Book Review: Waiting For The One by L. A. Fiore

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Hiya! So, here is the first Book Review to kick off the new addition of posts to my blog. Hope you enjoy ^_^:

Waiting for the OneWaiting for the One by L.A. Fiore

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

L.A. Fiore‘s Waiting For The One hooked me from page one. Saffron Mills is fun, sarcastic, honest, and a kiss-asses-first, take names second kind of girl; one of the most relatable characters I have come across. Fiore does a great job in keeping Saffron’s voice and character consistent from beginning to end without any reestablishing of Saffron’s back story or life before the here and now in the book, which is something I really appreciated.

I give this book 3 swordfishes; I mean stars 😉 (man talk about a running gag ^__^) because of the partial unreliability of Saffron’s first person narration. I often felt as though some scenes between her and Logan were always missing a few details and I found my self flip-flopping for and against their relationship because I doubted his true feelings and thoughts as they were told to me by Saffron, whom could be miss reading things herself.

Another reason is that I would have liked it if the two’s relationship—Saffron & Logan—had taken a bit longer to develop because I found I enjoyed single/solo Saffron way more than coupled/domestic Saffron. She was never more alive or like herself than when she was hanging out with her friends, with Frank, or on her own.

In addition, without giving too much away, my expectations regarding Logan’s shrouded past were lowered when I discovered his affluent connections not only as an artist, but with his family too. This efficiently overused cliché did put a damper in my reading experience. :-/

Moreover, the image or take on Logan’s character and personality came across as generic and often not trust worthy. When Logan finally starts to open up to Saffron I found myself distrusting his story and wanting their relationship to come to an end, even voicing, “It’s not too late, Saffron. You can still find yourself a decent fella before the end of this book.”

Regardless, it is not often I find myself on the same page with the protagonist as they dive into the unknown, face life altering decisions and events, but I did with this book. And I truly believe it was Fiore’s ability of crafting such a strong and independent thinking female protagonist—and the steamy love scenes—that will draw in any reader. One who would enjoy a story about life, love and change all in the festival having small town of Harrington, Maine.

Thanks for reading,

Gia.

View all my Goodreads reviews here.

Orphan Black S3 Ep 8 “Ruthless in Purpose, and Insidious in Method” | Review

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Weekly Episode Poster (Image thanks to BBC America’s Orphan Black Website)

Wow–Talk about a delayed post!! Welcome back, Clone Club members for another enticing Orphan Black episode review. (If you do not find them enticing, humor me a little, please?)

This week’s episode,  “Ruthless in Purpose, and Insidious in Method,” written by Gemme Manson and Chris Roberts, brought back a few familiar faces, Dr. Coady, Benchman, and Rudy, laid the ground work for a trip back to London in the search for the Castor clone original while setting up an ingenious triple-double cross resulting in surprising clone swap.

Was that as nail biting and hook reeling as it felt? If yes, great! If no, stick around for jaw dropping details.  This week’s episode seemed to be about following the ball (aka the plot) as it shuffles back and forth under the cups.

Dr. Coady & Benchman

With Dr. Coady’s brief appearance we learned that she was still recovering from the explosion on the military base two episodes back. However, in her short scene we were privy to a short hint in regards to a possible puppet master behind LEDA and CASTOR in her conversation with Benchman.

Delphine & Krystal (Image thanks to BBC America’s Orphan Black’s website)

Substitute Dyad Queen Bee, Delphine paid a visit to Krystal Goderitch, the poor Leda clone who we saw briefly at the beginning of the season. In an attempt to check in on the naive clone, Delphine determines that since her run in with the Castor boys; Krystal had not put two-and-two together.

Continue reading →

Orphan Black S3 Ep7 “Community Of Dreadful Fear And Hate” | Review

Weekly Episode Poster from BBC America’s Orphan Black website.

Good to finally be back with a review.  It has been a bit of an adjustment the past few days finishing up my final assignment for grad school and finally catching up on some zzzzz ^___^

Also, glad to be back this week with a different atmosphere than last week’s Orphan Black episode after such a major character loss. This week’s episode, titled “Community of Dreadful Fear and Hate,” gave us some really interesting plot points to cover: Alison & Her Mother, Helena & Ms. S, Scott & Rachel and my favorite, Donnie & Pouchie.

Episode seven was mainly centered around our every astute and spear-headed sister/clone, Alison who was preparing to officially enter into the candidacy for School Trustee while she and Donnie simultaneously purchased her mother’s Bubbles store and officiate their new line of work as drug dealers with Jason by buying a large supply of drugs from the notorious Pouchie.

Helena & Sarah come face to face with Ms. S in Mexico.

Meanwhile, Sarah & Helena find themselves in a small Mexican bar/cantina suddenly surprised by the arrival of Ms. S, whom Helena is more than unenthusiastic to see.

Still on the outs with her ex-lover/girlfriend, Cosima remains reluctant to cooperate with Delphine who shows up at Shay’s apartment with a pee-cup asking Cosima for a sample to run emergency tests.

ALLISON+ DONNIE

Allison sends Donnie off with Jason for the drug deal (Image thanks to BBC America’s Orphan Black website).

Mrs. & Mr. drug dealer-sleuths, Allison and Donnie, seemed to have all of their eggs placed into all of the right baskets, but as it turns out there were a few rotten eggs stinking up the bunch. Two major examples: the campaign envelope getting switched with the drug money envelope meant for Pouchie and Allison’s mother’s reluctance to hand over her Bubbles store to them.

Continue reading →

A Writer’s Update–Protect The Writers’ Realm At All Costs

Hello Readers,

Just another Writer Update here, which will be brief. I have a number of tasks to get back to but I wanted to post this up date because it is centered on one of the main things I have been struggling with the last two weeks—my scheduled writing hour blocks. Yes, I do have a valid enough reason for the lag in my schedule (birthday weekend +sister’s graduation + Mother’s Day) but I drive a hard bargain when it comes to my writing schedule and to any novice writer who comes across this post I think it is important that you do as well.

The Importance of Boundaries & Space When You Commit to Writing: The Writers’ Realm

On any given day, friends, family and the rest, will demand your time and attention. As they simultaneously disrespect, disregard and dispute with you over the relativity of you (as a writer,) needing to take or have x amount of time to write in silence and be on your own to formulate your thoughts, or enter that special Writers’ Realm space that we writers enter where our styles and stories materialize. And this space, my friends, is important. This space is vital. This space means the world, the universe and the next galaxy over times two. Sounds a bit over the top? Well, it’s not.

“Why?” You Might Ask. 

Because, these snippets of time help us writers to better our craft, our voices and our developments as creative, mystical creatures and I do mean mystical creatures. I’m always astonished by how much work I get done when I’m in that writers’ zone at the eleventh hour on a personal piece or an assigned piece that took ten (or so) hours of not-so-good-and-often-really-bad writing before I stumble upon an overflowing stream of creative gold. Like the Writers’ Realm, I am sure the same can be said for other like-minded creative individuals who prosper and evolve when they are able to enter their creative spaces, or Fortresses of Solitude when working.

The reason I bring up the importance of the Writers’ Realm is because I had the misfortune of falling into the toxic, near fatal trap of letting the outside world not only steal me away, but keep me away from my own writer’s realm two weeks ago during my birthday weekend. As a result, it set a portion of my scheduled blog posts off by two weeks, and boy has it had a cumbersome affect.

Closing Thoughts:

I love writing; I always have and the fact that I missed my personal deadlines because I permitted others to steal my writing time is disconcerting. I am quiet literally in the middle of the final week for my Masters program, with a list of (awesome) books to review coming up and a spec script to outline and now I have to add post catch up to that list. It may sound like a lot to try to paddle through, but it retrospect it isn’t, or it wasn’t if I did not lose that time.

Developing an active practice to write everyday has been proven to aid writers to write; like a steady flow of water that trickles down from a mountain side you—hmm, I feel a manifesto coming on, which is my cue to wrap up my ramblings. 🙂 My overall point is, do not let any outside forces take you or keep you from your writer’s realm.

A few new creative updates for you though, a new installment for The Protector Series, Declan is now live and can be found on my Medium profile. And although this flash fiction pieces are episodic, be sure to check out the other two installments, Bella and Carmen as well. In the last two weeks, I have started reading three of my ARCs books, the full list is here, and all three have been off to such an exciting start. I cannot wait to share more with you all after I have finished them. Keep your eyes peeled for book reviews down the road ;-), but until next time, as always:

Stay creative,

Gia.

Orphan Black S3 Ep6 “Certain Agony Of The Battlefield” | Review (Spoilers)

1 Comment

Orphan Black’s Weekly Episode Poster (From BBC America’s Orphan Black site) ;-(

I have watched this week’s Orphan Black episode, “Certain Agony Of The Battlefield,” written by Aubrey Nealon and I am still not ready. I do not think I ever will be. Since this is still fresh in my mind and in the minds of all the Clone Club members, I want to first mention Continue reading →

Orphan Black S3 Ep 5 “Scarred By Many Past Frustrations” | Review

Weekly Orphan Black Poster (Image thanks to BBC America’s Orphan Black Website)

In this week’s Orphan Black episode, “Scarred By Many Past Frustrations” written by Alex Levine we unexpectedly saw the roles reverse for Helena and Sarah after Sarah awakens in the Castor clones’ military camp in a cell next to her sister/twin clone, Helena (whom showed her no love upon seeing Sarah).

Helena revels in seeing Sarah trying to adjust to the all too familiar confinement conditions that she grew up in. In true bickering siblings form, Sarah pretends that she isn’t hurt by Helena’s rejection and tells her that she hopes she rots in her cell. Ever the sharp knife in the display case Helena replies with, what I think is the best quote in the episode:

Helena talks about her time in convent

“In the convent, I survived in a broom closet for four months. I do not rot.” –Helena

Although seeing Helena and Sarah interact with one another is always great, I am sad that my prediction about Helena rejecting Sarah was so spot on. Our #cloneclub sisters have to stick together against these Castor punks. Falling apart at the seams will not help up win this clone war, am I right?

Meanwhile, a rejected and alone Gracie finds her way to Art’s front door who takes her to stay with Ms. S despite Felix’s protest, Ms. S tries to make Gracie feel at home. As the baby clone bones  (believed to hold the key to saving the Castor clones lives) are examined, ‘Mother’ sends Rudy off to ‘have fun’ so that he and the Major, aka Paul do not clash when he arrives and discovers Rudy and Mark have brought Sarah to the camp.

Paul confronts Sarah

“All you had to do was stay away.” -Paul to Sarah when he sees her in her cell.

When Paul does return to the camp he is more than pissed to see Sarah there, which is understandable considering the lengths he went through to make sure Sarah was able to escape Dyad and be with Kira.  Even under the circumstances, Paul continues on to defend his actions and alignment with the Castor brothers because he, like Sarah, is only trying to help and protect her “genetic siblings” who too are sick and dying. The only upside to their interaction was that Helena is that she heard Paul admit that he traded Helena for Sarah.

Continue reading →

A Writer’s Update–New Protector Series Installment Available

1 Comment

Happy Tuesday, Readers,

I am super excited about the next few weeks I just feel like dancing and for so many different reasons. At the top of the list, I will be finishing up with my Masters degree. Following that, I will start working on my first Television spec script while I start work on a few book reviews. I have been fortunate enough to have a few ARC (Advance Reader Copies) copies a few books in the last two weeks:

1) Waiting for the One by L. A. Fiore

2) If I Could Turn Back Time by Beth Harbison

3) Orient by Christopher Bollen

4) Fate’s Crossing (The Black Blood Legacies Series Book 1) by J. R. Smith

5) The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett

It may be crazy to think, but last Saturday, May 9th was my birthday and I kind of feel like these ARCs were gifts from the cosmos because all I asked for this year from my family was to have gift cards to buy non-school related books to added to my book shelf ^__^. Look out summer, this bookworm still lives. Moreover, with The Flash, Jane The Virgin, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Revenge (gone for good) coming to an end until the fall, I need more sources of entertainment.

I also have to create a shorter-short list for the show I plan to spec over the summer, (there are just so many -___- ) but the next installment for The Protector Series, Carmen, is now live and available to read here. Much lighter than the first installment, Bella, Carmen tells the story about a college student who catches a few classmates plotting to seek revenge on their college professor and decides to take matters into her own hands. With that being said, I hope you all have been well and that you all are enjoying the re-emerging of the sun (for those in the Northern East cost area).

So until next time, Readers, as always stay creative.

Gia

Orphan Black S3 Ep 4 “Newer Elements of Our Defense” | Review

Orphan Black’s Weekly Episode poster. (From BBC America’ Orphan Black’s website)

Prolethean mother hen, Bonnie Johanssen guns down Mark out in the open. (Photo from BBC America’s Orphan Black website).

In last week’s episode, we witnessed Mark being gunned down by Mrs. Johanssen (Bonnie) in the cornfield of the deceased William Finch’s farm as a terrified Sarah watched from the barn. This week’s episode, “Newer Elements of Our Defense,” written by: Russ Cochrane, opened with Bonnie emerging from the field like a huntress sensing another big kill near by as she stalked her way over to the barn.

Sarah makes her way out of the barn and takes cover beside Mark’s truck; she finds Mark’s discarded handgun on the ground and slips into the cornfield. Sarah does not get far in when she comes across a badly wounded, but still very much alive Mark.

Sarah outside of Finch’s barn. (Photo from Orphan Black’s wiki page).

She manages to get Mark to an abandoned house a few miles away from Finch’s farm where she helps him remove a bullet stuck in his leg once the two come to a natural truce—in terms of Mark answering Sarah’s questions in exchange for her help. It is not long, though before the loss of blood causes Mark to pass out and with the discovery of his hotel key, Sarah calls an ambulance for Mark and leaves.

Whilst Bonnie has taken Gracie to their new Prolethean home run by Mr. Appleyard where she and the rest from her ‘fleet’, (perhaps the better term is flock) have taken up residence after the fire at their home. Mr. Appleyard examines Gracie and seems to sense something is off either with Gracie or the baby she is carrying. I should mention that Mr. Appleyard is blind, so perhaps he has heightened senses (I am not a hundred percent on this). Later that day, however, Gracie looses the baby. Convinced that the miscarriage was punishment for Gracie running away with Mark, her mother (Bonnie) shuns Gracie and banishes her.

Else where, Helena cleverly plans to out smart her captors by stashing (what looks like a pork chop) bone away and staging an outburst to be taken from her cell in an attempt to plan her escape, (with her trusted talking scorpion) only to discover Dr. Coady doing tests on one of her own Castor clones, Parsons. This affects Helena’s actions later when she chews up the bone into a makeshift key and gets out of her cell, but more on that a little later.

Meanwhile, Mother Alison and Donnie attempt to close up shop, or at least put a pin in their operation until they can figure out if they are being watched by the cops when it turns out the true owner of the pharmaceuticals they bought from Ramon wants answers from them. As luck would have it, Alison and Donnie are summoned to meet with drug boss, Jason Kellerman whom turns out to be an ex-boyfriend of Alison’s’. Impressed with Alison’s homemade-soap cover for selling the drugs, Jason agrees to let Alison and Donnie continue their operation.

Jason Kellerman, Alison’s ex-boyfriend from high school and neighborhood drug boss (Photo from BBC America’s Orphan Black’s website).

Continue reading →