I chose this book because it got me my BINGO in the Summer Reading challenge by World Indie Warriors. And, I’m so glad I did!
Setting
Jenny (the MC) lives in a flat with her cat, Bing. She works in customer service, handlings complaints. Her mum & BFF are sending her on blind dates as they’re as desperate for her to meet someone, maybe more desperate than Jenny is.
Main Character
Jenny is a relatable character. She tries hard, but things always go wrong, often with hilarious consequences. She’s crushing on a guy at work that’s not into her, or could he be? But, the situation is never right and she’s off on another blind date.
Bing isn’t the main character but he is such a star in the book I had to mention this cat. In fact he is probably my favourite fictional pet, ever!
Another character I loved was the BFF, Sarah. This girl was always just a phone call away, picking Jen’s spirits up after disaster dates, and laughing with her (and the reader).
Review
I’m a slow reader and I devoured this book in a weekend! This is so well written. There’s hilarious moments in every chapter, and jokes that are weaved through the book that get funnier ever time.
I loved so many of the characters. Bing is my all time favourite fictional pet. Sarah is an amazing BFF! The dream guy was perfection. I lived for every moment in his presence.
I had a friend that went on some entertaining blind dates and this book brought those stories back. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The challenge was set by World Indie Warriors on Instagram. They created three #WIWBingo boards; YA, Romance, and Fantasy.
The aim is to read and review the books on Instagram and tag @worldindiewarriors
The goal is to get three in a line, and help indie books get seen.
I’m doing the challenge. I’ve already read some of the books on the board so I’ll be reposting them this month, and I’m hoping to read some new one too.
This book is C. L. Waters most recent YA release and the final post in my Behind the Book series with her. I’ll put links to the previous ones at the end.
Who will love to read this book?
I think readers who like Sarah Dessen and Jennifer Niven will like The Stories Stars Tell because it explores a romance between Emma and Tanner, but more importantly, each of them as characters on their own.
Tell me about the main characters Emma and Tanner?
Emma Matthews is a smarty-pants perfectionist who’s locked in the box of her religion and afraid to step outside the bounds of that to explore her sexuality. She feels ill-prepared to face college. Tanner represents the freedom and bravery she wishes she had. Maybe taking a risk with him will give her the bravery she needs to move forward.
Tanner James is a party-boy who’s partied his way through high school into a corner without options instead of dealing with the trauma of his brother’s death and his parents divorce. He wants to create a new story outside the Bro Code he and his friends created. Emma is a new story, but one he doesn’t feel like he deserves.
The blurb says that the traditional end of year send off is to jump off the cliff – have you ever dived off a cliff?
I haven’t ever dove, but I have jumped! It was a blast (and terrifying too).
Hawaii looks like a beautiful place to live, does such a setting inspire your writing?
Definitely. So many possibilities for stories, though I confess I’ve only written two that explore this place. I don’t want to appropriate it; there are amazing Hawaiian and local authors who do such a beautiful job exploring culture and place.
You share what you’ve learnt on your blog to help other writers. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to an aspiring author?
My initial advice is always read, read and read more. Read inside your favorite genre and the one you write, but also read beyond it. There’s so much to learn from other writers (both good and bad).
What can we look forward to from you next?
I am in the process of writing a companion novel to The Stories Stars Tell about Tanner’s best friend Griffin. It’s titled In the Echo of this Ghost Town. I think I have a thing for the villain, or those broody misguided boys. It’s planned for release in the fall of 2021.
Can you share a snippet of the book?
Sure!
This was one of the first scenes I wrote and I talk about it a lot as the starting point for Emma’s and Tanner’s story:
I nod, pasting a fake smile on my face. “You might be right, Bella,” I say, self-satisfied that Tanner has actually touched me. “I guess I’ll find out how boring I am at Berkeley next year. Where are you going to school?”
Her smile fades, because if rumors are true, she didn’t make the grade. Too much focus on non-academic activities, I surmise. There is a tangle of self-satisfaction in saying it, at first, but I recognize the pettiness of it and feel guilty. It isn’t kind or Christ-like.
“Well–” I push my arms into my own backpack and settle it on my shoulders– “have fun at Senior Send Off.” I leave the bathroom with their snarky comments caught on the door behind me.
Her accusation — you’re so boring . . .what can you offer someone like him — has my mind swirling, overthinking as I walk to my locker.
I’m not boring!
But I know it’s true.
I glance at Tanner’s locker. He’s there, so I open mine and shove my head inside, and then roll my eyes at myself for looking at all. Except I can’t keep my eyes on the perfectly arranged interior of my locker. I sneak another peek. He’s across the hallway leaning into his own locker. Balled up papers slip out, and he bends to pick them up. His red t-shirt moves with his body, the hem adjusting to allow a glimpse of tan skin at his waist. I’m thinking about him without his shirt and those blue jeans hanging from his hips, hugging his behind just right.
My stomach dissolves into a sparkly mess.
Tanner stands, and with a little shake of his head gets his dark hair, a little long with soft curls around his face, out of his warm brown eyes. He turns his head, and I look away before I’m caught staring.
I could say I don’t know why my insides melt when I see him. THAT would be a lie. Of course, I know WHY I’m attracted to him. Attraction isn’t the issue. It’s the stupidity of allowing it. It must be a truth universally acknowledged that my book smarts have detonated my common sense, or something like that. My brain knows I’m being ridiculous and counts the ways to remind me.
First, I’m freaking out of his league. Um, Truth: perhaps, it’s the other way around. Compromise: a bit of both.
Second, he only dates party girls. I’m not.
Three, he’s an f-boy.
Four, my future plans don’t involve a guy like Tanner James, even if for some ridiculous reason I want them to involve Tanner James. I’m just so freaking curious.
I sigh, recalling Bella’s awful accusation and hate that she’s right. Aside from my drunken junior year risk, I’ve played my entire high school experience scared and safe. I smack the locker door shut and scold myself for looking at Tanner at all.
Excerpt from The Stories Stars Tell by CL Walters
Where can we go to discover more about you and your books?
Let’s see, if you’ve visited the website (www.clwalters.net) and you’re following my instagram, you can follow me on Goodreads (CL Walters) and Facebook (CL Walters) and there’s always my newsletter – which you can sign up for on my website. This year I’m releasing a serialized novella, a new chapter each month. Should be fun.
Thank you, Ally! This was fun.
If you enjoyed this, check out my other Behind The Book Q&As with C. L. Waters here:
It feels like forever ago that I read this. I remember Aria wasn’t sleeping well and sitting in the dark cuddling her to sleep, and reading this on my Kindle.
If you sign up to Kara’s newsletter, you get a free book – I know because it’s on my Kindle waiting for me to read. In addition, since reading book 1 in the series, two more titles have been released!
I was so lucky to win this sweet YA Fantasy. Since reading this book I’ve gotten to know Nicola better and she was even part of my Stream Team for the Ocean Heart book launch.
Oh my! This book moved me, changed me, made me think. The story was provoking tackling difficult topics like suicide and bullying. I read an eCopy but want a physical copy so I can hug it.
This sweet MG Fantasy was a Net Galley ARC. I don’t read MG often but I couldn’t resist it being a mermaid story. The plot is about friendship and helping each other.
I’d been looking forward to this books release and it didn’t disappoint, qualifying it as an all time favourite. I’m now eager to read book 2 in the series, and can’t wait for its release. Gushing over this book and the merchandise I bought, was one of my first YouTube videos.
This book was won! I tried to make a YouTube video about my prize but kept having issues, maybe I’ll manage it in 2021! And, now book 2 in the series is out.
I read an ARC copy of this book and loved it. Later, Sarah gifted her ARC readers with a copy of her book and some character art postcards – such a sweet gesture. Showing this off was one of my first YouTube videos.
This book was incredibly useful once editing. But, it’s not the only resource book I read this year but… I didn’t review the others. I must make a note to do that.
I loved this book. The romance was a bit too instant for me but the ending redeemed itself. It was incredible and so unexpected. I’ve been told the series gets better… and the other books are already waiting for me on my bookshelf.
Romantic Suspense is not my usual genre but I really enjoyed. One of the MCs is a trafficking survivor on the run. At the time of reading Ghislaine Maxwell had been arrested and similar real life testimonies were in the news, which added to my reading experience (the book is fictional and has nothing to do with the Epstein scandal).
I managed to snag another Sutton ARC. Reading this was figuring out my own book launch did slow me down and I didn’t finish it in time for release, but it’s a sweet Halloween holiday romance worth checking out.
Ocean Heart – Ally Aldridge
Ocean Heart is OUT NOW!
Finally, this last one isn’t a book I read in 2020, but one I published…
Ocean Heart is a YA Contemporary Fantasy. It has romance, coming of age themes, and a teen discovering she’s a mermaid.
What genre is this book and can you name any similar books?
This one, like many of my other books, is high fantasy romance. It’s slow burn romance mixed into a hero’s quest.
You write books of different genres, does this mirror your reading style?
Very much so. I tend toward high fantasy romance, but also read dystopian, post-apocalyptic, thrillers, psychological novels, paranormal, and various things relating to WW2. In most cases, I prefer to have a romantic arc within the story. I don’t like contemporary or reverse harems. And I rarely read younger than Young Adult.
Are there any genres you cannot see yourself writing?
Contemporary, Harem, or Reverse Harem. I got close to harem/reverse harem with a novel that’s currently in edits (title to be announced later), but it doesn’t quite fit the bill. It just has several love triangles.
What inspired your novel Soul Bearer?
A dream, actually. The prologue was a dream. None of the characters in it were going to do the work of fixing the whole dragon problem, though. It was perfect for setting up the world and showcasing the issues facing the main characters, so I kept it as the prologue.
Which mythical or magical creature do you wish was real?
I’ve given this a lot of thought, probably too much. Honestly, I don’t know which one I would choose. I can’t think of a single one that wasn’t an absolute nightmare in some tale or other, and I have terrible luck. If I chose a mythical or magical creature to make real, it would be the bad version of it. Or it would be the good version, but humans would poach them for their horns or magical feathers. I do wish humans were more interesting, though. Horns, wings, tails, whatever.
Tell me about the krakken style octopus on your website?
That octopus was a gift and rests in the center of the coffee table in my library. It’s my favorite animal, and I have several of them scattered through the library (most of which are not real, though I do have a few preserved in formaldehyde). They’re intelligent, creative, and unbelievably unique. They use tools and communicate by changing the colors of their skin. They shapeshift, morphing their bodies and altering the texture of their skin to lure prey and hide from predators. There are even a couple octopus cities in the ocean now, a fact which is one part awe-inspiring and one part terrifying. Basically, I just find them fascinating.
Please share a snippet or teaser from Soul Bearer?
Spinning slowly, Aurisye looks at everything around her. Chaos rules the land as the great red beast rules the air. Another roar threatens to shatter her eardrums, quickly followed by another stream of fire as the dragon flies overhead, so close that Aurisye could count its scales if it would only hold still.
She reaches out, passes a hand through the tip of its tail as it passes her. The dragon roars so loudly that, for a moment after, the world loses all sound. A high-pitched ringing sound punctuates everything, chasing away the screams and the crashing of buildings falling in upon themselves.
Up above, the dragon executes a perfect hair-pin turn and rockets itself toward Aurisye. Yellow eyes shining in the firelight, it stares straight at her, the only being here capable of seeing her. Each flap of its wings fans the fires all around, sending them climbing even higher into the atmosphere. Jaw dropping, it prepares to launch a blazing assault on Aurisye.
In an instant, she snaps back into her body, sitting bolt upright on the roof of her cottage. Her chest heaves with choppy breaths, pulling nothing but panic into her lungs. Her heart races, and she puts a hand to her chest to calm it.
Only then does she notice the soft red light coming from the mark on her arm. Her world goes cold. She pulls the sleeve of her jacket down to cover it, hoping it didn’t draw any undue attention.
Where can we find out more and buy your books?
My website has information and links for all my published works, as well as little tidbits about my WIPs. My blog is chock full of (blunt) writing advice and updates on all my work.
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Readymade godard brooklyn, kogi shoreditch hashtag hella shaman kitsch man bun pinterest flexitarian. Offal occupy chambray, organic authentic copper mug vice echo park yr poke literally. Ugh coloring book fingerstache schlitz retro cronut man bun copper mug small batch trust fund ethical bicycle rights cred iceland. Celiac schlitz la croix 3 wolf moon butcher. Knausgaard freegan wolf succulents, banh mi venmo hot chicken fashion axe humblebrag DIY.
Readymade godard brooklyn, kogi shoreditch hashtag hella shaman kitsch man bun pinterest flexitarian. Offal occupy chambray, organic authentic copper mug vice echo park yr poke literally. Ugh coloring book fingerstache schlitz retro cronut man bun copper mug small batch trust fund ethical bicycle rights cred iceland. Celiac schlitz la croix 3 wolf moon butcher. Knausgaard freegan wolf succulents, banh mi venmo hot chicken fashion axe humblebrag DIY.
Here is a pretty diverse list of shows that feature writers from publishers to bloggers and everything imbetween.
You (2018)
https://youtu.be/cKOhno0IMpA
This show is a creepy love story from a serial killing stalkers point of view. The narrator describes what he can see in third person which feels unnatural and works really effectively.
This show made the list because the MC owns a bookstore and is stalking an aspiring author. The aspiring author is portrayed really well. She is struggling financial and often procrastinates instead of writes – eek.
Younger (2015)
https://youtu.be/VJNsvZj5-9w
Liza is in her 40s, her daugher is off travelling and her husband has left her. After putting her career on hold to raise her family, she finds returning to work impossible as everyone thinks she is too old, so Liza pretends she is 26 and lands a job.
This show made the list because it is hillarious and the industry Liza works in, is publishing.
The Peanuts Movie (2015)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQpUQPrAfQM
The movie is about Charlie Brown trying to win the heart of the little red hair girl that has moved to town whilst Snoopy is working on a script.
Okay, this is a movie but there is a Snoopy TV Series but I’ve not been lucky enough to watch it. This made the list because there is no other cartoon about a scriptwrtier dog that has quite as many memes as Snoopy, thanks to his cartoon strip.
Jane the Virgin
I’ve had to update my post to include this series. I love it. I find the narrator hilarious, and the story lines are very OTT but this series is addictive and pretty easy viewing if the kids are about. In addition, Jane is an aspiring writer that gets a book deal by writing novels based on her life or those close to her. This drama has drama!
Episodes (2011)
https://youtu.be/z4yH0mI-yJs
This British comedy follows to Script writers that move to LA following their big break.
This made the list becasue the two main MCs are scriptwriters. In true British style it is painfully honest and the pair will find that things don’t go quite as they planned as things are changed and pressure is put on them… but delivered in a funny way.
Pretty Little Liars (2010)
https://youtu.be/SUO8B47XtGY
I absoultley loved this TV Show. It is about a group of friends that are terrorised by an anonymous person going by the name of ‘A’.
This show made the list because two of the main characters are writers. Aria eventually becomes a publisher and helps her fiance Ezra with his novel. There are a few occasions that I felt the show was unrealistic but I didn’t care because the story lines are gripping, complex (sometimes I did get lost) and these teens are so cool.
The Vampire Diaries (2009)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmVmhjjkN4E
A school girl falls in love with a vampire and this brings a whole lot of drama into her life and others living in Mystic Fall.
This show made the list because the MC, Elena, writes a diary – is it a stretch to say it is an autobiography.
Gossip Girl (2007)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPKvFVYEOKg
An anoymous reporter shares gossip about the elite social crowd’s drama. She posts online using the psydemo going by the pen name of Gossip Girl.
This made the list, not because of the anonymous reporter but because one of the MCs, Dan Humphrey, dreams of being a writer. Not only that but Nate Archibald works at the Spectator for a short stint.
Desperate House Wives (2004)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAbKBUJ4NRY
This TV series follows the lives of women living in Wisteria Lane following the death of one of their neighbours/friends.
It is probably a bit of a strech to add this to the list because Susan who during the series gets a job as a Children’s book illustrator is never really seen working, except when she is an internet ‘model’.
Jonathon Creek (1997)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTz9CKoLXp0
This British crime investigation series involves a jornalist working with a magician to solve unusual crimes.
This made the list because the jounalist is recording and writing about the unusual crimes that they have worked on and solved. There is also some light comedy between the pair.
Sex and the City (1998)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROKDX-tYRNI
The show follows a group of friends living in New York and trying to find love.
This made the list because MC Carrie Bradshaw writes column for a magazine.
*****
Happy Birthday
And, I’d like to wish a Happy Birthday to Sabrina Sheldon of Hustling Writers Community (Facebook group). She set group members a 100 word writing challenge for her birthday.
When I told her, I had written this blog post she asked if Castle (2009) made the list. Unfortunately, it hadn’t as I’ve never watched it. It’s now on my ‘to watch list’.
Have you seen it it or any of the shows I listed? Can you think of any other shows I’ve missed?
