Book Review; Mostly Void, Partially Stars; Welcome to Night Vale Episodes 1

Hi readers and welcome to Night Vale! 

I've been a fan of the Night Vale podcast for sometime now. I've written about it before but if you don't know about it; Night Vale is a desert town which weird things happen, the normal becomes scary and nothing is ever as it seems. The stories are narrative in the form of a radio show which I think just adds to the mysterious and creepiness! 

About two years ago, I reviewed the first Night Vale novel which I totally enjoyed and have linked below. I read the second novel - It Devours! Last year and loved that too, though I must have missed out reviewing it on here. Today we are looking the third book but not an actual novel from the Night Vale creators because this is actually the first volume of the podcast scripts! 

Unlike with the novels, I strongly recommended listening to Night Vale before reading this book. There is so much more 'weight' to hearing aloud the scripts then reading them. There are events that come across so much better and stir emotions. Plus, the weather is a music piece which of course you can't listen to in the book! 

This book was really brought out of the fans. There are introduction to each podcast which gives a small insight into how that one came about and I always liking learning that kind of stuff. It's not written like a lot of scripts I've read before and I guess that's because it's mainly one character. Though there are some stage directions and other characters do come in. 

Cecil Palmer is the host of the show and I love is almost monotone voice. It's so calming and he just gives this natural feel to everything that's happening - though it's mostly unnatural and often scary! My favorite character is The Faceless Old Woman, maybe it's just because she's voiced by Mara Wilson, but I love the idea of her character - she lives in every home, is everywhere else and watching everyone and all the happenings of Night Vale all the time. She's an interesting, supernatural being.  

Reading the podcasts actually showed me how much I'd not taken in from listening to them the first time around! I think because Night Vale has now developed more, it's strange to look back at the beginning when it wasn't so whole and defied. The little side stories and characters that appear and then don't come back until something bigger happens, it was interesting for me to see the seed of those ideas. The narrative isn't a consent flow and can't really be read in a novel form way. So, it's hard to talk about the plot. There's just a lot of things going on and some of those things become more important and others get lost. 

For me, I did find reading the podcasts easier then listening to them because I have to force myself not to do anything whilst listening because I'm easily distracted by multi-tasking and then I realise that I've missed whatever has just been said. I need to make time to get back into Night Vale and catch up! I have the second volume of scripts to read next, so maybe after that I'll try and set some time aside in the evenings. I might not do a review of that book though, got some other stuff I want to write about, including; a series of manga I've been reading for the last few months, a few novels I read last year that are worth talking about and possibly reviewing the Harry Potter books which I plan to re-read all of for maybe the second or third time. I've re-read some of the book individual but not the whole set.

Overall, if you are a Night Vale fan and fancy seeing how the podcast scripts are created and/or you fancy some nostalgia of the desert town, then this is a good book to flip through. If you've not hear of Night Vale then give it ago. It's surprisingly gripping! 

Thanks for reading, until next week. Goodnight, Night Vale, Goodnight!

Links;

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29634931-mostly-void-partially-stars

http://www.welcometonightvale.com/

http://hailscrazyblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/book-review-welcome-to-night-vale-novel.html

Book Review; Minecraft, The Island by Max Brooks

Hi readers, 

For those of you who don't know I'm a massive Minecraft fan. So, when I saw that a fiction novel set in the Minecraft world was coming out, I knew I had to read it! It was expecting a fantasy style story but instead The Island is half an introduction/guide on playing the game and half a person's experience of playing the game for the first time. I'm feeling torn about liking it and disappointed that it wasn't what I was hoping for. 

The book is aimed at children and written in a simple way which could mean that older teens and adults might lose interest. I liked the easy style though because the previous book I read was long and heavy (that review coming soon!) There wasn't much of a plot though, it basically was; man wakes up on Island, has to survive, learns lots of lessons then decides to leave the Island to discover more about himself. 

The way it comes across though is good, with the man realising how things are different in the Minecraft world and what he needs to do to 'instantly' make things. I also liked how he made friends with the animals, since there was no one else; a cow called Moo, three sheep called Flint, Cloud and Rainy and some chickens. However, when he's translating the mooing of the cow into conversation it did start to bug me. Kids might find that funny though. The fighting scenes were well described and good too and I enjoyed reading about the battles with the zombies, skeletons and creepers, which for any Minecraft players out there you'll get on board with. 

This book feels like the wisdom of life a way which was something that came to me about 50 pages in when I realised how full the pages were getting with like cliche positive quotes; 'Take life in steps,' 'keep going, never give up,' 'books make the world bigger,' even though these are applied to events that happened with the Minecraft world, they can easily be applied to things in the real world. Which then makes me wonder if that's what Minecraft is a metaphor for? Anyway, I can see these positive messages being good for kids. 

Towards the end of the book, the details of crafting and guide like style do move over for a bit more plot which allows the main character to grow and realise what he must do. I like when he finds the abandoned mine and meets and Enderman! They've always been the scariest monsters for me. He manages to overcome all the problems that face him in the mine, even using some techniques I didn't know about! Afterwards, he reflects he was just using the exploring and fighting as an excuse to put off the one thing he needed to do. So, he leaves the Island to try and figure out even more. The book ends with him saying he's leaving it behind as a guide for the next person. 

Overall, I like this book for what it actually is; a novelized guide to playing Minecraft from a player's point of view but I'm still disappointed because I feel it could have been a lot more. Like the Minecraft Story Mode games which I'm slowly getting into. Will there be any more Fiction Minecraft novels? I don't know but it would be interested to read someone else take on the Minecraft world.          

Thanks for reading and see you next time. 

Please check out my other blog; https://thestoryfiles.wordpress.com/ where I write a short story everyday. 

Book Review: Greaveburn

Hi readers, 

I can't believe another month is over! Well, February has been very short this year. Spring all ready has arrived which given the few storms and cold weather there's been recently seems a bit strange! Anyway, today I'm reviewing another self-published novel and it's by an author I've meet! It was way back in December 2015 at a Steampunk fair and I brought one of his other books; Not Before Bed. You can read that review here; http://hailscrazyblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/book-review-not-before-bed-by-craig.html

I did see Greaveburn at the time but it didn't really interested me and I didn't want to commit to a full novel. I did put it on my reading list and a few months back I brought it but it's only a few weeks since I actually read it. 

It sort of was and wasn't my kind of book. I've been saying for ages I need to get more into fantasy novels and steampunk novels, I enjoy them both and thought this, which combines the two would be a nice read. I think part of the problem though is that it feels very novice like. Yeah, I know first time writers' books often are and I did try to set that aside. Hallam's writing isn't that bad, but he totally over uses similes and metaphors which stops the narrative flow and makes it seem like he's trying to hard! There is a good level of description though and the dialogue isn't that bad.   

I think though, the steampunk elements mixed with the fantasy genre didn't work for me. I blame myself to be honest! For me, steampunk is Victorian setting and I find it hard to look further out the box with it, but actually fantasy and other settings/genres would work well with steampunk, it's quite a versatile theme. Perhaps though, if this book had solidified itself in fantasy then it might have worked better. 

The other problem is that this is a stand alone book and it's short which means that there's not enough time to create the fantasy world or really develop anyone but the hero. I could have seen this working as a series and actually I would like to read more books set in the Greaveburn world. It wouldn't have to be about the same characters either. I don't know. For me, the creation of a fantasy world takes time and why just use it in one short book? Most of my short stories, barely started novels and characters, are base in or inspired by the world of Dungeons and Dragons or Tolkien to save time. 

Maybe, I'm being too mean this morning? 

I did enjoy reading Greaveburn and I liked the hero. He did do that stereotypical fall and rise of a hero though. His name is Darrant and he starts off in a high position as guard to the princess, but he is almost killed and ends up recovering in the sewers. He is taken care of by the 'broken folk' a group of the lowest of the low, who have all been rejected by Greaveburn. Darrant is determined to save the princess, the people and Greaveburn, so he leads a revolt to take back power. He is a likeable character and I did get into his story.   

The Princess Abrasia has only a little role to play and I would have liked her to be more involved and powerful. She comes across as a classic Disney princess really. She has lost all of her family but is too young to become queen, so a duke - I think it was, don't have the book to hand- is ruling in her place, but his family really wanted to take full control. We get to see the beauty of Greaveburn through her and she is very symbolic of freedom and new hope. However, she is 'killed' off under orders of the duke's family. She ends up being saved by a scientist guy - where most of the steampunk stuff comes in- and put into a death like sleep until she can be awoke safely. 

There are a few other characters who we get to spend sometime with, but they all seem to be supporting and background figures, so we learn very little about them. It would have been nice to have had a sub-plot maybe or some other story line to make things more interesting and longer. 

Actually, thinking about it now, this book does remind me of Les Miserables! The rise and fall of the characters, the fighting for power and justice, the poverty most of the characters have to live in and the cruelty of human nature. That all sums Greaveburn up too. 

Overall, this novel isn't bad. There's a mix of steampunk and fantasy, interesting characters and a plot that is simple but effective. I would say if you're interested then give it a read and see what you think. 

Thanks for reading. 

Book Review: Cemetery Candles

Hi readers, 

Today, I'm reviewing a book I read in early January. I can't remember how I heard about this book, maybe it was on a list of good vampire novels or I just stumbled across it whilst looking for something else. Anyway, the price tag of this book was high and I don't know why really, maybe it's self-published? but I had to wait till it was reduced to get it anyway and I'm glad I did. 

Candles is far from a typical vampire romance novel. Actually it's a little confusing because it starts with a vampire, Victor, - though he does a god job of hiding it - hiring a tutor for his young nephew and we get introduced to Victor, his nephew, Teo and their world through the eyes of the tutor, Valentina. It becomes clear that Victor and Valentina are falling in love but then Valentina sees Victor with another woman, Suzette, and they appear to be very close. 

Then there's a total switch in the story and we leave the 'present' with Valentina and Victor to go back into the past - 1700's-where we get most of Suzette's story. This is a really nicely told historic tale and it also has typical tragic events. Suzette meets and falls in love with Ivan who is a vampire. Ivan turns Suzette, who has a good job working as a doctor, into a vampire. Years later, Suzette and Victor met and fall in love. Sadly, the novel ends before we get to see Suzette make Victor into a vampire though we are aware it will happen. 

Whilst reading this book I wasn't sure what to make of it. The style of writing is a bit odd because its' third person present tense which isn't often written in. The flow though is fine and it doesn't jump around the years too badly. I don't think that being divided into two different time settings works though and I think it would have been better to take out the first part with Valentina and just expand the second part with the vampires. Clearly, it's been written like this to draw more people in and to set things up for later books. Yep, this is the first in a series. 

The one thing that really made me like this book was the different portraying of vampires. There is hardly any violence and fighting and love making that is very often attached to serial vampire books. I do enjoy all of that but its nice to read something different and see vampires in a different light. The real conflict in this novel comes from a strange problem to do with true love. A vampire can fall in love and be with a mortal, but when the vampire turns that lover into a vampire, the lover no longer feels true love for the vampire. 

So, there's a load of heartbroken vampires trying to be with other vampires who can't love them back. A good example of this goes; Ivan and Suzette fall in love but then when he makes her into a vampire, Suzette finds she can no longer love him so deeply back. Then she falls in love with Victor. She actually puts off making Victor into a vampire because she knows that will change the love between them. 

I do understand the workings of this, but for me and especially as this is supernatural romance, it doesn't sit that well with me. However, I do like the originality of this but I feel that being a vampire is cursed enough and not being able to be with your true love is just frustrating!    

The characters are very interesting and you do get a lot of development. I wish more time could have been spent with Valentina though, I feel she got pushed to the side by Suzette's story. I do feel like more work was needed on these characters and maybe because it's the first book the characters will grew further. 

Overall, this is a nice different vampire novel and once you get into it and over the style of writing, it does draw you in. It's a quick read too and interesting enough to keep you turning the pages. Am I going to buy the second book though? It's on my list, but until next year and when the price has really come down! I won't be getting it. I've far too many books and manga on my list right now that unless - like with with Miss Peregrine - I find another book I'm seriously addicted too! 

Thanks for reading and see you all next week. 

(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25798192-montenegro-book-one)

Book Review; Prince Lestat and The Realms Of Atlantis by Anne Rice

Hi readers, 

As promised here's my review of Anne Rice's latest book! Though I do have to confess that I've not finished it. It's a long, hefty book and since I so wanted to read it and not wait for it to come out in paperback, I've not been able to take it places with me as I'd normally do if I wanted to read a book quickly. 

So, this post is going to be a lot short then it should be! But I wasn't going to write too much about the plot anyway, as I don't want to spoil it for people. As normal I'll say to go and read my last two posts about Interview With The Vampire and The Vampire Lestat, but also the post I wrote about Prince Lestat, which is here; 

http://hailscrazyblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/book-review-prince-lestat-by-anne-rice.html  

I also just noticed that this post was my first book review of this year and now Lestat and Atlantis, as I like to shorten it too, is going to be my last! How weird is that? (This is because I've decided to do two life update posts on either side of Christmas). 

The first thing I noticed about this novel is that Rice has given us a very brief summary of the other Vampire Chronicle books and four pages of terminology at the front of the book. At the end of the novel are two appendixes; a list of vampires and places followed by all the Vampire Chronicle books and a blur about them. These are useful, but to me pointless for her long time readers and fans of Lestat. It's nice to be reminded of these things, but I felt it wasn't needed.

On a side note, I'd so not recommended reading this book if you've not read Prince Lestat. The characters are all mostly the same and there's a lot of them again! I'm not sure if you could get away with reading just this two books out of the whole of the Chronicles either. Rice has written a rich history of vampires over the years and all her past novels really have made it easier for her to write these new ones. The background of each vampire is also important to understand them better and their place within the plot of the novel. 

Sticking with characters; Lestat did not come across as his normal daring, bratty self. I think that having the core - the true source of vampire creation- who is called Amel, within him has altered his attitude. If anything happens to him a lot of vampires would die. I did feel caught up in his view of the story though, even after all these Rice is still able to give him a good voice. 

The other main vampires felt a little too in the background for me, beside from Louis. He comes back to help Lestat and even after everything they have been through together, the love is still there between them, which was nice to see. Claudia's name gets brought up and there's references to Interview and Lestat, which I thought was a nice tie in and good to remind reader's who've not read the books in awhile. I do like all the vampires coming together and it's nice to see them like that, but it just means there are too many characters to try to keep tabs on. 

There are some other background vampires, some of which have appeared in other books. My mind really struggled to remember though, but I'm sure die hard fans with great memories won't have a problem. 

The new characters which are the four immortals from Atlantis are interesting and I enjoyed hearing their stories. It was nice to have the history of something else for a change, because really there's not much left Rice can write about the history of vampires! I like also how the legend of Atlantis was weaved into the history of the vampires. These characters come across well and keep a good air of mystery. 

The narrative of this novel took me awhile to get into. It's written in both first person and third person, with different characters telling different points of view. Lestat is the main voice that comes, through there is a also the vampire scientist, Fareed and the vampire Roshamandes who is the antagonist. The Atlanteans; Garekyn and Derek also have chapters. This switching around narrative does work, but I think it effects the overall flow of the novel. Rice has been clever with it and I don't think many other writers would be able to pull it off as she has. I remember Prince Lestat being written in this way too. 

Actually speaking of chapters - these are too long for me. It seems to be a thing that Rice really likes to do in the style of her novels. I guess most people wouldn't find anything wrong with this and I don't mind it as I'm use to her books being like this, but I've found shorter chapters help me to read a faster and it means my brain can have more breaks. 

As I wrote in my review of Prince Lestat, Rice's writing has changed over the years. In compared to Interview and Lestat, the descriptions of people, clothes, places, rooms and objects has lost some richness. Yes, we still get lengthy descriptions of all these things, but they don't feel as deep as they did before to me. I guess a part of this is because Lestat and Atlantis is set in 2016 and as we are currently living it there's less of a need for Rice to describe things for us whilst with the first Chronicle novels there was a need because they were set in the 1800's and 1900's.  

I do like the plot of the story though and it's nice to bring something new and mysterious into the vampire world, which no vampire actually understands. It works well and I'm super interested to find out what's going to happen. So far, some of the vampires have seen images of a city, often described with glass towers being on fire and falling into the sea. This city seems to be the long lost Atlantis which even the vampires believe is a legend. However, Amel is somehow connected to all of this and four immortals are trying to find him. 

The immortals have been split up for years though, each not sure if the others are alive. The first of these, Derek is being held prisoner by Roshamandes, who is still mad at Lestat for things that happened in the last book. Roshamandes wants Derek to explain what he is to help Rosh decided what to do with him. Meanwhile, Garekyn, is on the run after tracking down the vampires at Trinity Gate and killing a vampire close to there. The vampires are hunting him down. The last two immortals are actually together; Kapetria and Welf, they have heard the news of Garekyn and are looking for him. 

My thoughts are that all the immortals and vampires will get together and everything will be cleared up. The story of Atlantis and what happened there will come through and things will be decided upon. 

Overall so far, I am enjoying reading this novel. I still think it has the problems that Prince Lestat had though, but it's great to see Anne Rice bring Lestat back to us. I can't help but wonder when she will decided to stop writing the Vampire Chronicles though, how much more can be said about these vampires? I'll be sad to see her stop, but everything must. I'd say if you were an Anne Rice fan and like the Vampire Chronicles then this is worth reading because it carries on the story in a different way and brings us new mysterious to solve.      

Thanks for reading and if you want to share your thoughts then please do. See you all next week! 

Book Review; Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice

Hi readers, 

So I know this post was meant to be up early last month, but I've not been very well and sadly, I'm still ill. For ages I've been thinking of writing a post about my long term health problem, but I've not got up the courage to write it. That's the problem with personal issues, sometimes you don't need the whole world to know what you're going though. Perhaps, one day I will get around to it. Though if you read last Monday's post things might be a better clearer now. 

What I had planned to do was write about the first three vampire chronicle books for October then review some writing handbooks/help books ect for November and National Novel Writing Month. But I decided not to take part this year due to illness, my new job and the overall lack of time. Plus, I just couldn't come up with an idea. So, now things have fallen as they have. Also, I've decided not to read Queen Of the Damned. I did state last time about this, so I won't repeat myself now I've just remembered that.    

Anyway, today I'm looking at one of my favorite novels. I'm totally surprised that I've not reviewed IWTV before, but I know I've brought it up and compared it to other vampire stories. I did review Prince Lestat like last year. I thought with it being autumn and the normal time to be reading creepy stories that I would re-read IWTV for like the fourth time, plus in my review of Glass Houses I stated that I really wanted to read IWTV. I thought it would be perfect to review this, Also the new Lestat novel, Prince Lestat And the Realms Of Atlantis, is out soon. So, that will also be a nice tie in. 

One of the main problems is the physical reading of these novels. I forgot how hard my dyslexic brain finds reading them and though it's not taking me long to get into them and enjoy them, it's very hard going for me, which means I'm reading slowly in small sections. Anne Rice is also a master of the English language. She has this way of writing which draws and holds you in, it's old fashioned romantic poetry. And that's something I really love. She goes into great detail about the scenes and characters too, which for some people doesn't give them a change to imagine things, but I really like the depths she goes to when she describes things. It feels like I'm there and I don't have to try hard to picture it. 

I could write a lot about Rice's writing style etc, but I won't because we'd be here awhile. Let's move on to the characters. I often think that Lestat must be like the second greatest vampire. Dracula comes first! But then in terms of famous vampires, Lestat must be second because he's just so well known and Rice has written so many books about him now. Yes, he has only two movies - one which wasn't so great, but there's a third coming out soon. I don't think the Vampire Chronicles would work as a TV series. Perhaps, though all the most recent vampire books and TV shows have slightly over shadowed him? I guess if you asked a mixed group of people to name a vampire, Edward from Twilight would be the highest outcome. And we all know how I feel about those books.....

(Lestat and Louis from the IWTV movie)

Lestat as a character is very interesting. He is unpredictable and what he wants he gets. He is a total rebel, going against the world. In IWTV he's mysterious and keeps his secrets to himself. This just makes him even more interesting, but when you read his book, it all becomes very clear. 

IWTV is Louis' story, so for now I'm going to leave Lestat till next week. I do have a soft spot of Louis, I guess because he has that human nature to him and he is a very likable character - more so then Lestat in this book, but you can understand why Rice might have done that. Louis has an interesting background and if you've only seen the movie then it hardly touches his history before he become a vampire. Louis has a whole family, which tragic things happen to leading to Louis entering a downward spiral. 

Then he meets Lestat and becomes a vampire, which causes him more problems because he can't carry on living a human life now. He has to give up everything that he's known and try to move on. But the answers he wants from Lestat he just doesn't get. He decides to leave, but Lestat decides this can't happen and so makes another vampire to bind them together. However, Claudia is a child, not yet 6 years old and being made into a vampire gives her the mind of a fully grown woman. 

I read that Claudia was inspired by the Anne Rice's daughter who died young. I find Claudia really interesting, she is the opposite of Louis and totally a vampire because she had very little time as a human. She does have a likeness to Lestat because she is a rebel, but she is manipulative. This really comes across when she is hunting and Louis descriptions her as playing with her victims and using them to get what she wants. Claudia also has a thirst for knowledge and it's actually her that ends up destroying everything.

Unable to get answers from Lestat about where vampires came from and where they can find others, Claudia plots to kill Lestat with Louis help. She does achieve this and they escape. However, Lestat's death haunts Louis and he often falls into wondering if they are the only vampires in the world. They travel around the world seeking others and finding only stories and creatures that are like the old Nosferatu vampires. 

Finally in Paris, they meet other vampires, but don't get much further in answering their questions. It also turns out that these coven vampires have strict rules, two of which Louis and Claudia have broken; killing Lestat and the turning of Claudia into a vampire so young. Armand, who is kinda leader of the group does warn Louis about this, but as they are sort of falling in love, Louis doesn't leave Paris. This only leads to total tragedy as Lestat, who survived Claudia's attack, joins in a trial to declare what happen. The vampires decided Claudia has to die. She is burnt by the sun before Louis can save her and he turn is only saved by Armand. Louis then seeks his revenge and destroys the coven.

Then Louis is officially alone for the first time in his life. For awhile he wonders the world for Lestat until they meet again. Lestat is still recovering from Claudia's attack and Louis decides not to go back to him, but to carry on alone.                 

                                                  (Claudia from the IWTV movie)

The narrative is actually as the title states, because Louis is telling his story to a young journalist. The whole interview takes place across one night and the structure of the book reflects this. The journalist does sometimes ask questions and there is a bit of a conversation between them which helps to break up Louis story. The novel has long chapters with line breaks and it feels like a continuous flow of speech. You do get a good sense that you are in the room hearing this too! 

The dialogue is fantastic and Rice has got the feel of eighteenth century/ nineteenth century speech down well. Like I said at the start, Rice has a way with this flowery romantic old fashioned language that fits in well with the timeline and characters. Even though my brain sometimes does struggle to understand some words, the more time I read it the more I understand it. To be honest I read Rice more for the images she creates and the characters then her style of writing. 

Of course, I would recommend this book to everyone. It really is a turning point in fictional vampires and gives you a new look at how and why vampires draw writers and readers in. Rice has created this whole history and world which feels very real and comes across well. At some points, I did have to wonder if this actually happened and if these vampires are out their somewhere and they just used Rice to tell and publish their stories. Though of course, it does feel weird why they wouldn't have just come forward themselves, but that's getting into the world of True Blood. I do have that series on my bookcase and maybe next year I might read them. I've seen all the seasons of it though, wasn't the last one so bad? I can't believe the books would end like that! 

Anyway, I so have to stop there because if I don't I'll just carry on writing and I want to move on and review The Vampire Lestat now. Going to get them both out of the way whilst they are fresh in my head. Then I can fully move on to something else.....Another vampire novel actually! But one that's in a totally different class. I wonder actually if someone has written some fanfic cross over of Lestat meeting the Black Dagger Brotherhood? That's be interesting to read, might look for some later..... if you know any please comment, also I'd love to hear you thoughts about Interview With The Vampire and vampire fiction in general. 

Thanks for reading and see you next week!       

Book Review: Bioshock Rapture by John Shirley

Hi readers, 

Today, I'm finally bring you my review of the Bioshock novel. Those of you that have read my life up date posts will have noticed I've been playing games one and two for a little while now. I did pick up this book before and I read a little of it then put it down. That was because it wasn't set in the 'Rapture' the games where and I really wanted it to be. I really love the abandoned, dystopia feeling you get from the Rapture in the games and it feels so real to me. I often imagine what it must have actually looked like and the novel does help with that. 

I picked this book up again halfway through playing the first one, just because I felt like giving it another shot and I knew it'd have some interesting background information. It's a very well written and true to the games story. It includes all the main characters from both games and you get to learn a lot about their backgrounds. I know in the games, you learn too, but this goes into more depth. There's also a nice tie in with the use of the voice records and some lines are quoted from the games, which just brings you to thinking about that moment in the game. 

For those of you who haven't heard of Bioshock, you might find this book a bit hard to get into and understand. Even though all the right information and the description of characters and settings are really good, it really is aimed at the players. And whilst, I think most of the players will like it, there are a few that maybe won't, just because if you've played the games well enough and a few times, there's not a lot new to be learnt about the main characters or the creation of Rapture from this novel.

The novel starts with a prologue set in 1945 New York City with Andrew Ryan, a millionaire business man, deciding to began his dream of building an underwater city. The idea behind it is to escape the control of the government but also to provide safety from the growing threat of nuclear war. Ryan wanted the best people from Earth to live in Rapture and able to develop scientifically and creatively with no rules to stop them. Ryan comes across as an interesting character in the novel with a scarred background which drives him. 

The actual main protagonist of the novel isn't actually Ryan, it's his chief engineer Bill McDonagh as the novel focus on his life and development a lot. By chance Bill meets Ryan when he comes to do some plumping and Ryan takes an interested in him. Slowly, Bill is let onto the secret building of Rapture out in the Atlantic Ocean. He then gets to work and live in Rapture and becomes Ryan's left hand man. (On the right is the chief of security).

The rest of the plot reveals how Frank Fontaine got into Rapture and his work with the scientists, Tenenbaum and Suchong to discover and develop ADAM -found in sea slugs-and EVE-which they make. Thus, meaning people could change their DNA and gain super human powers. However, there is an addiction to it and also some side effects so the splicers were born. When the ADAM starts running out, it's discovered that little girls with the implanted slugs can find and gather ADAM. They become Little Sisters, but even though they become immortal due to the slugs, they still need protecting and so the Big Daddies where created. 

Then there's the fall of Rapture and how that all came about. The ending was interesting with Bill trying to escape with his family and not being able to as no one is allowed to leave Rapture. I did find it sad because I'd got attached to Bill! 

I did find this novel a bit hard going due to the science fiction genre and my dyslexic brain. Though in the end, I'm glad I got through it. I'm sure though if I hadn't played through Bioshock and didn't love it then I won't have bothered with the book. But that's just me. I think that people who like science fiction with a utopia and dystopia theme will enjoy it. 

Overall, this novel is really aimed at fans and players of the Bioshock games. I like the writing and the characters, I liked learning more about the different character's backgrounds and the creation of Rapture. But though, I still feel that the games are better! 

Thanks for reading and I'd loved to hear your thoughts. 

I'm off to London tonight, so next week will be kicking off a new month with a life update about that. Till then.      

   

  

Images from: 

Amazon.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioShock

Book Review: The Shadows by J. R. Ward.

Hi readers, 

It's the first book review of the new year! I was hoping to have finished this book and got it up sooner, but it's been a hard slog. Which is a bit off for me because I love J .R. Ward and her Black Dagger Brotherhood, but this novel which is number 13 in the series, had issues. I know when I read The King (which I didn't review for whatever reason) and Lover At Last (http://hailscrazyblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/lover-at-last-review.html) I spotted a few problems and though Ward seems to have cut down her plot lines in Shadows, there's still a hell of a lot going on. 

As normal, I'll try and not spoil anything, though reading the book's blurb does give away the key points to the main plot. I guess to draw you in? But knowing straight off that the main female character is going to die doesn't draw me in that well. Reading about the how and why does though.

So, this time we get the story of the two Shadow brothers, who have appeared throughout the series and most of their back stories are all ready known. Trez and Serena finally get to be together, though they time is very limited as she dying. It's a genetic disease that is incurable and though most of the other characters spend all the books time searching for one, nothing is found to help her. Whilst, iAm meets the female he's destined to be with, though she's not as she seems. For me, not enough time is spent getting to know her, really. Maybe, there'll be another book about them, but it didn't feel like there was going to be at the end.

I was really getting into the whole romance between T and S and I kept thinking that something would happen so that she wouldn't have to die. I was waiting for the twist right up till the no return point and then after reading Rhage's thoughts about how he got to be with his Mary though she was human and dying, made me think about why this time Ward had decided not to let her main lovers be together. That is the massive spoiler and downside to this novel. I was reading a few reviews that other people had done on Goodreads and they said that Ward had stated that though she didn't want things to happen they way they did, the characters told her it had to be so. And I just don't get that. Why have all the other books have happy endings and not this one?

Throughout all the other books bringing the two main characters together has been the first plot point. In the earlier books this could always be seen and how the two lovers overcame their problems to be with each other was always interesting. Somehow there has always been a fix, (expect for Tor and Wellsie) and things have always worked out. So, why when clearly Trez and Serena were meant to be together they didn't get their happy ending? Maybe, because Ward didn't want all her books to end the same why or maybe the death was needed to shake up all the characters? Whatever, the case, it just doesn't work and left me feeling unsatisfied.

After going on a long heartbreaking trip with Trez and Serena, where she does a bucket list of events and really enjoys life, I really got to connect with her as a character. As a reader you invest time and energy into these characters and when the ending is rolling around you want to feel like they are going to end on a high note. Instead, I felt let down by the ending as we are left with Trez trying to deal with the loss of his lover and seeing that he has to repay his brother back for supporting him throughout everything. iAm on the other hand, gets to be with his love! How unfair does that feel to Trez? (Plus, given my return to single status, I really wanted that happy ending for them!) I now hope that Trez can have another chance at love with someone else soon.

So, what are the other problems with The Shadows? I felt that overall the book was just too long. There was stuff that could have been cut. Like do we need to know about the drug trading going on between the vampires and lessers? The lesser war really felt it had slipped to the sidelines this time around too. Those plot points felt lost between the lovers and Rhage struggling to sort himself out. The Band Of B* story and what's happening between Xcor and Layla did keep distracting me in a good way because I really want to know what's going to happen between them, but I feel they are going to need their own book to tell that story. The ending also just felt too neat. Things fell into place quickly in the last hundred pages or so with the wrap up to some of the plot points seemingly too loose.

I still really enjoyed this book though and do like how Ward has created individual and dynamic characters. They all feel so different to me even though there's so many of them. The use of dialogue is just great too and I like how there's lots of slag and male language because it makes it feel more realistic. The sex scenes work fine for me too and I always feel so immersed in the world of the BDB. If you've not read the books I would so recommend them. They put vampires in a different light and it works.

In the future though and as I have heard a small rumor about, I would love for Ward and the BDB to return to the formatting they had at the very beginning. I feel that if the overloading of characters and their stories carries on and if the more then six plot points keep happening, the series is just going to die. Which would be a shame because I really really like the novels, but I'm just so tried of having to read tombs of books where I can see stuff that could have easily been cut or moved to another book. Ward writings does seem to be falling and I can only hope it picks up soon and we see better novels coming out of her.           

So what's next for The Black Dagger Brotherhood? 

There's a spin off series, Legacy. The first book is already available to buy, but not for me as I want it in paperback. That won't be out till June, so I shall have to wait. (I could get it in hardback but I've very limited room at the moment and well, it won't fit in with the other BDB books and that'd bug me). I do know that the story is going to follow Paradise, a new female character that was introduced in The Shadows and I'd got interested in. Shame, I have to wait so long to read her story though.  

Then there's this: book 14. Which I just stumbled upon whilst getting the image for Blood Kiss. So, once again when I was kinda thinking that Ward was actually finishing up with the main brotherhood, I was wrong. Which now makes the loose ends of the Lessers, Layla's twins, the Band of B* and why there was a lot of focus on Rhage more into context. I've no doubt that this book will pick up where The Shadows left the story and reading the blurb, it looks like The Beast is going to to be all about Rhage. Which should be great for me because he is my favorite brother! This novel comes out in April, but it'll be October for me. 

Thanks for reading. Please feel free to like, leave a comment or share this post. Also, please check out my other links below.  


Images all from Amazon. UK. 

Want to check out the current books on my reading list?https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7400715-hayley-hardman

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https://thestoryfiles.wordpress.com/

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November Update part 2 : Why I give up on NaNoWriMo

Hi readers,

I failed National Novel Writing Month. 

There wasn't an easy way to say that, but I failed to reach the 50,000 word count target in the 30 days of November. I only got to just under 15,000 words, though Trust is now at 44, 383. Which is still under! I do feel a little bit annoyed that I couldn't do it, but I was very ill two weeks ago with a bad cold. That put a stop to everything for a whole week - even going to work and playing dungeons and dragons! I somehow manged to post my daily short story though, (Thinking about it, it was all the Trust parts I'd already written!) but writing Trust went on hold. Unfortunately, I never picked it up again.

I did have thoughts about writing it and I do have an idea about where to take it next. I think the brick wall appeared when I suddenly realized that I didn't have a real enemy for my main characters. The vampire who was suppose to be decided he wanted to be good and that kinda meant there was only so much I could do with him. Now though, I've an idea to introduce some more characters and create some more tension. 

So, what did I learn from NaNoWriMo? 

Firstly, that I could write more a day then I was doing and thought I could do. I was able to write one or two short stories and between 500-1,000 words of Trust. 

Secondly, I'm not so great at talking to people online! Remember my thinking about trying harder to connect with people in my last post? Yeah, I didn't do much about it. I don't know, if I still feel over-protected of my stories or I'm just not balancing my time well enough. 

Thirdly, Changing the stats on the NaNoWriMo doesn't make me feel better. In fact, I feel guilty for not writing! 

Fourthly, I did try my best but being ill and life etc, didn't help, still though it doesn't mean I should give up. 

I think one of the others reasons I give up was because for me writing is a thing I do everyday anyway. I don't need to find time or space to write because I've a lot of that. And on the days I don't, I'm taking a break and thinking about things. I look for inspiration all the time - on the internet and around me which I then use in my stories. I've a Pinterest board/s where all my ideas go and which I refer to everyday. 

Anyway, here's my stats page for NaNoWriMo and yeah, I decided to add the total I had actually written, so the last day is kinda wrong, but I wanted to add it in.      

Well done to all those who did make it and to those who didn't! At least you've start writing now.

I did have a few other things to add, but I want to get this post up before midnight, so I'm going to leave it. I'm thinking of doing a post tomorrow about the start of Christmas, though it'll depend on timing as I'm at work and I do have a gift to make for my best friend.

How did your NaNoWriMo go? leave me a comment below and please check out my other blog; https://thestoryfiles.wordpress.com/

November Update: Taking Part In NaNoWriMo For The First Time

Hi readers, 

I'm currently ill with a virus and I'd like to say I'm writing this from my bed right now, but I'm not. I'm at my desk, counting down the last hour before I try and head into work, (I keep meaning to write an updated post about that, but haven't had the time) I agreed on Saturday-when I wasn't feeling so bad-to cover someone's shift tonight and I'm in desperate need of the money for Christmas - isn't everyone?- So, I thought I'd take my mind off things and write this post, which I did mean to start on last week, but I've been busy. Also, I know I missed a post last Monday which was meant to be my review of the Night Vale novel, I was in hospital. (nothing serious, just stuff to do with my long term health condition, which I also plan to write a post about soon). 

I this year I decided to take part in National Novel Writing Month. I'm not sure how long I've known about it, maybe only a year or two? The idea behind it is to write 50,000 words of a novel in a month and it's useful if you're writing for the first time or you struggle to fit writing into you daily life or-like me- you just want to write more. There's lots of other reasons too and what I like most about it is that it brings writers of all levels together and gets rid of that whole writers-need-to-be-alone/solitude writer's life myth. Okay, I get many writers need alone time to write, but we also need a lot of support and feedback from other people, not just editors and publishers. 

To be honest that's what I wanted to use NaNoWriMo for; to connect with other writers, look at what they were writing about and how they were doing it. Have I achieved that 16 days into the 30 day time period? Not really...I connect with four people on the first day and haven't spoke to any of them since and the fifth person shouldn't really count as she is an old friend from uni. Though I've read the opening of her novel twice now and given her some well needed feedback. I guess I've not done it because I've been so busy. I've been trying to reach the word count goal every day and failing due to having to write short stories for my blog, working, being ill and struggling to actually write. I know these are things everyone else has been facing too, so why haven't I been able to reach out to others? I really need to change that!

My second goal, though it was impossible from the start was to try and finish my novel. I decided that I wasn't going to start a new one when I had about 30,700 words of Trust and I wanted to do the next six parts for my other blog this month. The first of which will be published this coming Friday. So, far I've written 13, 625 words and that is actually all six parts-since I aim for about 1,200 words per part and the start of the next six parts for December.  (You can read Trust here;

https://thestoryfiles.wordpress.com/wp-admin/edit.php?category_name=trust-novella ) 

 Below I've got a screen shot my of current stats and yeah, I know the total count is a little bit higher then what I just declared and that's because I might have been cheating just a little. But who can bear to have a empty gap on these kinds of things? I've made up the word count twice now, but it's been over the weekend and today when I've been ill. I struggle to fully focus when I'm like this and feel its' pointless trying to write. So, I've got some catching up to do and I've kinda all ready decided that I'm not going to reach the 50,000 word goal. I'd have to write 2,000 odd words a day, maybe even more to get there now and that's not something I can currently commit to. 

A blogger, I was talking to a few days ago after I'd read his post on the opening week of NaNoWriMo, said it was about 'quantity over quality.' And I agree with that. You are forced to write and to meet the goals, which isn't a bad thing if you are new or struggling, but for me I always do a little editing on the side throughout the writing now, because I find it saves time in the long run and it gets editing clearer in my mind when I actually come to it fully. For me, I'd rather focus on good writing then just spilling everything out on the page and praying it works - though I'm well known for doing that anyway. 

My finally thoughts for now are that I have proven one thing and that is I can get more writing done in a day if I set my mind to it and don't get distracted by other things. I've been able to juggle writing a short story or more (up to four so far) alongside writing a novel. That's the third thing I wanted to get out of this experience really. I overall, I think it comes down to this; the more you put in the more you are going to get out of these types of challenges. So, if you're busy taking part right now or thinking of giving it ago -there's still time, there always is- then good luck and I'll give a final update on my progress at the end of the month. 

Next time; my review of the Night Vale novel.      

Book Review: For Want of a Shoe

Hi readers, 

It's weird to think that in my last post I said I won't really be doing book reviews any more and here I am starting September off with one! This one is a little bit different through because it's a self-published novel based on The Red Shoes by Hans Christian Andersen -though it also feels like the writer set out to re-write Fifty Shades Of Grey-. Now, I don't really read normal romance and erotic genre stories because they just don't grip me enough. I enjoy supernatural romance novels through because there's always more interesting things going on in the background or with other characters that keeps my attention. Of course, when FSOG took off I jumped on the bandwagon to see what all the fuss was about and well, I'll just keep my thoughts on that till I get around to reviewing it and the other books. With that in mind how did For Want of a Shoe add up?

The plot feels pretty basic; a pretty young woman, Abi, who has relationship and financial troubles gets a new job and falls for her boss. Her boss, Lester, though is only interested in 'a no strings attached' / 'friends with benefits' relationship within a BDSM lifestyle. She of course agrees to this in exchange for room and board in his huge fancy farmhouse. Only, she wants more and to be loved in a real relationship which isn't what he wants, so she leaves him. Only, she is still struggling financial and ends up making a deal with Lester's business accountant, who turns out to have a fetish for inflecting pain using canes. Abi can't cope with this and just in time Lester decides he can't live without her and saves her. 

I get that this plot is different from FSOG, but I can't help to make connections between the two of them. I think part of my problem with this genre is that I like my stories to feel realistic - even the supernatural and fantasy ones- and the main theme (BDSM, relationships ects)- don't feel real enough to me. It also makes me question what the writer's experience/ research has been like. I know for a fact that having experience of something can dramatically improve your writing and the realism of your characters. Setting that aside, I do have to admit that the plot was okay and it did draw me in, but not as much as FSOG (I wanted to know what Grey was up to and why. But when I finally got there is it was very anticlimactic and I regretted being so eager to know). There didn't feel much of a twist in the plot and nothing unexpected happens. 

What about the characters? Well, there's not much development for Abi and Lester and none for the background characters. Abi learns that she does sort of like the BDSM lifestyle and that she needed it to escape her boring reletionship with her ex. Lester learns to love again. That's basically it. I'd have liked to have seen more and the background characters are just there to push Abi and Lester along without their goals/wants really looked at. For me, the background character should be as important as the main characters and that's a sign of good writing. The characters do feel realistic, though Abi's ex really bugged me and not enough time was spent looking at his actions/wants. They didn't make me think about the characters of FSOG/Twilight though.            

The 'bedroom'/adult content stuff? Without going into too much detail of course! It worked and felt real for the most part. The BDSM stuff seemed more natural, though in some parts it does feel slightly abusive, especially the moments Abi has with the accountant. (though they are kinda meant to be like that. Also, I really disliked Mr Solomon and his addiction to all things Victorian. It just didn't feel right to me). I had to remind myself a few times that was a 'fantasy' story and thus it was okay. Strangely, what stood out for me was the 'piercing down there', I'm not sure why, I guess because I just felt it was an interesting thing.   

The worse parts for me were that nothing about the lifestyle is really explained to Abi and she is just sort of dragged into it. She can't really say no or suggested things, though I guess if that happened then the plot would've been different, but I'd so like to read a book where the Sub was fully on board and really into the lifestyle and the Dom felt the same way and it didn't feel abusive or victimized. (I also want to read a story about a Dominatrix and her male slave. I guess I could always write one myself!) Secondly, I cringed over the word usage of  'personal joystick', which only appeared two or three times, as I would have preferred a different terminology and it didn't feel in line with the narrative structure.  

The narrative and dialogue are all right. It seems better then FSOG and there some higher vocabulary words thrown in, (which might send some people Google-ing). There is a bit too much 'telling and not showing' for my liking though as the narrative finds it easier to just tell the reader what they need to know rather then trying to show it in the actions and dialogues of the characters. For me, also there needed to be more description of settings etc in places, but there's enough overall to carry the imagination through. Plus, the over use of the exclamation mark and question mark irritated me and devalued the usage of them. The bulk of the dialogue is realistic and fine, though some parts feel a bit clunky/clumsy.  

Overall, I have to admit that I liked this more then FSOG. The writing is a lot better and most of the bedroom stuff feels more realist. The characters, though lacking serious development, are less annoying and more easier to connect too. There's not a lot new with the plot/story nor any twists, but its good enough to get into and understand. I think if you are into this genre then this book is worth a read.  


Ps. Don't forget to check out my other blog, where I publish a new short story every day! I'm also requesting submissions for October. I'm looking for short stories from 5 words to 2,000 words with a horror, supernatural, Halloween theme. Please email them to me at hrhardman66@mail.com and help spread the word by re-posting this or my requests on my other blog. Thanks.    

https://thestoryfiles.wordpress.com/

April's Update

Hi readers,

So much for keeping up with my plan! Life has gotten in the way basically and writing stories, going to work, doing things for work, reading books and having a social life has all taken up most of my time. Plus, I've had days were I've just not wanted to write or days when I feeling down or stressed about things. I know everyone has those days, but sometimes I know its my depression still lingering. I know I should be happier and not worrying so much about things, but I can't help it. I've always been quick to worry and known to panic.

So what's been happening? Well, I've now finished my teaching course and will soon get my results back. Which equals one less problem and a new qualification! At the minute, I'm really struggling with my driving lessons. Though I did better today. I'm due to take my test at the end of the month, but right now I'm not sure if I will be taking it or even passing it. I just seem to have a great problem judging the distance of things, parallel parking and unmarked lined roundabouts. I hope it'll come together in the next few weeks. I've been having lessons a year now and though I've made a lot of progress, its this final part that seems to be taken awhile. Of course, I knew it was going to take awhile, but it just seems I've reached a stage where I just can't get pass it. I guess it'll come with more practice, Though learning how to stay calm would also benefit me. 

I'm still working at the youth center, though its only one day a week. I'm not sure if I will get more hours, but I stay hopeful. I do keep thinking that I should look for another part time job, but right now I'm still happy about taking a break from that. Job hunting can still be hard even when you already have one. 

I've been doing lots of writing, but not been achieving much with it, though my blog is still gaining followers and likes. I want to try and put together an anthology of some of the stories to be published on kindle. Not sure if anyone will buy it, but at least I'm still trying. I've also seen a few publishers where I can submit stuff too and I really need to be getting on with doing that. I also need to be getting back into working on a novel either writing or editing it, because I've not done that in a few months. I think I'll have a go at working on my latest one tonight and try to get another chapter sorted. It's the one I've been publishing on my blog, but stopped after I felt that people weren't that interested in it. I need to keep trying though. 

Finally, I do want to write some book reviews about the last few novels I've read. I really want to share my thoughts on The Handmaid's Tale, Sand and The Book Thief. I will set sometime aside to that. I also want to keep doing this 'updates' on this blog because at least I can try to keep it alive and because it does give me a place to reflected on things without having to be too deep or boring. 

That's it for now. Feel free to check out some of the other posts on here or my other blog for my short stories which is linked below.        

You can also follow on me on:

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Writing Techniques : Writing Prompts

Hi readers, 

Today and to kick off the new ideas I've had for my blog, I'm going to look at writing prompts and how they can be useful to us writers. I'm sure that many people are already aware of them and for me in the last few months they have become something of a reliable source for generating ideas and starting my creative writing pieces for my short story blog. For those that don't know about them, prompts can take many different forms including single words, whole sentences, dialogue and images, (all of which sometimes come with instructions) and you can use them to inspire you to write.

There is no right or wrong way when using prompts and no one is going to judge you for using one! I normally start my opening line or paragraph with the word or sentence or dialogue, then continue the story from there. With image prompts I normally start with introducing the setting or the character, before trying to include as much as the image as possible. One of my favorite examples of this comes from a short story I wrote about a piano in the woods and it can be read on my other blog, here:     http://thestoryfiles.wordpress.com/2014/09/10/the-soldiers-piano/ One of the best things I have also found about using prompts is that you don't have to begin the story with them, you could have them appear at anytime or not at all. For example, removing them in the finally draft or just not including the prompt at all. 

Let's now look at some actual prompts. The first one I chose was a written prompt and these kinds seem very popular. There are so many pages and websites out there that list a whole load of these and they can be so useful for starting off imagination and writing.   

The key to these prompts is that it gets your mind asking questions, which hopefully will make you want to write in order to get answers. So, for example this prompt makes you ask: who is he? Why is he knocking on doors? What happened at the other doors? What is going to happen next? This really does kick start your brain into wanting to find out and from there you should be able to write a story all around this prompt. 

My next prompt is an image one. I'm a visual person, it's how I learn and think best, so I love image prompts more because I find I get a really good use out of them and can create much deeper stories. This is one my newest images on my Pinterest board (Pinterest is a great website by the way and it lets you group things together under different sections. I've included the link to mine below). So, if I'm going to use this image I'd start my story by describing a character walking down this road and coming across this gate. The image, like the word writing prompt, helps to raise questions, for example: where is this place? what's beyond the gates? what's going to happen, if anything at all? 

The last thing I want to look at is physical writing prompt books, like the 642 Things To Write About one below. I own this book and have found it useful, though I just enjoy looking through it and giggling to myself more then actually using it for writing. There is a number of books and also ebooks available now packed with prompts similar to the ones above and they do work in the same way - get your mind and writing going-. Some of them even have blank spaces or pages which you can write in, so you don't feel stuck to your computer and notebook all the time. Some of the ebooks are even free to download like this one;  

Four Seasons of Creative Writing: 1,000 Prompts to Stop Writer's Block (Story Prompts for Journaling, Blogging and Beating Writer's Block) [Kindle Edition] by Bryan Cohen. (linked below) I recently downloaded this myself and though I've not used any of the prompts, most of them look really interesting and do most of the setting up of the story for you.

Overall, writing and image prompts can be great tools to help with any writer's writing. They can get your mind and imagination working and your fingers typing. They can be used in a number of ways; as warm up exercises, the opening line of your story or perhaps in a group or teaching situation. There seems to be an endless supply of them too, so you are always sure to find one that you can use. Also genre and themes are always nearly neutral and you can use them how you want to. If you are just starting out using prompts I'd recommend searching around on the internet first and gathering lots of free ones - in fact I'd recommend that to anyone. Having the prompts in a physical book or ebook which you have to pay for can be useful if you aren't near technology, or you like your breaks from it. I'd never tell anyone not to buy a book, but in this case and with so much being free online, I'd recommend going down that route instead. 

I hope this has been a useful post and you can let me know by commenting if you wish. Also, if you have any other writing techniques you'd like me to look at and try out. You can follow me in a number of different places and these were linked in my last post, so feel free to check it out. Up next in a few days is my book review on Prince Lestat, so I'll see you all then.

Links and Images:

http://www.invyn.com/category/writing-is-like-quotes/

http://thesarcasticmuse.tumblr.com/post/82864997733

http://www.pinterest.com/hails9/fantastical-stories/

http://www.amazon.com/Four-Seasons-Creative-Writing-Journaling-ebook/dp/B009GLMF7U/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1420493456&sr=1-3&keywords=writing+prompts

http://poetryismedicine.wordpress.com/