The Line Between by Tosca Lee | Re:View

Wild and frighteningly plausible, The Line Between by Tosca Lee is a thrilling tale that will have you considering preparations for the end of the world.

The Progeny by Tosca Lee | RE:View

The Progeny by Tosca Lee delivers question after unanswered question through shocking twists and turns with answers that dance just out of reach. 

One girl is the center of mystery, she just doesn't know it yet. Emily Porter is the descendant of a serial killer. She's smart, intuitive, and gifted, and she would do anything to save the ones she loves.

I loved this book! I mean...I didn't expect anything less from Tosca because anything she writes is fabulous, but I wasn't sure what I would find hiding in the pages of The Progeny. Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed. From the start the reader is kept guessing as we're dropped into the mind of Emily. I liked Tosca's use of first person present tense - it's a popular POV right now and I think she did a great job with it. Emily isn't whiny, annoying, or trivial like so many main characters can become. I enjoy how fresh, focused, and smart she is.

@createexploreread

I also loved the setting and infusion of history! It's set in modern day just slightly in the future (close enough to be realistic in my opinion) but the flavor of the 1600s is present with a fun, modern type flair. I also personally love anything that has to do with history affecting present day in a mysterious, slightly supernatural type way. So much YES!

Do I recommend it? Absolutely! I think fans of Tosca's other writing will love it despite the fact that it is different than anything else she's written thus far. I also think YA readers will enjoy the fast paced plot, historical fans will like the interwoven backstory, and readers of thrillers and suspense will get their action kick to. Oh, did I mention there's romance too??? So, I guess I'm saying that say pretty much any reader who likes a good book will enjoy The Progeny.

I will caution you readers that there is a slight bit of language for some of you who aren't expecting it, just know it's there.

But really, you'll love this and the end will leave you satisfied but begging for book 2.

Buckle up for this wild ride!

My rating: 4.5*
Purchase: The Progeny

Book Description
(from Amazon)

Emily Porter is the descendant of a serial killer. Now, she’s become the hunted.

She’s on a quest that will take her to the secret underground of Europe and the inner circles of three ancient orders—one determined to kill her, one devoted to keeping her alive, and one she must ultimately save.

Filled with adrenaline, romance, and reversals, The Progeny is the present-day saga of a 400-year-old war between the uncanny descendants of “Blood Countess” Elizabeth Bathory, the most prolific female serial killer of all time, and a secret society dedicated to erasing every one of her descendants. A story about the search for self amidst centuries-old intrigues and Europe’s underground scene…and one woman’s mission to survive.

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I received a free copy of this book for review purposes, but was under no obligation to read the book or post a review. I do so under my own motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are honest and entirely my own.

25 Favorite Reads of 2014

Well, looking back on this year, I have gotten the chance to read some incredible books! I know a lot of people who share their "best of" or "favorites" lists, so I thought...why not join the gang?

I started by going back through my Goodreads list to see what I actually read this year! Call me crazy, but the year flew by and I was having a hard time remembering what all happened this year. So, these aren't in any order other than the order that I read them in. Some were read for review, some just for fun, but either way--if you're looking for books to read in 2015, look no further ;)

25 Favorite Reads of 2014

1. Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will by Kevin DeYoung

2. Galatians for You: For Reading, For Feeding, For Leading by Timothy Keller  

3. Once Upon A Prince by Rachel Hauck 

4. Beowulf: Explosives Detection by Ronie Kendig

5. Humility: The Beauty of Holiness by Andrew Murray 

6. Princess Ever After by Rachel Hauck

7. Divergent by Veronica Roth

8. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

9. Mortis by Hannah Cobb

10. Insurgent by Veronica Roth

11. Raptor 6 by Ronie Kendig

12. Words of Conviction by Linda White

13. A March Bride by Rachel Hauck

14. Red Rising by Pierce Brown

15. Finding Spiritual Whitespace: Awakening Your Soul to Rest by Bonnie Gray

16. Somebody Like You by Beth K. Vogt

17. The Judgement Stone by Robert Liparulo

18. Hacker by Ted Dekker

19. Redeeming the Rancher by Deb Kastner

20. A Cast of Stones by Patrick Carr

21. Operation Zulu (all Episodes) by Ronie Kendig

22. The Legend of Sheba: Rise of a Queen by Tosca Lee

23. Deceived by Irene Hannon

24. A.D. 30 by Ted Dekker

25. In Perfect Time by Sarah Sundin

The Legend of Sheba: Rise of a Queen by Tosca Lee | RE:View

The absolutely stunning tale Tosca Lee weaves through The Legend of Sheba renders me breathless with its intricacy and rich, detailed beauty.

Framed by eloquent descriptions and fueled by romance, The Legend of Sheba will transport you across ocean and land to the oasis of the land of Saba and to a young woman named Bilqis. Her journey to become queen is fraught with turmoil, hurt, passion, and an overwhelming sense of destiny. It is a tale that will touch your very soul.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Legend of Sheba! You can tell the historical background was thoroughly researched, and yet it flows so smoothly that you experience the setting as if it is native to you. The characters are deep and the emotional connection to them is immediate. The plot draws you in and at once submerges you in the land of Saba.

I highly recommend this novel to all. If you enjoy historical fiction it is a must - but, even if you don't, it's still a recommendation because of the skill with which Tosca Lee writes. She is at once a storyteller and a magician of words and descriptions, creating a world her readers can enjoy and experience.

Purchase The Legend of Sheba: Rise of a Queen

Book Description
(from Tosca's website)

There is the tale that is told: A desert queen journeyed north with a caravan of riches to pay tribute to a king and his One God. The story of a queen conquered by a king before she returned to her own land laden with gifts.

That is the tale you are meant to believe.
Which means most of it is a lie.

1000BC. The king of Sheba is dead and Bilqis, his exiled daughter, has gained the crown after a desperate overland march and battle for the capital. Solomon, the brash king of Israel famous for his wealth and wisdom, will not be denied the tribute of the world—or the riches of Sheba. With the future of her nation at stake, the one woman who can match wits with Solomon undertakes the journey of a lifetime in a daring bid save her kingdom.

An explosive retelling of the legendary king and queen and the nations that shaped history.

The Legend of Sheba releases tomorrow so you only have one day to wait! 

If you can't wait that long, make sure to check out the short pre-release of Ismeni - the story of Bilqis' mother. It's FREE on Amazon right now!

Download  Ismeni: An eShort Prelude to The Legend of Sheba










Check out the video trailer to The Legend of Sheba...

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I received a free copy of this book for review purposes, but was under no obligation to read the book or post a review. I do so under my own motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are honest and entirely my own. 

What are you saying with your headshot? (part 3)

On to part 3 of this mini-series about headshots and photography. Check out part 1 about why you need a professional headshot and part 2 about what to do to prepare for your headshot session.

If a picture is worth a 1000 words, what are you saying with your headshot?

We've talked about why you need professional headshots and what to do during your session, but now let's focus on what you'll see.

Who are you?

The best thing that your headshots can show is who you are. Below are 4 pictures I took at the ACFW conference last year. They are broken up into 2 categories though it's all the same person - the lovely Amanda G. Stevens (a new author at David C Cook). As you can see, the top two show a lovely, smiling Amanda, while the bottom show a more mysterious, yet no less lovely, side of her. They are all completely her, but they give off different feelings.

Amanda can use any of these photos interchangeably, but we did a few different "looks" so she can choose what fits.

When you're thinking about taking your photos, think of your style of writing. Amanda writes dystopian literature and, though her lovely smiling face is great for Facebook and other things, the mysterious look also works really well with her genre.

Elizabeth Goddard's tagline is: "Escape to Adventure, Romance, and Suspense"

As you can see from her headshot, the photo is uniquely her - with a cute jean jacket and big smile - but it also fits the tone of her website. 

Tosca Lee is another author who has a distinct style. Being a former model (isn't she beautiful?) she was comfortable posing, but she also knew what type of image she wanted to portray. 

Speaking of which,The Legend of Sheba: Rise of a Queen is AMAZING and you should probably get a copy ;)

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Once you've figured out what it is you're saying (your "branding" to use a marketing term), you need to know a few things about your photos. It's definitely the trickier, technical side of things you never considered about photography... No, it's not all just taking photos and handing them over. There are a lot of things for you, the author, to consider when signing a contract or accepting a session with your photographer.

 **Please note: I do not pretend to be an expert on this. I am just going off of my own personal research and experience with my business to hopefully help point you in the right direction. These are helpful suggestions, nothing more :)

Copyrights

What are you getting? 
The best question to ask any photographer you work with is what you are getting by signing your contract and paying your fees. Likely, you will not receive full copyrights to your images. That's natural so don't worry. The photographer retains the copyrights because the images are their artwork. Instead, you will most likely receive a copyright release which allows you a certain type of access to your images.

Non-Commercial
(think weddings, senior photos, family photos)

For many photography sessions that offer digital images, a non-commercial print release is included, which allows you to print the photos through the lab of your choice but not to sell the images for profit (you didn't take them, they aren't yours to sell). Most photographers compensate for offering digital images by making the disc relatively expensive due to the fact that they will lose any further sales by handing over the digital images.

More common is the option to purchase prints/albums through your photographer or to purchase media-friendly images for personal use at a higher cost. It is typical for the media-friendly images to include the photographers watermark as a means of promotion for the photographer. Their images will circulate the Internet and, without a watermark, no one will know who took the image. Think of it like an artist's signature.

Commercial
(think magazine covers or stock photography)
For commercial photography, a photographer is taking a photo that will be used in a commercial capacity. If the photographer is selling it, they are typically compensating their models (this compensation could be photos or money) because they themselves will gain compensation from the photo. An author will be using the photos for a type of commercial use - you aren't selling the image, but it is on something that will sell (ie: a book). That's where things get a little tricky.

What you as an author will want to clarify is that you need a limited liability release for commercial purposes. 

Don't get confused with the terminology here - you are not purchasing the copyright to your photos, just the ability (the release) to use them for commercial purposes (on book covers or magazines etc.). A photographer almost never sells the copyright (and if they do, we're talking a large sum here). With a limited liability release, it means that the photographer is released from responsibility of the photo and how it's circulated, though they still retain the rights to their image.

And a note to authors: Should you have photos taken and they are used on your books, credit your photographer where possible. I know that sometimes your publisher will not be able to do this - I've looked at many books and cannot find anything about who took the authors photo. But...is that fair? Not really. What better promotion for your photographer than to be attributed to the images they took? Just a thought from a photographer ;)

Model Release

Another aspect of your author headshots could be a model release. Should your photographer ask you to sign one, you can always inquire as to why they would want to do this, but it is very typical and a safety precaution for them. There are many reasons, but here are a few:

• Image use on a blog or website for promotion (most common) 
• Image use on printed materials for photographer (again, for promotion)
• Image use for stock photography or sale purposes (this is typically part of the agreement)

Personally, as a photographer, I ask my clients to sign a model release so that I can use their images for promotional sake. Like the photos in this post - I can use them as examples because my clients signed their permission. This release also acts as protection to the photographer so that they cannot be sued for using the photos they have taken.

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So, there are some tips from a writer and a photographer about headshots. Did you find this mini-series helpful? What are your thoughts about headshots? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below!

ACFW Recap (part 2)

The monument

As I said in my previous post, I attended the ACFW Conference in Indianapolis last weekend. I had the privileged of meeting so many amazing authors and writers - some published, some on their way. It was such a blessing to spend time with hundreds of like-minded people.

As Brandilyn Collins (the MC for the weekend) said, we just had to remember that there were "normals" about. When you get that many authors in one location, we tend to be a little lax about the interesting life a writer leads. It's not uncommon to hear writers talking about their characters as if they were real people or even see someone talking to themselves, more than likely arguing, because their character is trying to do something the author hasn't anticipated. Yes, normal people may not understand, but at ACFW there were hundreds of people who would!

View from our hotel room...so beautiful!

I had the personal privileged of rooming with my critique partner Deb, JoAnn (a former {Writer Wednesday} guest), and Laurean. We had so much fun! It's always great to meet people online through the ACFW email loops, but nothing beats being in person. We all shared our experiences at the conference together and there was always lots of laughter in our room!

Deb and I at the airport

It was also such a fantastic thing to talk over new projects and get feedback from Deb. She's such an encouragement to me and being able to chat in person was so great!!

**Shameless plug: check out Deb's books!!!

Tosca and I <3 br="">

 In addition to all this writing fun, I also got to have some photo fun too! For those of you who don't know, in addition to creating suspenseful and romantic plots, I also love to photo real-life people too ;) Check out my photo blog if you get the chance: E.A. Creative Photography. You can also find me on Facebook here.

I had the distinct pleasure of taking headshots for many authors and agents in attendance at the conference! Not only was it great to have a bunch of sessions lined up to capture the beautiful natural light and fun setting of Indianapolis, but I got to meet some amazing people! I met multi-published authors, aspiring authors, agents, and even New York Times Bestselling Author Tosca Lee (pictured at the right). As I like to say, I kind of have a bit of an author crush on Tosca and it was such a fun opportunity to share my passion for photography with her. She is such a beautiful person and a fantastic author :)

Hayley and I

THEN - as if that wasn't enough - I got to spend a night on the town with my dear friend Hayley! She attends college in Indianapolis and we were able to spend some time hanging out, sight seeing, having dinner, and catching up on life!

The monument at night

Beautiful fountain by the monument lit up at night!

Capital seen from the monument

Love the lights :D

Well...there you have it. A snapshot of my time at ACFW. In between the photo fun/craziness, I also attended sessions, met with some wonderful agents and mentors, and tried my best to soak it all up. I've come to see that this is definitely a direction the Lord is taking me in. I don't know yet what that will look like or just how He is going to direct my steps, but I have confidence in His plans.

It's interesting...one last thing I'd like to share is just more of a feeling than anything else.  I don't know if you've experienced something like this, but the whole time I was in Indianapolis, I had the overwhelming feeling of being exactly where I needed to be. I was a peace. Sure, I was nervous as anything to meet with agents and to "pitch" my book or even just to talk about those things, but the whole time I never once doubted my presence at the conference. I know the Lord prompted me to sign up to go (even when I wasn't sure how I'd pay for it) and I know that He sustained me while I was there. To sum it all up, the Lord taught me (again) how good and trustworthy He is. What a blessing!

For anyone who attended ACFW - what's one thing you walked away with (writing or spiritual or both)? I'd love to hear from you!