Hunting Lila - Sarah Alderson

17-year-old Lila has two secrets she's prepared to take to the grave. The first is that she can move things just by looking at them. The second is that she's been in love with her brother's best friend, Alex, since forever.

After being involved in a mugging Lila races to where she feels safest, and flies from London to California and into the loving arms of her brother, Jack. Or at least that is how she sees it. What she finds is a relative who wants her out of his life as soon as possible. From the moment she arrives, Jack and Alex refuse to leave her alone. There is something wrong but unable to simply turn around and go home, she tries to find out exactly what the two of them do in their military unit and why there is a need for members of the unit to keep a close eye on her.

She is soon dragged into a supernatural battle between the unit and a group of individuals who are capable of using their minds just like her. Where is the line between good and evil and which side, if any, will Lila chose?

This book was on my TBR for quite a long time and I am just sorry it took me so long to get to. It caught me within the first line. We are thrown straight into action, at the very point that Lila is attacked and what she does to stop it. The writing flows well and I found I needed to know how things would develop for Lila, Jack and Alex. The characters are well defined, each bringing something to the story. There is action as well as romance which means there is something for everyone. With no really surprises here and nothing new when we think about the military, it still kept my interest and I read it in one sitting.

I have just ordered the second and will be reading that as soon as I get a chance.

The Theory of Everything - Film review

Release date: 1^st January 2015

Top Billing: Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones

It starts as Stephen and Jane meet at Cambridge. Maybe a little awkward at first glance but they become close friends and it quickly develops into something more. Stephen initially shows an odd tremor in his hand, the way he carries himself is a little off, though it is only taken seriously when he takes a terrible fall. Once tests are completed, he is told he has two years maximum to live and there is nothing that can be done.

Rather than run away, Jane becomes his rock and the marry knowing that time is not on their side. He slowly deteriorates, first finding it hard to walk and then in a wheelchair, even unable to breath. As time goes on Jane begins to lose her spirit and her mother advices her to join the church choir just to remove herself from the situation for an hour a week.

There she meets Jonathan who kindly agrees to help the whole family, yet however harmless it begins, feelings grow. A rift is opened within the relationship but when Stephen is in trouble she races to his side, and demands that he is operated on even when the doctor suggests that letting him go would be better. Time moves on and the couple separate but stay great friends as his career hits new heights.

This was a really good film. Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones are great as Stephen and Jane, and I couldn’t help but immediately sympathise with the two lead characters. As you can tell from the story it doesn’t concentrate on his illness rather on the relationship, however you can’t get away from his condition. Watching him slowly slip away from Jane was hard to watch. He seemed rarely to let it get to him though that may have been more because the screenplay was based on a book Jane wrote so you tend to see things from her point of view.

I would think that most people know his story but it is brought into clear focus with this film and I couldn’t help but be surprised that they only gave him two years and nearly 50 years on he is still going. The film may have put a little gloss on the couple but you can’t fail to really feel for both of them.

Forgotten - Cat Patrick

Every night when London falls asleep her brain resets, and she wakes with no knowledge of her past. Of course she writes notes each night so that she knows what people have said, what she’s done. There is something else about London that is unusual, though she forgets the past she sees into the future. Not just a day or two ahead but whole lives of those around her.

Her world turns upside down when she meets Luke. At first it would seem that things are moving on and her life is getting better. Now she has a boyfriend, but her friend Jamie is heading down a dark path, her mother is lying to her and why does Luke never feature in her future memories?


I liked this concept, the fact that she didn’t freak out with the lack of memory thanks to seeing the future is something that I hadn’t read before. Slowly explaining her situation, and through her eyes, we see how she pieces her past with her future. The story expands, not only with her fractured relationship with Jamie, but with the growing mystery around Luke and now her father. I found that it grabbed me and I needed to read on. The pace is nice and the little snippets handed out are enough to keep you hooked.

As a whole it isn’t too taxing. It is a short read that gives us a slice of her life, a very important part but a slice nevertheless. Read it two sittings I would recommend this for a change to the norm.

Dive into worlds that have survived the worst mankind has ever seen and join us on our journey into the unknown. Nothing is what it seems and survival is the ultimate goal in these tales about the world After Tomorrow. Zombies, time-travelers, cyborgs, aliens, and cannibals are all finally in one amazing post-apocalyptic anthology! 16 stories, four poems, and 5 pieces of original artwork all combine to form this one-of-a-kind anthology. Read stories from some of your favorite authors and find new authors to love! [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs8tuQWxzk0&list=UUQ8Y3FhF9TRUduWgoBqepAA[/embed] Meet The Authors:



Samantha Ketteman - Samantha Ketteman has resided in southern Illinois for 7 years, (though still claims to be an Alabama girl), with her husband and three crazy demon children. She started reading novels at a very young age and decided to write for herself. She is a caffeine addict, insomniac, and generally scatterbrained most of the time. When she's not writing, she's getting lost in her imagination. Novels are an escape from the harsh reality of a cantankerous teenage boy and two drama queen girls.

Jess Watkins - Jess is an avid reader, writer and chocolate devourer. She runs a book blog called A Book Addict's Bookshelves and co-runs Worlds of Words. She has lived in three different countries and owns an unreasonable number of t-shirts. A Whovian, Browncoat and Sherlockian, Jess loves anything to do with superheroes, Game of Thrones and Joss Whedon






  HJ Daly - HJ has always loved stories and writing became a natural progression to reading. Reading with her own children and then at schools in a hope of capturing the hearts and minds of the young. It wasn’t always about writing though, during her late teens, HJ stepped up her Latin American dancing and travelled Europe








  C.L. McCollum - C. L. McCollum spends her time delving into the wonder of the world. She’s always been drawn to the “How” and the “Why” and the “Is this even possible?” That addiction to wonder has led her to the realm of Science Fiction and Fantasy. C. L. is on the Great Agent Hunt for her first novel, but two of her stories are featured in the charity anthology Clichés for a Cause: It Was a Dark and Stormy Night (October 2014). Currently, C. L. is keeping it weird in Austin, TX with the love of her life and their various furry roommates. You can find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CLMCCOLLUMAUTHOR and on Twitter @C_L_McCollum



. Kelly Matsuura - Kelly Matsuura grew up in Victoria, Australia, but has lived most of her adult life in the northern hemisphere. After a year teaching English in China, she moved to Japan where she lived for ten years in Nagoya. Due to her husband’s work, she’s enjoying a few years back in a western country, living in Michigan, USA.



  Emma Michaels - Emma Michaels is a cover artist, blogger, and author of the 'Society of Feathers' series. Growing up her library card was her best friend and books were her home. Her love of blogging started when she created a book blog in 2009 which gave her the courage to submit her own novels to publishers and the rest, as they say, is history. To find out more feel free to stop by www.EmmaMichaels.com

  Michael Cross - Author Michael Cross lives in Seattle, WA. When Cross isn’t working on his next novel, he spends his time reading, modding steampunk inventions or working on his airship with his copilot Chihuahua. Cross dreamed of becoming a storyteller back when he was read stories like “The Odyssey” and legends of Roman soldiers and Arthur. He writes mostly paranormal, fantasy, New Adult and steampunk. Follow his adventures at www.Michael-Cross.com/



Toni Lesatz - Toni Lesatz is a wife, mother, author, blogger, gamer, caffeine addict, and lover of the culinary arts. Her short stories, Ashes to Ashes and Dead World, were published in fall 2014. She is currently writing her debut novel, which she hopes to have in reader's hands by spring 2015. Toni lives in Michigan with her husband and three children. If she's not writing or curled up with a book, you'll most likely find her playing with her kids, baking cupcakes, or killing zombies. You can follow her at My Book Addiction http://mybookaddiction.com or on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/authortonilesatz




 


H.L. Houghton - H.L. Houghton remembers sitting on the floor with a little red typewriter, tapping keys and asking her mother for spellings. She was three years old and from that day to this, she has dreamed of writing wonderful things for others to read. H.L. has recently published a collection of short, vampire themed stories entitled Almost Dead. When she is not writing, she can be found with a camera glued to her face or a book in her hand. She loves music, singing badly and watching people run from the rain.



 


K. C. Finn - K. C. Finn was born and raised in Cardiff, South Wales, where her love for storytelling grew at a precociously young age. After developing the medical condition M.E. / C.F.S., Kim turned to writing to escape the pressures of disabled living, only to become hooked on the incredible world of publishing. As an author for Clean Teen Publishing and Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Press, Kim spends most of her time locked in the writing cave with an obscenely large mug of tea. When not writing, she can be found studying for her MA in Linguistics, watching classic British comedy, or concocting evil schemes in the secret laboratory in her attic.


Scott Venus - Scott Anthony Venus is an Australian poet from Brookfield, Victoria on the western outskirts of Melbourne. Scott has been writing poetry for over 20 years, resulting in the release of 3 collections of his poetry “Finding Wisdom In Shadows” (2008), “Whisper Something Fragile” (2013) and “Breathing Moments” (2014). Outside of writing, Scott is qualified as a Travel Agent; however, is currently a live-in carer for 2 people with various degrees of disability - a responsibility that demands much of his time



. Nicole L Daffurn -  Nicole’s love for the written word has seen her write many short stories and poems and then eventually moving on to tackle the bigger task of novel writing late in 2011. She has also completed her course in editing and is currently studying Journalism and looks forward to exploring the world of news media.







 

Andrea Staum - Andrea L. Staum is author of the Dragonchild Lore series and The Attic's Secret Novella. She is also a contributor to a wide variety of anthologies in numerous genres. She is a trained motorcycle mechanic, an amateur house renovator, and a record keeper for the characters in her mind. She resides in South Central Wisconsin with her husband and three cats.



  Yasmin Fazli - Yasmin Fazli is an undergraduate college student studying biology to one day fulfil her dream of being a doctor. Little did she know, the small stories she used to write in middle school and high school developed into another dream she couldn't live without. In the beginning of her senior year of high school, the idea of Will of Hope, her first novel, was born. It took on a life of its own, and it turned into something she couldn't put aside. When she finished, she was so in love with the story and how the characters grew that she felt the need to share the happiness it brought with everyone and anyone. Still living the life of a college student, Yasmin works in a research lab, is a part of the Delta Gamma sorority, and fills her life with snowboarding and bouldering.


 

Sherwin Matthews - Sherwin has been living in fantasy worlds within the confines of his head for most of his life. How it is that he has been able to exist this way is of greater mystery than he can conceive, leaving him thankful that he is at least politely indulged by those around him, whom most likely find some amusement in his extravagances. One day he fears that he’ll have to give up and join the real world.




Catherine Stovall- Catherine is a fearless creature who surrounds herself with the joys of life both in and out of her fictional worlds. She lives in Southeast Missouri with her husband, three children, and pets. When not writing, she spends her time riding motorcycles, wearing elaborate hats, and genuinely enjoying the oddities in life.









 

Jeff Motsinger - Jeff Motsinger is a loving husband to Demetria Motsinger with two children ( Nikolai and Dani Jo).Born and raised in lovely Southern Illinois, he spends his extra time playing rpgs online. Jeff has a passion for drawing, but loves to write fantasy style stories.







Eada Janes- Born and raised in the wonderful St. Louis, Mo area. Eada Janes is a hometown girl at heart. You can find her walking by the banks of the mighty Mississippi river, dancing the night away at the local clubs, or snuggled up in front of her fire with a good book and a cup of warm cocoa. After graduating with a degree in fine arts and working in the corporate world of retail for many years, she has decided to return to her creative roots and brave a brand new start as an independent author. You can find her work in Cogs in Time, Cogs in Time 2, and Les Vaproistes



  Nicky Louise - Sunshine, surf and family are the corner stone of Nicky’s world. Being born and raised on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland Australia gave her the opportunity to chase her dream of photography and later novel writing. She fell in love with fantasy and dystopian and crafted stories with strong men and powerful women. Her debut novel Destinata was released on October 15, 2014 with several short stories following. Her second novel was released November 6 and is published through Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly. When she is not busy being an author, you will find her walking along the water with her husband or chasing after her two children.







  Demetria Motsinger (aka Madison Stewart) - Demi started out writing poetry, which evolved into short stories. Waiting for her goal to become a full-length author is soon to come. She currently is involved in Anthologies for Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing. She loves to read, write, and take pictures. Demi is from a small town in southern Illinois. She is a homemaker to, two beautiful children Nikolai 4 and Dani Jo 8, a wonderful husband and supporter Jeff, and 3 dogs.




  Cathy Ricketts - Cathy is the author of numerous poems published in greeting cards and short stories, as well as a talented artist. She is a proud firefighter and first responder in her home state of Alabama.

Change of perspective - Four - A Divergent story collection - Veronica Roth

Tobias Eaton is a young man left with his father after his mother tragically dies, or at least that is the story told by the Abnegation elite and one that he believes. It doesn’t help him deal with the abusive father, one who needs control in all aspects of his life and that includes his divergent son.
Unable to cope with the thought of continuing to live with his father when he has the chance to escape, he grabs it with both hands and runs into the changing faction of Dauntless. Flying threw his initiation, after all what is pain to someone who has grown up with it, he is offered the role of leader. Initially he believes he can make a difference but soon realises that he is a simple pawn and quickly withdraws.

Then of course he meets Tris and his world is changed forever.

The book is a collection of not stories as such but scenes in Four’s life. From why he left Abnegation, how he became a teacher of the initiates and how he real felt about Tris. As with all people who read this, you already know the stories but it is interesting. One of his fears where he shoots an innocent, I thought his fear stemmed from the fear of following orders and this was not the case. It was a new side to him.

As with the initial series I am not a great lover of the style of writing. It seems immature at times and I wanted more, but as with the first two books, it caught my interest. I can see why she first wrote it from Four’s point of view before Tris became her main focus.

New for Old - Northanger Abbey - Val McDermid

Catherine or Cat is a young girl who has had an isolated upbringing, few friends and home schooled, she knows little of what awaits her outside her home. She gets her opportunity to find out when a wealthy neighbour takes her to the Edinburgh Festival. Getting her first taste of freedom she laps up the atmosphere, the events and the people.

She meets two sets of friends, one simply wants to use her to get what they want and the other could change her life forever. Who can she trust, who can she turn to and should she except the invitation to the mysterious Northanger Abbey?

We follow Cat through her journey of discovery, finding out how little things can affect how you perceive life. It is of course a modern retelling of the Jane Austen and is done well. It is hard in this day and age to make a young woman seem so naive and she does her best. The home schooling means she knows little of the nuances that the people around her use to manipulate her, but she isn’t cut off completely Val McDermid has ensured that the character has facebook and twitter, though cleverly cuts off that avenue as there is no wi-fi at Northanger Abbey. Although keeping it modern her language is old which I think works well. The only thing that didn’t fit for me was the change in why the general throws her out of the house in the early hours of the morning.

It was as if she felt she couldn’t use the excuse of lack of money or status, which is still relevant in some people’s eyes and went for something completely different. Overall this is well written, the plot may already be established but the flow and fresh look at the characters worked really well.

Sally Green & Lauren Owen

An afternoon of dark, supernatural fiction with two scintillating new writers. The Quick, the well-received first novel from Lauren Owen, travels from the tragedy shared by a young brother and sister on a Yorkshire estate to the rooms of London’s mysterious Aegolius Club. 

Lauren Owen still had the enthusiasm of youth, her love of all things Victorian and gothic was something you couldn't ignore. With her story of her youth and a scary old school, she painted a great picture of what life was like. 

Sally Green’s Half Bad is the first volume of a new young adult series set in a modern England where witches and humans warily co-exist. A fast-paced supernatural thriller with more than a few narrative tricks up its sleeve.

This was an interesting talk, both spoke about how they came to the stories in their books and the processes behind how they work. What really hit home with me was listening to Sally Green. She fell into writing, a lot like I did. It wasn't something she had always dreamed of, simply something she became interested in once she had children. On a creative writing course she began to wander into short stories and found her love of writing in 2nd person, something that I can't say I would ever try. You could say that it's a little like marmite, you either love it or hate it.