Book Review #2

Here is the second book review for The Atlantean Line Book #1 Oracle

Captivated and enthralled! These are the feelings that you’ll have while reading The Atlantean Line: Oracle by Lisa Forest. The novel captivates the audience immediately on the first page as Bridget the main character is once again in danger.  Forest magically combines and reveals the story through flash backs to ancient Greece from today’s everyday life. I am usually not a person who reads about Greek mythology or vampires, but was pleasantly surprised at how I did NOT want to put the book down! For years there have been legends of vampires and Greeks, but for the first time, Forest was able to give a clear explanation of how these “stories” could medically and logically be explained.

Bridget is one of the most interesting and strongest characters I’ve got to know in a long time. She is the female lead that Bella, from Twilight, could have been at the beginning of that series, of course without all the whining as Bridget is older. Through the entire first book she has her world twisted upside down and yet still stands firm and positive through every obstacle that comes her way.  I feel in a lot of ways, no matter what age you are you can relate to Bridget’s emotions and actions.

This book is filled with lust, action, war, love, and excitement! The story of the Atlanteans never leads you in the direction you think you are about to go. It keeps you guessing and on your toes with every turn of the page. All I can say is this is a must read book and hope that Forest finishes writing the trilogy quickly, so the audience can know what happens next!

Lauren Cardenas is a Public Relations Specialist. And Graduated from Jacksonville University with a B.A. in Communications concentrating in Public Relations and minored in marketing. 

(Her Sorority’s patron Greek god was Poseidon.) 

Thanks so much Lauren!  I am so excited to have shared this book finally!! Now with editing almost complete, and off to publishing, I will finally get to share it with everybody that has been so interested!! Can't wait!  Cheers, Lisa 

Next week a sneak peek into the book ;-)

Do you need an Agent???

Once I had completed the book the first time, I decided it was time to write the dreaded synopsis. I had scoured the internet looking for agents I felt would be the best match for me. Of course in the list of 50 or so I had a top ten. I decided to query 15 at a time. I wanted to give them time for replies. Imagine my amazement when I got a reply from one of the top agents in the country, within 24 hours of sending him my query!  I was ecstatic! After several conversations, I decided to take it a step further and made myself available to him for a face to face interview. I felt very strongly that if I could get in front of him face to face I could convince him of the dreams and wishes I had for the book. I wanted this to be a movie, or a TV series.  I saw the potential and wanted him to see it too. The trip to Miami was amazing! The agent was putty in my hands and I knew I had completely convinced him of the merit of my storyline and the possibilities it had to move forward as a motion picture! That trip was in November 2011 and in January 2012 I was signing an agent contract! Then he told me he was going to the London book fair and wanted to pitch my book!  My head was swimming in excitement and possibilities! Well, he did pitch the idea, and he had 8 people that requested the manuscript. But here's the ugly part. He had a new assistant, who had no experience in the literary world. She decided the manuscript wasn't ready to hand out so my agent decided he didn't want to share it with those interested publishers!  I am not going to lie, I was angry. As a first time author, I knew the manuscript needed editing, but I also knew the storyline was unique and was convinced that in the right hands and with the right editor it could be magic!!! Fast forward==>> The agent and I ended the contract a year later, just this January 2013. He felt I hadn't made a stance in the social media world?!?  He hadn't even taken the time to see what I had truly been doing. Nor has he ever read the book!  I have made a substantial stance in the social media community. He just didn't bother to look.  His loss.  I do not regret the time I spent with an agent, in fact, I learned very much from this man. I would never say anything bad about him, as I have learned a great deal in dealing with an agent. But, I have also learned enough to know that having an agent isn't always best for all authors. The publishing world is very different then it was years ago. The opportunities for writers now are substantially greater. No longer do you have to depend on an agent to be published. To be successful in writing, it takes time and effort but with the right attitude anything is possible!

Don't give up on your dreams! So now, I say do you need an agent?????? My answer is a resounding NO!!!

Cheers, Lisa

True or False~~~~ Astrology?

 "All About You" could well be the title of a book that most of your friends and family will want to read this year. However, circumstances such as Saturn pouting in your sign may make you want to glue the pages of that book together. It's all right to want to handle certain things alone. In some cases, you just may need only the company of your own thoughts to solve particularly puzzling practical dilemmas.

But whether you know it or not, you'll be dropping clues in conversation that something interesting is bubbling under your surface, and your friends will be anxious to find out all there is to know. You may be resistant to letting them in on your secrets, but the truth remains that they have something to offer.

Your road is built like a jigsaw puzzle this year, and sometimes other people will have the necessary pieces to complete it. Even if you're not feeling 100% all the time, or even if you feel that others are just a hindrance, don't shut anyone out who might want to help. You could be surprised at what you'll get in return.

 

 

This year, finances and job security will be at the forefront of your thinking. At the expense of just about everything else, you might be narrowly focused on keeping your head above water and staying calm in a turbulent workplace, especially early in the year.

You might have some justification in those feelings at that time, but an Annular Solar Eclipse in May is going to have an interesting effect on how your finances and career shake out. To tell the truth, "shake" could be the operative word. You may feel like the ground is shaky one day and the next you feel confident that everything is working out fine. But it's only the combination of aspects that creates that feeling. Your prosperity this year will be a like a car that starts slowly, but once it goes on the freeway, look out! No one will be able to catch up with you.

Look toward the end of the year for a Total Solar Eclipse in November to give your financial security the ultimate shot in the arm it needs. You may be stunned that things will be happening so fast, and the iffiness of the previous months will become a memory. Hold on and stay strong! 

 

I generally don't put too much stock in reading these..but this time and this year, I think it is dead on..I guess we shall see..

 

Cheers, Lisa

Total Home Makeover by French

The fun of seeing before and after..A total home makeover story, done with a $1500.00 budget!!!

This is the before and after pictures from a complete house make-over that a friend and I done during our Interior Design class. This homeowner needed a complete house make-over with a budget of only $1500, for the entire 1500 SF home. This small hallway required 4 coats of paint! It was so dark and dreary, look at the difference with the after. Even the doors were painted!
Wow what a difference!

The bedroom before? Where to start? The upper part of the walls had wall paper and border, and the bottom half was painted apparently to match? Burgundy and gray on the upper with green and peach on the lower...what were they thinking?

The after, creams and tan paint, the bedding and curtains were something I had stored and pulled out to use for the staging, the set was plum and gray. The artwork, and black and cream pillows were provided by my friend. As was the idea of the backboard to hang pictures on! Take a piece of 1/2 inch thick board, wrap in fabric then add pictures in the center! Voila new artwork! Trade secret? Taking two small pictures and increasing their size and presence with a simple backboard. HUGE improvement. The homeowner cried as she walked into this room, she loved it!

The living room had been used as both a living room and a dining room, to maximize the size of the room we stored the dining room furniture. The lower part of the walls were wallpaper, and it was impossible to remove so we opted to add bead board and trim.

We tried to show off the hardwood floors which are the original ones to the home. The curtains were pulled from the bedroom and the addition of sheers let some much needed light in the room! The sofa and coffee table were things I also had in storage, we removed the theater sofa and replaced it with this smaller one again to maximize the space;)

This was the kitchen before! A huge clutter of items that didn't belong in the room. What I didn't get a picture of was the kitchen cabinets which were also painted and also added to hardware!

The addition of a new but gently used round table, some new seat covers, and a table runner, some art work and a new but used light fixture which was a vast improvement from the previous fixture which was a mini fan? Unfortunately the budget didn't allow us to change the floors which we would have liked to do as well as remove the current blinds but we had to stay within our budget!

The bathroom before....so many things done in here, the addition of a new vanity and faucets, new grout, paint and flooring.


After, a new shower curtain made by my friend, and some fresh new towels! These pictures don't really do the rooms justice because the after was truly a VAST improvement!

All in all the make-over was a huge success! We did this makeover for free! Sometimes you can't always have the things you prefer when confined to a budget, so you simply learn to improvise and use what you have. The bottom line was that the first person that looked at the house after the work was completed, bought it! We were very pleased with that as was the homeowner! Original listing price suggested per the realtor was $62,500. After the make-over she decided to list it at $89,900! It sold for full price of $89,900!

Success!

Hugs and thanks for stopping in!

French;) xoxox