"A Change Would Do You Good"

Hello Everyone!

I believe that Sheryl Crow said it best when she sang that "A Change Would Do You Good.". We tend to fear change. It is frightening and unpredictable. No one likes it. We must embrace change. No matter how hard it may be.

This is the second time that I have decided to institute changes to the blog. Some of the changes that I mentioned before (see "Changes Ahead..." 11/28/17) were put into place. Some of them have yet to be started but I hope to bring them in soon.

Changes that are already in place:

• Author Spotlights
• Series Spotlights
• Blog Tours
• Email Subscription (just added)

Changes that have yet to be set in place:

• Giveaways
• Video Reviews

I would still like to apply all of the above changes to the blog in addition to these:

• Current Reads
• TBR Lists
• Reading Challenges
• Monthly Wrap-ups

Excited about the new changes that are coming. Thank you for reading. Be sure to sign up for the new email subscription. It is a great feature and I am very happy about being able to add it to the blog. 

InkedBookDragon

*A Change Would Do You Good [Recorded by Sheryl Crow]. Sheryl Crow. Hollywood, CA: A&M.

Community

Hello Readers!

It has been one of those weeks. Utter chaos every time I attempted to work on stuff. There has not been enough coffee to handle this week. Friday! Finally!

I have been thinking a lot about the concept of communities. Random, I know. I have been thinking about how communities can be amazing support systems but they can also aid in ruin. I have been seeing this a lot recently. Communities can lift you up but can also pile on and make it where you can’t stand. The literary community is no different.

For the most part, I have seen some amazing things in the literary community. Authors and readers banding together to help each other. Authors want to get their work out there. Readers help them do that with reviews. Readers want to take part in the adventures within the pages. They want to feel.  Both benefit from the exchange. After all, can one truly be an author without readers? People bond over books. TBR lists grow. Friendships are made. It is wonderful to see and take part in.

There are many positives to being a part of the literary community. There are also negatives. A person puts their writing out there and it can be stolen. This has always happened but now it is much easier. People can hide behind their screens  and troll authors. They say all the things that they would never say in real life. An exchange can take place and the world will know about it within just a matter of minutes. This can make or break a career.

Some things I have learned while being immersed in the literary community:

Every one has a story. It may be their personal story and never be put to words for others to read but it is there. Take the time to listen. You never know what you may encounter.

It takes a lot of guts to put your work out there. Your writing is your baby and it can cause great anxiety to share it with the world. To all of those that have, I commend you. To all of those that have yet to take that leap, you got this. One day, you will find your voice.

Be honest when reviewing. Do not rate based on friendships or bonds. Rate based on what you read. You don’t need to be cruel to be kind in this case but you do need to be honest.

Keep in mind that not every story is for you. Some books may be for the person next to you or the person on the other side of the world. Do not try to force anyone to love what you do. With that said, do not ridicule someone for their reading choices.

The list could go on and on...

If you take anything from this, let it be that being a part of the literary community can be a wonderful thing. It really depends on what you bring to it.


InkedBookDragon


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Dread Nation

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Published by Blazer + Bray

Published on April 3, 2018

Genre(s): Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Horror, Young Adult

Page Count: 464

Source: Purchased

Format: Hardcover

📘📘📘📘📘

Book Description:

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania—derailing the War Between the States and changing the nation forever.

In this new America, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Education Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead.

But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It's a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston's School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose.

But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies.

And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.


Hello Readers.

I had heard about this book long before I read it. I was hesitant because I was not sure how a book of this nature would work. Zombies and the Civil War? What?! Inserting zombies into any real life situation has the potential to just fall apart. I definitely was not sure how one would insert zombies into one of the most intense and important periods in America's history. The room for error was great.
I started this book with some apprehension. Would the author pull it off?

Wow! She did! Beautifully melding the elements together, the author made the story come alive. (Yes, pun intended.) Strong characters. I found myself truly hating some of them and wishing them harm. Other characters warmed my heart and I wanted nothing more than for them to succeed. So many components that could have caused the story to fall apart but they were brought together in such a way that I was blown away.

I am rating this book Five Blue Books because it was such an incredible read. I cannot wait for the sequel! It cannot come out soon enough!  Highly recommend!


InkedBookDragon

Author Spotlight: Ana Calin

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: ANA CALIN

"Born in vampire land Romania and living in romantic Germany, Ana Calin writes paranormal romance with vampires, shifters and other mysterious creatures who stalk their love interests from behind mirrors, or using other paranormal powers. Dark, intense, these love stories are not for the faint of heart.

Influences: I.T. Lucas, Bella Forrest, Christine Feehan."


Published Works:
Christmas Stories
The Blacksmith
Hyperion
The Revenge of Audrey Jones
The Executioner: Part One (A Superpowers Romance, #1)
The Executioner: Part Two (A Superpowers Romance, #2)
The Soul Trapper (A Superpowers Romance, #3)
The Devil's Elixir (A Superpowers Romance, #4)
Prince of Midnight (Dracula's Bloodline, #1)
Prince of Obsession (Dracula's Bloodline, #2)
Prince of Blood (Dracula's Bloodline, #3)

https://ana-calin.com/
Amazon

Ana Calin writes in such a way that the reader is transported into her stories, feeling as though they are a part of them. This is a sign of a fantastic storyteller. I have not read her entire body of work at this time but intend to correct this soon.  I look forward to seeing what she does in the future. She is definitely an author to watch.

**Bio above is from her Amazon Page and is not my personal words.

Curses and Crowns (Vampires of Crescent Cape Book 1) by L. Danvers

Curses and Crowns (Vampires of Crescent Cape Book 1) by L. Danvers

Published by Independently published

Published on February 12, 2019

Genre(s): Fantasy, Paranormal

Page Count: 210

Source: Purchased

Format: eBook

📘📘📘📘📘

Book Description:
A cut-throat competition.

A romance to die for.

Danielle Parker’s life was a dream. Until it became a living nightmare.

Ripped of her memories of how she was kidnapped from her family, Danielle is whisked away to the mystical Crescent Cape—a kingdom ruled by vampires, where she is to live out her human life as a blood slave.

She’s not going down without a fight.

But her plans are thwarted when she’s selected to compete for the prince’s heart.

The winner will be turned into a vampire and taken as his bride. And the losers’ blood will be fed to the princess-to-be to complete her transition.

As much as she’s disgusted by the idea of the competition, and as dangerous as Prince Aiden is, she can’t deny her attraction to him—or to his troubled brother, Julian.

Will she be able to resist the brothers’ charms? Or will she find herself pulled into the dangerous world of the vampires of Crescent Cape?

A romantic and thrilling new series that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Perfect for fans of The Vampire Diaries, The Originals and The Selection.


Hello Readers.

I read books all across the genre gamut but a part of me always freaks out a little over fantasy, especially paranormal books. Vampires. Werewolves. Magic. Ghosts. Zombies.Witches. Give me! I am all over them. I cannot get enough. Yes please!

When I read the blurb for this one, I had to read it. It felt like something that I could really sink my teeth into. (Pun intended). I had gotten the opportunity to read the prequel short story (Blood Heirs)* last year and I found myself needing to know what happened. My mind would wander into this world at the most random times. I was hooked and needed to continue on this adventure.

Not so patiently, I waited. Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Finally the announcement came and I was delighted.

Publication day! Yes! I dove into the book. I took my time with this one, not wanting to miss a single detail. I escaped back into the world of Crescent Cape and I welcomed it. Rich descriptions. Intriguing concept. Relatable characters. Complex storyline. I finished it and just sat back for a few minutes. An afterglow of sorts.

I am rating this book Five Blue Books because it was such an enjoyable read. As I write this, I cannot help but think about how I cannot wait to read what happens next. L. Danvers definitely has my attention and I look forward to reading more. Highly recommend.

InkedBookDragon


* You can find Blood Heirs here.

Stacks

Hello Readers.

Another week of hectic days here. Lots of running around. Finally getting a chance to write. Yay! You have to excuse my excitement, I sat down many times this past week to work and fell asleep. I am happy to actually be somewhat alert.

As I was waiting for my coffee to brew this morning, I found myself thinking about books. Big surprise there, right? I thought about TBR (To Be Read) lists and how they tend to grow at an alarming rate at times. Some people have physical stacks or shelves of TBR books. Others have digital copies of lists or handwritten lists. I tend to keep all of the above.

I currently have stacks next to my chair of what I want to read next. I would love to say that these stacks decrease but they rarely do. For ever book that I read, at least three more are added. Funny thing is that I do not really see a problem with this. I probably add books to my TBR every single day. In fact, I have already added four this morning. Always open to recommendations so people are quick to send them my way.

I cannot help but wonder how others keep up with their TBR lists. How many of you have physical stacks in your home, begging to be read? I have seen people have actual library carts in their homes full of books. I must admit that I really like that idea and may have to implement it in the future. It may bring some order to the choas that are my stacks.

I have seen people that only buy ebooks so they do not constantly have physical copies of books. I get it. I can understand the desire for order. With that said, the idea saddens me. I have thousands of books on my Kindle and I read them regularly but I often miss the experience of holding the book in my hands and turning the pages. The smell. *sigh* That wonderful smell of a physical book. It is one of my all-time favorite smells.

I look at my books and I cannot help but feel joy. So many adventures. So many voices that wanted to be heard. Hard work and dedication fill those pages. I am in awe. It is an immense privilege to get to take them in and give them a home.

I doubt that I will ever be a person that only owns digital copies of books. Instead, I will be the person that people always joke about having more books than the public library. I will be the person that constantly has stacks of books next to my bed or chair. I am okay with that.

InkedBookDragon

Finally! Productivity loading...

Hello Readers.

Another insane week. This is the first time that I have actually gotten to sit down and work on stuff. Lots of very early mornings. Really hoping to convince the littles that sleep is more important than they realize. I wonder when someone will convince me of that. *smirks*  On a happy note, the coffee is fabulous today and I am being super productive. Yay for that!

I don't remember if I have mentioned it before but I am a person of many hats. I tend to work better if I have a lot of different things going on. This can make it crazy at times but it is what works for me. I am the person with multiple notebooks/journals/planners going. I am involved in multiple groups on social media including one that is mine. Add in the gremlins upstairs and I am pretty busy. With that said, I hope to always make time for you, my readers. You take the time to read my ramblings and I appreciate it.

My mind is all over the place this morning so please bear with me. Where was I going with this? Oh yeah! Books! I just posted a list of new releases in my Facebook group and I was once again blown away by the sheer number of books that come out every week. Some are highly anticipated. Some slip in there and are relatively unnoticed. It is impossible to compose a list of all of them because there are so many. I am forever on the lookout for an all-encompassing list. With that said, I have found that many of the books that I love tend to be ones that I just stumbled upon.

I just zoned out for a little bit there. I don't remember where I was going with this. I think I need more coffee. I am going to go for now but I want to leave you with this. Take a chance on an author that you have never read before. Buy that book that takes you out of your comfort zone. You may not like it but there is always the possibility that you will. How wonderful would that be?

Happy Reading!

InkedBookDragon