Writing about Teen Issues from a Moral Perspective
by Dusty Crabtree -2013

Sex, drugs, depression, suicide, abuse... Authors have been writing about hot topics like these in young adult fiction ever since YA became a genre. Dealing with these issues is obviously important since teens go through so much on a daily basis. It gives them someone to relate to and lets them know they aren't alone in their suffering. It also gives them unique perspectives on their problems and ways to cope. 

As a psychologist, I have counseled men and women struggling with extramarital attractions and understand the emotional conflicts those endure who deeply value fidelity but still feel the pull of falling in love with another, even when one party or the other appears to be happily married. These experiences led me to write The Eighth Wonder.

Feb 5, 2013 by William Morrow
Paperback, 416 Pages
Review Copy

Matt and Elle, childhood friends, highschool sweethearts and long time married couple have faced almost everything in life together, good or bad, they have always had love and friendship to connect them. Lately multiple miscarriages have devastated them and Elle being at a point in her life of wanting a family, can only  think about having another baby no matter the risk. Matt on the other hand wants kids but does not want Elle to put her life in danger, so trying again for the 5th time is out of the question. Before the two can even travel the road of battling about it, Elle has a tragic freak accident and sustains massive head trauma putting her in a vegetative state hooked up to life support. Matt has no intention of keeping Elle alive and knows its time to say goodbye to his wife, but when he receives the news that Elle is eight weeks pregnant everything changes in an instant.

The thought of a child, a piece of Elle left behind changes Matt's mind and he decides to keep Elle on life support until the baby is born, knowing that this is what Elle would have wanted, knowing he will have to let her go after but wanting to give the unborn child a chance at life. So he hires an attorney and fights for guardianship over the baby without knowing he would create a storm of controversy in his wake. Others including fellow doctors, family and Matt's own mother do not agree and think he should terminate Elle's life, which in turn would automatically terminate the child's. His mother being Elle's power of attorney over medical decisions (due to Elle's own mother dying) since she was a teenager actually is taking it so seriously that she decides to fight Matt over the issue in court, trying to block his guardianship.

Even with the consequences of ripping the family apart Matt moves forward and an ensuing battle takes place over the right of the unborn child and the right of the mother who lays incompetent in a hospital bed, asking the question of living wills versus a spouses legal right. It also becomes a high profile case and brings the pro-lifers and the women's rights groups out in droves begging the debate on the right to life. Everyone thinks they knew Elle, and in a sense they did, due to her small town fame, but not as well as Matt knew her and over the course of the story he slowly reveals to the reader the layered past of him and Elle's romance, the young teenage love of her at 15 and him 17, the time at college and the times apart, the memories are primarily focused on a woman already dead but we are able to capture her through Matt and see the years before the accident, interlocked with the veracious court battle, media storm and Pro-life versus Pro-choice commentary that riddles the book. Matt feels like he's doing the right thing, even though the entire world seems to be against him, even though he is holding that one last shred of hope, as a brain surgeon himself he knows the possibility for Elle returning whole is gone, but the possibility of that child is not lost and he will fight to save it.

Heartbreaking and grueling issues face Matt's journey and the time spent going through Elle's journals rekindle the beginnings of their relationship and takes our character and us the reader on an unbelievable love story, a coming of age story, a story of loss and a story about life.

The Promise of Stardust was a stunning debut from Sibley, I was very impressed with the writing style and have to hand it to the author for taking on such a controversial social commentary, showing a remarkable viewpoint from the stand of the right to life, and the woman's right to choose. Personally while I shy away from making political or social commentary statements on my blog, I can assure you I stand by and am outspoken on my beliefs when it comes to abortion and the unborn. I would willingly hand over my life for any of my children and would so for my unborn child. Had I been Elle I would have wanted to be kept alive until my child was born. I think that's why I loved this book so much, it made me think about things so relevant to life and death choices. I also loved that the story was told by Matt, the husband left behind, I felt so incredibly connected to him that it made the story personal and the outcomes that much more emotional.

This book does not mess around or pull any punches, it grabs you, smacks you and knocks you down within the first chapter. A book for readers on both sides of the spectrum, one that may even change your view on how you look at the right to life debate. An intense nonstop contemporary ride with the pace and feel of a thriller, riddled with heartbreak and tears.

Hi Bella! Welcome to the blog, to start please tell us about yourself.

I've always had an active imagination. My favorite subject at school was creative writing and I wrote a lot of poetry in my spare time. From quite a young age, I felt the urge to express my ideas in words. So I have
pretty much always been writing. Although it was only recently, on December 14th (2012), that my debut novel, A Shade of Vampire, was published.

What inspired you to write A Shade Of Vampire?

I'm not really sure where the original inspiration came from. The idea just sort of popped into my head one day and the characters and storyline developed organically from there.

I've been telling stories pretty much since I could talk. Instead of having my parents read me bed-time stories, I would prefer to share with them my own made up tales. As I grew older, I developed a passion for the fantasy genre. I'm an incurable Potterhead. My debut novel, A Shade of Vampire, was released on December 14, 2012. The book became a Number 1 Christmas Bestseller in Vampire Romance, Paranormal and Fantasy on Amazon. If you sign up for personal email updates from me here: www.forrestbooks.com , you'll be the first to hear about my new releases.

Ruining Me by Nicole Reed
September 26, 2012- Indie Pub
eBook/149 Pages
Free on Kindle
Warning: Graphic Sex, Language

The arc of this story is about teen girl Jay who is shown in the beginning of this book as the popular girl turned tramp. We readers at first only see the tramp part, but of course that path is the basis of the past trauma in which our heroine has not faced yet, making the scenario the heart of the plot. As the reader we get to back track and put the pieces together as a tiny layer is revealed through each relationship she is teetering with. Half of the story is a love-triangle sex drama, but the remaining half is the past catching up and the horrific events that transpire.

I really liked the story-line,  I think it offered a very dramatic and pivotal plot on traumatic stress disorder, abuse, rape, abortion, all topics that have adverse reactions. However I had trouble with the presentation and the speed at which the novel progressed. The multiple love triangles did not work for me, I was annoyed with boyfriends B and C, but had very mixed feelings about boyfriend A, and when I knew which guy I wanted Jay to pick, the author shocks me with the most whacked up ending ever.

I would recommend this book but would caution picky readers, the book was riddled with grammar issues, dialog problems and the pacing went to fast leaving character development stilted. In the end Ruining Me offered a story with tremendous possibility in need of a little cleaning up and extra length invested into the story.

2.5/5- Contemporary Romance


Love in the Afternoon by Alison Packard
December 17, 2012  by Carina Press
eBook-245 Pages
Review Galley
Warning: Sexuality, language, violence

Kayla is super excited to be working on her first big project as an actress on TV's hottest daytime soap opera. It doesn't hurt either that her co-star is Sean Barrett, sexy man candy and son of a popular well known actor. When the two begin filming, sparks, chemistry and an intense on/off camera attraction begins causing each of their life to be turned upside down. While chemistry sizzles, Kayla is being stalked by a crazy obsessed fan and Sean is being pressured by his father to leave the TV industry and become the next big star in movies. Already hesitant to dive into a relationship due to trust issues, the two will face the drama even if it means getting the end they each don't want.

This was light, fluffy and just fun. I thought this might be cheesy considering the whole soap opera star thing...but I really overall enjoyed the sexy romance and the likable characters. I had a ton of laughs and little oh how romantic swoons. For a few hours of feel good reading I would recommend this to the lady's who love romance. I will for sure pick up the next one in the series.

3/5- Contemporary Romance





The Goddess Test Series by Aimee Carter

I loved, loved the first book in this series, but after reading a few of the novellas and book 2, my love factor has run as dry as stale bread. What was cute for one book didn't carry over very well in the following installments.

Sorry Goddess Kate but you and I, yeah we are over.





The Morganville Vampires Series by Rachel Caine

I was once in love with this series, all the way to book 6. Something however happened in my little journey through Morganville, I became bored and sick to death of the killer cliff hangers. Basically over time I just lost interest in the characters who themselves have become dull and on a record of continuous unresolved issues.

Dear Claire, you're just not doing it for me anymore...its not you its me, while it was fun while it lasted, I can no longer hang on........goodbye.


The Immortals Series by Alyson Noel

I really, really, really liked book one in this series. I tolerated book 2, I disliked book 3 and I wanted to chuck book 4 out the window. Needless to say, Ever is one of most immature, indecisive characters I've read about.

Sorry Ever, but your back and forth has given me whiplash. I think I would rather watch monkeys eat fleas. Yup. Im done.

In Defense of Chick Lit
by Marie Landry-2013

Chick lit has acquired a bad name over the years. It’s been referred to as fluff and has been accused of being poorly written. That may be true of some chick lit, but it’s also true of every other genre out there. And while other complaints range from it being too feminist to it being anti-feminist, or full of insipid women with ridiculous problems, that’s not always the case, especially in the 21st century. A lot of chick lit these days is smart, funny, and leans more toward intelligent, capable women dealing with real-life issues.

Febuary 12, 2013 by Atria Books
(Prev.Indie Release Dec-12)
Kindle Edition: 262 pages
Purchased
When Kacey hightails it outta' Michigan, she isn't looking for the next big thing or a chance at a killer career, she only wants to escape her creepy uncle who lately has been taking a liking to her beautiful yet vulnerable younger sister Livie. The two having lived with their Aunt and Uncle since a drunk driving accident claimed the life of their parents really had no choice in the matter when they were sent to them. Old enough now to be Livies legal guardian, and even though she refuses to get it approved by the court, Kacey moves them to Florida and quickly lands a job as a bartender in a strip club. Not her dream come true, but it pays the bills and gets Livie away from Uncle Raymond and off to college in a few years. Is all Kacey needs to do is survive until Livie is able to take care of herself , and as long as the night of her parents death, the accident and the memories of watching them and her boyfriend die stay buried deep within her, she can handle her life and everything that comes with it. While drugs, alcohol and men helped Kacey get through those first few years, abstaining from sex and destructive garbage is her normal these days. To drive off the overwhelming guilt and anger an icy heart and beating a punching bag is really all Kacey depends on.

With change and a new environment comes all those pesky things Kacey has been avoiding, like friendship and relationships. Things that she's vowed not to let in her life again, but human nature craves relationship and Kacey needs connections, slowly these new desires begin melting and breaking though her ice fortress. Opening herself up to a little bit of happy is the result of freedom and meeting next door neighbor Storm and her adorable daughter, the friends at the bar who protect her and of course the incredible Trent from apartment 1D.

Trent makes Kacey feel things that begin sparking life back into her, happiness seems to be the flavor of life for the moment, so instead of facing those deep rooted pains she lets Trent and the idea of Trent mask who she really is. Trent however knows Kacey has a dark past and wants her face it. He wants fix her, he wants to make things better for her, even if he punishes himself in the process, because fixing Kacey will be like fixing him, a man hiding from his own past, with his own set of emotional problems. While Kacey is up front about the fact that shes messed up, Trent hides it so deeply no one would ever know and the love him and Kacey share is dulling all those feelings of wanting to hide, what he has become perfect at lying about is slowly eating him, each of them is having an opposite reaction to the relationship. Where Kacey is happy, Trent is retreating, where Kacey is anger, Trent is forgiveness, and where the passion explodes around them, guilt and lies want to destroy them. The funny thing about secrets is the fact that they always seem to come out, things done in the dark always find a way to the light and everything is about to fall apart in all the lives surrounding them.

I loved Ten Tiny Breaths. I loved the story, I loved the heart break, I LOVED the ENDING!! Kacey's character development was incredible, I was so impressed how Tucker presented this broken character to the reader, from the start we have an angry, bitter young woman, but hidden under her surface layer is a very broken scared girl who never dealt with the loss of her parents and friends in a healthy way. She never truly grieved them, she just buried it, she never had the chance to heal herself or even attempt to forgive the driver who killed them, who himself died in the accident. Her hate consumed her and gave her the energy to face each day, so instead of healing and moving on, anger motivated her, and while it got her to function on a daily basis and take care of her sister, it turned her into a person unrecognizable to her family. Along with Kacey, the side characters in this were amazing, they each had serious potential to carry the story, Livie and Storm brought great family and friendship perspective. Trent was a perfect counter part that brought more dimension to Kacey, and while I wished I could of seen into his mind the story worked fantastically by keeping him an inch away from the reader.While I figured things out long before the big reveal, it was still a twisty, emotional read that packed a few tear worthy scenes. Tucker did an amazing job at making everything I was hoping for no matter how unconventional it was come true.

I would highly recommend this to lovers of contemporary romance, new adult fiction, and lovers of twisted relationships that deserve happily ever afters.

Hi Tina! Thank you so much for having me here today. I absolutely love visiting Tina’s Book Reviews, so was thrilled that you invited me in for a Saturday Spotlight! 

January 2nd 2013 by Harper
Paperback, 432 Pages
Fiction- Suspense/Thriller
Review Copy

Hi Tess! Thanks for stopping by the blog today. So Im wondering, what can you share about inspirations and character influences in your reading and writing career from some of your favorite books?

When I was eight years old, being of a sensitive and worried nature, I developed insomnia. I stared at the second hand on the small alarm clock next to my bed long into the night, fretting and tired but powerless to fall asleep. On one such night, after waking my mother from what I now know was the much needed and coveted sleep of a mother with young children, she said to me, “From now on, if you cannot sleep, turn on the light and read a book until you feel tired.” ......................So I did.

I’d already developed a love affair with fiction, having learned to read early and was working steadily through the local public library. But there is something about reading in the middle of the night that allows one to fall even more deeply into the story. There are no distractions like dogs barking or doorbells ringing or your mother calling you to supper. And inside those pages I lived entire lives. I crossed the country as a pioneer girl with Laura Ingalls. My heart was broken when Mary went blind. I cried with Jo Marsh when Beth died. I wanted nothing more than for Anne with an “e” to fall in love with the sweet and faithful Gilbert Blythe. Later, the hard lives of Willa Cather’s Swedish prairie girls haunted my dreams.

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7 Things We Need To Write
by Jessie Lane-2013