Tag Archives: queen

What happens next? A Review of Queen by Kiera Cass

Posted on September 9, 2016 | Comments Off on What happens next? A Review of Queen by Kiera Cass

Queen by Kiera Cass (Audiobook) This is a “prequel” novella in THE SELECTION series. Here, we find out how Queen Amberly becomes queen in her own Selection experience.

This novella really can’t stand on its own. The Selection process is not explained or defined, and situation and characters happen in this book that you would have no idea what is going on unless you’ve read the first book. Also, the writing and world-building is nowhere as deep and intricate as the full novel. But that isn’t really a problem, since its target audience would have read the first book.

QUEEN is an interesting look into the past of the king and queen, and we find out why the king does some of the “meaner” things he does in The Selection.

My real beef about this novella is that it suddenly just STOPPED. I mean, we go through general selection stuff, then the prince tells Amberly that he likes her, and introduces this whole new conflict that had me sitting upright, suddenly really interested and engaged and ready to take on this new part of the adventure.

Then… nothing.

Amberly is happy that he says he liked her, and we don’t get to take the journey with them through that conflict.

Yes, this is just a novella, and if they delved into that plotline, it could have been its own full-length book, but then why not just have him choose her and not act like that conflict existed? It just left me feeling a little unfinished, if that makes sense.

I’d give QUEEN two stars, because the ebook is listed at $2.99 which is really disappointing for what you get. This should be a freebee. I look at books like this as little gifts to readers. – just little tidbits to keep them excited about a series until the next book arrives. At $2.99 (maybe even at $.99) I’m not sure this really delivers.

If you can pick this up at the library, or as a free read (in a legal promotion) And you’ve read THE SELECTION already, I think you will really enjoy this. Just don’t expect the big whirlwind romance you experienced in the first novel.

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Back by Popular Demand! Write a Story With Me #77: “The Test” by Norah Jansen

Posted on May 5, 2014 | 5 comments

Write a Story with Me is a group endeavor just for the fun of it.  A different writer adds a new 250 words each time.  It is the ultimate Flash Fiction Challenge!

If you’d like to sign up, come on over.  There’s always room for more!

Here’s this week’s excerpt.  We hope you enjoy!

77-Norah Jansen

Natalia was tired.  Her calves ached and her feet bled through her thin slippers but she wouldn’t stop running and screaming for her baby.  Eventually a thinning of the trees heralded the entrance to the Fae village and Natalia’s headlong dash slowed until she was barely moving forward. 

She still didn’t know whether Morath was friend or foe but at this moment she was all that Natalia had and she had no choice.  She walked faster and within minutes was outside the Queen’s chambers.  A guard asked her business and told her to wait.  Natalia moved restlessly from one foot to the other as she waited and then the guard swept open the entry curtain and ushered her inside.

It took a moment for Natalia’s eyes to adjust to the darkness of the chambers after the bright light outside.  When she was finally able to focus she opened her mouth in a screeching roar.  Two guards ran forward to restrain her until Morath stepped down from the throne and ordered them to stand back.   She held the baby in outstretched arms and Natalia ran forward to snatch him, without resistance, from the Queen.

“Why?”

Natalia didn’t look up from her child as she asked the question.

“Why would you do that to me?”

“I was testing you.  With your child’s life at stake I needed to know that you would turn to me and not your human husband.  I cannot put my kingdom at risk just for one person.”

Natalia knew she was being told the truth but instead of relief all she felt was further confusion.  Where did this leave Yoran and Sian? Would she ever see them again?

Want to read more?  See below for past excerpts.

If you’d like to sign up, come on over.  There’s always room for more!

Parts One – Sixty-five Click Here

Part Sixty-Six – Joe Owens

Part Sixty-Seven – Shayla Kwiatkowski

Part Sixty-Eight – Anmol

Part Sixty-Nine – Norah Jansen

Part Seventy – Shannon Burton

Part Seventy-One – Vanessa Jane Chapman

Part Seventy-Two – Susan Rocan

Part Seventy-three – Kate Johnston

Part Seventy-Four – Richard Leonard

Part Seventy-Five – Kai Damian

Part Seventy-Six – Danielle Ackley McPhail

Part Seventy-Seven – Norah Jansen

Don’t forget to stop by next week to see what happens next.

Anmol Arora— TAG!  You are “It”

Write a Story With Me Contributors

shayla kwiatkowski gryphonboy Jennifer M. Eaton Vanessa Chapman
Siv Maria Sharon Manship shanjeniah Vikki (The View Outside)
Danielle Ackley-McPhail Richard Leonard susanroebuck Jenny Keller Ford
aparnauteur kaidamian Eileen Snyder Elin Gregory
Joe Owens anelephantcant mysocalledDutchlife Nicky Wells
norahdeayjansen Julie Catherine Ravena Guron
Anmol     jiltaroo 4amWriter mywithershins

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Write a Story with Me #57 – “Action Stations with Susan Roebuck

Posted on August 19, 2013 | 5 comments

Write a Story with Me is a group endeavor just for the fun of it.  A different writer adds a new 250 words each week.  It is the ultimate Flash Fiction Challenge!

If you’d like to sign up, come on over.  There’s always room for more!

Here’s this week’s excerpt.  We hope you enjoy!

57 – Susan Roebuck “Action Stations”

Janosc had been standing at the back of the courtroom while proceedings were taking place, a smile flickering at times, his green eyes glittering and a buzz of annoyance issuing from him as Yoran’s loyalty wavered between the Establishment and the Fae. While Sian had been accusing her father, Janosc folded his arms, crossed his arms and winked at her to show his agreement. He wondered how Yoran would feel if he went back to the Establishment now—he’d only be two inches high. But Janosc’s silent amusement was interrupted as he felt a light touch on his arm.

“Sir,” Briss, his second in command, whispered. “We need you in the war room.”

Once at his operations station, Janosc saw the situation clearly and his heart fluttered in excitement. This is what the special forces had been training for.

“Operation Fae. Action stations,” he ordered.

Briss saluted and within less than a second, he had sent out the command for all forces to be on standby at the launch station.

Within two seconds, Janosc and Briss joined them. Everyone was in position. “They’re three miles from the first barrier which should hold them for a while,” Janosc told his waiting squadron. “We need to act fast.”

Before the words were out of his mouth, two explosions rocked their world. “But they’re too far off,” Briss cried, buckling on his armour, his stance barely wavering from the force of the bombs. “How could they reach us from there?”

“They’re using some kind of stealth missile,” Janosc said grimly, “which we didn’t pick up and they’ve penetrated the three barriers. Are you ready? Operation Fae Formation One, launch.”

Commanded by Briss, Formation One set off, flying low over the tree-tops to avoid radar detection.

Janosc’s Formation Two followed barely a second behind, speeding faster than light. As Formation Three was dispatched behind them, Janosc silently asked the Queen to bless them; they were up against a formidable enemy now—this wasn’t a rusty bucket like Yoran’s ship had been, this was new technology which Janosc had never seen before.

****************************************

Click to Tweet: “But they’re too far off. How could they reach us from there?”. Write a Story with me! via @jennifermeaton

Want to read more?  See below for past excerpts.

If you’d like to sign up, come on over.  There’s always room for more!

Parts One – Fifty Click Here

Part Fifty-One – Joe Owens

Part Fifty-Two – Shayla Kwiatkowski

Part Fifty-Three – Jennifer Eaton

Part Fifty-Four – Shan Jeniah Burton

Part Fifty-Five – Jenny Keller Ford

Part Fifty-Six – Susan Rocan

Part Fifty-Seven – Susan Roebuck

Don’t forget to stop by next week to see what happens next.

  Elin Gregory — TAG!  You are “It”

Write a Story With Me Contributors

shayla kwiatkowski gryphonboy Jennifer M. Eaton Vanessa Chapman
Siv Maria Sharon Manship shanjeniah Vikki (The View Outside)
Danielle Ackley-McPhail Richard Leonard susanroebuck Jenny Keller Ford
aparnauteur kaidamian Eileen Snyder Elin Gregory
Joe Owens anelephantcant mysocalledDutchlife Nicky Wells
norahdeayjansen Julie Catherine Ravena Guron
jiltaroo 4amWriter mywithershins

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Write a Story with Me # 39 – Queen of Queens by Nicky Wells

Posted on April 15, 2013 | 2 comments

Nicky Wells brings us back to the Queen and her baby.  What’s happening there Nicky?

39 — Nicky Wells — Queen of Queens of the fae (Baby String)

Morana waited until she was certain that Natalia was sound asleep. Once more, she abandoned her human body and emerged Queen Morath of the fae, hovering above Natalia’s sleeping form before casting a protective spell on her. “Sleep safely until I return,” she intoned solemnly.

Then Morath closed her eyes and stilled her thoughts, focusing every fibre of her being on Jenelle, tracing her very soul until she found her. “Take me to her, now,” she bid her brilliant mind and in a faint flash of ivory sparkle, she vanished from Natalia’s side.

Morath joined the young queen Jenelle at the hive, tending her own offspring and quite unprepared for the apparition of the Queen of Queens of the fae.

“Morath,” Jenelle breathed, falling to her knees and bowing her head in the required gesture of supplication. “We thought… we didn’t know… where have you been?”

“My child,” Morath intoned gently. “Please rise. We have much to talk about.”

Jenelle lifted her head and obediently straightened her body, finally daring to look at Morath. “I have done wrong,” she murmured. “I can see it in your eyes.”

“You do not understand. Not everything is as you see,” Morath replied. “Yes, I am Morath. I am also your mother. And I am Morana, the midwife, the facilitator of human life. I have lived in human form for many years. I will explain, but first tell me — Natalia’s family. Where are they? It is of the utmost urgency that we unite them.”

Write a Story with Me is a group endeavor just for the fun of it.  A different writer adds a new 250 words each week.  It is the ultimate Flash Fiction Challenge!

If you’d like to sign up, come on over.  There’s always room for more!

Parts One – Twenty Nine Click Here

Part Thirty — Richard Leonard

Part Thirty-One —Sharon Manship

Part Thirty-Two — Shannon Christensen

Part Thirty-Three — Danielle Ackley McPhail

Part Thirty-Four — Siv Maria Ottem

Part Thirty-Five — Susan Roebuck

Part Thirty-Six — Jennifer M. Eaton

Part Thirty-Seven — Elin Gregory

Part Thirty-Eight — Ravena Guron

Part Thirty-Nine — Nicky Wells

Don’t forget to stop by next week to see what happens next.

  Norah Jansen — TAG!  You are “It”

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Lesson Twenty-Four from a Manuscript Red Line: Remembering where your characters are

Posted on January 16, 2012 | 18 comments

Do you pay attention to where your characters are in a scene?  Are you sure?  I thought I was sure too.  Guess what?

For an intro into where these tips are coming from, please see my post: A Full Manuscript Rejection, or a Gold Mine?  You can also click “Rant Worthy Topics” in my right navigation bar.  Choose “Gold Mine Manuscript” to see all the lessons to date.

The publisher who red-lined the Gold Mine Manuscript pointed out a scene where the two main characters were running side by side away from some danger.  All of the sudden, one of them shouted from behind the other one.  The comment from the publisher was:  “They were together, but you didn’t say he jumped ahead. How then did she get behind?”

I read over this the first time I looked at the red-line, because it seemed like another “duh” comment.  However,  just a few weeks ago one of my betas pointed out that both my characters were standing right next to each other, and then all of the sudden Jerric walked up to Magellan from the other side of the room.  Why would he walk up if he was already at his side?

Similarly, I recently re-wrote a scene where someone was seated the entire time.  In the end, he falls off the chair.  I changed it so he stands up early in the scene, but after leaving it for a month, and then looking at the scene again, I noticed that my “standing” character still fell off the chair.  Was he standing on the chair?  Of course not!

The point of all this is to pay attention to where your character is, and make sure it is consistent throughout the scene.  If not, show us the movement.  If you don’t, you can unintentionally make your scene comical.

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