Well, that’s another year in the books.  Another twelve months have come and gone.  Where did it go so fast, and what have we to show for it?  It’s been a challenging year.   And judging by the number of posts I’ve made to this blog this year (only 11), it doesn’t look like I’ve been very productive either.   Well, I promise you, I’ve been doing my best.   The year started off very positive.   The Blue Hole had been out for a month or so, and it was gaining traction.   The promotions I had chosen to run were working well, and the few reviews that were trickling in were just the kind of positive reinforcement I needed to push forward on my third book.   All was looking very good.   Then I got the urge to throw the book away my work in progress and start over, and about mid-year, that’s exactly what I did.   Trying to sort out if this book was even worth taking a second stab distracted me from continuing to promote The Blue Hole and The Gouge.   It also kept me from checking in on my s

Vicky Ball’s second book, much like her first, tackles some challenging and unfortunate situations that we tend to overlook, or ignore.   Using her main character, Maddie, as a vessel, the author masterfully captured the feeling of growing up in an alcoholic home and feeling like there is nowhere turn and nowhere to run.  Then, a small glimmer of hope, something to grasp onto and fight for is dropped into Maddie’s life in the form of a family she never knew she had.  But when Maddie goes in search for this hope, she doesn't find exactly what she expected.   I really enjoyed the way the story moved fast and the way that the characters spoke with one another in a very real way.  I did have some trouble resonating with the characters at the beginning, but I attribute that mostly to the fact that the target audience is more teen/young adult, which I am not.  However, once the majority of introductions were completed, I was completely drawn in and could not put it down.  Well done! Aban