Ah, life.

Today I was offered a job.

Alas, I was waiting on the corner for the light to change so I could cross the street.  I politely told him that the retirement benefits are better at my day job, thank you.

I work in an interesting neighborhood.

SEA! CHANGE! LIVES!

I swear, I will never talk trash about antidepressants.  Never.  My mood over the past five weeks has done a one-eighty that I would not have believed possible six weeks ago.

As a result, I'm actually editing again!  Siren is coming along nicely; it's everything I can do not to spoil the hell out of you in my wild paroxysms of glee.  However, 1) I have way too much fun shooting Bonnie, 2) the return of Naomi's casual nudity is fantastic, and 3) you guys are going to love Dante so, so much.

It gets even better, though.  Due to an unbelievable writing-related jam session with the irreplaceable Aud this afternoon, Sea Change has come back from the grave.  I'm going to have to do some deep structural edits once I finish with Siren (which has a bit of a telling-not-showing issue in places, but on the whole its bones are strong), but, golly, I think this one might just be saved.  I'm going to have to do some research on autism and Aspergers, though.  Yes, because even my silly trash novels apparently have to have weight.

REVIEW: Blind Sight by Emersinda Alvarez

Firstly, profuse apologies to Ms. Alvarez for the lateness of this review; I was hit with one crisis after another this weekend and didn't manage to be productive at all.  That being said, check this book out.  Its world is imaginative and descriptive, and it was nice to read a book that wasn't about an American teenager having a coming of age crisis.  I also greatly enjoyed the relationship between Leocardo and Odette; the care between them is very carefully and lovingly drawn.  This series fits together like a puzzle piece, each volume revealing slightly more of an interconnected story.  I'm definitely checking out the next book.

And now, a few words from the author:

Ermisenda Alvarez on Dreams, Imagination, and Perspectives

I had a dream; I wanted to write novels. I have been writing since I joined a Harry Potter guild on Neopets at twelve years old. You could write short pieces to receive points. Writing didn't stop there.

I had a vivid imagination; I wanted to know more. Often, after finishing a book I pondered about how the story could have been retold from a different perspective, maybe a different character. What if we were able to read the story of Snape over the course of seven novels rather than Harry Potter?

I had chance on my side; I met Eliabeth and we were two young women crazy about writing. So, what did we do? We wrote. How did we write? The nature of our friendship began on a role-playing site whereby we wrote from different characters to create scenes and stories.

We had a dream, vivid imagination and each other. What more did we need? Not much else as we embarked on an amazing journey and wrote Blind Sight despite living half the globe away.

Writing a novel was a dream I have had for a long time but I was so excited to write a two-sided novel that followed two different perspectives. It was an ambitious choice for us to make but one of the best. We have not only challenged ourselves but have provided readers with a new way of reading. For those who only wish to read one side, that is okay, but for those of us who are interested in the power of different perspectives and multiple stories we have another side to offer.

The power of multiple stories cannot be emphasized enough in our daily lives. How many times have we heard one story about an acquaintance but once we have met them, we receive a second story, in which might completely contradict the first. Is either one wrong? Maybe not. But your understanding of the person, or novel in the case, is enriched.

Growing up in a Spanish family and living in Australia has taught me a lot about language in my, so far, short life. My very first language was Spanish, but when school started English became my "mother" tongue. A simple saying can dramatically change through translation, those of you who know more than one language will understand this perfectly. I have had to translate pieces of Spanish into English for friends and even though the words I have translated make sense in English, only I can grasp the full meaning and implications of the phrase.

Staying open minded, listening to varied opinions and soaking up what we can from the zillions of stories out there in the world is part of life. Eliabeth and I have channeled the essence of that concept into our first two-sided novel. We live on an earth with billions of people. We all think differently, we see the world differently and together, we are the characters of humanity. I am inspired by dreams, imagination and people.

The story of Leocardo, Aniela, and Odette in Blind Sight can be enjoyed through one color, one perspective but, why limit yourself? There is not only another color to live through but together, a new range of shades to enjoy.

Ermisenda Alvarez



This post is part of the Blind Sight Blog Tour. Blind Sight is an urban fantasy novel written in two volumes, each telling the story through a different character's perspective.

Help me, oh intarwebs.

I'm back, briefly.  (Antidepressants are wonderful inventions, by the way.  I didn't even mind the tremors and blown pupils as I adjusted.)  And I have a problem that I need you to help me solve.

See, I want to do a promo for the Fourth of July weekend, because I like throwing glitter.  My quandary, however, is whether I should do it for Fire with Fire or Leech.  On the one hand, J is made for a holiday featuring fireworks.  On the other hand, I only have one Kindle freebie day left for her until the middle of August.  (Gotta plan this stuff better.)  Mindy, meanwhile, has five free days, and I don't have a single character in this series more apple-pie than her.

So, intarwebs.  Help me out, because I don't want to make a decision.  What would you like to see for free?