Posts Tagged With: reading

Author Blog-in: The End of the World Sucks by Sharon Trembley

Author Blog-In: End of the World Sucks

Sharon’s such a good sport that I read and reviewed her book just for the Blog-in! Read it here: http://katepolicanisreviews.wordpress.com/2012/09/14/the-end-of-the-world-sucks-by-sharon-trembley/

 

The End of the World Sucks by Sharon Trembley

This is a genre blender book that might be compared to Lord of the Flies meets Let the Right One In in a post-zombie apocalyptic world. Don’t worry though, it’s about the people even though there are elements of horror.

Zombies, a Vampire, or her fellow Man – Which is most likely to kill Vanna Ames? Who can she trust?

After surviving a whole month past the End of the World by hiding and staying quiet, recent college graduate and fashion retail employee, Vanna, luckily finds others who have gathered together as a community for their mutual survival on a college campus.

Although claiming to be a democratic society, tempers become frayed, decisions defy logic, and rules are broken. Further emboldened by the lack of society and law, some even gain a sense of entitlement because they are self-labeled heroes.

Now that all the rules have changed, a vampire arrives with a deal – his help for blood. An equally beneficial offer or a Faustian bargain?

As the community’s flaws grow, Vanna must decide whether to stick with her own kind in relative safety, or reject their community service nightmare, risk her life, and appeal to a vampire who claims his only interest is human blood.

And for the Author Blog In, here’s an excerpt to give a better idea of Vanna’s character because she is a character.  This occurs after Vanna hears gun shots early in the book and goes for a walk to find out what happened –

When she reached a point where two rolls of chain-link were joined together with some twisted wire, Vanna saw her. If she had seen that dress before, she would have remembered.
Muumuus were made for a woman of this size. Displaying a cheery, floral print provided no slimming effects, but proudly declared big and beautiful. Along with the turquoise, orange, and pink poly-blend tent, she also wore a pair of nude knee highs, and filthy, pink terry scuff slippers, and large, turquoise-colored plastic earrings with a matching chunky bracelet.
The woman had fallen on her side facing the fence, and like most of the corpses, her eyes remained forever open. Vanna thought the zombies didn’t blink, so that might be why their eyes turned that spotty white color.
Even with a visible gunshot wound to her face, Vanna could see the trivial details that further defined who this used to be. The woman’s short, not-so-natural blond hair was arranged into a crown of curlsframing her face. She also had heavy blue eye shadow still caked all the way up to her plucked, then redrawn with brown pencil, eyebrows.
Her lower face was grimy, Vanna couldn’t confirm her expectation of coordinating lipstick to match her screaming pink nail polish, brightly visible on the tips of her dirt-caked fingers from a distance. Vanna’sconstant fearful imagination made the gunk smeared on the zombie’s lips still appear fresh, wet and red, when she knew it had been there for weeks.

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Author Blog-in: The Artist’s Inheritance by Juli D. Revezzo

Author blog-in first book!

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Reviewers Rock! Thanks Bookworm Extraordinaire!

Here is a lovely review for my book, Don’t Judge a Book By Its Magic, by The Bookworm Extraordinaire: http://www.thebookwormextraordinare.blogspot.com/2012/09/review-dont-judge-book-by-its-magic-by.html

And I’m the “Author of the Month” too! (That’s in the side margin)

The book release is set for Oct 26th! Be sure to mark the date ’cause we’re going to party!

Thanks again Bookworm!

Categories: My Books | Tags: , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Author Blog-in Day 1: Post Your Own Book!

The Disenchanted Pet

By Kate Policani

Short synopsis:

Far into the future, the Earth is ruled by the ShaZha, a hyper-intelligent race of alien beings who are plagued by the violence and volatility of the human race. Supposedly intending to repair the broken societies and polluted planet, they have found the Human problem to be much more complex than they ever imagined. Zarah is a Prodigy, an obedient human, with a caring ShaZha master. Zarah wants to prove all her master’s hopes that humans can be civilized and responsible. When she is lost by her master and exposed to the other side of humanity, she must confront the possibility she might be not a valued citizen, but a pet.

I am currently writing my next book called The Stray, a second book set in the ShaZha Earth. It isn’t a sequel, but the story connects with The Disenchanted Pet

Buy The Disenchanted Pet on Amazon (Kindle and Paperback. Kindle copy free with Amazon Prime)

To buy multiple ebook formats, go to https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/93067

To buy the paperback, click here: https://www.createspace.com/3657962

For great reviews:

http://tahlianewland.com/2011/12/23/review-the-disenchanted-pet-by-kate-policani/

http://mainemuse.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/the-disenchanted-pet-by-kate-policani/

http://nadiariell.com/2012/01/18/a-book-review-for-the-disenchanted-pet-by-kate-policani/

http://www.speculativefaith.com/authors/kate-policani/

Long Synopsis:

The Disenchanted Pet is ashort Science Fiction novel that takes place in the popular “post-apocalyptic Earth” setting,  exploreing the unique problems with the Human Race and how to “fix” it.

Zarah is a young, optimistic girl, entering into the exciting world of adulthood with an idealistic perspective. But Zarah lives in the a future where Humanity is ruled by an alien race occupying Earth in order to rehabilitate and repair the planet and its people.

Reality intrudes on Zarah’s unspoiled outlook when she is attacked and separated from her SaSa, an alien guardian who is like a parent to her. Trapped within the Feral Facility, pregnant and separated from her home and new husband, she learns all the mistakes about the reality she believed in. She sees that the “Ferals”, who who aren’t serviceable within  the ShaZha’s plans, are not necessarily the monsters her Prodigy society has portrayed them to be.

Suffering through the harsh truth about her world and the errors in her ideals, she must face a future without the assurances upon which she always relied.

The Disenchanted Pet appeals to Science Fiction lovers as well as readers who have never explored the genre before. It explores the disillusionment of growing up and the harsh realities of adulthood, but with aliens.

Cover Art by Heidi Barnett and Erik Sederstrom warpfrenzy@msn.com

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Pre-review time!

My book is ready for pre-review! I won’t scream at you in a blog post, but know that I’m repressing a scream of excitement.

If you would like to pre-review my book, please email me at katepolicani(at)gmail.com and I’ll send you an e-copy. I will feature your review on my upcoming Virtual Release Party starting October 26th!

Categories: My Books | Tags: , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Review of Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 (by a compulsive reader)

So, I don’t normally do product reviews, but I have to say something about this little beauty. I LOVE it!

I bought it at Best Buy as a replacement for my Toshiba Thrive 10″ tablet that one of my kids cracked. Going in, I was worried that the Galaxy wouldn’t match up to my 10 inch experience. But the 7 inch was cheaper and seemed to be pretty nice. Boy was I pleasantly surprised!

The 7 inch is definitely enough screen size for me. I use it mostly for reading, with some email and gaming. I lost absolutely nothing with the smaller screen. It’s so much lighter and easier to handle than the massive 10 inch! Also, it’s covered with shatterproof plastic instead of glass (so it won’t meet the same fate as its predecessor) and it is HD.

It’s responsive. I see very few crashes. The 8gb internal SD, which is all you can get with this size, isn’t a restriction. I have all the apps I could want on it and some that belong to my hubby, and I haven’t seen any space issues. I put in a 32gb mini SD card, the maximum, and I don’t see myself running out of space any time soon. The 10 inch models can get 16 and 32 gb capacity. I don’t really see why the 7 inch can’t since the cards are all the same size. Meh.

The only thing I’ve found that the Thrive did better was the keyboard input. The Galaxy is just as responsive, but with the smaller screen size the buttons for each character are smaller and cause more mistypes. (Stupid big European-size fingers!)

Super-bonus-important: I can get every ebook reader app out there on my tab. Overdrive, Kobo, Kindle, Wattpad, Nook, Aldiko, and more all works and you can read all your books no matter where you got them. This is a must for a habitual price-shopper like me.

I almost forgot to mention that you can also read manga on a tablet! There’s even an app for you comic book lovers. Something for everyone!

I really loved my Toshiba Thrive, but I love the Galaxy even more! If you’re looking for an e-reader, I’d consider the Galaxy tab.

I wonder what name they’re going to pick for the Android platform next. Jelly Bean, Ice Cream Sandwich; what’s next? Diabetes?

Here’s the official website: http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/galaxy-tab/GT-P3113TSYXAR

Here are a few other reviews: http://reviews.cnet.com/handheld-devices/samsung-galaxy-tab-2/4505-3127_7-35137347.html

http://www.woot.com/offers/samsung-galaxy-tab-2-7-0

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-handel/review-samsung-galaxy-tab_b_1508385.html

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New Review: Drayling by Terry J. Newman

Drayling

by Terry J. Newman

Genre: Science Fiction

Read my review here: http://katepolicanisreviews.wordpress.com/2012/09/02/drayling-by-terry-j-newman/ Continue reading

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The DNA of a Successful Book

I thought this was really cool! How does your book fit in this DNA?

I found this graphic here (where it is a bigger size): http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2012/08/30/teaching-with-tablets/#more-38248

and also here (and it’s enormous!): http://mashable.com/2012/08/26/reading-stats-infographic/

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Motivated Beginnings

What makes a good beginning for a book? This is undeniably the crucial part of the book where the author’s talent needs to shine and he or she needs to draw you in so that you’ll bother reading the rest of the book. I usually know whether or not I want to read the rest of the book by the end of the first chapter. So what makes a good beginning?

Here’s what I like:

  • A problem – You’d think I have enough of those in my life, but for me to become interested in a book, I have to discover why the author wrote it and darn quick. If the first five chapters of a book give no hint as to why the characters do what they do, I lose interest. It can even be a hint of a problem and it will draw me in. Continue reading
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Author Blog-in Coming Soon:Sign up now!

 

Don’t forget to sign up!

The author blog-in is coming up. To get your choice of days, please sign up now. Feel free to share the page with your author friends too. Spread the word and widen our audience about our wonderful books!

All the information is here: https://katepolicani.com/author-blog-in/

 

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New Review: Island of Illusions by Jennifer L. Jennings

Island of Illusions

by Jennifer L. Johnson

Genre: Mystery

Read my review here: http://katepolicanisreviews.wordpress.com/2012/08/23/island-of-illusions-by-jennifer-l-jennings/

This third and final installment of the Sarah Woods Mystery Series finds our sleuth immersed in the tropical splendor of Oahu. However, what begins as an island getaway for Sarah quickly morphs into a desperate search for the missing infant of a wealthy Boston family. Just when the detectives believe they’ve made a breakthrough in the case, a shocking death shakes their investigation to the core. Much to Sarah’s surprise, surveillance expert Max Stevens also joins the frantic search. Will the detectives locate the missing child? Will Sarah finally share her true feelings with Max?

Pick up this novel and lose yourself in the mystery, or start with Book One, “An Appointment with Murder.” Either choice will keep you guessing ’til the very end.

Buy on Amazon

About the Author

Jennifer L. Jennings was born in Chicago, Illinois but has spent most of her life living in Maine. She was a massage therapist for fifteen years, and worked as a glass artisan for many years as well. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling the world, playing guitar with her son Blake, reading, writing and doing all things creative.

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Analysis: Get more out of your reading!

Why would I want to analyze a book while I read it? Iread for fun!

My answer: analyzing your reading gives you more fun with the next book. What is it about your book that you like? What don’t you like and why? These are important questions to answer if you want to get more books you will love reading. You want that, right?

If you like to talk with others about books, this is a great way to pull out the intelligent answers to the question, “What did you like about this book?”

Here are some easy habits to get into while reading that will help you analyze books:

  1. Pay attention to the commonly-used themes the author is using. (Example: a woman alone, man vs. the system) They are everywhere, in movies, books, even commercials. There are big themes and small themes, some encompassing the whole book and some for just one scene. They vary with culture differences around the world and even within a city. It’s surprising to see that books on entirely different subjects can have similar themes. Pulling this out and poking it with a stick can be a lot of fun. Continue reading
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The Churn – Emotional things that affect me physically.

Here and there in my reading I find emotional events or encounters that give me a physical feeling. I feel the zing of adrenaline from my neck to my fingertips at a really exciting or scary scene. I feel the clench of my abdomen with fear or surprise. I feel the hollowness in my chest from sorrow or loss. I only get these physical reactions when I’m really engaged by a good book. (I don’t include erotic scenes in this category. Eroticism is an intentional pitch at a physical reaction and can be accomplished without emotion.)

I look forward to finding the churn reaction with each book I read and often start from these feelings when I write. I hope to be able to write in a way that gives the same feeling to others that I began with.

There is a fine balance, though, between good emotions in a book and sappy writing. Authors have to maintain a balance so that you don’t bore your reader with too much sorrow, surprise or fury. You can wear out the emotions.

What emotions give you a physical feeling?

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New Review: Flower Bowl Spell by Olivia Boler

Flower Bowl Spell

by Olivia Boler

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal

Read my review here: http://katepolicanisreviews.wordpress.com/2012/08/20/flower-bowl-spell-by-olivia-boler/

Journalist Memphis Zhang isn’t ashamed of her Wiccan upbringing—in fact, she’s proud to be one of a few Chinese American witches in San Francisco, and maybe the world. Unlike the well-meaning but basically powerless Wiccans in her disbanded coven, Memphis can see fairies, read auras, and cast spells that actually work—even though she concocts them with ingredients like Nutella and antiperspirant. Yet after a friend she tries to protect is brutally killed, Memphis, full of guilt, abandons magick to lead a “normal” life. The appearance, however, of her dead friend’s sexy rock star brother—as well as a fairy in a subway tunnel—suggest that magick is not done with her. Reluctantly, Memphis finds herself dragged back into the world of urban magick, trying to stop a power-hungry witch from using the dangerous Flower Bowl Spell and killing the people Memphis loves—and maybe even Memphis herself.

Buy on Amazon!

 

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