Saturday, April 27, 2013
A Chance to Win a Signed Copy of BEHIND THE HOOD
If you live in New Zealand, click on the link below to enter into the competition to win a signed copy of BEHIND THE HOOD. It's a fast-paced drama set in South Auckland, and the first in the Behind the Lives series.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Meet my characters by being in one of my books!
Have you ever wanted your name in writing, or have a book boyfriend you want to come into contact with, maybe Ash, Dante or Sledge Rata or possibly Corey or Nike? Or do you want to have a line with one of the female characters? Leave your name and a short description of yourself below, as well mention which character you would like to come across ... and if you say Tama, you can't bash him up, lol, I get to decide what happens. Also, ladies, no touching of Dante is allowed, he might bite :)
I'll let you know if I happen to put you in a book. It'll be like an extra (such as in TV programmes).
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I'll let you know if I happen to put you in a book. It'll be like an extra (such as in TV programmes).
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Thursday, April 11, 2013
A Review of Nicole Williams' CRASH
GENRE: New Adult / YA
STAR RATING: 3.8
Jude:
I found this a frustrating read, because there were aspects I liked while there were definitely parts that I found annoying. When I bought the book I thought I was getting a dance story, which is THE reason I got it, but partway through I went oh o, not a dance story but one of the run of the mill bad boy meets good girl stories, where he laments that he's not good enough, she makes him go through the ringer, and so forth. And it was pretty much like that - a milder version of Beautiful Disaster, although I did like this book better, because Lucy wasn't horrible like Abby (I HATE ABBY).
What I liked about CRASH:
It was an okay read, the chemistry between the two main characters fairly good, and the beginning chapters were interesting, plus a certain twist in the book made me up the marks from a 3 to a 3.8 stars, although I still don't understand how Jude couldn't know that Lucy was the sister of a certain someone that a certain someone did something to (Sorry, I can't elaborate, because it's a spoiler, but people who have read the book will know what I mean).
Lucy/Luce:
What I didn't like about CRASH:
The repetitiveness of Jude saying he wasn't good enough for Lucy, that it would be better for Lucy to stay away from him. I really got tired of that part, plus Lucy could be infuriating at times, although I didn't dislike her. The miscommunications were also frustrating, plus I thought the bit where Jude saved Lucy from a certain someone at the party was rather contrived, and I could see it coming.
Conclusion: An okay read. I might get the second story, I might not, but I'm not bothered either way.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
LOVER AT LAST by J.R. Ward
Marita Hansen's review
bookshelves: damaged-men, dark-romance, emotional-angsty,fighter, friendship, m-f, m-m, jealousy, romance, series, vampires,favourite-author
Read from March 29 to April 01, 2013
I've renamed this book, it is now called:
Lover Continuously Interrupted
I've renamed this book, it is now called:
Lover Continuously Interrupted
This is going to be a long review, because I have things I liked about the book as well many parts I was disappointed in, so scroll down to see under the pictures of the two guys this book is about...
...which gets to me to the point that this book WAS SUPPOSED to be Qhuinn and Blay's book, but every Hetro couple and their dog came out of the woodwork to try to divert the fact that this book was about a gay couple. Which comes to my most major complaint:
THE STRUCTURE
It was totally up the wop, which is a New Zealand saying that means: it was uncontrollable, out of whack, all over the place, stuffed up.
I was so looking forward to finally reading about Qhuinn and Blay, and like many other fans of J.R. Ward, was particularly chomping at the bit to get my hands on these guys' story, because of the continual tease about their relationship and feelings weaved through the previous books. But while eagerly reading about them in Lover at Last I would come to an end of a chapter and instead of getting a continuation of their story, things would jump to either Xcor, Trez or Assail (as well as his love interest Sola) and a hoard of other characters. It's not like I didn't find those characters interesting (with the exception of the fore lesser), but hey, they can bloody get in line and wait their turn for their own books without interrupting Blay and Qhuinn, because those guys have been waiting ages to get it on, and so has the reader.
And that comes to another issue I had with this book:
THE SEX
In all the other books the sex scenes were vivid, where the guy's cock was described as freaking enormous, how it went in and blah de blah blah, but here the sex scenes were so vague that I had to fill in the missing spots. I realise that the publisher/editor or possibly J.R. was toning down the description of the sex due to it being male on male, with its taboo explanation, but it still made me go WTF? I don’t give a flying f if it’s male on male or male on female, it should be done in a similar manner, no blocking out areas just because it’s supposed to be taboo. I don’t like bias. But also, there were some technical problems in the description, some aspects which were just plain unrealistic, even in the vamp world, because the males don’t have pussies down there where a whang can just slip into without preparation. Okay, vampires may heal rapidly, but if Qhuinn is as big as the other brothers down below, which I believe he is, and even if he wasn't, Blay would've hurt like a mothef&^%er because he was never prepared, not even a finger mentioned in the equation of XY + XY, which was also what happened with Qhuinn when he lost his anal virginity to Blay. Now, J.R could've put in a simple line that mentioned some sort of preparation, it only had to be a few words.
So, the sex and the structure were my major complaints. However, I did give the book a 4 because, although I was continually frustrated and let down in areas, I still love J.R.'s writing (she's my favourite writer) and I read this book so fast, because I was so stoked to finally get to be in Blay and Qhuinn's heads, especially Blay's, who I haven't really gotten much of prior to this book.
Another added bonus, is I love the world of the black dagger brotherhood. I love all the characters, except for the lessers (please stop writing from their points of view, J.R., because they are so freaking BORING! Lash was the only one I wanted to read about on their side of the fence).
Also, although I was complaining about Assail, Trez and Xcor having points of views and their own side stories, I do actually like them, just, I want to read their points of views and storylines in their own books. In particular, I loved Assail and found Sola a strong and interesting love interest for him, I also found Trez a fascinating character and I’m very keen on learning more about him, and I do like reading about Xcor, although I found the way he treated his sword - slashing thing, whatever - as a woman just plain weird and creepy.
And that leads me to Layla, Xcor’s living, breathing love interest. She really stepped it up in this book. I loved her bite, that she grew some balls, because she didn't let people railroad her. And I thought it was fine to have here point of view because she was integral to Qhuinn's life, so in fact I didn't mind Xcor having points of view, because he was linked to her, just not Trez and Assail, because they had completely separate storylines.
In conclusion, although I read this book fervently, I was let down because of the issues J.R. obviously had in concentrating on the main couple, which I do believe was due to them being both males. This may be a reflection on her being with a mainstream publisher, but nonetheless it did kind of ruin major aspects of the story. I may go back and read this book again, just only Qhuinn and Blay’s parts so I’m not continually interrupted, and fill in the blanks for the sex scenes.
P.S. WTF was with that last line of the book? Talk about being incredibly corny and eye rolling. Yes, I loved the last scene, just not that last stupid clichéd line that made me think of Cinderella and all those happily ever after fairytales. It better not be a reflection of the reader getting no more of Qhuay or I’ll be having a tantrum.
Qhuinn:
Blay:
...which gets to me to the point that this book WAS SUPPOSED to be Qhuinn and Blay's book, but every Hetro couple and their dog came out of the woodwork to try to divert the fact that this book was about a gay couple. Which comes to my most major complaint:
THE STRUCTURE
It was totally up the wop, which is a New Zealand saying that means: it was uncontrollable, out of whack, all over the place, stuffed up.
I was so looking forward to finally reading about Qhuinn and Blay, and like many other fans of J.R. Ward, was particularly chomping at the bit to get my hands on these guys' story, because of the continual tease about their relationship and feelings weaved through the previous books. But while eagerly reading about them in Lover at Last I would come to an end of a chapter and instead of getting a continuation of their story, things would jump to either Xcor, Trez or Assail (as well as his love interest Sola) and a hoard of other characters. It's not like I didn't find those characters interesting (with the exception of the fore lesser), but hey, they can bloody get in line and wait their turn for their own books without interrupting Blay and Qhuinn, because those guys have been waiting ages to get it on, and so has the reader.
And that comes to another issue I had with this book:
THE SEX
In all the other books the sex scenes were vivid, where the guy's cock was described as freaking enormous, how it went in and blah de blah blah, but here the sex scenes were so vague that I had to fill in the missing spots. I realise that the publisher/editor or possibly J.R. was toning down the description of the sex due to it being male on male, with its taboo explanation, but it still made me go WTF? I don’t give a flying f if it’s male on male or male on female, it should be done in a similar manner, no blocking out areas just because it’s supposed to be taboo. I don’t like bias. But also, there were some technical problems in the description, some aspects which were just plain unrealistic, even in the vamp world, because the males don’t have pussies down there where a whang can just slip into without preparation. Okay, vampires may heal rapidly, but if Qhuinn is as big as the other brothers down below, which I believe he is, and even if he wasn't, Blay would've hurt like a mothef&^%er because he was never prepared, not even a finger mentioned in the equation of XY + XY, which was also what happened with Qhuinn when he lost his anal virginity to Blay. Now, J.R could've put in a simple line that mentioned some sort of preparation, it only had to be a few words.
So, the sex and the structure were my major complaints. However, I did give the book a 4 because, although I was continually frustrated and let down in areas, I still love J.R.'s writing (she's my favourite writer) and I read this book so fast, because I was so stoked to finally get to be in Blay and Qhuinn's heads, especially Blay's, who I haven't really gotten much of prior to this book.
Another added bonus, is I love the world of the black dagger brotherhood. I love all the characters, except for the lessers (please stop writing from their points of view, J.R., because they are so freaking BORING! Lash was the only one I wanted to read about on their side of the fence).
Also, although I was complaining about Assail, Trez and Xcor having points of views and their own side stories, I do actually like them, just, I want to read their points of views and storylines in their own books. In particular, I loved Assail and found Sola a strong and interesting love interest for him, I also found Trez a fascinating character and I’m very keen on learning more about him, and I do like reading about Xcor, although I found the way he treated his sword - slashing thing, whatever - as a woman just plain weird and creepy.
And that leads me to Layla, Xcor’s living, breathing love interest. She really stepped it up in this book. I loved her bite, that she grew some balls, because she didn't let people railroad her. And I thought it was fine to have here point of view because she was integral to Qhuinn's life, so in fact I didn't mind Xcor having points of view, because he was linked to her, just not Trez and Assail, because they had completely separate storylines.
In conclusion, although I read this book fervently, I was let down because of the issues J.R. obviously had in concentrating on the main couple, which I do believe was due to them being both males. This may be a reflection on her being with a mainstream publisher, but nonetheless it did kind of ruin major aspects of the story. I may go back and read this book again, just only Qhuinn and Blay’s parts so I’m not continually interrupted, and fill in the blanks for the sex scenes.
P.S. WTF was with that last line of the book? Talk about being incredibly corny and eye rolling. Yes, I loved the last scene, just not that last stupid clichéd line that made me think of Cinderella and all those happily ever after fairytales. It better not be a reflection of the reader getting no more of Qhuay or I’ll be having a tantrum.