Book Review: Over Raging Tides by Jennifer Ellison

I received a free e-book copy of this book in exchange for an honest review; however I was not obliged to review positively.

Can we all just take a moment to look at this cover?? Look how PRETTY!
 

A mythical map. A pirate's quest for revenge.

The pirate crew of the Lady Luck lives by many rules, but chief among them is this: they do not allow men on board.

That’s a rule that first mate and quartermaster Grace Porter is willing to break when a shipwrecked young nobleman offers her information of an omniscient treasure map, stolen from his warship by an enemy vessel. Until now, the map was only the stuff of legend… but with its help, Grace may finally be able to hunt down the Mordgris, the sea monsters who stole her mother away from her.

Unfortunately, some members of her crew have other plans...

To find the magic map and face the Mordgris, Grace will have to confront her past, put the Luck between warring nations, and uncover treachery aboard the ship. And ultimately, her revenge and the destruction of the Mordgris will come at a hefty price: the betrayal of her crew.

Grace promised them they wouldn’t regret this.

She just isn’t sure that she won’t.

The pages practically turn themselves in this adventure on the high seas perfect for "Daughter of the Pirate King" fans.

    If there's one thing I love, it's books. If there's another thing I love, it's awesome pirates. So if there's one thing I REALLY love, it's books about awesome pirates. Especially awesome female pirates. So when I spotted the author of this book looking for reviews in a group I'm part of, I jumped at the chance to read and review it.
    Like Grace Porter, the main character, I stand by my decisions. But believe me when I tell you, I did not regret the decision to read this book for a single moment. Every time I picked it up, I would read for as long as I possibly could until I was forced to return to reality. The world of this book sucked me in immediately, and I loved the characters and the premise from the get-go.
    So, before we continue, I want to say that this review may contain some mild spoilers. I'll try not to let them get too bad.
    Right off the bat, we see Grace is someone who has strong values; she may be a pirate, but she doesn't compromise what she believes, even when it violates the rules of her ship, the Lady Luck. She rescues two boys from the wreckage of a ship she was meant to scavenge for treasure; they are the sons of a nobleman, and they have some interesting knowledge: Where to find the "Map of Omna", a magical map that can show the holder where to find anything they desire. For a pirate, holding this map would mean unbelievable riches; no treasure trove would be beyond reach.
    This map generates the main tension in the novel; between the Wesson boys, specifically the elder, Leo, and the crew of the Lady Luck; between Grace and her mother-figure, Captain Ilene, and later between Grace and the rest of the crew. Grace wants to use the map to find the lair of the Mordgris, which are terrifying sea-dwelling creatures with shape-shifting abilities and an incredible bloodlust; like sharks, these Mordgris gather around the sites of battles and devour anyone unfortunate enough to fall into the water, dead or alive. The Mordgris are rumoured to have untold treasures on their island, but what Grace really wants is her mother, who was taken by the Mordgris and is assumed dead by everyone but Grace herself.
    The characters in this book were great; there were some I wish had gotten more screen-time, so to speak, but the vast majority are very engaging characters. The one complaint I had in terms of characterization is that one of the antagonists, Celia, seemed rather one-dimensional to me; she didn't seem to have much in the way of personality beyond conniving and generally being mean, and she didn't seem to have much motivation for her actions - Grace speculates that it may be because the crew voted her quartermaster over Celia, but I don't know if this justifies everything Celia does. However, it's very possible that we see such a narrow picture of Celia because that's what Grace sees, and the book is filtered through her voice. I also think it's likely that more of her motivations will come to light in the rest of the series.
    I also loved the banter between Grace and the other characters; it had a lot of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" flair that many people expect from a pirate story, but without sounding forced, like it was inserted only for that comparison. The dialogue in this book flowed well and suited the characters speaking, and I didn't find much in the way of "info-dumping", either in dialogue or in Grace's narration. The author weaves in just enough details of the world she creates to make sure readers aren't lost, but without boring them into skimming through pages to get back to the action.
    The relationship between Grace and Leo was another highlight of the book for me. It's clear from early on that there is a budding romance between the two, but what I really appreciated was that the author didn't rush into establishing this romance. There are definite hints of it, but it isn't fulfilled too soon and leaves you wondering how their relationship will evolve in later books.
    And finally, the ending. The. Ending. I don't know if I love or hate the author for this ending. Don't get me wrong, it isn't that I hated the ending or found it too unsatisfying to want to continue reading; quite the contrary. I NEED the next book in this series. The revelations that Grace uncovers in the final few chapters were quite the twist, and there was a definite cliffhanger that left me wondering what the fates of the main characters would be, and how exactly they're going to get out of the situation they found themselves in.
    Overall, I'd recommend this book for fans of "Pirates of the Caribbean" or anyone who loves a good adventure story in an interesting world populated by a fascinating cast of characters, and I look forward to seeing how the story and the characters develop in later books.
    4/5 stars!
    If you're interested in this book, here's the link to buy it on Amazon.

Character Interviews (Method Mondays)

    Today's Method Mondays post is on (as the title probably suggests) character "interviews". This is something I suggest doing if you're trying to flesh out a character and make them seem more three-dimensional. Sometimes characters just stroll into a story, nearly fully developed, and there's little work to be done. Other times, you need a specific character for a specific reason, but they just won't develop beyond the function you needed them for. That's when this kind of thing comes in handy.
    I find the interview format helps more than just your run-of-the-mill jotting down of their history, personality, what have you, because it allows you to figure out all of that stuff, but it lets the character tell you in their own voice. This can be especially helpful if you're writing in first-person from their point of view, but it's equally helpful if you aren't, since, chances are, the character is going to have dialogue at some point in the story, and getting to develop their voice before you start writing helps prevent them from ending up sounding the same as other characters.
    I thought I'd jot down some basic questions that I use when I do something like this. You can also easily find lists of 100+ questions, but I find those a bit overwhelming when you're just starting off with a character, so I'll list 25 But please, let me know if you have questions I could add to the list or you want an expanded list from me, and I'll be happy to do that!

1. What's your name?
2. Are you named after anyone?
3. Do you like your name? Would you change it, and what to?
4. How old are you?
5. How old do you feel?
6. How would you describe your appearance?
7. How would you describe your personality?
8. Are you an introvert or extrovert?
9. Are you religious?
10. What do you do? (for a job, study, etc)
11. Do you like what you do?
12. What would your dream job be?
13. What's your family life like? (siblings, parents, pets, etc)
14. Do you have a lot of friends?
15. Are/were you romantically involved with or interested in anyone?
16. What are your hobbies?
17. What are your favourite foods? Do you get to eat them often? (this can tie into family life, social status, and world-building!)
18. How would you describe your clothing style? Is it considered normal for someone like you? Does it differ from what you actually wear, and if so, why? (again, more world-building!)
19. Do you have any opinions that would be considered controversial? (this is a good opportunity for world-building as well!)
20. Who inspires you the most? Is it someone famous (either real-world or within the world of the novel), a parent, a sibling, a friend?
21. What are your best and worst memories? (also, what was the best/worst day of their life)
22. What is your biggest fear?
23. What/who do you care most about? What lengths would you go to for them?
24. What is one thing you've never told anyone before?
25. Is there anything you don't like to admit to yourself?

    Of course, these aren't the only good questions to ask, nor should they be the only questions you ask. This list is very flexible; for example, if your character "says" something interesting you want to more about, add more questions to expand on that point. What you want to do is learn as much as possible about your character, and learn it in their voice so you know what that sounds like too.
    As always, thanks for reading! If you have any questions about this post, or you have recommendations for stuff I can add to it, or if you have any recommendations for a future post, don't hesitate to comment here or contact me on Twitter!

Filling Up Your Tank - Why Writers Have to Be Readers First (Method Mondays)

    If I'm honest, the past few months I've been in a huge writing rut. I haven't been writing consistently, and when I dedicate time to it, I don't get much, if anything, done. I'd been busy all the time, and in the evenings when I finally had the time to write, I didn't want to. It felt like a chore, and I just didn't feel motivated.
    Recently, though, I started making sure I took the time to read as often as possible. Preferably daily, although that isn't always realistic for my schedule. Once I started doing that, I started feeling that itch to write again. It wasn't something I had to sit down and force myself to do. It was something I found myself making time, and more importantly, wanting to make time to do.
    Don't get me wrong, self-care and relaxation are vitally important. I'm not suggesting you should work an entire day and then come home and write until you pass out. That's not sustainable, and it's not healthy.
    What I am trying to get at, though, is the realization I came to that I wasn't writing if I wasn't reading. It isn't that I'm copying another author's work, far from it. What I'm reading has nothing to do, content-wise, with what I'm currently writing. But if I'm not reading anything, I'm not writing anything either.
    I just want to ask a simple question: who are you writing for? Most likely, you're writing so people will read it. You're writing for readers, and it's likely you're writing for yourself. Toni Morrison's quote sums this up better than I could: "If there is a book you want to read but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it."
    As a writer, if you're reading, you're learning. Even if you don't open a book thinking, "I'd like to look at how this author uses dialogue", you'll absorb it. You learn more by doing it, sure, but you can't start to learn by doing unless you see it done. The Stephen King quote I used at the top of this post describes this well. You really can't be an amazing writer unless you read amazing writers. Just like you wouldn't meet a famous actor who doesn't watch movies or TV to learn from other actors, you wouldn't meet a writer who can't give you the name of at least one other writer who inspired them or made them want to be a writer.
    One of the biggest things I find, for me, is that when I'm not reading I lose the passion to write. I forget why I'm writing, why it's so important to me to put words on a page and someday send them out into the world. If I'm not reading and feeling the emotion that comes with being really moved by a story, then I don't remember why I write: so I can tell a story that moves people.
    No time spent reading is ever wasted. If you've hit a writer's block that you can't push through, sit down and read for a while. Chances are, a switch will flip somewhere in your brain and you'll be able to write again. And if it takes a little longer, well, that's fine too, because now you get to read a great book!

Quiet Observation, or, Why Writers Are Terrifying (Method Mondays)

    "Just to warn you, I'm a writer, so if you're going to be friends with me you should know anything you do or say could end up in a novel. Heck, I might even steal whole chunks of your personality for characters."
    "What did you just say? That's great, that's so going in the book."
    "Pfft, of course this character doesn't get his *insert personality trait* from you. Wh-What would make you think that?"

    All three of these things are things I've said, entirely seriously, to people I know at some point in my life. Surprisingly, there are people who still choose to be friends with me despite that.
    Ideas don't come from nowhere. I've done a blog post on inspiration before, but there's so much to say on the topic that I'll probably do many, many more. If I'm honest, about 10% of my characters' personalities comes straight from me, even if it's something as small as the character only being able to drink tea if its about 95% milk and 5% tea (I know, I know, I'm sorry. Someday I'll learn to like tea, okay?) The other 90% comes from bits and pieces of the souls I collect personalities, quirks, and individual traits of people I know.
    Don't get me wrong: you should not take your weird neighbour, slap a new name on them, and write them as a character in a book. That's how you get in trouble. But maybe your neighbour likes to walk their cat on a leash (mine does, and I'm not kidding. It's the cutest thing ever.) Can you write a character who walks their cat on a leash? Sure you can. It adds realism, and makes your book more relatable.
    One of the sweetest parts of reading anything is that moment of recognition when there's a tiny, almost insignificant, detail about a character and you go "Holy cow! I do that/I think that/I've felt that/I know someone who does that too!" From personal experience, this will make your readers love your character (which is awkward, when that relatable moment comes from the villain).
    This relatable feeling comes from drawing carefully from real life, and it's not the only benefit. You've probably heard a thousand times to "flesh out" characters. Drawing from reality is how you take a cardboard cut-out character and make them into a real person, someone your readers could picture bumping into on the street (or at least a street in whatever futuristic/fantastic/historical/otherwise not "real" world you've invented from them to live in).
    Why is this terrifying, you ask? Well, mostly because - and while I definitely can't speak for all writers, I think this might be more common - I don't realize I'm using traits I've observed in characters I create. Rarely will I be developing a character, see someone displaying a specific trait or quirk, and immediately apply it to that character. More often it comes out subtly, organically, through the process of developing and writing a character. It might be weeks, months, even years before I realize "hey, my friend does that, and so does this character", or "hey, that's just like that stranger I saw one time a while back." And if you'll forgive the vanity, I think this is what you should aim for when "borrowing" from real life. Chances are it's not even much to aim for, it's what you're already subconsciously doing.
    If you purposely take a bunch of characteristics from people you know and try to squish them into one character, it's probably going to seem pretty weird. It won't seem at all like a real person; rather, it will seem like some weird, suffering Frankenstein's Monster staggering their way through your plot. Every character needs a core identity, and after that you can add other personality traits, quirks, and ideas to them.
    I've said it before and I'll say it again: no detail is too small for you to know about your characters. Even if it never makes it explicitly into the book, you'll know it, and that will inform your writing of the character and make them feel so much more real both to you and to the readers.
    So take some time to observe your friends, your family, even strangers (in a non-creepy way, of course) and take a mental note of traits and quirks they have that you could use in the future. Let these bounce around in your brain for a while, and when it's time to create a new character, they'll come to life that much more easily and seem that much more real.

Storytelling and the Art of the Netflix Binge: Part Two (Method Mondays)

   Welcome back! If you haven't read the first part of this post, from January 22nd, you can read it here and then come back. I'll wait.

    Alright! Read it? Good, because this will make a lot more sense if you have. You'll remember from my last post that I compared episodes of a show to chapters in a book, and seasons to the book as a whole. Well, this is probably just about the most obvious comparison I've ever made, but here it is: if each season is a book, then multiple seasons is a series.
    Think about it: what makes it so easy to "accidentally" watch multiple seasons of a show in one sitting? And how can you apply that to your book to keep the readers coming back as each new book comes out?
    You know what that means: question time! Again, pick a show you loved, that has multiple seasons.

1. Pick your favourite multi-season show, preferably one that you had to wait for after finishing a season. What made you look forward to the new season? What made you wait for the season and come back to watch it when you could have watched something else?
2. Think about the plot of the first season. I'm not saying map every character relationship, conflict, and subplot, but think of some major ones.
3. Try to track these threads you picked up through the last few episodes of one season, and the first few of the next. Try to do this mentally if you can, so it isn't my fault when you spend hours binge-watching.
4. Which of these threads were "tied" so to speak? Which ones continue into the next season?

    This essentially sums up what keeps you coming back to the next season, or next book, without getting tired of the wait. The key is to tie enough of the threads up that your readers won't be frustrated and feel that they didn't get any closure.
    In a way, the transition between books in a series is the same as transitioning between chapters, just with higher stakes. Just like when you're ending a chapter, at the end of the book you never want the reader to think "well, that's that sorted. All tied up nicely, nothing more wrong." Unless, of course, it's the last book in the series, in which case you definitely want the reader to feel like everything's been resolved.
    The difference between book transitions and chapter transitions, of course, is that you need to make sure you give the readers enough incentive to wait for the next book and still come back. When you're just starting a new chapter, you can afford to mess that up a little; the reader will probably turn the page eventually, out of curiosity or a desire to finish the book. But if you don't give them incentive to come back to the next book, there's a chance they won't.
    I'll use Harry Potter as an example here, because it's difficult to spoil (but, y'know, in case you don't know the plot, spoilers ahead). Basically, at the end of each book, we know the main conflict of the book has been tied up; for example, at the end of the first book, we can see that the conflict with Quirrell, but we want to come back for the next books because we know there's more conflict with Voldemort to come. That plot doesn't end, nor does many subplots about character relationships. Therefore, we have enough closure to be satisfied with the ending of the book, but also enough intrigue and enough incentive to come back for later books.
    That's the method! Just like the ending of a season of a good Netflix show leaves you with enough closure to not be frustrated, it also leaves enough questions and loose threads to make you want to come back for another season, even after the wait for it. So basically, apply that concept to your book; wrap it up enough to not leave it totally open ended, but make sure to plant those seeds of continuing conflict and leave enough loose threads that your reader wants to come back even after waiting a year or more for the next book.
    Of course, there is a lot more that factors into whether or not readers will return to the series, but that's a topic for another time. This method goes a long way to making sure your readers are satisfied and excited for your next installment in your series!
    Thanks for reading!

Storytelling and the Art of the Netflix Binge: Part One (Method Mondays)

Not my image, but come on, who doesn't love a good Boromir meme?

    I bet no one ever thought they'd see Netflix bingeing referred to as an art. Maybe it's not, but some people I know (okay, and maybe me too) certainly have it down to a science. I believe the equation is (Netflix + snacks + blanket - sleep - things you actually have to do). But that's not what we're here to discuss today, unfortunately. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, I actually do have a point to this post, which I'm going to get to eventually.
    One of the most frequent pieces of advice any writer will hear is to "hook" the reader. Hook them on the first page, in the first chapter, and don't let them off that hook until the end. Basically, you want to toss your reader from hook to hook like... something. I don't have any good analogies for that, all I can think of is fishing and I don't think anyone throws fish hooks (at least hopefully not on purpose). But basically, your aim is to let the reader almost wiggle off the hook, only to catch them on another one just as they've gotten free.
     What do I mean by that? I mean that, in my opinion at least, you have to let a little something go right for your characters, and by extension your readers, so they don't get too frustrated. But you don't ever want a reader to think "well, that's sorted!" at the end of a chapter, because then they'll put the book down and maybe not come back to it. Remember being so engrossed in a book when you were a kid that you couldn't say "just one more chapter" and you stayed up too late reading it with a flashlight? Whether the last time you did that was years ago or last week, chances are its because the author made sure to leave a thread at the end of the chapter, a little hook that grabbed you and made sure you just HAD to find out what happened next.
    In a way, make it so your characters get one step forward and then knocked three steps back, so your reader doesn't get frustrated by the lack of progress, but they still want to find out how it's going to happen, how your characters are going to get to their final goal. Of course, you have to alter that formula so you eventually get to an ending, but as the descending action occurs, that will likely be enough to keep your reader rushing to the finish (if you set it up well, of course), so this formula doesn't stand so much then. It's slightly different if you have a series on your hands, but that can be a discussion for another post.
    So! Back to the whole Netflix theme I had going back there. What the heck does that have to do with anything? Well, the best way I can think of to explain whatever it was I was trying to explain with fish hooks and steps and reading under the covers, is actually quite simple: Think of a Netflix show you love, and then follow along with me.
    Question time (yay, work to do! Don't worry, it's easy)

1. Think about the first episode of the show (resist the urge to rewatch it!). What drew you in? What made you want to keep watching?
2. Think about some of the other episodes, maybe around the middle of the series (if you spend all day watching to this point, don't blame me!). Think specifically about the endings of the episodes. What made you click on the next episode, or if you had to wait, what made you come back to watch the next one? (Alternatively, what made you pretend you didn't notice the timer ticking down to the next episode so now you HAVE to watch the next one?). 
3. Now, the tricky part: apply that to your novel or writing project. No, don't copy the plot of the show. What I mean is, lay out your project like each chapter is an episode. Episode one is vital, of course, so make sure something really good happens there. But what about the other episodes? What will make your reader really want to keep going and continue with the next episode. Make each one like a mini story arc, in a way; it's got it's own small "inciting incident", of sorts, where something can go well for the characters, and then it's own mini climax where there's another obstacle. These can be as large or as small as you want them to be.

    Once you've done that for one chapter, do it for another. And another. And before you know it, you'll have at least a rough plan for your project. Alternatively, if you aren't the planning type or if your novel is already written, go back through it and try to identify what these mini-arcs are. Beta readers will help with this as well of course, but try to give your novel some time sitting alone, work on something else or just take some time off for a few days or weeks, and then come back and read it. The less you remember of it, the better, but try to note whether or not you want to stop at the ends of chapters, whether or not you feel you can stop without wondering what happens next. This isn't something you can rely on yourself 100% for, because obviously you know what happens next, you wrote it (congratulations on that, by the way)! Don't panic if it seems like you can stop at any point without being curious; again, beta readers are your best tool for this part. Ask them specifically to note if there's any part where they feel like they could put the book down and not be curious or want to pick it back up again. 

    And now, for my own hook, of sorts. I'm sure you saw this coming based on the "part one" in the title, but I'm going to say it anyway: you can read part two of this post here, on series and how to keep the reader satisfied with the ending but still wanting to come back for a second book. 

    See you all next time! Happy writing, and thanks for reading!

The Golden Rule of Writing: There Are No Real Rules (Method Mondays)

Start off on a light note; thanks, Internet.

    There are a lot of writing "rules" floating around out there, in books, on the Internet, from well-meaning strangers. Lots of people can and will give you advice; the question is whether or not you follow it.
    The way I see it, there are plenty of things people can say about writing, but most of those things are things that work for them. They're usually good to know, but they might not work for you, or they might.
    This is not an original thing to say, at all, but the only real writing "rule" is this: Write.
    That's it.
    Writing a certain number of words per day, or writing at certain times, or wearing a tinfoil helmet while you write so aliens don't steal your ideas, none of those things make you a writer. If setting a word goal works for you, do it. If a schedule works, make one. If a tinfoil helmet somehow seems to make you write better, then heck, go for it. I'm sure there's writers out there with weirder habits.
    The point is, you'll always read advice and "rules" for writing. I've given some advice on this blog, and I'll probably continue to do so. If it works for you, great! Glad to help. If it doesn't, then what does it matter? Something that works for me might not work for you.
    In some cases, following advice from those with experience can be a good idea. If you want to publish, either self-publish or traditionally publish, then it may be a good idea to get advice from people who have experience in the business, because in those pursuits there is, arguably, a "right" way to do things and a "wrong" way to do them. In the actual writing of the book, however, as long as you're following basic rules of grammar and spelling to make it legible, there are no real rules. You can do basically whatever you want to do with your writing, and if you've got the determination to make it work and get those words on the page, chances are it'll work out.
    It doesn't matter how prolific or successful an author is; no one's word is gospel when it comes to writing. It is tempting to emulate our favourite authors and try to follow every bit of advice they've ever given, but that's unrealistic, frankly. I highly doubt that I'll still agree with all of the advice I've given in the past within a few years, and while I can't speak for any other authors, I think it's likely to be the same case for many others.
    So if my advice or anyone else's advice works for you? Great, follow it for as long as it works! If it doesn't? Who cares? It doesn't make you any less or any worse of a writer, just like following any advice or rules you see online or in books makes you any better of a writer.
    In the end, there's only one rule to writing: write. If you do that, you are a writer, no matter what other advice or "rules" you do or do not follow.