Focal Point Chapter 1 Part 4

Posted in Wednesday Briefs by Raindrops and Pages

Welcome to Wednesday Briefs which is a feature on my blog where I share a piece of flash fiction for you, and link you to some other amazing authors.

Focal Point Chapter 1 Part 1

Focal Point Chapter 1 Part 2

Focal Point Chapter 1 Part 3

By Friday the entire school was buzzing with the news of the party at the Marsh. The halls were electric, whispers, notes and tweets flew faster than the speed of light as the message spread. A couple of over achieving seniors had already figured out a schedule for cars to arrive and leave so there wasn’t too much attention drawn to the festivities. The adults and authorities often turned a blind eye, but if there was a constant stream of traffic into the Marsh it would bring too much focus on us. I had already cleared my involvement with mom.

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28Apr2016

HUGE NEWS!!

Posted in Cover Reveal, Mine by Raindrops and Pages

Presenting!

Embrace the darkness.

Murderous entities, haunted houses, screaming banshees, and sympathetic necromancers are just a few of the chilling things you’ll encounter in this anthology. Follow our authors into the shadows … if you dare.

Edited by: Jaidis Shaw

To Be Published: June 28th, 2016

Publisher: CHBB Publishing

Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Paranormal

Featuring Stories from:

“An Empty Building” by Jacqueline E. Smith

“Bump in the Night, Inc” by Melody Black

“Dorcha Scath” by Liz Butcher

“Living Nightmare” by Savannah Rohleder

“Lizzie” by Tania Hagan

“On Two Lane Roads” by Shelly Schulz

“Release” by E.M. Fitch

“Revenant” by Stacey Jaine McIntosh

“Scream for the Night” by Gina A. Watson

“Too Young To Kill” by Lily Luchesi

My story On Two Lane Roads:
On Two Lane Roads is a short story about Andrew Kane Snow, and his partner Casey who work for the shadowy Alabaster Order. The two are pawns in a game against the forces of darkness, often pitted against creatures of Hell and the darkness that lurks in peoples’ souls. Against standard procedure, Andrew and Casey are sent back to Andrew’s home town to deal with an urgent case–one that will test Andrew more than he’s ever been tested.

26Apr2016

Wednesday Brief: Focal Point Chapter 1 Part 3

Posted in Wednesday Briefs by Raindrops and Pages

Welcome to Wednesday Briefs which is a feature on my blog where I share a piece of flash fiction for you, and link you to some other amazing authors.

Focal Point Chapter 1 Part 1

Focal Point Chapter 1 Part 2

“You’ve got me,” Mom said dramatically, clutching her hand to her chest. “I don’t love you. I’m trading you in for a new son. Or a cat, I haven’t quite decided yet.” She chuckled to herself as she ate, clearly proud of her teasing.

“And you wonder where I get it from,” I muttered pushing mashed potatoes around my plate. Dinner continued with her telling me stories about her workday, and me offering noncommittal grunts when questioned about school. I added more food to her plate before she could add seconds to mine.

“Logan.”

I winced, recognizing the tone.

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12Jan2016

Focal Point. Chapter 1 Part 2

Posted in Wednesday Briefs by Raindrops and Pages

Welcome to Wednesday Briefs which is a feature on my blog where I share a piece of flash fiction for you, and link you to some other amazing authors.

Focal Point Chapter 1 Part 1

I watched Cal leave, finding the table to be a little too big once he was gone. I flipped open my notebook that my laptop had been resting on and started scrawling down notes on the idea that he had given me. Art and photography were very much ‘my thing’, as soccer and anything athletic belonged to Cal. When we were kids I had an old point and shoot camera that took film and we’d spend hours in the woods behind my house hiking and taking pictures of nature—which often ended up being photos of my thumb or finger.

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11Jan2016

Top Ten Tuesday!

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Raindrops and Pages

It’s that time again, for the weekly top ten countdown. This week’s topic is 2015 releases you meant to read, but didn’t get to. As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Broke and Bookish

Thor: Goddess of Thunder. I originally had picked up issues of this, and didn’t get around to reading them. Then I just decided to wait for the trade, and I still haven’t read it.

Saga. Again, this is one that’s still sitting my tbr pile, and it’s killing me because I’ve heard so many great things about it.

Finder’s Keepers by Stephen King.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. I haven’t purchased this yet, even though I pass it all the time and stare at it longingly. I’ve heard good things about this and the cover just is beautiful.

Everything Everything by Nicole Yoon. Everyone’s read this–everyone but me, and I’m having serious feels about that.

I Was Here by Gayle Forman. I bought this, and kept intending to read it but never got around to it. My mom actually snagged it from me, read it and enjoyed it. I’m hoping to get to it soon.

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone. My twitter/blog feed exploded with this book, and I got it in a package because I put it on my TBR list. I haven’t read it yet and it’s killing me because everyone seems to really enjoy it.

Winner’s Crime by Marie Rutkoski. I really liked Winner’s Curse and was really excited to get my hands on the sequel, but I just didn’t get a chance.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. This is another book that exploded all of my social media. I need to get my hands on it.

Winter by Marissa Meyer. I’m so far behind on this series that I haven’t even thought about reading the most recent book.

That is my list for this week. You’re more than welcome to leave your link in a comment if you’ve done a Top Ten Tuesday post this week. What books did you mean to read in 2015 but didn’t get a chance to get to?

11Jan2016

Comic Talk: Nightwing Vol. 1 (New 52)

Posted in Books of 2016, Genre: DC Comics, Rating: Three Umbrellas by Raindrops and Pages

Title: Nightwing V. 1 Traps and Trapezes
Writer/Illustrator: Kyle Higgins, Eddy Barrows
Published: October 10, 2012
Publisher: DC Comics.

Rating:

Synopsis:
Dick Grayson flies once again as Nightwing! And as he embraces his destiny, Haley’s Circus, the big top where Dick once performed, returns to Gotham City: bringing with it murder, mystery and superhuman evil. Nightwing must confront his past among former friends and enemies from his circus days, while uncovering a greater evil.

Collects Nightwing #1-7.

This launch of Nightwing isn’t necessarily a re-telling though they nerf some of the history/canon. The hero of this story, Dick Grayson, former first Robin and stand in Batman is back in his place as independent masked vigilante Nightwing. Bruce has reclaimed the Batman cowl–and while there’s no ‘on-screen’ discussion, Dick seems to be okay with the demotion.

Note: I would read Batman Vol. 1 Court of Owls before reading this trade. There are some tie-ins and some things that won’t make a lot of sense.

Haley’s circus returns to Gotham, and Dick stops in to visit with the family he had before being taken in by Bruce. He reconnects with old friends, family and an old flame (he really can’t stay away from redheads can he?) And as this is Gotham, and DC nothing stays golden for long. The owner of Haley’s dies, and bequeaths the circus to Dick. While working on accepting that new role, a new advisory rises focused on destroying Dick.

With cameos from Batgirl, Alfred and the return of Bruce later in the trade this is a very character heavy story. Members of the circus are featured–fleshed out and given backstory that ties in with Dick’s. The action is fast paced and nearly continuous, though one of my major peeves with Dick is the fact that he talks.all.the.time. He even mentions in one panel that he talks too much, and yet continues to do so. I’m not sure if this is a characteristic of Dick, or a running gag within the series, but it’s not something that I’m really fond of. The art stands on its own, though at first pass it was a little difficult to differentiate between Raya and Barbara when they meet face to face. Other than that the characters are individual and have distinguishing characteristics. The story is a little predictable, but it’s decent. The end of this trade is leading into a massive plot arc which I like a little bit better.

Overall: Not terrible, good action and art make it decent. I won’t add it to my collection, but I’ll continue reading the story.

10Jan2016

Book Blitz: Juniper’s Princess by Chelsea O’Neal.N

Posted in Book Blitz, My Family's Heart by Raindrops and Pages

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – Juniper’s Princess
SERIES – Angel Crest Trilogy Book 1
AUTHOR – Chelsea O’Neal
GENRE – Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
PUBLICATION DATE – July 2, 2013
LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 256 pages 126,174 words
PUBLISHER – Mirador Publishing
COVER ARTIST – Mallory Rock’s Art

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Daniah is different, she always has been and now her dreams and visions of the future are increasing, she knows her life is changing. She just doesn’t know by how much…

Jaiden is different, but he knows why and he knows his responsibilities. He must find the savior of his race, the angel human half-breeds who are fighting a war for humanity’s souls.

If he can’t convince Daniah she is more than just a little different – she is a princess of their people – they are all going to hell.

Unfortunately Daniah doesn’t have many reasons to trust Jaiden, especially when he is caught in a web of his own lies. In a world where half-breed angels walk among us, fighting an evil for our souls, Daniah must find the strength to become the princess we all need.

Chelsea O’Neal has a unique voice in storytelling, threading the characters lives together intricately to give us a complex web of good versus evil in a world descending into chaos…

7Jan2016

Comic Talk: Hawkeye My Life as a Weapon

Posted in Books of 2016, Genre: Graphic Novel, Genre: Marvel Comics, Rating: Five Umbrellas by Raindrops and Pages

Title: Hawkeye My Life as a Weapon
Artists/Writers Matt Fraction, David Aja (Illustrations), Javier Pulido (Illustrations), Alan Davis (Illustrator)
Published: March 13, 2013
Publisher: Marvel

Rating:

Synopsis:
The breakout star of this summer’s blockbuster Avengers film, Clint Barton – aka the self-made hero Hawkeye – fights for justice! With ex-Young Avenger Kate Bishop by his side, he’s out to prove himself as one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes! SHIELD recruits Clint to intercept a packet of incriminating evidence – before he becomes the most wanted man in the world. You won’t believe what is on The Tape! What is the Vagabond Code? Matt Fraction pens a Hawkeye thriller that spans the globe…and the darkest parts of Hawkeye’s mind. Barton and Bishop mean double the Hawkeye and double the trouble…and stealing from the rich never looked so good.

I’ve come to accept that I’m a DC girl. I’ve tried to claim that I enjoy both for a little while now, but frankly I favor DC titles over Marvel. That’s okay though, because while I favor DC I still read Marvel and enjoy them. Fraction’s Hawkeye is literally gold. One of my friends had been telling me for months to pick up Fraction’s Hawkeye and I kept putting it off and finding other things to read. Another one of my friends picked it up when we were in the comic book shop, bought it, read it and then slipped it into the pile of trades we were swapping. I stared at it, glowered at it, picked it up and fell in love.

I get it now. My Life as a Weapon has some amazing art. The characters are well drawn, distinguishable and what I found really interesting is the tonal focus in each arc. The trade starts heavy with blues and purples then moves to sepia tones, then in the final arc it’s full of vibrant primary colors (red and yellow to be more specific) which really makes the story even more dynamic. The writing is brilliant. Clint says what everyone is thinking, drinks coffee directly from the carafe of the coffee pot, bemoans inanimate objects and what I like most of all, doesn’t take himself seriously. Kate Bishop is a thing of beauty and I love her and Clint’s interactions and relationship. Her character is written strong and stands on her own against adversaries and Clint’s presence in a scene. What I like even more is the respect that they have for each other.

My Life as a Weapon features three stories that wrap up within the volume, so there’s no cliff hanger. There is a short fourth story featuring Kate when she was with the Young Avengers and how she and Clint first met. This story also maintains the beautiful art and rich color saturation and great story telling as the other three main stories.

Overall
Beautiful artwork, great story telling and amazing characters. I am looking forward to reading more of this series.

This is exactly why you need to read this title if you haven’t already.

5Jan2016

Focal Point Chapter 1 Part 1

Posted in Wednesday Briefs by Raindrops and Pages

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Welcome to Wednesday Briefs which is a feature on my blog where I share a piece of flash fiction for you, and link you to some other amazing authors.

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I dropped my backpack into the chair across from me. The café was crowded, noisy and I claimed the last table in the back corner, wedged between the wall and a column it was the perfect place to work uninterrupted. My laptop took a few minutes to power up; it was in desperate need of a few updates. I couldn’t afford to get a new one, and there was no point in asking my mom to help me out. She worked hard enough to keep food on the table without worrying about whether my electronics were going to make it.

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4Jan2016

Top Ten Tuesday!

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Raindrops and Pages

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It’s that time again, for the weekly top ten countdown. This week’s topic is top ten resolutions for 2016 (be it bookish or otherwise). As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Broke and Bookish

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kasa_zpsdf6a064a I resolve to finish the projects I start, and the ones that I have laying around that are “one day I’ll…” projects. I have a list of projects to get completed and I want to have it all checked off by the end of the year.

kasa_zpsdf6a064a To create and gift 12 creative/crafty gifts in 12 months to 12 different people. I really love crafting projects and I love giving gifts so I thought I would combine the two.

kasa_zpsdf6a064a To properly update, upkeep and maintain this blog. I really enjoy blogging and the friends I’ve made–but as you can see I’ve let things slide, which really upsets me.

kasa_zpsdf6a064a Finish and publish (either through self publishing or a publishing house) my writing projects. Yes these are different from the projects mentioned above, and I need to get them done rather than just talking about it and thinking about it.

kasa_zpsdf6a064a Read more, judge less. I’ve missed out on some really amazing books because I judged the hype, or the author. I’m going to really work on that this year and read things that I want to read without judging them or others.

kasa_zpsdf6a064a To complete a 5k fun run each month.

kasa_zpsdf6a064a Continue on my current path to a healthier me.

kasa_zpsdf6a064a Set aside one day a week for self care where I unplug, avoid anything with a screen and just relax and unwind.

kasa_zpsdf6a064a To say no. I take on too many tasks, too many activities and I really struggled a lot last year getting burned out and not taking care of myself. I resolve to stop, think and really take into consideration if I can do something before saying yes.

kasa_zpsdf6a064a Surround myself with the people who help me be the best possible me I can be.

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Those are my resolutions. Feel free to share yours in the comments and link to your Top Ten Tuesday post!