Stay tuned after my review of Cameron's Law and interview with author Mia Darien for info about her latest book.

Cameron's Law (Adelheid #1)

by Mia Darien

My rating on a 100-point scale: 91

My recommender: 

Masquerade Tours

My short and sweet synopsis: 

   A law is passed making all preternatural creatures public citizens, but that doesn't mean it's safe for them to come out into the open, as Sadie Stanton is bound to be reminded time after time.

My short and sweet review:  

   Though this text isn't technically perfect, it is an adventure worth the time. I enjoyed it and know many others will, too.

I recommend to: 
Fans of supernatural fiction, specifically that involving vampires and werewolves.

Suggested restrictions: 

I don't suggest for anyone under the age of 13 for gore, etc.

Links for Cameron's Law:
Get it for FREE from Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Get it in print from Amazon or Createspace for less than $5.
It's also available as an audiobook for $2 here.

Check out the second in this series here, the third here, and the latest here.

My interview with the author:  

   Hello Ms. Darien, and welcome to my book blog! I noticed you have a blog as well, and a very interesting website. Tell us, what do you typically blog about and what other interesting things can we discover on your site? 

Image from Amazon.com.

   Thanks for having me! These days, most of my blog posts are author and character interviews with my fellow authors and their respective characters. I've been doing those for over a year now and they're a lot of fun, I think. Otherwise, I try to keep my site simple and informative: (there are) pages for each series and my stand-alone works, (an) archive of interviews, biographical information, a page where I keep a record of what I'm writing/how far I am and what I'm reading, and a page on freelancing services (that) I offer for self-publishing authors. 

   Cool beans. The first of your Adelheid series, Cameron's Law, is free on Smashwords and Amazon. Will it always be free? Do you have any other works offered for free? If so, from where? 

   Yes, I intend for it to always be free. It's my gateway to the series, and I think I've had (a) good response from that. Otherwise, my only works for free are some short stories that I released before Cameron's Law. They are available from Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo, but not Amazon. It's not easy getting a book free there and I focused that effort on Cameron's Law. 

A Few Timeless Tales

Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm 
A New English Version  
Edited and Annotated by Philip Pullman

My rating on a 100-point scale: 92

   Although I'm thoroughly interested in fairy tales, folk tales and all, this book got a little old for me about half-way through. The title is misleading because they are not only fairy tales - there are folk tales, fables, and even a creation myth or two. So I believe the title should be more simply Tales from the Brothers Grimm, since that more accurately describes what it contains.
   The tales are well-written for the most part, though there are a few technical errors (till instead of until or 'til, round instead of around, etc). What bothered me most about this collection though, are the notes that Pullman made after each tale. As someone who has studied these kinds of tales a little in college, I feel like Pullman was a little condescending in his notes. I felt like he was trying to belittle me into believing what he does about them. I didn't like that.
   I probably would have purchased this book for my collection, had the library not had it. Now I know that Pullman kind of ruins it for me, and know not to get this version. He may not ruin these timeless tales for everyone like he did for me, but it's not going on my bookshelf anymore. I think I'll stick with the originals, though these are pretty close.
   The high rating is because I enjoy these tales so much. I can't rate them less than that, despite what Pullman says about them.

This book is not suggested for ages ten and under due to gore and horror. The original tales were not pretty like Disney, for those of you who may not already be aware. 

A Classic

Image borrowed from http://www.repeatfanzine.co.uk/Reviews

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

My rating on a 100-point scale: 98

     When I read books considered to be classics, I am always a little disappointed. I think this is because everyone who likes these books tends to raise them up to such a high level with their praise that the books can't possibly live up to the expectations. Wuthering Heights, as well as Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice, though both great books that are very well written , both fall into my category of Classic Slight Disappointments. 

     As an example, in the comedy movie The Proposal, Sandra Bullock's character mentions that her favorite book is Wuthering Heights and that she reads it every year during the holidays. Though this is only a character in a movie, being someone's favorite book to the extent of taking time out to read that one book every year is fascinating. And that may have been a deciding factor when I was looking for my next book. I had to subconsciously, if not consciously, ask myself, "What book is so good to read so consistently?" and the search for the answer is a reason I have now read Wuthering Heights.

One for Romantics

Chase the Wind by Cindy Holby

My rating on a 100-point scale: 100

     This is one of my all-time favorite books. Though there are places that are very adult and romance-fiction material, this is a mostly historical western novel. It takes place in the United States, beginning in West(-ern) Virginia around 1860 and follows the affects of the curse of one man's hatred. This is a story of love and hate, and triumph and tragedy, an emotional roller coaster ready to deliver. 

      I think one of the reasons I love this novel so much is because the characters and plot are so well-developed. I was able to relate to the characters and their situations a lot.

I wouldn't recommend this novel for anyone younger than 15, due to a few very sensual scenes and the horrors placed upon the main characters.