After the death of King Grifo and the fall of the Avaelian kingdom, former solider Elstan now makes his living as a mercenary. Accompanied by his friend Venutius, they rack up coin by taking care of the occasional Minotaur, ogre, wolf, troll, or vampire. But when a stranger in a small town gives Elstan a gold coin to meet with an elven noble for a secret mission, Elstan’s life is turned upside down.

Straight out the gate I was really gripped by this book. The writing is intricate and beautiful, but concise and to the point. The best of both worlds. Woodrow’s writing will excite you, but never bore. The pacing is also really good, I hate drawn-out books, but this moves with purpose and intent, while still stopping long enough to smell the flowers. Immediately I was reminded of The Witcher series, the lone mercenary, wandering around living off…

A week ago I got my work back from my editor (finally!) after three-four weeks of waiting. I could have kept my work for longer myself, but I sent it to them as soon as I was ready, happy to have it off my hands for a while. I spent the time reading and relaxing, writing casually on some other projects, and that time has been absolutely gold. But I knew I was getting close to my editor getting back to me, so I was getting anxious.

Let me just say this: I’m an indie author, meaning I’m self-published and that I pay for my editor out of my own pocket. I know a lot of indie authors don’t work with editors, and many people can’t afford it which I understand, but I absolutely recommend it.

So I get the email. At this point I’ve already decided that I’m going…

Some people plot, meaning they plan their novels before they write them (also called outlining). On the other hand, some people (like me), don’t. We pants (meaning someone who ‘flies by the seat of their pants’) and have no plan at all, or at least not to the same degree as a plotter. This is also called discovery writing, (which is what I used to call it long before I heard of the pantsing term).

So I don’t plot. Or well I do. I don’t make an outline though. Or well kind of. I make an overview. One single document, detailing the basic plot, some of the characters, what’s going to happen and maybe why. This document might have notes to myself, ideas about names for characters, or big underlined warnings (DON’T DO THIS!). I hesitate to call it an outline because I don’t really use it when I write…

Sakura Spark is—as the cover tells us—a thriller about Jago Hale, investigative journalist and ex-military man. And it’s absolutely amazing.

Jago lives a lavish life after having left his secretive past behind. He writes articles, spends time doing what he likes, and tries to forget. That’s until a break-in at his house pulls him back in, forcing him to return to his old habits. Not really wanting anything to do with it, but at the same time finding himself at the center of it all, Jago has no choice but to follow the breadcrumbs hoping they’ll lead to some answers. If he’s lucky, maybe even about his wife’s death.

Cobb’s writing is sharp and detailed, clear and fast-paced (just the way I like it), but at the same time beautiful and well-composed. This book doesn’t waste time on intricate backstories, instead utilizing small drips of information…

*I received a complimentary copy of this book, and I’m leaving a voluntary review*

Another great book by Jackson Paul Baer. I think this is my fourth one, and second in the ‘An American Family’ series. You can read my review for the first one here, but the short story is that it’s a magnificent thriller about a family who loses their mother and wife to a serial killer.

This book picks up where the other left off, with Isaac, the father and husband trying to build up a life with his new wife, and his children trying to carry on with their own. It’s about life, love, and the struggle of having lived through a horrible event.

Baer writes how he always has; with passion, clarity, and captivation. Is style is clear and beautiful, not over the top, and the book isn’t too long. Just the way I…

One and a half week ago I sent my WIP away to my editor for some much needed TLC. Now, I always write on multiple things. I have a main WIP, then I usually always work on the following book, as well as a little side project. (Gotta have some of those side projects).

But when I sent my main WIP away, I thought to myself: “You know what? Don’t. Don’t write anything for a bit. Take a break. Read instead. See what happens.”

I’m not the kind of person who doesn’t read while they write. I usually always write, and I definitely always read. I suppose I get why some people are afraid to be influenced or to copy someone’s voice, but that’s not me. I’m not good enough to copy someone’s voice, even if I tried. So I always read.

But now that I sent my WIP away…