A Book Review: 'My Soul to Take' by Rachel Vincent

From the back cover:

She doesn't see dead people, but…

She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next…

I started this book because I was waiting for my other books by Rachel Vincent (her Shifters series) to arrive via mail and thought I’d give myself a sneak peek at her writing style, even though the book is geared towards young adult. If her Shifter series is anywhere near as good as this book, I won’t be disappointed.


It’s a fast-pace, absolutely engrossing read. The story started with a dramatic scene and didn’t ever slow down after that. The book’s paranormal twist is unique and utterly intriguing—I can honestly say I’ve never seen bean sidhe (banshees) brought into this kind of story before. Add a grim reaper or two and things get really interesting.

Kaylee is a very sympathetic and authentic character. I like her love interest Nash who is (and I feel a little weird saying this about a teenager) very yummy. The only problem I saw, and it is a very minor one, is that the relationship between them goes from zero to sixty with nothing in between. They officially meet, she finds him a little suspicious and untrustworthy, then they are kissing, then they trust each other implicitly. There is no real building of the relationship. Since this is not unusual for this kind of book, I wasn’t terribly disappointed.

Ultimately, it was a fantastic read and I’d recommend it wholeheartedly. I’m going to pick up the next one—My Soul to Save—very soon.

I give this book 3½  jewels from the Dragon’s Hoard. ♦ ♦ ♦ ◊

Are my Drakon Doomed?

I'm a little concerned. I think my whole species of the Drakon is now doomed.

While I didn't believe I had made up the name "Drakon", I thought I was at least being unique in my use of it to describe a species of human/dragon shapshifters.

Apparently I needed to research the word "Drakon" more fully, sort of like I just did.  It turns out that paranormal romance author Shana Abe has a Drakon series, in which the characters are Drakon--a species of human/dragon shapeshifters.

From Amazon.com regarding "The Smoke Thief" by Shana Abe--Book 1 in the Drakon series:
"For centuries they’ve lived in secret among northern England’s green and misted hills. Creatures of extraordinary beauty, power, and sensuality, they possess the ability to shape-shift from human to dragon and back again. Now their secret–and their survival–is threatened by a temptation that will break every boundary...."


There's not even a chance that I had some sort of previous knowledge hidden in the depths of my brain.  I've never even heard of this series before. I'd heard of Shana Abe, but mostly in reference to some mermaid-based book. 

Now I need to figure out if it's too close...like am I violating some kind of copyright or plagiarism law?  I'm going to read the books in Abe's series--obviously they're right up my alley--and see how close my ideas are.  Then I have the big decision--Do I need to rename my species? And if so, to what?

Good News (If you're me)

Lately I've been checking out a blog called Paranormal-Romance Junkies.  It's so much fun to read about other fans' thoughts on current books, authors, events, etc. 

One of sections of this site is for book reviews and there are, as far as I can tell, two members who contribute book reviews.  The owner/moderator introduced a new feature that allowed members to write mini-reviews (shorter, less detailed book reviews) and post them.  Because I read a lot of paranormal romances, and none of my close friends or family members do, it was nice to be able to do some of these mini-reviews and share my opinion on what I've read. 

Then this morning, when doing my daily perusal of the site, I had a message from the owner/moderator asking me if I would be interested in posting my reviews officially for the site. Yay! 


I know it's not like being a published author or getting a paid gig as a blog contributor, but it's fun and it's recognition for my work, even if my work is only telling people what I thought of a book I read.  So, again, Yay!  This was a nice present this Christmas Eve.


So, if you are interested, check out Paranormal-Romance Junkies and see some of my, and others', reviews.

Soul Screamers Give Away

Young Adult fantasy author Rachel Vincent is giving away copies of the first books to a lucky winner in her Soul Savers Give Away.  Follow this link for your chance to win! 

Rachel Vincent Soul Screamers Giveaway

A Book Review: 'Burning Alive' by Shannon K. Butcher

As close as I can tell, Burning Alive is Shannon K. Butcher’s first foray into paranormal romance. Her other series have all fallen into the genre of romantic suspense. All I can say is that she does paranormal romance just as well as she does romantic suspense.  Burning Alive is the first book in her The Sentinel Wars series, and it started the series with a bang.

Her take on the genre is different from anything else I’ve read. She doesn’t rely on clichés to characterize her main characters' race/species. There’s a cool symbiotic relationship between Helen and Drake—one that draws them together and makes them more powerful than they could be apart. Her other demon-like creatures are also not standard—they are horrible and gross, but not at all common.

The only thing that left me a little cross was that it turns out Helen, like Drake, is a Theronai (a kind of demon-hunting warrior), but all the females of that race were long-ago destroyed so no one knows how it is possible for her to exist. I was expecting that to be answered at some point in the story, and it wasn’t. I’m hoping it gets answered in the next book.

Some paranormal romances can be defined as a fantasy stories with some romance. Others can be romance stories with some fantasy. This one is definitely the latter, of which I heartily (pun intended) approve.

I give this book 3.5 jewels from the Dragon’s Hoard. ♦ ♦ ♦ ◊

From the back cover:

"They are the Sentinels. Three races descended from ancient guardians of mankind, each possessing unique abilities in their battle to protect humanity against their eternal foes: the Synestryn. Now one warrior must fight his own desire if he is to discover the power that lies within his true love."

Enuma Elish--The Babylonian Creation Myth

The bad guys in my book are a group called Tiamat.

According to Babylonian creation myths, Tiamat is the creator/goddess of the sea and thus chaos and threat. She and her husband/mate Apsu have children who are the first gods and goddesses.  These "sons of the gods" make so much commotion and are so ill-behaved that Apsu decides to destroy them. When Ea, one of the sons, learns of the plan, he kills Apsu. Tiamat is enraged at the murder of her husband Apsu, and vows revenge. She creates eleven monsters to help her carry out her vengeance. Tiamat takes a new husband, Kingu, in place of the slain Apsu and puts him in charge of her newly assembled army.

In my book, the group Tiamat, which is like group of Drakon scientists/terrorists is trying to create, though genetic manipulation and other scientific means, to ensure a female Drakon, which so far has been unsuccessful.  Their secondary mission, however, has been slightly more successful. They decided to try and combine the DNA of Drakon, humans and predatory animals to re-create Tiamat's monsters.

"Mother Hubur, she who fashions all things,

Added matchless weapons, bore monster-serpents,

Sharp of tooth, unsparing of fang.

With venom for blood she has filled their bodies.

Roaring dragons she has clothed with terror,

Has crowned them with haloes, making them like gods,

Whoever beheld them, terror overcame him,

And that, with their bodies reared up, none might turn them back.

She set up the Viper, the Dragon, and the monster Lahamu,

The Great-Lion, the Mad-Dog, and the Scorpion-Man,

Mighty lion-demons, the Dragon-Fly, the Centaur--

Bearing weapons that do not spare, fearless in battle."

--From the first Tablet of the Enuma Elish.

A Book Review: ‘Fallen’ by Lauren Kate (2009)

From the inside cover: “There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at Sword & Cross boarding school in Savannah. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are screwups, and security cameras watch every move.


Except Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce—he goes out of his way to make that very clear. But she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, Luce has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret…even if it kills her.”

Lauren Kate has created a book that is dangerously exciting and darkly romantic. Her characters are vivid and the details rich. As a reader I empathized so much with Luce that I often found myself frustrated on her behalf. I held my breath and literally sat at the edge of my seat waiting for what happened next.

As a side note: I started reading this in the bookstore and didn’t realize I’d been there for almost two hours until the closing announcements. Getting caught up in a book isn’t new to me, but to be that oblivious to what was going on around me because of the book says a lot about the characters and plot.

Shadows are around every corner. Terrible tragedies with no explanation. Dreams of a shared past. No one was quite who they seemed. Almost everything about Fallen was mesmerizing. This book is a fabulous example of a modern Gothic romance.

The only detraction to the whole thing was that it ended kind of abruptly. The lush detail provided a fabulous build up, but there was very little resolution. In the end there’s a great battle between good and evil, involving different sects of fallen angels, but I’m still uncertain as to why they are fighting and what the ultimate goal is. Apparently, that’s what we’ll find out in the next book. I can’t wait to read more.

I give this book 3.5 jewels from the Dragon’s Hoard. ♦ ♦ ♦ ◊

A Book Review: ‘Blue Bloods’ by Melissa De La Cruz (2006)

Fifteen year old Schuyler Van Alen is a member of a very elite New York society—a society even more elite than she knew. Once an outcast, she is thrust into Manhattan’s most exclusive social circle, one whose members are the powerful, the wealthy, and as she discovers, they are vampires. Now something is preying on this elite group, and Schuyler is determined to find out the truth.

If I’m being honest, I have to say I didn’t really like it. The characters were well developed and engaging, which is usually the most important part for me, and it was an intriguing story-line with a unique conception of vampires. Maybe I just don’t understand the societal, Gossip Girl-like, privileged world that the story takes place in.

Ultimately, I think there was a balance problem. The non-action parts seemed to drag on forever, with page after page of exposition and description of clothes, shoes and furniture that emphasized the lifestyles of the rich and ridiculous. Then the high tension moments, the action, was covered so quickly as to almost be missed.

In one scene, when Schuyler and her (sort of) love interest are confronting his powerful father, thinking that he was responsible for attacking and killing others of their kind, they basically accuse him, he tells them “it wasn’t me” and, despite some pretty damning evidence, they accept it and go on. The whole confrontation and acceptance took about a page. Now, in my mind, that could have been a great scene, filled with denial and drama. But instead it was “it wasn’t me” and “oh, okay then. I wonder who it was?”

But the worst part is that there was no real closure. Essentially, they identified (sort of) the enemy and Schuyler decides that it’s time to search for her grandfather, whom she’s never met, in Italy. It’s almost as though the book was meant to be 900 pages, and instead of working it into one manageable book, they got to page 300 (literally—the book is 302 pages long), and threw in a “to be continued…” And, uless you're Tolkien and your book is The Lord of the Rings, ending the book in the middle of the story, doesn't work very well.

Unfortunately, even though I like the characters, I don’t plan on reading the next in the series.

It is with much regret that I give this book 1 out of 4 jewels from the Dragon’s Hoard.   ♦

Chapter 2--Part 4

Comments/Critiques/Suggestions welcome!
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“Tell me again, what are we doing here?” complained Dominic as he and Duncan climbed the bleachers that sat near the swimming pool. Normally, this would be where the spectators would sit during a meet, but today it was filled with a handful of friends of swimmers who were trying out for the team. Duncan led them to a spot along the top that was edged in shadows. He wasn’t altogether sure why he was here and didn’t want to explain that to his cousin. Ever since Nathan had shared the news that Lacey would be trying out, he’d been fighting the impulse to watch the tryouts. Apparently, he hadn’t fought them hard enough.


“I told you that you didn’t need to wait for me,” he said. “I could have found my own way home.”

Dominic smiled. “What, and miss this? If it were anyone else, I would think you just wanted the chance to see a bunch of girls in bathing suits, but that’s not really your style. Nathan would maybe show up to stir things up, but that’s also not your style. Of course, watching random school sports tryouts isn’t really your style either.”

“Ah man,” Duncan sighed when he saw his other cousin stroll casually into the pool area. Nathan waved idly at a couple of students as he made his way up the bleachers. His smile widened when he saw the other Drake boys.

“I knew you weren’t going to miss this show!” he exclaimed, taking the seat next to his brother.

Duncan glared at him. “If you say one word about this…” he trailed off, leaving the threat incomplete. He couldn’t think of an appropriate “or else” that could be muttered in public.

It didn’t take long, however, for him to forget all about his cousins and everyone else in the pool area. A group of girls, all in swimsuits, wearing swim caps and carrying towels walked from the locker room. It took him only a second to recognize Lacey, and when he did he was astounded. She was standing next to Jessica, talking earnestly to the other girl, as they waited for instruction from Coach Carter. There were over twenty other girls, all standing around in next to nothing, but he couldn’t take is eyes off of her. There was something about her that made her stand out from the others. She was taller than most, and her body was lean and lithe, with gentle curves displayed in the suit. There were others that were taller or more obvious in their feminine attributes, but they faded in comparison.

“Whew, look at those legs!” Nathan whistled and elbowed Duncan.

Duncan had an uncomfortable urge to block his cousin’s eyes, and more, to block the eyes of anyone else watching. “Hey,” he snapped instead, “have some respect!”

“Believe me, I do,” Nathan murmured.

“You’re such a jerk.”

“C’mon you guys, knock it off. They’re starting.” Ever the diplomat, Dominic decided to draw their attention back to the tryouts.

The girls were being tested first at the starting blocks in groups of three. Duncan had to admit that he didn’t know much about competitive swimming, so he wasn’t sure what to look for. At first, all the girls looked the same—the same awkward, frog-like crouch at the block before leaping out over the water. He could tell that some seemed more graceful than others, some got more distance, some more arc in the air, but he wasn’t altogether sure what it was supposed to look like to be considered done well. He sat forward in his seat as Lacey took position. She bent her knees, touched her fingers to the front of the block, and at the coach’s whistle, launched.

He caught his breath at the sight. He had never seen anything so compelling before. It appeared effortless, her body taking flight above the water, her arms stretching in front of her, before submerging into the water with barely a ripple. Even with his limited knowledge of the sport, he knew that this was an example of a great start. Compared to those that jumped with her, and those that went before, she had covered more distance, more gracefully, and caused less of a splash.

“Wow,” murmured Dominic. “It’s almost like she was flying. Did you see how much air time she got?”

None of them were even pretending to watch the other athletes. As one, they grinned when her head broke the surface, sporting a satisfied smile that, even from that distance, they could see. Coach Carter had each of the girls take two more turns at the starting block. Each time she went was the same as the first—the same effortless spring into motion, the same graceful arc into the dive, the same quite entrance.

It was after her third turn that she seemed to notice them for the first time. She hauled herself easily up the side of the pool, and went to stand with the others waiting for the next direction from the coach. She draped a towel absently over her shoulders, her gaze scanning the crowd in the bleachers. Duncan saw her eyes widen in surprise as she perceived them in the shadows.

“Busted.” Nathan grinned as he said this, and waved cheerfully at Lacey, then formed a thumbs-up for her.

She stood there, suddenly looking a little awkward. Duncan regretted that she appeared less sure of herself now that she knew they were watching. After a few moments, however, she seemed to forget they were there and concentrated on the activities around her. He continued to watch for the next hour and a half as the coach took the girls through different drills and skills tests. No matter what the exercise, she excelled; her times were better, her form more precise than the other girls’.

“Wow,” Dominic murmured as the watched her once again outshine the other athletes. “I talked to Jessica in Biology today,” he said, nodding to the tall girl waiting for her turn at the edge of the pool. “She told me that Lacey has never competed in swimming before, but that it was hard to believe after watching her swim. I see what she means. She’s a natural.”

“Yeah,” Duncan agreed and stood up. “We’d better get out of here soon. Your mom is probably wondering where we are.” With that, the three Drake boys quietly made their way down the bleachers and through the double doors.

Chapter 2--Part 3

Comments/Critiques/Suggestions Welcome!
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The next two days followed in same pattern. Lacey was relieved that she was able to keep up in all of her classes and that the subjects covered seemed in line with what she had been learning at Westside, without her really having to repeat anything. She had been half-afraid that instead of covering something new in English, she be stuck going over the same topics she’d covered during her first semester. She got along great with Gabby and her other friends. They had practically adopted her into their group. Each morning she looked forward to see what “look” Gabby was taking on. Wednesday morning she had worn skinny black pants, a black turtleneck sweater, dark-rimmed rectangular glasses and a beret; Lacey was glad that she didn’t complete the mood by spouting melancholy poetry. Thursday, she bore a striking resemblance to Cyndi Lauper in the ‘80s—her hair was teased, her make-up was dramatic and bright, and she was wearing a multi-colored, multi-layered, knee-length skirt, a black t-shirt cut to hang off one shoulder, light blue tights, heeled ankle boots bangles, and beads and chains hung at her ears, wrists and ankles.


Her next two practice sessions after school with Jessica were great. Jessica made sure that she knew all of the drills, events, and skills that were going to be tested at the tryout on Friday. Lacey had to admit that she was a little surprised at how well she seemed to be doing. She had enjoyed her summer swimming programs as a child, but had never stood out from the others, never shown exceptional skill. Granted, those programs were more oriented towards fun and learning than competition, and she’d won a few ribbons to show off to her family, but there was nothing to make the program directors or her parents encourage her to continue, as some of the others were persuaded. But now, she felt it—she knew she was good—and the occasions when Jessica would time her, the speeds were outstanding.

So, all in all, she thought to herself on Friday as she was heading to lunch, her first week had gone surprisingly well. She had even gotten used to seeing Duncan each morning. Well, almost, she amended silently. In all honesty, she had gotten used to steeling herself to see him each morning, which was something altogether different. She’d tried to convince herself that he couldn’t possibly be as attractive as her mind was making out, but then, each morning, she was proved wrong. He wasn’t as attractive—he was more attractive. She was actually starting to feel guilty whenever she saw him. No one deserved to be mooned over just because of a great body and a pretty face—a person should be judged by other, less superficial things. But so far, everything she’d learned about him seemed to indicate that in addition to being beautiful, he was also smart, funny and nice. Hadn’t she seen him help Mrs. Muldoon, the school’s ancient librarian, haul a couple of boxes of newly acquired books from the main office to the library? Hadn’t she noticed him explaining the previous day’s biology lesson to two other students who were struggling with the concepts? Heck, she’d even seen him take a plastic bottle from the trash and deposit it into a recycling bin. That kind of perfection was unnerving.

His cousins were very much the same. She made it a point to watch them as the opportunities presented themselves. They seemed to excel at whatever they did, and seemed well liked. There was no denying that they were attractive. But despite all this, they seem to be loners.

“So…” Lacey began as she and Gabby pulled away from her house on Friday morning. “I’ve got to know. What’s the deal with the Drake boys? I mean, they’re hot with a capital H, they seem smart and nice, but no one seemed to think it was strange for them to sit by themselves. They don’t have any close friends?”

“Well, they have friends, or what you’d probably call acquaintances, of course, but they’ve always seemed to stick together. They’re really close. I think Duncan’s mom and dad died when he was only nine or ten and he lives with his uncle, aunt, Nathan and Dominic. I don’t know all the details, but I’ve heard it was really tragic. They used to hang out with others more, but the last couple of years they’ve started mostly hanging together. The whole family is really close—they have big reunions every summer and get together for the holidays out at their place. Nathan and Dominic do sports, so they sometimes get together with teammates and stuff. Nathan’s been on the varsity football team every year, even when he was a freshman and sophomore, and Dominic runs track—mostly cross country stuff. Duncan doesn’t play any sports, but he was into music for a while. He can supposedly play any instrument by ear, no training. They’re totally smart, too. Always get good grades. All the girls are totally in love—or maybe in lust—with them. They’re a classic example of that old line ‘women want them and men want to be them’.”

The good thing about Gabby to Lacey’s mind was that once started, she didn’t seem to need much prompting, but at this, though, Lacey couldn’t help herself. “A lot of girls crushing on them, huh?”

“Oh my goodness. It’s so funny! Girls are all over them, always flirting, asking them out. They don’t really ever seem to be interested though.”

“Are any of them seeing anybody?”

“No, but not for a lack of willing volunteers.”

Lacey had noticed that while girls tended to flock towards them, they boys seemed unmoved. A sudden thought hit her. “Are any of them gay?”

Gabby looked shocked. “Oh my goodness! No. I mean, I don’t think so. I’ve heard that they will sometimes go out with girls from Summit—you know, the next town over. They just tend to avoid girls around here. That’s why Monday was so crazy. Nathan actually singled you out. None of them have ever done anything like that before. I mean, never.”

“I’m the new kid. Nathan was probably just curious.”

“There have been new kids before,” she argued. “And…” she added, drawing the syllable out, “Nathan said that Duncan said that you were cute, and he noticed your eyes.”

Lacey could feel her cheeks warming. “What the big deal about the eyes?”

“I read in a magazine once,” Gabby confided thoughtfully, “that men don’t generally notice the color of a woman’s eyes unless they’re attracted to her.”

As intriguing as she found this train of thought, Lacey didn’t believe that it was the case with this. “When I first met him, I had just knocked all of my stuff onto the floor and we both reached down at the same time, hitting our heads together. Then I was so startled,” she didn’t include that she was stunned by his good looks and not the shock of the collision, “that I stared for a few minutes before I could make a coherent statement. It’s more likely that he noticed my eyes because I was gaping at him like an idiot. And besides,” she added, “Does Nathan Drake seem like the type to read Cosmo or something?”

A small giggle escaped Gabby at the idea of the mountainous boy reading the women’s magazine. “There’s a thought.”

If her reaction to Duncan was the most challenging aspect of her first week, Nathan was turning out to be the most confounding. Whenever their paths crossed, he burst out, “Hey, new kid, what’s up?” This was usually followed by a wink and a grin. And while he didn’t try and make her and Lacey sit with them again, he made a point of searching her out each day at lunch, usually as they were dumping their trays and getting ready to head back to class. Lacey was just depositing her tray that day at lunch when she was suddenly grabbed from behind and actually lifted and spun around to face Nathan. “Hey, new kid,” he grinned and set her back to her feet, “a little birdie told me you’re trying out for the swim team today. That true?”

After taking a moment to collect her scattered thoughts, Lacey looked up at him. He’d just lifted her up like she weighed no more than a toddler. It was as if her weight didn’t even register to him. “Yeah, I thought it would be worth a shot.”

“You any good?” he demanded.

“We’ll find out tonight, I guess,” she answered.

He winked at her and bent to pick up the fork she’d dropped when he’s startled her. “Well, good luck!”

“He’s the strangest guy,” she muttered to herself as she walked back to the table she’d sat at with Gabby to collect her book bag before heading to class.

Chapter 2--Part 2

Comments/Critiques/Suggestions welcome!
_________________________________

At lunch that day, Lacey made the call to her mom, checking to see if she’d be able to bring her gear. She was more than happy to play gopher, seeing the interest in the swim team as an interest in getting involved in the new school


Jessica was already in the locker room in a navy blue tank suit when Lacey finally got there. She gave a rundown on the events and styles most usually found at the meets as Lacey quickly donned her suit. Since she didn’t yet have a swim cap, she pulled her hair back into a French braid. When they walked to the pool, Lacey noticed that there were a couple of other girls already in the water. One was practicing starts at a platform and another was doing laps.

Lacey sighed in pleasure as she immersed herself in the water. Jessica had suggested that she do some laps to get warmed up and acclimated, and they would try some of the different drills the coach used last year. The minute she was fully submerged her body started to relax—she was looser and lighter than she’d been in months. All of the tension just seemed to melt away with the ripples and currents of the cool water. It felt marvelous, glorious, better than anything had felt to her in years. She felt sinuous and powerful—strong and free. She almost wished she had gills, or didn’t need oxygen, so she could just float lazily underwater for hours.

After only a couple minutes of luxuriating in the soft sensation of the chlorinated water, Jessica, who Lacey decided would be a great coach, had her doing laps, practicing the different strokes, lane turns and starts. Much to her surprise, she found that the exercises came easily and even Jessica looked a little startled at her abilities. “You haven’t swum competitively in how long?” she asked as they were finishing up for the night. Lacey’s mom was going to pick her up in about ten minutes.

“Not since I was twelve.” She tucked a towel around her waist and twisted the extra moisture from her braid. “I was involved in a summer swimming program, and that was the last year I could do it. It wasn’t particularly advanced, and I never tried out for the school team.”

“Why not?”

“Too intense. The athletics department at Westside Academy was brutal. I like swimming, but I’ve never been particularly competitive about it. It was totally do or die there. A loss would bring shame to the team, the school, the families. I just wasn’t into that scene.”

The other girl looked back at her with wide eyes. “Wow. Yeah, things aren’t that aggressive here. We like to win, of course, but it’s mostly about the team and fun. And,” she added as they padded to the locker room, “I have a feeling you’re going to be on the team. If you’re that good without recent training, with training you’re going to be amazing. Coach Carter is going to be thrilled to find a new recruit who can swim like you.”

“Me too. You know, I was kind of hesitant about trying out, but now I really, really want this. Thank you so much for helping me practice.”

“It’s really not a problem,” Jessica stated firmly. “Like I said before, it’s good practice for me too. Are we going to do it again tomorrow?”

“Absolutely,” Lacey affirmed, and grinned. “I think I’ve finally found my competitive spirit.”

Chapter 2--Part 1

Chapter 2 is one that I'm struggling with.  I'd like to have some sort of action or exciting scenes to make it really pop, but unfortunately, I feel like it's too much set up and exposition still.  Unfortunately, I feel that a lot of it is necessary to get to the meat of the story, but in and of itself, it's not the most exciting stuff.  Comments/critiques/suggestions welcome!
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She dreamed in colors of flame. Reds, oranges and yellows bathed every surface, causing shadows to dance to the music of screams of torment. Heat throbbed around her. It was Hell, but a hell of her own creation. It was her fault—all of it, the pain, the suffering, all because of her. She struggled to remain calm. If she could push back her panic and her fear, she could help. If it was her fault then there had to be a way for her to fix it. Even as she thought it, a cool blue light encircled her feet and bled outward, quenching the fire that surrounded her. At the first sense of satisfaction, the “you can do this, you can help them all” feeling, the unintelligible screams became tortured, recognizable words.

“Why? Why did you do it?”

At the sound of her mother’s panicked voice, Lacey’s calm vanished, and with it the cooling blue light. Fire burst around her mother who screamed.

She woke with a shout, the image of her mother’s body engulfed in flames burned into her brain. Gasping for breath, she looked at the clock—almost six thirty. Time to get up anyway, she thought, and worked to disengage herself from the tangled sheets.

She tried her best to put the strange dream out of her mind as she got ready for school. She heard the honk of a car horn as Gabby arrived at the prearranged time. Her first sight of the other girl was enough of a surprise that she immediately forgot about the strange dream. Yesterday Gabby had looked a little scary. Today she looked like a hippie. Her hair, which was no longer black and red, was a beautiful light auburn. It was parted down the middle and secured with a strip of leather that circled her head from her forehead all the way around. Her face was scrubbed clean of makeup, with only the slightest shimmer of clear gloss on her lips. Earrings, peace symbols of course, dropped from her lobes.

“Morning,” she said as Lacey dropped into the ancient Ford Escort.

Lacey looked over. “Are we attending a peace rally after school?” It was kind of lame, she knew, but she didn’t want to come straight out and ask about the clothes…she figured that would be kind of rude.

Gabby smiled. “Nope. Today is my hippie day.”

Lacey gaped at her with no idea how to respond. Gabby drove, oblivious.

When they reached the school, Gabby led her to the cafeteria where some of her friends were sitting. Lacey wasn’t sure what to expect, given some of Gabby’s oddities, but the three girls she was introduced to seemed like normal teenagers. Jessica Mitchell was tall and thin, with short blond hair with spiky bangs and hazel eyes. Jackie Singh was tiny—barely five feet tall—with long, silky straight ebony hair, and dark, exotic eyes. Marisol Ramirez fell somewhere in between the others as far as height went, and had a fuller figure and wildly curling dark brown hair and deep brown eyes. Jackie she recognized from her Drama class and she was pretty sure that Jessica was in her History and English classes.

After the introductions and obligatory small talk, the girls’ conversation turned to what Lacey assumed was the norm for them.

“Gabby,” said Jackie with a comical pout, “Mari says that it’s cheating to have her help us with our Spanish homework. But you don’t think so, do you? I mean, it’s recommended to practice speaking Spanish with Spanish speaking friends. How’s that different?”

“I said I’d look it over for you before you turn it in.” Her face serene, Marisol tucked a notebook she’d been reviewing into her pack. “That should count for something.”

“I even offered to help her with Calculus in exchange,” Jackie continued.

“Not much of an incentive, if you ask me,” Jessica commented. “I think she wants to pass Calculus.”

“Slander!” Jackie clutched at her heart and staggered backward.

“Are you ready for the tryouts?” Gabby asked Jessica, changing the subject.

“I think so,” the blond girl replied. “I’m going to put in a few more hours in the pool before Friday, though.”

“She’s trying out for the swim team,” Gabby explained to Lacey. “She was on the team last year, so it’s not like she won’t make it.”

“Hey, you never know. There’s no such thing as a shoe-in.”

Lacey looked interested. “I was sort of thinking about trying out. I’m a pretty good swimmer, but I haven’t swum competitively since I was twelve.”

“Really? I know we can use some new blood. We lost most of the team with graduation last year.”

“It’s been a while. I’m not sure if there’s enough time to get back into shape.”

“That’s not a big problem,” Jessica reassured her. “The pool is open until nine for the rest of the week. You can come in and get some practice in the next couple of nights. That’s what I’m doing. You just have to sign in each time and the first visit you need to have a release form signed by your parents that just says that you’re aware that there are no life guards and are responsible for your behavior, stuff like that. If you want, I can meet you here tonight and go through some of the main drills from last year.”

“Really? That would be great.”

“It’s no big. It’ll be good practice for me too. I’ll also be able to scope out the new competition.” She grinned at Lacey, letting her know that she meant her. “Want to start tonight? I’ve been going in right after school.”

Lacey thought about it for a minute and turned to Gabby. “Would you mind if we put off the tour of Dalton until another time? I think I’d really like to do this. I can call my mom to see if she can bring by my suit and stuff, and then pick me up when we’re done. I’ve really got to get a car of my own,” she grumbled.

Smiling, Gabby shrugged. “It’s not a problem. Maybe we can do a grand tour on Saturday or something. You should definitely try out for the team.”

Marisol checked the clock. “We’d better get going, or we’ll be late for first period.”

A Book Review: ‘The Lightning Thief’ by Rick Riordan

Okay, I admit it. The only reason I picked up this book was because I saw the trailer for the movie that will be released based on it. I read the back cover, thought, this might be interesting, a little young, maybe, but hey, I loved Harry Potter and I was a little old for that series too, but that didn’t stop me. I’m so glad that it didn’t stop me this time, either.

Released in 2005, Rick Riordan’s first novel of his Percy Jackson & the Olympians series starts with a boy who is being kicked out of yet another boarding school. That’s nothing, however, to the mythological monsters that are suddenly trying to kill him. Then, to make matters worse, he finds out that not only to the Greek gods exist, someone has stolen Zeus’s master lightning bolt and everyone thinks that Percy is to blame.

The story had me from the first chapter, when Percy admits that he accidentally vaporized his pre-Algebra teacher with a pen.

One of the things that is really neat about this story is that Riordan managed to pack a semester’s worth of Greek mythology and American geography into Percy’s quest, and the reader doesn’t even realize that she is actually learning something while she is entertained.

As stated above, I was worried that the book would be too young for me, or, more specifically, that the writing would be geared towards middle grades kids (the 10 to 12 set) and that I’d be bored, or, worse, condescendingly amused. I didn’t have anything to worry about. Even though the story and the characters are intended for a younger audience, the writing and the storytelling was appropriate for all ages—even thirty-something adult women. He uses advanced vocabulary and complex sentences and paragraphs I am used to reading in Young Adult and Adult fiction. In fact, the only time my brain took a detour away from the story was when I occasionally asked myself things like—would a twelve year old by notice something like that, recognize that, understand the significance of that, etc. But, having never been a twelve year old boy, I can’t say with certainty what one would notice or understand.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys quest stories, or to anyone who enjoyed Harry Potter or similar books. Now I have to go get the next book in the series The Sea of Monsters, and I’m looking forward to how closely the movies compares to the book.

I give the book 4 out of 4 jewels from the Dragon’s Hoard. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

A Book Review: ‘Never Cry Werewolf’ by Heather Davis (2009)

In Heather Davis’s Never Cry Werewolf (HarperTeen, 2009), a series of bad decisions involving boys and a stepmother who’s trying to get her out of the way lead to Shelby Locke getting sent to ‘brat camp’. At camp, Shelby meets fellow camper Austin Bridges, son of a notorious rock star. Knowing that she shouldn’t get involved with another “bad boy” doesn’t stop her from being drawn to him. Then she finds out he has a dark secret and needs her help to protect it.

I was drawn into this story from the first line. “Moonlight has special powers.” The rest of the paragraph, which continues this theme, set the perfect tone. “Moonlight can totally change your life. And it all starts so simply. You. Him. The moon. You’re toast.” Isn’t that fabulous? I love that. (Lucky for me, it’s repeated periodically throughout the book!)

The romance evolved wonderfully. Unlike some Young Adult romances, the reader sees how the relationship develops, building a solid foundation for the romance of the story. So many Young Adult romance books seem to skip this essential piece, letting simple good looks (i.e. “he’s hawt, I’m in love!") take the place of compatibility and meaningful interaction.

What really struck me about this story was the depth of character development in Shelby. In the end, the story was not about her trials at brat camp where she meets and falls for the good looking young werewolf. It’s about her finally understanding her own motivations for what she does and acknowledging the root causes of her behavior.

Trust and honesty are themes that are repeated throughout, but not in any way that could be deemed preachy. Shelby is sent to brat camp because her father feels he can no longer trust her. Many of the kids at camp have ulterior and sometimes dishonest motives for their actions. Can Shelby believe and trust that Austin’s strange behavior has an innocent cause? More than this, in the end, Shelby must learn to trust in and be honest with herself.

Other allusions were included that added to the whole atmosphere that was created—just a touch or two of Little Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast.

And all of this was done in 212 pages.

I give the book 4 out of 4 jewels from the Dragon’s Hoard. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

The First "Shift"

Below is the first time any of my characters shift into dragon form.  I'm looking for comments/crticisms/thoughts about it. Does it work? Is it too stilted? Anything. 

Excerpt from chapter 9

What happened next took only a few seconds, but every one of those seconds felt like an eternity as Lacey watched in astonishment.


Standing in front of her, Nathan’s skin began to change color. First it grew pale, so that he looked ill, then it began to turn gray, then silver. He gleamed in the fluorescent lights that hung over their heads. She had one startled moment to recall the bad guy in the second Terminator movie, all fluid and amorphous, when the silver shape of Nathan melted into a streaming column of liquefied metal that poured into a puddle on the concrete below him. As the last of the mercury-like substance splashed, ripples formed at the center, working their way back, filling the empty section of barn behind the sitting area.

The pool of silvery fluid continued to spread and almost touched her feet when she felt a strong arm pull her back suddenly. There was a curse behind her, but it barely registered.

The pool swelled, extended until it reached the back of the barn. Then a shape began to emerge from the pool, a liquid metal coated object that grew and morphed into a lustrous silver creature. It didn’t look like the pictures of dragons that she remembered seeing in fairy tales as a child. There was no long, arching neck, no bat-like wings. Instead, it looked vaguely like a primordial crocodile, muscular, with massive forelegs tipped with knife-edged talons. Unlike the crocodile, however, this body was fuller, rounder and more serpentine. There were two long, thin horns pointing back from the beast’s head, and a row of blade-like spikes trailing down the backbone.

Even as she watched, the creature changed. The glowing silver became dark and dull. Matte black scales, some edged in chrome, covered the body. Only the spines and talons retained the polished silver hue. Long, sharp teeth edged the jaw of a head that was easily as long as she was tall. Gray eyes, Nathan’s eyes she noted surreally, started out at them.

Thirty feet, her panicked brain calculated. This creature, this dragon, is thirty feet long. Each gleaming talon was the length of her forearm. She sucked in the breath she was holding. Breathe. Breath, Lacey. It’s not real. It can’t be…

In the background, she heard Dr. Drake curse. “Damn it, Nate.” She was only dimly aware of him and Dominic running to a set of wide doors along the back wall of the barn that she hadn’t noticed earlier and flinging them open. “You’re going to break something. Get down to the cavern. Down!”

The beast turned its monstrous head toward Dr. Drake and let loose with some kind of half-roar/half-growl that clearly expressed its dissatisfaction, but it slowly began to shuffle towards to opened doors in the back. Lacey watched, not sure what she was seeing. The doors, behind which she would have assumed would be an expanse of yard, showed only blackness. The creature’s tail, which she couldn’t have reached around with both of her arms, twitched as it disappeared into the dark.
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A Book Review: ‘Oh. My. Gods.’ By Tera Lynn Childs, 2008

Phoebe Castro is on the fast-track to achieving her dream of attending USC with her friends on a cross-country scholarship, but this all changes when her mom announces that she’s marrying a near-stranger and moving them to Greece in this Young Adult Romance by Tera Lynn Childs.

Before she knows it, Phoebe is stuck on a secret island in the Aegean and attending a super-exclusive private school known as the Academy, where her new stepfather is the headmaster and the kids are anything but average—they’re descendants of the Greek gods, superpowers included. Her only chance of reclaiming her old life lies in securing that scholarship, but managing that could be an ungodly challenge, considering she’s got a sabotaging stepsister, and a gorgeous guy—a veritable god!—in her way.

The story is a fun, easy read, ideally suited to the audience, especially the younger end of the Young Adult crowd. Phoebe is moody and belligerent when her mom moves them halfway across the world, which rings true, and despite this, she’s a likeable character that develops nicely as the story progresses.

The plot was entertaining and moved quickly, albeit predictably, and the setting and premise were fun and interesting.

Unfortunately, all the other characters are a bit over the top. Her friend Nola (short for Granola) is a hippie child, environmentally concerned, conspiracy theorist. Her stepsister, Stella, is as nasty as any that Cinderella could have claimed. Her mom is a clichéd therapist (“That sounds like you’re running away from your problems.”)

The biggest problem I had with the story was that the main characters weren’t as fully developed (probably the reason for the clichéd, over the top characters that were there) as they could be, and, as a result, the romance part of the story didn’t develop well. Griffin, the undeniably gorgeous love interest, goes from nice, to jerk, to loving, with very little explanation. As a romance reader, I want there to be more redeeming qualities in the male half of the relationship than great looks and a compulsion (yes, an actual compulsion) to help people in danger.

On the whole, it was a fun read and I like the main character enough that I am looking forward to the next book in the series, Goddess Boot Camp.

I give the book 2 ½ out of 4 jewels from the Dragon’s Hoard. ♦ ♦ ◊

A Book Review: 'Once Bitten, Twice Shy' by Jennifer Rardin, 2007

It’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series and James Bond all rolled into the start of a fun new series (okay, new to me—this book was originally released over 2 years ago).

Jennifer Rardin introduces a compelling character whose life is complicated on several different fronts—a bad childhood, a dysfunctional relationship with her father and her twin brother, a tragic past. The complications pile up when she adds in a sexy new boss, Vayl, who happens to be a vampire and binds her to him in a mystical way, and a new assignment that becomes more involved that the simple assassination it was supposed to be.

Jaz Parks is a kick-ass heroine and a CIA assassin: she’s smart, self-aware, sarcastic and brash enough to be a fascinating character—which is necessary when the story is in her first-person point of view. I’m not a fan of first person POV—I find it is often limiting and many authors don’t do it well enough for me to get past my prejudices. Rardin does pretty well—there were only a couple of instances where I wanted to shout “How do YOU know that’s what he’s thinking?” What she does that makes it really work for her, is add a lot of fun mental images and debates that are both entertaining and revealing (Jaz’s grandmother is usually in her head, giving her advice while she plays cards with famous dead people).

The plot is exciting and has enough twists to keep the reader, in this case me, wanting to keep going. There’s enough sexual tension to warm my romance-loving heart, gadgets and gizmos and intrigue enough to keep Q and Bond fans entertained, enough action to keep me cheering, and a cast of characters that are both endearing and quirky.

I give this book 3 out of 4 jewels from the Dragon’s Hoard. ♦ ♦ ♦

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From the back cover (2009 Orbit mass market paperback release):

I’m Jaz Parks. My boss is Vayl, born in Romania in 1744. Died there too, at the hand of his vampire wife, Liliana. But that’s ancient history. For the moment Vayl works for the CIA doing what he does best—assassination. And I help. You could say I’m an assistant assassin. But then I’d have to kick your ass.

Vayl and I have to take out a Miami plastic surgeon with ties to terrorism. But the assignment gets complicated when it turns out he’s in cahoots with a supernatural nasty powerful enough to bring America to its knees.