Writing Wednesday (9) - Blogging Personality

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Welcome to Writing Wednesday, my weekly feature where I discuss my works in progress, project ideas, editing struggles, or anything else related to the world of writing. Feel free to grab my button and post your own thoughts on writing! Leave a link to your post in the comments and I'll stop by.

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Lately I've felt like there wasn't a whole lot of "me" shining through on this blog. It's a bit of a balancing act, isn't it? On the one hand I don't want to blather on about myself when you came here to read about books or writing or whatever silly thing I feel like bringing up on Sundays. On the other hand, it is so boring to read dry reviews, bare-bones posts, and frivolous content, which is where I fear I'm headed.

I didn't start a blog to exorcise my personal demons, pouring my every thought into the blogosphere. I didn't think this would be an exercise in cold banality either. Yet still I struggle to find the happy medium. Some days I go on frenetic commenting sprees where I leave witty remarks and dazzle myself with my own brilliance. (Shh, just go with it.) Those are the times when I wonder, Why can't I write posts like that?

It's so much easier to engage in repartee than to just mouth off to potential silence. Blogging sure has a way of feeling like that sometimes. What if no one visits today? What if no one comments? There's nothing worse than feeling like you are talking and nobody's listening.

That universal writing fear can strike all of us, whether we are bloggers, authors, or scholars. That thought can paralyze us and keep us from achieving our dreams. When we do connect with readers, via comments, letters, or conversations at conferences, it validates the feeling that we have something worth saying. Not only that, but we say it in a way that someone likes. How awesome is that?

I want to share myself with all of you so that we can make that personal connection. I'm not sure I'm accomplishing that here just yet. I want my voice to shine through so you can decide whether you think I'm kind, funny, interesting, and most importantly - readable. I'm contemplating participating in fewer memes, or at least less frequently, so I can open up my schedule for less rigid posts.

What do you think? Want more of me, or should I keep on keepin' on?

Why do you read the bloggers you do? What do you expect of them?

Hunted by the Others by Jess Haines

Click the cover to purchase at Amazon
Book: Hunted by the Others
Author: Jess Haines
Publisher: Zebra Books
Release date: May 1, 2010
Source: Free ebook purchased for Kindle
Series: H&W Investigations #1

Summary: (from Goodreads) They are the Others-the vampires, mages, and werewolves once thought to exist only in our imaginations. Now they're stepping out of the shadows, and nothing in our world will ever be the same again...

In A Town Like This, Being A P.I. Can Be Murder

Shiarra Waynest's detective work was dangerous enough when her client base was strictly mortal. But ailing finances have forced her to accept a lucrative case that could save her firm-if it doesn't kill her first. Shiarra has signed on to work for a high-level mage to recover an ancient artifact owned by one of New York's most powerful vampires.

As soon as Shiarra meets sexy, mesmerizing vamp Alec Royce, she knows her assignment is even more complicated than she thought. With a clandestine anti-Other group trying to recruit her, and magi being eliminated, Shiarra needs back-up and enlists her ex-boyfriend-a werewolf whose non-furry form is disarmingly appealing-and a nerdy mage with surprising talents. But it may not be enough. In a city where the undead roam, magic rules, and even the Others aren't always what they seem, Shiarra has just become the secret weapon in a battle between good and evil-whether she likes it or not...

First impressions: I never know what to expect with free ebooks, so usually my guard is up and my expectations are down. Here, I was pleasantly surprised. The book opens with a great scene where our reluctant protagonist, Shiarra, is pulled into an investigative job for the Others. I loved the idea that Shiarra really didn't want to get involved with the Others, especially since most books have characters that want to either be them or be in love with them.

Lasting impressions: What a welcome addition to the urban fantasy genre! I thought this book was a lot of fun, with some original new contributions that added a lot to my enjoyment. In Shiarra's world, the Others (supernatural types) have to sign contracts in order to have romantic (or blood servant) relationships, in order to avoid litigation should the human meet their death. This is a key plot point and added to the believability of the world.

Conflicting impressions: Given the well-developed supporting characters, I found Shiarra just a bit weak, especially in the beginning. I wish she hadn't needed to take the job because of money troubles. This just made her an unwilling participant and didn't give me much reason to root for her to succeed. I think bigger stakes would have made it more exciting.

Overall impressions: Shiarra and her business partner, Sara, pale a bit in comparison to the fun Others they come across. The vampire Alec Royce is the perfect blend of sexy and scary. What a treat to have a vampire who is actually terrifying! It seems like every other vamp I read about is so in control of his or her blood supply or hunger that they're never really risky to be around. Well, Royce is definitely scary in this one, and I loved every minute of it.

Arnold, a mage, becomes a de facto sidekick when his boss (who hired Shiarra for the job) winds up dead. His development through the book is well handled, at first seeming untrustworthy but by the end winning our full confidence and friendship. He helps outfit Shiarra in some butt-kicking gear that keeps her alive and grants her some extra oomph in her fighting abilities.

The story line is straightforward enough, but Haines delivers a nice surprise at the end. The different Others factions are all vying for the same thing, and Shiarra is just trying to do her job and get out before things get too messy. Shiarra was likeable, but the other characters really take the book to the next level. Haines' interesting take on supernaturals living side by side with humans, each wary of the other, everyone seemingly on edge, was both realistic and compelling. A great read for UF fans.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Click the stars for a description of my rating system

Want a different perspective? Check out this greatreview by Dark Faerie Tales.

Huntress by Malinda Lo

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Book: Huntress
Author: Malinda Lo
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release date: April 5, 2011
Source: I Read Banned Books ARC Tour

Summary: (from Goodreads) Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn’t shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people’s survival hangs in the balance.

To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Taninli, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speck of the otherworldly. And yet the two girls’ destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever.

The exciting adventure prequel to Malinda Lo’s highly acclaimed novel Ash is overflowing with lush Chinese influences and details inspired by the I Ching, and is filled with action and romance.

First impressions: The world here was so different from any other book I've read recently. I couldn't put it down, because I was so curious about where this story was going. The first chapter is retrospective, so we see where things might end up, but not what has happened yet, and it is achingly beautiful.

Lasting impressions: Breathtaking. Grand. This fantasy was gloriously epic while still remaining a quick read and avoiding an overly complicated plot. This one is top notch.

Conflicting impressions: I didn't want it to end. I wanted more! I would have loved to have had more backstory on the state of the world and relations with the Fairy people. There's definitely enough here to make the story work, but a tad more information would have just filled in the edges a bit.

Overall impressions: If it wasn't already clear, I loved this book. Any book that can surprise me is on good footing already. One of the things I found so refreshing about this book is the love story that builds between the two female main characters. That in and of itself is a bit outside of the norm, but what really made me soar was that this budding attraction was not shameful, shunned, or disapproved of by their society. Kaede and Taisin are only kept apart by Taisin's path as a sage. Sages are to be celibate, yet the vision she has of the future, where she knows she loves Kaede, haunts her. How does she choose life as a sage or life in love at the vulnerable age of seventeen?

It's this struggle that defines the book. When the girls are sent on a quest to meet the Fairy Queen, and later, to battle an evil presence, the heart of the issue is this growing bond between two young girls who just want to do what is expected of them without losing themselves in the process. Malinda Lo handles this tension with exquisite ease.

Like any good questing fantasy, this one involves bloody battles (including one particularly violent clash with a band of wolves). Still, the love stories that wind their way through the novel are more emotional than physical, so I think it would be appropriate for the younger teen set as well. This book tackles so many of the struggles we all feel, and so well, that it would be a shame for any reader to miss out.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Click the stars for a description of my rating system

This book was provided for review by the Banned Books Tour at I Read Banned Books.