Book Review: Vegan Teenage Zombie Huntress (The Redvale Zombie Prom Series) (Volume 1) by G. G. Silverman

November 29, 2016 by rachelauthorbarnard in Book Review and tagged G. G. Silverman, Teen humor, The Redvale Zombie Prom Series, Vegan Teenage Zombie Huntress

Vegan Teenage Zombie Huntress (The Redvale Zombie Prom Series) (Volume 1) by G. G. Silverman

A YA Humor/Fantasy Novel published by G.G. Silverman (09/5/14)

Summary:

Clarissa Hargrove wants to go to prom. Not to dance and participate in one of the most iconic teenager events, but to protest, because prom is for conformists. Clarissa drags along her best friend Cokie and they set up their bullhorns and picket signs outside the school. Good thing they didn’t go into the gym to dance because as the night progresses, almost everyone turns into zombies and Clarissa and Cokie must round up the survivors and escape the maze of death their school has turned into!

Keywords:

Zombies, High School Prom, Alternative to Prom, Vegan, Protest, Escape, Death, Dying, Gore, Guns, One Night

My Review:

Clarissa is an edgy character. She swears. She’s a vegan. She doesn’t go to prom, she protests prom. Clarissa is an interesting character you can get behind because she has a mission and nothing will stand in her way. She has conviction in spades. Her best friend Cokie is a muted version of Clarissa, until she opens up and tells her friend and the readers who she really is and what she really wants, which was way cool!
This was a fast read with a steady pace full of action and adrenaline. I never thought our main characters were going to get eaten and some of the plot twists were a bit fast for my liking, but overall I enjoyed this book. I liked the writing style and how the author, through her main character Clarissa, viewed prom, teenagers, zombies, culture, friendship, and bravery.

This novel was published by G.G. Silverman on September 5th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.00

Links for more information:

G. G. Silverman’s website

Goodreads

Twitter

Small Business Saturday and a Bout of Food Poisoning at 5AM

November 28, 2016 by rachelauthorbarnard in For the Love of Donuts, Local Authors, Local Eats, Local Events and tagged Daddy's Donuts, Neverending Bookshop, Small Business Saturday, St. James Espresso, Tab's Kenmore | 1 Comment

I started the day strong at St. James Espresso in Kirkland with the Elsewhere NaNoWriMo meetup and had a pecan sticky bun (but don’t worry I didn’t eat the pecans, just the good part). I got a couple thousand words in!

Off to the Small Business Saturday event at the Neverending Bookshop in Bothell for a joint author event with debut author Lori Summerville and her debut fantasy novel, “Fall Through.”

Then Paul took us out to lunch across the street at the lovely Alexa’s Cafe! I’d never been and couldn’t help but get one of their peculiar looking cinnamon rolls and it was THE BEST EVER! My curry chicken sandwich on a croissant was also quite delicious.

On the way to Paul’s gig at Tab’s in Kenmore, I stopped in at my favorite local donut shop, Daddy’s and tried out one of the seasonal combos!

After eating leftover Thai food and two snacks and two drinks at Tab’s I finished the day with mild food poisoning at 5AM…

Book Review: MORE (MORE Trilogy Book 1) by T. M. Franklin

November 25, 2016 by rachelauthorbarnard in Book Review and tagged fantasy, magic, MORE (MORE Trilogy Book 1), paranormal, Science Fiction, T.M. Franklin, young adult

MORE (MORE Trilogy Book 1) by T. M. Franklin

A Fantasy Novel published by The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House (10/3/12)

Summary:

Ava is failing physics. Her professor proposes a tutor at no cost to her and she jumps at the chance, since she needs to pass the class to keep her scholarship. She can’t afford tuition without the scholarship and spends enough time working to make up the difference anyways. Her tutor, Caleb Foster, seems to be everywhere in Ava’s life and she doesn’t much mind, other than that funny feeling she keeps getting that she’s being watched.

Keywords:

Supernatural, Paranormal, Race, Powers, Super Powers, Physics, College, Diner, Working, Romance, Drama, Humans, Protection, Fighting, Fleeing, Taking a Stand, Capture, Threat, Elimination

My Review:

The first half of this book was rather boring and I kept waiting for the action to pick up, which it did, with a fury. Suddenly Ava’s life was turned upside down and she was in constant fleeing mode.

Though the book was slow to get going, the ending was much more satisfying, but by that point I was ready to put the series down. The plot twists were too convenient, moving characters where they were needed in the narrative without proper placement within the plot. Characters like Lucy and Ava’s childhood friend were dropped off when Ava’s story took off. The plot just didn’t do it for me. The story wasn’t different enough from all those other “chosen one” novels and the paranormal aspect was not original either. I also didn’t feel like I ever really got to know Ava as a person before she was swept up into her supernatural character role.

This novel was published by The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House on October 3rd, 2012 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 3.25

Links for more information:

T.M. Franklin’s Website

Goodreads

Twitter

NaNo November 16: Week Three Update – Still Behind, Still Writing

November 22, 2016 by rachelauthorbarnard in For the Love of Donuts, NaNoWriMo, Rachel Barnard | 2 Comments

This time last year I was already a winner of NaNoWriMo. I had it together. I had time. I had plot. I had motivation. I had friends. I have a lot of those this year, but I lack some essentials: like time and good plot to work with. At this point in my novel (at 30,500) my characters are saying anything that comes to mind and they are meandering all over the place! I’m consistently 5k or more behind but I have hopes of finishing strong over the Holidays and my first weekend that isn’t jam-packed with events.

Carry on my writers! Whether win or lose, at least you will be focusing on writing!

I’m also attempting to revise a short story for an anthology, getting one to two short stories together for a December 1 deadline, and keeping the rest of my life together!

Happy Turkey day in advance!

The Fun, the Weird, the Odd and Holiday Shopping – Oddmall

November 21, 2016 by rachelauthorbarnard in Free Valley Publishing, Local Authors, Local Events, Rachel Barnard and tagged Everett, Everett Community College, Oddmall | 2 Comments

Once again we were at Oddmall! Combination of NIWA and FVP table, this time around was shopping for holidays! Remember last June? This time the venue was larger, the parking was grander, and the surroundings were just a tad bit more red and green…

My booth neighbor with her ‘sipping vinegar’ selling to the faeries.

The view from the second floor!

Requisite, this-is-my-booth photo!

Different angle of our booth!

Looking out from my space with my new book that I’m reading.

Book Review: Across the Ages 1 by RaShelle Workman

November 17, 2016 by rachelauthorbarnard in Book Review and tagged Across the Ages 1, fantasy, RaShelle Workman, Romance

Across the Ages 1 by RaShelle Workman

A Fantasy/Time Travel Romance Novel published by Polished Pen Press (12/21/14)

Summary:

Lucy Channing lives in 1815 in England. She is supposed to marry her childhood best friend… Whom she does not love romantically. Holding out that something will change her fate, Lucy’s grandmother comes through with a locket to transport Lucy to her true love. Traveling to 2015 is quite a shock to Lucy, especially when the first person she meets is the arrogant, egotistical William Godwin.

Keywords:

Romance, Time Travel, Love, Fantasy, Mystical, 19th Century, 21st Century, Shock, Dressing, Helpless, Forced Marriage, True Love

My Review:

The first chapter was completely unnecessary and was only mildly related to the story told in the rest of the novel. I skimmed it so I could get to the actual story being told.

Lucy lives a typical life in the 1800’s in her class, but she has atypical feelings for a woman in her time. She thinks she can marry for love and passion and is not satisfied with her soon to be betrothed because she is not in love with him. Because she still loved him as a friend, it wasn’t that big a deal for her to find her ‘true love’ because the match was a good one! She could have learned to love Dashel and had a good life.

I absolutely enjoyed every minute and thought Lucy had when she was spirited 200 years into the future. I understood so well what she was going through because it was described in great detail and her thoughts were spot on. She was a traveler in a new land and new time and new world.

I didn’t believe in the romance between Lucy and her ‘true love’ William. It felt forced and rushed.

The pacing was very uneven and the ending was incredibly rushed and then abruptly left off. I will not be reading further.

This novel was published by Polished Pen Press on December 21st, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 2.50

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Twitter

RaShelle Workman’s Website

Upcoming Event Alert! WA – Everett – Oddmall Emporium of the Weird

November 14, 2016 by rachelauthorbarnard in Free Valley Publishing, Local Authors, Local Events, Rachel Barnard and tagged Everett, Oddmall | 1 Comment

FreeValley Publishing and NIWA will host a booth at the 2016 Holiday Odmall show in Everett from November 19-20, 2016. Come visit the FVP/NIWA booth (#151) and check out other really neat and perhaps wacky offerings.

More info

NEW LOCATION

The Everett Community College
Walt Price Student Fitness Center
2206 Tower Street
Everett, WA

Show Hours

Saturday, November 19 – Doors open at 10am – Close at 6pm

Sunday, November 20 – Doors open at 11am – Close at 5pm

Oddmall Extra Event and Bard & Starlet Aftermath!

November 13, 2016 by rachelauthorbarnard in author platform, Free Valley Publishing, Local Authors, Local Events, Rachel Barnard and tagged bard & starlett, performance, Snoqualmie, the Black Dog | 1 Comment

I had a booth on election day last Tuesday as an additional Oddmall opportunity. Check out my lovely little booth of FVP/NIWA authors!

And then Bard & Starlet with FVP at the Black Dog in Snoqualmie. I missed this event last year, but I thought it was such a wonderful event for all. It was highly entertaining and fun and involved the local authors for their screenplays and the local actors and the local community to come watch and the local cafe! You can check out my screenplay being performed on Youtube here!

Book Review: Bitsy by Rayna L. Stiner

November 10, 2016 by rachelauthorbarnard in Book Review and tagged Bitsy, Dark fantasy, Rayna L. Stiner

Bitsy by Rayna L. Stiner

A Dark Fantasy Novel published by Tagorbi Publishing, LLC (08/15/16)

Summary:

“It takes guts to get up every day and face the world after you’ve seen so much of its ugliness.” (Kindle Locations 2415-2416).

Bitsy and Liz are the same person, or rather different personalities of the same person. After surviving her own childhood horror, Bitsy and Liz emerged. Now an admin assistant for the local hospital in the ER for abuse victims, Bitsy wants nothing more than to play violin in the local orchestra, but her alternate ego has other plans.

Keywords:

Music, Musician, Violin, Orchestra, Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Violence, Fantasy, Survivor, Split Personality, Psychic, Hospital, Boss, Portland, Alternate Personality, Vigilante, Crime, Death, Dying, Angels, Rape

My Review:

This book wasn’t a story so much about Bitsy as it was about trying to relate a concept about the terribleness of child abuse and sexual abuse, which is quite noble but didn’t work in this particular novel. The fantasy and dream sequences seemed forced into the narrative and the plot was overwhelmingly odd and ill-fitting with the subject matter. The graphic sexual violence and suggestions of sexual violence felt forced into the storyline and these gritty details didn’t so much further the plot as gross me out.

The fantasy was necessary for the plot, but very distracting and unnatural seeming in the way it was integrated into the story. I skipped over much of the description, especially wherever the fantasy was involved.

The concept of a person who has been in such a traumatic experience that their personality splits into two separate entities to deal with the emotional turbulence and healing is very, very interesting and kept me reading this story, but the plot and the interjection of the ‘dark fantasy’ element was a big turn off and didn’t fit into the story well.

This novel was published by Tagorbi Publishing, LLC on August 15th, 2016 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 2.75

Links for more information:

Rayna L. Stiner’s Website

Goodreads

Twitter