Book Review: Long Lankin

So, I've always had a fascination with those sort of slinking, creeping stories that make your imagination go wild (or at least mine) walking alone in the woods. Those supernatural creatures that send shivers down your spine.
A game (which inspired several attempted murders, I believe) called "Slenderman" came out, and this really was, I think, the embodiment of that sort of primal, hunted feeling we like to get when walking alone (or am I completely alone on this?!?)
So, with all of that being said, Long Lankin is basically Slenderman fanfiction. The poem itself, which if you haven't read, I suggest, is an old English rhyme and is truly morbid, not something one recites at poetry readings, but if they did, I'd applaud.
I liked this book for the most part. It's told in alternating views from two kids, Cora, who, along with her little sister Mimi, arrives in the English countryside not so long after WWII. They aren't so happy to be there, and neither is their aunt, whom they are sent to live with.
It turns out they have good reason to not be wanted. There are strange things in the little village. An old church they are banned from, a strange tree, and perhaps, worst of all, there seems to be some slinking, spidery thing they never quite see, something that crawls up walls, creeps through gardens and is always watching.
There's a lot of mystery in this, what, or who, is Long Lankin, what the village secrets are, why is their aunt's house always locked tight? This is a ghost story, but much more deliciously, it is a monster story, and I'm all for that.
My only complaint is, like with most horror stories (in my opinion) the wheels do seem to fall off a bit at the end. (This happened in Red Dragon too, so perhaps I'm just picky) Something about the last bit of action left me a little...unimpressed. HOWEVER, finishing a story like this does require something dramatic, and it was, overall, a fun read. I did stay up much too late reading it, so I suppose that says enough.

So, if you like stories told from the kids' POV (which I do) monster stories (which I do) or anything from post WWII Britain (which I do)  Or if you just like playing Slenderman, then I'd say, read the poem and then give this a go.

Book Review: Gone

I'm always wary about Young Adult, and so I usually tend to stay away from it. But I work at a library and every time this one came my way I found myself intrigued, so, I finally gave it a go this summer. And for a YA book, it was exactly what I wanted.

To be very brief with the plot, bunch of kids 14 and under are suddenly all that remains in their city. All adults and people over the age have simply "poofed" away. You can imagine the trouble. Kids having to assume responsibilities they never had to before. Some of that is a little stressful, as I sat reading I kept thinking about all the little kids left alone in houses, fires starting, and so on and so on, which the writer does cover. Anyway, yes, stressful situation.
To add to the stress, they are surrounded by a great, strange dome. And to make matters even worse, there are mutations among animals and people too. Needless to say, it's not good.

The book centres around a boy named Sam (and I know that these days people are totally against having a male hero, but I'm still someone who likes it, so it was another reason to read) who has his own problems and secrets. When the "FAYZ" hits (the event, you could say) he is suddenly someone people look up to. And he doesn't want it. So when the rich kids from the other school arrive, it's almost a blessing. But what their plans are isn't exactly nice.

I really did like this book. It's the first in a series of I believe 6 (?) and once I finish what I have on my kindle at the mo I'll be back into it. I like Micheal Grant's writing style and the plot was complicated, yet understandable enough to keep me interested.
My main complaint would be just how...helpless these kids are near the beginning. Even simple things like cooking their own meals, or driving are almost insurmountable tasks for them once mummy and daddy disappear. It makes you wonder how they survive at all, and I was a little irritated, not thinking the author gave them enough credit. Kids are, I have to say, smarter than this. At least all the kids I've ever met.
Be that as it may, they do fairly well when it comes to fighting and breaking into nuclear power plants.

So, reasons I would suggest this book to people: It's an easy read, but not simple. It deals with a very Lord of the Flies type situation. There are the bullies, the leaders, the smart kids, the useful kids and the really bad ones. Kids cope with murder and death, changes in their bodies (and NOT the normal kinds), they struggle to make a new world for themselves, struggle with their emotions, fight to survive and figure out what exactly has happened. There's sibling rivalry, the rather unfortunate side of just how cruel kids can be to each other, copious amounts of junk food eating, harsh and very real views on the problems all kids face and some other scary surprises.

And also some really amusing coyotes.

So if you want a book, I say pick this one up. It's larger than most YA books you'll find on the shelf, but for me, that's usually a good thing. By the end of it, I was wanting more, and very much appreciating the rather dark direction it took. Looking forward to book two.

Friendly reminder from Wagner the Writing Mage that my books are also available in paper form, in case you don’t have a Kindle.

Book Two is out!

“…Perhaps, had he simply been resting at this spot on the pavement? Had it been nothing but chance that he’d been here? Simply random that they’d both looked up just at the right time? Had he even been there at all? She was beginning to doubt herself. She couldn’t trust her senses at the moment, or her mind. This new world was screwing with her head.

Sam reluctantly let herself turn away, but at that moment she heard a noise that sent a slicing fear down her spine. It was a sob. A woman—or perhaps a girl—was sobbing hysterically. It wasn’t sad sobs either; it was terrified, miserable sobs. Sam cast about for whoever was responsible for the crying but saw no-one. Stranger still, the noise didn’t seem to be coming from any true source. It simply hung in the air, disembodied, haunting.” 

Five-hundred years ago, Victoria Yassim and Andrew O’Neill landed on Scrabia.

     Their story is not yet over,

         there is simply more to add to their tale.

 ~

There isn’t much of an upside Samantha Turner can see by moving with her father to the desert world of Scrabia, leaving all she knows behind. But when a brief encounter on her shuttle flight with an enigmatic stranger inspires her to live adventurously, she finds herself not only following his advice, but possessed with a desire to find him again. She doesn’t count on her curiosity throwing her into his dark, supernatural world—one she never knew existed.

Now Sam’s on the run with the only person who can save her. She’s at the centre of a countdown to a Daemon invasion at the hands of a desperate cult.

Along with the awakening of an ancient evil that has long been forgotten.

  

Hello all! It is once again October and I am happy to announce my second book in the "Alternate Words" series, which is out today--"Approaching Storm"! 

The story continues some five-hundred years later (I promise Andrew and Victoria's story is still far from over!) and follows Samantha Turner, a young woman who is thrown into a mess of Daemons and a dangerous anniversary which is fast approaching. For those of you who read the first book and liked Tollin, you should be happy because he plays a much bigger role, and you get to discover a little more about the mystery of who he is--or should I say what?

Book two is a bit of a different take than book one, and honestly, I believe you could read either one first and be perfectly fine (time travel is odd that way, isn't it?). I had a lot of fun writing this one and I hope you will enjoy it.The story is growing, and I'm having fun wrapping all of the little bits of it together.

The Kindle version is out NOW and the paperback version will be out very shortly. UK version here: click.

Cover art is once again by the fantastically talented Tillieke, go and visit her Society6. There’s lots of good stuff there, I have some of it hanging on my wall.

I hope you like it. I'm working on book three and have some other projects in the works. In the meantime, read on! I'll try and be a little more dutiful about posting on here, and on my Facebook page, so please go and give it a like, if you haven't already.
Also if you've already purchased book 2, I'm hoping Amazon will be updating it shortly. I've done a bit to make it prettier and easier to read, so keep your eyes open for an update on that. 

Cheers!

Taylor Leigh

Carry On, My Wayward Son

I've always been a little....reluctant to watch the show "Supernatural" for several reasons. One of the biggest reasons being 'Oh, it's an American show, on the CW no less.' Okay, so yes, very shallow reason, but with being addicted to shows like "Doctor Who" , "Merlin" and "Sherlock" I didn't see much reason for expanding my views.
But, there was one trilogy of shows that kept cropping up. SuperWhoLock. Now, I wanted to resist. I really did, but hell, I loved two of the three, might as well give it a go.
To be fair, it did take me five seasons to actually come round to this show. I jumped in on Netflix, which has, up to this point, series 8 (come on, bring on season nine already) and began to reluctantly watch.

As a bit of a grump about such shows, but with the first episode having a "Star Wars" reference, it was a little hard for me to completely dismiss it.

Basically (and I'm sure everyone knows) it's about two brothers Dean and Sam Winchester, fighting monsters and what not. But that's the basically. The first few season are, as I said, a little rough. I didn't really start to feel for this show till season 5, when things become more complicated, adding in angels, including Castiel, demons, and a much more epic, biblical story line (when I say Biblical, you'll find some Biblical things in it, if a bit twisted, but it does, even for a Christian like me, make the show oddly...fun)

It's also so. freaking. sad.
I can't stress that enough. Okay, yes, all the shows I mentioned above I would put into the same category. Things don't go right. OTPs don't happen, and the goal seems to be make these characters lives as miserable as possible. But more than all those shows, Supernatural really takes the cake. Nothing, ever, ever goes right for these boys. Everything from going to Hell, to losing people they love, it happens in this show. And it's basically every episode. I'm not so sure when the "Hey, let's torture all these characters we love" thing got started, but SPN takes the cake for sure. And, perhaps, on some dark level, that's why I like it.Maybe that's why we all like it. We like seeing our favourite characters have a dark day now and then.

A few things in the show I'm not incredibly thrilled with. I'll admit some of the stuff is a little disturbing (choking up razor blades from a witch's curse, uh, no thank you) and at least the first few seasons are a little misogynistic (I'm not crazy about getting upset about things like that, so it isn't a huge deal). The characters aren't always what you want them to be (sometimes you just want the angel to behave, well, like an angel).
BUT overall, I am loving it. Some episodes have great spoofs of 24, X-Files and old school monster movies, great lines from Star Wars (always appreciate those) and well, it's just a fun show. I know I'm late to the party, but since I've finished with what I can watch on Netflix, I thought I might as well write about it.
This concludes the SPN rambling, but I do recommend giving it a looksee.

Book Review: Red Dragon

This post is long over due. And for that, I'm sorry.
With all the recent Hannibal talk there's been, the new show certainly giving him new attention, I've found myself somewhat pulled down the rabbit hole, thanks to tumblr and have been curious about it. No, I've never seen the films, and no, I haven't watched the show, but I like knowing what's going by on my blog, so I gave this book a go.
I should start off by saying that Dr Lecter is not in this book. Well, when I say that, he has a few very small appearances. He's locked up in a sanatorium, and his crimes are in the past and barely mentioned, but still, we all know who he is. Who features more in this story is Will Graham, who was responsible for bringing Dr Lecter down, and still has nightmares about it.
No, the main villain of this story is the "Tooth Fairy"--excuse me, "Red Dragon", who, like all good serial killers, has an overblown sense of importance, and a tragic childhood to boot.
I've always liked books involving a good serial killer and some hero doing his (or her) best to bring him down. Ted Dekker has always been one of my favourite authors (though his novels are very hit and miss, I am very discriminatory over what I choose to read from him) who has always managed to get into the heads of killers and make them fascinating, almost inhuman, creatures. The Tooth Fairy, however, does not have that. He's normal (as normal as a man who's obsessed with murdering families and doing rather unsavoury things to their corpses can be).
The book was...surprisingly not very violent, for every image in my head I've always had of Hannibal Lecter has involved a great amount of violence. But, really, nothing worth mentioning here. Thomas Harris does a good job with his...abstract descriptions. So, if you're looking for graphic violence you are looking in the wrong place--and that goes for all graphicness. Besides a few F-bombs tossed about, this book is pretty tame.
It was a fast read, which is both good and bad, but it was also a good read, which is important. Books can be a fast read and that can often lead to bad things--as in terrible writing--but this book does not. Harris is a good writer, and that to me, is the most important thing. A book can be easily read, but if it's not well written, then it's so easy to feel one's time was wasted.
It was a satisfying story, though I would not really call it a thriller, for it wasn't, and I wouldn't call it "terrifying" as the cover says. It was a read. I wouldn't say there were any wild twists or turns, and if there was one (at the very end) it was...less than satisfying in that aspect.
But if you want to get involved with the Hannibal series, and hang out with Will Graham, his dogs, Crawford, and Hannibal writing snide letters from his padded cell, then this is a good place to start.

Some thoughts on Fanfiction (Or, why Star Wars is to blame for it all)

Fanfiction.
When you see the word it probably brings certain things to mind. And if you're not an avid reader, then you're still probably not too far off base. Yeah, you'll find smut, you'll be introduced to weird things and there will be pairings you hadn't even imagined. It's a place where people can play, where there are no rules and anything is possible. All those things you ever-so wished would happen can come true. And it's wonderful.

I honestly don't see how any writer out there didn't start without writing FF on some level or another. It's really where creativity beings, where your passion for characters and stories and relationships starts, with things you already know about. It's also, I think, one of the most tempting things to do. We can't help but ship when we watch something, or read something. And sooner or later, you have an OTP, and then you're down the rabbit hole.

I have been, and always will be, an avid Star Wars fan. I started out pretty young (about 4) and it wasn't very long after my first viewing that I was already creating stories and adventures for Luke and Darth Vader and my own characters I made up in my head. I continued writing Star Wars stories--unfortunately, none of them were "published" because AO3  and such wonderful websites didn't exist back then (and I doubt they were very good!) and when shows like The Clone Wars came out, managed to write a 100,000 word story starring Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and others. All for nothing more than the pleasure of writing it. Nothing more than wanting to spend time with those characters and play in their universe.
That's really the most fantastic thing about fanfiction. People aren't paid. They simply have a love and they want to share it with others. For free.
And writing FF is where I started to enjoy writing. It was fun creating stories, it was fun thinking out plots and getting into the heads of characters I loved so very much. Honestly, the only reason I ever started writing my own things was because of an interview with...I can't remember which Star Wars author it was, but he mentioned that you won't be able to write Star Wars books without being an author to begin with. Well! That started that. I had to become an author.
Do I ever think I'll write a SW book? Oh, probably not. But it got me started in writing, because it was a passion of mine, I wanted to have fanfiction for a career and that drove me to do other things. And that interview I will always have it to thank.

I don't really have time to write FF anymore. The few I've written are out there, under TaylorLeighWrites, and I always hope to write more, there are so many fandoms that I'd love to play in, things to make my own, but for now those will have to stay in my head, or those few moments I have time to jot down a few sentences. Maybe it will happen. For now, I'll stick with filling up my kindle with other peoples' work and devouring it ravenously.

So, good people, go out and read, find wonderful authors--for there are many, and many of them are better than most real authors I've read--and write. Enjoy it all. And welcome to the madness.

Book Review: When the Wind Blows

All right, I hope I don't get in trouble for this, and believe me, I am sad to even be saying this. I work at a library, I shelve books every day. And one of the most popular authors I shelve is James Patterson. Everyone loves Patterson. Everyone reads Patterson. I could only assume that he must have been one of the most brilliant authors of all time.
So, I decided to give it a go. I'd been wanting a new YA book series to read, so, hey, why not Maximum Ride? Kids with wings, I can go with that. Sounds good. I'll start with the adult book: When the Wind Blows to start out and go from there. It has to be better than the kids books anyway, right?
Oh, how wrong I was.
Now, I realise all too well that I am a struggling author, and I will never *ever* be James Patterson. And so, perhaps, writing such a book review does make me a little nervous, but, what the heck, I'm going to anyway.
This book was awful.
From the very first page, I began to get a worrisome knot in my stomach of Oh, no...this is not good writing. Surely the whole book cannot be like this.
Oh, but it could, and it only got worse.
I am not going to really get into the plot. Girl who was a science experiment breaks out of some top secret lab and flies away. Some FBI agent comes looking, falls in love with a ditsy veterinarian, and they adopt the kid, stop the bad guys and all is well.
First off, the writing was just awful. I wasn't sure if it was just me, because, surely it could not be true. Yet when a few of my co-workers agreed that Patterson's work was "atrocious"  I could relax a little. The only way I can explain it is: He wrote out a rough draft. He didn't go over it any more than that. Off to the agent. Either that or he didn't actually write it at all. He is rather a puppy mill for books, and perhaps when that happens, you don't get to care too much about each sentence. But there are editors, aren't there? I could honestly say that probably a 5th grader wrote it.
Besides the writing, which was simply awful, were the characters. There was nothing to latch on to, nothing to care about. If they lived, died, fell in love, were sad, happy, none of it had the slightest impression on me. When I'm reading a book, I want to connect with the characters. I want to become friends with them. I want to remember them years from now and still smile, and perhaps want to go back and visit them. These folks? I am not even sure I could tell you their names I have forgotten them so quickly. Nothing about them left anything to be desired. They were, I must say, all idiots.
And then there's the plot itself. Flimsy, confusing. The "bad guys" behave in ways that really make no sense whatsoever. They kill without being careful about it (um, we are trying to have a secret base, aren't we?) leave huge amounts of evidence everywhere without thoughts, somehow, inexplicably, the bad guy is really(spoiler) *gasp* a good guy, but we didn't even know who the good guy was because he wasn't even in the book. WOW. GREAT.
But don't worry. No animals were harmed! He made extra, extra sure (I swear that is how these sentences were worded) that no animals got hurt! Whew!
Yeah, okay, some babies were, but whatever. (Yes, the human experiments were just about the only interesting/disturbing part of this story, and they were hardly focused on. I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE POINT?)
Anyway, it goes without saying, I will not be reading the series. Sorry folks. Perhaps I'm just picky. But it takes a lot for me to want to abandon a book, and this one came mightily close. 

Print Version Available!

Well, after much frustration and reworking and formatting, I've finally manged to mock up a print version of my first book. All in all, I'm happy with it, and if you didn't buy my book because you don't have a Kindle, or you just like having a physical copy to hold, then this should be just the thing.

 The book is about 533 pages long, but it seems just about the right size/ weight when I pick it up. Not too hefty a book, not too small.

As you can see, it's not a small TPB, which I am really pleased about, and looks pretty good on a shelf next to other books. My copy is a proof, and I have not yet grabbed a real copy, but so far I'm rather impressed, considering the site I used, and the amount of work that I had to go in to. (Trying to make a book cover without owning Photoshop is not easy, let me tell you!)

You can get it HERE. It's priced at $16.50 (though as I'm looking at it now, Amazon seems to have it on sale, so I'd recommend getting it now) and I'd like to hear what you think!

In other news, hoping to get the book up on other sites like Apple, B&N, and others. I'm editing the second book and that should be done within the next few months. I've commissioned art once again from the wonderful Tillieke, who is just fantastic. And I'm working on some other projects here and there, so, pretty excited about it all.

Cheers!

Book Review: Cutting for Stone

I see to be in a habit of reading "real" books these days, and after hearing all of the talk about this book, I finally had to pick it up.
I love medical stuff anyway. I've always had a fascination for technical descriptions and surgery and all of that. I am also a sucker for books about kids, especially told by the kid's pov. So, sold.
The story is from Marion Stone's perspective. He's a twin born to a nun nurse and a surgeon father, and if you want the whole description, you can certainly read it HERE on Amazon.

The two greatest things about this book were One: The plot, which was so masterfully put together, spanning years of the characters' lives to come full circle. Verghese's vast knowledge of medicine as well as his cleverness in writing worked so perfectly I was at times baffled how he'd managed to come up with it. Certain small things one doesn't notice till the end suddenly become incredibly important.
The Second thing I loved so greatly was the characters. Marion and Shiva are twins, joined at the head at birth, and their relationship throughout the book shows the love of brothers, despite circumstances that pull siblings apart (involving a girl, as always). Shiva is distant, detached, perhaps a bit on the side of Asperger's, Marion is the opposite. I'll admit, I do tend to cry on books, when the stories are good, and I grow to love the characters, and the journey that these two boys go on would have brought me to an ugly mess near the end had I not been reading it in the break room at work.

Reading Cutting for Stone, you will not be disappointed with writing or style. The slower plot points and medical scenes are written in a way that is both understandable, and interesting. It's a book about family, about estranged fathers, unrequited love, the struggle for a place in the world, and the bond of siblings that cannot be broken.
If you're into that, then you'll love this.

Book review: Fingersmith

Just finished reading the book “Fingersmith” by Sarah Waters, and I must say I was impressed. I hadn’t known what to expect with the story. I knew ahead of time that Sarah Waters tends to write Victorian books, and that several of her stories contain lesbians, so, I supposed it goes without saying that that is what this book was about.
But, oh, it was so much more than that. I have not often been so impressed with a story, especially set in this time period, that was an…engaging as this one.
The plotline, at first, seemed incredibly simple. A young thief, named Susan, is hired by a rather wicked man who calls himself Gentleman. It is his plot to steal the fortune of a young innocent named Maud.
Simple. And yet, almost immediately, the plot grows so thick and complicated I was left in shock more than once.
The relationship between Sue and Maud is believable, and very refreshing. By the time the two of them do finally begin to realise they have feelings for one another, the plot to ruin has grown too thick and the struggle the two women have from there on—both to survive and to reach each other—becomes something the readers wish for just as hard.
Not many books set in this time period really focus on women and sex (that I am aware) that aren’t those paperback romance novels with dukes who seduce women. This one was a relief in the fact that it truly did focus on sexual freedom for women and empowerment. The characters are comfortable with who they are, and (without giving away the plot) are not afraid to do things that others in the time would frown on. It is a breath of fresh air and gives readers, especially women my age, a look into what life would have been like for women who are just like us, who may not have the same conventional views. It connects us to the time in a very…intimate way, showing that our views have not changed so drastically. They have simply been more hidden in the past.
I will certainly be reading more of Sarah Water’s books in the future, starting with “Tipping the Velvet” which, in the film, has Benedict Cumberbatch. Sold.

But hey it was .99 cents!

So, for six days from today, I'm putting the book up for .99 cents. So, I suppose you could either go to a fast food restaurant and buy some chips, or you could buy a bloody big book that will entertain you for *hours* to come. I think you know what you want.
Here's the link, give it a looksee if you've got the time. X
And please leave a review, I'd be most grateful!