Books I've Loved: The Chaos of Standing Still

I love books set over very short time periods where every moment and action is explored.  This book is set over 24 hours at the Denver Airport during a blizzard.  With all the flights grounded, there is nowhere to go and nothing to do but wait until the weather clears.

Ryn has been grieving her best friend for almost a year now.  She's moved away from the place the accident happened, she's been in therapy, but nothing has helped her move on from the moment she lost her friend.  Her phone has become her lifeline and she spends hours asking Google the questions that panic her mind in an attempt to keep herself calm.

She is not expecting to spend the anniversary of Lottie's death trapped in a snowstorm at an airport.  Nor is she expecting to meet the person who will set her on the road to healing after all this time.

Yet when Ryn crashes into Xander at the end of a moving walkway, she sets in motion a series of events that will eventually hand her life back to her and allow her to move on after a year of drowning in grief.

Xander is as troubled as Ryn, but in different ways.  As the pair of them navigate the crowded airport filled with cranky trapped passengers, they talk, fight, part, and re-discover each other time and time again.

I really enjoyed this book.  Ryn and Xander are just the kind of damaged souls I enjoy discovering, and the airport setting was both banal and familiar.  That Ryn and Xander managed to find so many adventures within the airport's walls is testament to the author's imagination.  And with a whole terminal of trapped customers, there are plenty of fascinating supporting characters to get to know too.

I could have probably done with fewer flashbacks, but I agree the were necessary, even if they did paint Lottie in a less-than-rosy light.  Without getting to know Lottie, and who Ryn was while she was with Lottie, I don't think her evolution would have been nearly as satisfying as it actually is.

Definitely recommended.

But don't just listen to me.  Here's the blurb:

Ryn has one unread text message on her phone. And it’s been there for almost a year.

She hasn’t tried to read it. She can’t. She won’t. Because that one message is the last thing her best friend ever said to her before she died.

But as Ryn finds herself trapped in the Denver International Airport on New Year’s Eve thanks to a never-ending blizzard on the one-year anniversary of her best friend’s death, fate literally runs into her.

And his name is Xander.

When the two accidentally swap phones, Ryn and Xander are thrust into the chaos of an unforgettable all-night adventure, filled with charming and mysterious strangers, a secret New Year’s Eve bash, and a possible Illuminati conspiracy hidden within the Denver airport. But as the bizarre night continues, all Ryn can think about is that one unread text message. It follows her wherever she goes, because Ryn can’t get her brialliantly wild and free-spirited best friend out of her head.

Ryn can’t move on.

But tonight, for the first time ever, she’s trying. And maybe that’s a start.

Weekly Goals 14-5-18

I didn't get any work done on my revision over the weekend because I woke up to a set of edits from my publisher on Saturday morning and needed to attend to those.  I only have a week to turn them around, so my focus has to be on them this week.

Luckily they aren't big things, and I got close to halfway through a first pass over the weekend, so should be able to finish in time without too much trouble.

I got through 12 chapters of revision last week anyway, which is more than I expected to get through. But then, I don't think the problems with the book are at the beginning, so I'm still getting to the parts that need work.

I'm hoping it will be a slightly quieter week this week at work so I can catch up on some things.  I'm going to be at a conference in Auckland for most of next week, so I need to be on top of everything.

What are your goals this week?

Celebrate the Small Things 11-5-18

This post is part of Lexa Cain's bloghop, Celebrate the Small Things. Head on over there to join up!

What am I celebrating this week?

Stumped is finally available in the public library where I live.  It has taken a long time for them to get it on the shelf, but it's there now if anyone is interested in checking it out.  Well, actually.  It isn't...  When I looked, it was already checked out.  And someone has it on reserve too.  So that's good, right?

I've made much more progress on my revisions than I had hoped to make.  I've already got through 12 chapters!  But to be honest, not a whole lot needed changing in those first chapters.  In fact, after so long away from this story, I'm amazed at how good it is.  And I'd forgotten how funny my MC can be.  I'm looking forward to continuing to work through this one.

It's Friday!  Considering how quiet the office is with so many people away, it has been a crazy week at work, and I'm looking forward to the weekend even though I have nothing special planned (except working on my revisions).  My partner is working on Sunday, so I might take the kids to the movies to get us out of the house.

What are you celebrating this week?

Books I've Read: Disappeared

There were things I liked about this book, and things I didn't.  It was fast-paced and full of mystery, but even so, I wasn't as engaged with the story as I really wanted to be.  Despite the high stakes and tight timeline, the book lacked tension and I wasn't compelled to turn every page to find out what happened next.

Partly this is because there are two protagonists, a brother and sister.  The book opens with Sara's story, but in reality, her brother Emiliano has the more interesting plot-line and character development.  Sara felt like a very under-developed character with little backstory.  She was just a good girl, and good just isn't that interesting.

Emiliano on the other hand, isn't that good.  He's walking in kind of a gray area where he's doing bad things for good reasons.  That kind of dichotomy always makes for compelling characters.

The premise is exciting, yet the promised tension never really arrived.  Even the scenes in which Sara and Emiliano's lives are apparently at stake lack excitement or any real sense of urgency.  They seem to solve every problem very easily, and escape danger without much difficulty.

And as for the ending...  Well, let's not even go there.

I was a little disappointed in this book.  While set in Mexico, I didn't really get any real sense of the city or the culture.  And the thriller ellements just weren't as thrilling as they could easily have been.  So while it's not a bad read, it certainly wouldn't be top of my reccommend-list.

But that's just my opinion.  Here's the blurb:

Four months ago: Sara Zapata’s best friend disappeared, kidnapped by the web of criminals who terrorize Juàrez.

Four weeks ago: Her brother, Emiliano, fell in love with Perla Rubi, a girl whose family is as rich as her name.

Four hours ago: Sara received a death threat…and her first clue her friend’s location.

Four minutes ago: Emiliano was offered a way into Perla Rubi’s world—if he betrays his own.

In the next four days, Sara and Emiliano will each face impossible choices, between life and justice, friends and family, truth and love. But when the criminals come after Sara, only one path remains for both the siblings: the way across the desert to the United States.

Weekly Goals 7-5-18

This week it's back into the revision trenches for me.

I have two or three books that are so close to being ready to go, so it's time to do those final rounds of edits to make them shine.

I thought I'd do the easiest one first, but the more I think about it, the more I want to tackle the story that has the biggest problem, so that's what I intend to do.  I have an pretty clear idea how to fix one problem in it, but the other one is going to be tougher to figure out.

I will aim to get through two or three chapters per day, but I may do more some days because not every chapter is going to need big changes.  But of course I won't be able to work every day.  I already know I have a conference to go to in Auckland in two weeks which will wipe out most of a week's writing time.

The goal will be to finish this by the end of June.  Let's see if we can stick to that, shall we?

What are your goals this week?

Spotlight on: Perfectly Misunderstood

 

Today I have a special spotlight on a newly released YA romance, Perfectly Misunderstood. Doesn't it sound fun?

Book Title: Perfectly Misunderstood

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance/Romantic Comedy

Book Synopsis: Jayden Valdez is an overachieving intellectual. Mike McGinnes is Franklin High School’s dumbest jock. Even though they barely know each other, she finds his personality repulsive and he thinks she’s got a giant stick up her you know what. Mike and Jayden are surprised and annoyed when their teacher pairs them together for Spanish tutoring. Both feel it’s a complete waste of time, since nobody could learn from a person who bugs the crap out of them. Not to mention that their reputations might be ruined if people realize what they’re doing. But it doesn’t take long for Jayden to discover that Mike has a secret—he isn’t the person he appears to be. Much to her dismay, Jayden finds ‘Secret Mike’ strangely attractive. And for some crazy reason, Mike is amused by Jayden’s clever insults and witty banter. Suddenly, they have a much bigger problem than their mutual disdain. What started as irritating tension is beginning to feel more like romantic tension and acting on it would be a very bad idea.

Book Buy Link

About the Author:

Robin Daniels is a sixteen-year-old trapped in a middle-aged body. She’s married to an amazing guy and has five cute but crazy kids. When she’s not chasing children or writing books, she’s coaching volleyball or working on her blog. She tries to read as much as possible, especially when she has housework to do. Robin’s favorites include napping, dessert, pedicures, Christmas, Arizona winters, and Diet Coke.

Amazon Author Page

Website

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Read below for an excerpt from the book:

Jayden’s glare intensified, and I could tell she was sending me mental death threats. Eventually, she gave up and sat down across from me. 

“Was that so hard?” I asked. 

“About as hard as your head.” 

“I have harder parts than my head,” I countered. 

Her eyes grew wide at the implication. I let her stew for a second before lifting my sleeve and flexing my bicep. “You think that’s hard? You should see my abs.” I’d said it as a joke, but it was basically true. 

She was surprised for the briefest moment, then she grunted. “How Cro-Magnon of you.” 

“Your grunt suggests you’re familiar with the genotype on a personal level.” I smirked. 

Jayden’s eyes narrowed. “At least I’ve evolved. Your face suggests that you haven’t yet.”   

I tsked in good nature. “Your face might be prettier than mine, but your manners prove you haven’t evolved as much as you think.”

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Celebrate the Small Things 4-5-18

This post is part of Lexa Cain's bloghop, Celebrate the Small Things. Head on over there to join up!

What am I celebrating this week?

My story was accepted for the anthology.  It looks like it will be published in August, so that's something to look forward to.

It has been a busy week with a major event I've been working on for several weeks on Monday.  Thankfully everything went really smoothly and the announcements were received enthusiastically.  I'm hoping to have a couple of quieter weeks at work now, because several of my team, and other teams, have left for Cannes.  We have another big event right after they get back that I'm working on, but that feels like it's under control at this stage.

I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend and will start editing one of the two novels I have that need work on Monday.

What are you celebrating this week?