It's Only My Opinion

Friday, May 04, 2007

Damsel Under Stress

So, the newest Shanna Swendson novel, Damsel Under Stress, is out, it's been bought and read and now I'm digesting it. It needs a re-read, that's for sure. I never fully absorb a book the first time around, that said I think I'll wait a few days since I need to time to process. Before, I do that, though, I'll share my thoughts...

It was a great book, amazingly written and still charming and quirky, but... It was very different in tone than the previous two. Where they especially, Enchanted, Inc., were charming and quirky and rather light and fluffy, this one was darker and more serious, a tone which was started in Once Upon Stilettos. The ending was sad, dramatic and very cliffer-hangering, I'm now anxiously waiting for book four, hoping that all will be resolved and turn out right and happy.

Without spoiling the plot of the book, I will say that the battle again bad-guy Phelen Idris continues to heat up, but is in no-way concluded, just the opposite, this book cuts off at a pivitol point, leading us directly into next year's book four. There is some character growth in this book and we learn more about Owen's background, including getting to meet his foster parents, always good.

Some of the minor characters from other books had bigger roles to play in this one, which is also nice and we just got a chance to get to know the characters better. The only character who disapointed in this book was CEO Mr. Mervyn (aka. Merlin, yes that Merlin) who came as a kind, concerned grandfatherly man in the first two novels, but came off as cold and disinterested in this third installment. All the other characters, especially Katie and the ever-adorable Owen, rang true though.

There was more romance in this one than the other two, which was nice, since it had been such a long build up to it and was nicely done. The romance between Katie and Owen feels real and believable and you find yourself rooting for them as the bad guys try to tear them apart.

Definitely a great read, though I think part of me would have preferred if the series had stayed a little less dark, but... As long as it has a happy ending, I'm not really going to complain. I'd still highly recommend the three books to anyone who likes chick lit or fantasy or even just, good, funny, charming books about a very relatable heroine. So, go buy Enchanted, Inc; Once Upon Stillettos; and Damsel Under Stress, you won't regret it!

Saturday, April 28, 2007

An Interview With Shanna Swendson

So, as everyone knows I'm a huge book fan. Books are my life and some of my favourite books are Shanna Swendson's Katie Chandler books, which I wrote about in the last post. So, I decided to participate in her great blog campaign, to get word out about the books and especially the upcoming Damsel Under Stress (which I am so psyched to read)! So, here is an e-mail interview with Shanna Swendson!

When did you start writing? Have you always known you wanted to be a writer?

I've always entertained myself by making up stories in my head. When I was about twelve, I realized that if I wrote them down, I'd have a book, and that was when I started thinking that I wanted to be a writer. I just didn't really know how to go about doing it. It seemed like such a big dream, like becoming a movie star. I came up with a lot of story ideas and wrote a lot of first chapters but didn't really get anywhere with it. Soon after I graduated from college, I started to pursue writing more seriously, got involved with writing organizations, went to conferences and generally learned what it took from a business standpoint as well as a craft standpoint.

When you started "Enchanted, Inc.", did you always envision it as a series? If so, did you write it planning for future books, setting up things that would come up later or saving details for further down the road?

I always saw it as a series, but I didn't have a good sense of how the series would really shape up until I actually started writing the book and really "met" the characters. I remember thinking it would be fun if there would be Internet debates on which guy Katie should end up with. At one point I thought the next book would be "Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Ltd." and be set in the London office. When I wrote chapter four of Enchanted, Inc., I got the idea for what would happen in what I thought would be book three, and midway through the book I came up with the idea of what I thought would be book two, plus who the bad guy in that book would be, so I started laying the clues and groundwork. I ended up combining the ideas for books two and three into the second book. I've also been laying clues for a big part of what I hope will be in book five.

You're working on the proposal for book 5, do you see that as the last book in the series? Do you have a clear ending for Katie's story in mind, or could it go on indefinitely?

Book 5 is the last for this "chapter" of Katie's life. There's a possibility of picking it up again for another story arc, but I'm not entirely sure yet where that will go. I have a few vague ideas already. I'd like to write some other things first, though.

Are there ever times when you just don't feel like writing, but you have to? When it stops being fun and becomes a chore? Do you still like writing? Do you still do it for fun and not just for work?

It really depends on the day. On the days when I've had a great idea and I'm all excited, it's fun. But there are also days when I'd rather do anything but write, even though I have to. Once I make myself get started, though, I have fun and remember why I like this. I don't have time these days to write much just for fun--something that's not contracted and that I'm not being paid for--other than lots of character analysis posts on Television Without Pity.

Which character is your favorite?

Owen is probably my favorite character I've ever created.

Who do you like the least?

I don't know that I have a least favorite. I seem to even have a bit of fondness for my villains because they're fun to write.

Who do you find speaks the loudest to you?

Owen's quiet in the books, but very loud in my brain. He's managed to promote himself from what I thought would be a minor supporting character into a main character.

Have any of your characters surprised you by developing in ways you didn't see coming?

Idris keeps surprising me, to the point I almost feel sorry for him at times because he has these big ambitions without the real skills to carry them out.

If you could have magical powers, would you want them and what would you do with them?

I'd love to be able to clean house by waving my hand. Teleportation or time travel would be cool, too.

Which character in your book would you most like to be?

I'd probably want to be Katie because she gets to spend so much time with Owen. :-)

Which character do you relate to the most?

I think, though, that I relate most to Owen. I didn't realize this until I'd written three books with him in them, but he's probably more like me internally than any other character.

Are we going to learn more about the backgrounds of specific characters, such as why Phillip was turned into a frog or why Rod spends all his time hiding behind that illusion? Is more of Owen's background going to be revealed in time?

You learn what happened to Philip in Damsel Under Stress, and it turns out to be related to our main story. Book five (if it gets published!) is largely about Owen's background, and Rod's issues play into that.

What's your favorite fan story?

One of my favorite stories is a lady who wrote to me to tell me that she got Enchanted, Inc. accidentally when she ordered some books online and it was in the box instead of one of the books she'd ordered -- and after looking at it, she decided to keep it, and then she became a fan of the series.

What's the best compliment on your books you've ever gotten?

The best compliment is when someone says one of my books kept her up all night reading or helped her get through a difficult time.

How does it feel when people come up to you and tell you how much they love your books?

It's still a bit of a jolt to hear from someone who loves my books. I guess I'm still getting used to the idea that these people who've been living in my head are now living in other people's heads. I'm also still a bit "Who? Me?" when someone goes fangirl on me because I'm more used to being the one doing that to other authors.

Monday, March 26, 2007

"Enchanted, Inc." and "Once Upon Stillettos"

I use this blog as a place to talk about things I like--mostly TV shows and movies, but today I'm going to talk about two books that I adore.

"Enchanted, Inc." and "Once Upon Stilettos" by Shanna Swendson follow the story of Katie Chandler a sweet Texan girl next door transplanted into New York, who keeps seeing the most weird and wonderful things, things that no one else ever seems to notice. Then one day, Katie learns the truth: She's a magical immune, which means magic doesn't work on her and she can see what normal people can't.

Katie is then recruited to work for Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc. under none other than Merlin himself. Her new co-workers include fairies, gnomes, and one very hot guy, who also happens to be a brilliant wizard and terribly shy to boot. Before long, Katie's landed a job as Merlin's girl Friday and has found herself in the middle of a conflict between good and dark magic. Her life definitly isn't ordinary any longer.

The second book picks up where the first book leaves off, after a battle with the bad guys, and sees Katie face a major stumbling stone: the loss of her magical immunity, but she deals with it in plucky style and discovers that her true strengths have nothing to do with being able to see through illusions and everything to do with what kind of person she is.

The books are cute and fun, easy to read and definitly addicting. I picked up the first one because Taela had it and I ended up hooked, counting down the days to book 2, and I'm doing the same with book 3, which comes out on May 1st (only 35 days left!) . Both books definitly rank high up on my favourite books list and I'd recommend them to anyone who likes chick lit or novels with a magical theme.

Sunday, April 09, 2006

The West Wing

I started watching The West Wing at the end of it's first season, my father discovered it and brought the rest of us along. It became one of those rare shows that we all watched together every week, something we never argued about.

Eventually, though, we all lost interest in The West Wing and stopped watching, about season four. When I learnt the show was being cancelled, I decided to come back for the final episodes and fell in love all over again.

The characters I loved were changed, but they still held the same wonderful qualities and there were new cahracters I could learn to like. It was sad knowing I was back only for the end, but at the same time I was glad that it was going out on a high note.

In the last few weeks, I saw Josh and Donna come together after years of waiting and it was worth it. You might stop watching a show, but you never let go of those old allegiances, some part of me will always be a Josh/Donna fan and it was beyond sweet to see them finally get together.

Tonight brought us a moment that I knew was coming, but I had been dreading. The death of Leo McGarry. I sobbed, thinking back to those early episodes. Besides, I'm sentimental, I always cry when people die, real or imaginary. I can't read Rilla of Ingleside without crying when Walter dies, no matter how many times I read it, so of course I sobbed for Leo.

I thought it was done really well. The way they had everyone react to that news, which is shattering at the best of tiems, but coming on election night when emotions are at a height... It was amazing.

I thought of my father many times during this episode. I thought of his death breifly, but mainly I just imagined him watching it with me and I rememebered all the times we sat and watched this show together.

Next week's episode will have me in pieces, I know, since the promo had me sobbing, but that's only fitting. We should be able to mourn fictional characters, because really we do become attached to them and just as I wanted the chance to say goodbye to The West Wing, I'm also glad of the chance to say goodbye to Leo McGarry.

Monday, March 06, 2006

Books to Watch For, 3rd Edition

So, here it is again, my books to watch for list. It's most of the same old players, but I think I've added a few... Still, it's always nice to have release dates, right?

April 2006- A Date From Hell- Multiple Authors (including Kelley Armstrong and Kim Harrison
This is a multi-author anthology that includes authors of two of my favorite series with two short stories from said series'. I love anthologies, I've found some great authors that way, because they were in anthologies with an authour I already loved.
This one has a new story from Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series, with a new character--always fun. It also has a new story from Kim Harrison's Hollows series, set before the series. I'm very excited about this one.

May 2006- Broken by Kelley Armstrong
The newest Women of the Other World book! This new story focuses on Elena, the main character of the first two books, not by favourite of the three narators so far in the series, but I'm sure it'll still be wonderful. After all, it is about a pregnant werewolf and that's pretty cool.

June, 2006- Once Upon Stilettos by Shanna Swendson
This is a sequel to a book I adored, so I'm definitly looking forward to it. Enchanted Inc. was one of my favourite books, so this is pretty high on my too-read list. Especially now, since she's just posted a little tidbit about it on her website. I still don't know how I'm going to last until next June, but I'll make it somehow. I hope, though I'm sure by the time it actually comes out, I will be in full-obsessive mode, counting down the days and everything.

June, 2006- Undead & Unpopular by Mary Janice Davidson
The next book in the Betsy Taylor series. These books are fluffier than anything else on this list, but still really good. It's a cutsy vampire series, which is always fun.

June, 2006- A Fistful of Charms by Kim Harrison
The newest book from her Hollows series. Of all the books on this list, this is the series I got hooked on last, so the wait hasn't been quite as bad as some of the others. Still, I am eagerly awaiting this book, since I am now totally hooked on the series. Another supernatural series, of course. With a witch as main character, but with other races playing strong roles.

July, 2006- Danse Macrabre by Laurell K. Hamilton

Anita Blake #13! I am desperatly, eagerly looking forward to it. I love these books and I'm sure the next one will be amazing, even if it's come almost two years after the last one. I already know I will love this book. More Anita; more vampires, werewolves and other creatures; more sex, blood and death; more angst and agression; and best of all, more Jean Claude! How could any girl resist? Plus, now I've read the sneak peek and all I can say is: "Wow". July can not come fast enough.

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Survivor Predictions, Round Two

So, week two of survivor predictions. I didn't do so well last week. All four of the people I thought would go on the same tribe and none of them went. Well, the odds aren't perfect.

Let's see, who do I think will go this week?

La Minta: Ruth-Marie. I'm honestly not sure who will go if La Minta loses immunity, but Ruth-Marie seems to be the odd one out, so I'll pick her.

Cassaya: Cirie. Yes, I picked Cirie last week, but I'll pick her again. Assuming the alliance of four holds up, she seems pretty obvious.

There you go, my predictions, either Ruth-Marie or Cirie making it 3/3 of the older women's tribe.

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Survivor Predictions

I've decided to try my hand at Survivor predictions... I, unlike the great folks at Reality News Online, actually need to watch the episode before I can make predictions, because otherwise they'd suck even more than they're going to.

So, who's going to go in episode two? I'll make a prediction by each tribe--now I know it looks like there'll be another merge, but I figure one of these four'll go either way.

Older Women- Cirie. Of course, I would have voted her off week, but who am I to judge? Still, I think, this week she'll finally irriate them enough. Besides, I see Ruth-Marie and Melinda bonding more.

Older Men- Shane. Because people going through nicotine withdrawl are nasty, besides I don't really think he fits well with the other guys.

Younger Women- Courtney. Because she's weird. I think that'll be enough to get her voted out. It seems already that Sally seemed a little irritated by her and I just see Misty fitting in better.

Young Men- Aras. Again, because he's weird. At this stage that should be enough to get you booted.

I'm pretty confident that it'll be one of those four going home. Of course, I would have also said that Tina would have been stickign around for a while, so...