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"Insurgent" - Review

4/29/2015

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Funny story for this one. When Divergent came out in theaters, I saw the film cover softback in my local market and decided to pick it up. Then I waited.  And waited… And waited… Finally, the Insurgent film was set to release in a week and I still hadn't seen the film cover soft back. I was in my market, holding the standard art covered done, debating. I fought with myself and ultimately decided I could be patient a little longer. I put the book back. The next day, yes I spend a lot of time at the market, I looked again. Behold! The cover I wanted was there! I snatched it up and read it that night. [goodreads review]
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| Amazon | B&N |
Divergent Review
Passionately written and it shows!
#YA #Fantasy #PostApocalyptic #BooktoFilm

3 Stars
Series:  Book 2: Divergent
Characters: Tris & Tobias (Four)
Setting: Alternate Universe
Mature Themes: PTSD, violence, and minor sexual topics.

Recommendation: If you read the first book, yes, this one is worth reading and I will be continuing to the third one as well. Fan of Harry Potter and that age range of kids can save the world will enjoy this, and I’d imagine the same goes for fans of The Hunger Games, though I’ve not read that series myself.
The world has gone crazy around Tris and Tobias. Factions have turned against one another, the factionless are working together, and their allies look like enemies and their enemies become friends. But even more difficult still, all of this happens while Tris is battling not just the demons around her, but her own demons within. 

Tris is written beautifully. She's full of difficult decisions, angsty teen drama (yup, try to remember this character is only sixteen), and more PTSD than she can handle. All of Roth's hard work and research into PTSD was well worth it because as readers we were pulled along on Tris’ fear of guns, lies to those closest to her, and skittish behavior. Tobias of course tries to be there to help her, but her destructive behavior finds him pulling away for self preservation reasons.  Through all of the drama the two provide a solid story and compelling plot.

Overall the second book didn’t wow me like the first.  Divergent had an innocence to it and a plot surprise that was more intriguing to me that Insurgent's.  That’s not to say Insurgent wasn’t a good book, it was fantastic, the writing, the descriptions, the drama, all great. But what made Divergent not just any other post-apocalyptic novel were the factions, and in Insurgent they were almost non existent, and yes, I know that’s the point.
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Epic Milestones! - Blog

4/20/2015

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Who brought the fire works!?  The s'mores!?  How about the ghost stories!?  
It’s camping season and it’s time for your week two updates on my journey through Camp NaNoWriMo!  

Welcome the the most exciting blog post I have written to date, while also being consequently the most anti-climactic.  Today is Monday, the second Monday of April’s session in fact and also day 20 of camp.  Day 20 makes it officially WIN DAY!  Yesterday, was the last day of the session where a camper was able to change their word count goal before the clock ticked over to today, win day.  Once wind day begins, validation of your word count is possible and campers are able to begin winning.  So… without further ado…. *drum roll please*

*I won!*
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Yup, you heard me right!  I finished writing Stealth a full 10 days before the camp session ended!  This marks my SECOND fully written novel and I’m honestly still in shock.  Even as I type this I can’t help but smile at the amount of progress I’ve made in the last two years with my writing.

Slowly my pattern is becoming a routine and I couldn’t possibly be happier about it.  My goal is to continue writing every day even if just for an hour, blog posts, book reviews, editing my novels, etc.  Anything as long as I get the fingers moving and the words flowing.
Now for the anticlimactic part, I’ve finished camp for April so I’m taking my allotted two weeks off to binge read and visit with the family I have neglected for the past twenty days, but I will continue to write for an hour each day.  

Below are my final stats from camp if you’re interested make sure to check out my Fiction Friday posts for teasers and snippets from my in progress novels.  I’ll see you soon with a plan for what’s to come the rest of the summer and next steps for both Stealth and Keeper’s Conundrum!  

As always, I couldn't do what I do without the folks at NaNo, don’t forget to help support the NaNo org with a donation if you can, I have.  (See the cute little halo up there… I donated.)

Happy Reading!
-Eliza
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Bitter Bribes - FF

4/17/2015

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Pull out the marshmallows and the chocolate!  Pass me the graham crackers, it's Fiction Friday and I'm ready for a story!

Camp has reached the halfway point in the month and team Eliza has made EPIC progress.  As of this morning we are a mere SIX thousand from our goal of 50k.  That's nearly double where we should be! At this rate we will be finished sometime on Sunday and the first draft of Stealth will be completed.  This just boggles my mind.

Last night I finished up the epilogue and all that remains are a few transitions and a scene or two that I've put off writing.  I'm expecting a full update post on Monday so stay tuned for juicy stats, pictographs, and as much confetti as I can find.  

For now, enjoy this scene from Stealth that I wrote this week with Annabelle attempting to was a sleepy Miranda with a tantalizing cup of coffee... and maybe some sisterly threats.

     Annabelle climbed into Miranda’s bed, Tin having long since vacated it in favor of the gym.  She waved a cup of hot coffee under her sister’s nose and wafted the steam in her face.  “Mir…”  she purred,  “Wake up Mir.”  
     Miranda groaned and rolled over, Annabelle weaving the cup out of the way in time to not spill it.
     “Mir…”  She said, this time tugging gently on a section of Miranda’s hair.  “Come on Mir, I’ll drink all the coffee…”
     “Go away.”  She groaned and pulled a pillow over her head.  
     Annabelle shrugged.  “Alright then.  No coffee for you.”  She lifted the cup to her lips, “I guess I can drink your cup then.”  She loudly slurped the warm liquid and Miranda shifted under the pillow.  
    “Give it.”  She said, her head still covered, hand patting the bed making its way closer to Annabelle and the coffee.
     “You have to get up first.”
     Miranda pulled the pillow from her head and squinted at her sister.  “Bitch give me the coffee or I’m calling mom and telling her about your disappearing act from last night.”
     “Ouch!”  Annabelle said before relinquishing the coffee to her sister with a smile.  “That’s harsh.”
     Miranda sat up and leaned against the headboard and sipped the coffee, glaring at her sister.  Annabelle reached over to the nightstand and picked up another cup, smiling before taking a large audible gulp.
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"Vanishing Girl" - Review

4/15/2015

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I loved this book. I was given Vanishing Girl via a goodreads giveaway and it has been in my stack of to-be-read for far too long. Laura Thalassa wrote the first government spy story I have ever enjoyed to date and I can't wait for the next one. [goodreads review]
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| Amazon | Preview |
Full of twists and turns and looking over your shoulder!
#romance #spy #paranormal #conspiracy 

4 Stars!

Series:  Book 1: The Vanishing Girl
Characters: Ember and Caden
Setting: Modern US
Mature Themes: Sex, murder, violence, guns, and death. 

Recommendation: Fans of books along the lines of Divergent may really enjoy Vanishing Girl.  It’s an enjoyable YA/NA novel and a nice introduction to modern fantasy and romance.
What would you do if you could teleport, and what if you found out you were not the only one. Ember found out just that, eighteen and just trying to get through high school, she just tries to make it through one night at a time. Then the government shows up and everything changes. She's not the only one with this ability, and she must use them to aid the government for a minimum of two years, but will she survive two years. 

Ember is one strong female heroine. Throught the story, Ember sees and experiences many things, and following her own moral compass, she stands her ground and continues to second guess the harsh world she’s been thrown into.  Her compassion for her friends is applaudable and her personality makes her easy to like from the very beginning. Caden is written just as well and balances Ember’s quirks.  Caden grew up with the government and his loyalty had been built up over the years, but that practiced loyalty he also shares with Ember and their interactions and relationship was one of true companionship.

With multiple settings, the need for brevity and at the same time, enough detail to inform the reader, was a hurdle the author seemed to handle easily. Every new environment was detailed enough to be imagined but not too detailed as to weight down the rest of the novel’s flow. The multitude of support characters we also treated with the same delicate care as the environment.

Lastly, because this book was provided physically I’ll comment on the actual item.  The cover is beautiful, though completely irrelevant to the story, and no that’s not a bad thing. The paper stock was high quality and the oversized paperback format had a good heft and feel in the hands. It was beautiful inside and out. 

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Dear Cyberstalker - Blog

4/13/2015

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Dear Cyberstalker,

I'd like to bring to your attention a definition:
Cyberstalking is the use of the Internet or other electronic means to stalk or harass an individual, a group, or an organization. It may include false accusations, defamation, slander and libel. It may also include monitoring, threats, or gathering information that may be used to threaten or harass.
Cyberstalker, if you comprehend the above definition, I'd like to ask you a few questions, don't worry they should be pretty easy.
  1. You have a facebook right, (I mean everyone has a facebook these days, 250 million people actually, I bet you're among them), lets be friends! Have no fear, all I want to do is have every post you make push to my cell phone so I can read it within seconds of you clicking that wonderful "Post" button. I also want to keep up with where you're working and going to school, and to hold it against you when you have two minutes of free time in your day and don't use them to talk to me. Oh, and I forgot, I'd like a few of my friends to find you and friend you too. They'd like to use facebook's private messaging feature to send you mails that are accusatory, libelous, and hateful when you've done nothing to deserve it and probably don't even know who they are.  What do you think, sounds like a plan right?  
    -Oh, you've blocked me... that makes me angry, I guess I'll post to my hundreds of friends how hateful you are, how they should all send you hate mail for treating me so poorly, and then have random strangers private message you for me.

  2. Can we swap email addresses?  I have some really deep feelings and problems that I need to work through and I think you can help.  You want to help, great! Why don't you just let me write up this seven page disquisition on why I think that my life is so difficult with you in it and how much better off I will be without you. When I'm finished, I'll send it to you and you can read it and tell me what you think.  
    -You think if I am that miserable, and I'd be that much better off without you I should do what's right for me and my mental health?  But you're implying that I have a problem here, see that's not what I said.  Here, let me re-write that disquisition and send it to you in another way, and maybe then you'll realize you're the cause of all of my life's misery and that you should fix it.

  3. Can we also trade phone numbers, that way I can talk with you faster and easier!  Now, in between those long emails I'm writing you I can send you text messages too, see instant feedback!
    -You've blocked my number because you were tired of the negativity?  Well aren't you selfish.

  4. Do you have a website, I'd love to follow your personal development and growth, I'm so proud of you. I just can't get enough of your day to day life and I'd love to be a part of it, oh I know... a few years ago I sent you that long email that said how much knowing you was causing me to want to kill myself, but I think I'm better now. You've forgotten about it right?  It's water under the bridge... oh... It's not?  Damn.
    -I guess I'll buy every domain name that is associated with your name, your businesses, and your loved ones.  I know!  I'll put hateful, subliminal re-directs on them and you'll know it was me, then I can sit at home stroking my little dog and cackling, knowing I have caused you pain.  

  5. What about twitter, you're on twitter all the time right, I can catch up with you there then. Since you've found a way to block all of my other way of communicating with you how about I try this. What do you mean it's for your business and is tied to a career you are trying to build. Does that mean I shouldn't reply to them and air my dirty laundry there? How about I argue with your followers about how fake you are and call you all highly offensive, that's okay right?
    -You've used twitter's block feature on my accounts! Well the joke's on you, I can post all I want and there's nothing you can do about it.  You're just writing as a hobby anyway so it doesn't matter if I screw with it.
So Cyberstalker, what do you think, can we be friends?

You felt uncomfortable with one or more of the questions I asked you, and you don't want to be my friend? You feel violated, threatened, and disrespected ...but...but.

Yeah, well, I don't want to know you either Cyberstalker, so how about we make a pact. You lose my phone number, my pen name, my real name, and how you think I owe you something.  In return, I'll wish you a beautiful rest of your life, and you can go get the help you so desperately need.

-Eliza

Cyberbullying, cyberstalking, and harassment are real things and if you or anyone you know is suffering from an abusive online relationship you should seek help and guidance for how to deal with the situation. 

Contact a lawyer to discuss your options and contact your local police department if you feel your life is being threatened.
Cyberstalking wikipedia - Article
Cyber Stalker and Bully Help - Blog

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Fears and Love - FF

4/10/2015

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Happy Friday everyone! It's been a crazy few days, but Camp NaNoWriMo is off and running! You can check out my update from Sunday for more information and I'll have another on up on Monday. For now, enjoy a snippet from Stealth and have a great weekend!
Happy Reading!
~Eliza
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      Lucian slowed their dance before kissing her gently and unlocking the door to the patio, pulling her out onto it with him.
      “Lucian,” She resisted, “Why are we out here, It’s too high up for you.”
      Lucian shook his head and backed himself up to the thick half wall that acted as a banister.  “I’ll be fine.”  When his back finally hit the wall he flinched, but eventually breathed out, pulling her to him, the crisp Seattle air pulling on her curls and dancing with her skirt.  “Come here Belle.”  He said tugging her gently until she rested against him, her hand over his heart.  
      “Lucian, you’re terrified.”  Annabelle could feel his heartbeat under her hand, it was racing and when she looked up his eyes were soft and focused on her.
      “I know.”
      “So why are we here, we can go back in.”
      He shook his head and smiled, “It’s okay.  I may be terrified, but I’m with you, and you make me stronger.  I know you won’t leave me out here alone, just as I will never leave you.”
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#CampNaNoWriMo Week 1!

4/5/2015

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If you follow me on Facebook, you may know I took last Friday off of work to stay home and play full time writer.  I set a goal for myself of just under 6k, which would put the full manuscript of Stealth at the 60k mark.  Well, I didn't quite make my goal of 6K, but I made it to 4.5K and to be honest, I'm happy with that.  After nearly four hours of disciplined work at the keyboard a headache made it hard to see and it was nap time.  I came back to my work later, but a sleepy hubs and fluffy made offers for cuddles that I had a difficult time refusing. 

I’m finding my groove in writing again, but this session of camp is a bit more rough than previous sessions I've attended.  I realistically had not written anything for Stealth or Keeper's from July to February (wedding, graduation, school, etc) and getting back into it was hard.

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I'm doing good though, I'm three days ahead on my word count progress, and I've written some clever stuff.  (There may or may not be some crossover between the two books you weren't expecting and I’m really excited to share it.) I've been up at 7am to write before work everyday and even on a Saturday.  At this point I can feel the pattern becoming routine and I love it.

For my last day of my three day writing weekend, my goal is to reach 15k and to finish plotting the rest of Stealth.  I’ve accomplished the plotting part (thanks to a hot shower and some time away from my keyboard) and I have just shy of 3k left to write this afternoon. [Edited: Woot, I made it to 15k and i'm one sprint shy of 16k!]

Its been a great week one and with already 15k… I’m shocked. Below are my stats if you’re interested and I’ll see you soon for more updates!  Don’t forget to help support the NaNo org with a donation if you can or want to!

Happy Reading!
-Eliza
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"Irreplaceable" - Review

4/1/2015

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Book two of Cassandra and Logan’s trilogy! I bought Irreplaceable the same night I finished the first book, Inevitable, and read it in its entirety one night before bed. [goodreads review]
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| Amazon | B&N | Preview |
Inevitable's Review
Angsty and full of drama!
#romance

3 Stars
Series:  Book 2: Harmony
Characters: Cassandra and Logan (and Oliver!)
Setting: Modern US
Mature Themes: Sex and sexual topics

Recommendation: Standard romance novel with little to no details of setting and tons of throwaway characters. The core characters well described and crafted, though some of their character flaws are downright obnoxious in this part of the story. Fans of the story and characters in Crossfire, Fifty Shades of Grey, and other novels of that kind would find this interesting. If you’re looking for a novel that is full of steamy sex and instant romance… this isn’t going to fill that want.
The first time she sees Logan she’s smitten and her lust is out of control, but all signs point to him being taken and blessed with the life she’s always wanted. When their relationship just starts to accelerate, a few harsh words and one drunk driver could ruin it all. Cassandra struggles to figure out which Logan is real, the persona he projects to the world as his shield, or the one he lets only her and Oliver see.

As with the previous book, the scenes with Oliver were by far the best, sadly, in this book they were far fewer. Cassandra’s personality and judgmental quality reaches new heights and through her struggle with Logan I often found myself hoping she’d stop talking and get over it.  The level of her stubbornness got out of hand very quickly and as she tries to move past her feeling for Logan she tries to protect herself by treating him horribly. Logan tries so hard to make up for his one moment of weakness in book one, that I often sided with him and sometimes wanted to scream at him to ignore Cassandra and move on.

Overall, this book felt more like filler than an actual separate book, the back and forth between Cassandra and Logan drug on for way too many pages, and the introduction of his ex wife, while interesting, was not enough to keep me engaged. Hopefully, I change my mind when getting to through the third and final part.  
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