Review: Nine Lives of Chloe King by Liz Braswell

“Chloe King is a normal girl. She goes to class (most of the time), fights with her mom, and crushes on a boy…or two. But around her sixteenth birthday, Chloe finds that perhaps she isn’t so normal after all. There’s the heightened night vision, the super fast reflexes – oh, and the claws.

As she discovers who she is – and where she comes from – it is clear she is not alone. And someone is trying to get her. Chloe has nine lives. But will nine be enough?”

When the Nine Lives of Chloe King started up on ABC Family this summer I fell in love with yet another series.  The show was captivating.  Shortly after I heard that it was a book and had to read it.  Needless to say I was quite disappointed, which is unusual because I normally love the books of TV shows or movies that I watch.  I found the Chloe in the book annoying and the relationship between her and her mother strained in comparison to the fine balance of single mom parent and friend routine that they have on the show.  Not to mention the fact that the role that Brian, Chloe’s friend/crush, was completely flipped from the show.  Chloe’s friendship with Paul and Amy is on the rocks half the time and she only seems to like Alec for his sex appeal and seems to think he has rocks for a brain.  Basically, the relationships within the novel were a bit not only different, but not as well put together as what I found to like on the show.

The writer’s style was catered to my tastes though.  She wrote the different point of views of different characters in the book which I like because sometimes I want to know what going on in the heads of the other characters.  Another high note is that the story all flowed evenly.  I think the idea behind the story was great and the world seemed to agree a bit at least because the TV show is doing quite well.

My rating for this book:

Liz Braswell was born in Birmingham, England but grew up in a New England town.  She majored in Egyptology at Brown University and produced video games in New York for about ten years. To learn more about her visit Lizbraswell.com

The Hunger Games Movie

The New Twilight? 

For those of you that have been living under a rock for the past eight to ten months, The Hunger Games trilogy was picked up by Lionsgate, casted, the first book has been filmed, and is now beginning to be promoted starting with the first trailer premiering last night during the MTVs VMAs.  With the Twilight saga coming to an end this November some are saying it will be the “next twilight”.  With the movie coming out in March 2012 here’s what you need to know:

About the Story

The Hunger Games is a story of a girl named Katniss Everdeen who grew up in district 12 of the dystopian, post apocalyptic society in the runes of North America.  Katniss is the protector and provider of her household and has been ever since her dad was killed.  She and her best friend, Gale Hawthorne, who too is the head of his home, go out to hunt, gather, and do black market trades every day to make sure their families aren’t among the ones starving.    Katniss would do absolutely anything to keep her younger sister, Prim, safe and that’s exactly what she does when she takes Prim’s place as the girl tribute from district 12 for The Hunger Games.  The Hunger Games are an annual event in which each district must drawl two names, a boy and a girl, starting at the age of 12, to be brought to the capital and put in the cornucopia to fight until death.  The last one alive wins and gets to return home with better means of living.  If things couldn’t get any worse, the boy tribute is Peeta Mellark.  The last person she’d want to kill is the boy with the bread.     

Characters

Katniss Everdeen, the heroin of The Hunger Games will be played by Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawerance.  You may know her as Mystique from X-Men: First Class, Winter’s Bone, or the Beaver.
 

Peeta Mellark, the male contender from district 12 will be played by fellow Kentuckian, Josh Hutcherson.  Josh has been in The Polar Express, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and The Kids are alright.     

Gale Hawthorne is played by Liam Hemsworth, mostly known for his work in The Last Song, is the younger brother of Thor’s Chris Hemsworth, and on and off boyfriend of Miley Cyrus. 

Elizabeth Banks will be playing Effie Trinket, is the manager type escort of Katniss and Peeta to the capital.  You may know her from the Spider Man movies, the 40 Year Old Virgin, Scrubs, etc.  

 

Woody Harrelson is picked to play Haymitch, the only surviving district 12 tribute from 24 years ago who is now a drunken mess for the coach of Katniss and Peeta.  He’s known for being in the early 90’s hit show Cheers and the movies No Country for Old Men, 2012, and Friends With Benefits.  

Rocker Lenny Kravitz will be playing the beloved Cinna, Katniss’s stylist in the capitol.  Although he is mostly known for his music, he has made appearances in shows, such as Glee and Dancing with the Stars, and movies such as Bad Boys II.  He is also the father of X-Men: First Class’s Zoey Kravitz. 

Little Rue will be played Amandla Stenberg.  Rue is the District 11 tribute that reminds Katniss painfully of Prim and the team up.  Other than the new movie Columbiana this is Amandla’s first big movie. 

Willow Shields will be playing Primrose Everdeen (Prim), Katniss’s 12 year old sister and who’s place Katniss takes in the Hunger Games. She’s been in the TV Show In Plain Sight.

About the Movie

The Hunger Games has been filmed in Asheville, NC instead of creating a fake Appalachian setting in Hollywood.  The three books will be converted into four movies instead of three.

 So have you guys read the books? Are you excited about the movie?  What do you think of the casting?  Do you think that  The Hunger Games will be the next twilight? Better? Not as good?  Let us know & remember may the odds be ever in your favor.

-M

I got my information for E Weekly mag, IMDB.com and The Hunger Games trilogy.

Veronica Mason Interview- Rock 'n' Roll is Undead

Today we are lucky to have Rose Pressey's Veronica Mason from Rock 'n' Roll is Undead to join us for an interview! Everyone please welcome Veronica!

So, you love the 50’s: your style, the music your band plays, your car… what draws you to that era?

Oh wow, I don’t know for sure. My mother loved the era too, so maybe I got it from her. She talked about it a lot when I was growing up. The clothing is so cute, though, it’s hard not to love it. The cars, the music, the clothing… I love it all.

When did you know that you wanted to sing for a living?

At a very young age, I sang at the top of my lungs in the bathtub when I was as young as three. By ten, I’m pretty sure I knew I wanted to sing everyday for the rest of my life.

Vampires and witches have quite a bit of tension with each other; do you think their ties will ever be mended?

Anything is possible. Its’ nice to think that tension could disappear, but as of right now, it’s not going anywhere. I think the witches need some sense of protection against the vampires. It makes them feel safer- that tension provides the safety.

Does it get to you much that when you do spell your magic tends to go awry?

Sometimes, I brush it off… laugh about it. But other times I get really frustrated.

Speaking your mind doesn’t seem to be a fear of yours, what are you afraid of?

Clowns freak me out. I guess I can admit I’m a little afraid of the dark. Darkness means sleep and dreams… and the visions.

Speaking of visions, this is a new power you’ve never experienced as a watch. How hard is it to tone your abilities so you can control them instead of them controlling you?

Right now I’d say I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m trying though with the help of my grandmother and some of her friends. I take it one day at a time.

You have tattoos all over your body, do they have meanings or just cool designs that you liked?

Some have meanings and others I just think are cool. The roses are for my mother. She loves roses so much. I finally got a tattoo for my bother. It’s a small cross on my shoulder blade. I think it’s awesome. Something tells me he would have wanted me to get a tattoo that said “half-ass witch” but I won’t give him the satisfaction.

How did you and Kitty, your best friend who happens to be a werewolf, become friends?

We met in high school. She was behind me in the lunch line and saved me from the turkey tacos. After that, we’ve been inseparable.

So you’re determined to not date band members, with being the lead singer of your band, you think you’d have men lining  up to hae a chance to be with you. Where are you with your love life?

Um, well… it’s complicated. I’ll talk more about it soon, but right now… well it’s complicated. Buzz is… well, he’s Buzz.

Lastly, I loved Rock ‘n’ Roll is Undead. Do you think you can convince Rose to write more of your story?

Rose is easily persuaded. LOL. She’s agreed to write at least two more books. Hey, if readers are interested in my crazy life, I’m sure I could talk her into more.

That sounds like awesome news to me. Thanks for stopping by Veronica! It was a ton of fun having you here! And if any of you readers have not read Rock 'n' Roll is Undead, surely now you can tell how much you're missing out! You can click here to see what we had to say about the book.

 

Review: Rock 'n' Roll is Undead by Rose Pressey

"Rockabilly singer Veronica Mason discovers her vampire bass player staked through the heart. A vision of the murder flashes in Veronica’s mind. She’s about to land a record deal. Suspicion soon turns to her when another vampire dead. When an utterly delicious mystery man steps in as the new bass player, Veronica can’t figure out if he’s there to help or cause more problems."

Rock ‘n’ Roll is Undead is a book that takes place over 3 days of Veronica Mason’s life. The story starts out at her show, just doing her normal thing when she’s packing up to leave and she finds Johnny, her bass player in ashes. Suddenly she can see the killer’s thoughts before the murder as well as Johnny’s, an ability she’s never had before as a witch, a term she uses loosely. When these creepy occurrences keep happening and the vampire detective on the case begins suspecting Veronica for murder, she finds herself in panic mode to figure out what is really going on.

I found myself giggling throughout the book as Veronica explains why lipstick appears at the end of every spell she does (or tries to do) and how vampires are now able to go out in the sunlight. Rose Pressey takes you to a whole new world in this quick and effortless read that plays with your emotions. Each and every character will be a suspect at one time or another as you get to know them and try to determine who’s responsible for the cruel murders, especially the super hot new bass player Buzz. And the ending is one that will have you eager for more rockabilly, magic and of course, Veronica and the gang.

My rating for this book:

Rose Pressey enjoys writing quirky and fun novels with a paranormal twist. The paranormal has always captured her interest. The thought of finding the answers to the unexplained fascinates her.
When she’s not writing about werewolves, vampires and every other supernatural creature, she loves eating cupcakes with sprinkles, reading, spending time with family and listening to oldies from the fifties. Yeah, she loves Elvis, she can’t help herself.
Rose lives in Kentucky with her husband, son and two sassy Chihuahuas. You can follow her here:
Facebook                            Blog                                      Website                                  Twitter

To see our fun interview with Veronica Mason herself, click here!
 

Indie VS. Traditional Publishing

Here at The Ink Puddle, we try and review and discuss independently as well as traditionally published novels. But today we want to know, do you guys have a preference?

Where do you stand on authors being able to publish their own work with the evolution of things like the e-reader? How often do you read indie published work versus traditional? What convinces you that you want to read the books that you read?
Is it the cover image? The reviews? The personality of the author? The fact that it is or could be a movie? Or something else entirely?

What do you believe are the pros and cons of indie writing?

We really want to hear what you have to say so please let us know what you think!
-J&M

Review: Wake by Lisa McMann

“For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people’s dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie’s seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.
She can’t tell anybody about what she does – they’d never believe her, or worse, they’d think she’s a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn’t want and can’t control.
Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else’s twisted psyche. She is a participant…”

I first heard of Wake through the rumor mill when there was talk of it becoming a movie. Whether or not that is or was ever true, I’m not sure but this possibility lead me to giving the book a shot in my free time. What’s really interesting about it is the way the author formats the story.  Not only is it broken down into chapters but it’s also broken down in time fragments within the chapters.  As someone who is used to reading mainly free flowing stories, until I got used to this new format, I found it kind of annoying.  The story is significantly short; just a little more than 100 pages but the way the chapters are broken up gives you a good amount of information. 

 Janie has been sucked into people’s dreams since she was eight years old and frankly it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.  She sees her mother’s drunken mothers psychedelic dreams, her best friend, Carrie’s nightmares of her past, or her enemy, Melinda’s lesbian dreams.  And these nightmares don’t just hit her in the night, they occur in class, at work, and even while driving.  And when Mr. Hot and Cold, Cabel discovers Jannie’s ability things get even stranger.  Wake is a paranormal story of a girl from the wrong side of the tracks trying to make her way to a new life.

   

My Rating For This Book:

Author's Personal Bio:

Lisa McMann was born in Holland, Michigan and now lives in Arizona. Her books consist of the Wake trilogy, Cryer’s Cross, The Unwanteds, and Dear Bully. To find out more visit lisamcmann.com

Accidents Happen - Part 3!

Busted screens

Whether your e-reader was dropped or hit by something wrong in your purse or carryon bag, this can usually be fixed. All Kindles, whether bought in a retail store or online at Amazon’s website, automatically have a one year warrantee. In this one year time period you can replace one Kindle free of charge. All you have to do is call Amazon’s customer service line at 1 (800) 201-7575 and tell them your situation. They will then send you a replacement Kindle within two business days, along with a UPS tag so you can send your old Kindle to them.  Usually all this is done with little to no hassle and no rush on sending the old Kindle back!

And of course, all of your purchased books can be found in your achieves. And next week I will have a post on transferring collections, whether that be from a Kindle 2 to a Kindle 3, or from a broken Kindle to replacement one.

Note: I have heard stories of the customer service rep saying “Anything that happened to your Kindle that wouldn’t have happened to a normal book if it was in that situation, we’ll replace. They’re supposed to be more durable than books.” Then I’ve heard the other side saying “I’m sorry, there’s nothing we can do because it was done was busted inside your bag (purse, carryon, ect).”
Point of this story: be on the safe side and don’t mention that your Kindle was broke in a bag. You never know who you’re talking to on the other end.

Every Nook you buy also has a one year warranty automatically. Barnes and Noble is a bit more selective than Amazon on replacing your e-reader though especially in broken screen situations.  You can contact B&N at 1 (800) 843-2665, talk to a service representative and if they are willing to replace your Nook, they will pay for shipping to send you the replacement as well as for you to send the broken one back.

You could also replace the cover yourself. You can find the screen on Ebay, the model number is: LG LD070WS1. It’s about $69 plus shipping but you’ll also need to get a kit give you the tools you’ll need to replace the screen. Personally, this route is more difficult, but it may be worth the trouble. If you want to see how click here to watch a video we found on YouTube.

If they don’t offer to replace your Nook and you don’t feel comfortable replacing the screen yourself you can contact the Nook Repair Service. It looks like the price to replace the screen is about $199 plus $69 for labor plus shipping… which it sounds like you would be better off just purchasing a new Nook unfortunately. And if you buy a new one, always hold onto the old parts such as the battery.

Have you guys had much difficulty with customer service at either place? How durable has your experience with your e-reader been?

-J

Note: We are obviously not liable for any damage done  while trying to replace your screen.

Great News and Beautiful Book Covers!

Some friends of mine have some exciting news this morning! Wenona Hulsey's Blood Awakening, Belinda Boring's Without Mercy, Nichole Chase's Mortal Obligation, Elizabeth's Sharp's Natural Selection are all chosen for the 2011 Goodreads YA Debut Authors! So be sure to go and vote for your favorites. I know I haven't mentioned Nichole or Elizabeth before on The Ink Puddle but in the next month we'll be reviewing their books and having at least an interview with Elizabeth!
So congratulations to all of them and everyone else for simply making the list!

On another note, have you guys seen the new covers for Amanda Hocking's Trylle Trilogy?

Woah. That's all I knew to say, these covers are absolutely beautiful! This series was actually the first thing I read on my Kindle when I got it last Christmas but I am just as excited now to reread the slightly edited versions now that they're being traditionally published by St. Martin's Press. Also! Amanda Hocking says to be expecting a brand new short story in each of these books as a small continuation of the story.

Needless to say this is great news for some of our favorite authors. Do you have any good news to share?

-J

Autographing on E-Readers

I know I briefly talked about this last week, but I thought I would give you guys the details today. Kindlegraph is a website that’s designed to give authors the chance to autograph their books on your Kindle. There are currently around 5,000 books and 1,000 authors but the numbers are growing daily. 

Here's how to do it:
1)      Sign in on Kindlegraph’s website with your Twitter account.
2)      Search either by books or by author.
3)      Find the book you want the author to autograph and make your request!

When the Kindlegraph comes through, it’ll look like this:

Cool, right? I’m super pumped about this feature. Of the people we’ve reviewed so far, Rose Pressey, Wenona Hulsey, S.W. Benefiel and J.L. Bryan, all have books available to be Kindlegraphed.

The Nook also has a feature for this as well. Only theirs is an app you can download onto the Nook Color that allows authors to actually sign the book, using the stylus! This way, it’s literally an autograph, just as if the writer had used a sharpie to sign a book. Also, if you loan the book to a friend, they can view the signature as well. The Sony e-reader works the same way, only theirs is a bit slower due to the ink technology they use.

So there are all kinds of ways people are trying to keep E-readers just as awesome as books, if not better. What do you guys think of the autographing? Have you tried it? What kinds of advances would you like to see happen?

Review: I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Barnes and Nobles Review:

“Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books—but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you without you knowing.

But they know.
They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.

And Number Three in Kenya.

They killed them all.

I am Number Four.

I am next.”

Last February when I Am Number Four with the hot Alex Pettyfer and beautiful Dianna Agron came out on the big screen, few knew it was actually a bestselling book, including myself.  But I managed to read it before the movie came out and it was fabulous.  John Smith has been on the run for almost his entire life.  He has no family, no friends, and no true identity.  He moves from state to state with his guardian, Henri, before he has a chance to make a life for herself.  That is until he meets Sara.  She’s beautiful, talented and a completely different species from John.  And for her, John risks everything.  This novel brings out a different kind of super hero fighting against your not so typical aliens. It's a great quick read for teenagers that provides fantastic escape from the world. I Am Number Four is a thrilling, romantic, bitter-sweet sci-fi novel that everyone will enjoy.

My rating for this book:

4

Pittacus Lore is Lorien’s ruling Elder. He has been on Earth for the last twelve years, preparing for the war that will decide Earth’s fate. His whereabouts are unknown.  The true author is unknown.

-M

Lets Face It, Accidents Happen- Part 2

Replacing Your Battery

If your E-reader’s life seems to be getting shorter and shorter, it may be time for a new battery. While you can have Amazon do replace the Kindle battery for you for $59, you can also do it yourself. (And who doesn’t like to save money?!) You can find replacement batteries on Amazon or Ebay for relatively cheap. Once you have the battery here is how you replace it on the Kindle:

-          Turn your Kindle off by holding down the power button until the Kindle screen goes blank.
-          Face your Kindle screen down on a soft, protective surface.
-          Slide the gray cover.
-          Slowly (with your fingers-NO tools) lift up the battery and notice the direction the notches lay.
-          There will be white cords attached, gently pull this white connector back until it is disconnected from your battery.
-          Place new battery, pushing white connector cord back onto the battery.
-          Slide the cover back on gently until it snaps into place.

Now onto the Nook! 

-          Turn off your Nook.
-          In the small crack between where the top and bottom crease meet, pry open carefully using your fingers.
-          Use a Phillip’s screw driver to unscrew the battery cover. Once the screw is out, pull the battery out by placing your finger in the small crescent shaped hole.
-          Now replace the new battery in the same position where the old one was.
-          To put the cover back onto the Nook, align the bottom piece with the top and press gently until you hear a “click”.

Now hopefully if you’re put in the position to need to do replace your battery you will know how! Or if a friend or family member needs to, you can always impress them with your awesomeness.

-J

Note: We are obviously not liable for any damage done  while trying to replace your battery.

Tidbits and Rambles

New book review post is up covering Jenny Pox by J.L. Bryan. Thought we might get ourselves caught up for the release of the third and final book in the Paranormals series Alexander Death. I'm hearing September or October for the release? I'll let you guys know when I hear more.

Rose Pressey will be here next Friday to talk about her book Rock and Roll is Undead! So you'll definitely want to stop in to see what she has to say.

Also, have you heard of Kindlegraph? I'll have a post for itself discussing what this is in detail next week but in short, it's where you can get like an autographed book on your Kindle! Wenona Hulsey posted on Facebook about this not too long ago as well as Ross Pressey. The author will basically send you a little message to thank you for purchasing their book! Personally, I think this is the most fantastic idea ever. So if you want to go ahead and check out the site and see what books are availible click here.

Alas, this is probably all you'll hear from me until Monday. Some friends and I are going to Columbus, Ohio to see the Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto in concert! I am beyond pumped to leave town and have one last mini vacation before school starts back up next week.  Plus, I have this crazy obsession with Panera Bread pastries so every time we go out of town I have to stop there for breakfast at least one morning. So while discussing this awful habit of mine at work my colleague actually gave me a $25.00 gift certificate for Panera. That right there my friends, is a sign that awesomeness is yet to come. :)

I  hope all of you have an equally great weekend.
See you Monday,
J

Review: Jenny Pox by J.L. Bryan

“Jenny's touch spreads a deadly supernatural plague. She can't control her power, so she devotes her life to avoiding contact with other people in her small Southern town. Her senior year of high school, she meets the one boy she can touch...but if she's going to be with him, Jenny must learn to use the horrific power inside her to survive his devious, manipulative girlfriend, who secretly wields the most dangerous power of all.”

I had first heard of J.L. Bryan from Amanda Hocking when she mentioned him on her blog. Looking at the description I was instantly curious to see where this went. The book didn’t disappoint either.

Jenny Morton is a terrified young girl who keeps to herself, but not because she has to. What else can you do when you know you have the ability to kill someone by one simple touch? Wear long sleeves, jeans, gloves and everything to keep as much of your body hidden as possible to do the things you have to do such as school. Until the day Jenny meets somebody who can touch her and not get hurt: Seth. The possibilities whirl in Jenny’s mind until she realizes that not only is Seth dating Ashleigh, but that they both have their own secrets and Ashleigh’s intentions may not be as innocent as Seth’s…

This book is a terrific twist on the paranormal genre. You have the high school drama, the sweet romance, family business obligations, super powers, and just enough horror. The characters are captivating, each unique and with specific purpose. The ending, though it takes a different tone than the rest of the book, will take you on an unexpected turn that will have you reeling in anticipation to read Tommy Nightmare. Though Jenny Pox was a bit of a slow read for me, it was definitely worth the time. But I do feel obligated to mention that there are a couple of slightly gruesome sexual scenes as well as a lot of religious manipulation.

My rating for this book:

Jenny Pox is the first book in The Paranormals Trilogy.

Note: J.L. Bryan recommends readers be 18 years or older.

J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on the English Renaissance and the Romantic period.  He also studied screenwriting at UCLA.  He is the author of five novels and one short-story collection.  He enjoys remixing elements of paranormal, supernatural, fantasy, horror and science fiction into new kinds of stories.  His goal is to provide highly original fiction like you won’t find anywhere else.  He lives in Atlanta with his wife Christina, as well as some dogs, cats, and domestic plants. You can follow him here:
Blog       Facebook       Twitter          Website

Woot Woot!

I just wanted to do a quick post to thank all of you for your support. Today actually makes 1 month of The Ink Puddle being in action! And none of this would be possible if it wasn't for our readers and the wonderful authors who share their stories with us.

800 views in a month's time isn't too shabby, if I do say so myself! But I hope that all of you stick around because the best is yet to come. We have the next two months planned out with fantastic writers to visit almost every Friday, more snazzy plans for E-reader news, fun upcoming book information and of course more book reviews. Basically, just all of the awesomeness The Ink Puddle has been times 1,000!

And don't forget, if there is ever a book you want to have reviewed, a topic you would like discussed, a suggestion you have or anything you want to say, never hesitate to contact us. Hearing from you guys makes our day.

Thanks again,
J&M

Review: Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Amazon Review:
“Sookie Stackhouse is just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. Until the vampire of her dreams walks into her life-and one of her coworkers checks out....

Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend isn't such a bright idea.”  

I know what you’re thinking, the True Blood books, like vampire porn… gross.  Or at least those were my thoughts about the show when it first came on.  But after a few people recommended the books to me saying that they weren’t just full of dirty vampire sex, I decided to give them a whirl.  What I liked about Dead Until Dark was  that the main character, Sookie wasn’t a thirty something like you find with most adult books nor a teenager like you find with the young adults, and because I myself am at that in between age I found her more relatable. Sookie Stackhouse is a normal young woman; normal pretty looks, normal size and height, normal job, normal friends, and a normal family.  She lives in a fairly standard small country town.  Everything about her seems ordinary except for the fact that she can hear living people's thoughts and seems to have a knack for attracting the extremely sexy supernatural, which is what lead her to be with vampire Bill Compton, the new vampire in town.  Dead Until Dark is a sexy fantasy thriller filled with new love, mystery, murder.

My rating for this book:

4.5

Charlaine Harris grew up in the Mississippi Delta and was raised by two avid readers.  So, naturally, she was too, which lead her from writing plays and poems to her first two hit series that came out in the 80’s.  Her most successful series was the Sookie Stackhouse/ Southern Vampire Series, debuted in 2001, that has became a hit series a HBO’s TruBlood.  To find out more about Charlaine Harris visit www.charlaineharris.com.

-M

Super Helpful and Stuff

I don't know if you've noticed anything different about The Ink Puddle, but I'm so pumped to have our blog more organized. Thanks to Jenny from Supernatural Snark, I was able to figure out some of the technical problems that have been making me want to bang my head against the wall! Are you guys liking the new layout? There are a few more things I want to accomplish, but we are off to a fantastic start!

Also, we have a new person joining The Ink Puddle crew... C! He's been my editor/ technical computer guy from the start but has finally agreed to let me include him as part of the site. You can find a little about him in our About Us section at the top.

Throughout the next month or so every Monday we’ll be discussing how to fix or go about replacing the Kindle and Nook. It's our Let's Face It, Accidents Happen series and the topics I have so far include: fixing frozen screens, battery replacement, busted screens and transferring collections from one device to another. To see our first installment of the series, click here. Now this is where you come in, what have you had trouble with doing on your e-reader?  Is there anything that we aren’t talking about that you would like to know? Fill us in, we’ll do the research and let you know how to fix the problem.

Until next time!
-J

Let's Face It, Accidents Happen- Part 1

This has happened to me a few times, my Kindle is about to go dead so I put it on charge and pull it off an hour or so later and it won’t do anything, it’s just stuck on the sleep screen. I’ve tried quite a few things to fix this but the thing that has worked best for me the about 3xs I’ve had it happen in the past year has been to:

-          Plug your Kindle into the power source and wait 5 minutes.

-          Remove from power source and turn it back on.

-          No luck? Hard reset the device by holding the power key for about 30 seconds until your Kindle restarts itself. The page will refresh and take a little bit but slowly come back to life.

Now for the Nook:
Try the steps above used for the Kindle, it’s exactly the same process the Troubleshoot says. If that doesn’t work (as many people in forums are saying it doesn’t)…

-          Carefully remove the back cover.

-          Take out the battery and wait it out for about a minute.

-          Press and hold the power button for about a minute to have “Nook Final Shutdown”.

-          Put battery back in, replace cover.

-          Place Nook on charge.

TADA! Hopefully your e-reader will be back up in no time! Just be sure not to freak out and call customer service until after you’ve tried these steps. So you guys have anything else that has worked for you? Do your devices have this issue often?

-J

Please Welcome Wenona Hulsey!

Today we have something special in store for you guys, an interview with Wenona Hulsey herself! I'm lucky enough to be friends with her through H.P. Mallory's Book Club and I am pretty pumped to have her here today. You can find my review of her new book Blood Awakening in the post below the interview. And trust me, it is one you're going to want to read! So without further ado... Here's our little Q&A with Wenona Hulsey!

What was your inspiration behind Burden of Blood?

I've always loved a story about someone who just didn't fit in anywhere but triumphs in spite of it. Finding out that their differences are what makes them strong has always left me, as a reader, more in love with the characters.  I wanted to write a story that would give people that feeling too. So much so that I started writing my first novel Burden of Blood.

What were you feeling about it being released?

On release day I was so nervous! I knew I loved my story and that my friends loved it too but there is always that self-doubt eating away in the back of my mind. Tons of 'what ifs' almost caused me to put off releasing my novel for a few more months, until I could go over it again with a fine tooth comb for the fourth time, but I made myself push forward and I'm so glad I did.

What made you want to become a writer?

I can't really pin it down to one thing. I've always been an avid reader and a bit of a dreamer, so writing a novel has been in the back of my mind since I was a teenager (a long time ago). I just love to explore what my mind is capable of coming up with and the best place for me to do that is in stories. Sometimes I make myself laugh and other times I say "Dang girl! You have one twisted mind!" but either way, it makes me happy.

Are there certain writers that inspire you specifically or perhaps influence your style of writing?

H.P. Mallory has been my number one influence.  Her success as an indie author, who was turned down over and over by publishers, has made me realize that just because one person said no, it doesn't mean you work won't be loved. She is also the reason I started reading paranormal romance which is the category my novel, Burden of Blood, somewhat falls into.

Burden of Blood part of a series or single book?

There will be a second book to follow Burden of Blood, called Blood of Fire. This is planned to be the final one of Nicole's story. I also released a short story called Blood Awakening which gives you the back story of best friends, Nicole and Kat.

Are the settings in your book based off where you grew up?

Actually yes! It is loosely based on the small town I grew up in and the surround towns. The description I give of the town is a mix of  how it was when I was a teen and how it is now. Biggest difference between the two time periods is that Double Springs has TWO red lights now!

What is the best tip you could give an aspiring writer?

Don't give up on your dream. After all, in the end, we all feel either a great sense of fulfillment or disappointment in the way we spent our time on this earth. You only have right now so make the most of it!

What is your biggest writing/ reading pet peeve?

I don't guess I have a pet peeve. I'm trying real hard to think of one but nothing really bothers me. I just love a good story. Entertain me and I'm happy.

What is the most tedious part of the publishing process?

Publishing is a whole new world to me! I had to learn so much so fast I felt like my head was spinning. I kept looking for the easy button for publishing so I could get back to writing but there isn't one. I think the hardest part is when you self-publish is figuring out the dang formatting for e-books. That was enough to give me gray hair!!

Favorite weird food?

Does peanut butter and banana sandwiches count as weird? Wish I had one right now!

Color?

Favorite color is blue.

As a child, what did you want to grow up and be?

An astronaut! I wanted to meet aliens!! Outer space is where everyone said they lived so I started making plans to get me to NASA.  

Thank you so much Wenona for visiting The Ink Puddle! We loved having you.
And I hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend. :)

Review: Burden of Blood by Wenona Hulsey

“No one wants to know everyone’s darkest secrets, especially not police officer, Nicole Keenan. All she wants is a blissfully normal life in the small, Alabama town where she was born. But as generations of power running through her veins start to wake up, an ancient grudge is ignited that threatens to push her over the edge. She can hardly believe in what she is, let alone that a dark force will not stop until she's joins them. Or is dead.
Nicole Keenan's life enters into a dangerous dance with warriors and gothic fairies. Southern tradition collides with Irish folklore as she learns about love, heartbreak, and The Burden of Blood.”

When Wenona Hulsey approached me and asked me to read and review her first novel, I was thrilled. I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting, but Burden of Blood exceeded any possible expectations I could have had. It was like as soon as you thought you knew what was going on, a new character would come in or a new twist in the story would surprise you. The love story between Nicole and Luke will have you screaming at the book as you beg Nicole to give in, and realize it’s okay to let go and fall in love. The characters are real, relatable, funny and all individual. This book really shows us what we are not only capable of, but the strength that we have when we think we’ve lost everything.

So now that we know who the dark mysterious figure is from Blood Awakening, will Nicole find the strength to carry out her destiny and protect the fey? I’ll be waiting very impatiently for that answer.

My rating for this book:

Authors Personal Bio:
Author Wenona Hulsey is a lover of all things written. When she was a child, you could find her reading anything from Edger Allen Poe to the back of cereal boxes. Today you will find her with an e-book reader glued to her hands except for the times when she is writing or spending time with her family. She is also an avid social networker who loves to meet new people. You can find her here!

Twitter                    Facebook                       Blog

To see our fun interview with Wenona Hulsey, click here!

** This book was provided by Wenona to The Ink Puddle.

Etsy and E-Reader Cases

M’s fantastic review on Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini is up! Also, I’m learning a lot about technical computer stuff and making webpages do what I want them to do, it’s just taking some time. So with that said, I hope to have The Ink Puddle up and looking awesome in the next month or so. I have some plans to make our blog much more organized, easily accessible and even have a new look.

Speaking of new look, who doesn’t love cute cases for your e-reader? I have been looking up, down and sideways for cases that are attractive to the eye and still protective with little luck… until now. Have you checked out Etsy? It’s basically a place for people to make and sell anything you can think of, many of those things are actually homemade. And if you want it altered in some way, just ask! They usually do it without extra charge. And here is what I found and ordered on Sunday:

That one is made and sold by PuppyDogsNPolkaDots but many other people make them too. So it may be something for you to check out.
Let me know what you think about M’s review and where you find your Kindle/ Nook essentials. We’re always open to new ideas!

-J

Review: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

“How do you defy destiny?
Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is- no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it’s getting harder. Nichmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damanged by dirt and dust. At school she’s haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood… and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they’re destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.  As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legent. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are drawing her and Lucas together – and trying to tear them apart.”

When I first heard of Starcrossed, although the story sounded really good, the title made me want to flounce around the horse like a damsel in distress Scarlet O’Hara; not such a good thing. But Josephine Angelini took the term “starcrossed lovers” and created one of the greatest stories I’ve read in a long time. While I like the whole vampire/ wereworlf thing, it was extremely refreshing to read about a supernatural race that didn’t have sudden urges to eat raw flesh. The heroin, Helen Hamilton is probably, in everyone’s opinion, the most breath-takingly beautiful girl in the entire world – and the most self-conscious. With her tall, lean stature and long blond hair, one would think she’d have the confidence of a super model. But for the most part she just feels like an over-sized, overly strong freak that has to be carefulnot to fall in to doors for fear of ripping htem off the hinges and making sure she doesn’t run too fast during track. To add to her freak status, she tried to kill the most gorgeous guy in school – and she had never seem him before in her life! Lucas Delos seems to hate her with equal passion, yet he can’t seem to stay away from her either. Starcrossed is the triple threat of fiction. It has love, war and heartbreak. What can get better than that?

My rating for this book:

Josephine Angelini grew up the the youngest of eight, only one brother, on a farm in Massachusetts. She graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of Arts and now lives in L.A. with her husband. “She can still drive a tractor.” To learn more about Josephine, visit her website, here.