Review for Rising Book 1: Resistance

Blurb:
All Alphonse wants is a quiet summer at home before his final months at university. What he gets is a half-dead stranger on his doorstep and the task of delivering a package to the leader of his home country. Not long after he boards a train toward the capital, he's attacked by knights, elite soldiers of the neighboring king.

Alphonse is temporarily rescued by Mairwyn, a mechanic with a haunted past and a deep hatred of knights. Together, they attempt to carry out Alphonse's urgent errand, only to learn that if they fail, countless people will die.

And even if they succeed, they may not be able to prevent the war that lurks on the horizon.

My review:

Alphonse Redding's relaxing summer vacation is stolen away when he's sent on an urgent errand and suddenly becomes a fugitive. He's nearly captured by two men with strange weapons just after leaving home, but is rescued by a wily young woman who seems to know more of what's going on than he does. Mairwyn's a mechanic with a dark past that's slowly closing in on her. They must deliver vital information to prevent another war from ravaging the land and save a people who only want to be left in peace.

Resistance nabbed me right from the beginning. Alphonse has a funny incident in a field and a warm homecoming, but it quickly turns into something darker and much bigger than a summer spent in a little farming town. Strangers, knights, frightening mecha, and mysteries. I wasn't sure who to trust or what was going to happen next. Alphonse is immediately likable with his awkward and academic ways. He's not your typical hero, but that makes this book stand out all the more. Mairwyn stands in wonderful contrast to him. She's feisty, clever, and out-spoken. Their relationship grows slowly and naturally. The organic nature of it lends to fantastic characterization which doesn't overshadow the plot.

Larua Josephsen's writing is on par with novels printed by the big publishers. It reads with a clean and harmonic flow. This is a fantasy world with technology powered by crystals. It's light on the steampunk aspect, but it's still present for fans of the genre. What's more important is the complex and fascinating plot that Laura has created. She takes you on twists and turns, drawing the reader on to greater heights of awe. It's hard to surprise me, but she managed to do so. I love the political intrigue, the demented king, and the little girl who can sneak better than the most skilled of thieves!

If you're a fan of The Hunger Games, you'll love Resistance. Hold on, it will take you for the ride of your life.

Rising Book 1: Resistance is now available on Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords.

Author's bio: Laura Josephsen is a wife, mother, author, geek. Beginner student of Taekwondo. Freelance editor. Homeschooler. Likes coffee, chocolate, socks, fantasy stories, rainy days, and sci-fi shows. Lives in Tennessee with her family, two cats, and a black lab.

Please visit Laura's site and follow her on Twitter.

A quick Friday update

It's Friday! Woo-hoo!

I've had a productive week. I edited and submitted my newest short story, "George and the Dragon." My writers' group liked it and my critique partners helped iron out the rough edges.

I only have four chapters left in my first round of revisions of my WIP. I can't wait for the torture to end. Of course, once the first round is done, there's the second and third and fourth to how many it takes to get it right. I'll be rewriting the first chapter again. This was inspired by Les Edgerton's Hooked. It's a fantastic book on beginnings. It's now my top book on the craft that I recommend to other writers. It makes everything so clear.

I'm reading Laura Jospehsen's Rising Book 1: Resistance. Intriguing story. I don't know who to trust or what's coming. And the quality of her writing is phenomenal.

I'm also reading Cherie Reich's Fighting Gravity, the second novella in her Gravity series. This one is packed with action and edge-of-your-seat tension.

I'll be reviewing both books next week.

Just over a week until April and The A to Z Challenge! I hope you're getting a head start on your posts if you're participating. Have you seen the linky list? Over 1100 participants! It's going to be an awesome month.

Enjoy your weekend.

Favorite Character Blogfest

Thank you to Laura Josephsen for hosting this great blogfest. It's so much fun! Here are the rules:

1. Decide which of your characters you'd like to introduce everyone to, and choose a snippet about this character (preferably no more than 200 words) to share about this character. 

2. Between January 23-25, tell us who your favorite character you've written is and why, and post your snippet.

3. Hop around to other participants to check out their favorite characters and a bit of their story.

The lovely Melanie Billings, Acquisitions Editor at Whiskey Creek Press, has graciously offered to supply critiques as prizes! Winners will be drawn from the list of active participants after midnight on the 25th and announced on my blog on the 26th.

1st Prize: critique of first 15 pages of your manuscript, an e-book copy of my book, Confessions from the Realm of the Underworld (Also Known as High School) and an ARC e-copy of my next book, Rising Book 1: Resistance (upcoming publication in February 2012).

2nd Prize: critique of first 10 pages of your manuscript and an e-book copy of Confessions from the Realm of the Underworld (Also Known as High School).

3rd Prize: critique of first 5 pages of your manuscript.

Here's my entry: 

My favorite character is Magena Silver, celebrity therapist and witch. She's the protagonist in Witch' s First Rule (the first book in a paranormal romance trilogy). Magena is intelligent, sexy, and career-minded.  Imagine a 30-year-old Catherine Zeta-Jones in professional clothes tailored to hug her lovely curves. She gives her clients love potions to re-ignite their passion and boost her success rating. Nothing is going to get in the way of getting what she wants. Not even love. Well, nothing gets in the way until she gives a love potion to the wrong people, her life is threatened, and she meets a gorgeous man who can feel her powerful emotions behind her cool therapist mask.

I don't want to hurt the feelings of my other characters, but Magena's been with me for a long time. I love to write strong women. Not just physical or supernatural strength, but ones with an iron will and clear mind. Magena knows what she wants and how to achieve her goals. She is determined and aggressive in all areas of her life. Underneath that strength, she's hiding herself from love. She's afraid of being seen as weak. I like writing a protagonist who seemingly has her act together, but her hidden flaws are massive. Part of the challenge for me is coming up with a story that can unveil those flaws and make her face them.

Here's a snippet from Witch's First Rule:

“Yes, I have-” Nathan cut himself off and looked at her. “He sent you blood? Whose blood?”

“You're just here to supervise. If Mr. Knox didn't tell you, you don't need to know.” Magena kept her eyes upon the road. A smirk played over her lips.

“What are you using it for? I know you're a witch. He did mention that much.”

“I'm making a potion,” she replied with a small shrug.

Nathan reached into one of his pockets and took out a tiny red vial. He held it up and asked his question again. “Whose blood is it and what sort of potion are you making?”

She smirked and made a left turn into her neighborhood. “Are you worried it's your blood?”

“F*ck, yes!” He opened the window and stuck his hand out with the vial in it. “Tell me whose blood it is or I'll drop it.”

“No, you won't.”

He shook the vial, letting it dangle from his fingers. “I'll drop it.”

Magena glanced at him, wearing the calm expression she put on her for clients. “You won't drop it because then you'll have to explain to Mr. Knox what happened to the most important component of the elixir. I don't know how easy it was for him to obtain it, but I'm sure he would not be pleased at all.”