Hedanicreations

“Money makes the world go ‘round.”

“You reap what you sow.”

“Life isn’t fair.”

After reading the latest novel by Karly Kirkpatrick, “The Green,” these were the phrases that came to mind. Although they are cliché, the novel is anything but. In fact, for anyone who has faced adversity, it is easy to related to the dreams and desires of Kirkpatrick’s heroine, Ari—although most wouldn’t agree with how she goes about reaching her goals.

Ari Pisa is a seventeen-year-old honor student at Cambridge High School with dreams of attending Northwestern University. When it comes to academics, Ari has it all, but she doesn’t come from the same economic background as her peers at school. Her mom works two jobs so that Ari can stay in the Cambridge district, and her brother is a couch potato, who lacks moral fiber. When her brother decides to take off, Ari thinks it is a blessing in disguise until she finds out her brother’s job as a drug dealer was what kept them in their basement apartment. Desperate not to lose her dreams when they are within her grasp, she takes over her brother’s job.

It is what happens after she strikes a bargain with the devil that she gets a true taste of the dark side of life. As her extracurricular job grows more demanding, it begins to take a toll on her school life and personal relationships. She teeters on the edge, until finally, it all comes crashing down around her.

What I love about Ari’s story is the simple truth that there are no easy roads in life, and when you find one that seems too good to be true, it is. Ari is a driven heroine. She knows hard work is the key to her success, yet she takes the easy road to get “the green” out of desperation. What I also love about the story is that she always tries to do everything on her own, like she’s the adult. She doesn’t ask for help, and I think it’s a great lesson she learns by the end of the novel. We all need a little help, either from friends and family or through financial assistant for higher education. No one can stand alone; you just have to put your trust in the right place—and not just with where the money is.

“The Green” is Kirkpatrick’s best novel to date. She really nails Ari’s struggle in a realistic story that even adults could learn a lesson from.

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I couldn’t stand the silence. My heartbeat filled the void. The pounding of the drum overshadowed reason. I wanted to run. Every muscle told me it was the safest way to escape with my life, because I knew what was out there. Cold, heartless death was inching closer to my hideaway. My hunter moved like a ghost, only appearing at the moment of the final, ending blow. It didn’t matter if I stayed or went, the silence would kill me.

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As I’ve mentioned before, I write with the G10 Writers, and on several occasions during the last year, we’ve gotten into discussions about ebooks – specifically, the quality. There is an argument out there about how independent publishing, although a wonderful thing for many authors, has led to a decline in the quality of books in the area of editing and formatting. I feel, in a lot of cases, it is a fair assessment but that’s a negative take on something far more complex.

In the world of independent publishing, the author wears every hat in the publishing process. They are no longer just the writer, but the editor, the marketing director, and the illustrator – and that is just to name a few. Because they are wearing so many hats, it is inevitable things fall through the cracks, which is why you end up with formatting issues in the e-edition or blatant typos in the story.

For those reasons, the saying “every great writer, needs a great editor” has never applied more. For a writer, mistakes are made and often overlooked because he or she is too busy typing and then has read through the copy too many times. It helps to have that second set of eyes that can pinpoint what the author has missed.

That leads to a secondary issue: How do you find an editor you can trust?

First, there are issues in finding an editor. Every person with an English degree in need of money thinks they have the skill to hunt those typos, when that isn’t the case. At the same time, independent authors do not have the backing of publishing houses, which means, if they are going to fork over the money for an editor, they want someone they can trust.

For many authors, it is easier to hand the manuscript to a friend with some skill or a critiquing group in the hopes that they will find as many as possible – but it isn’t 100 percent. Because it isn’t full-proof, those typos are added to the evidence column against independent publishing.

The second issue is that not every author/editor relationship is harmonious. A good editor should not only adapt to the writer’s needs, but understand and be able to pinpoint the style the writer is using, their error quirks, and get the story. Not all editors and writers are good matches, and sometimes the time to find that editor isn’t worth the effort. So, again, you end up with manuscripts that aren’t edited to the same standard as traditionally published books.

So, my advice to authors as a writer and an editor is this: Find the middle ground. Don’t just ignore the need for an editor because of trust issues. Reputable editors are willing to take a “proof test” so that the writer can see their editing style, and editors are also willing to discuss the needs of a writer to make sure they are a good match. They should not take an editing job if they do not feel they can be of benefit to the author. And authors, talk to your friends and writing circles, get some recommendations, and go from there.

There is no reason independent authors shouldn’t enjoy the same quality and perks as they would from major publishers. You just have to know where to look.

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Some people might think that my choice to move on from journalism was spontaneous, when in fact it was a year of careful consideration and job hunting in San Diego before I ever moved. At the end of that year, in September of 2011, I made a choice to brave the unknown of unemployment and take a chance.

Four months later, I am still job hunting. I get a lot of feed back and have a lot of great interviews, but nothing has clicked in the traditional job front as of yet. Part of the reason is that I have always had a passion for journalism, but had reached a point where I felt burnt out. Because of it, I have felt directionless since I moved – knowing I have plenty of talent to share, but not necessarily sure where I fit. So, the fact that no job has clicked is probably for the best right now.

Then, I had an idea.

It started as a spark, a passing fancy. No way could I possibly try it. So, I put the idea on the back burner for a time, letting it simmer. It sat there brewing until one day I received an email from an author asking me for my help.

Now, I have only been acquainted with this author through her books, through Facebook, and through emails, but I have always enjoyed our interactions. I was surprised to receive her message, but when I read it, I remembered my idea that I had left to simmer.

So, here I am a month later setting myself up as a freelance editor for independent, self-publishing authors. It’s a move that feels right – a fitting match for the work I’m passionate about. Not only am I crafting a position for myself that feeds my addiction to words, but I also get to help authors who are carving out a corner of the publishing world for themselves. And that feels pretty great to me.

Check out the freelance editor page on my website, www.hedanicreations.net, for more information or email me at hdaniellecrabtree@gmail.com for full prices and details.

Oh, and I just wanted to thank Scott, who always supports me; Genevieve for helping me get my idea off the back burner; and Mark, for your reminder awhile back about how the right job would come around to fit my unique talents. Thanks, guys.

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OVER AGAIN
H. Danielle Crabtree

There was something in the air, dark and twisted, unnatural. It reeked of rot, mold and earth, the aroma of the dead. Its pungent stench eclipsed the fresh scent of the falling rain, and Colin gasped. His hands began to shake; his inhales and exhales sharpened. He knew what was coming. It was the same thing that came for him every night.

He picked up his pace, careful not to trip on the broken chunks that were supposedly a sidewalk. The light rain turned into a steady downpour as he turned a corner into an alley. His heart raced with each step. If only he could make it home …

He never knew what to expect. Every night it was some different form of torture upon his soul. He knew what the morning would bring, but still, he wondered if this would be the last time. If tonight, he would escape the hellish punishment, the curse laid upon him.

He pulled his jacket closer around his body and took a deep breath, trying without success to quell his fear. He would never be numb to it; the way one was with everyday experiences. No, there was no immunity in this ever-changing, waking nightmare.

Get it over with, he thought as he glanced over his shoulder. He hated no knowing where the end would come from or what he should expect. You couldn’t outrun what you couldn’t see coming …

He tripped over a broken crate in the alley, landing in a puddle. His palms scraped against the fractured concrete. It scratched away his flesh, blooding his hands. He lifted himself up from the sodden trenches of the small byway, only making it to his knees when he saw the legs of a man standing before him.

Rising to his full height, Colin took in the rest of the darkened figure. The man was faceless; a hoodie obscured his features where the light dared to touch. His choice of black made him into a shadow among shadows, but Colin had no doubt that he was the hunter in his purgatory. In the gloved form of the man’s hand was a knife; the object Colin knew would serve as today’s fateful end.

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Slowly Colin’s eyes fluttered open. He gripped the blankets as if tearing at them when his consciousness revealed his reality for what was now a countless number of times. He was in his bed, destined forever to wake up to the vision of the dilapidated ceiling and his own personal hell called life.

Colin laid there for a few minutes staring at the cracks and longing to escape his misery. Every day ended in his death, and every morning, he woke up here – doomed to repeat it all again.

He took a deep breath and gripped the blankets harder. His muscles quivered as if shredding the covers was the most exhausting act he had ever done. Anger, fear and pain filled him, and he felt as if he would go insane, if he wasn’t already.

He rose from his bed, walking to the bathroom, tripping over the trash and clothes that covered his floor as if he were a blind man. Finally reaching his destination, Colin stood in front of the mirror, staring at his haggard face. The once youthful face now was marred by lines, dark bags under his green eyes, and facial hair that left him looking dirty and old.

He cringed. This couldn’t be his face; he was only twenty-seven, at least he had been when the nightmare started. He had been promised a thousand deaths in recompense, and he could not remember how many times and in how many ways he had died.

But this was his punishment, one he couldn’t escape, for a grievous mortal sin.

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I think I’ve said it before when I’ve reviewed Cassandra Clare’s work: I’ve always loved the emotion, the characters, the masterpiece that comes from her writing. Her poorest quality writing is still a sparkling gem against others and I’ve come to expect it. But I think this time around Clare has blown away even her other novels.

Not since I finished “City of Glass” — just after it was released – have I felt so much from Clare. I loved her last two novels – “Clockwork Angel” and “City of Fallen Angels” respectively – but next to “Clockwork Prince” they feel like first drafts, only good next to something great.

In “Clockwork Prince,” the search for the Magister continues for the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. Only this time, the price is high when the council decides to give Charlotte only two weeks to find the Magister or forfeit her leadership of the London Institute at the behest of the Lightwoods. What they find in their search sheds light on the Magister’s vendetta against the Shadowhunters; reveals a traitor in a trusted ally; and gives them more pieces of a puzzle that could explain the truth about Tessa Gray’s parentage.

As if the quest for the Magister isn’t spellbinding enough, Clare layers her novel with revelations regarding Will’s past that explain his self-destructive, coarse behavior. His anguish feels tangible, and never more so than by the time you reach the end of the novel and it feels as if his efforts have been for naught.

She’ll break your heart repeatedly in “Clockwork Prince” – for Will, for Tessa, for Jem, and for Jessamine — but she’ll never disappoint.

So, in Will and Tessa’s honor and in honor of Clare’s use of poetry at the start of every chapter, here’s a little something from me inspired by them:

Divided is my heart, on this thing called love; divided is my mind, because I cannot tear it apart; divided are the hours, that I look upon your face; because divided is my heart against your warm embrace. – H. Danielle Crabtree

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Books often hook me on the first words, but I have to say the last lines of Megg Jensen’s “The Initiate” gave me pause.

Although I will leave them for other readers to discover, they serve as true in real life as they do for the two series this short story bridges – The Swarm Trilogy and The Cloud Prophet Trilogy.

In the story, every ten years, ten girls are sacrificed in the hopes that the gods will choose a chosen one, but no one ever survives the trial by fire. Eloh, who does not believe in the gods, is one such initiate.

Her fate in this story is a blessing and a curse, and fans of Jensen will easily pick up the threads that connect it with her two series. However, even if you haven’t experienced her other books, “The Initiate” can easily stand alone. But, when you read it, you’ll definitely want to discover the affect this one event has on the rest of Jensen’s universe.

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Introducing the new artwork for Megg Jensen’s bestselling novel SLEEPERS!

To celebrate the re-launch of SLEEPERS in January of 2012, Megg is giving it a new cover with artwork from the incredible PhatPuppy.

Synopsis: An adoptee raised in a foreign land, sixteen-year-old Lianne was content with her life as handmaiden to the queen, until a spell cast on her at birth activated. Now she’s filled with uncontrollable rage and access to magic she thought had been bled from her people years ago. Even her years of secret training in elite hand-to-hand combat and meditation can’t calm the fires raging inside her.

Her heart is torn between two boys, the one she’s always loved and the one who always ignored her. But when the kingdom threatens to tear itself apart due to rumors surrounding the queen’s alleged affair, who will Lianne protect and who will she destroy?

On sale now for only 99 cents!

Check out my review in the Arizona Daily Sun’s Sun Spots Column: Sun Spots: The ‘Sleepers’ awake

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I actually picked up this volume several years ago, but always had other books I wanted to read first. What resulted is a long delay in getting to a book that had already been out for a while. I’m not going to say I didn’t like the books. On the contrary, there were parts I was so invested in that I didn’t want to be disturbed. However, there are several things about the books that bothered me.

I didn’t much care for the writing style. The story was constantly jumping from character to character, from dreamscape to real world, and from century to century. It just made it hard to follow the story arc. I also didn’t see the point of having a character’s point of view for a page and a half with absolutely no progression of the plot other than they are watching someone else. It felt pointless and actually disruptive. When I read a story, I want to follow the story, not get lost in some dream and when I’m done be left thinking, “and the point of that was?”

In the first part of the volume, book one “Witch,” I actually liked some of the characters, and I found most of my vested interest was in the first book. However, by the second book, “Curse,” the characters start morphing into completely unlikeable beings. Holly’s progression as a character of light to something a bit twisted just made me not like her at all as she blurred lines that shouldn’t be crossed near the end.

I guess my biggest issue with the series thus far is that there was just a great deal of “pointless” things that didn’t advance the story and only muddled what would have been a clear and beautiful work of writing.

I have the second volume with books three and four. It may be sitting on my shelf a bit longer. My only curiosity left for this series is if any of these characters will find redemption.

Wicked: Witch & Curse by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

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There is one question on my mind after reading “Weaving Destiny” by G.P. Ching and it is: Why aren’t her novels N.Y. Times bestsellers?

There are no “why nots” on my list as I ponder her writing.

Her word crafting and stories flow with the same magic I’ve found in my favorite authors, who are bestsellers. I noticed her craftsmanship in the first novel of the series “The Soulkeepers.” And like in “Soulkeepers” as she tells Jacob’s story, the same can be said about Malini’s story of self-discovery in “Weaving Destiny. Her writing voice takes an other-worldly quality that makes you feel as if you’re in the story – the same I’ve found with Cassandra Clare or Cinda Williams Chima.

Her characters are also distinct and possess the human qualities that make readers love them. One of my favorite things from this book was Malini’s varying emotions. She’s uncertain, she’s afraid, she’s questioning her role with the Soulkeepers, and yet, she is strong, she is brave and she puts it all out there – no holding back despite that fear.

I also like that Ching’s characters are multicultural. Jacob is Caucasian and Chinese; Malini is Indian. So, not only do her characters struggle with wants and desires, Malini especially struggles with cultural expectations from her parents. Ching also weaves those cultural differences into Malini’s journey in the novel and I love the things she learns from her heritage. It gives the story a bit of spice.

Her plots are in engaging, surprising and there are no dull moments that make the reader want to toss it from boredom. Part of the reason for this is that the novel is fairly short. I’ve noticed a good number of YA ebooks are just around 200 pages – about half the length of the published tomes. But, she doesn’t waste a single page; there isn’t any filler or slow transitions. She does in 200 pages what other authors do in 400 pages – tells a complete story arc that is an engaging read.

Since there are no “why nots” for G.P. Ching’s Soulkeeper Series, it means a great number of people are missing out on an author who rivals the best and belongs on that coveted list.

Check out “Soulkeepers” and “Weaving Destiny” by G.P. Ching.

*All images are linked, not hosted.

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