Something Wicked: Short Stories Review #3

Today we have the last two short stories on Something Wicked. We already have discussed four out of the six short stories on this book. It is the turn for Midnight Troll by author Mari Hestekin and Spectral Media by author Aaron Smith.

 Midnight Troll begins in the style of great horror movies. The MC feels secure, doing normal activities and inside a familiar scene. Suddenly that security feels threatened and that dreamy situation shows the reality of it all. This is my preferred moment, just when we see the real life the MC is experimenting. Storyline is simple and offers dramatic changes for the characters in a short time span. My favorite element of this short story in addition to the beginning is the end because offers the possibility of more challenges for the characters. Nice work by Hestekin.

 The only thing I would change about Spectral Media is the Facebook thing. As soon as I read that on the concept I felt not motivated enough to keep going. But I did keep reading. The story improves and finds its north. The concept is interesting though. Author takes a current situation in society and gives it a paranormal spin. When I finish it I felt concern towards the MC. What will happen to Dan? Is he going to be safe when every bit of info about him is inside some computer system?

 These are the last two short stories on Something Wicked. All the stories were written by the same authors from Prom Dates To Die For. The only new addition to this scary writing journey of Something Wicked was Mary Hestekin. Look for Prom Dates To Die For (my review) and give it an opportunity to scare you! Thanks again to Buzz Books for providing me with a copy of their scary stories and give me the opportunity to provide my sincere review according to the merit of this book.

Something Wicked Short Stories Review #2

Book: Something Wicked

Published: October 2012

Source: Provided by Buzz Books for review purposes

Here we are with the short stories from Something Wicked.  Short stories go deep into my heart, so when an opportunity to read them arrives I grab it.  Through a Glass Darkly written by Heather Dearly is the first story I will share my thoughts about.  This is one of my favorite short stories of this compilation.

Heather Dearly presents Mia, a character inside an interesting set of circumstances.  She possess the ability to help spirits to "follow the light".  Her heritage is a Caribbean one intertwined with Voodoo beliefs.  The level of details this author offers is amazing.   Her character offers information in such a way that  it is never overwhelming or tiring  for the reader. Dearly had a relax way to tell Mia's story, which I appreciated.  I would like to see a book using Mia as the MC, think it would work great.

Mermania was a nice surprise. Being not to fond of mermaids I wasn't too receptive to the story, but I have to let you know,  I'm glad I read it.  How to describe it?   Never predictable and kept a good pacing.  Kelly Parra gave to her characters (hunters) a nice episode of hunting action with a splash of romance.  It is a nice love story without been cliched.  Great spin to the mermaid concept.

Only two more stories await us.  Visit tomorrow to end with me Something Wicked.

This is my recent reading.  What are you reading now?

These are my thoughts on this stories.  Book was provided for an honest review and it was reviewed according to its merits.

Something Wicked : Short Stories Review #1

Happy Halloween to all my readers and visitants who decided to make a trick or treating stop at Jessy's Bookends!

This Halloween Night we are discussing Something Wicked.  This is an anthology of short stories from the authors of Prom Dates To Die For, which I have reviewed here. Under Loch and Cay and Arach War are two of the tales on this book by Jenny Peterson and Lena Brown respectively. Both are easily read and highly entertaining.  Something Wicked  presents YA paranormal stories.  I consider Arach War to be more of a New Adult story while Under Loch and Cay is more clearly from YA genre.

The characters on Peterson's short are more tangible and I can see them in more than an episode.  A series could be developed from these characters.  They have background and defined purpose from the beginning and this makes them more concrete.

Arach War presents the mythology concept in college setting.  I liked the open ending of the story.  It generates questions:  What happens next?  Does she keeps human?  I won't write about who changes into a human.  That is for you to find.

The cover:
I can assume this cover was inspired by El día de los muertos (Day of the dead).  Looks wicked and mischievous.  From what I see, the dead will be angry because she likes flowers in big quantities.  She looks like someone you don't want to find on a dark alley... or anywhere.

Thanks to Buzz Books for providing me this copy for an honest review.  This book was reviewed according to its merits.

Stay tuned tomorrow for my second post.  I'll share my thoughts on two more stories from Something Wicked.

Q & A with Lena Brown + Giveaway

Lena Brown is visiting us at Jessy's Bookends. She is the author of Every Breath You Take, an smartly written short story from Prom Dates To Die For. I want to share with all of you some questions I had the opportunity to ask to Lena.

Lena, welcome to Jessy's Bookends.

1. What is your favorite thing about writing for the Young Adult genre?

First of all, I loved my teen years. Okay, when I hit 15, at least. Loved my high school and college experience, so writing about it definitely lets me revisit a really cool time in my life. But as characters are prone to do, they decide what happens to them and how they react to growing up and dealing with adversity. In my Goddess Sisters series coming out later this year, I get to go back to college, which is actually a recurring dream of mine. (As in nighttime dream versus real-life dream. Only homework I do know is helping my kids.)

2. What authors have influence you on your work?

I'm a voracious reader and have been since I was little. I liked everything from Judy Blume to Francine Pascal's SWEET VALLEY HIGH series (when I think of 6th grade, I think of the twins!) Middle school marked a big Stephen King phase and of course in high school I was influenced by a lot of classics and didn't get back to reading for pleasure until I got hooked on Anne Rice in college and my early twenties. Once I had kids I read a lot of chick lit and looked for more humorous writing. In young adult, I've read a lot of Oklahoma authors, Rachel Vincent, Jordan Dane (both moved to Texas in the last two years), Gena Showalter, Ally Carter, P.C. Cast. And now that I'm executive editor at Buzz Books I get to read stories in the manuscript form and watch them "become" which is a real treat. My favorite book of the year was John Green's THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, so I'll be seeking out the rest of his books.

3. What inspired your short story on this anthology?

My approach to storytelling is to first be a good listener and curator for the voice in my head that says, "OOH, OOH, I HAVE AN IDEA! TRY THIS! WRITE THAT! DON'T YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT SO-AND-SO?" I'm a prolific idea gal, but there just isn't time to write them all so I pursue the idea I feel have the most potential for a good, well-rounded story and interesting characters. "Every Breath You Take" was inspired by my own proms in the '80s (and two in 1990, the year I graduated high school), and then actually the family circumstance that drove the story. I try to tune in to the characters and have them reveal the story to me over time and then start writing the story down as I "get" more information. It sounds like channeling and that's a spooky word, but I guess it's appropriate when writing YA paranormal.

4. If you had the opportunity to evolve your characters more, what else would you do with Charlie?

Well, since I'm writing a Goddess Sisters series about three of Zeus' daughters who are sent to Mid America University to learn about the meaning of sisterhood, you just might see Charlie popping up again in the dorms or one of the sororities. She's not frilly or girly and I like that about her.

5. Do you visualize a change in genre for your work? Do you have any project you would like to share with us.

I'm using the pen name Lena Brown because it is a big departure from my women's fiction under my real name, Malena Lott. Lena Brown focuses on young adult paranormal, but will be very grounded in character. For me, it will always start with character and then have the action and suspense support the growth of the character. I'll have a short story in the Halloween anthology, SOMETHING WICKED, out this fall and I'm writing that early this summer. I do know it will be set at Mid America University and it will have spiders. Lots and lots of spiders. And my Goddess Sisters' series is paranormal/fantasy and includes romance and lots of fun mythology. The first book is "Going Greek" and it's in edits right now.

Thanks for hosting me!

Lena Brown is the young adult pen name for author Malena Lott. Lena writes young adult paranormal and her first published work was "Every Breath You Take," in the PROM DATES TO DIE FOR paranormal prom anthology by Buzz Books USA. ($7.99 trade paperback, $2.99 ebook) Her first full-length book will be the Goddess Sisters' series, coming out in fall 2012. Find out more at www.lenabrownbooks.com and follow her at www.twitter.com/lenabrownbooks and on Goodreads.

Here is the Giveaway!  Win a Copy of Prom Dates To Die For. Buzz Books USA will provide a print copy for a happy winner.Don't lose this opportunity to read great scary prom stories.  This giveaway is open for United States and Puerto Rico.


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Review Prom Dates To Die For + Giveaway

Published: Buzz Books USA/ April16, 2012
Edited by: Mari Farthing
Authors: Lena Brown, Heather Dearly, Kelly Parra, Jenny Peterson and Aaron Smith
Source: Publisher
Goodreads Amazon Smashwords

Recently, I've had the opportunity to read short stories, really good ones I might add.  I read On The Day I Died, written by Candace Fleming.  It was an interesting book, an one of the reason was that it uses a character as a listener.  Through this character, the author channels the individual stories to the reader.
Prom Dates To Die For has an other approach.

Prom Dates To Die For is an anthology of YA stories that uses a rite of passage familiar to all of us as a setting:  The Prom.  These stories reminded me of the Twilight Zone series.  Every story has its own character and showcases  a great deal of individuality from the authors.  Inside the pages of this anthology we find stories from the unknown: sci-fi, ghost stories, possessions, paranormal; well something for every paranormal genre reader.

The anthology is formed by a compilation of five stories where kids find themselves at some point at a Prom.  I will mention things I enjoyed  the most on my favorite short stories on this book.  In Darkness Becomes Him (author Kelly Parra) we found an engaging and easy to read story where we find the paranormal and love.  I would like to read more about her characters and I do think that this short story could be a beginning for a really interesting book.

 Every Breath You Take (Lena Brown) was my preferred tale.   It has a sweet simple ending.  Also, it has strong elements that could be easily translated onto the big screen.  It reminds me of those great 80's movies we still watch because they are so good that now are must-see classics.

About the book:
The idea to create this compilation behind a concept like the Prom presented an opportunity to these authors for the reinvention of a concept.  Even the cover evokes the idea of prom on a dark mysterious setting.

Rating: 4 out of 5

I invite all of you to read Prom Date To Die For.  Can't miss it!

Thanks to Buzz Books USA for providing me this copy for review purposes.  I review these stories according to their content and the merits of the book as a whole.  Also, Thanks to author Lena Brown for being so kind.  This is a photo of my edition and as you can see it is signed.

Now, it is time to share!  Buzz Books USA has offered me a copy of this anthology for my readers to win!  Enter the giveaway and have a print copy of this book for yourself.  Stay tuned during the day because a Q&A with author Lena Brown and the giveaway will both be posted.

Let's read some scary stories.

Review On The Day I Died by Candace Fleming

On the Day I Died: Stories from the Grave by Candace Fleming
Published: Random House Children's Books/ July 10, 2012.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Goodreads Amazon
Source : Publisher via  Netgalley


This is a compilation of spooky stories. Mystery and suspense reigns on every short story from this book. The stories are narrated by Mike. He is a sixteen years old running late to his home. On the road he finds a strange girl, whom he decides to help. Then, he takes her home to safety. Once she is home, he hits the road but as soon as he returns to deliver her shoes forgotten at his car. From the first time he saw her, he thought of her as strange but when he speaks with her mother he will discover she hides more surprises when he has to visit the cemetery to give the shoes back.

They say: "seeing is believing". What does Mike finds at this macabre place? Mike finds plenty of dark stories told vividly by their own protagonists. Mike will hears every story as the night progresses and while he listens we will be scared, but he will find sympathy and connection to all these characters. While he listens, their stories won't be lost and they will continue existing.

About the book:
Scary stories are something I have always enjoyed. When I was younger, I loved shows like Tales from the Crypt which made me look under the bed and hide under the covers. I still love those shows! This book tells stories using every character as a narrator telling a personal story to Mike. Mike shows emotions about what he is experiencing and about his reaction to what he is being told.

Candace Fleming made a great job establishing tension on the reader. While I read, I couldn't abandon my reading, I was constantly thinking about possible outcomes for Mike. Constantly, I found myself thinking about the reason why he had been chosen to listen them. This book was well written and it shows a vast imagination for dark stories and mystery. It is a book that can be reread many times and still be a wonderful read.

My first favorite thing about this book is the beautiful and colorful cover depicting the setting. My second favorite thing is the table of contents with the names of every storyteller and their longevity. Clearly, both things show the main idea behind this book.

What do I think about the characters? I appreciate their individuality and their narrative full of details of their era.

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Review: Cuentos De Mujeres Solas (Stories About Lonely Women)

Cuentos de Mujeres Solas by Marcela Serrano

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Cuentos de mujeres solas is a thirteen short stories compilation using as a central theme, solitude. Solitude is part of the human condition and in this book it was observed as part of women’s existence. The first thing that grabbed my attention was the book’s cover: a sad blue woman. I couldn’t help but wonder what makes her so sad. I think maybe she is lonely after a failed date. She looks unlucky and unloved.

In Cuentos de mujeres solas, every main character in the short stories chooses her way to keep herself aside from life. For them loneliness is a decision, a way of living every day. What is interesting is loneliness explained from different points of view: men and women; it’s how a man sees us and how we perceive ourselves.

The stories are diverse, and certainly, what made this possible are the backgrounds of its authors. You can understand the authors a little more, by reading a useful appendix with the author’s biographies at the end of the book. Also, the book has a really good prologue by Marcela Serrano in which she analyses the merits of these short stories as an experience that could help any woman to identify herself with the character and in the process, recognizes her own.





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