Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Books: Magic... by Ilona Andrews

I've been finishing these so fast, I'm just going to throw them all in one update.

Magic Strikes
The mystery of Kate is solved! It wasn't a surprise, but it was quite a doozy.

Saiman is his usual trickster self here, though we get some insight into his backstory, too.

The friendships between Kate and various Pack members are solidified in different ways, and Julie has a cameo.

Nice movement forward as far as Kate goes. I'm already on to the next. lol

Magic Bleeds
Kate faces an ethical dilemma in this one, and I like the way it's resolved. It'll take her in a slightly different but not entirely new direction.

Her big bad is someone closer than she expects, and it's an interesting opponent for her, with some personal consequences.

I'm already on to the next book. Can't wait to see how they up the ante in this one.

Magic Slays
Wow. They really went all out with this one. Kate's firmly ensconced in her new offices, practically bored out of her skull, simultaneously adjusting to her new role as Curran's official mate.

This time, the big bad comes closer than ever, and it takes everything Kate's got and then some to come up with a solution.

I'm definitely enjoying this series, though it's got more errors than I like to see in a professionally published book. I think there's only one left, and I'll have to get that one in print, unfortunately.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Book: Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews

The stakes were bigger in this one, and I liked the way all the pieces fit together to both make this story work and move Kate forward in her own personal arc.

The mystery of Kate's origins will become tedious if it continues to be held out as a carrot for this reader. I want clues or for it not to be the burden Kate believes it will be.

I also want some personal growth. She needs to realize her relationships with others are a strength rather than a weakness.

I'm enjoying the universe/characters enough to keep reading. On to the third, which I've already loaded to my Kindle from the library!

Friday, May 15, 2015

General State of the GrammaGirl

I've been struggling a bit since Dad died. I'm struggling more with a lack of social interaction than directly from grief, which is a little odd. I'm not usually the most social person, but I'm finding more and more I need SOME in-person friendsy stuff to keep me on a more even keel.

I really miss Mrs. Potatohead and Baby Potatohead. Florida's not as far as Italy, but it's still pretty far from Dallas.

The antidepressant is helping, but it's not enough. I'm functioning, but not functioning well. I'm glad I have that little bit, though. It's definitely better than the years I did without any kind of meds at all. I can feel it making a difference, just not enough of a difference. :/

Ten days ago was Dad's birthday, and coincidentally nine months since his death.

I slept through the day. Like nearly forty-eight hours' worth of sleep. I did that again this week. Went to sleep Monday, woke up Wednesday. I'm not sure what that's about, and I'm not thrilled with it. I'm just glad I have the freedom to let my body do its thing.

My editing work is on a bit of a hiatus, as one author has not finished his fourth book yet, and another one is taking her time going through my revisions on book seven. What this amounts to is not having ANY income in February, March, or April, nor thus far in May. That's eating away at my already trying-to-get-blood-from-a-stone budget. I had to ask friends for help last week so I could buy groceries. That wasn't fun - it's not in my nature to be comfortable asking for help, but I'm going to have to get over myself sometime, right? Maybe that's what the universe is waiting for - me to get over myself.

I had another author lined up for December, and that would have been good, but she misunderstood my contract terms and chose to retain her current editor. Life happens. I hope that she'll reconsider in the future, now that I've clarified my contract with her.

I definitely need more editing work, though, so if you know someone who's writing a book, or a paper, or anything with which he or she might need assistance, please let me know. I'm a good editor, and I want to make a living, and my prices are flexible because I work for myself.

For that matter, I can also do transcription, or any number of other things, as long as I can do them from home. I don't travel much to client locations, but I will here in greater DFW.

I'm not getting much writing done lately, either, which is also exacerbating the depression. I use the writing as a coping mechanism, and when I can't write, it just makes things worse. Catch-22.  However, I'm on a bit of a reading kick - finding books at the library which have long been on my wishlist, and I've been reading a LOT. My To Be Read pile never gets any smaller, that's for sure.

Anyway, that's the current State of the Gramma: keeping on keeping on. The Taurus in me plods along well. I'm stubborn for sure.


Book: Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

It's an interesting world she's created here.

I found Kate's odd way of speaking without contractions annoying, especially since I couldn't figure out if it was intentional or not. When it faded, I'm not sure if I stopped noticing it, or if the writer fixed the dialogue, but I was nearly halfway through the book before that happened.

I've had these books on my Evernote wishlist for quite a while now, so I was pleased to find them available in digital form at my local library. I'm intrigued enough to keep reading, especially since I have the next two already on my Kindle. :D