K. M. Wray

Book Review: Magical New Beginnings -Brenda Trim

Are you an older woman in your mid-life, approaching it or on the other side? Perhaps you’re experiencing an empty nest with adult kids going off to university or becoming more independent. This read might be for you!

This book attracted me because it sounded different from the regular young twentyish female lead. I thought it’d be fun to read about a middle-aged woman taking on the world because let’s face, women in the thirties, forties and fifties are amazing in all they do in this world.

Back to the review. The book didn’t fully disappoint. I liked how the story was set in a small country village. It felt cozy and the community felt tight-knit. The main character, upon arriving at her grandmother’s estate, learns that she has magical abilities and she’s very strong. It’s why she was taken from this magical community when she was young.

While the story was sweet and a nice diversion, I found the main character a bit unbelievable. I don’t think the author really knows what a forty-year-old is like because no forty-year-old I know of seems so… old. The character feels like a geriatric in someone who is middle-aged, so that doesn’t fit. There were a few areas of the story that left questions, so maybe those answers will come with future books in the series. At present I’m not sure I’ll continue in the series but mostly because (as you’ve heard me say before), I like to know how long a series is before committing.

Check out the link here for the book:

Magical New Beginnings

So what do you think of middle-age heroines? Is anyone ever too old to be a hero? Or should the role of ‘hero’ be left to the young? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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Twilight’s Curse: Behind the Scenes -the brownies

Imagine if such creatures existed who could enter your home, clean your house, prepare your meals and not ask for a thing in return. Do such creatures exist? They do in fantasy!

The brownies are creatures of myth and fantasy. They are secretive and seldom reveal themselves to humans, but you always know they’ve been there because your home is clean and things are taken care of. I don’t know how the creatures came about or how they got the name of the delicious dessert! but after first reading about them, I knew they’d find their way into my writing.

In Twilight’s Curse, the brownies are first seen in the royal tree and then Nate’s tree. They are mostly housekeepers, about the size of an 8-10 year old child and are quite pleasant in beings. There were a few characteristics I brought forward in this book: their secretive natures and their nurture.

Despite Zoe, female lead, having lived with the brownies for a number of years, she still knows very little about them and their history. When she asks questions, Cocoa, the head brownie, shows a little irritation about being asked about things that are secrets to brownies. It gives the loving creatures a bit of mystery and charm because you don’t quite know what they’ll do next or even what they’re capable of and that leaves lots of room for the unexpected.

The second characteristic I focused on was the brownies nurturing ability. They’re sweet and loving creatures who mostly take care of the orphaned children Zoe brings to Nate’s home. But they also have a powerful mother bear type magic that’s tied to their nurture which saves Zoe in fight. As Cocoa is known for saying, ‘never underestimate the power of nurture.’

What kind of creatures do you like in your fantasy reads? Do know of some unique beings with unusual magic? I’d love to hear about them.

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Book Review: Mind over Magic -Lindsay Buroker

A few weeks ago, a favorite author of mine, Lindsay Buroker, came out with a new series: A Witch in Wolf Wood. It was a bit different from most of her books, at least the ones I’ve read so far and a great starter to the series. At .99cents, I definitely encourage you to check it out!

The main character: Morgan Keller, is middle aged and her grandmother has just died. Unfortunately for Morgan and her sister, they knew nothing of her grandmother -she’s a witch. And with her arrival, Morgan is about to discover that witch blood runs in her veins as well. But of course, things aren’t as simple as that since a wolf shifter, tenant of her grandmother’s, lives on her property and doesn’t want Morgan there. Then there are others in the area who covet this piece of property and Morgan’s life is threatened… a few times. Soon she’s mixed up in a mystery she wasn’t planning on.

Morgan was a likeable character and I’m wondering how the series will look going forward. The curiosity may cause me to read further though I still haven’t decided if I’ll pursue this series. (Usually I like to see how long a series is before investing.)

Check out the book here using this link:

Mind Over Magic

And let me know what you think. Do you like the wolf shifter trope? What did you think about Morgan’s discovery of her magical abilities?

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Binge-worthy Reads

The weather is cooling off outside and one of the fun things about changing seasons (or colder temperatures) is we who love reading have an excuse to binge read for the weekend.

Here are some reads by a favourite author of mine: K. M. Shea. They’re older books, so the editing quality isn’t as strong as her newer books, but they are still amazing reads!

Check out these reads:

Complete 7 book series (episodic style) for .99cents: King Arthur and H er Knights

Robyn Hood: A Girl’s Tale

Robin Hood: Fight For Freedom

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New Release! Twilight’s Curse

So it’s been a while. The summer was good but a bit challenging with work commitments and I wasn’t able to get around to as many blog posts as I was doing earlier this year. However, I have read some interesting books, so some book reviews should be coming soon!

That aside, I was able to dive a bit deeper into my writing: fiction and non-fiction endeavors and am pleased to announce the release of: Twilight’s Curse: Book 1 in the Twilight Realm Series!

It is set in a land governed by elves and is a Young Adult fantasy filled with memorable characters, a slow burn clean romance, magic, dragons and fighting.

This book will be available for purchase on Amazon for .99cents this Friday, October 22nd, but you can pre-order it as well.

Order on Amazon

I’m really excited about this series. It began with a picture of a girl with tattoos of daggers on her forearms. The daggers detach from her skin and she’d use them to fight. It took a bit of time for me to work out the ideas but now not only is book one, Twilight’s Curse, complete, but so are books 2 and 3. (The sequels will be out in 2022! Editing does take time.)

Please check out this amazing preview page. It includes the book blurb as well as the first chapter.

Preview

Take a moment to upvote the book while visiting the page. This will really help to increase advertising opportunities.

Thanks so much for your support and I hope you enjoy the read!

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Feedback: Working with Editors

Every writer, at some point, needs to work with an editor. And any experienced author knows the importance of doing this before publishing their book.

While not all my experiences with editors has been good, I have been fortunate to find some pretty amazing people who care about my work and my voice as an author. So what makes the editor-author relationship work?

First: Find someone you feel comfortable working with. The author-editor relationship needs to be comfortable and you need to understand each other. Editors will give feedback throughout your work and as authors, we need to receive it (more about this in a moment). However, if you find that an editor is overly critical or they’re doing too much to change your author’s voice, then maybe you need to find another editor.

Second: Receive the feedback the editor gives you. Their perspective is different and they’re going to point out issues with your work that you don’t see. Realize that this is why you’re paying them money and that their feedback will only make your writing better. Early on I realized that I could only take a manuscript so far and that I was too close to the story to look at it with the objectivity it needed. It was time for help, so I found an editor. Several revisions later, the manuscript was transformed.

Third: Editors do different kinds of work, so make sure you know what you’re looking for. Here are the main ones:

Critique: general comments about what needs improvements.
Developmental editing: looks for plot holes, missing details, weak world building, etc.
Line/copy editing: tightens up sentences and word use.
Proofread: any final errors.

Each stage of editing serves a different purpose at a different time and it’s usually useful to have more than one editor working on your manuscript if you need so many edits.

Fourth: Remember they’re people too. I find editors almost always apologizing for their profession and granted, their job is to point out mistakes, so people can become defensive. However, a good editor and a good cover artist are probably two of the most important people authors need for the success of their manuscript. Honestly, I value my editor(s). They improve my work and help me become a better writer. Perhaps seeing an editor like a trainer or coach for our manuscripts might help if you struggle with the editing process. In one of my early manuscripts, an editor told me that my descriptions were weak, so I took that feedback and found books, blogs, videos on the subject and a year later, he said there was a huge improvement. His comment didn’t hurt because he wasn’t attacking me or my work, he was pointing out an area that needed improvement and I did something about it.

If you are struggling with an editor, try talking to them. If that doesn’t work, then consider looking for a new editor. Find someone you have a good connection with because they are one of the most valuable people in a writer’s life.

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Why a Writer Writes

When I tell people that I am a writer, I’m not really sure what they think or expect. And in all honesty, I’ve yet to come up with the best answer. I write because it’s in me to do so. I write because I want to. I write because it’s a place of enjoyment.

I get the impression at times that people think a writer spends endless hours writing, coming up with brilliant ideas and penning them to paper (electric or other). And I think in my early aspirations of being a writing I had these same ideals.

Since then, I’ve come to learn that writing, good writing, takes a lot of discipline, focus and hard work.

If you have a desire to write a novel, that’s great. But approach those longings realistically. Very often, we don’t have someone in our corner cheering us on to write. More often, we have to discipline ourselves to find the time needed to write our manuscript. And believe me, this takes discipline. It means saying no to certain activities we’d rather say yes to. It also means finding the right balance of social and dedicated writing time.

In order to develop our discipline and see our manuscript to the finish line, we need focus. Writing a manuscript takes A LOT of time (A LOT of time). And as the writer, we need to keep our minds focused on the story we want to create. Sometimes we have an abundance of ideas that pull for our attention and by all means we should be writing those ideas down and keeping track of them. However, what we don’t want is ten great ideas, ten partially started manuscripts and a lot of frustration with unfinished projects.

And finally, in order to write an amazing manuscript, it takes a lot of hard work! Yep, you heard that right. We have to write when we don’t want to and when we don’t feel like it. We also have to choose to keep going when we want to give up. But that’s the beauty of it all.

I began this blog by mentioning why I write and not really sure I have an answer. I write because I love the challenge and I love the feeling of reward from all the work I put into the manuscript. I love pushing myself to learn and try new things. And I write because of all the creative ideas running around my mind begging to come out. I write because it’s fun and there’s no better way to spend a few hours bringing those imaginary characters and worlds to life. The discipline, focus and hard work are what help me finish!

Do you want to be a writer? I’d love to hear your ideas and what keeps you writing.

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Book Review: Mythical Alliance -by Claire Luana

This book originally left me with mixed feelings. And it wasn’t until I spent a bit of time reflecting that I figured out I really liked the book. There was one feature I didn’t like and it is personal preference.

The characters were fun and fairly believable. They felt real and well-balanced. The main character was fun and you experienced her growth. The love interest wasn’t rushed and while a bit of an ‘instant attraction’ that is common in a lot of fantasy, there was an element of slow burn. You know the two will end up together and the journey will be an enjoyable read. I expect in the coming books we’ll see lots of them working together and getting to know each other amidst the building of their relationship.

Second , I liked the plot and pacing. The story didn’t feel rushed and there was a nice balance or mixture of the author’s use of tension and conflict used in the story to keep the reader interested. The author did a great job of building curiosity while unfolding the story. It was a bit like a mystery with clues that lead to the next clue. There was a bit of fighting and wondering how the main character will get herself out of the next sticky situation.

Third, I liked the story and I look forward to read more. It had a complete ending though in the future books, the author had forewarned that cliff-hangers will happen. That the series is finished the author’s consideration in letting her readers know this is further incentive to continue the series.

So after a bit of consideration, what didn’t I like? It’s simple and when I realized it, I laughed. The main character tends to swear quite a bit. The author’s overuse of the f-bomb looses it’s power and honesty makes the main character feel a bit like she has a potty mouth. While it’s expected that characters may swear in adult books, there is the hope that when it’s used, it’s well placed and effective. If I continue with the series, I hope the author focuses more on her amazing writing and a bit less on fitting the f-bomb into every verbal exchange and emotional reaction.

Thanks for the great read, Claire Luana.

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Memorable Characters and Why We Love Them

Imagine with me for a moment. You open a new book and read the first few lines. The story pulls you in and soon you’re lost. You can’t put the book down. The main character just captivates you and you are compelled to find out how their journey ends!

Ever experience this? If you love reading, then no doubt it has been a repeat occurrence in your life. Characters, more specifically well developed characters, are the reason we have trouble putting a book down, so let’s look at some of those elements today.

First, a memorable character is relatable. There are things about this character with which we identify. It might be their struggle or their personality that feels like, ‘that’s me!’ Or it might be their strengths and weaknesses that recognize in ourselves. Very often, a writer intentionally crafts a character with relatable human qualities so the reader can connect with them.

Second, the character is likeable. When writing characters, (or reading their journey) a character should be someone we like. This means they have qualities we admire or wish we had. They have good habits. If a character does seem a bit offensive, the writer will masterfully craft in redeemable qualities to help the reader develop sympathy.

Third, a character has weaknesses. The hero in the story is of course larger than life and has qualities that support this. They might be stronger than other characters, but they are usually weaker then their enemy. However, sometimes the character is weaker than all the other characters and these are usually beloved characters. They represent the underdog in all of us and we love the payoff of their success or eventually triumph over their enemy.

Fourth, they are well-rounded. This means the character feels like a real person. They have depth and seem very complex which creates tension for the character and the reader (and the writer). If a character lacks this balance, then they feel flat and uninteresting.

I hope you enjoyed this blog and the next time you pick up a book and find yourself lost in the story and rooting for the main character, try to identify what you love so much.

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