L.A. Weatherly's Rules for Writing

L. A. Weatherly’s Rules for Writing*

• Make sure husband is going for his usual early-morning swim, which gets him out of the house by 5.30. If not, try a few friendly hints, such as shoving his sleeping shoulder and handing him his swim trunks.
• Once you have the house to yourself: result! You can now write.
• But first: coffee. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP. SKIP IT AT YOUR PERIL.
• Only one cup allowed (you know what it does to you if you have more), so it has to be good. Cafetiére coffee only, preferably called something like ‘Kenyan Sunrise’. Perfect.
• NOW you can write.
• Once you’ve glanced at your email, and then announced to the world via Twitter that you #arewriting #noreally
• After around 600 words, you need a break. No, you deserve a break. Go heat up what’s left of your coffee. Check your email and Twitter again while you’re at it. It’s not 9.00 am yet, but people could be up and tweeting! You never know.
• Continue writing. Ignore the urge to obsessively check your word count. After you’ve ignored the urge to ignore the urge, marvel at how long it’s taking you to write just a few hundred words more.

• Isn’t it time for lunch yet?
• And it’s a lunch hour, right? So the rest of that time can absolutely be spent on Twitter. And you mostly tweet with other authors anyway, so it’s simply another manifestation of your creativity. It’s helping your writing!
• It’s almost 3.00 pm and you have still not reached 2,000 words. HOW HAS THIS HAPPENED?
• Try setting speed goals: “I-must-write-a-thousand-words-in-one-hour-starting-now-GO!”
• OK, 379 is good.
• Second wind arrives in nick of time. Go you: over 2,000 words! You could probably have even gone for 3,000, if you hadn’t got distracted by that amazing kissing scene you just wrote, and had to read over it a few dozen times, dreaming about your hero.
• And then spent a little more time dreaming about your hero.
• Well, he’s pretty damn hot, actually.
• Writing for the day is clearly done. Spend the rest of day mulling over what you’ve done and planning the writing for tomorrow.
• Irritatingly, doing the dishes is prime thinking time. Never, ever let husband know this.
• And it must be time for a glass of wine by now, right?

*NB: These rules are only guaranteed to work if your name is L. A. Weatherly. Otherwise, proceed at your own risk.

Next post: On Wednesday 26th October at Jess Hearts Books

About Angel Fire:
Book 2 of the Angel series

Only Willow has the power to defeat the malevolent Church of Angels, and they will stop at nothing to destroy her. Willow isn’t alone, though. She has Alex by her side – a trained Angel Killer and her one true love. But nothing can change the fact that Willow’s a half-angel, and when Alex joins forces with a group of AKs, she’s treated with mistrust and suspicion. She’s never felt more alone…until she meets Seb. He’s been searching for Willow his whole life – because Seb is a half-angel too.

Source: Info in the About Angel Fire was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9553503-angel-fire on 18/10/2011.

Book Link(s):
www.angelfever.com

IN THE MAIL: MASKED BY MOONLIGHT, CAPTURED BY MOONLIGHT, PURE & ANGEL FIRE

This is what Mr. Mailman brought me:

Thank you to the wonderful people at Simon & Schuster for the review copy of Masked By Moonlight and Captured By Moonlight by Nancy Gideon received.

Masked By Moonlight by Nancy Gideon
Book 1

About Masked By Moonlight:

IN THIS STUNNING FIRST BOOK FROM NANCY GIDEON’S SIZZLING NEW SERIES, A TENACIOUS COP AND HER SHAPE-SHIFTING ENEMY SACRIFICE EVERYTHING FOR FORBIDDEN DESIRE.

ALL SHE WANTS IS REVENGE.

New Orleans homicide detective Charlotte Caissie is dedicated to bringing down the crime boss responsible for her father’s murder. Using Jimmy Legere’s mysterious and irresistible right-hand man is a dangerous gamble, and not only due to his reputation as more monster than man. Because her feelings for Max Savoie are . . . complicated.

THEN HE RISKS HIS LIFE TO SAVE HERS.

Rescued from the swamps as a child, Max exists silently in Legere’s shadow, heeding only his voice—until Charlotte Caissie awakens his emotions and tests his loyalties. Stepping outside his cautious rules threatens more than just his heart. He could expose his darkest secret.

NOW THEY’RE BOTH IN OVER THEIR HEADS.

Testing boundaries they weren’t meant to cross means facing the truth about who and what they are—and what they need from each other. If Max is the murderer she seeks, Charlotte could be his next victim. She can’t afford to trust any man. Good thing Max isn’t one.

Source: Info in the About Masked By Moonlight was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6979554-masked-by-moonlight on 01/10/2011.

Captured By Moonlight by Nancy Gideon
Book 2

About Captured By Moonlight:

IN THIS DARK THRILLER FROM NANCY GIDEON’S SULTRY NEW SERIES, SEXY NEW ORLEANS COP CHARLOTTE CAISSIE GOES HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH THE LAST NEMESIS SHE EVER EXPECTED: HER SUPERNATURAL BOYFRIEND.THEIR LOVE IS JUST BEGINNING.Detective Charlotte Caissie is growing used to the secrets that come with loving the mysterious leader of a shape-shifter clan. But that doesn’t mean she has to like it. She’s avoided complications of the heart all her life, but when it comes to irresistible Max Savoie, she’ll force the truth out of him if she has to.HIS TIME IS ALMOST UP.Hunted by the deadly trackers his nefarious father warned him about, Max is transforming into a preternatural force he can’t explain and Cee Cee will never understand. He’s tempting the dangerous limits of their love, but it’s her curiosity that could get them both killed. WILL THEY EVER REALLY BE TOGETHER?

When Max discovers the enemy’s true target is someone far more vulnerable than he, he must do the unthinkable to save his own flesh and blood. But he can’t fight this battle alone, and Cee Cee faces the ultimate test of loyalty: the man she’d sacrifice everything for . . . or the laws she swore her life to protect.

Source: Info in the About Captured By Moonlight was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7565545-captured-by-moonlight on 01/10/2011.

Thank you to the wonderful people at Headline Publishing for the review copy of Pure by Julianna Baggott received.

Pure by Julianna Baggott

About Pure:

We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . .
Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . .
There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it's his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.

When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.

Source: Info in the About Pure was taken from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9680114-pure on 22/09/2011.

Thank you to the wonderful people at Usborne Publishing for the review copy of Angel Fire by L.A. Weatherly received.

Angel Fire by L.A. Weatherly
Book 2 of the Angel Fever series

About Angel Fire:

This is the thrilling second chapter in the electrifying "Angel Trilogy". Angels will never be seen in the same way again. Gorgeous, charismatic Alex has the courage and skill of a trained Angel Killer. Unique, dazzling Willow has the beauty and power that comes with being half-angel. As the power of the malevolent Church of Angels grows, now it's up to Alex and Willow to train a new team of Angel Killers. Willow soon finds her half-angel identity met with hostility by some of the other AKs, while privately, she must wrestle with the knowledge that her father, Raziel, is a depraved, evil angel. However, while life in the AK training camp is tough, at least Alex and Willow are together. But when Alex discovers that the death of his brother and fellow Angel-Killer, Jake, was linked to a secret CIA mission to defeat the angels, he is forced to leave the camp to complete his brother's work... without Willow. Alex promised Willow he would never leave her, but with the fate of the human race at stake, destiny has ruled that Alex and Willow must be parted once more...

Source: Info in the About Angel Fire was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9553503-angel-fire on 22/09/2011.

WW28: ANGEL

WW28
A chance to showcase your favourite!

• First you grab our Wicked Wednesday pic.
• Then you grab a book. Turn to page 28. Take the first sentence. And then you post it in your site with a link back to WW28.
• Come back to Cherry Mischievous - WW28 and give us the url of your post (in a comment at a WW28 post) so that other WW28 readers can find your WW28 offering.

WW28 book offering: Angel by L.A. Weatherly

Page 28, 1st Sentence:

"Whatever her choices were, I suddenly had a very bad feeling about them."

About Angel:

Book 1 of the Angel fever

Willow knows she’s different from other girls. And not just because she loves tinkering around with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into people’s futures, know their dreams, their hopes and their regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where she gets this power from…

But Alex does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows Willow’s secret and is on a mission to stop her. The dark forces within Willow make her dangerous – and irresistible. In spite of himself, Alex finds he is falling in love with his sworn enemy.

Source: Synopsis in the About Angel was taken from the book's website at http://www.angelfever.com/ on 03/07/2010.

Review: ANGEL

I would like to thank Usborne Publishing Ltd. for the review copy of Angel by L.A. Weatherly received.

Angel by L.A. Weatherly
Book 1 of the Angel Fever

Genre: urban fantasy, YA

Publication Date: October 2010

About Angel:

Willow knows she’s different from other girls. And not just because she loves tinkering around with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into people’s futures, know their dreams, their hopes and their regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where she gets this power from…

But Alex does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows Willow’s secret and is on a mission to stop her. The dark forces within Willow make her dangerous – and irresistible. In spite of himself, Alex finds he is falling in love with his sworn enemy.

Source: Synopsis in the About Angel was taken from the book's website at http://www.angelfever.com/ on 03/07/2010.

Review:
The story is not very original. I've recently read something very similar by Danielle Trussoni, titled Angelology. This book won't get high marks for originality. But despite being in a congested genre, L.A. Weatherly puts a nice spin on a tired tale and gave us a beautiful story which would make a reader come back looking for more! For the same reason I buy Jim Butcher, Ilona Andrews and Patricia Briggs even if their books are in a congested genre too... the reason these authors stand out in a competitive field? Masterpiece story telling quality! And judging by this book, L. A. Weatherly could very well have that too. But we will see with the subsequent books if this will hold true or if this is a one-off thing with this book.

The story is narrated in the first person by the protagonists. Halfway into the first chapter, the narration swapped from the female protagonist to the male protagonist narrating the story. About a couple of pages after the male protagonist started telling the story, the author seemed to slightly loose perspective and the narration went from the first person to third person. This is confusing to read. I had to go back and re-read a few pages a couple of times to make sure that I am still reading about the same characters. I thought that a new set of characters were being introduced which wouldn't exactly surprise me since the book seems to be in a "introducing characters" mode at this point... only to realise that, no, these are the same characters mentioned a few pages back... And this change in narration perspective without warning is repeated a few times through out the book which is a little disorienting... a slight annoyance but forgivable.

My copy is an ARC so the cover is plain. But I had a little look at amazon for the final cover art and it is disappointing. If I was browsing the shelves of a bookstore, this cover art wouldn't register in my "buying radar" at all. Although it did depict the story nicely, it could also seriously use a bit of an artistic input from the likes of Tony Mauro and Gene Mollica. By the way Willow is blonde, not brunette, as might otherwise be suggested by the cover art.

I enjoyed this book and am eagerly waiting for the next two books, Angel Heat to come out in May 2010 and Angel Burn to come out in October 2011.

Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4.5
Ending = 4
World building = 3.5
Story itself = 3
Cover art = 2

Cherry's Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

IN THE MAIL: ANGEL & CLUB DEAD

I got a vampire and an angel in the mail this week :)

I would like to thank Usborne Publishing Ltd. for the review copy of Angel by L.A. Weatherly received.

Angel by L.A. Weatherly
Book 1 of the Angel fever

About Angel:

Willow knows she’s different from other girls. And not just because she loves tinkering around with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into people’s futures, know their dreams, their hopes and their regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where she gets this power from…

But Alex does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows Willow’s secret and is on a mission to stop her. The dark forces within Willow make her dangerous – and irresistible. In spite of himself, Alex finds he is falling in love with his sworn enemy.

Source: Synopsis in the About Angel was taken from the book's website at http://www.angelfever.com/ on 03/07/2010.

I would like to thank Alise On Life for hosting a contest which made it possible for me to win Club Dead by Charlaine Harris!

About Club Dead:

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
Book 3 of the Sookie Stackhouse series

Things between cocktail waitress Sookie and her vampire boyfriend Bill seem to be going excellently (apart from the small matter of him being undead) until he leaves town for a while. A long while. Bill's sinister boss Eric has an idea of where to find him, whisking her off to Jackson, Mississippi to mingle with the under-underworld at Club Dead. When she finally catches up with the errant vampire, he is in big trouble and caught in an act of serious betrayal. This raises serious doubts as to whether she should save him or start sharpening a few stakes of her own ...

Source: Info in the About Club Dead was taken from amazon at http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/product-description/1841493015/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=266239&s=books on 03/07/10.