Heart Search Review

Recently, you've probably seen a few posts popping up about the blog tour I'm doing for Carlie M.A. Cullen's new book, Heart Search: Lost. Now, I'm sure you want to know my opinion of the book? Have I read it? Is it any good? Should I fork out the dollars for it?

In a nut shell? YES!! In fact it's that's good that you should probably gift a few copies to your besties, because they are going to love it too!

I was going to do a standard book review on it, but I know many of you (myself included) tend to look at those big long reviews and get all glassy-eyed. Personally, I just want to cut to the chase and find out about the awesome bits and the not so awesome bits.

So here they are:

AWESOME

• Vampires - and not the ones that sparkle and get all morally obnoxious about sex before marriage. There is blood and murder and downright glorification of the fact that these vampires see us as food. They consider themselves superior to mere mortals and hang only with their own kind (unless they're dining out, of course). The main vampire character, Joshua (who is turned at the very start of the story and leaves his fiancé practically at the altar), does tend to suffer a little from just-turned angst, but that is perfectly acceptable behaviour as far as I'm concerned!
• Romance - Now you know me, I'm not a big fan of sickly sweet romance so I am always a little hesitant when I pick up any book in this genre - especially paranormal romance and even more so when it is in the YA genre. The romance in Heart Search: Lost is sweet and by the end of the book, poignant. There is plenty of passion between the main characters and they are certainly in love at the start of the book. Once Joshua is turned into a vampire and disappears, the love Remy maintains for him is truly inspiring.
• Paranormal/reality fusion - As the author, Carlie M. A. Cullen discussed recently in her guest blog post, there needs to be a realistic and credible fusion between the world we live in and the fantasy world of a vampire novel. The author creates this seamlessly and at no time throughout the novel are you wondering how things are possible - they just are.
• Writing Style - Cullen's style of writing is just beautiful. There are sections of descriptives that makes your heart do little flip-flops. In some places the author just manages to nail a complex idea or emotional state in one clearly defined sentence.
• It's a series - Heart Search: Lost is book one in a series. So after investing the time with this first novel, you can eventually devour more of these wonderful characters in subsequent books. I always love it when I discover a book I've read is just the start for the characters I've fallen in love with. There is something so rewarding with following their progress over a great length of time.

NOT SO AWESOME

• Size - this is a long book at over 150,000 words. While I found the story flew by and I was quickly engaged in the story line, there are people out there who download books onto their Kindle, see how long the little length line underneath the title is and promptly pick a shorter novel to read. I'm not sure why that is, but for some reason many people are in a hurry to read on their eReaders *sighs and shakes her head at the fact that some people will miss out on this gem*
• Writing Style - I know I included this in the 'awesome' section also, but, once again, there are people out there who do not like fanciful descriptives. If you are one of them, please try to overlook this fact and give the book a try anyway!
• Two Paths, One Story - I loved the two story lines of this novel, don't get me wrong there. However, there were a couple of times (mainly in the middle of the book) when I just wondered if Remy and Joshua's paths would ever meet up again. While I thoroughly enjoyed reading the separate journeys of the two main characters, I just occasionally wished that these two paths were, somehow, a little more interlocking.

So there you have it. If I had to give it a rating out of five, I would give it a very solid 4 stars. I just can't wait to see where the storyline goes in the second book! I am itching to find out if my theory on that surprising twist is correct and I just wish Carlie would get a hurry on and finish book two so I can find out!

You can purchase Heart Search: Lost by Carlie M. A. Cullen at the following places:

Amazon

Amazon UK

Heart Search Guest Blog

We've seen the trailer for Heart Search, we've read the excerpt and interviewed the author, Carlie M. A. Cullen, now, let's get inside the world of her very own version of reality......

Blending the Paranormal Into the ‘Real’ World 

(Guest Blog by author Carlie M.A. Cullen)

When you are a writer, you can create any type of world you want – the only limit is that of the writer’s own imagination. Fantastical worlds filled with all manner of creatures and magic systems, or planets with alien species complete with hierarchy and monsters adorn many a page, so is it difficult to blend the paranormal into what anyone would consider the ‘real’ world? 

My answer to that question is, no! For a moment, let’s examine what paranormal elements already exist in the world we know. 

There are well-documented cases of poltergeist activity around the globe; there are even TV shows dedicated to it where the evidence is irrefutable. Evidence exists of hauntings, ghost sightings and malevolent spirits and again these things have been shown on the small screen in our lounges and at the movies too. Studies have been carried out to prove the possibility of Telekinesis and other paranormal ‘talents’. And finally you have mediums or clairvoyants as they are sometimes known, who receive messages from ‘the other side’. 

Bearing all this in mind, writing a story which blends our world with the paranormal isn't quite as fantastical, or difficult, as it sounds. 

Writers have to have the mentality that ‘anything is possible’ yet at the same time they need to make at least some of it believable and realistic. As I've just released a book about vampires, which is set in England, I’m climbing the fence of two genres. Although it’s classified as Paranormal Romance, because there are vampires involved it also borders on Fantasy. What I had to do was ensure the fantasy/paranormal element married up with the human world in a way that didn’t make it jar or too incredible. 

I had to plan out the structure of the vampire side of the book carefully. I had to decide whether any of them would have ‘powers’ or ‘talents’ and what they would be. Some of the ones I chose do actually exist. For example, one of the vampire characters is an Empath who can feel pain and emotions from those around her. I actually know at least three Empaths so taking this into consideration, that particular vampire’s abilities are believable. I understand not everyone considers Empaths to be real, just like not everybody believes in the abilities of clairvoyants, but I know different from first-hand experience! 

By using ‘gifts’ which are documented, it helps to blend the paranormal into my real life situation and enables me to use my imagination to ramp up the not quite so real ones. Creating the vampire lair in the type of property dotted around not only England but other countries in the world, gives the story more authenticity. Describing the area the house is in and the immortals’ abilities to drive cars or walk down the main street of a town or village at night, incorporating sounds and smells which are easily relatable, like the smell of beer from a pub or bar, also helps to balance the real with the paranormal. 

If you want to write a story set in our world which incorporates paranormal elements you need to use your imagination to create it in such a way as to make it . . . possible, believable and, to a certain extent, realistic. 

So pick up your whisk and blend away. 

Thanks so much for that wonderful insight into how an author creates a world. Now why don't you check out Carlie's fantastical reality in her new book Heart Search. Available now from Amazon.com:

Amazon

Amazon UK

Carlie M. A. Cullen's 'Heart Search' Blog Tour Starts......Now!

I am very excited to announce that I am to be part of a Blog Tour! The book on offer is the very first novel published by author Carlie M. A. Cullen, entitled Heart Search. I have had the pleasure of being able to preview this book before publication, so make sure you hang about for my review on Heart Search later in the month!

But first things first...here is the official reveal of the gorgeous cover, designed by the equally wonderful Nicole Antonia Carson: