So you’ve written a first draft, be it of a scene, short story, chapter, entire book.  And now comes the fun part – at least, I find it fun. Some writers find editing a slog, procrastinate over doing it, get overwhelmed or down because they think what they’ve written is not good enough.  ​

Book Review: Kings of the Wyld (The Band #1) by Nicholas Eames (published by Orbit)
 
This is a fun fantasy full of action, rock and roll references, humour and LOTS of strange, bloodthirsty creatures. Kings of the Wyld tells the story of an old mercenary band who reform nineteen years after they disbanded to save the daughter of one of the band members. She set off to start a band of her own, only to be caught in a siege by a great, angry horde of aforementioned creatures. ​

Book Review: James: Witch-Hunter by K.S. Marsden (published by K.S. Marsden)
 
This paranormal / urban fantasy book is a prequel to the author’s Witch-Hunter series and focuses on one of the characters from the trilogy called James. It can be read as a standalone, but, in my opinion having never read the series, is also a great warm up to the main event. ​

Audiobook Review: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (published by Penguin)
 
The audiobook narrated by British actress Helena Bonham Carter was absolutely excellent. Her reading helped to make this story come alive for me, adding humour, emotion and a vibrant personality to Anne that I probably wouldn’t have imagined if I had read the text. ​

Much of the action in my epic fantasy Melokai is set in a matriarchal country called Peqkya. The society is ruled by women and women’s interests are valued above the men. 

One thousand years before the story takes place, the country was a war-torn, ravaged and frightening place to live – for both the men and the women. A woman, Sybilya, wrenched power from the tyrannical, savage men who then ruled, and the women have maintained control since. ​

Book Review: The Blinding Knife (The Lightbringer Series Book 2) by Brent Weeks (published by Orbit)
 
After absolutely loving the first book in the series, The Black Prism (read my review here) I couldn’t wait to read The Blinding Knife. I loved this one too, but not quite as much as the first. It picks up immediately after the end of book one on the ships that escaped Garriston. The Prism, Gavin Guile, must find somewhere for a lot of war refugees to live. But first, he must battle a sea monster…