Review: Train to Nowhere by Gloria Piper

Train to Nowhere by Gloria Piper

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Outstanding!

Train to Nowhere is YA Dystopian at its finest. The story opens with Garland "venting his frustration" in a performance with his partner, Little Byte. The theme: Outside, anywhere outside! The euphoria is short lived, however, when reality snaps him into post-performance depression. His friends, especially the librarian Dos and Little Byte, try to cheer him up. But rumors that his already claustrophobic world will soon shrink even further fill his mind, for Garland is an Orphan, illegally born and fated to live out his entire life on one of the Orphan trains, never to see the sky, feel the wind on his face, or know true freedom. Sure, he can pull them up on the view screen in his room, but it will always be VR (virtual reality).

Most Orphans are content with their lot, but Garland remembers a time when he wasn't on the train: sunshine

Ack, the dreaded writer's block strikes again!

Here's another legacy post from my Goodreads blog.

Have you ever had writer's block?  It's a sinking feeling when you draw a blank and everything you write, if you manage to write anything at all, seems wonky.  But, there are things you can do to snap yourself out of it, the first of which being: Just Write! 

 

Here are a few more tips that work for me.

February 22, 2013

Yes, I've been hit, and hit hard, with the dreaded writer's block. This isn't the first time and probably won't be the last time I've managed to write myself into a corner, where every new word seems to drag the story in a direction I don't want to go. It's like hitting a brick wall.

So, what do I do when I hit a wall? Here are a few things I'm doing this round:

Review: Sanctify by Colee Firman

Sanctify by Colee Firman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What can I say but wow! An easy one to rate at five stars...

Sanctify picks up right where Dissever left off. Addie has just saved Gage from being scattered only to find herself stranded in Greystone, the home of the Akori, with Tanner, Jax, and Juliette. Soon, she discovers Tanner is in a magical coma as his new powers fill him, one that Addie herself awoke from too soon, and Jax has been shipped off to Ravensbog, yet another dimension the Akori inhabit. The only companion left to her from before is Juliette, who is more interested in "freeing" Jax from Ravensbog than pursuing a friendship with Addie.

As Addie's powers grow, so do her mysterious and clingy affections for Tanner. She has to be near him at all costs, like an addiction, but she knows it's weird because he's just her friend. Missing Gage but drawn to Tanner, Addie struggles to resolve her feelings for both. At the same time, she attempts to rescue Jax from Ravensbog but finds he's not exactly interested in being rescued. Besides that, he's still got an attitude.

Here's to progress.

Legacy post from my Goodreads blog.

This quick update from December catalogs how I was doing on my goals for attracting an agent.  Since then I have expanced distribution for Shadows of Valor, not The Golden Ship.  It has been published on Smashwords.com, which distributes to popular ebook retailers like kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Apple.   

December 15, 2012

Here's to progress.

My plans for attracting an agent include: 1) writing more books, 2) getting those books published, 3) gaining followers, and 4) writing a blog.

I can say I have made quite a bit of progress since I first thought up my plan to attract an agent.

I've completed one book, drafted another and am working on the draft for a third. All these in addition to The Golden Ship, the book that first made me consider getting an agent. Shadows of Valor is, of course, already published and I've mentioned it in a few posts already. The Zombie Logs is a draft ready for editing and revision. Finally, the as of yet unnamed Shadows of Valor #2 is in progress, perhaps about 80% complete (give or take depending on where the story takes me). So, that's one.

Review: Tales from Arva: Volume 1 by Kevis Hendrickson

Tales from Arva: Volume 1 by Kevis Hendrickson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Parables, legends and myths, both bittersweet and tragic...

I liked Tales of Arva, though I must say I enjoyed some of the tales more than others. Since each one is unique, I'll address each tale separately.

An Ole Ryme:
I loved this little rhyme. It's written in Old English, like Shakespeare. It brings to mind everything I like finding in fantasy stories all in a well-metered and musical rhyme. The only thing that threw me for a loop was the language. I don't read much Shakespeare, so I had to think about some of the words for a minute.

The Fall of Ithar:
This is the first of the short stories, which reads more like an ancient legend you might find in a J.R.R. Tolkien book. That being said, this little story is packed with heroic deeds shadowed by tragedy. It follows an ancient king, then his son, and finally his daughter-in-law. The creature born from the legend is mentioned in one of the other stories as almost extinct,

Review: Mountain of Black Glass (Otherland #3) by Tad Williams

Mountain of Black Glass by Tad Williams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fantastic!

Mountain of Black Glass is the third of Tad Williams' four Otherland books, but it is definitely not least. Paul Jonas finds himself in the role of Odysseus, confronting yet another incarnation of the winged woman who haunts his dreams. His ultimate goal, given to him by the bird woman, is to find Troy, but soon he is thrown into a nightmare as he is forced to live through the tribulations of his famous character in reverse order.

Meanwhile, Rennie, Martine, !Xabbu, Florimel, T4b, and Emily 22813 (from the Oz simworld) find themselves in a building. Not just any building, but one that stretches to infinity. Yet, like in the other worlds, they find and are able to follow the river. On the long trek through balconies, hallways and cavernous ballrooms, Florimel, Martine and T4b finally reveal their histories and motivations for responding to Sellers' call to Otherland. And then, disaster strikes.

Review: The Forest of Angor (World of Myth #2) by Travis Bughi

The Forest of Angor by Travis Bughi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A great story full of twists, surprises, and action.

The Forest of Angor is set in the world first introduced in Beyond the Plains (World of Myth #1). The heroine, Emily Stout, is learning the ropes among the Amazons, working to build her minimal skill with a bow, and trying to make friends with the tight knit group of women. Her grandmother is supportive while Adelpha, the young Amazon princess, has taken her under her wing, but the others mistrust her. Besides that, a traitorous enemy travels among the Amazons, and Emily has a good idea who it is. She must convince the others before it's too late to prevent the disaster foretold in the nightmares that plague her each night, nightmares sent as a warning from the angel, Quartus.

I really liked this installment for several reasons. The locations seem more realistic, the descriptions are vivid, and there are more interesting creatures, such as gremlins, treants, centaurs, and werewolves (not the romantic kind).