So today I had an epiphany. Everyone knows that life is all about the choices you make. Where you are today is a result of the choices you made yesterday or last week or five years ago. Can you be happy, though, with where you are today and still miss what might’ve been if you’d made different choices? Sometimes I find myself regretting a choice I’ve made that put me on a different path from the one I fiercely wanted to go down. I love my life today and the people in it, but every now and then, my heart hurts and longs for places and people I left behind years ago.
I guess part of appreciating what you have now is dependent on what you had before. Learning from the heartaches and bad choices of the past and moving forward while trying your level best not to repeat those mistakes in your present or future. Looking back on my life, I am a lucky woman to have met so many wonderful people and to have loved and been loved by a few. I also learned from the ones that I hated and who hated me, so all in all, I guess it is okay to be happy now and to miss what might’ve been.
Check out this pic! It is awesome!!
Human Blend and Earth Blend by Lori Pescatore
Human Blend
In Human Blend by Lori Pescatore, we meet Laney. Laney is a young woman with a gift to heal. She is also being chased by people who want to hold her captive and experiment on her. All Laney wants is a normal life; a job, friends, and a home. Against her better judgment, Laney ignores her inner voice and begins a relationship with a local guy. She also obtains a volunteer position at the local hospital where she can use her gift to help heal the sick.
Laney knows that her captors are coming for her and that it’s just a matter of time before they find her. She decides that this time she will stay and fight for her right to live normally. That changes, however, when the young man she is in a relationship with begins to exhibit a gift similar to Laney’s. When Laney finds this out, it’s too late to run because ‘they’ have already found her…
Earth Blend
In Earth Blend, we pick up the story of Laney and Austin where Human Blend left off. Laney and Austin try to keep their relationship together as secrets and lies fly around them. Is their budding relationship strong enough to survive the stress of being hunted and being different? Will they have a chance to live normally or will they lose each other and possibly their lives in the struggle to remain free?
I don’t normally read YA novels but these books were AWESOME!! I didn’t feel like I was reading a Young Adult novel. My curiosity was peaked from page one and I was drawn to Laney. She wanted a family and roots so badly! She lived a life that required she lie about almost everything but she tried so hard not to lie. I would definitely suggest that you read these books, whether you are young or old, you will enjoy them from the first page!! Reading these books was a vacation for me. Lori’s writing style is wonderful. She has such a vivid imagination and writes so clearly that it is a pleasure to read her work.
I hope you enjoy reading these two books as much as I did! Come back and let me know what you thought of them. If you’ve already them, what are your thoughts?
Human Blend and Earth Blend by Lori Pescatore
Well, tomorrow is Friday and I have reviews!!!! I will be doing a double review this time. Human Blend and Earth Blend by Lori Pescatore are two awesome YA books. Lori is a very talented author with a great imagination. Come by and check it out!
New Blog for the New Year!!
I finally did it! I moved my blog http://bethswritingopinions.blogspot.com
The were so many problems with Blogger that I didn’t really Have a choice. I will be moving all of my original posts from Blogger to WordPress so it won’t be empty here. 🙂 Please be patient with me as I figure out how to work with the set up here.
ROUGAROU by JUDITH McDOWELL
Hot and balmy Louisiana nights in a dark and dangerous swamp is the setting for JUDITH McDOWELL’s novel, ROUGAROU.
People in Saint Anthony’s Parish, Louisiana know how to deal with the lethal and slithering creatures that call the swamps home. What they can’t deal with, however, is the Voo-Doo magic that brings forth an extremely deadly creature with a thirst for human blood.
When the body count starts to rise in Saint Anthony’s Parish, each one mutilated to the point of being almost unrecognizable, Detective Donovan Hays and his close friend and ex-partner, Jack Olivier’, get a crash course in what it’s like to live in a horror movie. As they race against the clock to save their loved ones and their town, the questions weighing on their minds are; what sort of creature are they up against and can they find it before it’s too late?
This was a pulse pounding read that kept me scared silly and on the edge of my seat the entire time. It has been newly edited, (by yours truly!), and re-released by World Castle Publishing. You can also visit Judith’s Facebook Fan page here.
I would suggest to anyone who loves horror or paranormal books to read this as soon as you can download or buy it! It also has some romance mixed into the plot for the lovers out there.
ROUGAROU is currently on the front page of All Romance E books here under ‘New Releases’. It has also gone live on Barnes and Noble here. This will be worth checking out!
Once you’ve read it please come back and let me know what you think of it. It is truly an exhilarating reading. Happy reading! Stay tuned for more novels by Judith McDowell!
Winner for the Wisdom of Evil E-book!!
Soooo, not many comments this weekend for The Wisdom of Evil 😦 I am so sad. However, there were a few, so as promised, there is also a winner. Denise Norcross!!!!!!! If you will inbox on FB and include your email address, Scarlet will be getting with you on the free book. Hope you enjoy it!!
The Wisdom of Evil by Scarlet Black.
The Wisdom of Evil
By
Scarlet Black
Q&A with Scarlet
1) At what age did you decide you wanted to be an author?
I’ve always wanted to write. I was around 8 years old when I read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (My favorite children’s book to this day.) I wrote little pamphlets up and tied them with a ribbon to give away as presents at around that age. I was always an avid reader. Believe it or not, I started writing short screen plays while in the fifth grade, which were actually performed in the auditorium at school. What a rush it was! I then went onto short stories and finally full length novels.
2) Where do your ideas come from? Are they based on your life experiences or do they just come to you?
My ideas come from both. A lot of my characters are based, at least in part on real people I’ve come across. The Wisdom of Evil is one such book. Salem Moon came to me in bits and pieces. I get a lot of ideas while doing mundane stuff, like weeding or cleaning. I carry a personal recorder with me so I don’t forget them.
3) When you began to write seriously, how long did it take for you to finish your first book? (How often did you start and stop?)
The Wisdom of Evil is my first novel. It took me over a year to write, including a lot of revisions and editing. I usually finish, then have two beta readers read it, then go on to edit and revise myself before it ever goes to publisher. So, yes, I do stop and start. If the writing becomes choppy and ceases to flow, I’ll walk away for a bit and come back to it. The novel is also one of two. I had two totally separate ideas for it. I kept the original, which I will work on now. It’s a dystopian thriller called: Last Rites of a Nation.
4) Was it difficult to get your first work published? If so, why?
Yes, it was. I must have queried over one-hundred agents and publishers. Most were very kind and the reasons for rejection were mostly “Current trends” in the market. Lol! I’m a firm believer in making the trends, not following them. While this makes it more difficult to compete with what’s out there now, I feel that writing well; and coming up with truly original ideas is satisfying. I was pleased that World Castle picked it up. Shortly after, I did retain an agent, but with another piece, a novella called “The Last Gift.”
5) In The Wisdom of Evil, Glory isn’t merely afraid of death, she is absolutely terrified of it. So much so, that she will go out of her way to avoid any situation she thinks could possibly cause her death. Do you think that most of your readers will be able to identify with her fear on some level?
I think fear of death is a basic instinct we all share. The phobia Glory suffers from is a very complex and hard to treat problem. This is a very down to earth story and I’m sure readers will be able to identify with an ordinary woman and her family as they go through the worst grief imaginable. In all horror, it’s necessary to isolate the person and that is effectively done because she can’t tell anyone, except her husband who doesn’t believe her. The Grim Reaper won’t leave her alone; she can’t hide and has to fight back.
6) Throughout this story, the reader watches as Glory transforms from a terrified and helpless woman who is controlled by her fear, into a woman who masters that fear in order to fight for what’s important to her. Is that a message you intend for your readers to see or did Glory’s character just develop that way as your story progressed?
Yes, that is the message I wanted to convey. Everyday women can relate to doing whatever it takes, despite their fear to protect their family. Glory’s character did develop somewhat on its own while writing, but I had written a bio for her and an outline for the book, so I knew what would she’d be like for the most part.
7) Considering all of your published works, do you think that they each have a deeper meaning, a positive message that you want your readers to pick up on or do you write your books solely to entertain your fans?
To entertain the reader (I hope) But,all of my works have underlying meanings and messages to them. My favorite writers, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Anne Rice, Dan Brown and Michael Crichton all have deeper meaning and insights into the human condition. And really, I can’t help myself being a psychology major. LOL! I hope to always leave the reader with “food for thought” when they finish my books. I hope they enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them!
Everyone knows that from the moment we are born, we begin to die. The journey from birth to death is called ‘life’. Everyday life is full of situations that, given the right timing and set of circumstances, can bring the Grim Reaper to our soul’s door. How would we behave, I wonder, if we could see Death coming to take the souls of our loved ones and, in the end, our own?
Perhaps we would become our own version of Glory Soloman in The Wisdom of Evil. As the story starts, Glory is like a terrified mouse in a room full of cats, constantly searching for a way out or a safe place to hide that isn’t there. Glory knows that, eventually, her time will come to shake hands with the Reaper, but that doesn’t mean that she is going to go easily into that endless sleep.
Death has a plan for Glory. He is going to take away everyone that she holds dear and then, when he’s had his fun breaking her heart and her mind, he’ll take her. That’s what he thinks, until our timid and terrified Glory comes out swinging. How does one fight the inevitable, the promise of death creeping closer and closer every day? Every hour? Every minute of our life? Ask Glory, she’ll tell you.Read Scarlet Black’s The Wisdom of Evil to find out who wins this battle of life and death and how a battle such as this can be won…or lost.
I absolutely LOVED this book! I have to say I have never read one like this before. Scarlet did a fantastic job of dragging the reader in from the very first page. I have to give this book a 5***** rating. My advice to you is to BUY THIS BOOK NOW! I guarantee that when you finish this one, you will want to devour all of Scarlet Black’s work!
Happy Reading.
Author Bio: Scarlet Black
The review and giveaway for Scarlet Black’s The Wisdom of Evil is in two days!!! Starting at 9 a.m. on Friday the 13th, come by and leave a comment or question for Scarlet for a chance to win an e-book copy of The Wisdom of Evil. This is an awesome story that you simply do NOT want to miss out on! Below is a short bio on Scarlet, read it and make sure to come back on Friday and ask your questions for your chance to win.
I was Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, later moving to York, Maine where I lived for years, before locating to Florida. I’m a wife, mother and writer and a graduate of Hesser College with a degree in Psychology and Journalism. I’ve been married for 30 years, have one amazing son, who is my muse. We share our home with two rescue dogs as well.
I’ve been writing since I was a child;encouraged and inspired by my fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Jamison to pursue a career in writing . That year, I wrote and put on a screenplay for the class called “The Cemetery.” While it wasn’t nominated for an Oscar and the tombstones fell over during the performance, the audience liked it.
I love nothing more than bringing my readers along on my literary journeys. So, buckle your seat belt, and enjoy the ride!
-Best always,
Scarlet Black
www.scarletblack.webs.com
www.scarletblack-author.blogspot.com
Review and Giveaway for Wisdom of Evil by Scarlet Black.
Next weekend, starting on Friday the 13th, there will be a giveaway at Beth’s Writing Opinions!!! The featured book is The Wisdom of Evil by Scarlet Black. Come by and check it out, leave a comment and you could win an e-book of The Wisdom of Evil. Hope to see you there and good luck!!!
Check out The Wisdom of Evil on amazon here . There will be a Q&A with Scarlet as well as a short bio on her later in the week. Make sure to read them and answer the questions posted correctly for a chance to win the e-book!!!
Writing Opinions 