How to get a Literary Agent in Two Murders or Less - Book Review

How to get a Literary Agent in Two Murders or Less by Ellie Burmeister. 5 out of 5 stars.

This was a book that I could not put down. I started reading it last night and kept going because it was captivating. At first it was just that I could relate to the main character. Amanda Anderson is an aspiring novelist, but is finding it difficult to find a literary agent. I get that. It's one thing to write a book, it's a whole other ballgame to get that book published by a reputable publishing company. So I felt for Amanda. She goes to a writer's conference to find an agent, and then, one thing leads to another, and she ends up eloping with a bestselling writer Jonny Goodsnuff. She knows nothing about him except that Jonny Goodsnuff is his legal name but not the name he was born with, but decides her life is pretty crappy to begin with, so why not.

Soon, Amanda is trapped in a farce of a marriage. Jonny looks good on paper, but that's where it ends. He is jealous, makes her sign a draconian prenup, dotes on his (older than Amanda) daughters who treat Amanda terribly, and criticises Amanda's friends to their faces. Then, a murder occurs, Amanda is the suspect, and the only person on her side is Jonny's 'sleazy' agent, Stonewall.

And through it all, she just wants her books to find a publisher!

By the middle of the book, I was hooked. The fairy tale life that Amanda found at the beginning turned into a nightmare. Things happened so fast, one leading to another and it became a book I could not put down. Kind of a cross between chick lit and drama, this book was solid, a clean read and quite enjoyable.

5 out of 5 stars! :)

PS - If you are interested in similar book about a young girl pursuing her dreams and getting carried away with them, be sure to read  Tanned, Toned and Totally Faking It, the story of Mikayla Rivers who, overnight, almost, finds herself the new Justin Bieber, America's favourite popstar. She is forced to deal with her own stardom, along with a dirty, rotten, cheating ex boyfriend, a psychotic and fame hungry manager, and the new love of her life, who she hasn't told who she is. And he won't be too thrilled if he finds out. One lie turns into a huge mess in this fast, fun, summer novel! :)

The Cloak - Book Review

I read the best book last week! Seriously. The Cloak by James Gough is like a new Harry Potter and I really enjoyed it! A full 5 out of 5 stars!

I have been wanting a good, clean, fun book for a while, and yet most of the books I read were not as clean as I hoped. I heard about this one through my publisher, as James Gough is one of their fellow authors, and to be honest, that is the only reason I started reading it. Usually YA fantasy books aren't my thing.

But the minute I started reading, I was hooked! Great characters, thoroughly believable storyline, and lots of twists and turns. Will Tuttle, the protagonist, had a sad, lonely childhood. Allergic to everything that wasn't manufactured before 1960, he lives his life in a latex bubble. Bland, 50 year old spam would probably make me alot more angry at life than Will is in the book. He is easy going, timid and everything you would expect a boy like him to be.

Then, all of a sudden, his entire life changes, He sees things... creatures that only exist in fairytales and in Greek mythology. Centaurs, men with beaks and feathers, half girl, half bat creatures. And they are shocked to find out that Will can see them. They are, after all, supposed to be cloaked with a magic shield to keep them out of sight.

And, as Will enters this world, his own world changes forever as he becomes hunted by those who wish to silence him.

This was a joy to read. I fully recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed Harry Potter, Twilight or any other book bathed in legend. Excellent read.

PS - If you are interested in another YA book from WiDo Publishing, check out Tanned, Toned and Totally Faking It,  the story of Mikayla Rivers who, overnight, almost, finds herself the new Justin Bieber, America's favourite popstar. She is forced to deal with her own stardom, along with a dirty, rotten, cheating ex boyfriend, a psychotic and fame hungry manager, and the new love of her life, who she hasn't told who she is. And he won't be too thrilled if he finds out. One lie turns into a huge mess in this fast, fun, summer novel! :)



Falling Star - Book Review

Falling Star by Diana Dempsey was a decent book. It went from being captivating to blah and back again several times. Overall, I give it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

I began this novel because I enjoyed other books by this author, but I found soon in that it wasn't in the same league as the other ones. This is Dempsey's debut novel, and, while it has an interesting plot, it was predictable, had poor grammatical errors and some wordy, pointless paragraphs. Additionally, there were several descriptive sex scenes that I ended up skipping over... no point in having them in there, and I prefer clean books.

 

 

So what's it about? Natalie Daniels’ husband just dumped her. Her boss is scheming to replace her because she is 40, which is too old in the anchor-woman world. The reporter that Natalie took under her wing to help with internship and career opportunities stabs Natalie in the back. And Natalie's agent, who she is falling in love with, is about to marry someone else.

 

 

The book is an excellent look at the world of TV... and showcases the difficulty that women face when pressured to look 20 perpetually, with cosmetic surgery and more. I found that none of the characters were the 'good guy', however. The protaganists cheated on their fiances, spread rumours and felt they were entitled to the good life without having to work to maintain it. The antaganists were equally unlikeable. That said, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. People are imperfect, and I enjoyed to a point how realistic the characters were.

 

 

The beginning was slow, but it sped up toward the end. Overall, it is a fun, flirty read, although I would recommend other Dempsey books over this one.

 

 

PS - If you'd like to read my debut novel, earning all 5 star reviews thus far on Amazon, click here!  It is a modern day Notting Hill with a celebrity desperately trying to hide her identity from the love of her life, while dealing with a scheming ex-boyfriend, a psychotic manager and trying not to get swept away in the Hollywood scene.

The Sholes Key - Book Review

The Sholes Key by Clarissa Draper. I give it a full 5 out of 5 stars!

To be honest, it's been a while since I've read anything other than John Grisham or chick lit... so I was a little hesistant to start this new release by Clarissa Draper. In fact, I probably wouldn't have even tried it if it wasn't published by WiDo, the same place that published my novel.

But... I read it... and...

I LOVED THIS BOOK! :)

I was reading it at night and managed to freak myself out so much that when I went to bed, I placed my baby on one side of me, made my husband go on the other, and put my dog at my feet, all to form a kind of protection around me.

Here's what it's about: All across London, single mothers are vanishing. Margaret Hill, mother of two, walked out of her house two months before, never seen again. A month later, Carrie-Anne Morgans takes her two-year-old son for a walk in the park and disappears leaving him alone in his stroller. Lorna McCauley leaves her London flat in the early hours of the morning to buy medicine for her sick child and disappears.

Newly promoted Detective Inspector Theo Blackwell is assigned the case of Lorna McCauley, which, on the outside seems to be a simple case of mid-life crisis and child abandonment.

Elsewhere in London, MI5 analyst, Sophia Evans, is working undercover to catch an animal rights group responsible for targeted bombings. As her case (and her personal life) fall to pieces, she receives a strange envelope in the mail. It contains a picture of Lorna McCauley s lifeless face along with a daunting code.

Now the police and MI5 are forced to work together to stop the murders, and Sophia must find her way into the terrifying mind of a serial killer.

This was a very captivating book. Right from the first chapter, it sucks you in and makes you keep turning the pages. It is like CSI only in book form. There was the right amount of tension, suspense and drama. I was kept guessing right to the last page. There was also a nice amount of code-breaking, which reminded me of The DaVinci Code in a way. The characters were unique, funny, sweet, jealous, everything that good characters need to be. There was a hint of romance (which I loved) and a ton of action.

My only complaint is that I had to read it very carefully, some parts I even had to go back and re-read because it got complicated with the codes. If you're looking for a light fluffy beach read, it's probably not for you. However, if you love a bit of mystery, I 100% recommend it!!

PS - if you do want a nice, fluffy beach read, check out TANNED, TONED AND TOTALLY FAKING IT. Mikayla Rivers is the perfect BFF for a hot summer day, as she tries to hide her mega-star identity from the love of her life while dealing with a cheating ex-boyfriend, a psychotic manager and meeting (among other famous faces) Ellen Degeneres, Nick Lachey, Kim Kardashian, Ryan Seacrest and David Letterman in the process. :) xox

Ms America and the Offing on Oahu - Book Review

Ms America and the Offing on Oahu by Diana Dempsey. 5 out of 5 stars

This book caught me off guard. I wasn't really sure what I was expecting, but it was a murder mystery mixed with chick lit characters and a Miss Congeniality setting with a Nancy Drew feel.

It starts out with the Ms America pageant, a beauty pageant for married women, which was refreshing in that they were alot more mature than most beauty queen book characters. Ms Ohio Happy Pennington is the last to see Ms California alive. During the broadcast, right before they announce the winner, Ms California tumbles over dead. The Honolulu PD lists Happy as one of their suspects. So, what can she do? Investigate on her own, with her roommate and Ms Congeniality trailing along to help.

I enjoyed this book. As an avid fan of Nancy Drew when I was a kid, I found the beauty contestant trio who were hacking computers, sneaking into mail rooms, interviewing suspects and breaking into hotel rooms to be a lovely look back at Nancy, George and Bess. The book had moments of humour, although I did not find it as laugh out loud funny as some of the official reviews claimed. The characters were both likeable and unlikeable but always realistic. Unlike Mary Higgins Clark books, where I can always guess the 'bad guy' about 3/4 of the way in, I was pleasently surprised by the who-dun-it in this book.

I'd recommend this book. It didn't keep me up at night turning pages, but it was fun. I will definitely have to check out what else this author has written.

PS - If chick lit without the murder mystery feel is more your cup of tea, try Tanned, where we have a major Justin Bieber-like celebrity trying to hide her identity from the love of her life while dealing with a cheating ex-boyfriend, a psychotic manager and meeting (among other famous faces) Ellen Degeneres, Nick Lachey, Kim Kardashian, Ryan Seacrest and David Letterman  in the process. :) xox