read, and I would love to read more books by this author, about these characters and others!

My Rating: 5 stars

Book Review: A Dragon's Path to Ascension by J.C. Harker

Hello Everyone, 

I just finished A Dragon's Path to Ascension, by J.C. Harker. This is an epic fantasy short story and served as my introduction to the Dragons Reborn series. Tharia is a dragon, living in seclusion in human form. Her species undergoes something called the Ascension, which affords them great power, but also involves taking the life of another dragon. Initially, Tharia avoids working towards the Ascension, choosing to live a more simplistic and peaceful life. This idyllic lifestyle is soon threatened as she runs into hunters and other dragons. She then must reconsider going through the Ascension. 

I absolutely loved this story! It captured my interest right away. Ms. Harker does an excellent job with world-building. The land of Uutta Toivoa sounds fascinating. World-building, for me, is what makes or breaks a fantasy series. Ms. Harker made me feel like I was in Uutta Toivoa, watching the events unfold. The descriptions of Tharia and her powers were very detailed. I also enjoyed learning about her dragonling, and the bond that they shared. I wish this bond could have been discussed more during the story, and that Dru in general had more of a role. 

The author's writing style appealed to me, although at times I had some difficulty understanding the events unfolding. It was a little vague at times, such as when we learned about Tharia's siblings . The story was well edited and evenly paced. I felt that Tharia was a well developed and interesting main character. I liked her very much. I wish that we had learned a bit more about some of the other characters in the story, such as Tharia's family, as well as Kaima, although this is of course difficult with a short story. 

The ending surprised me! It was completely unexpected. After the battle, however, I felt that the last few pages were a little anticlimactic. I initially thought the book was done when the battle was finished, and was surprised to turn the page to find a whole separate section. Perhaps this could have served as the beginning of the next book, although I understand why the author included it her, given the results of the battle for Ascension. 

All in all, I enjoyed this story from the Dragons Reborn series. It hooked me immediately, and kept me engaged until the end. I would definitely recommend this book to others, and will be reading the other books in the series when I get a chance!

My Review: 5 stars

8 Questions with M. Leighton, author of the Madly Series

I recently read the Madly Series, a YA series about a mermaid named Madly James. Here is an interview with M. Leighton, the author! 

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

I was a nurse before I began writing.  I'm not one of those people who has written for years or kept journals, anything like that. I never once considered that I might like to write. Until I read Twilight. I was so devastated when the books were over, I decided I'd write a book of my own, and I could keep the characters alive and with me for as long as I wanted.  So I did.  I found that I loved it and couldn't stop at just one book.  So I didn't. LOL  And the rest, as they say, is history.

2. What was the inspiration behind the Madly series? 

Fairy tales.  I thought it would be so neat to write my own spin on fairy tales, to take elements of them and superimpose them on another world and other creatures.  The possibilities are limitless and I think that's one of the many reasons I enjoy the series so much:)

3. Many recently published fantasy novels and series focus on vampires, fairies, and witches. Why did you choose to make Madly a mermaid?

I'd never read a story about a mermaid and, since they're not often spoken of, I thought I'd make them into creatures that could fit in with my fairy tale story. Plus, they're beautiful and mysterious, and I love that about them.

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

Most recently, as cliche as it sounds, it was definitely Twilight.  I consider that series instrumental in where I am today.  I'd say many authors could say the same thing. As for my younger inspirations, they would include writers like Johanna Lindsey, Nora Roberts, Janet Dailey and Kathleen Woodiwiss.  Lots of great romance authors out there!

5. What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Don't ever give it up. It would be all too easy to get frustrated or discouraged and just put your keyboard away forever.  And if you have to do that for a day or two, fine. But don't give up.  There is an incredible feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment in simply finishing a book.  That's huge. And I wouldn't want you to miss out on that.

6. What's next for you?

I'm currently writing the first story in a new series and then will write the final book in the Wild Ones series.  I'm busy, but I love what I do, so a productive day is a good day for me.  And, of course, there's Madly 4 on the horizon...  *sigh*  Jackson...

7. Who would play Madly in a movie/tv show? 

The girl from Pretty Little Liars, Ashley Benson.

8. I have only had a chance to read the Madly series so far, but which of your many series is your favorite and why?

I don't think I could pick just one.  There are elements or characters or pieces of everything I've written that I love, love, love.  It would be like picking a favorite child.  

Thank you so much for having me on! I appreciate your time and hope you enjoy any and all of my books:)

5 Questions with Cameo MacPherson, author of Dead in Bed

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

I think a lot of  my interest in writing stems from growing up wanting to be an actor. Even from a young age, I loved inhabiting other worlds and other personalities. I had the privilege of being able to do quite a bit of amateur and semi-professional theater, and even though I never hit it big, I was very grateful for those those opportunities. I still am.

Eventually, my goals began to shift. I fell in love, got married, and had three children - who for some strange reason demanded to be fed and cared for... every day. Shortly thereafter, my mother became sick and I helped with her care. There was no way I could find time to perform, but my mind wouldn't let me stop thinking about other worlds. They haunted me, nagging in my ear until I wrote them down.

After that, I was hooked. Writing the story out bit by bit and seeing it unfold was even better than acting. I could explore the worlds in depth. I could be all the characters. 

I eventually did find my way back to the theater, but by then it was too late. I was a writer. 

(Oh, I should probably mention, Cameo MacPherson is the name I use for my romances. Not because I don't want people to know who I am, just because I love the name. For anyone interested, I can be found on Twitter as Cathy Greco@cameomacpherson, or on Facebook at  www.facebook.com/cathy.greco.5   Shameless self-promotion done now.)

2. What was the inspiration behind your book Dead in Bed?

A little over a year ago, a publisher I had been hoping to work with notified me of a special call. They were doing an anthology of classic fairy tales with a zombie twist. She had read a flash fiction story I had written and thought I might like to take a chance on submitting something. 

Since my best friend is absolutely terrified of zombies but refuses to stop watching shows and reading about them, I knew I had to do it. I took a little used fairy tale (the princess and the pea) and put my admittedly strange twist on it. Unfortunately, the book wasn't ready by the deadline for the special call, but I kept working on it, and it eventually turned into Dead in Bed. 

3. What's next on your plate?

I'm polishing up another zombie-related romance novel. It's set in a different world than Dead in Bed, but I think if you enjoyed Dead in Bed, you'll really enjoy Dead Sexy. It's a full length novel, and I have to admit I love the characters and the world they inhabit. It's a little bit mystery, a little bit silly, and hopefully a whole lot of romantic. I'm also working on a young adult fantasy novel, but I don't want to give away too much. Mainly because it changes with every sentence I write.

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

 I devour books, so listing everyone who has inspired me would take forever. At the risk of offending the books and authors I don't name, I will say Douglas Adams' Hitchhikers series, and C.S. Lewis' Narnia series were life changing. Terry Pratchett's Discworld, too.

5. What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

I'm an aspiring author myself. I think all writers are, even if they've published countless times before. The only advice I can give is to be a little crazy, cause if you're not when you start writing, you probably will be by halfway through the journey.

Oh, and maybe have a best friend who is scared of zombies.