IN THE STORM winner!

My giveaway for Karen Metcalf's In the Storm has ended, and the lucky winner is IvaliceAlliance!

*Chosen by random.org

*You have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail before a new winner is chosen.

Thanks to everyone that entered!

Giveaway reminder!

This is just a quick reminder that my giveaway to win an e-copy of Karen Metcalf's In the Storm ends in a few short hours! So if you still want to enter, you have time! No requirements - all you have to do is fill out the form.

INTERNATIONAL!

*ENDS MIDNIGHT, TONIGHT( MARCH 10th ) !

Fill out the form HERE!

Interview with Karen Metcalf + GIVEAWAY!

Karen Metcalf, author of In the Storm.

Here's my review.

I have to ask: Will there be a sequel to In the Storm? If so, will it be another novella and e-book? If not, is there anything else you're working on?

I am honored that someone would request it, but I honestly don’t know if there will be a sequel to In the Storm. This is something I just can’t answer right now. I am, however, working on a separate piece. I don’t want to say too much, but it will be in the same genre, and longer.

Where did you get the idea for Carly’s storm world?

A storm world like that would be heavenly for me. I absolutely love thunderstorms, and have never seen any as beautiful as those on the North Carolina coast. I spent many a night as a kid on the back porch or in bed, struggling to stay awake just to watch them. I wanted to write about a place where it was like that all the time.

Naming characters can be a writer’s worst nightmare. How do you do it?

The name Mitchell came from my younger brother Michael. Richard was chosen specifically because Dick is the nickname for it. For the others, I spend a little time throwing names around in my head, but they usually just come to me.


What was it like to be e-published?

Just to say I am published is amazing! It is a totally different market for sure. There are still a lot of people who just want to hold a paperback in their hands. However, it is so much easier to go international this way. Anyone around the world can easily log in, and have it in seconds, without waiting on shipping. We were also able to sell it for a great deal cheaper than the cost of a paper copy.


What’s YOUR favorite book and why?

I am a big Stephen King fan. He originally wrote The Long Walk under his pseudonym, Richard Bachman. It’s been my hands-down favorite for at least ten years now. In all honesty, it is YA by today’s standards, which is probably why I love it so much.

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I cannot thank Karen enough for giving me the chance to review In the Storm, answering my questions, and providing me with the opportunity to give one lucky winner an e-copy (in PDF, mobi, and epub formats) of the book!

INTERNATIONAL!

*ENDS MIDNIGHT, THURSDAY, MARCH 10th.

Fill out the form HERE!

REVIEW! In the Storm.

* E-BOOK & NOVELLA

In the Storm
Karen Metcalf



SUMMARY:

Abandoned by the world around her, Carly believes she is fated to a life of torment at the hands of her stepfather and is desperate for an escape. When she can bear the abuse no longer and gives in to a thunderous rage, she suddenly finds herself in an unfamiliar, yet beautiful, storm world. This limbo between dimensions appears to be her private sanctuary, but it may just be her purgatory.

No one escapes fate without sacrifice, but is the price more than Carly is willing to pay?

My rating: 3 stars.

MY THOUGHTS:

Unique concept meets forceful descriptions and dialogue.

As the main character, Carly is well-defined; she’s got it rough, but has her footing in the world. Her voice is somewhat distinct, particularly in the beginning. But as the story moved along, I felt that I lost a bit of that which made Carly who she is. Suddenly her emotions were fickle and abrupt, and I much preferred the strong, fearless Carly that was first introduced.

The concept of Carly entering her own storm world is so detailed and refreshing. I loved how every aspect was tied to Carly’s life and history. And Morgan – how can you not love him? He’s adorable and awkward. Also, he and Carly meshed really well together, although a bit too quickly for my taste. I prefer relationships to develop in time, realistically. The instant attraction between the two just left me unconvinced.

The storm world is what really made the story for me. I couldn’t get enough of it. I wanted to know all about the trees, the other life dimensions, her alternate paths – all of it. Sadly, all of it couldn’t be explained in the short amount of 88 pages. But perhaps there will be a sequel?! I would love to have more explanations of Carly’s world, and Morgan’s place in it.

The writing itself is simple, but real. Carly sounds like a teenager. The dialogue is believable. The descriptions are pleasing and interesting. The plot is a bit too fast-paced, but it kept me guessing and hooked until the very end. Unfortunately I didn’t feel that things really resolved in the end; instead it felt as though everything was forced to come to a close, and that just made the story feel unnatural after such a thrilling build-up.

Still, In the Storm is truly worth reading for the limbo storm world. Cannot say that enough.

Ack!

Time sure does fly in the blogging world. It doesn't seem so long ago that I posted about my return from AWP, and yet about a whole week has since passed.

I apologize for my absence!

Blogging has taken a backseat on my priority list. Schoolwork and my job are kicking my butt. I haven't had many, if any, moments to myself for the past few weeks. Every day my schedule is packed from when I wake up until when I sleep, and somewhere inbetween there I lost track of typing up my blog posts and reviews in advance. Hence the blog lull.

But there's some good news in all of this! After tomorrow, my paper will be written, my studying will be finished, and I'll have a brand new review of In the Storm by Karen Metcalf posted! (Be on the lookout for a giveaway to win your own copy, too!)

Thank you to all my fellow bloggers for sticking with me through the absence!