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Showing posts with label Kimberly Derting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kimberly Derting. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Mini Blogging Confessional... and a mini review of The Offering







So, today I have a different kind of post for you.  A mini blogging confessional.

Sometimes I read books so quickly in such a short period of time that if I do not immediately blog about them I can completely forget what I would have said about them.  For instance, I finished the last book in Kimberly Derting's The Pledge trilogy on April 13th.  I marked a note to myself that I wanted to give it a gold star review.  I remember loving the way the series ended.  Can I remember anything else now that I want to go back and blog about it? No. *facepalm*

I still want to highlight the book anyway and I don't have time to go back and reread it to review it...SOOOO... here's the description:

The Offering
by Kimberly Derting
The Pledge, book three

Charlie, otherwise known as Queen Charlaina of Ludania, has become comfortable as a leader and a ruler. She’s done admirable work to restore Ludania’s broken communications systems with other Queendoms, and she’s mastered the art of ignoring Sabara, the evil former queen whose Essence is alive within Charlie. Or so she thinks.

When the negotiation of a peace agreement with the Queendom of Astonia goes awry, Charlie receives a brutal message that threatens Ludania, and it seems her only option is to sacrifice herself in exchange for Ludanian freedom.

But things aren’t always as they seem. Charlie is walking into a trap—one set by Sabara, who is determined to reclaim the Queendoms at any cost. (Description from Goodreads.com) 

Know that I did LOVE it when I read it. Unfortunately, I just can't tell you why!  I do remember little bits...I still thought that Charlie was a great character and that Sabara and her lover were some creepy-@ss baddies.  I really though that Charlie was smart when she finally manages to escape Sabara's evil plans... and that's about it.  I hope that's enough for you! 

What does this teach me?  The few times this happens, I remind myself to blog about books in a shorter timeframe after I've read them.  I also need to start making some more distinct notes for myself, especially if I want to give a book a gold star review so that I can REMEMBER every little thing I wanted to say.  

And now, I'm off to go make some notes before posting my next review... hangs head in embarrassment. 

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

What's On My Hold List?


Picture from YaBookNerd's blog,
because, though, I started this meme
she created a much cuter pic for it!
Welcome to the January 2014 edition

of

"What's on My Hold List?"

One of the most beautiful things about working in a Library is that I have the ability to put lots of things on hold and read them *before* I buy!! These are some of the books that I'm currently waiting for, though I may buy one or two of them after reading, as well.








So, here's what I'm waiting for right now:
Frozen 
by Melissa De La Cruz
and Michael Johnston
Heart of Dread, book one

The Offering 
by Kimberly Derting
The Pledge, book three

P.K. Pinkerton and the Petrified Man
by Caroline Lawrence
Western Mysteries, book two

Roomies
by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando

Unleashing Mr. Darcy
by Teri Wilson

You can click on each title to go to their Amazon page for a description...

So, these are the books I'm waiting anxiously to get my hands on...what are you waiting for??


Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Best Sequels Ever

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created and hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

Today's Topic: The Top Ten (or in my case...Eleven) Best Sequels Ever
(in alphabetical order by title)

1. A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton
2. Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund 
3. Bad Hair Day by Carrie Harris 
4. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins 
5. The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan 
6. The Elite by Kiera Cass 
7. The Essence by Kimberly Derting 
8. Everfound by Neal Shusterman 
9. Fox Forever by Mary E. Pearson 
10. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (*actually a companion book) 

There you have it.  These are my favorite YA sequels that I've read in the last five years or so... 
What are yours?

Friday, August 31, 2012

Gold Star Interview - Kimberly Derting!

Hello All!

As you all know, when I LURVE a book, I give it a Gold Star Review here. Well, to liven up the blog a little, I'm going to (try to) interview the author of each book that receives a coveted Gold Star! I hope you'll enjoy these quick, little interviews. :D

Today's guest is the fabulous Kimberly Derting! I'm so excited. I have really enjoyed Kimberly's Body Finder mystery series, but she officially won my heart with The Pledge. It won my first gold star review of 2012, which you can go back and read here.



Welcome, Kimberly! Thank you so much for stopping by to chat with me. I have just a couple of quick questions for you:


1. How long did it take you, from first spark of idea to final proofs, to write The Pledge?
 












The Pledge was probably the longest—in terms of time—that it’s ever taken me to put a book together. It took me a while to get the idea just right, since it came to me in pieces instead of all at once, like The Body Finder did. The first piece was a simple question: “What would it be like if someone could understand all languages?” But I definitely wanted the story itself to be bigger than just that component. I spent a lot of time thinking about how Charlie’s ability would work, what kind of world she would live in, and creating the monarchies and her friends and family, before I’d ever written a single word. 

The first draft was fast, only a couple of months, but there were several rewrites before it actually made it to the final version. In all, it probably took almost two years to complete!

I actually talk about coming up with the idea for THE PLEDGE here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcwK-Ja9wk4

2. If you could write a book under a pseudonym that no one would ever connect to you, are there any genres you would love to secretly explore?

I think I’d like to try my hand at historical romance. Believe it or not, I used to (and still sometimes do!) devour historical romances. They’re my not-so-guilty pleasure. I’m not even sure I’d bother with a pen name!   *That's one of my go-to reading guilty pleasures, too!*

3. I LOVED that The Pledge was completely centered around language. It became so powerful, almost a weapon, and definitely a status symbol. Can you tell us how you came up with that concept?

Maybe it’s the writer in me, but I’m fascinated by language on so many levels. Not just how it can be used as a weapon—or a divisor—as in The Pledge, but also how it can be used as a tool to bring people together. And people will often use language to judge others and/or make assumptions based on their grammar, idioms, or dialect. Often times, language is the foundation for the first impression we make about someone else, whether intentionally or not.

4. If you could cross one thing off your bucket list tomorrow, what would it be?

I would love to become fluent in a foreign language! I took two years of Spanish in high school, but all I can remember now is how to order a drink, say hello and goodbye, and ask someone what time it is. How cool could it be to actually carry a full conversation?   *Learning Spanish and basic Sign Language skills are on my bucket list, for sure!*

5. Quick picks list:
Favorite vacation destination?
Used to be Maui, but I think it might be Paris now. If there was a Paris with Maui weather, I’d be in heaven!  

Favorite childhood book? Charlotte’s Web

Favorite writing snack food? Lately: Pretzel M&Ms.

Favorite clothing item? I’m always cold, so anything that keeps me warm...sweaters, scarves, boots, fuzzy socks...   *Me too! I LURVE my sweaters!!*


Thank you so much, Kimberly, for letting me interview you. It was a pleasure!

For more information about Kimberly and her books, check out her website at http://www.kimberlyderting.com/