Editing Break

No new posts for a week or so as I am deep in edits with Finn Finnegan. And may I just say I adore my editors, Trish and Vikki, for their hysterical comments, love notes, and for their gentle nudges to Make. It. Better.

Book Review: Angelina's Secret by Lisa Rogers.

Angelina's Secret by Lisa Rogers 

As a child, Angelina spent years in counseling learning that Josie, her imaginary friend, wasn't real, but it turns out her childhood friend wasn't imaginary after all.


Now Angelina has to accept she's either (A) crazy or (B) able to see ghosts. Wanting to believe in her sanity, she chooses (B) and welcomes Josie back into her life. But even Josie can't help her deal with Shelly, the spirit of a confused teenager, and things go very, very wrong.


When Angelina finds herself in a psychiatric hospital, she faces a choice: she can spend the rest of her life pretending to be someone she isn't, or she can embrace who she is and take a chance that she may never get to go home.


My Mini-Review:
What a sweet story! Angelina's Secret is a ghost story, but it is also a story about family and friends (both old and new, alive and dead). It is also a story about one girl's determination to honor the truth, even at the risk of being locked away forever.


I was expecting a scarier story, but once I started reading, I found myself enjoying the lighter tone of Lisa Roger's debut novel. Josie is a refreshing blend of old-timey wisdom and some gutsy ghost moves. She reminds me of an aunt every child would love to have.


Angelina, her mom and dad, and her brother, Sam, all have a solid relationship which is so refreshing to read, even with the rocky times they are going through.


All in all, I enjoyed this book (I bought it on my Kindle) and would recommend it to anyone who likes a fresh, fun, paranormal read.

Pick up a copy today!

Spencer Hill Press

Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble

Angels All

I've been wanting to thank all the readers and reviewers (many who are now dear friends) who have been so incredibly supportive of my books. So, with summer just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to give away two signed copies of Griffin Rising, the book that started it all. Just click on the Goodreads link for a chance to win. It ends June 30th.

You are all angels to me.

Too Much or Too Little?

The other day, I had a smack-myself-upside-of-the-head moment. Like an epiphany, only my version left a bruise.

Now, I had assumed that I had described the setting in Finn Finnegan accurately. Small house, stone wall, driveway on one side, empty field on other, woods outside the back gate. Clear as glass in my mind.

Then, I got this email from my editors, Trisha and Vikki (whom I adore. They are simply the finest editors an author could ever hope for as well as dear friends):

Darby, we're also trying to draw out how the iron gate goes around Gideon's house.  Does it encompass the driveway?  If so, no one ever gets out to open it or close it when cars come and go.  And where are the gates in the back?  I'm trying to picture the one that Iona went through to get to the woods in your teaser (btw, SQUEE! TEASER!)... as Finn and Gideon just tend to jump over the wall.  Do you have a drawing?

Oh. Guess I wasn't so clear after all. So I sketched out a rough draft and sent it them. (By the way, yes, I know cartographers would growl at me for putting WEST at the top of the map, but let's just roll with it, folks.)

Here's the email I got back:


"Funny, I pictured the driveway on the other side of the house, but Mrs. Martinez on that side.  Vikki pictured the driveway there, but Mrs. Martinez and the empty lot switched."


What I learned from this: just because we as writers can "see" the setting or a character in our minds, our readers are going to "see" the setting or the characters differently in theirs. In my quest to always write lean and clean, I tend to put in the minimal amount of details in my world building.


What is too much detail? What is too little? Every writer struggles with telling the story with just the right balance. What about you? Do you find yourself adding or subtracting details when you edit? Which is easier?

Book Review: Elemental by Emily White

My Mini-Review of Elemental by Emily White

Just because Ella can burn someone to the ground with her mind doesn't mean she should... but she wants to. For ten years--ever since she was a small child--Ella has been held prisoner. Now that she has escaped, she needs answers. Who is she? Why was she taken? And who is the boy with the beautiful green eyes who haunts her memories? Is Ella the prophesied Destructor... or will she be the one who's destroyed? -- from Amazon.com


ELEMENTAL is an awesome debut novel! I really liked the way Emily White embedded Jewish/Christian/Islamic elements into the story. Plus how can I not love angels who controls wind, air, and fire. Especially fire. I'm counting the days until the next book, FAE, comes out. If you love fantasy combine with science fiction, you're going to love ELEMENTAL. Bravo, Emily!