Author: Kim Olgren

Book Review: The Gaiad

~ Kim Olgren ~ Leave a comment

the-gaiad

In a society increasingly buried under the weight of its own insularity, an ancient and shadowy group selfishly guards a secret with the power to change everything. Tonight, on a stage in front of thousands, one of their members commits a horrible, shocking act. In the audience is Detective Fleur Romano. Bitter and world-weary, she vows to uncover the reasons behind the horror she just witnessed. In the process, she’ll discover that she’s led her lonely life ignorant a fundamental truth, a truth first discovered by a man who walked the earth millennia ago, a man mysteriously familiar.

In this powerful debut, William Burcher is willing to explore unique and fantastic themes with realism and grit. The GAIAD boldly poses big questions. What do we lose, as we separate ourselves from the earth and each other? What would the future hold, if suddenly something changed with that most fundamental of relationships—the one we have with our own planet?

Three Stars

three-stars

An original storyline based on a big idea.

The Gaiad’s intriguing premise is what brought me to it after meeting the author at a local writer’s event. Burcher tackles big, societal questions and challenges how we might think about our planet and our relationship with it through the eyes of a somewhat jaded police detective, the secret society she is about to come in violent contact with, and members of a civilization who lived their lives in a much simpler way that was more in harmony with the earth and her gifts.

Overall the writing is good. There were some awkward sentence structure issues and a couple of sudden instances of profanity that didn’t seem to mesh smoothly with the general theme and plot to me. Especially when uttered by the ancient people in the book. No, I’m not some prude who can’t handle a little profanity. This is where the three stars come in. The Gaiad is a good book with a great plot. The few things that pulled me out of the book were not nearly enough for a sub-par rating.

If you’re into alternative philosophies, thrillers, mysteries, and secret societies, I would encourage you to give this book a read.

Remember, just because this book wasn’t quite my cup of tea with crumpets on a beautiful spring day in an English garden, doesn’t mean it’s not yours. As it goes with any book, if it sounds interesting to you READ IT! Then help the author out and kindly REVIEW IT! Reviews are critical to any writer’s success.

If you’ve read The Gaiad, feel free to let me know what you thought. Let’s discuss.

 

 

Her Hacker Husband (working title)

~ Kim Olgren ~ 2 Comments

A little snippet from the opening of a first-draft work in progress…

Let me start by saying I might be crazy, but I am pretty sure I’m not.  I fully believe my husband is cheating on me (maybe worse) and using different programs that he has either written or found to help him do it.

 I know nothing about programming so I would not be able to tell you if what I think is happening is possible, but if it is, I want someone to help me find out. Is it possible to hack into someone’s phone and watch every move they make? Eavesdrop on their conversations? Control what they see or don’t see on their phone? I think he has added software or programmed my phone to keep me from finding out what he is doing behind my back and to spy on me.

 I am looking for someone willing to help me find out if he has added code to my phone to keep me from viewing files and track me, find out what he’s up to, and help me find proof that I’m not crazy…

 Anyone interested please email. Discretion is of the utmost importance.

 Thanks

Jenna was fairly satisfied with the posting she was about to make on the local electronic classified site. She stared blankly at the computer screen, hesitating to publish the ad, holding the hoodoo shop receipt that she’d found in his jacket pocket. It still smelled like perfume. She must have written it a hundred times to try to make it sound logical and reasonable. Eventually, she realized there was no way to write the ad without sounding like a lunatic. So, she decided to get that out of the way in the first sentence. Then maybe someone might actually take her seriously and contact her, despite better judgment. Hopefully, she didn’t end up hiring a lunatic given what she was asking. She knew if she were in his or her shoes she would feel the same way, but she had to know. There were too many coincidences, too many unanswered questions, not the least of which was whether or not she was out of her mind.

Foolproof Hard Boiled Eggs

~ Kim Olgren ~ Leave a comment

Just in time for Easter:

How to make perfect hard boiled eggs with a a recipe that has never failed me.

EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

Are you one of those people who struggles with hard boiled eggs? Middles are too done, have icky green color, middles are underdone? You’re not alone and I won’t tell. All egg dishes have their own quirks and tricks, but today we’re going to do down and dirty perfect hard boiled eggs. Step by step. Don’t be intimidated by the number of steps. This is super simple. The whole process takes about 40 minutes and you will spend 33 minutes of that time just…waiting. Are you ready?

Step 1: Fresh Eggs

Fresh eggs taste the best. Period. If they are free range, and chemical free, all the better. Yes, there is a difference. If you are going to eat your boiled eggs with the classic salt and pepper, there is no other way as far as I’m concerned.

Step 2: Start the water.

Fill a pot with enough water to cover your eggs and plenty of room for the number of eggs you’re cooking – accounting for evaporation. Do not add your eggs at this time. You do not need to add salt, vinegar, or anything else to your water. Wait for the water to come to a boil.

Step 3: Poke your eggs

What? Poke the eggs? Yes, poke the fat end or bottom of the egg with a clean pin, just breaking through the shell. This is going to keep the egg from cracking or exploding  when you put it in the water (not violent, but messy). This step allows the air to escape the little pocket there. Especially if it’s come out of the fridge as most eggs do unless fresh from the chickens. The reason: the coating that preserves the egg when the chicken lays it is washed off in commercial operations. That’s why you have to refrigerate store bought eggs.

Step 4: Drop your eggs in the boiling water

Wait! Don’t just drop your egg in the water. Be gentle. Use a slotted spoon to gently deposit each egg into the boiling water and at the bottom of the pot.

Step 5: Set a timer

Set a timer for 13 minutes. Walk away. When the timer goes off, turn off the heat.

Step 5: The ice bath

Ever hear of the Polar Bear Club? It’s a bunch of people who love to jump into frigid waters. Your beautiful eggs are about to join this club. Fill an appropriately sized bowl with lots of ice and cold water with enough room left for all your eggs. Yes, you’re going to put all your eggs in one bowl. Ba, dum, dum. Using your slotted spoon, gently lower each of your hot eggs into the ice bath. This stops the cooking which keeps them from getting that icky green ring around the yolk, which is caused by iron in the yolk interacting with sulfur in the white at high temperatures (although sometimes caused by high iron content in the water).

Step 6: Set the timer

Reset your timer and let the eggs chill out in the ice bath for 20 minutes.

Step 7: Peel

You shouldn’t need running water to peel these (Yay! Water conservation!). Give them a gentle whack on the bottom and a few more all around, cracking the shell but not breaking the egg. You will find that a lot of times half the shell just slips off effortlessly. If you feel the need, give them a quick rinse once they’re peeled. And hey, you can crush those shells and use them for fertilizer for all kinds of plants, tomatoes, peppers, potted plants, and little ones that are really thirsty.

Here’s a look at the end result and it’s just as creamy and delicious as it looks. done all the way through, but not over or undercooked with a bright, sunshiny, yellow yolk.

Hard Boiled

Easy Deviled Eggs

Slice the eggs in half, pop out the yolks, smoosh ‘em up real good, add some Miracle Whip, sweet pickle relish, mustard and paprika. Throw mixture into a baggie smoosh it all to one corner and give it a twist. Snip off the corner and pipe the egg mixture back into the whites and you have easy deviled eggs.

Note: If you are dyeing these eggs there is a chance that the white of the egg may absorb some dye due to that tiny hole you poked in it.

Ta-da! Have a great Easter!

Read Bad Books! Read Bad Books!

~ Kim Olgren ~ Leave a comment

“The hell you say?!”

Yes, if you’re a writer, especially a beginner, you should be reading bad books. You should be reading your ass off if it’s not in a chair writing. Read all kinds of books.

Case in point:

I recently stuck it out with a trilogy that was recommended by someone close to me. There were two reasons I finished this trilogy.

  1. I thought my GOD, this has got to get better sooner or later. 
  2. I can learn from this.

It never got better. Not for me. But I did learn from it. That’s why writer’s should read bad books. Most of us are avid readers and have been long before, or alongside our writing. We know what works and what doesn’t work for us. Reading bad books helps us articulate what those things are that bug us and avoid them in our own writing.

Some of the things that were wrong with this trilogy:

  1. constant typos, spelling and grammar errors
  2. No conflict to speak of despite being a post-apocalyptic story
  3. Sweet but unrealistic storyline (all the darlings survived)
  4. No tension to speak of, the original results of an apocalypse can only carry so far

This stuff throws the reader out of the story and could make them want to <gasp!> put down the book. I know how hard it is to write a novel. I do. I’m currently working on my own revisions on an 85k novel. I’m not saying go out and purposely buy bad books. I’m just saying that when you run across a bad book, give it a chance to teach you something or another.

In my humble opinion, this particular person published too early. This novel needed an editor in the most desperate of ways, further revising, and more polishing. This was a self-published book and is an example of why self-published authors have a hard time being taken seriously. Self-publishing can allow the author to circumvent important steps in the process such as submitting to a competent editor and making appropriate revisions.

As a writer, consider finishing that bad book you put down. Learn from it. Learn how to evaluate the good and the bad. Learn how to articulate what’s wrong for you.  Think about how you would have fixed the problem. Then apply what you’ve learned to your own writing and watch it grow and mature. Also, never. Ever. Skip the editor.

What was the problem with the last bad book that you read? How did it help you make your own writing better?

Book Review: Waking Hearts by Elizabeth Hunter

~ Kim Olgren ~ Leave a comment

Getting an advanced copy of a book by Elizabeth Hunter is like getting a really good early Christmas present. Waking Hearts was just that kind of gift. The Cambio Springs series works so well because the paranormal elements are grounded in plenty of real life. Important real life stuff like heartache, incredible loyalty, family, friendship and cooperation in a small town where everyone looks out for one another. Oh, and of course the best part…love.

One of the things I loved best about Waking Hearts is that it’s centered on a single mom of four, count ‘em, four kids! She’s harried, she’s stressed, she’s a hot mess, and yet she is a rock. Life turned upside down, and in the middle of a controversial mystery with bad guys hunting her and her children she never loses sight of what’s important. Even when she finds out about her long-term friend’s true feelings for her. Feelings he’s carried since they were kids but never had the guts to reveal.

Until now.

Ollie knows that Allie is the only one for him. He knows this is his shot. He would do anything for Allie, including not hesitating in taking her entire family into his home to protect them. We have a real, genuine hero here. The kind of man that backs up what he says. The kind of guy that isn’t taking Allie’s four kids as her baggage but genuinely loves them and cares for them and her. How much bigger can a hero get?

The next thing that’s great about this book is the way that Allie’s friends and community rally around her. Truly, everyone in Cambio Springs is family and they take care of their own, whether they turn into snakes, bears, wolves, big cats, other people or nothing at all, doesn’t matter. This community is tight in all the right ways.

Wondering about the romance? Don’t worry, I didn’t forget. Think you can’t find time for romance when four kids are part of the package? Think again. Where there’s a will there’s a way. Not only do Allie and Ollie find time to be alone together, but when they do, the sparks are even hotter.

You might want to get ready to read this one in one sitting because you probably won’t want to put it down until it’s done. Elizabeth Hunter weaves the kind of compelling story that may actually leave you somewhat breathless at times and with a warm sensation somewhere in the vicinity of your heart.

Go to Elizabeth Hunter’s website for more information on Waking Hearts, the rest of the Cambio Springs series and Elizabeth Hunters other books. You can preorder Waking Hearts right now and it’s out tomorrow, November 24th.

Book Review: The Scarlet Deep

~ Kim Olgren ~ Leave a comment

The Scarlet Deep

On the waves of the North Atlantic, a poison spreads, sapping the life from humans and striking madness into immortals.

Patrick Murphy, the immortal leader of Dublin, has been trying to stem the tide of Elixir washing into his territory, but nothing seems to stop the vampire drug. While others in the immortal world work to cure the creeping insanity that Elixir threatens, Murphy has been invited to London to join a summit of leaders hoping to discover who is shipping the drug. If Murphy and his allies can cut off the supply, they might be able to halt the spread long enough for a treatment to be found for the humans and vampires infected.

Anne O’Dea, Murphy’s former lover, retreated from public life over one hundred years ago to help immortals in need… and to heal her own broken heart. Though powerful connections keep her insulated from the violence of vampire politics, even Anne is starting to feel the effects of Elixir on her isolated world. The human blood supply has been tainted, and with Anne’s unique needs, even those closest to her might be in danger. Not just from infection, but Anne’s escalating bloodlust.

When Anne and Murphy are both called to London, they’re forced to confront a connection as immortal as they are. As they search for a traitor among allies, they must also come to terms with their past. Behind the safe facade of politics, old hungers still burn, even as an ancient power threatens the fate of the Elemental World.

From paranormal romance/romance writer Elizabeth Hunter, author of the Elemental Mysteries, Irin Chronicles, and Cambio Springs series comes the latest installment in the Elemental World series. I’m so thrilled to have been selected to receive an unconditional Advanced Reader Copy of The Scarlet Deep.

Elizabeth Hunter’s Elemental World is dark, dreamy, action packed and pretty damned steamy. Romance vampire style is serious business, even after 100 years of separation, but I get ahead of myself.

First, I will say that although the book is entertaining by itself, you will get much deeper satisfaction out of it if you read the Elemental Mysteries and the first two books in the Elemental World series. Go ahead. I will still be here. And if you’re a paranormal romance fan, you won’t be sorry. If you’ve been waiting for The Scarlet Deep, you have not been waiting in vain.

Okay, now that you’re prepared. Guess what? Chaos, doom, mystery, political intrigue, broken-furniture-love-making, sass, and maybe even a few tears are in store. That’s vampires for you. Never a dull moment…except when they’re sleeping…then they’re like….dead.

Elizabeth Hunter’s writing has a way of worming it’s way into your brain and pulling you into the story. Her books are the kind that you set down (if you can set it down before devouring the whole thing in one sitting) and feel like you’ve suddenly surfaced from another dimension, another world. It takes a minute to focus on reality, shake off the vivid elemental world, and remember when you last ate. This book is no different and when you finish, you’re already trying to figure out how to get your hands on the next book.

Like Elixir, these books are addictive and The Scarlet Deep is no exception. Vibrant writing, compelling characters, and an imaginative and yet coherent story give The Scarlet Deep and Hunter’s other books an otherworldly believeability that will hold on to you and not let go.

It’s a good thing books don’t have calories because after being introduced to the sassy Anne O’Dea and the magnetic scoundrel, Patrick Murphy sparks are going to fly and you’re probably going to be doing some binge-reading.

Look for The Scarlet Deep on retail book sites like amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. Pre-ordering is open and the book is set to release July 7, 2015.

Feel free to let me know what you thought of The Scarlet Deep by commenting below, even if you don’t agree with my opinion.

Book Review: All the Light We Cannot See

~ Kim Olgren ~ Leave a comment

All the Light We Cannot See

I know, this one’s been around for a while and I’m a little late.

All the light we cannot See garnered a Pulitzer Prize for New York Times Bestselling author Anthony Doerr. It’s not his first award, but it may be the most recognizable. My feelings about this book are <dramatic pause> complicated.

On the one hand I can appreciate it for the Pulitzer Prize winning novel that it is. On the other hand I found it a little tedious. So let’s get a few preliminary things out of the way. First, I avoided reading any reviews or opinions about this novel before I read it. I didn’t want any preconceived notions going in. Second, historical novels, especially those set in the middle of a war are not really my cup of tea. Third, I’m not a very patient person when it comes to getting to the point. That being said, I still appreciate it for what it is, a beautiful work of art in the form of words.

The story is about a blind French girl fleeing the war and a German boy drafted into the ranks of the German Nazi army. The convergence of their paths in occupied France is heartbreakingly beautiful as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.

Despite her blindness, 14-year-old Marie Laure lives in a world with rich and vibrant colors provided by her other senses and her glorious imagination. Her father nurtures her curiosity and builds up her independence every chance he gets. He tries to save her from the ravages of WWII by taking her to her great uncle’s house in the seaside city of Saint-Malo. Her father tries to protect her and help her understand her new surroundings. In the process, he is taken prisoner by the Germans. Losing the people who support her one by one, Marie does her best to survive the hardships of war as it inexorably marches toward her.  Then there’s her father’s secret that she must keep safe, but should she?

Werner is an orphan recruited into a brutal branch of the Hitler youth army and torn from his only family, his sister. His childhood obsession with radios and other gadgets attracts the attention of a German engineer at the Nazi youth school. Soon he is out in the field tracking down forbidden radio signals all over Russia and Europe, which leads him to Saint-Malo where his world collides with Marie’s in the middle of the occupation of the city by German forces followed by its liberation by allied forces. Yet Werner’s punishing training never destroys the tenderness in his heart, perhaps causing him some extra pain.

I said that historical war stories are really not my thing whether fictional or not. However, I would still maintain that this one is heartbreakingly beautiful. Although the story jumps between characters and flashbacks at break-neck speed, I was usually able to follow fairly easily. The couple of times I was lost for a moment I kind of felt like it added to the tumultuous times I was reading about and caused me to sympathize. Especially with Marie.

Some have spoken about this book being full of “purple prose”, that is to say, ornate and extravagantly overly descriptive writing. In general, that may be true and a no, no for writers. BUT in this case, I think it works. All the Light We Cannot See couples beautifully flowing, vibrant, and colorful writing against the stark, chilling, and gruesome background of WWII in a way that is compelling and full of emotion. If no one ever broke the rules, we’d never know what freedom can feel like. The statement applies to life as much as it does to writing. The trick is, knowing when and how to do it.

I thought I’d be glad when this book was over. Yet in the end, it was one of those stories that left a kind of aching emptiness in its wake.

5/5 Stars
5/5 Stars for beauty and character

Easy Over Easy Eggs

~ Kim Olgren ~ Leave a comment

Tired of trying to flip over-easy eggs in the pan with a spatula or tossing them in the air hoping that they all end up in the pan and the yolks don’t break? Simple as 1, 2, 3. The secret is medium heat and a pancake turner.

Today I’d like to talk about eggs. My favorite type of eggs, actually. Over easy.

Over easy eggs have two crucial characteristics. 1. The egg whites are tender but done. 2. The yolks are runny so that they can make a yummy sauce for toast, hash browns, grits, whatever you like. However, making great over easy eggs can be a challenge so if I’m feeling particularly challenged, as I am on most mornings, I can use this handy hack.

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  1. Don’t skimp on the cooking fat (EVOO, coconut oil, butter, whatever) and use a small frying pan over medium heat. Mmmmmmm… melty butter.

Pancake turner

  1. When the egg white is mostly solidified, slide the eggs out of pan onto a large pancake turner. Note: I don’t have a fancy schmancy tripod, so no pictures of action scenes. They’re pretty self explanatory anyway.

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  1. Hold pan inverted over pancake turner and gently, but quickly turn eggs back into the pan (do this over a plate or paper towel to catch any drippings from pan). Cook for just a minute or two to finish the whites.

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No more trying to scoop them up in a spatula and no broken yolks from tossing (although the tossing may impress last night’s date when done right). Voila! You’re welcome. 🙂

What’s your favorite food hack. Let me know in the comments below.