Hera, Queen of Gods (Goddess Unbound) Review

Available on amazon.com

Hera, Queen of Gods (Book One of Goddess Unbound) by T.D. Thomas, published October 2012.

A wee bit o' history on how I found the book first. I was recently browsing the Kindle Store for a new Fantasy book to read when I came across Hera, Queen of Gods. At the time I downloaded it, it was free. Funds were low at the time, so what the heck, why not? Couldn't hurt to check it out right? Exactly! Didn't hurt one bit. Although it did sit on my Kindle for about a month before I read it as I'd downloaded some other free books at the time. I kept putting it off because it was the one that interested me most, and it was the longest one I'd "purchased" that day. Plus, I procrastinate reading books I'm really interested in sometimes, strange but true.

So here I am yesterday, early morning and can't sleep anymore. Not wanting to read any of the other books on my Kindle, I decided to dive right in and give it a try. I ended up reading the whole thing, couldn't go to sleep until I'd finished it last night. Perhaps it shouldn't have taken me that long to read as it's only a little over 500 pages, but I've been told before I'm a "slow reader"...whatever that means. Allow me now to attempt to review the book I enjoyed so much (forgive me if it's bad, this is the first book review I've ever done). Also, please forgive me if I sound all fanboyish (er fangirl, that is) about it, but there was much I liked about the book.

Here we have various gods and goddesses; Hera, Athena, Zeus, Demeter, Apollo, Artemis, and Hermes, descending from the Heavens into mortal teenage bodies so they may find the Fates and keep the balance between Order and Chaos intact. If you're not up on your Greek Mythology you may want to do a little reading on the subject beforehand, but that just depends. I don't recall everything on the subject from my long ago high school days, but I remembered enough to give me an idea of who each character is. (In truth, I don't think new readers will need to do the "research" as the author does a good job of giving us an idea of their personalities right off the bat.)

At first I was a little iffy about them using the bodies of teenagers, but the prologue gives good insight as to why it was written this way. Turns out it's not really all that bad as a concept and the story seems to flow well. It does have a tendency to take the reader back in time, if they're out of high school, and make them feel like they're right there roaming those halls again. Scary concept for those of us so long out of those times, but effective nonetheless.

Justin's character is probably my favorite after Athena. He's a mortal, but he's different than the others in some way Hera can't quite figure out...until later. I won't give anything away here, but I will say that I enjoyed watching his character develop and grow throughout the story. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed all the characters, even the bad ones, but some stuck out with me more than others did. Hermes was another that caught my attention quickly. Besides his love of mortals, his everlasting humor kept me giggling and cracking a smile, even when I wasn't expecting it.

I have spoken to a few other people that have read the book, as well as read some of the reviews on it, and one thing I would like to mention is the amount of fight scenes in it. This wasn't a problem for me. I love a good character driven novel, but I also like ones with action in them as well. This, I thought, was a good combination of both. While at some points there was more dialogue than I thought necessary, it didn't take me away from the scene so much that I was annoyed by it. I enjoyed reading about one struggle after another while the characters were attempting to accomplish their goal. I didn't see a problem with them having to fight all of the time. We are talking Fantasy here, filled with gods, goddesses, monsters, you name it. I expect there to be a lot of fighting in a piece of work like this.

All that being said, there is one problem I had with the book. There are some grammatical and spelling errors that did in fact jar me out of the moment when I felt like I was just getting into it. While these were few and far between, it was still enough sometimes to make me have to read back a sentence or two, or a word or two, to make sure I was understanding it right. This can be a big turn off for a lot of readers, but honestly I've seen misprints like this at times in novels on the best seller list, so I wasn't bothered by it so much to stop reading.

Overall, Hera, Queen of Gods, is a good read, and one that I now consider a favorite. There are struggles between right and wrong, good and evil, and so many "what if" situations to really make a reader think what it would be like to be in any of these character's shoes...particularly Hera and the other gods/goddesses. During my time reading it, I kept looking down at the progress bar on my Kindle screen and hoping I wasn't getting close to the end yet. I just wanted it to keep going. It wasn't too long (though I don't think I've ever considered any book I read too long) and it wasn't so short that I felt like much had been left out of the story that the reader should have been given. Hopefully Thomas will be coming out with more of the Goddess Unbound books soon because I would like nothing more than to read what happens after the ending of this book.

Check it out, maybe you'll like it too. Maybe you won't. We all know that as writers we can't please everyone, but this book certainly pleased me.

Random and Cluttered Thoughts

So much going on, so much to talk about, so much to do, and I can't keep my thoughts on one thing for too long. So today I've decided to randomize my blog post and see if some of this stuff just goes away. Hopefully it works.

First off, the February Blog Chain for Absolute Write this month is gonna be a tough one for me. The person going before us gets to pick our topic. This means I have two days to write about something completely random. Wha......... I don't do so well with short-term writing goals. Hence the nerves. Granted, I didn't HAVE to sign up for it, but I love doing the blog chain and it's fun to read what others write about our suggested topics. So, I WILL TRY!

I'm looking for suggestions for a Fantasy epic I haven't read yet. I suppose it doesn't have to be an epic, could be a stand alone book, a trilogy, whatever. But I prefer an epic. Those are my favorite. Nothing like being lost is someone else's world for over a week...or more if possible. I can only read the Lord of the Rings, Dark Tower series, and Shadowmarch series so many times back to back. It's time for something new.

Ugh, Anniversaries has been taken out of submissions and is strictly in revisions at the moment. I know I just said this in a recent post, but it needs repeating. I've been working on this novel for years now and it's beginning to become frustrating. I've put a lot of work into it. Perhaps it will have to sit for a while without me touching it or thinking about it. Though the not thinking about it part will be difficult, I shall do it!

I finally made a Twitter account today to link my blogs to. Yeah, go me! Hopefully it will give them a bit more exposure. Only time will tell.

Oh goodness, I was napping today (horrible, I know, but I couldn't help it) and some wank in the apartment complex was blaring his car radio right under my window. So what do I do in my cranky-first-waking-up stage? I go to the window and yell that people are trying to sleep. My man comes in the room shortly after laughing so hard that even though I was still a bit cranky, I couldn't help but smile. That's one of the only things I don't like about living here. I'm a country girl at heart, I dislike city living. And I dislike music when I'm trying to sleep even more. I get it from my mama that I just wanna get up and dance when I hear music. Always have, always will. Real talk, it wakes me up from a dead sleep every time. Something that I'm sure annoys my significant other because we have different sleep schedules (for the most part) and he likes to listen to music when he's bored. I try not to let it bother me, but it's like a television being too loud in the background when I'm trying to read. It can be partly tuned out, but not completely.

Oh, I've come to a bad place in The Dark Hand. Bad as in meaning I can't seem to write anything more on it and nothing much has happened yet (not even 9,000 words on it to this point). I was hoping it wasn't going to be yet another of those stories that I start to write and it fizzles before I get even a quarter of the way through it. That's what it's looking to be though. I have more ideas in my head, in my notebook, on my computer, and on my phone, but I was more excited about this one than the others. What to do, what to do??

I need to find better, more effective ways to promote my blogs. I know essentially they are the same thing as I post the same on both of them. And maybe that's where part of the problem is, that they're far too much alike. They are on two different blogging networks so I thought at least one of them would have more exposure. But I think I have something like three followers (which I am thoroughly grateful for) on one of them, and when I look at the stats for both, they are horrible. Well, I'll give it more time and try to get more people interested in them, and we'll see what happens.

And lastly, I never thought I'd say this, but I love Texas winters. I'm originally from Michigan so the move down here was a bit of a shock when it happened this past August. My goodness was it hot, even then. I know the temps then were nothing compared to what it's going to be like when summer is in full swing and thankfully we have central air and swimming pools in the apartment complex. Being in Texas is such a huge change for me. Mainly being away from my mom, older brother, sister (sister-in-law technically but that's a fine distinction I don't pay attention to), my nephews, and of course all my fabulous friends and their amazing kids. I miss everyone a lot some days. That being said, I couldn't be happier with the choice we made to come and live here.

There ends my random and cluttered thoughts. Incidentally it did help to clear my head a little bit so that's good. Hopefully I haven't bored you so much you've fallen asleep mid-post.

Why Do Writers Put Themselves Through Hell?

I'm sitting here thinking about all the rejections I've received for my M/T/S novel and wondering when it's ever going to be ready. Maybe it won't be. Perhaps that particular book just isn't a good idea. But it got me thinking about the hell we writers go through when we spend our time writing something, then revising it, then sending it off to beta readers, then revising again, then finally the hell of query and submission. Sometimes this can be the span of only a few months, sometimes years.

Oy vey, why do we do these things to ourselves? Particularly when we know how difficult it can be to have a book published. The answer is simple, because we do what we love and we love what we do. That does not, however, diminish the amount of hell we put ourselves through to try and get our work out there to the general public.

There are some authors that are lucky and have their books published, and when we read them, we sit there scratching our heads and saying, "I could have done a much better job than that." Then there are authors that are genuinely talented at what they do and get published in a shorter time than even they expected. Of course there are also those that go through the self-publishing route, which with the technology we have these days is a lot easier to do than it ever was in the past. I sometimes feel for these people because even one bad review of their book could send it from high sales down to almost nothing. But I suppose that is true for any book that's published, regardless of how it came about.

I had the (not so) fabulous idea of continuing to revise my M/T/S novel and continue with submissions at the same time. Turned out not to be the best choice I ever made. Live and learn. So, now that one is just in revisions at the moment and I'm doing the best I can to take the massive amounts of advice I've been given by the many critiques.

I've spoken to writers that told me stories to give me nightmares about their query and submission efforts. Sometimes it's enough to make me consider giving it all up. Who wouldn't have that feeling once in a while though? Considering all we do for the small chance that someone else will one day read and enjoy our work, it doesn't always seem worth it in the long run.

Ah, but here's the clincher. We take pride in what we do, even when we know we've written junk. Because it's something we love. We dislike the pain and trouble at times, but at the same time we love it. There's no better feeling than realizing you've accomplished your goal, or at least part of it, by finishing your novel or short story or whatever it is you're writing. Hell, some days I'm delighted I've managed to write a coherent and semi-decent blog post and give myself a pat on the back for it.

If you're committed enough to put in the effort from beginning to end, and to learn from other people where your work needs improvement, then the hell you put yourself through to get to the end is definitely worth it.

Finding The Time

Just as the title says, it's sometimes hard to find the time to write. Whether it's a blog post or my current WIP, it's such a pain for me some days. I've gotten the advice (multiple times) to set aside a time every day to write. Fifteen minutes, an hour, three hours, it doesn't matter what the limit. For some reason I can't bring myself to stick to this when I try.

I'm a fairly organized person so I like to have a schedule throughout the day to keep me on top of things. For the most part it works. I stick to my list, I manage to complete my tasks. EXCEPT when it comes to my writing.

Why is that? I'm not completely sure, but I think at present my biggest problem is that I'm just not into my current book the way I was when I started it a few weeks ago.

Oh no, here we go again. Unfortunately, that happens to me a lot. I try to stick with it, but it's just not flowing for me. Ok, time to put it away. Maybe only for a little while, maybe forever. Who knows?

I think a lot of writers run into this problem, though some don't like to admit it. It's not about dedication to what you want to achieve in life. It's more about feeling like this...Why would anyone else be interested in my story when I can't even be interested in it?

Writing prompts and exercises can sometimes help get me back in the groove, but not always. Sometimes we just need a little break. But taking a break isn't always a good thing. Let's say you walk away from your WIP because you're just not feeling it. It's good to get some distance sometimes. What happens when you come back to it and realize you don't really want to write this particular story anymore? No big deal because there's always another idea out there waiting for you to put your twist and own personal flavor on it.

Maybe the breaks really are a good thing. Maybe they tell you that no matter how good you thought the story was when you started out, it wasn't all that great really. Maybe there's another one you realized you'd like to tell more. Or maybe you just realize that writing isn't going to be your calling in life.

NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I refuse to believe it. Because even if I don't create a work that perhaps someone else will one day love, I know I'm doing something that I love. So what if I'm never published. Pfft, who needs that anyway. The way I see it, if it makes me happy, I'm going to do it. Regardless of whether or not I finish a book, I will continue to write until I can't do it anymore.

It's what makes me happy, so why not?!?!

So, here's my suggestion. If you can't find the time to open up your computer file and write every day, or week, or whatever, at least do yourself a favor and jot your ideas down on the fly. In a notebook, on your phone, wherever is convenient for you to do so. Don't let them slip away into the abyss, because some day you may just end up regretting it.

Where Did My Words Go?

Sad fact: Sometimes articulating the thoughts in my head is easier said than done. I know what I mean to say, but when I try to put them down on paper, or computer, or in everyday conversation, they don't come out as well as I'd hoped.

Take for instance some of my blog posts. I have this idea in my head, but by the time I've published it, it's not really what I initially expected it to be. There's lots of words to be sure. Are they putting the message I want to convey out there? Hardly. Or at least it's not happening quite the way I wanted it to...or thought it would. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I'm not sure. But it sometimes feels like I start out with a specific intention and end up making the post something else.

This can also extend to my writing at times. Generally I have the feeling that the book is writing itself through me and I don't run into this problem (except for when it comes to "show vs. tell"). It's when I try to force the writing that I bump into the problem of being able to get my descriptions, dialogue, etc. across. What to do then? Stop...just stop. Go on to something else. Maybe another writing project, maybe go read for a little while. Just step away from it and come back to it when my fingers aren't trying to override the voices of my characters screaming in my head.

I have one book that I haven't touched in over a year because it no longer feels like it's being written through me. I think I've given that one up as a bad job, but you never know. I may come back to it in the future.

Another problem: You ever get this story idea that you think just totally kicks ass, get partway through it, then realize you just don't have anything else? That's happened to me countless times. I think there's something around twenty or so books on my computer and/or USB that I don't think I'll ever touch again. Regardless of how good I thought the story was when I started out, it turned to nothing more than just a few ideas or specific pieces of dialogue. You can't make a novel out of something if you can't really see where it's going...or where it's been. I can't anyway, maybe someone else can.

I have begun a few stories of mine from just bits and pieces of dialogue, or a particular scene that I couldn't get out my head, and in these cases most have worked out well and become finished works........but not all of them. I think the main reason it doesn't work out so well is because in some of these I am not as attached to my MC as I am with others. I like the idea of their story, but I can't bring myself to really delve into it the way I think a writer should. If I can't go there, what makes me think anyone will be able to?

There are a lot of writers out there who will agree with me and a lot that won't. Everyone has their own style and methods when they are trying to compose a novel. For this girl at least, one thing is certain...if I have to force it, I must walk away from it. At least for a little while.

The Number 13

January 2013 Blog Chain

The Number 13

Here we go in 2013, starting the Blog Chain from Absolute Write off with a bang! As you will see some of those participating in this month's Blog Chain have written stories that revolve around the number 13, but I can't do that. As I said before, and will undoubtedly say again, I don't do well with short stories in a short amount of time. I ramble far too much for any coherence in that regard and nothing I could produce on the subject would even constitute a short story. So instead, I give you what I can do...

The number 13 doesn't hold much significance for me really. It happens to be half of what my birth date is, and the birthday of one of my favorite cousins, but not much else comes to mind when I think of 13...other than the fact that it creeps me out. The number is just wrong somehow. So let us explore this mystery. After some time thinking about it and doing a little work on my phone browser, this is what I have for you to enjoy. (And yes, I did go to the almighty Google gods for some of my inspiration on this one, forgive me.)

• I'm thinking first off, for no reason I can explain, what it would be like to have 13 kids. That's a lot of mouths to feed!
• Why aren't there 13 months in a year and only 12?
• Why don't humans have 13 fingers and toes instead of 10?
• Why had I never heard of Triskaidekaphobia (hope I spelled that right) until this month's prompt came up? (I honestly didn't know people had an actual fear of the number 13 and the fear was given a clinical name.) This caused me to do a little research on the subject because I find tidbits like this interesting. Apparently some believe the number is bad luck (not that I disagree on that point) and avoid anything to do with the number 13 whenever possible. Interesting. Even some buildings and larger hotels will go out of their way to not label the 13th floor as such. Even more interesting.
• Ok here's an obvious one I should have thought of right away, Friday the 13th. Perhaps, some will say, the unluckiest day of all.
• In some countries 13 is a lucky number.
• People have a 13 tattooed on themselves to represent good luck.
• 13 stripes on the American flag (another one I should have thought of right away).
• Apollo 13 of course, who could forget that?
• If memory serves, 13 is when Jewish boys have their Bar Mitzvah.
• The 2001 version of Thirteen Ghosts (didn't know there was one made in 1960, thank you Google).
• In the span of 100 years we will have 13 full moons (for some reason this also creeps me out).
• The number of Cylon models in Battlestar Galactica......oh wait, there's only 12. 

That's just my little list of interesting bits I've found on the number 13. I did enjoy some of the information I found when looking around to see how people treat the number 13 in regards to good/bad luck. Don't get me wrong, I still don't like the number 13......even though I can't truly explain my reason other than the one given above, it's just wrong somehow. However, I don't go out of my way on Friday the 13th to avoid a black cat that might possibly cross my path, or walking under ladders, or anything like that. I don't think bad things happen on that day in particular just because of the date, bad things happen every day. That's just my opinion. I'm sure bad things occur for some folks on those days and it feels like the worst omen in the world though.

There are a lot of interesting facts about the number 13, these are merely the ones I enjoyed the most, and the ones I was most curious about. On that note, happy 2013 everyone and may it be a good one for you.

EDIT: 1/22/2013 updated participant links Participants and posts:
orion_mk3 - http://nonexistentbooks.wordpress.com/ (link to post)
Ralph Pines - http://ralfast.wordpress.com/ (link to post)
SRHowen - http://srhowen1.blogspot.com/ (link to post)
areteus - http://lurkingmusings.wordpress.com/ (link to post)
angyl78 - http://jelyzabeth.wordpress.com/ (link to post)
Amanda R. - http://www.twoamericansinchina.com/ (link to post)
randi.lee - http://emotionalnovel.blogspot.com/ (link to post)
ConnieBDowell - http://bookechoes.com/ (link to post)
writingismypassion - http://charityfaye.blogspot.com/ (link to post)
Araevno - http://www.simonpclark.com/ (link to post)
Kewii - http://kellyneeson.blogspot.com/ (link to post)
katci13 - http://www.krystalsquared.net/ (link to post)
MsLaylaCakes - http://www.taraquan.com/ (link to post)

Beware, The Thesaurus Has Taken Over!

One of my biggest pet peeves when I read is feeling like the author has supplanted a dictionary or thesaurus into their book. I don't mind vivid description, please don't take my meaning here wrong, but I do mind when I read something that makes me feel like Webster wrote half the book.

I don't mean I need something "dumbed down" for me. I'm a fairly intelligent person. I just don't like the feeling sometimes that some people write using words they wouldn't normally use in normal conversation.

There are some exceptions to this. If an author is writing a genius as their character I expect it. You can usually tell if an author sat there writing his/her book with a dictionary and/or thesaurus open next to them. It has a tendency to turn off my enjoyment of the book fairly early on. And it feels, to me anyway, as if they're trying to sound smarter. I'm not sure if that's rude or not, but it's generally the perception I have. I know some people in the world talk like that, but not the majority of us...

In my opinion anyway.........