Personal Blog: Time Management

FYI: The following is a ramble and may be hard to follow :)

   You know there is always that one person, in your class, in your family or at your work who never seems to have it all together.... In my life I am that person. I'm so bad at managing my time it isn't even funny. Some days I'm in such a hurry to leave home I forget everything I was meant to bring with me. If you are a follower of my blog you know that I am a University student, I used to study Linguistics....yeah that wasn't really what I wanted and I recently got the chance to change my major to Literatures in English!

So anyway back to time management. My blog here at Bajan Rosa Books has been left to fend for itself for quite a while. My review requests have piled up and now I have to unfortunately delay them some more because I can't read all of them at once. This brings me to the dilemma I have spent my life filling up my time with lots and lots of tasks.  When I begin I am super excited and pumped to start.....however there are times when all the stuff I've set for my self to do get too overwhelming and I am forced to waylay a project.

Sometimes I forget about it completely. Yes this blog almost came to the same fate of being another of my forgotten projects. However, I have decided that it will not come to that. I loved blogging a lot until it became something I had to do.....Book tours and all that jazz....It became a little too much and I just signed out one day and that was that.

So now I'm back and I can't promise you that I will post everyday, but I will post as regularly as I can!!! I have to do some site maintenance, I have to update my reading list and I have to make my presence known to the internet!!! So that's that I hope to hear from you all soon!


Xxx Rosa

The Secret of Ravelston: A mysterious tale

Author: Sergio Silveira
Genre: Mystery, Y.A
Age Group: Everyone
Title: The secret of Ravelston

Jane's life has turned upside down, just because of the pride of an uncouth woman lacking in stature she has been sent away from her home and from her only brother. He has been the only family she's ever known and now she must pick up her life and move to Ravelston to live with an uncle she doesn't even know.


As the story progresses, Ravelston and it's inhabitance turn out to be more than meets the eye and Jane will find herself in places she never thought she would be.


My Thoughts: First of all, I'd like to make it clear to readers that I generally don't read historical mysteries. I love historical Romance a whole lot, I love to hear about times past, but honestly in the setting of a mystery for me it's quite boring.
Silveira must be applauded however as the fantasy element to this book did keep me interested. Unfortunately though I was utterly disappointed by the hint of a Romantic relationship that  turned out with no developement.


If I were to forget my personal preferences however it must be admitted that the book was well written and paced. There is no doubt in my mind that someone somewhere will enjoy this book. 
That person however is not me. It took me a while to get into the story and so I can tell you with all honesty it wasn't my kind of book.


Recommendation: If you are into romance, this book isn't for you. I suggest it for fans of Agatha Christie and the like.

My rating: 3/5 it wasn't for me but someone else may like it!

Sergio Silveria  is the author of this book. If you are interested in purchasing it, please visit Barns & Noble, or Amazon to purchase it to read an excerpt please visit The Student online paper to do so. 

Florence

Author: Ciye Cho
Genre: Fantasy, Y.A
Age Group: teen+
Title: Florence
Expected publication date: July 1st

Blurb: Florence is seventeen and invisible, she has been for most of her life and she likes it that way. She isn't  popular and her clothes aren't in the latest fashions so being unnoticed is ideal. On a field trip to a small neighbouring island the unexpected happens and Florence is kidnapped by of all things a monstrous man with purple skin and yellow eyes. 

She finds herself in a world that differs a great deal from her own. delivered there to become a magical familiar for the heir to the throne. Niemela is this world under the sea and some how Florence must find a way to return to the surface.

My thoughts: First of all, I began to read the book at night while I was very tired. The opening was enough to keep me reading and then the adventure really began. I love books that have anything to do with the sea. As a girl who lives on one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean (Barbados for those of you who don't know) the sea has always been one of my favourite places.

The first thing I noticed was that the author had some knowledge of the sea, Some people attempt to write books about the sea when they have never ever seen it in person. You simply can't write about something you haven't seen no matter how much you've heard about it.

The Fantasy created by Ciye in this book is very different from most books I've read that contained mythical sea creatures. Oh don't get me wrong there pretty, but not in the way portrayed by most authors. All in all I really loved the story and I would recommend that anyone who is a lover of fantasy and adventure get a copy.

My Rating: 5/5

Now for your reading pleasure an Interview with Ciye Cho

Bajan Rosa: When the idea for Florence come to you?


Ciye: Almost a year ago. I thought it would be cool to write a book about merfolk. Something different and possibly unexpected. Something with multicolored merpeople as vivid as the corals in a reef. Something with living architecture and deep-sea volcanoes.


(really loved this concept!)


Bajan Rosa:  How old were you when you started writing the book and how old are you now?


Ciye: I was 25 when I started it. I'm now 26.


(A year wow! that's fast)

Bajan Rosa:  Was it hard to complete Florence?


Ciye: Yes and no. It was hard arranging all the details into a tidy package, but it was also fun taking an imaginary journey below the sea.

Bajan Rosa: What inspired the Characters, the Merpeople especially?


Ciye: I wanted the Niemelans to be a species ruled by purpose, order, and belonging. And with that in mind, I thought it would be interesting to have characters who weren't in sync with the rest of their kind. (For example, Yolee, who doesn't behave like her peers; Rolan, who keeps to himself; and Kiren, who has too many secrets to be an ordinary mer.)
As for Florence, I wanted to tell this story through the eyes of an outsider. I liked the idea that Florence is not only trying to escape... but also trying to discover where she belongs.

Bajan Rosa: Do you live close to the sea? Or did you do research and did this knowledge come in handy while you wrote your book?


Ciye: I live on the Gold Coast (in Australia), so the sea isn't that faraway. When I was a child, my parents brought me to Hamilton Island and I remember snorkeling there. The colors of the reef were dazzling! Like an underwater dream. So I guess those memories came in handy when I wrote "Florence."
However, I also watched a lot of documentaries (stuff like Blue Planet)... and of course, I read a lot of YA fiction.

If you would like to learn more about Cyie Cho you can find him on Goodreads, on his Website on Facebook or on Twitter. Cyie is also the author of  Shiewo: A Fantasy Flight to Adventure (Shiewo's Odyssey, #1)  Florence is Due out July 1st 2012

Perils Of The Newbie Blogger FOLLOWERS(#4 I think)

Hey! I haven't blogged for three days. :O

Followers Lolz

Greetings Lads and Ladies, I trust you've been having a wonderful week so far. I have been having an interesting on my self. I have discovered wonderful books and wonderful people and I have to say I am so very  happy about it. Today I want to talk about followers! yes I'm sure you all guessed as much. 

 

One thing that newbie bloggers need these days are followers, how else will people know that we are out there?  When I first started my blog last year, I had just finished watching a film that featured a lady who just wrote a blog and bam!! She had lots of followers. I soon figured out that no, it doesn't work that way in real life. For months my blog had two followers and both of them found me through my Goodreads page!

For newbie bloggers it can be discouraging not to see more followers when you check, and for me it was doubly so after the little incident I mentioned in my prior post. When I started to blog again Google was my friend. I Googled things like "book blog groups" and "I need more followers"  and things of that sort. 

I came across several different forums, to name a few, Making Connections group on Goodreads, Blog Lift group on Goodreads. Bookblogs.ning and just recently Bologaholic! If you are interested in joining you can find the buttons in the sidebar. Since then I can proudly say that I have a fair amount of followers on my blog and I hope to attract many more.

Now if you are a blogger,  you know that followers are only one slice out of the publicity cake, things like traffic will concern you as well. The internet is a huge place and let me tell you, you are reminded everyday how unimportant your blog is when you see the vastness that is the internet. 

Just recently a friend suggested that I see what my Google ranking is for my blog. Yip 0 zip nada ziltch. I was a little downed by that really nobody wants to be rated 0 in anything where a higher number is ideal. It made me feel bad, that is until I logged on to my blog and saw that the number of readers following my feed had grown from 46 to 76 overnight!

In my country most people are not as interested in books as I am. Yes they are some but I am somewhat of a junkie. I read everyday no exaggeration and those times when I couldn't afford books I went in search of free ones. I found the site Feedbooks where you can download free ebooks form authors. I'll tell you about what I discoverd there in a different post.So yes not many people from Barbados are into books like I am but I'm hoping to change that.

Now I have said that I can say this, If you are a newbie blogger and you want more followers, they are multitudes of people just like you all over the internet from countries all across this world. They want followers too, some of them will become your friends, some of them will not but most of them will follow you just so you will follow back!

Here is a tip, to those who have probably lost followers or your traffic has been low. If you don't post your readers have nothing to read. Imagine that  you are watching a film then all of  a sudden without warning it cuts off. That is how your readers feel when you don't post! 

Ahh I just love this!!!! Okay guys I'll say this as many times as necessary FOLLOW ME AND NOT ONLY WILL I  FOLLOW BACK, I'LL SPREAD THE WORD!!!. 

Thanks to all of my followers and readers you guys make me feel so special! 

-Rosa

Xxx

The Dilemma Of The Book Reviewer (Soft Heart? I Haz One!)

Soft Heart? I Have Haz One!

Greetings, please take note of the above picture. Do you know what it is? If you guessed a soft heart then you are correct! Now why am I showing you a picture of a soft heart you ask? Well because I haz one :D. I've been told I have a soft heart when it comes to reviews :) I really would argue with that but it is true.

I love to read, it is a passion of mine. Here on my blog I write honest yet uplifting reviews. I always mention what I don't like but I always spend extra time going over a book to find the good parts!

A lot of reviewers especially those who are in direct contact with the author, may have a problem where they like the author but hate the book. Yes I have been there, I had a very bad experience  some time ago with a review I had given to a book. Said book was not good at all, but I did mention that I liked the setting and  the emotions that the character portrayed in a certain scene where there was a very crude incident.

I went on further to say, that this certain book was not something I would suggest one would read if one has an aversion to violence (sexual and domestic) and bad language.....I posted this review and sent the link to the author....this person read my review and then with more finesse than was used in the entire book, they insulted my education my ethnicity and my country. (which thank you very much I am proud of!)

Well I did not reply because Ladies and Lads, I would never stoop that low. However the review I so kindly  gave four out of five to, when it deserved only one out of five, was removed from my meagre little blog (at that time only two followers, and I was still proud!) and it turned me off so much that this cookie did not post another review until just recently.

I say all of that to say this. If you are an author, please take the advice of some of the authors I've interviewed here on my blog, and take criticism with grace. Honestly some of the worlds most famous authors have been criticised and they have the grace to accept, that not everyone will swoon over there book. I will not take insults from you because I don't like your book and neither will any other serious reviewer.

This however is no excuse for a reviewer to bash a book, if a book was bad, say that it was and give your reason. There is no need to be overly insulting, and make statements about the authors personality.

I love this industry and someday I hope to be an author, I want people to read my book and give an honest review soft hearted or not. If you hate it yes it will hurt, but if I get pointers on things I could improve, I will be much better off for it.

So Ladies and Lads whoever you may be, author reviewer or reader in general. Feel free to express your self, your opinions and anything you feel passionate about, but for the sake of peace keep the animosity and hate out of it.

-Rosa

XxxXxxx

Speed Reading and The Obsidian Effect #2

Good Sunday to you all

So recently I've noticed that people are saying I am a fast reader, I'd like to think so. However I am no super reader with eyes that can scan a page once and know exactly what it says, I suppose that yes I do read really fast . Most of the time though when I finish a book extremely fast it is because I use my trusty text-to-speech programme on my computer to read it to me, cheating maybe but the important thing is I can do other things while listening that is why I  love audio-books.  Anywhos the picture over there <<<<< is showing us a diagram of what happens when we read. The traditional channels have a limit while speed reading can go at any pace. I think it would be fair to say that most of us are speed readers don't you. I hope you enjoyed that bit of umm science, don't worry I don't intend to do it often.

Now to what you have probably read this to begin with. The Obsidian Effect,my first two chapters into it and I have to say I'm liking it so far. Although I haven't gotten pass the fact that they are not one but two truly hot alien twins ,I am enjoying the content too. Anyway it is Sunday and I must bid you all good morrow as I am expected elsewhere this morn. Talk to you all later!

-Rosa
Xxx

Thumbs up for Freak

Author: E.K Henry
Genre: YA Paranormal, Romance
Age Group: 14 +
Title: Freak

Blurb: Juniper Rayne is considered a freak, not because of the way she acts, not because of her interests and not because of her attitude. No Juniper is seen as a 'Freak' because she is human. In a world ruled and dominated by vampires she is one of the few who still live and breath and have blood flowing through their veins. She and her family are treated like cattle and there is nothing she can do about it.

When the Vampires decide that a reality show featuring humans is a good Idea Juniper's parents jump at the chance to be included. This is Junipers worst nightmare, now she is at the centre of vampire ridicule and she's not sure if she can take it. The bullying at school escalates and so does the intrusion of the cameras. After an incident at lunch, Juniper is empowered to regain control or die trying.

My Views: First of all I would like to say thanks to E.K. Henry for giving me the opportunity to review her book. Okay so I like the book, it isn't the best book ever but it is one I am very impressed with. The concept is one that draws you in as well as the setting. Some may find the main character a tad whiny in the beginning, however as the story progresses she becomes a lot stronger.The book stirs the emotion, at one point I was angry at Juniper her parents and her friends all at the same time. 

I always love a little romance with my paranormal and E.K does not disappoint in this at all. I think it would be too much of a spoiler to tell you about Juniper's love interest so you will just have to read and find out! The villain was the director of the reality show (more the vampire government in general) but that fact tickled me a bit.

My Recommendation: If you are looking for a read, where the characters will surprise you and the story take you in this is a story for you. If you are not a patient reader, This book is not for you, unless you really really try your best to stick with it.

Rosa's Rating:  4/5 Good!

Now Ladies and Lads  here is an interview with the author!

Author Interview

E.K Henry

Bajan Rosa: First I must say the Cover is fantastic who designed it?


E.K: Thank you so much for the cover love. I actually designed it myself. The original cover photo was taken by a wonderful photographer named Felicia Simion and then created it into what is now the cover of Freak. The original photo was black and white. The moment I saw it, I knew I had to have it for my cover. You can see the original photo at http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=&section=&global=1&q=all+roads+lead+home#/d4b01th and you can see an interview that I did with Felicia at http://www.ekhenry.com/2012/05/interview-with-photographer-felicia.html

Bajan Rosa: What inspired Juniper's character?
E.K. :Juniper is a recreation of how I would want to be if I was the one in the actual story. She is shy, misunderstood, and feels alone, but grows into a complex individual. She learns to take up for herself, and in essence tries to change the world.
Her name actually came to me one night when I was driving down the road. I was listening to my favorite radio station when a girl named Juniper called in to participate in a contest. I instantly fell in love with the name and knew my next MC was going to be named it.
Was it fun to create the world the story is set in?
It was a lot of fun to create this world. I've always been fascinated with communistic governments and vampires, so it was neat to see them come together.

Bajan Rosa: Are you fond of any of the characters?
E.K:Aside from Juniper, I have to say that Rouge is my next favorite character. She is a badass heroine who takes charge and isn't afraid to shed some vampire blood.

What inspires you most in life?E.K: I have to say my three year old does. He has an imagination that astounds me. He is going to be quite the writer one day. We have spent countless hours telling each other stories that we create
.
Can we expect a sequel any time soon?E.K: I am currently working on a sequel to Freak. I am hoping to have it ready to go by summer 2013.




I hope you guys enjoyed that, now for the info!

 Author Bio

E.K. is the The  new and upcoming author of the book Freak.  You can find her on her website, Or on twitter here, Barnes & Noble here, and for Amazon you can either go to the top bar of this page and check out June's featured books, or, you can go here.

Here a chance to win big! ebooks and bookmarks from the author in this Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Only Bajan Rosa & The Obsidian effect #1

Hello Peoples

It is I Rosa, yes this is where I make conversation with you the public! Right. Now I shall get to the matter at hand. Did somebody say Obsidian? Yip someone did, in fact thousands of people have screamed it to the top of their lungs all over the internet. The question is, "is it really that good?"

   I the Bajan Rosa am on a mission to find out! One of my good friends has bought me an ebook of the EXPENSIVE Obsidian (okay so 6.79 isn't so bad, but when one is accustomed to buying 2.99 and under ebooks one can have sticker shock from the more popular titles.) I am very certain that I will find something to like about this book but will it cause me to go into fits of girly squealing, only time will tell.

Truthfully I am quite looking forward to reading the book, unfortunately that experiment will have to go in increments as I read, because as you would know if you have visited my reading list page, I have 11 books to review in the month of June and I intend to reach that Goal! Also I will not review Obsidian only share my reactions with you until I reach the end!

Now on to the other stuff! I have started a blog on Wordpress. It is more of a public diary, and I care not who reads it! However if you would like to know more about me and my lovely life here on this lovely island you can visit onlybajanrosa.wordpress.com and check it out!

That is all for today, remember tommorow I will be reviewing the book Freak so look out for that. Anywhos I shall chat with you all later!

-Rosa

Xxx 

If I Could Be Like JT

Author: Barbara Ehrentreu
Genre: Contemporary, YA
Age Group: 14  +
Title: If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor

Blurb: Carolyn Samuels, is your average everyday teenage girl, and that is her problem. The last thing Carolyn wants is to be average and unnoticed on the first day of school but what can she do about it. She wears size 14 clothes that are baggy and out of style. The boy she's pinning after doesn't even see her and worst of all, she has to face the perfect Jennifer Taylor at school everyday. 

As if  that isn't enough the boy she wants belongs to Jennifer Taylor and to top that off her Math teacher puts Jennifer and her together to work on a project where they have to be in close contact! Will Carolyn survive? Or will she be unable to Breath!

My Views: If you have ever been to Middle or Primary school High School, Secondary School or whatever you call it in your country you know that there is always a Jennifer Taylor, in every year and every class, there is always that girl who is popular and seems to be perfect. No matter how much you hate her, the truth is you want to be like her! For me I've been like Carolyn more times than I can count.

In Primary school, in Secondary school and in College! I was like Carolyn and the names the popular girls threw at me were so much worst. Now I am at University (yes there is a difference here in Barbados) and even though they are more than enough "Jennifers" I am no longer obsessed with becoming like them. I guess you could say I've grown up and realised what Carolyn did in this book.

This book touches on most of, if not all the problems we face while in school. There is peer pressure, body image, self-esteem and the list goes on. Truthfully this book was the most moving and real thing that I have read for the month and I give the author kudos for such an excellent piece of work.

My Recommendation: Girls, If you are at school and you are struggling, you need to read this story, I do not know if it will help you, but what I do know is that it will show you that you are not alone. It will show you as my mother always says ; "all that glitters is not gold". 

You can take this story for the truth, and know that no matter how beautiful, how skinny how popular or classy the girl you want to be is, She's got problems honey and sometimes they make yours look like dust in the wind. This book will show you that no matter what you think, we are all human and we all have flaws some of us, are just really good at hiding them.

My Personal Message to girls like Carolyn and Jennifer: Love yourself, and I know that sounds silly and simple but it's so hard for some people, but until you get the courage to do that the problems you face will always overpower you.

My Rating: For the book itself  5/5: 

My Rating for the message it Carries 10/10:

Ms. Ehrentreu, has agreed to do an interview for you guys, pay attention because she has some important things say and you need to hear them!

Author Interview

Barbara Ehrentreu

Bajan Rosa: What are the things you love most about writing?

Barbara:  What I like most about writing is when I have an idea and it forms into a sentence. Then I either write it down or type it and suddenly I'm writing paragraphs. I look up and I've written over 2000 words. This is the first part of writing and that is what I love!!!

Bajan Rosa: How did you come up with the Idea for today's featured book?

Barbara: I was applying to be in Paula Danziger's children's writing workshop at Manhattanville College for Writer's Week and I needed 3 chapters to get into the class. So my daughter was having problems with bulimia at the time, and she had always had issues about her body. So I used her dissatisfaction with her body for the main character and I used my daughter's problems with an eating disorder for the secondary character. I took it to the workshop and Paul basically cut it to shreds. However, she gave me real sentences to use and said that I might have something good. So I continued writing it and it took me 3 years to finish it and revise it.

Bajan Rosa: There are a lot of strong themes going on here, can you tell us about them?

Barbara: The first one is bullying. Jennifer Taylor bullies Carolyn because of her breathing problem and the way she dresses. Jennifer is the typical mean girl at the beginning of the book.

The second is body image. Carolyn Samuels, the main character, thinks her body is "too heavy for fashion". She has a very poor image of herself at the beginning of the book and doesn't feel any boy or any popular person would want to be with her. Her constant worry causes her to hyperventilate at times of stress.


Hyperventilation is when someone is breathing too fast and gets too much oxygen. So they begin to pant and it can cause someone to get dizzy and actually faint. Carolyn does that in the beginning of the book.

Friendship is another important theme here. Carolyn is friendly with two girls who are not in the popular crowd. She longs to be popular and when Jennifer pays attention to her when they are paired for a project, Carolyn starts to believe she might be popular. Yet she worries that her friendship, with Jennifer, which may or may not develop, is going to make her old friends angry. The whole idea of friendship and how to be a good friend is explored throughout the book.
Being popular and cliques are also addressed.
Secrets and the idea of should you or shouldn't you keep a secret even if you feel someone else knowing this secret might be helpful to the person who told it to you? Carolyn starts needing to keep secrets from her parents and her best friends and pretty soon she becomes involved in a series of lies that get more and more complicated to keep these secrets. 

Bajan Rosa: Is your book meant to impact young girls, and if so what affect do you think the message in the book will have on them.

Yes, definitely this should impact young girls. I have seen its effect on some of them and it has created a very interesting discussion about the themes just discussed here. They have told me that they love the book and they enjoy the story. I would hope that it will help anyone who has run into this problem or may have any of the problems addressed here such as low self-esteem and body image and/or an eating disorder. I have sent a copy to the National Eating Disorders Association and they have it in their library. Very few books are written in the point of view of someone who has to keep a secret about someone else's eating disorder. 

Bajan Rosa: Finally is there anything you would like to say to girls struggling with these problems?

When I was Carolyn's age I felt the same way about my own body. My daughter still has terrible feelings about her own body. What I would say to any girl who is dealing with any of these problems, is to tell someone about it. You don't have to tell your parents, but you can talk to a good friend or a guidance counselor and they will help you to find help. Definitely, if you or anyone you know is struggling with an eating disorder I would suggest you try to find someone you trust and tell them about it. Keeping it a secret is only endangering your own or your friend's health. On the other hand, if someone tells you about their own eating disorder, try to steer them to someone who will help them.

There you have it!

 Author Bio

Barbara Ehrentreu is the The Author of If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor a school teacher and a serious writer.  You can follow her on her blog, Or on twitter here, On shewrites.com here, and to get your hands on her book you can either go to the top bar of this page and check out featured books, or, you can go here.

Readers if you or anyone you know would like a free copy of this book, today is your lucky day the author is offering one free copy to the winner of the raffle below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Love & Pain

Author: Presley Collins
Genre: Adult, Contemporary
Age Group: ADULT
Title: Love This Pain

Blurb:Ryan is a play boy, one of those guys who can have any girl he wants. I mean what girl wouldn't what a hot band member in bed with her? Ryan has always done the dumping, no ifs or buts about it, until one day he is the one being dumped. Depression overtakes him, the shock of being dumped sends him into a place he's  never been before. All this just before he turns 30.

Enter Natalie, a blind date, who his friends think will be the best thing for him. To Ryan's surprise, she is not at all what he thought she would be. She is smart and funny and fun to be around. Not the type he is used to at all. He likes it. They soon end up back at his hotel room where there is "Birthday sex". Ryan soon realises that his feelings for her are much more than ever. Unfortunately for him Natalie is no where to be found.

                                                         

My thoughts: A good book, if one is into this genre, The storyline is believable, the characters are real, and the whole concept is good. However, I am going to be very honest to you and say, I did not think I would have liked this book as much as I did.

The start seemed so over done, you know hot guy, in shock  that he could possibly be dumped bla bla bla. There was also a the typo 'the' instead of 'they' in one of the first sentences, I saw no more and I was very happy about that. No one can be perfect, I make those mistakes all the time! Anyway, it goes on from there and the twists, if  I might be so bold are truly unexpected and frankly shocking. I won't share any of them with you! I don't deal in spoilers, but I will say, this is not your typical romance at all! 

                                                            

My Recommendation: If you are looking for something new, with a flare of the unexpected and a tendency to make you either cry, or pull your hair out in frustration (in a good way), this is the book for you.

If you have an aversion to foul language and adult themes or are under the age of 18, This book is not for you, I do not recommend that you buy it or read it especially if all you are going to do is bash it because it is not your thing! 

All in all I will probably end up reading over Love this Pain later in life to see if I feel the same way about it but for now this is my rating:

Rosa's Rating: 3.99/5 would be fantastic if not for the start

                            
                                                                Author Bio
Presley Collins is the Author of at three novels, Cover Girl, And First Love song along with this one.  You can find her on her blog, Or on twitter here, On Goodreads here, on facebook here and to get your hands on her book you can either go to the top bar of this page and check out featured books, or, you can go here.

Perks of the newbie blogger #1

Hey everyone!

It's me again! and today I'll be talking about the perks of being a newbie blogger!

   Bloggers and Reviewers have you ever had that feeling? You know the feeling you get when you know a book hasn't been released yet but you've got your hands on it! Yea that feeling makes you want to say to the whole world: I GOT AN ARC! I GOT AN ARC! ARE YOU JEALOUS! ARE YOU JEALOUS!

Yes I've felt like that as of late, being a reviewer is turning out to be very rewarding! I love the fact that I can review a book that only a few have yet to read, It makes one feel special!  That is why when an author or publisher offers me a book to review. I always make sure to finish the entire book no matter how hard it is to get through.

I believe that if someone gives you the opportunity to review their work, you should always give respect no matter how awful the book may be. They have selected you to tell the world about their work and you should feel special regardless. Even if you know you, and a couple hundred like you are reviewing the book.
Give respect to these people, writing is hard. All you have to do is read and give an honest opinion and how bad can that really be!

- Rosa Xxx

5 Roses for Five

Author: Christie L. Rich
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance YA
Age group: Teen
Title: Five (#1 Elemental Emnity)
Rosa's Rating: 5/5 for Five :)

Blurb: Sometimes, your life is crappy for a reason. Rayla Tate is a teenage girl, with dreams of going to college far, far away from her demanding life with her aunt and cousins. After all she's baby-sat them most of her life, doesn't she deserve a change? After Rayla's aunt refuses to let her go to college where she wants to, Rayla decides she dosen't need permission being 18 and all.

Little does she know, she is walking into a nightmare where she is the main attraction and prized possesion. You see Rayala is an elemental, one of the unique women who posses power over matter. Now she must never be alone lest she be taken, and she must try her best to avoid the Fea Lords who hunt her, at all cost. She finds  the beautiful Zach who she see's as a helper and maybe alot more, but is this human boy really what he seems?

Christie L. Rich's Five is a tale where Rayla learns the meaning of  action and consequence. I love a lot of things about this book, It flows well and the characters were very well portrayed. Ever single Lord was hot! Some of them good, some evil but all Hot!

The female characters (other than Rayla) were good too, the aunt was very believable and Rayla's reaction to her not allowing her to go away for college was what I'd do.

Overall The book was well written, If there were typos, or errors in syntax I did not see any and if you ask me that just goes to show how good the book was! If you are looking for a really good fantasy, with Romance and Fae this is the book for you.

Readers, Many of you have expressed to me how much you love to hear from the Authors. Well Christie has agreed to do an interview for you! You guys are lucky!

                                                   Author Interview

Christie L. Rich

Christie: Thanks so much for having me with you today!  I always love to do interviews, so I appreciate you asking me.

Bajan Rosa: It is always a pleasure to speak with an Author, so thank you! 

Bajan Rosa:  What do you like most about being an Author?
Christie: Creating new worlds.  There is nothing like submerging yourself into a world you do not know.  You explore with the characters and come to understand the workings of this new place right along with them.  It's exciting!

Bajan Rosa:  What was it like to create Five?
Christie:Fantastic! LOL. I've always loved to read, but this took the experience to a higher level than I thought possible.  Anything can happen while writing and that is a seduction all its own.


Bajan Rosa:  They are a lot of books about the Fae yours is unique how did you come up with it?
Christie:I've enjoyed stories about the fae my whole life. Faerietales are amazing, but I began to wonder if the fae had gotten a bad rap.  That's when I started thinking about them as people.  Some are good, and some not so much.

 Bajan Rosa:  Are there any characters you are especially fond of?
Christie: Fexlie-a little pixie that flitted into my mind on day on the way home from work.  She was such a strong character.  She was the one that introduced me to Rayla and the rest of the story flowed from there.  I will always have a special place in my heart to her for finding me.

Bajan Rosa:  Lastly When will the next book come out?
Christie: Genesis is near completion and I am hoping to release it by August.  The final book should be out around Christmas, but don't hold me to it.  LOL

There you go another great review!

                                            Author Bio
Christie L. Rich is a new and upcoming Author.  You can follow her on her blog, Or on twitter here, On Goodreads here, and to get your hands on her book you can either go to the top bar of this page and check out featured books, or, you can go here.

The Perils Of A Newbie Blogger 3 (I am Titanium)

Hello everyone,

Yes it is that time again when I talk about myself and my problems. I don't have many currently, blogging is going great and I'm getting a fair amount of traffic, I just reached 1000 unique visitors and I'm stoked thank you all for visiting.

I'm working on Paranormal Poison though its going really slow. I may just ditch the project if it goes nowhere but I keep trying!

My page is starting to look like a book blog. I haven't changed the layout since last week and I'm proud! I have not much more to say i hope you are all having a really good time!

Though it's hard I keep finding inspiration!  here is one of my favourite songs. This one keeps me going!
Ok enjoy taaaa!

Happy (belated) Anniversary Bajan Rosa Books

My original page info: My Name is Rose-Ann (Rosa for short) I am a very energetic person, or so I've been told, there is not much I'm not willing to try, unless it endangers my life that is. I started this blog on the nineteenth of may 2011 on a total whim, but I'm willing to give it a try!!!!

Look at that one year went by and I didn't notice until now. On the 19th of May 2011 I started this blog, and although I did have a lot of downtime. I am happy to say that I am now blogging and reviewing as often as I can! I would have done a give-away but I don't think I'm ready for that just yet, but next year I hope to be!

Well here's to Bajan Rosa Books! and God willing another great year of blogging, reviewing and meeting many more  wonderful people!

Special Thanks:

God!

My Mum :D

My sister <3

Sandra (my first follower and supportive friend)

All of the authors who promoted my site!

the folks at Goodreads Making connections and Blog lift

The BookBlog website

SelfSame A Must Read

Author: Melissa Conway
Genre: Fantasy, Mordern/Historical, YA, Romance
Age Group:Teen +
Title: SelfSame
Rosa's Rating: 5/5

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live two different lives? Well, Sorcha knows and so does Enid  they are two vastly different personalities. One of them lives in the past, one of them in the present, both of them are the same person.

Melissa Conway's SelfSame is a story of a teenage girl who's worries are much more troubling than studying for finals and pinning after boys. When she goes to sleep at night, she wakes up in a different world either in the past or in the future, her soul divided between two bodies.

This mixture of modern and historical story telling, makes for an extremely entertaining read with action on every page and a new mystery to uncover in each chapter. Readers will enjoy the tale of Enid/Sorcha  as she finds her way through her lives, romantic interests and problems galore.

This is truly a must read for any fan of good YA fiction and lovers of Fantasy.


Readers, would you like to know more about Melissa Conway, well today is your lucky day. She has agreed to answer these short questions about her writing for us.


                                              Author Interview

Melissa Conway

Bajan Rosa: How did you become interested in becoming an author?

Melissa: Like most writers, I was an avid reader first. I grew up devouring the works of Fantasy/Sci-fi greats such as Marion Zimmer Bradley, Anne McCaffrey and Andre Norton. In the back of my mind, I think I always knew I wanted to write a novel, but life got in the way for many years. Then one day I realized I couldn’t let excuses stop me anymore and I buckled down and began. That was eight books and several unpublished manuscripts ago!

Bajan Rosa: This idea of SelfSame is a unique one. What would you say inspired you?

Melissa: I’m a big fan of Jane Austen, and I often thought I would try my hand at a historical novel, but I don’t recall the exact chain of events that led to the inspiration behind SelfSame. Typically, my stories start with a mere wisp of an idea that I turn into a “What if?” Then my mind adds more kindling to that spark until I’ve got a good fire going. At some point, I start to get excited, thinking, “This might make a good book.”
 
Bajan Rosa:Was it hard to write such a complicated story and if so how did you manage?

Melissa: There are two kinds of writers, the kind who take a concept and plot it out carefully before they begin, and the kind who take that same concept and just run with it. I’m the latter - called a ‘pantser’ because we write by the seat of our pants! As with all my stories, I begin with a vague idea of where I want the plot to go. Then I think about my characters when I’m busy doing other things, like driving, cleaning house, etc. If I was to give my plotting process a name, I’d call it focused fantasizing. And I’ll let you in on a little secret: originally I had intended a different ending, but as I was writing the last chapters I realized I had inadvertently built in a way to make the ending more satisfying! It’s wonderful when the individual threads of a story all come together in the end.

Bajan Rosa: I truly speak for all those who have read the book, when I ask when is the next one due?

Melissa: Right now I’m working on the sequel to Xenofreak Nation. Truth be told, I put that off to write SelfSame because I was so enamored with the concept! At this point in time I don’t have a sequel to SelfSame planned, but I can’t say I haven’t thought about it. The story wraps up rather nicely, but with a little fudging I could probably continue on with it. I’ll have to see what my fans think. ;o)

Bajan Rosa: Finally, a lot of people out there want to become authors; what would you say to them about the process?

Melissa: First off, they’ll want to develop a healthy respect for proper grammar and punctuation. Then they’ll do themselves a big favor by reading a few books on how to write. This advice might seem pretty basic, but you’d be amazed at how many beginning writers think it doesn’t apply to them. One of the hardest things to grasp is that being an author doesn’t stop with having written down some words. No matter how beautiful those words may be, you still have to convince people to actually read them! Learn how to write a great blurb and an effective query. Develop an internet presence through social networking. And most important of all, take criticism gracefully. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: you can’t please everyone!


                                               Author Bio
 Melissa Conway is the author of four young adult ebooks. She is the founder of the book review site Booksquawk. Her website is here, her YouTube channel here, she blogs at Whimsilly and can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Editing is hard Blogging is easy(#2 The Perils of the Newbie Blogger)

Greetings...I'm not in a very chipper mood this morning I miss my mum who is over in England at the moment. so excuse me while I whine.

In my post The Perils of the newbie bloger I forgot to mention editing. I have issues with that. Unfortunately that is a bad thing. You see if I don't I end up looking like a giant dummy. (which for the record is not the case.)  I just have so much to do on a daily basis that editing my posts has to come after I post them and either some kind soul points the errors out to me or I notice them and correct them myself.

Ahhhh life. Anyway I am currently reading Selfsame by Melissa Conway It's going well and you can look forward to that tomorrow. Also for those who have been trying to contact me. I have put a new page up where you can do so. I don't know if it is the same for you, but sometimes the form takes a while to load so please be patient.


Other than that I hope you are all having a wonderful Sunday!
Xxx Rosa

Hold your Breath

Author: Jenelle Jack Pierre
Genre: Y.A, contemporary
Age group: teen and up
Title: Before I breath

Rosa's Rating: 4/5




               




"When you're fifteen and somebody tell's you they love you you're going to believe them" (Taylor Swift)

 Before I breath by Jenelle jack Peirre is a YA novel that isn't afraid to show the world what can happen to a girl hungry for attention. Kalena Moore is fifteen she isn't a very good student, but she isn't the worst. Isaiah is a boy who she thinks isn't her type until he begins to treat her like the world and they end up doing the unthinkable. 

Little does she know  sex isn't all wine and roses, and soon she's late. Kalena must now live her life with a teenage pregnancy. A boyfriend who no longer treats her like the world and a social life that is falling appart. Will she be able to get through this? We'll just have to hold our breaths.


    I so much wanted to give this book a five rose rating, In all honesty and truth it deserves one it was moving and touching My problem with it is that it went far to fast, and ended much to quickly. I personally believe the chain of events was too in your face there but that is only my opinion.


Otherwise it was an awesome read.




As most of you know, if you've been to my about me page, you know that I live in Barbados. Well Jenelle Jack Pierre was born in Trinidad & Tobago another of our Caribbean Islands and I feel entitled to as we say " big her up"

Jenelle Jack Pierre was born in Trinidad and raised in Maryland. her parents encouraged her love of reading with lots of books

she started writing as a way to entertain myself, mostly poetry. she majored in Communication Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park and after college, she became a media researcher (radio) at a PR software company. Soon after that, she interned and studied writing at Johns Hopkins University.

Before I Breathe is her first YA novel.  she also writes contemporary short stories.

Modified from her website

If you would like to learn more about this author or purchase her book please visit the sites below:

Goodreads

Amazon