Full Steam Ahead Book Review

Full Steam Ahead

Karen Witemeyer

Rating (out of 5): 5

Genre: Inspirational Historical Romance

Release Date: June 3, 2014

Series: N/A

Series Volume: N/A

Profanity: None

Violence: Mild

Sexual Content: None  

Age Recommendation: 13+

Author Website:http://www.karenwitemeyer.com/





Summary (found on Author's Website): Nicole Renard returns home to Galveston and finds her father deathly ill. Though she loves him, he's only ever focused on what she's not. Not male. Not married. Not able to run Renard Shipping.

Vowing to secure a suitable husband to give her father the heir he desires before it's too late, Nicole sets out with the Renard family's greatest treasure as her dowry: the highly coveted Lafitte Dagger. But when her father's rivals come after the dagger, she's forced to change her destination.

Darius Thornton has been a man obsessed since the fatal boiler explosion aboard the Louisiana that nearly took his life. He will do anything to stop such disasters. Even hire a female secretary. Sure he can ignore the distraction of her pretty face, he's not sure how to proceed when drawn to her clever mind.

Nicole is determined not to let her odd employer scare her off with his explosive experiments, yet when respect and mutual attraction grows between them, a new fear arises. How can she acquire an heir for her father when her heart belongs to an unsuitable candidate? And worse, when her father's rivals discover her hiding place, she will have to choose between that love and her family's legacy.

Review:

Karen Witemeyer does it again with Full Steam Ahead. This is her newest book and I've found it to be her best so far. The writing is quick and witty and the story is very well rounded out and put together.

Full Steam Ahead is an engaging story about the feisty Nicole Renard who in an effort to find an heir for her ailing father's shipping company sets off for New Orleans to find a husband. Events however send her off course to a little town in Texas where she must find a way to earn enough money to make her way to New Orleans. Fortunately she finds work for Darius Thornton a man obsessed with finding a way to make travel on steamships safer. He is an unconventional scientist who has little time for anything other than his experiments, let alone love, and  just may turn out to be the perfect man Nicole set out to find in the first place.

As always Karen Witemeyer is a very creative and cleaver author. Her writing flows well throughout the story and there were no major plot holes in the story. Full Steam Ahead wasn't as funny as some of her other books but it still had moments where I found myself giggling at a paragraph or conversation going on in the book.

Karen Witemeyer's books may be romance's but they are never dull. She always manages to add suspense and danger in her books and her latest is no exception. After reading the summary I was expecting the Jenkins brothers to show up more often than they did, but after meeting them I'm glad that expectation wasn't fulfilled. They are great villains who cause more than their fair share of trouble for both Nicole and Darius. I found myself on the edge of my seat often, eager to see how things would turn out.

From the main characters to the one's who only show up once or twice all of the people who show up in this book are very well written. Nicole and Darius were both very endearing with personalities that made me like them instantly. Their successes and flaws were well rounded and I never found just one thing about either of them overpowering. The minor characters were all very delightful as well. I would have liked to have seen a little more of Nicole's parents, because they seemed like they could have added quite a bit to the story, but I also understand why they were absent for most of the story.
One of my favorite things about Karen's books is the spiritual aspect of them. Her books always deal with issues or questions Christians face daily and she always does a great job writing about these things. Full Steam Ahead was no different. I found myself moved as I read about how Darius struggled with forgiving himself for the Louisiana steam boat accident and inspired when Nicole helped him to see through his struggle and rely on God's love, forgiveness, and grace. This book has come at a moment where I needed to read the words that Nicole told Darius almost as much as he did and I hope that they have a similar effect on others who read Full Steam Ahead.

There are however a few things that I didn't like while reading through the book. About halfway through the book the romance began to really build and heat up, which was good. What wasn't was the fact that Darius' personality seemed to change almost instantly. There are a few events that push this happening, but I felt that he lost a little too much of his personality in his sudden rush of emotion for Nicole. He was still Darius, there was just something missing. Another thing that is nagging at me is the fact that closer to the end a lot of effort is put into letting the reader know about a ring, this ring does show up, but it is immediately forgotten and never brought up again in the book. This isn't a major issue, but it would have been nice to have a final mention of it somewhere at the end.

Full Steam Ahead was an excellent read, one that I would read again. It's historical setting is lush and beautiful and well written. It will lift your spirits and hopefully inspire you to trust in God a little more. I give it 5 out of 5 stars and would most certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a good historical read, romance, inspirational book, or all of the above.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for my fair and honest review which I have stated above.

~Dawn

3 Doctor Who Short Stories Review

Today I am going to be reviewing three short stories together both because of their length and the fact that they all belong to the Doctor Who Time Trips series. These are not all of the stories from this series only ones featuring Doctors I am familiar with. 

Rating (out of 5): 5

Genre: Science Fiction

Release Date: May 8, 2014

Series: Doctor Who Time Trips

Series Volume: n/a

Profanity: None

Violence: Mild

Sexual Content: None  

Age Recommendation: 13+

Author Website: http://uk.cecelia-ahern.com/

The Bog Warrior by Cecelia Ahern features the 10th doctor as he fights to free a civilization from an evil queen. This story is slightly reminiscent of Cinderella and could almost be a retelling if not for the Bog People and Doctor Whoieness of it all.

I really enjoyed this short story and Cecelia Ahern did a great job of portraying the 10th doctor. I had a bit of a hard time getting started in this story however, maybe it was because of the time spent on the descriptions (which were beautiful) or perhaps it was the mood the Doctor was in when it started, but either way I was slow to really get into the Bog Warrior. Once I was hooked though, I was hooked. I sped through this story enjoying the journey easily able to picture the story as it progressed. The story while simple was delightful in its little twists and revealings and many of the characters really shone. I would recommend this to any Doctor Who fan young or old.

Rating (out of 5): 5

Genre: Science Fiction

Release Date: February 6, 2014

Series: Doctor Who Time Trips

Series Volume: n/a

Profanity: None

Violence: Mild

Sexual Content: None  

Age Recommendation: 13+

Author Website: http://www.nickharkaway.com/


Keeping Up With the Joneses by Nick Harkaway also features the 10th Doctor and has a different flavor than the other two short stories I've read. The story picks up at a point that seems to be not long after Donna has left. The Doctor is by himself and getting a little wobbly (as he puts it). Things begin to get crazy when the TARDIS is attacked and the Doctor suddenly finds himself in a town...inside of the TARDIS.


This short story is a great read, I really enjoyed it. The characters were interesting and the story really had me wondering how things were going to work out. I really liked the little bits where we got to get into the Doctor's head a little bit. The one thing that kind of bothered me though was the vast amount of rambling that characters did either while talking or when thinking. I understand that Ten is a bit of a talker, but for a short story a lot of rambling was packed into this story.  Other than that, it was a very good read.

Rating (out of 5): 5

Genre: Science Fiction

Release Date: January 16, 2014

Series: Doctor Who Time Trips

Series Volume: n/a

Profanity: None

Violence: Mild

Sexual Content: None  

Age Recommendation: 13+

Author Website: http://www.jennycolgan.com/



Into the Nowhere by Jenny T. Colgan features the 11th Doctor and Clara. This short story was an exciting trip through a barren and very dangerous world, one with no name and that even the TARDIS can't find on a map.

The 11th Doctor and Clara are both portrayed very well, and the book feels like an episode of the show, fast paced and full of delightful references, including but not limited to bananas and Parseltongue. The story is interesting and I found myself eagerly trying to figure out what the secret of the planet was.

What I enjoyed most about Into the Nowhere was the delving into the characters that Jenny Colgan did. Reading through it I got a feeling for how Clara was feeling, how she saw the Doctor and how that began to change over her adventures. This short story gave her a depth I haven't known before. And we got to dig into the Doctor's head a little bit and see how he dealt with a major mistake. His crusading heroism is challenged in this short story, but it's done in a way that helps him grow, at least in my opinion. This is a great short story for any fan of the show.

All three of these short stories were great reads and really pulled me back into the Doctor Who universe. If you need a good DW fix before the next season starts try these.

Note: I received a free copy of each of these from NetGalley for my honest opinion which I have stated above.

~Dawn

Block-B-Gone A Quick Guide to Overcoming Writer's Block

I’ve decided to tackle a problem that seems to plague every writer at some point or another. That’s right today I will be discussing the terror known as writer’s block.

I’ve battled on and off with writers block ever since I started writing. My first real experience with it was in middle school when after a writing club meeting I was assigned the task of writing a piece of short fiction dealing with advertising. I thought and thought on what I was going to do and came up empty each time. I was hit with the double whammy of blank page syndrome and writer’s block all at once and I couldn’t figure out where to go. 

Some of you may have experienced this awful feeling of wanting desperately to put something down on the page and not being able to. Others may be well into their work and have simply ground to a halt (or maybe come screaming to a stop) but almost any serious writer has come across it. Everyone says something different about writer’s block and curing it and I even came up with a miracle cure of my own back in middle school while wrestling with my short story. I finally hammered out the story of a sad author stuck deep in the mires of writer’s block who conveniently tunes into a commercial for a miracle drink known as Block-B-Gone the revolutionary cure for writers block.

If only curing writer’s block could be as easy as taking a swig of good old Block-B-Gone. 

Over the years as I’ve struggled with writer’s block I’ve come across a lot of different advice, some of it worked and some of it didn’t. I’m going to give you my top ten list of ‘Block-B-Gone’ cures that have helped me to get past some of my toughest bouts with writers block. I’ve used all of these at least once and some of them on a regular basis just to keep my writing on track. I hope at least one of them can help you. 

Block-B-Gone

Ten ways to get rid of Writer’s Block:

10: Just keep on writing past the block. It doesn’t matter what you are writing, just make sure you are writing. Even if you’ve moved away from your novel, poem, or whatever as long as you keep plowing forward eventually you’ll break through.

9: When writer’s block sets in step away from your desk, notebook, ect. and do something else for a while. 

8: Do a writing exercise or find some prompts. These can both help you get started or keep moving in your writing. There are a lot of them out there and they can be a great way to generate ideas. 

7: This goes with number 9, get some exercise. Getting your body moving helps to shake away all the mess and clear the way for great ideas, just make sure you’ve got a notebook on hand for when that idea finally does strike.

6: Set it aside for a few days and then come back to it and read it over again. 

5: Ideas will hit you at the most unexpected of times so keep a notebook ready for when they do. You never know what mundane event in your life will spark the breakthrough you’ve been waiting for in your novel.  

4: The best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day … you will never be stuck.

3: Ignore your inner critic. We are often the hardest on ourselves and this can often halt our writing process if we are not careful. I have often talked myself out of writing something for fear of how it would look or turn out. 

2: Have fun. Albert Einstein once said “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” And I’ve found this to be true. I started writing because it was fun. I’ve always enjoyed telling stories or making them up with friends and we were always at our best when we were having fun. The two just go together. 

1: When you are stuck that is your subconscious trying to tell you that you have gone in a wrong direction. Step back and look at what you’ve written and don’t be afraid to rewrite whole sections of your work. I got this advice when I was seriously stuck on a chapter in my novel and I ended up having to rewrite over a chapter and a half because of it. However the rewrite changed the story back into a direction I liked and things are flowing very well now.

My personal favorite cures on this list are cures #1 and 2 (that’s probably the reason there at the top of my list…). They tend to go best together for me. As long as I’m having fun and the story is flowing in the right direction writer’s block seems to stay far away. It’s only when I let it become work or try to think too hard about the story that things get messy.

I understand writing is hard, but so is everything that is worthwhile in life. Don’t let the block get you down, try some of these ‘cures’ and if they don’t work and you still need help there are plenty more on the internet to try. My advice? Use what works for you. You know yourself and your writing best, so stick to the things that tend to work for you and you’ll do fine.

~Dawn

The Girl With the Blood Red Lips Book Review

The Girl With the Blood Red Lips

V.B. Marlowe

Rating (out of 5): 3.5

Genre: Young Adult Romance

Release Date: April 23, 2014

Series: Curses in Crimson

Series Volume: 1

Profanity: Mild

Violence: Mild

Sexual Content:  

Age Recommendation: 13+

Author Website: N/A




Summary (found on Amazon):

Neva is different. Aside from having a phobia of mirrors and an unquenchable desire for apples, she harbors a dark secret. She's been cursed to repeat the same three years of her life over and over again. Unfortunately, these three years happen to be Neva's sophomore, junior, and senior years of high school, and high school's not that easy when everyone considers you a freak. To break her curse, Neva must accomplish a grisly task that she can't bring herself to complete. Will Neva break her curse in time, or will she be bound by it forever?

Review:

I am an avid reader of anything to do with fairy tales, especially if it is a retelling. Needless to say this book caught my eye from the start. I could tell from the summary that it was going to have to do with Snow White. I don't care for the original tale but I've really enjoyed some of it's retellings so I was hoping this would be another to add to my list of retellings.

The Girl with the Blood Red Lips starts out slowly and at first glance it looks like it will be another one of those 'high school' books that features on the outcast leaving her group of friends to join the popular crowd. This story comes with the twist of it having witches and cursed princesses however and things really start to heat up in the second half of the book when a few characters turn up murdered.

Neva dosen't feel at all like the usual snow white character. In fact aside from her refusal to break her curse she isn't very snow white like at all. She's almost a flat character who doesn't argue much and is easily swept up in the politics and flow of High School. You'd think that after 200 years of dealing with it she'd have a better grasp of what it's like to be in High School, and while she says she does I don't see it in the book. Her best friend feels very typical in her role and doesn't have much to her except to be a device to move the story forward. In fact the only character who really intrigued me at all was Henry the boy next door who we never see. Literally. Until the end of the book both the reader and Neva only hear his voice.

The story is interesting and I would have liked to see it focus a little more on Neva's curse and the fairy tale aspect of her life, but we mostly get school politics and the occasional trip to the fair. As I said earlier it moves slowly in the first half and then begins to pick up momentum later on. Things really started to get interesting for me when more cursed characters began to show up and we got to know a deeper detail about Neva's curse and what it takes to break it.

Romance is an interesting subject in this book, seeing as Neva's curse prevents her from really having true relationships altogether. I enjoyed the fact that she didn't need a knight in shining armor or a prince to save her along with the fact that the romance in the book wasn't sappy or overdone. Her reaction's to wanting attention from a boy and dealing with the fact that she could never truly have it were written well and felt real.

The ending wraps up well giving us a good ending to Neva's story while simultaneously giving us a hint at what is to come next. The reader could choose to not read the rest of the series and be happy with this ending or they could be excited for the next book.

The book was good with an intriguing premise, it was creative, and a great place to go after the story of Snow White, but it just didn't do it for me. I think it will be interesting to see where the author goes next. I liked it and I didn't. I may or may not read the next book. I would recommend it to someone who needs something to read, but don't count on it knocking your socks off.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for my fair and honest review which I have stated above.

~Dawn

John Dreamer Book Review

John Dreamer

Elise Celine

Rating (out of 5): 3.5

Genre: Young Adult Romance

Release Date: February 12, 2014

Series: John Dreamer

Series Volume: 1

Profanity: Mild

Violence: Mild

Sexual Content: None 

Age Recommendation: 10+

Author Website: http://www.eliseceline.com/





Summary:

Andy wasn’t usually sure about much, but she was absolutely certain this was the weirdest day of her life as she stood stranded in the middle of a great white room with six strangers. Well, they were mostly strangers. She could have sworn she’d seen the guy with the green eyes before, and maybe that was why he kept staring at her. When a man calling himself the Guardian appeared and said they had come to make their deepest dreams come true, they embark on an adventure none of them ever imagined, and the consequences of their actions would change them forever.

Review:

Allow me to start off by saying that I really did enjoy this book. Despite the areas that needed cleaning and tightening I thought the plot and story were very good. John Dreamer is a book that along with a gorgeous cover has a great premise. Andy and another 6 people end up in a white room that spurns them into an adventure where all of their dreams can come true and they can change and grow themselves. My expectations were high going in, and after the first few pages I felt like I was really going to enjoy the book. I had a few problems with it though.

I feel like with some editing this book could have been really great. Now I'm not saying that there were typos all over the place, what I'm saying is that the plot could have been tighter and more planned out. As I read through the dreams of each of the characters I felt like many of the scenes were pieced together in a choppy way. Yes they flowed, and I never found myself suddenly going from once scene to another, but there was something missing especially in the beginning. As the book continued the pacing and stories tightness seemed to get better and have an easier flow.

My second problem also has to do with the pacing, often times I would read a sentence or few words that just should have been left out. It felt like many times things that were thought or said could have been taken out in the editing process. These extras often jarred me out of the story causing me to have to stop and wonder why that was even there in the first place.

The characters while I liked them felt almost one dimensional. Many of them had one major character trait that basically personified them completely. This bothered me a little in the beginning and then more as the story went on when the characters were still doing the same thing's they had been in the first few chapters. Even Andy and John began to get on my nerves a little with their sameness. I did however really like the growth that came about for each character as they were fulfilling their dreams. This added a chance for me to get to know a different side of them and gave them more depth than they had before.

The relationships each character had with the other felt very rushed, and I think this is another part of the stories pacing issue. Many times things felt very rushed while others they were too slow. Andy's 8 1/2 second love at first sight experience seemed way to rushed for me in the beginning, but by the end I understood it's significance, and was pleasantly surprised by it. Sometimes the love story seemed a little too sappy for me even knowing the details but overall I didn't have too much of a problem with it.

Now that I've rambled on about what I didn't like let me tell you what I did enjoy.

The dreams, and how the were fulfilled. Elise Celine was very creative with each dream and many of them I wasn't expecting. She didn't fall into the trap of using a set pattern for each dream's appearing and resolution. But she also made it clear when one was over. The character's back stories were another thing I enjoyed and some of the shocks that came with birthdays and events that happened on them really surprised me and made me think.

The second half of the book's pacing was as I've said much better than the first half. It seems that the author really began to figure it out and kept the action moving building into an amazingly suspenseful ending. The prose was still a little loose in places but for the most part it had cleaned up as well. And the second half had scenes that moved me to tears, some of the back story and dreams were really heart wrenching and beautifully done.

The books ending was my favorite part of all, and not because it was the end. Things really began to move fast and much was reviled that I wasn't expecting. I was left desperately wanting to know more about John and the Guardian as well as the reason behind it all. I hope to see more information about the importance of the dates in future books, along with getting to see the other characters again. I feel like things that happened at the end were what I'd been waiting for the whole book, like it was all leading up to this one part. And I hope that the next book answers all the questions I'm now left with.

I've given this book 3.5 stars because I loved the story, but it really needed going over with a fine toothed comb. I hope to see more from this author because I can see a lot of great things coming from her. I would just like to see her stuff cleaner and a little more planned out. I will be reading the next book and may even recommend this one to a few people.

Note: I received a copy of this book from NetGally for my honest opinion which I have stated above.

~Dawn

Stravaganza: City of Masks Book Review

 Stravaganza: City of Masks 

Mary Hoffman

Rating (out of 5): 5

Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction/Fantasy

Release Date: February 1, 2011

Series: Stravaganza

Series Volume: 1

Profanity: None

Violence: Mild

Sexual Content: None 

Age Recommendation: 8+

Author Website: http://www.maryhoffman.co.uk/

Summary (found on Amazon):

Lucien is very sick with cancer and struggles with his parents' worry every day. But each night, through a magical gift from his father, his mind is transported to an enchanting city, Bellezza, a parallel city to Venice of our world. In Bellezza, Lucien discovers that he is a Stravagante, a rare person able to travel through worlds while sleeping.Befriended by a local girl and protected by an older Stravagante, Lucien uncovers a plot to murder the city's beloved ruler, the Duchessa. But to save the Duchessa and the city Lucien risks his only chance to return home to family and his real life. The well-paced, thick-with-plot story will hook the reader immediately and not let go until the superb, unexpected end. City of Masks is the first in the acclaimed Stravaganza series from the gifted Mary Hoffman.

Review:

This is my second time reading this book, and I enjoyed it just as much this time as I did the last time I read it. This is one of my favorite Historical Fiction/Fantasy series and for good reason. Mary Hoffman does an excellent job of reproducing the feel of a historical Italy while at the same time not having to be completely accurate, since it is in an alternate form.

Lucien is a young man who has cancer. While he is recovering from his latest bout with the illness he is given a journal by his father. This journal is more than a way to communicated with his parents when his throat is too sore for him to talk, it is a talisman that allows Lucien to travel to an alternate form of Venice. What follows is a tale of adventure and excitement, with a little history mixed in.  

The world Mary Hoffman builds in this book is so wonderful. It's a delightful step back in the past, but at the same time a step into another world. Bellezza is a beautiful city that makes me want to go visit Venice just to get a feel for what things are like for Lucien and his friends. The magic, or shall I say science, is delightfully woven into the story and done in such a way I almost want to look for a talisman myself. And the bits of historical information are a delight to read about. 

The characters are live and engaging and Hoffman does an excellent job of displaying Lucien's situation in a way that we are sympathetic and get a feel for what he's going through, but his illness doesn't rule the story. Each character, main and minor, feels like they have a real personality. Most of them jump off the page and stand out making them easy to distinguish from one another. And I can't help but love the good guys and the bad in this book.

I love the way this is told from third person, YA isn't often written in this POV and I really enjoy getting to read it. It could be because I prefer writing in third person myself or I just prefer the way third person reads. The reader is allowed to get into the characters heads, but we don't have to live there for the whole book. It helped me to get to know each character, and not only the main ones, but the minors as well. I liked the wide arching feel that it gave the book.

The pacing in City of Masks is very good, it's never too fast and rarely feels slow. The story goes a lot of places and covers a good deal of time but every scene feels like it belongs. I enjoyed the back and forth between Bellezza and the modern world and the transitions were very well done. It was interesting to see how Lucien reacted to each one, and how the two of them affected one another. There aren't many shockers in this book, but when you get to them they do surprise you. Even reading through this a second time I was still on the edge of my seat at certain points waiting and hoping to see what happened to some of my favorite characters.

City of Masks is a fun engaging historical read that will take you further than the past and make history fun. The other books in this series are also all very good and I highly recommend the entire series to anyone needing a good historical fiction, story about Italy, light fantasy, or just good read.

~Dawn

Missing In Venice

The following is a short story based off of the image titled Missing in Venice from The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Van Allsburg. Countless people have written their own versions of the stories found in his book and this my addition to that collection.

 

Missing In Venice

 

Even with her mighty engines in reverse, the ocean liner was pulled further and further into the canal. The ship was in chaos, everyone was clamoring to know what was going on. People swarmed the edges peering over the side of the ship at the buildings they were just squeezing past. Crowds clamored at the door to the control room demanding to know what was going on.

Atea wasn’t worried about their situation, in fact everything was going as planned. Under the cover of all the chaos she was making her way carefully through the inner parts of the ship towards her goal. She’d been planning this heist for years and excitement at how well it was working bubbled up within her threatening to burst out in laughter. But she had to keep it in, at least until she was finished. Then she could celebrate.

Her attention was focused on her goal and she swiftly made her way through the empty hallways of the ship’s interior to reach the cabin she was looking for. The lock was simple to pick and soon she was in the cabin looking at the sparse, but richly decorated room. The cabin was larger than most and the occupant had paid highly for the privacy it granted, being far from any other rooms it was almost forgettable in it’s corner of the ship. Exactly the way both Atea and her mark liked it.

The safe was right where she knew it would be, hidden in the wall above the bed. Having helped design the boat herself Atea was one of the few people who knew about the secret location. The safe opened as quickly as the door did under her experienced hand and she took a breath in anticipation as she pulled the obscure brown box out of its hiding place.

To anyone else its contents would be paltry, unworthy of all the trouble she’d gone through to acquire it. But to Atea the content’s were priceless, years of her life sat safely in the box and she was finally getting them back.

She pulled a fake box out of her bag and put it in place of the old one tucking her prize into her bag. After locking the safe once more and making sure she left no trace in the room of her ever being there she slipped back out of the room locking the door behind her.

Her trip back onto the main deck of the ship passed quickly and soon Atea found herself blinking in the bright Venice sunlight. The ship was still on course through the canal and she pushed her way forward to get a good look out at the city. People looked in awe at the ship as it passed by and Atea couldn’t help but wave at a few of them her joy at her victory showing in her smile and carefree stance. Soon the ship would reach it’s destination, and then she’d finally be free.