Pride's Last Race

Thoroughbred #10
By Joanna Campbell
Rating: ☆☆☆.5

Race to the finish...

Wonder's Pride has just had the best year of his life! First he ran to a stunning victory in the Breeders' Cup race. Then he was named Horse of the Year. Pride's trainers, Samantha McLean and Ashleigh Griffen can't wait for the start of another spectacular year.

But on the verge of his five-year-old season Pride develops a deadly illness. Pride will never race again - he may even die! Everyone else says there's no hope for Pride, but Samantha refuses to give up on him. Can her determination save the famous horse?

This blurb ends with a rhetorical question. Its a Thoroughbred novel, of course Samantha can save Pride. It is also slightly inaccurate. He wasn't named Horse of the Year until after his illness, it was only Ashleigh and Samantha who were confident he had gotten it. And I honestly thought that for something as prestigious as Horse of the Year there would be more of a ceremony for it, but correct me if I'm wrong...

Since when was Samantha a trainer? Her official title is groom, but she is also Pride's one and only exercise rider. Why isn't her title bumped up to exercise rider? Wouldn't that give her more claim over Pride, but then I guess she wouldn't get to be in the walking ring before each of his races to give him encouraging words. 

My honest opinion of this blurb is that it ruins the surprise of the rest of the book. Half way through I kept wondering when Pride was going to fall ill in time to make a spectacular recovery and win another race against Lord Ainsley. They could have focused the blurb on something earlier on in the book such as the rumour of Pride being retired:

Shortly after another fantastic win against Lord Ainsley in the Jockey Gold Cup Classic Samantha is disturbed to read a rumour of Brad and Lavinia retiring Pride. Distraught Samantha contacts Pride's co-owner Ashleigh and learns there may be more truth than lies as Mr. Townsend finds merit in this plan. Can Samantha and Ashleigh convince Mr. Townsend to keep Pride racing - as he so desperately wants to - before its too late?

Possibly not as dramatic considering he'd only be retired, not dead, but its not giving away as much of the storyline as the actual blurb. Where is the surprise in it? Especially since we all know Pride only loses every millionth race. I just feel sorry for Lord Ainsley. He should have just stayed in his own country so he could actually win a race once and a while. 

This cover is ok. Ashleigh - I'm assuming its her even if the hair is light brown/blonde - looks beautiful in it. Samantha does not. She looks older than Ash, but definitely more attractive an Medusa hair Sammy in Samantha's Pride. I wish they would put a question mark after the title. At least that would still pose the question of whether or not its Pride's last race, instead of just coming out and telling us. I'm convinced the title would be better at Lord Ainsley & Pride's Last Standoff, and in italics at the bottom But we all know Pride always wins... 

This book is a mixture of Lord Ainsley vs Pride, Brad & Lavinia vs Ashleigh & Samantha, illnesses, injuries & death, and the debate of what to do with the rest of Pride's life. 

Pride is getting old! He's just finished his last races on peak and Clay wants to retire him. Ash & Sammy are of course horrified! Nothing could be worse than frolicking in a paddock all day and having the best choice of broodmares to join him. What an evil idea that could only have resulted from Brad and Lavinia. THEY ALWAYS STOP AT THE BEST SCENES BETWEEN LAVINIA & ASH. I really want Sammy to go with Ash into the mansion after Princess gets injured and witness why Lavinia thinks Ash was going to hit her. 

So... after Pride keeps winning race after race and everyone is convinced they live on top of the world Clay wants to retire Pride, Princess gets injured and Wonder losses a foal. I half wish Wonder's foal was born alive with her deformities so the Thoroughbred characters would be forced to make an insanely hard decision to put the foal down instead of just waiting for the horse to make the decision for them A.K.A instantly get better.

Sierra is slowly pushed aside in this book. He runs a fantastic race against a higher level, but whilst in training for the next one Tor misjudges the jump and Sierra is hurt. That gives Samantha and Tor plenty of time to work with the Pony Commandos and Pride. 

I don't really understand the Pony Commandos. I get that its a way for Sammy to get along with Beth, but couldn't they have just done that at the wheelchair sporting events? 

Clay is made to realise that it would be stupid to retire Pride (even if he is entirely right on this subject) - again too quick a turn around - but they all agree on his decision (hint Lavinia's & Brad's not that Ash or Sammy would EVER admit it) when Pride gets colic and nearly dies. 

I think his whole recovery is utter crap. I cringed with embarrassment as Tor proclaimed that it was Sammy's love that saved Pride. That somehow he understood that he'd been given a death sentence if he didn't eat by the morning. HORSES DON'T UNDERSTAND HUMAN WORDS. He could only understand the upset vibe they were giving off, which wouldn't have been able to tell him exactly the time and how he was going to die, and it sounded like he was too sick to even pick up on anything.

His "miracle" cure would have sounded better if the vet had just said he has no explanation and then Sammy privately thought in her own self loving judgement that it was because of her that he got better. The only person to have pulled off the love thing is J.K. Rowling as she explains why Harry survived the night his parents were killed. And then it only just works because Dumbledor says it.

The ending of this book needed much improvement and a solider ending. Maybe Samantha desperately searched the internet for a cure and found some new therapy the vet is sceptical about. That would have been more believable.

Most Wonderful Thing On Writing I've Found Yet

If you are wanting to write more consistently or just more each day read this blog post now!

http://thisblogisaploy.blogspot.com.au/2011/06/how-i-went-from-writing-2000-words-day.html

Genius! Genius! Genius! I've even printed out The Triangle of Writing Metrics. Today I used this theory for the first time. If you haven't read the above post here is the run down:

The triangle is based on three different things. Knowledge - quickly jotting down what you are going to write before you write it. Time - recording how many words you do each session, what time, distractions, etc to find a way to maximise your writing. Enthusiasm - if its boring to write its boring to read.

Compared to Rachel I have hardly written anything today, but I hope with this triangle it will help me or at least if I look at my time recordings and realise no Jo you cannot watch an episode of Friends whilst writing it will help me minus my distractions.

I'll let you guys know how it goes!

Samantha's Pride

Thoroughbred #7
By Joanna Campbell
Rating: ☆☆1/2

Will Pride's winning streak ruin him?

Wonder's Pride, the three-year-old colt of champion mare Wonder, is the newest star in the Thoroughbred racing and the favourite for the biggest race of them all - the Kentucky Derby. But when Pride wins the Derby, it looks as if victory could be the worst thing that ever happened to him!

Pride's owner, Clay Townsend, wants to race Pride in the strenuous three-race Triple Crown. But Pride's jockey  Ashleigh Griffin, and Ashleigh's friend Samantha McLean, who have watched Pride grow up, both believe that Wonder's Pride will suffer permanent injuries if he races too much. Can Samantha and Ashleigh stop Mr. Townsend before he races one of the greatest horses of all time-to death?

I hate the blurb. I hate it, I really do. First of all I don't under stand the need to write "the three-year-old colt of champion mare Wonder". Hello! We are not being introduced to Pride for the first time. We've just spent the last book with him hence the title "Wonder's Yearling". The worst part of it would have to be "But when Pride wins the Derby, it looks as if victory could be the worst thing that ever happened to him!" If you hadn't noticed Pride was fine coming out of the Derby. It was the Preakness that really took it out of him. Everything was really ok after the Derby except for Sammy being pushed out of the way by the Townsends, even if they had more right to be there as Pride's co-owners.

Hint CO-OWNERS. The next sentence "Pride's owner, Clay Townsend". ASHLEIGH GRIFFIN OWNS HALF OF HIM TOO!!!! Everyone seems to have forgotten this fact including Ash herself until finally a lawyer points this out. Ash must be pretty thick to forget that she own 50% of the colt. "Oh but I toe danced around it because I didn't want him or Wonder or Princess taken away from me" Ashleigh calls meekly at me *sighs* As much as we all know the Townsends are horrible people who mistreat horses they probably want to have at least one of the horses they co-own on their farm.

They then go on to undermine Ash by neglecting to mention that she is an owner instead of just her jockey and only call Sammy Ashleigh's friend. I think she has more rank as his groom. Otherwise she sounds like Lavinia only being Brad's girlfriend.

Now on to the cover... It wasn't too horrible. Much better than the cover for Hi-Jinx! Melanie's eyes are priceless in that! Ash looks quite pretty sitting on top of Pride, and he looks like a nice horse a part from the fact that the signature colour of chestnut that follows Wonder's stock around like a bad smell isn't portrayed in this one. Maybe the artists got tired of chestnuts? Sammy looks horrible. Her hair reminds me of Medusa's snakes and it is missing that beautiful red auburn colour they talk about.


The book itself was ok. Don't be put off by the two and a half stars. It wasn't terribly written, but it was boring. Probably because I wasn't feeling in the mood for a Thoroughbred book. I felt myself dreading reading it based on how many I've read recently.

This one didn't get my heart racing even if here was many races in it. Probably because Pride kept winning every damn one. It was predictable. It was only when they hit the Belmont and Pride lost by a head bob that I was surprised. I honestly expected him to win. Especially with the dramatic draw up to the photo finish and all of Sammy's intakes of breath as she waits to see whether her (funny how Sammy thinks she owns him, but they regret to remember that Ash is a co-owner) horse has won the Triple Crown. And he loses! Only by a head bob of course (he is one of Wonder's horses after all...), but its enough for Brad to feel like he's lost the whole universe.

In this book I think it is justified that Brad is made out to be a dick. Because he surely acts like one throughout most of it. I love Ash's backbone to begin with after the Preakness considering Pride only lost by a head bob. However Ashleigh's backbone breaks soon and that's when all the losing races happen.

Of course if you've read the rest of these books you can guess that eventually they get Pride back. I was disappointed with the massive argument at the end. Clay seems to give in too easily after coming over in a such a rage. He doesn't even look abashed about his anger. He is took quick to nip Brad on the ear and disappear.

I'm definitely looking forward to reading Wither by Lauren DeStefano. It looks awesome!

Kissing Coffins

Vampire Kisses #2
By Ellen Schreiber
Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Not far from Dullsville, someone's lurking in the dark. . . .

After meeting the handsome and shadowy Alexander Sterling, goth-girl Raven's dark world has a bright, new glow. But as in her favorite movie, "Kissing Coffins," Raven knows that love always has its complications, especially when Alexander has a big secret to guard.

When Alexander suddenly disappears, Raven leaves Dullsville to begin a dangerous search to find him. Can she stay safe, no matter who--or what--she encounters on the way?

It got better! Yes! Kissing Coffins just scraped itself a four star rating. I'm happy to say that in the process of losing Alexander in the first book Raven has grown up. A lot. I like this Raven much better than the whiny bitch that wouldn't get a job to pay off her dad's racket she lost even though she is sixteen.

This book should have been combined with the first. You could see the character grow throughout the book, and it doesn't feel as "Twilighty" with the first all about discovering the male lead and the second about finding him. But at least Raven went out and looked for Alexander! Instead of moping around and accepting that her boyfriend has left her Raven actually went out there and looked for him.

I love the cover. I like being able to picture Raven as a good looking goth (I had the worst images in my head from the first book and all of her tight black SPANDEX dresses). I again did not like the back of the book. The blurb was hideous. When Alexander suddenly disappears. Please... He disappeared in the first book, get with the program. It would be better writing: Goth-girl Raven refuses to sit around moping over the loss of her boyfriend Alexander, especially when he has a big secret to guard. However as Raven journey's to the nearby Hipsterville can she keep safe no matter who - or what - she encounters on the way? Much better! That conveys to readers the Raven is DIFFERENT! And people like different with so many stereotypical vampire books around. 

The book ends with another fucking cliff hanger. No, just no. I only just remembered what it was then because I was thinking hm...what else shall I write. That is not the impression we want. If the writing is good enough and the plot is good enough it should finish on a conclusion that satisfies the reader, but still leaves them thirsty for another book if the author happens to write another. Like I said before. It would have made more sense to combine this book and the first into two books and then ended it with Raven and Alexander back together at home all happy. Leaving the carnival crap with Luna to the start of the next book.

Two more things to note: I wish Raven and Trevor would get together. I am so happy that Raven is actively thinking about NOT wanting to become a vampire. Respect back for you girl! You are actually thinking about your life and whether that's what you want.  

Unbridled Fury

Thoroughbred #62
Created by Joanna Campbell
By Karle Dickerson
Rating: ☆☆☆

Melanie's new horse is named Hi Jinx, and he sure lives up to his name.

 

Now that Image is injured, Melanie needs to find another horse to race. She hasn't found one she feels really connected to just yet. But all that's about to change.

While visiting Image at Townsend Acres, Melanie meets a gorgeous brown Thoroughbred named Hi Jinx - he looks just like his ancestor, the famous racehorse Seabiscuit! Melanie feels an instant bond with this powerful animal. She and Jazz have been talking about owning a horse together, so why not this one?

But before they even get back to Whitebrook, Hi Jinx starts acting up - big-time! Will Melanie be able to get him to behave before it's too late?

 

Melanie has picked another crazy horse! And this time instead of being spoilt he's just plain mean! It's in his bloodlines!

I really don't know what to tell you guys. I read this book in a day. Literally. It held my attention, but there was no heart pounding racing in it. I do love the whole rescuing the crazy horse and making it better, but throughout the whole book I've been thinking hit it! HIT IT! HIT IT! Honestly... I apologise for the violence, and they do say that throughout the whole book that the reason Hi Jinx is such an ass is because of the violence in his past. Maybe he is a Blackbelle horse who you can't force him to do anything. That being said if he is being naughty a quick smack will sort him out.

 

This book in a nutshell: Melanie buys a crazy horse because Image is out of action. Jinx bites everything in sight, everyone hates him including Jazz except for Mel. Jazz doubts Mel's awesomeness, which pisses her off. Kevin becomes all knight in shining armour to help Mel and I wonder for the millionth time why Mel is with Jazz apart from the fact that he funds her crazy buying crazy horses fetish. If I were the writer I would start Kevin to move up on Mel and then Jazz fights back. Drama galore! Haha

 

Anyhoo! That was a short review with not much body to it, but I read the book in a day and don't feel much emotion towards it... It was good, but not fantastic material.

 

 

The Beginning

Vampire Kisses #1
By Ellen Schreiber
Rating: ☆☆1/2

Reading this book I was baffled that Vampire Kisses was often synopsis with best seller. On Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire_Kisses_(series), I found little to say that the book was actually a best seller. If you read the section called "reception" you will find a fairly positive collection of reviews from mulitple people, but nothing to give evidence that it is a best selling series. However in the Manga Adaption section I found the sentence "The series was one of the 2009 New York Times bestselling manga for the week of September 26.^[15]", And yes it comes with a reference too! I did some more research and found out it was actually no. 10 in the best seller list for October 16th 2011, two years after Wikipedia says. Proving once again that Wiki lives up to its reputation, which makes me want to create an account and sign in just to correct that fact. I searched the weeks before and after October 16th and there was no more account of the Vampire Kisses manga, which brings me to the conclusion that it seemed like a fantastic idea, but after they read the first volume decided against it.

I am not surprised that the book wasn't popular. It was ok, even entertaining in some parts, but by no way anything special or spectacular. Raven constantly annoyed me as a character. In the first 50 pages I gained respect for her because she actually stood up for herself against the school bully. I lost that respect when she broke down in hystics because she had to get a job to pay her dad back for losing his $200 racket. RAVEN YOU ARE SIXTEEN FOR GOD'S SAKE! I would understand this kind of behaviour in a 12 year old maybe up to a 14 year old depending on their lifestyle, but not a 16 year old. It seems like its supposed to add conflict to her relationship with Trevor,but what is so bad about having a part time job?!

The next issue I have with Raven is how she contradicts herself. All this big talk about loving the dark and not being able to wait to meet vampires is a joke. OK sure, be a night owl, but don't claim to have wanted to meet a vampire for your whole life (16 years...) and then hide in the other room photocopying your hand because their butler looks scary. Seriously. And then afterwards she goes on to say a stupid sentence that her terror wouldn't let her leave the room and then in a few more words say "I loved it." No, just no.

I also have issues with her relationship with Alexander. In their first date they are lying on top of each other and Raven is practically waiting for him to bite her so he can forever be her "Gothic Dream Mate". Raven you are sixteen. You've never dated anyone else before and you are so sure this is what you want? I guess this is also true for Bella in Twilight. However it feels different as Bella is protrayed as much more mature than Raven. She has been in the grown up world taking care of her mum and doing all those grown up things like the washing and cooking and shopping. Not to say that a person's readiness to be committed forever to one person is judged through housewifery. The idea of a sixteen year old being sure she's found her soul mate works better in Twilight despite Bella's youth and small dating experience as she comes across as an older character. Wheras Raven comes across as a whiny twelve year old who would say I love you to any boy who has the slightest similarities to her.

My guess is that Schreiber wanted to create a vampire book situable for middle grade readers ranging from 11-13, but to make the deep relationship between Raven and Alexander believeable she had to pick an older character. Because really what 12 year olds know who their soul mate is, let alone have the capicity to make a life changing decision like becoming a vampire.

From my writer's perspective it is slow to start off with. There is a few chapters dedicated to Raven's childhood only to show us just how goth she really is. I would have cut this. It isn't a very exciting way to start the story off. I would have summarised it briefly and included it after something exciting happened to hook the reader in (the party and leaving Trevor naked). The rest of the book is well paced. It was entertaining, however at the climax of the book where we were supposed to be close to tears and feeling Raven's pain I couldn't help but feel joyous that Raven was finally being punished for her attitude.

Now for the back. "This is where everything begins"... -_- well obviously considering the title of the book The Beginning. That just annoys me. How thick do you think we readers are? Then the review by Morbid Outlook Magazine "Raven is exactly the kind of girl a Goth can look up to". I am in two minds about this. On the one hand I appreciate how strong Raven is as a person. She doesn't let others bug her and holds her own. On the other hand I would not want to encourage someone to break and enter, call their little brother names, sneak out of home and have a general lack of responsibility.

I will read the second book soon, mostly because its one of the next books in my shelves, but I am the kind of person who generally can't stop reading a series until I've finished it. The exception being The Lighthouse Land by Adrian McKinty. Possibly I'll pick it up again one day, but since I gave my copy to a caravan park I doubt I'll buy it again.

I am seriously hoping the Vampire Kisses series picks up as the books go along. Especially considering there is nine in the series even if they are only 200 ish pages.

Would I recommend it to a friend? Yes, but it depends on their age. I'm planning on buying a copy for my soon to be 14 year old sister for her birthday in another attempt to make a book worm out of her. I will be telling my 14 year old cousin about it (hint: they are both younger than 15). She really loved My Love Lies Bleeding by Alyxsandra Harvey. I would place The Beginning in the same catergory. They both seem to me vampire novels born or became widely know because of the post Twilight vampire hype. Slightly entertaining, but there are definitely better books to spend your time on.

Hoofprints In The Snow

Created by Joanna Campbell
Written by Karle Dickerson
Thoroughbred 56
Rating: ☆☆☆1/2

A mystery horse is leading Lyssa astray - and into danger!

Lyssa Hynde know the Wyoming winters are cold, lonely, and dangerous. But she wouldn't give them up for anything. There's nothing she likes better than to gallop her three-day event horse, Blue, through knee-high fresh powder.

One day when she's out for her morning ride, Lyssa follows a trail of mysterious hoofprints that takes her high into the moutains. Climbing a snowdrift, she and Blue set off an avalanche that builds force as it heads straight for her ranch.

Will Lyssa make it home in time to warn her family and save the other animals? Will she find the mystery horse that led her astray in the first place?

The cover is very Western! I like it. It's a nice change from the usual racing ones and the back ground is beautiful! I found myself internally groaning as I started to read this one and realised it would not have one speck of racing in it at all. However I still fell under the magical Thoroughbred spell I receive whenever I open one of these books.

It was ok. That's my main emotion for this book (I can tell this isn't going to be a long review). It wasn't fantastic, but it wasn't horrible.

The exciting page turning parts of the book were exciting, but they weren't oh-my-god-I-can't-put-this-down pages. It was again predictable as most of the Thoroughbreds are.

I really liked Lyssa as soon as I heard her stand up for herself. Which doesn't really make sense! All of the Thoroughbred girls have attitude. There was just something different about Lyssa. She joked, she teased, but of course shock horror she doesn't like going to school dances! How did she even get invited anyways as she is home schooled? Or Tony the horse thief? And just like all the other Thoroughbred girls she instantly feels dislike when one of their friends decide horses aren't the apple of their eye anymore. PEOPLE CAN HAVE OTHER INTERESTS... Despite all of that she feels different, maybe because she's never been into racing?

If you are looking amusing, hilarious and awesome Thoroughbred reviews check out these guys :) http://whitebrookfarm.blogspot.com.au/2008/01/introducing-master-list.html?q=master+list

Awakened

By P.C. and Kristin Cast
Rating: ☆☆☆

'Zoey lives.'
Neferet's voice was flat, cold, lifeless.
'She does. What will happen next?'
'It is quite simple. I will ensure Zoey is drawn back to Oklahoma. There, on my own terms, I will complete the task you failed.'

Exonerated by the Vampyre High Council and returned to her position of High Priestess at Tulsa's House of Night, Neferet has sworn vengeance on Zoey. But Zoey has found sanctuary on the Isle of Skye and is being groomed by Queen Sgiach to take over for her there. Being Queen would be cool, wouldn't it?

And what about Stevie Rae and Rephaim? The Raven Mocker refuses to be used against Stevie Rae, but what choice does he have when no one in the entire world, including Zoey, would be ok with their relationship? Does he betray his father or his heart?

I think this has to be one of my favourite books in the series. Except it just took its time getting to it. I miss the covers where the models face wasn't in the shot. It also looks to me like Zoey (?) is holding her collar up to try and hide from the world. Which is exactly when happens in the first half of the book, but it sounds the opposite of the title.

AWAKENED - Look out Neferet! Zoey is back in the land of living. Except she is hiding in Skye... Although this was my least favourite part of the book I still respect why it happened. I think is it very realistic for her to want some time out. It isn't the most exciting story line, but it is a believable one.

I don't understand how Sgiach is grooming Zoey to be Queen. Unless you count those weird spirit old magic things. I really hope they use them in later books otherwise I don't understand why they were there.

The book gets uber fantastic with Stevie Rae and Rephaim! Finally you get to read what happens between those two! That is my absolute favourite part of the book. It is a mystery considering how much Rephaim respects his "daddy" as Stevie Rae calls him, and how much he loves his dear Red One.

It is worth reading, even if I've only rated it three stars. I'm guessing if you are reading the review for the 8th HON book you've already read the other seven. Read this one. It isn't the most riveting book, but again it is worth the read.

One last point: WHY MUST THEY USE WUCH HARD TO PRONOUNCE NAMES?! Neferet, Sgiach, Seoras... *sighs*

Online Creative Writing Course Stage 1

In my previous posts I've written briefly about a creative writing course I was taking. Now that I've finished it, I believe its an appropriate time to review it. This course is offered by the Australian Writer's Centre: http://www.writerscentre.com.au/

I took this course to inspire me to write more. I'm pleased to say I succeeded and more! :)

I debated between choosing stage 1 or stage 2, based on my writing experience. I probably could have taken stage 2, but I wanted to start at the beginning in case there was vital information I had missed. I'm glad I did this, as the information I received throughout the whole course was very insightful.

The information given helped:

• kick start your imagination,
• got you thinking about ideas,
• characters,
• plot,
• structure
• and finally there was module on the publishing industry.

 It is a good all round course for a person looking to get into the industry. It gave you real life examples and mostly importantly...

FEEDBACK ON YOUR ASSIGNMENTS FROM PROFESSIONALS

This was by far the most valuable aspect of the course. The tutor for the course would give feedback to the whole class and individually. The feedback was my favourite part of the course. I only wish the tutor had the time to review the revised versions.

Worst Aspect? The forty minute audios. I found it a little tiring to lesson to someone talk to me for forty minutes, but then again I have the option to pause and play them whenever I wanted!
Best Aspect? The change of the assignments and feedback received.

Value for money? Yes.
Would I recommend it to a friend? Yes, depending on their level as a writer

Where to find out more? http://www.writerscentre.com.au/onlinecreativewriting.htm


P.S. Check out my awesome new header picture ;) How beautiful! I am in love XD Thanks to Carrie of Carrie Love Design http://www.carrielovesdesign.com/

Cindy's Bold Start

Cindy's Bold Start
Created by Joanna Campbell, written by Mary Newhall Anderson
Rating: ***1/2

What will Cindy do now?

When Cindy McLean goes back to Belmont to clean out her apartment, she finds her old diary and is taken back to the days when she started racing in New York after she fled Dubai...

Find out what happened in Cindy's own words as she struggled to compete against the best male jockeys in the country. She was new to the tough Belmont trainers and had trouble getting rides. But Cindy never stopped trying, and in time she was winning big races on a filly no one else thought could run.

Now that Cindy can't ride anymore, her life has changed drastically. She'll need to tap some of that old determination as she sets of boldly in a new direction.

Reading over this blurb again I don't like it. It pretty much sums up the whole book. It could be better, way better. However on a positive note I love the cover! If you've ever read anymore with Cindy, you will see her not depicted very well on the cover. But in this one she is smiling, and looks HAPPY!

I liked this book better than most in the series. It did not get my heart soaring like others have. Mary doesn't seem to write very exciting races, but maybe that's because of the mind set Cindy was in. She wasn't a terrible character to send 168 pages with, but it did annoy me that when her shoulder hurt instead of going to the physio she just popped some pills. Seriously?? Cindy if something hurts and keeps hurting you need to get it checked. I think it could have prevented her from not being able to ride every again. Whilst recovering she could have also ridden quieter horses that don't try to pull her arms out of their sockets every second stride.

Other than that I enjoyed the book. It was surprising. Which is surprising for the Thoroughbred series. Usually about half way through I can tell what the ending is like, but this one kept me guessing.

5 Tips To Avoid Distractions & Procrastinations: A Writer's Down Fall

I'm going to tell you a short story of distraction. Yesterday morning I had a great plan to actually get out of bed when my alarm rings at 7am allowing me to continue writing for a whole hour before having breakfast and getting ready for work. All part of my grand plan to write more regularly instead of just "when I feel like it".
However as you can tell by the heading of this post, my plan didn't quite go to plan. I decided to take it easy on myself and watch a TV show, but my DVD player broke. Needless to say I spent my hour on Google looking for help.
I don't have a recent story of procrastination, but I will whisper three words to you: Facebook and emails. These are evil when I'm trying to get writing done.

The best solution I find for distractions and procrastinations is to be in a room away from a TV, disconnect from the internet and hide your phone! However when not possible use these five tips to keep on track:

1. Make Lists - If you love lists writing one might keep you on track. Goals, To Do, Reasons To Write, 5 Favourite Things About Writing... Your imagination is the limit! Lists can keep you focused and remind you to look at the big picture when you feel like you have a long way to go. I am a list writing novelist. I have two current lists: Short Term Goals and Long Term Goals. The LT Goals remind me of what I hope to achieve. The ST Goals are there to remind me of the little steps in between. I never write more than ten goals on the ST list, otherwise I am afraid I'll get bogged down with the enormity of writing a novel. 

2. Let Others Know - One of the major Ds & Ps of writers are people. If you live in a household with other people it can be very hard to get some quality writing time to yourself, unless you state your intentions. Tell them to treat it like work and only contact you when really necessary. Which brings me to my next point.  

3. Treat Your Writing Like Work - Think about how much work you get done with a boss breathing down your throat? Or simply the incentive of being paid is enough to bring out the best in you. Channel that feeling, that drive and use it to push yourself harder than usual. After all if you treat writing as a hobby its easy to let it go and think "I'll just do it tomorrow..." and poof! No writing get's done at all.

4. Be Aware Of The Time You Have - An easy way to be super productive is to only give yourself a short time in which to write. Imagine a lovely Saturday with the whole day stretching out free to do whatever you please. You plan to write for the majority of it, but since you've got to whole day you might as well watch the Big Brother episode you missed last night or discover a new way to sort your books. Before you know it the day has disappeared. But if you imagine only having half an hour before jumping on the train and go to your day job you can get an extraordinary amount of work done because you only have half an hour to do things.

5. Determination and Discipline - These two words are one of the many things that set wannabe writers a part from professional writers. Sure getting down the first draft is pleasant, easy even, but the real work comes after. The reading, re-writing, revising, editing, criticism and multiple drafts written until your manuscript is polished. It can be hard to push away distractions and procrastinations, but if you really want it you'll learn to push them away and before you know it there will be a polished manuscript in front of you. 

(Oh and in case you were wondering I'm getting a new header picture designed. Goodbye hideously over sized five second attempt of a picture!) xx

Reading Over First Drafts

Cringe worthy? Definitely!

Currently I am spending my hours dedicated to writing, reading over the first draft of my manuscript. Wow, is it ever a mammoth job?!

My method also involves a bit of less structured writing. As I'm reading over the chapters of my manuscript I have another document open writing down the summary of the chapter as well as anything I think deems changing.

Before this I had done a similar version of reading over the draft with my lovely mother who has taken the time out of her busy days to read my manuscript. Printing off each chapter once a week or so, Mum would go through it and then I would read any of her comments - generally grammar and spelling errors - and then add in my own. The majority of the time I found that whilst there might be a whole page free of her edits, I would usually find a whole host of things wrong with that page.

Two things I learnt from this: 1) I thought that once I had written my novel from front to back that I was ready for another reader and 2) Although it is handy to have Mum read it as she loves reading and can tell me if its boring or not, its not the same as having a Beta Reader.

Now that I'm heading back to read over the chapters again the notes I'm writing would possibly be very offensive if this was someone else's work. The chapter that I'm working on, Nine, when I wrote it for some reason I seemed to loath writing anything descriptive. Therefore I've written myself many annoyed notes telling me that no matter how much I wanted to write this part quickly it doesn't excuse having sections with only dialogue.

This exercise has made me learn that I will probably have many drafts before I think my work is even ready enough for a Beta Reader, then they'll probably strip it down again, and I won't even go into what an editor or agent or publisher will say when the time comes for them.

Writing is definitely a journey, and its no easy one. Sort of like Frodo's journey in The Fellowship Of the Ring. At Rivendell everyone acknowledged that something had to be done, but only few attempted it, and of those who attempted it some got lead astray, some perished and some, not matter how much they wanted it got left behind.

To me, the feeling I'm getting, after finishing this draft and then reading it over it only to realise just how much there is left to go, is that this is the moment when you find out whether you want to really be a writer. Each time you finish the massive task of writing a draft and then recognising that in a few weeks after you've let it sit you'll have to take up that pen and do it all again, hopefully for the better, I think it takes passion and willpower to keep going.

Therefore I'm going to take the end of this post to commend and applaud everyone who has kept going, whether they are published or not.

"You need only take one step at a time, but the main thing is to keep going."

Writing with a Day Job

It's amusing that I picked a career as a writer because I don't think I have enough dedication to become a veterinarian as it involves 6+ years of schooling and you are forever having to update your knowledge to keep up with the latest research. And yet to become a writer you need to spend at least two years on a novel - generally a lot more, it took Tolkien more than twelve years - including lots of rewriting, editing, self disclipine and many writers don't even making enough off their published workers let alone whilst they are writing them!

Which bring me to the topic of this post: Writing with a day job. The majority of writers have these, as you need to be very successful or have another source of income like a spouse or some sort of Government income.

This of course can make it very difficult to write depending on what type of job you have. A mind numbing job which bores you to tears can be very determental to the progress of your novel. Your creativety just isn't following and all you want to do when you get home is zone out watching re-runs of Friends or reading an easy book.

Then of course you have those wonderful jobs that are stimulating and challenging and ensure you are use your creative juices. As soon as you get home you launched into your latest project and get done a decent amount of work no matter how little time you have to do it. 

And of course the DREAM JOB. The one where you work enough and get paid enough to pay the bills & feed the family, where you have to be there for some specific purpose like answering the phone so you're getting paid, but have enough free time to work on your novel, and a wonderful boss who allows you to write. 

However the DJ isn't readily available to everyone, does it even exhist? So below I've put together a list of jobs which would be an ideal job for a writer - and hope that after my traineeship I can find a similar job to support my writing, but also not go broke!

1. Part time working in retail - You could work 15, 20, 30 hours a week leaving at least two maybe three or four days to write. Just after finishing school I worked in a clothing store for 15 hours a week. Sure the pay wasn't great for the small amount of hours I worked, but living at home I didn't feel the loss of money, got to write heaps whilst my parents and siblings were away and got a quick kiss off my boyfriend once a day when he was doing deliveries ;) Win, win.

2. Night time door staff at a club - Sure on busy nights this wouldn't be helpful to write, you'd have to make sure everyone has signed in and keep away drunken people. However on quiet nights, especially in winter when the place is nearly dead, but you must be there in case someone comes in there would be a wonderful amount of time to write. Being nighttime the manager may have gone home already, or be in the club socialising with the patrons and you may have a slightly more relaxed superviser who doesn't care if you are writing because you have nothing else to do. And once you head home for the night at 12am, sometimes as early as 9pm on quiet nights, you'd wake up 10am refreshed from sleep and have hours to write before starting at 5pm.

3. Receptionist - Slightly similar to number 2. There is not always phone calls to answer or customers to see and when all your jobs are done you can surf the net for research, email yourself a copy of your latest draft from home to re over and re-work or email yourself the next chapter you've written.

4. Shift working in a Cattery - I recently found a job vacany for a part time worker or part time manager. You work in the morning starting a 8ish for a few hours, then come back at 3 till 5. You'd have time in the middle of the day to write and get to play with cute kittens!

5. Be a housewife of a millionaire who has a maid and cook! haha

My Impression of the Writing Course So Far...

I am enjoying my writing course. Wooooo! The excitment I felt about finally doing something "real" for my career as a writer is still with me. This course I feel is helping already. As it's Monday our assignments are being marked at the moment and module four is up for reading and learning. Two weeks to go!

Throughout the course I have wondered if I should have taken the next level up. I wanted to start at the beginning in case I missed anything important I would need for the next level. I'm fairly confident I could have taken the second one and succeeded even if I was a little behind for some of it.

In the course it touches on a lot of the basics which as I've been writing for four years can seem a little trival. I admit to groaning a few times as the audio began to talk about things like tenses and POV which I already thought I knew much about. Hint, the key word is "thought". Sure the topics seem like baby steps, but really the course delves deeply into each of these seemingly basic things to create a better understanding and more importantly cause myself to ask major questions about my novel.

I'm finding myself wondering whether to write my novel in third person as opposed to first. My plan of action at the moment is to finish this second draft in first person and then if I feel something is missing write my third draft in third person.

I'm finding that whilst doing the course the most beneficial part is the feedback we get on our assignments. The three assignments I have done so far whilst are nothing more than a few paragraphs have given me fantastic insight and a professional look at my writing. I'm a little miffed that this weeks assignment is about another book's structure as instead to my own novel's as the previous weeks were. I feel that since I wasn't so fond of English at school I'm not looking forward to this, but its all for the Greater Good of my writing, meaning it must be worthwhile.

First Hours

Hey guys!

I got my details last night and logged in for the first time. Downloaded course materials and listened to the majority of my first audio.

I'm liking it so far. Since I haven't even completed the first module I can't be sure how it will turn out. However I do know it is posing good questions which some of them I'm happy to say I already have answers and others that will have me thinking.

More posts later :) x

Class Starts Tonight!

Hey guys!

As long as everything goes to plan I'm super duper excited to sign up for the online writing course tonight.

After finally ordering a grille off eBay for my poor car that has had a hole in it for months since I ran into that kangaroo I've decided to actually get my butt into gear about this course I'm wanting to take, instead of spending my hard earned money on things I don't need yet like T.V. series and books when I already have so many to watch and read.

Considering I work a zillion hours a week - I've worked out its actually 40+ instead of just 30 - and especially since its the Hospitality industry I wouldn't have time to go to real classes, this is extremely helpful. 

They recommend you spend about two to three hours on their course which I will be able to achieve. I'm hoping this will majorly benefit my novel writing even if its just to inspire me to write more on a regular basis. 

If all goes well I shall be signing up tonight and beginning my course. I'll let you all know how it goes! :) 

How I Live Now - Meg Rosoff

How I Live Now
By Meg Rosoff
Rating: ***1/2

My sister recommended this as an amazing book, however sadly I didn't like it as much as she raved on about.

I enjoyed reading about Daisy. The writing was refreshing and the storyline was unique. Admittedly I was slightly worried about her relationship with Edmond to begin with, not wanting another horrible Flowers In The Attic gross out. Wonderfully I discovered it wasn't like that.

I can't quite put my finger on why I didn't love this book. I wasn't bored when reading it, but it didn't capitvate my attention. Daisy told her story in a plain, statement, this-is-my-life kind of way. I guess that is the problem. Daisy as a narrator didn't exactly employ me to tug on my heart strings.

It wasn't until when she returned to an emotionally unsound Edmond that I wanted to know what happened faster than I could read. I would recommend this to a friend. It is an interesting read, just not a completely captivating one.

I found myself turning the last page and thinking "Is that it?" More out of surprise as it was a book my sister highly praised and usually I love what she recommends I read.

Five Second Post Before Work? I think Yes

Right, I'll make this quick since I have five minutes until I've got to get ready for work *sighs* Monday mornings...

Whilst reading How I Live Now I noticed there were a few grammar rules the writer managed to look. I.e. Writing extremely long sentences with many, many ands and ands and ands and also writing capitals half way through when usually you wouldn't as the words generally aren't nouns, like writing The Feeling Of Hating Money Mornings and the writer would just make it its own noun worthy of capitals.

This is a good example of someone breaking the oh so precious rules people debate about over and over again. And also a reason people invent the phrase "learn the rules, follow the rules, break the rules". It is so true its not funny!

Most of the times it is best to follow the rules, but if you can break them, and break them well go for it! It can make you stand out from the crowd and get your book noticed. Hell How I Live Now was shortlisted for an Orange Award for New Writers, the author must have done something right.

That isn't to say you shouldn't started speaking in txt font, just 2 b diff. That would be plain annoying and would get you an instant rejection (its just horrible to read!), but don't be afraid to bend the rules. Write for yourself not to get published. If you're convinced you need to break the rules to make your novel awesome do it!

I've started to read How I Live Now

Hey guys! I think now would be the appropriate time to apologise for my lack in posting even if I've only even done two posts and one of those two I just completed about five seconds ago. Since I sound crazily determined in my first post it's only just to recap what has actually happened between February and July.

I completely forgot ALL about the Penguin competition that I posted about. I can't even understand what I was on about in that post - which knowing me I wrote at a time when I should have been sleeping for work. I think it means that they are doing a romance competition next V-day, which I'm up for if I'm done in time...if work allows it.

Which brings me to my excuse for lacking in this blog and taking forEVER to get my novel up and ready. Work. I have a fully fledged, completely 100%, 30+ (I do overtime on a regular basis) hours a week job. Monday to Friday, which yes I know nearly everyone else on the planet has, but it combined with a fairly hectic social life makes it hard to write much, blogs included.
I shall try to make more of an effort!

Anyhoo! Back to why I titled my post what I did. I went out for dinner with friends last night and left my bag in my friend's car which had the book I was reading in it Burned by PC & Kristin Cast, the 7th novel in the House of Night Series. I couldn't exactly spend lunch time without a book to read so I picked up How I Live Now By Meg Rosoff which my sister has been nagging me to read.

I must say it is quite refreshing! to read this book after reading half of Burned. Don't get me wrong, I like the HON series, the story lines are usually pretty cool and there are yummy hunks in them to droll over, but I'm seriously getting sick of the dialogue.

When one of the main characters are talking their friends or even sometimes the older vamps they are so f-ing immature. I.e. The Twins. Guys, seriously, when one says something the other doesn't have to follow. The dialogue that the other comes up with after the first that has spoken is pure crap. Yes we get that they are twins and all without being related but they don't have to talk one after the other especially when the follower has NOTHING OF USE to say. *Big sigh* And I guess it just pisses me off that they still refer to Aphrodite as hateful. Jesus guys get out in the real world, she is not hateful. She was a total queen bitch like years and years ago! Not now... She is on your side. And how exactly do they expect her to not be hateful, when they keep calling her hateful. She gets on with Darius and Zoey so well because they aren't horrible to her. *sighs*

Yes I still will be reading the rest of the HON series. I do like them and I'm keen to see where Stevie Rae and the Raven Mocker go - I can't seem to think of the Raven Mocker as gross like all of the characters do, maybe because with the wings he reminds me of an angel... ha!

Anyways... Its just nice to read How I Live Now as a sort of refresher, maybe the universe knew I was getting sick of the HON dialogue and made me forget my bag. Now I just need an excuse for the other million times I forget things...

I'm pretty keen to see how How I Live Now is going to evolve into an amazing book. My sister is pretty keen on it. It's just with how close Daisy/Elizabeth is getting with Edmond and how she mentions him heaps makes me wonder whether they are going to have some weird cousin incest thing... I hope not, I don't want to read about that topic for a while since reading Flower In The Attic and The City Of Bones.

I'll let ya's know in a few days (apparently my sister read it in two, though I highly doubt that is attainable with my boyfriend's nineteenth this Saturday).

Oh and by the way, the picture up there is the lovely copy I got at the Bega Book Fair and to the left is the plain Penguin copy my sister bought because she's poor uni student and it only cost $10.00 (mine was still cheaper. At the book fair I got five books for $20 that included. Bargain!)

Realisation

I'm starting to realise more and more that I've gone the hard way about writing my book. I wrote the first half without a clear indication of the plot, when I was fourtee. Which has resulted in a multitude of gobbly goop that just shouldn't be there.

When people ask "how's your novel going?" I always have to reply "I'm at the painful editing/revising/rewriting stage where I want to claw my eyes out". Writing my book would have been a much simpler and quicker task if I wrote my outline and then the content. At least I would have spared my father the surprise of telling him I've finally nearly finished writing the outline for the first half of my novel, which I've already written.

It it a bit painful going back and reading it off, summarising the chapters allowing me to compare them to my new chapter outlines and change things, but then again sometimes it's really like a blessing. If I'm reading something and it's super duper boring I know that I REALLY need to rewrite it or cut it altogether otherwise my readers will never ever enjoy it and will put my novel in the boring-as-bat-shit-never-read-again-only-recommend-to-people-I-hate-box. Which is not the outcome I want for my novel.

Impossible?

Publishing a novel at eighteen. Impossible? Maybe. Am I going to do it? Yes.

I'm determined. I have been for a couple of years.

Sure I haven't completely finished my novel yet, but I've never had a deadline.

Penguin Books Australia is accepting YA unsolicited manuscripts. They are changing themes they are accepting throughout the year.

From Valentine's Day to April their theme is romance for YA. Any book with romance in it.

So I'm going to spend these two months trying to get my book up to scratch.

It's going to be hard.

But nothing is ever easy.

If I don't make it, that's ok, because I know there will be a million other chances. Yes I'll have to make the majority of them myself. But I'm going to do it.

I'm determined.

0j <3