HELP!

I've got some great news. My sister and I are currently in the process of writing our first novel.

Amazingly, it's not looking too bad the the moment, but it needs a lot of editing and work.

I'm looking to see what people think of our idea. Please please please leave a comment below (or any other way you could communicate to me) about what you think of this idea, whether you would read it, or whether you think it sounds like anything else. We're in dire need of people with this kind of information.

So this is pretty much what would be on the back of the book , were it to be published:


'Evangeline always thought déjà vu was when your brain glitches and can’t figure out the difference between long and short-term memory. That is, until she gets switched and finds herself in a futuristic parallel universe where the government is eradicating anyone deemed undesirable. What’s worse is that her fugitive counterpart has left her in deep trouble. On the run with a man who seems to know her, but that she has never met before, Evangeline is hurled headfirst into an adventure she never wanted.'

It's kind of a sci-fi adventure, with parallel worlds, futuristic gadgets, nods towards psychology and a view of family and friend relationships, as well as government conspiricies. 

We'd love to know what you think.

Guardians and the Lost Paradise series - Michael Abayomi

Well, first off I can tell you that Michael Abayomi is a fellow blogger, and please do go and see him and have a peek at his writing and so on. And here's his blog link for you: HERE. Also, I got the first one through Amazon and read it on my Kindle, as it's currently a free e-book. So, to be honest, it's worth getting that one. (It still is a whole story although the adventure continues)

Now lets get down to business.

Guardians and the Lost Paradise series are a 6 part series of novella length books. They center around Daniel, a boy who has recently lost his brother and whose parents are sending him to summer camp. However, all does not exactly go to plan. Daniel wakes up in a strange place after their car crashes and finds himself in the midst of a journey and adventure the likes of which he's never known.

The first book, really, is more like an introduction to the whole series. It introduces everything about the character that we need to know for the rest of the series. But as well as this, it's a good story. He meets guardians and goes on an adventure with dragons and flying unicorns, with some clever references thrown in. What's not to like?
Especially if you're a child yourself. I would say that this series is more suited to children and young adults, but it's a good read for adults too. It had me pretty captivated, though it took me longer to get through it than I would have thought.

Some things that I absolutely loved in this series were the ideas and elements of myth, legend and religion all scattered throuhgout it. Yet it was made into one coherent piece of literature. It worked. I especially liked the Valley of the SHadow of Death. It sounds awesome, and it is.I loved all the ideas that ran though it. The heavenly structure, the mythological creatures, the wilderbeasts and djinn.

But I did find it a little wearing with the speech at times, though it suited the characters. I found this especially in the first book, because I didn't think one of the people should be talking like that. It was too old fashioned for them in my opinion. They are only children and teens after all, though some much older than others.

The themes were good. It dealt with a lot of things that children go through, albeit in different circumstances: Choices, love, death, friendship, brotherhood, good and evil, religion. It was interesting in that aspect, and the author dealt with them well.

Character-wise, the only one I really felt any affinity for was Daniel. I felt bad for some, respected some, but didn't feel too much for them.

There are a few bad points. I did find it predictable. But then again I find Dan Brown books predictable and it takes a lot for me to be surprised in a book or a film, so that's normal. I also thought that it didn't need as much romance as was put in. Some was there for comedy, which I didn't think was needed, and another was there for no reason I could think of. However, I did like one involving Daniel, and the love triangle it caused, as it can help children who could be going through a similar thing.

It ended well, and happily (apart from deaths and whatnot) so I was pleased. I can see similarities with this and other children's books, but none that i know of captures the afterlife in such a way as this. I did enjoy reading the books and encourage you to have a go too, because i guarantee that you'll learn something from them.

So I give these 3 1/2 stars, maybe verging on 4. Because i liked the ideas so much.

And this is where you can find the e-books:
The Journey - Michael Abayomi

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

The Secret Garden will always have a special place in my heart because I watched the 1993 film plenty of times when I was growing up. I loved the idea of a secret place you could go to that nobody knew about, the blooming flowers and tame animals. But I hated Mary Lennox.

And I mean hated. She's a spoilt, vicious, unruly brat who is finally taught a good lesson. She ends up being bearable. In the book, she's even worse. However she's more likable at the end.

So, as you now know, I was brought up with the film, which actually has slightly more to it than the book. They made the family situation more complex and certain characters have more of a part to play. It makes a bit more sense.
I know those of you who read the book first and loved it as children are probably thinking that I must not have read the same book and watched the same film, but I assure you, I have.

I think the main reason I wasn't so enthused is because I'm not a child. I think if i had read this as a child then i would have laughed along with them, found a sense of wonder in the changes that the garden and the moor bring and most of all, not been annoyed at the spelling when people are talking in a Yorkshire accent. I can quite easily imagine a Yorkshire accent, thank you. But If I were still a child, I might have even tried to do one.(Although I can see why it was used).

In it's own right, it's a nice little story about friendship, changes and gardens. Which is all well and good, as long as you haven't read anything you deem to be amazing, because then in comparison this is a really dull book. I had to force myself to keep reading it, and it's not even very long. I was happy when my kindle told me i had less than half and hour to go.

The language is extremely dated, and the overuse of the word 'queer' really started to annoy me. However the garden and nature imagery in general was lovely, and the whole premise of the story is good. I also did like a bit nearing the end that was talking about Archibald Craven. That was very nicely done.

Overall, I'm sure children would still enjoy it, but find it a little difficult, but i felt there was something distinctly lacking from it. This is may be partially due to the fact that the film had a few plot points done differently and I preferred them (and the presence of Maggie Smith).

I give it 2 out of 5 stars.