I'm Back ...

All I can do is start this post off by saying ... no it's too rude, I just shouldn't. Okay, I'll use sign language.

*middle finger now erect and pointed at a certain browser*

Phew, got that off my chest. Okay, so some of you have probably realised my agitation. You have probably already read my latest post, and if you haven't, here's the link, read it now and get up to date.
So, needless to say after my very nasty rebuttal letter to the support team about the 'suspected' Malware presumed infecting my blog site, all warning notification was removed within 24hours.
*fist pumps the air* it just goes to show that if you complain enough, someone will listen. Alas, I now have my blog back up and running. I did manage to get quite a bit of editing done for The Damned. Yes, I probably could have told you all was well last Saturday, but I thought I'd take advantage of the downtime and just be lazy.
I read a book.
I got a massage.
I ate some chocolate.
So now that I'm back again, suspected Malware a a ghost of bullshit past, you'll be hearing from me quite regularly. Check back on Friday where I'll be doing the Follow Friday blog tour and most probably posting a book review on Saturday.
Yay.

Kristy:)

Oh, PS - thanks for sticking by me everyone!

Google Dilemas

Hi Everyone,

This is a sincerely apologetic note to my viewers. Unfortunately, Google in their infinite wisdom currently believe that my blogsite has been hacked by possible phishers. Virus scans, a html check, and some serious deep system clean-up and run through all the webmaster tools have found my system to be in perfect health. In fact, Google's own reports come back negative of any errors or content interference. Alas, for those of you that use Google chrome as I do, and are confronted with this message that my blog is unsafe, I only have one thing to say ...
Horse s@$%t!
But, since it will take several weeks for them to review this issue and pull down this false and destructive message, I am forced to withhold any blog uploads. I would hate for my rants to go to waste.
I thank you all for your patience, and hope to see you all back again soon.
I suppose this means I will actually get a lot more writing and editing done. But, if you do want to track me down, Google have yet to sabotage my Facebook and Twitter accounts, so you can still find me at the links below for a chat!

Twitter: https://twitter.com//KristyBerridge

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Hunted/116951581718393

Kristy :)

The Damned Book Trailer

I've said this before, and I'll say it again ... book trailers are just plain weird. Admittedly I am a convert, mostly because they are just too much fun to make - putting pictures to the words you scribe almost too exciting. I especially love finding a soundtrack that emanates your characters and plot. And this time, I've really championed Breaking Benjamin as the main draw card, getting goose-pimples every single time the score really kicks in.
Alas, I used to think discovering a book was all about perusing the cover, flipping it over and reading the synopsis. But now it's all about the visual and trying not to get distracted by YouTube's various other book trailers uploaded right alongside your own.
So, despite my original confusion over this growing phenomenon, I now embrace the *stops to cough and laugh hysterically* moving pictures with words. Here's hoping I pulled this one off. But, so as not to confuse those of you that haven't read The Hunted yet, I thought I'd pop that one in first so you can watch the progression from 'rockin book trailer' to 'freaking epic book trailer'.
Yes. I will officially be re-labeling them ASAP ...
Anyway, let me know what you think. I love your comments, even the negative ones - especially now that I have a 'moderate' page.

Kristy :)

THE HUNTED

THE DAMNED

Book Review: Ever Essence by David Hollands Curran

Let me start by saying that I wanted to read Ever Essence because I personally know the author, and I was dead set curious about his writing skills and the avenue this story would take. Admittedly, this book is right outside my usual desired genre of reading. I've never really been a science fiction/futuristic reader. I adore vampires, werewolves, horror and a bit of paranormal romance.
So, when David Hollands Curran was offering readership in exchange for a review, I jumped at the opportunity, my curiosity would finally be sated. And, now that I have finished reading Ever Essence, I can honestly say that the final chapters were gripping, fast-paced, and had me turning the pages at an alarming rate to get the answers I'd been seeking throughout.
Ever Essence is a very intelligent novel with a wide use of vocabulary, well constructed sentences, and a story line bordering on the impossible. I felt as if I were transported to another time. Not so much the future, but perhaps the present in an alternate universe that was smacked with a 'Get Smart' vibe. The characters were consistent in mannerism and speech, their interactions in some cases mechanical but oddly in keeping with this seemingly emotionless environment.
The plot is phenomenal, clustered by pretzel style twists within the overall scheme of design. I constantly found myself re-reading pages to grasp a better understanding of what was going on. To say Ever Essence is fast-paced is an understatement. There is barely a moment's rest for all characters concerned, and the ever-thickening plot made me scratch my head to the meaning behind every decision, every line of conversation, and every locale explored. To that end, I found it almost trying to get through the first half of the book. It felt like it was an endless exploration of lies and a cluster of strange encounters with scientific creations. Expectation brought about disaster after disaster with subterfuge the answer to behold, and yet, suddenly the characters were in the same position yet again, a different set of circumstances, and a seemingly unending plot of intrigue to unravel.
However, though I found this portion of the novel to be somewhat trying in its constant movement and seemingly endless pursuit of non-answers, I finally reached those last climatic chapters where all mystery began to be interpreted. I started to question some of the characters, and re-assess if I had misinterpreted some of the dialogue, getting excited as the truth worked its way to the surface.
It's almost impossible to give an overview of the story as there is far too much information to relay. But I can say that no one is who they seem, clones may just take over the world, scientific experimentation reaches a whole new level of disgrace, and political agenda proves yet again to be the motivator of destruction.
I rate this book three out of five stars and recommend it to anyone who enjoys dystopian, science based, politically driven novels - very well written and an asset to the author.

Synopsis: Imagine living longer, being healthy and having a youthful appearance for hundreds of years. How would you spend your extra time? Would it change your thinking? Would it enable you to achieve impossible  dreams? Become part of the movement, the excitement and fascination. 'Ever Essence' will change your life too.

Kristy :)

Follow Friday #30

Happy Friday everyone!

Yes, it’s that time of week again where bloggers unite to participate in the Follow Friday venture. The idea behind #FF is to promote traffic to your own blog, make new friends with other like-minded bloggers and discuss new and interesting topics each week.

Participating is simple. First you need to follow my blog because I’m totally awesome, then you can follow me on Twitter @kristyberridge (actually you don’t have to do this, it’s wishful thinking), but do follow my blog or assassins will get you …

Then you must follow our illustrious hosts Rachel of http://www.parajunkee.com/ and Alison of http://www.alisoncanread.com/ If you want more details on how to enter your own blog in the follow and hop, all directions are on their webpages

Now, once you’ve followed, check out my answer to this week’s questions and don’t forget to leave a comment so I can do the right thing and follow you back!





This week's question: Have you had a character that disappointed you? One that you fell in love with and then 'broke up' with later in either a series or a stand-alone book? Tell us about him or her.


My answer: Kudos, Parajunkee for picking Anita Blake. Talk about a whiplash of hypocrisy, I couldn't agree more! Anita Blake was empowerment for women, serious vampire killer, and extremely choosey when it came to her men. Now she's forgotten her natural talents in lieu of metaphysical ones, sleeps with vampires rather than staking them, and still spends far too much time arguing with anyone who'll listen about her sex life! 


But, although this is definitely my pick too, I will say in Richelle Mead's Succubus series I was mad keen for Seth for a while. I backed that mortal through thick and thin, and then I fell for Roman, the bad boy half angel introduced early on into the series. For a while I was totally barracking for him, but I suspect more than anything for a change of pace and to tickle my fancy. Naturally, I came back around to Mr.Right (Seth) again, but it still didn't stop me from wanting the bad boy. Typical.







Have a great weekend everyone!


Kristy :)