Big Shout out to StephD on TikTok

New review just in on Dead in a Ditch

Big Thank YOU to StephD for choosing to spend your time and imagination with me!

The BookTok Community is really a force to be reckoned with!

Never underestimate the power of book nerds when they unite. <3

 

Throne of Glass Series - Midway Tandem Read Report

 

Just checking in, wanted to share my thoughts now that I'm half way through the tandem read for Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas.  So here's what I've learned so far...

Things are really heating up now.

This series started out really slow and grueling for me.

I've had so many people tell me this is their favorite series of all time, that this is the creme de le creme of fantasy series, however, I was struggling through it up until I would say until midway through Queen of Shadows.  Which if you're keeping score, that meant I read FOUR and a HALF books, roughly 2,255 pages before I felt like I was "invested" in the series.  I know, I know, don't k*ll me, due to my delayed enjoyment.  I wanted to love it as much as you guys from the start, but what can I say, maybe I'm a late bloomer.  ANYWAY...I'm invested NOW, ok, you got me, I'm in this with the rest of you!

Some insights into why I think it took me so long, #1 - I listened to the audio books for several of the first part of the series, and I was not a fan of the narrator.  I just could NOT get on board with the female narrator's "voices" for the male characters.  Whenever she lowered her voice, it just grated on my senses to the point that it made me cringe.  (I'm not sure why certain sounds really bother me, but that was something that I found horribly distracting in listening to them as opposed to reading them.)  So I'm guessing that perhaps I would have been far more invested quicker had I just read them all from the beginning.  

Did any of you guys have the same issues with this series?

I read and absolutely LOVED ACOTAR series, have already RE-read the first three of that series just because I missed being in that world, and I really thought I would get into Throne of Glass like I did ACOTAR, but it just wasn't the case for me.

But NOW, now that I've managed to catch up to the rest of you....War is coming....everything and everyone are starting to come together, re-emerge...and if you read SJM, you know that the last 100 pages, or from what I'm hearing...the entire last book in the series:  

Kingdom of Ash is going to "gut me in the best possible way" or at least that's what I'm being told.

So I'm buckling up, and settling in for the final portion of this very immersive series.  When finished I will have spent 5,008 pages in this world with these characters...that's a lot of time to spend in someone else's imagination, but SJM does that to you.  Once she has you, she never lets you go!

To Aelin, I say burn it all down!

Manon - kill them all

Rowan - make it count

Dorian, Lysandra & Aedion - Stay Alive

Elide - Stay the Course

Yrene - Heal them all

Chaol - Walk again

Nesryn - Get the Ruks, save the continent.  Do the prince! lol

FOREVER READING...

*Heather Lynn*

ROMANTASY IS A CULT AND NEALY IS THEIR LEADER

So I typically cannot stand driving in my car these days without having an audiobook ready to go, and Last night I finished "It's not Her" by Mary Kubica (Which I enjoyed....DID NOT see the ending of that one going the way it did!  (Kuddos to Ms. Kubica for keeping me guessing) ...

I was about to start "Rites of a Starling" by Devney Perry when I get this "REEL" sent to me by my co-worker/fellow writer/friend/editor Nealy who basically convinces me to shelve "Rites of a Starling" and listen to "Gild".  So for the record Devney Perry, if you're reading this, I fully intended to read your second book in the series but you were unfortunately hijacked...but I swear to you, It's getting read...and soon!  If you want to be mad at someone, be mad at Nealy, this is HER fault entirely.  I like to lay blame where blame is due! *laughs*

There I am, in the shower, listening to "Gild" by Raven Kennedy and WOW, is my first impression!  That is one hell of an entrance to a series...let me just say: Bravo Ms. Kennedy, you really reached into my pre-caffeinated subconscious and put me in a bit of a chokehold there this morning.  Very interesting, and very descriptive first scene I must confess.  Was NOT expecting THAT!

So I message Nealy and tell her that she should be happy, that I caved, I'd set Rites of the Starling aside and was giving "Gild" a go and she cockily says "when have I ever lead you astray?"  To which she's correct, so far she's been my ever knowing guide to the world of ROMANTASY, a genre I can't say I would have EVER picked up if not for her.  

'Romantasy' for me is just like "Twilight" was back in the day, my big sister Angie telling me that I just have to read these books, and I'm like, "what are they about?"  She says "It's about these vampires..."; I'm all "Stop right there, I have no desire to read YOUNG ADULT VAMPIRE ROMANCE!"  Try not to judge me so harshly, how was I supposed to know I'd wind up loving them?! 

So anyway, Angie kept at me until I finally caved and said to her one day:  "FIIIIIIIIIINE!!!  For f*cks Sakes!!!  I will read it!"  To which I did, and I loved them.  Fast forward a couple years after that and there I was at the movie theatre on opening night for the movie adaptations, ooooo'ing and ahhhh'ing in the audience with everyone else in utter delight and dismay at how foolish I was to think that I almost never experienced the phenomenon that was "Twilight" because I was being stubborn.  

Fast forward some more years and here we are again, this time it's Nealy telling me I just HAVE to read these dragon books.  DRAGONS!  Are you kidding me?  Now we're reading about Dragons?!  

YEP, NOW WE ARE READING ABOUT DRAGONS!  I was officially hooked after listening to "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros, in the Graphic Audio Version like a crack addict on a real hell of a bender!  ...(And don't even get me started on the time she talked me into reading about Sarah J. Maas's "Faeries"....not to be confused with fairy's!  I'll tell you about that another time)....

So yeah, where was I?...Oh yeah, Nealy bullied me into romantasy, and now, here we are and she's still using her power's of persuasion to have me delving in the world of the "Plated Prisoner Series"!  😼  Nealy strikes again!  She's Diabolical!  In the best way! 

Here's a bit of the conversation with Nealy when I told her that she'd (YET AGAIN) won and I was now listening to "Gild" as she's strongly suggested:  

"Maybe I'm a literary pushover, maybe it's fate, but now Plated Prisoner series is officially on my plate."

Happy Reading Everybody...Feel free to drop what you're reading in the comments!  Don't forget to like and follow if you want to read more from me! <3

*Heather Lynn*

Rabecca Reads - An Honest Review, from a darling Book Reviewer!

Isn't she just adorable?  I don't know Becca personally, we've never met, and I was terrified when I found out she would be reading and reviewing Dead in A Ditch.  Ok, not totally terrified, more like 40% super excited, and 60% terrified.  To my relief, and delight, she liked it!

So thankful for Becca for taking a chance on an indie author like me!

If you want someone to give you really good book recommendations, look her up on your YouTube channel and subscribe, like and follow!!

Rabecca Reads - YouTube

As a thank you for taking a chance on me, I sent her "The Ordeal"...HOPEFULLY she will like it as much!  *fingers crossed* 

I'll likely have heartburn and insomnia between now and whenever she has time to pull The Ordeal off her TBR pile, but well, that's just now neurotic writers are when they know someone's about to read their work!  

We are THE bravest (FOR WRITING) & most ridiculously insecure (WHEN IT COMES TO LETTING SOMEONE READ WHAT WE WROTE) souls to ever walk the earth!  Please bear with us during this difficult time! 

*winks*

I just love her!  

Look at that face!

I mean, C'mon!  Follow her already!  

You know you want to!

Your next book might be one of her recommendations.