A Million Miles Away by Lara Avery

I'm a terrible blogger. Gosh, how many times have we heard that before?

Seriously, though, last week was nutso and I wanted to have a second to just breathe, but that didn't really come, so the blog was kind of forgotten about. But I finally finished reading a book (hooray!) (well, one that I didn't absolutely hate), so I figured I would get down a quick review, just for the fun of it. So this one is A Million Miles Away by Lara Avery!

When high school senior Kelsey's identical twin sister, Michelle, dies in a car crash, Kelsey is left without her other half. The only person who doesn't know about the tragedy is Michelle's boyfriend, Peter, recently deployed to Afghanistan. But when Kelsey finally connects with Peter online, she can't bear to tell him the truth. Active duty has taken its toll, and Peter, thinking that Kelsey is Michelle, says that seeing her is the one thing keeping him alive. Caught up in the moment, Kelsey has no choice: She lets Peter believe that she is her sister.

As Kelsey keeps up the act, she crosses the line from pretend to real. Soon, Kelsey can't deny that she's falling, hard, for the one boy she shouldn't want.

Honestly, when I saw the description, I requested this from NetGalley mainly because I wanted to see how this was all going to work out. It said for "fans of Nicholas Sparks," and I haven't been a fan of his for a few years now (maybe since college), so I was a bit wary. I must have liked it, though, because I finished this book in a day and a half, and that was with work and stress bearing down on me.

Kelsey and Michelle are identical, so much so that most of their friends can barely tell them apart, and that includes Michelle's latest boyfriend, Peter. Sweet, adorable solider Peter that ships out the day that Michelle dies. At first, I thought it was a little weird that Kelsey began impersonating her twin sister. Really. Just tell the poor boy, I screamed at my Kindle. Then I really thought about it. I don't think I'd have the intestinal fortitude to tell my twin sister's boyfriend that she died, especially when he was in a place he doesn't want to be and in a precarious mental situation himself. So I understood Kelsey and her impetuous decision. I could also see why she kept it up, and why she fell in love with the boy.

What I didn't understand was how so many people knew the secret before Peter.

It seemed like everyone either found out by accident or could see through Kelsey's charade. None of them had met Michelle, mind you, but they just knew. Now, I'm the type of person that will not notice a new haircut for a few days or forget what classes some of my friends were taking (at that age), so I guess these people were just really surprising to me. How did they know, just by one little mistake, that Kelsey was impersonating another girl none of them knew? It was just so strange.

Overall, the story was sweet and suspenseful at some points, and I liked watching Kelsey fall in love with Peter, even though we all knew it was wrong. One character I could have done without was Gillian, Kelsey's best friend. She finds out early on what Kelsey's doing and instead of being there for her and trying to understand why Kelsey's doing this, she turns her back on her and starts acting like a five year old. It was frustrating and annoying, and I was kind of wondering what kind of friend she really was if she could be that mercurial. I don't know. Maybe I was so invested in Kelsey's happiness that I became irrationally angry at people who didn't understand? That sounds good.

Anyway! I'd totally recommend this book if you want a quick, sweet romance. It doesn't come out until July 7th, but, as my calendar just informed me, that's only a week and a half away, so yay! Run! Go get it!

Sorry, I just turned you all into my dog. 

I'm Back!

Oh my god, I've been a terrible blogger. A terrible, no good, very bad blogger. But, really, everything but myself is to blame.

Really.

I was going to post Monday, but I had forgotten what a pain the butt summer school hours could be. I came home absolutely exhausted, and promptly forgot that I ever had any plans other than washing my face and collapsing into bed. This whole week has been rather nuts, between graduation and the doggie finally out of his cone (I kind of already miss it), but now things should calm down. My schedule is (more or less) set, and now I can carve out a good time to write. I'm not promising that I'm going to write every day, because sometimes I'm pretty damn lazy, but it's a significant chunk of my time that's going to be devoted to writing. So that's something.

But that's my writer life! There's more to me than that! Right? I mean...we went to the movies last week (Mad Max, and I loved it and now I have to question everything that I thought I knew and loved). And then the comic book store (Bitch Planet #4 is waiting patiently for me). I've been reading the same two books for about a thousand days now. At least a thousand days.

I don't know what happens in the summer. I get all these hours that I love (I'm a late afternoon person) and then I do absolutely nothing with them. Okay, I may have made the mistake of buying Lego Jurassic World, but that's not my fault. Lego really shouldn't make any more games that look absolutely fun and that are based on one of my favorite movies (the first one. Really, did you think any of the others would be up there?). I just get home, see my animals, and then want to lounge on the couch for the rest of the sunlight hours. Believe me, I thought long and hard if I wanted to even sit down in my office and type this out. Not because I didn't want to update the whole half person that reads this, but because my arms deserve a break after lifting pens and pencils all day, right?

Look, I solemnly swear to be better. Really. I just had a week. A long, crazy, chaotic week. The first week of summer school is always like that, and with the added bonus of all those other events, writing and reading and cleaning were pushed to the side. But now I'm back and my resolve is now strengthened!

After a full night of reading and Lego Jurassic World, of course.

Veering Off the Path

Yes, it's Monday, and yes, I was going to do a review for All The Light We Cannot See, but then I realized that probably everyone in the world has already read it (if not, go get it. It's really, really good), and I didn't get a post up on Friday. I fully intended to, but then I fell into this writing jag and didn't come out again until it was time to be an adult and take a shower.

I figured that it would be okay if I didn't follow the norm, right? If I veered off the path and didn't do a book review today, and instead use this time for a little update on my writing? Don't worry, you won't mind. The first book that I had queued up for review was going to be a disaster, seeing as I didn't like it that much. It would have been fun to read, though, I'm sure!

I'm at about 11,000 words and 27 pages into it. I know the page number doesn't really mean anything, but I'm just giving you the visuals. I've followed my plan so far, deviating a little when I felt it was right. The main difference, though, of this one is that it doesn't feel like work. I'm not struggling for conversations between Amory and the other characters, or wondering what the heck is happening in this scene. To me, this one seems to flow better, probably because these are the characters that I've known for years. It's so strange when things come together like this, mainly because I'm not used to it, not in my writing, at least. I'm excited about the coming scenes and the characters I'm going to introduce. I'm excited for everyone to meet and for them all to go through the trials I'm setting up for them.

It's like I'm reading someone else's book. That's how excited I am.

Even though the next two weeks are going to be kind of a mess (between the dog AND YET ANOTHER SURGERY, and then my boyfriend' nephew's graduation extravaganza), I'm going to fit in writing whenever I can. I'm having fun with it, so I want to do it all the time. You think if I change my last name to Kennedy, they'll believe I'm some long lost cousin and give me some money so I can stay home forever?

Wishful thinking.

Wings in the Dark by Michael Murphy

Hello world! I'm back for today, and this might be a short one because I have some writing to do. But that doesn't mean it's going to be one any less loved.

First, a confession: I used to read James Patterson. A lot. My boyfriend was super into the Alex Cross series and I started reading them out of love, but then I started branching out to Patterson's other junk. Then it happened. That dreaded moment: I fell out of love. Things were stale. The characters were exactly the same as all the other books. It was sad, because I love mysteries and thrillers, and I wanted to find something that gave me that same sense of excitement that Patterson used to give me.

Come on in, Jake and Laura.

Witty and stylish in the classic Dashiell Hammett tradition, Michael Murphy’s latest high-flying Jake & Laura mystery features a Hawaiian honeymoon that’s interrupted when their friend Amelia Earhart is accused of murder.

Hawaii, 1935. Mystery novelist Jake Donovan and actress Laura Wilson are in gorgeous sun-soaked Hawaii, but their best-laid plans for canoodling on the beach are interrupted by a summons from famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart. It seems a local businessman has been gunned down next to her plane. In just days, the famous pilot intends to fly from Honolulu to Los Angeles, making aviation history over the Pacific. But now, without Jake and Laura’s help, Earhart’s flight might never take off. 

Trailing a killer, the newlyweds’ sleuthing leads to a jealous pilot, a cigar-chomping female officer of the “Royalist Militia,” and a notoriously disagreeable lieutenant colonel named Patton. With a sinister killer lurking in the shadows, it’s safe to say the honeymoon is over . . . and the danger has just begun.

I just...I love these books so much.

Jake and Laura are in Hawaii, celebrating their honeymoon, thinking that they can get away from the glitz and glamour of their new lives. When Amelia Earhart calls them, however, they're dragged into a world of murder, seduction, and worldwide problems. Jake has to find the killer of one of Hawaii's top businessmen, all while making sure Amelia's historic flight goes off unhitched. Laura just wants to have a perfect honeymoon with her new husband, taking in the sight, lounging in their cabana, and staying away from prying eyes. Billy, a confused secretary, is thrown in the mix and has to remain calm when he finds out his secret lover may have a few more secrets than he wishes.

At the end of the last book, Amelia Earhart makes a little appearance, and I couldn't wait until this one came out. I was lucky enough to snag this on NetGalley, and I'm so glad I did. This is quickly becoming my favorite mystery series, and for good reasons, too. Jake and Laura are fabulous, because they compliment each other well and always understand the other. Laura is shrewd and one of the world's most highly anticipated up and coming actresses, and she uses everything she has to help her husband solve this mystery. Jake reminds me of Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca: cool, confident, and always keeping his real emotions hidden under the surface. 

The only bad part is now I have to wait for the next one.

This is the third in the series. The other two - The Yankee Club and All That Glitters - are out already, so pick those up! This one doesn't come out until July 14, so I'm trying to give you something that will tide you over until then. These books are awesome, and if you love yourself some historical fiction, go to his website and check him out!

Website: http://mjmurphy.com/

All right, that's all for me today. I'll see you guys Friday. I'll try to update that day, but, if I forget, I'll see you next week!

End of Days by Susan Ee

Happy Memorial Day! Well, for the American readers out there. Happy Monday for everyone else! Anyway, I finally woke up this morning (thank you, four day weekend), and came right to the computer. See, we're madly in love and can't be away from each other for more than a few hours. No! That would be sad. No, I'm just pretty excited about the book today, End of Days by Susan Ee!

Yes, this book came out two weeks ago. Yes, I was in the middle of a messy NetGalley shelf. But I finally got around to reading End of Days, and now I feel the need to shout about it to everyone that passes me.

After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?


The first two books in this series were amazing and I couldn't stop telling everyone about those, either (review here: http://breegarcia.blogspot.com/2015/03/penryn-and-end-of-days-by-susan-ee.html). The end of the world is here, and Penryn is only trying to keep her little sister and mother safe from the invading angels that want blood any way they can get it. Sadly, she's learning that she can't rely on Raffe (the archangel Raphael) as much as she wishes. With his wings back, Raffe is set to take his place in Heaven and calm the angels. That means never being able to see Penryn again, because she is a Daughter of Man and Raffe's followers were punished severely for that same issue.

Most of this book is a suspenseful tug of war between Penryn and Raffe, with each other them pleading their case on whether to stay or to go. The best part, though, is that Penryn didn't throw herself at Raffe or go comatose for days when he makes his decision. She picks herself up, turns to her sister, and goes on with life. She does everything she can to make life habitable for her family, knowing that these might be the last days they have. It's not until the end, though, that Penryn finally steps into the role that I've been begging her to step into since the second book. She understands that there's more to her family than she thought and that there's more to her, too. 

She also gets to go to Hell, so there's that fun part, as well.

What I really enjoyed most was the ending. I'm not going to spoil it, but I am going to say this: it was so normal. Like, day to day normal. When I read the final chapter, it took me a day or two to process what happened. There was no life-changing revelation. There was no big, huge change. It seemed like just another day, and I loved it. I love that this HUGE thing happened, and then back to the day to day grind. It was refreshing to see something like that, especially in a novel that dealt with such fantastical things.

Okay, yeah, I'm gushing, but deal with it. I loved these books. I keep looking at them on my Kindle and wondering when I can get back to read them all again, because it's going to happen. I love Penryn. She's awesome and strong, but also has feelings. She just knows when to have them and when to pack them away. I love Raffe, even though he's kind of a jerk sometimes and it feels like he's stringing Penryn along at some points. It's to be expected, though, because he doesn't know how to act. He's an angel. An idiot one, sometimes. I absolutely adore Dee-Dum. Those twins are the best thing that have happened to secondary characters in a long time. They make you forget that the end of the world is happening and that any of these characters could be killed at any second. 

Anyway, I'm putting up the links for this book because everyone should go get it. Get the first two, while you're at it, okay? It will help the third book make so much more sense.

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/end-of-days-susan-ee/1120986002?ean=9781477829707

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/End-Days-Penryn/dp/1477829709/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1432575402&sr=8-1&keywords=end+of+days

Okay, now I'm off to do some writing of my own. If the internet will stop trying to bother me with such interesting and cool things. Really, it's just Tumblr. That damn website. 

See you Friday!

The Calm Before the Storm

Guess what I did this week?

No, not nothing. You know me too well.

I finished roughly sketching out the three stories and I wrote them all down on note cards. What does that mean? Well, let me tell you. It means that I can now start the first part of Amory. Yaaaaay!

I thought about giving myself a week or whatnot for a break, but why? I have a four day weekend right here, so that can be my break. (Even though it's not going to be much of a break until Sunday, but whatever.) I also managed to work my way through my shelf on Net Galley, so I'm only down to those books that are going to be released in July. I figure that if I work my butt off, I could be editing during the summer, when I have the most time, and then I can get moving from there. I'm not entirely sure what I'm planning on doing with this one, if I'm going to self-publish or try once more with the "real" publishing world. I haven't given it much thought, because I've just been really excited to write the story that I want.

That does mean that for a couple of weeks, writing is going to cut into my blogging time. I say a couple of weeks because that's how much time I have before I return to summer hours, and then I'll have time for both. I'll still have book reviews on Mondays, because I can just write those Sunday night and have them up Monday morning. But since I'm seriously dedicating most of my time to writing, this blog is going to suffer. It's going to languish. It's going to crawl through the desert of loneliness and beg for some kind of companionship.

Okay, probably not that last one.

But I will update it as much as I can, and if I'm not there, I'll get something on Twitter or Tumblr to let people know I haven't died, that I'm just slowly perishing in front of my computer because I doubt all of the words that are coming from my brain. The lovely, crippling self doubt that comes from writing. I wouldn't change it for the world.

So, no worries. I'll be back Monday for a book review (yes, even though it's Memorial Day and I most likely won't be out of pajamas all day), and then...Well, I'll miss you all. I mean, for a couple of weeks, at least.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker

It's Monday, so now it's okay for me to say that I have no writing update! But I will for this Friday, because I've been busy working out the second story. Well, not physically, but my brain has been in overdrive all weekend!

Apologies in advance, because this book, The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker, doesn't come out for another two weeks. I know: I need to stop being so efficient.

Your greatest enemy isn't what you fight, but what you fear.

Elizabeth Grey is one of the king's best witch hunters, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and doling out justice. But when she's accused of being a witch herself, Elizabeth is arrested and sentenced to burn at the stake.

Salvation comes from a man she thought was her enemy. Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the kingdom, offers her a deal: he will save her from execution if she can break the deadly curse that's been laid upon him.

But Nicholas and his followers know nothing of Elizabeth's witch hunting past--if they find out, the stake will be the least of her worries. And as she's thrust into the magical world of witches, ghosts, pirates, and one all-too-handsome healer, Elizabeth is forced to redefine her ideas of right and wrong, of friends and enemies, and of love and hate.

When I started this book, I didn't really know what to think. Elizabeth is Anglia's best witch hunter, but she's suddenly thrown into jail because she's found with herbs that would help her avoid becoming pregnant with a very unwanted child. Her life is a mess at the start, and it doesn't get any clearer as her adventure moves on. I wasn't sure where it was going to go or what anyone was really thinking, you know? It's one of those books, where you question everyone's motives because one thing has made you paranoid over everything. 

The great thing about this book was it was like fifty in one. There were little bits of every kind of fantasy book in this one, but the author blended it all expertly enough where it all made sense, and not just in there for decoration. The characters were awesome, but I wish that there was more Peter the pirate in there. He was wonderful and made me so happy whenever he popped his head in there. Next to him, I loved Schuyler. Oh my god, a revenant in love with a witch that can hear everyone's thoughts and quietest whispers, and he's deadly as can be? Yes please. I want a Schuyler and Peter book next. That is, I'm assuming there's going to be a second book, yes? 

The Witch Hunter oscillates between slow and fast-paced, because I was about 60% through it and wondering if there was going to be enough time for Elizabeth to get her adventure really going. I guess that was really my only true complaint (other than more pirate and revenant): it took so long to get to the real reason for everything, and then I was left chewing my nails for the end. I thought that we weren't going to get to it and that I'd have to wait for a second book before I knew if anything happened. But, lo and behold, things happened and they were good and everyone was good. More or less. Sort of.

Anyway, maybe I should get my Monday going because I'm already behind and I've been up for about three hours now. Like I said, pop around on Friday because I'll have writing updates and it'll be fun! Yeah! I mean, it should be. It'll be informative. And that's pretty fun sometimes, right?