Friday Finale: CONCEALED

On Wednesday...
I showed you guys a song I wrote that was completely inspired by the themes in CONCEALED that I latched onto the strongest. I'd been searching for THE longest time for a song that could describe Bijou, and although I LOVE Lenka, part of me feels like I had to settle! I grumbled about it for a while--- about the fact that there SHOULD be a song already in existence that WAS Bijou Fitzroy. But when I realized there probably WAS one, and that I wasn't looking in the right places, I decided to write one of my own. I'm so glad you guys enjoyed it!

Then on Thursday...
I explored the interwebs and found four different review-type things concerning CONCEALED. All of them are different (and one of them, I admit, isn't a review at all!), but the general consensus is that, although flawed, CONCEALED is a good read with a future plot-line that has tremendous potential. I can't speak for these other reviewers, but I, personally, am looking forward to seeing where Sang Kromah takes this series. The ideas expressed in this book are larger than life at times and aren't easy to pull off, but I trust this author to tell me a story, and I hope that the next book blows me away.

And now it's Friday! 
And as usual, I have TONS of goodies for you. Earlier this year, Sang did a blog tour for CONCEALED and luckily for us, that means we can see special interviews and material from her any time we want! Check out the link above to see a list of the participating bloggers and, if you're not sure about checking out CONCEALED, maybe something you see there will give you a little push!

Also, Sang has not only created a playlist for this book, but she's also done a "Casting Call" of what she imagines the characters to look like! I personally think both are fabulous, but I want to know what you think. If you read the book, do you agree or disagree with the choices? The soundtrack Bijou put together for herself is pretty flipping amazing, and gah! So many Bijous! I personally picture her differently than all of the options, but wouldn't it be AWESOME if Antonia Thomas played her? Excuse me for a second while I try not to answer my own question.

I've put together my own CONCEALED playlist featuring all the music from this week's Daily Doses AND a few bonus tracks. But I also put together a playlist of Sang's songs so that if ya'll wanted to hear them in a loop, you could. And I couldn't help it... I put two additional song in there to, in honor of the author and based on the conversations we've had on Twitter. Just know that some of the songs on our lists might be missing from the playlists because they're not on the website I'm using. I try to replace those when I can. So all of you who've seen Bijou's playlist, forgive me, in advance, for changing some of the songs. This is why I still suggest you check out Bijou's list and my Daily Doses for a more accurate portrayal of our playlists.

And finally, because I didn't do my usual Tuesday Tweets this week, I'll probably be tweeting about CONCEALED next week as well because GUESS WHAT? We're celebrating PRIDE AND PREJUDICE next week! And guess who's Sang Kromah's role model? YES! Jane flipping Austen! Oh... That's classic, that is. So yeah. We'll be doing THAT.

Take care, Elsewhere, and remember, you can start submitting Mayhem and Wanderings stuff for next week as of now! There won't be anymore Liveshows or YouTube videos until summer because life is getting on my nerves, BUT you can still submit ALL OF THE THINGS to myticketsomewhere@gmail.com if you're interested in fabulous prizes.

BAI!
Deserae

Thursday Thoughts -6-

How ya'll doin'?

Thank you for your kind words regarding my song. Now are you ready to see some of the kind things people are saying about CONCEALED? Let's do this! Click a pic to see the review!

Review from a Wanderer named Maya...

Fun Facts w/ Sang at Krazy Book Lady...

Book Review in which CONCEALED earns a 4.5 out of 5...

Book Review similar to mine!

So have you checked them out yet? Are you even more excited to read CONCEALED now that you've heard differing points of views about it? Are you tired of me asking questions? Okay. I get it. But what I don't get is why you haven't started reading it for yourself, yet.

Tomorrow there will be a finale but no Liveshow. I just can't get my channel to work right and we've been having extremely low attendance anyway so I'll wait until Elsewhere has an audience of at least 20 before I try to conduct those again. Still, you won't want to miss the finale because as always, I'll have a bunch of goodies I didn't get to share with you earlier in the week. AND, I'm opening the comment section for discussion about CONCEALED, TEXAS GOTHIC, and/or SISTERHOOD II, so if you read any of those and are dying to talk, let us do so! Mañana! 


Hasta la bye, bye!
Deserae

Wednesday Writes -6-

I'm really scatter-brained this week, Elsewhere. I thought I'd put that out there in case the lack of daily postings weren't enough of a tip-off.

But because this has been a bit of a weird week, I'm going to try to make it up to you with a song that I wrote that was totally inspired by CONCEALED. Yeah. That's right. I'm winning you over with the written word. You know you want to be wooed. I apologize, in advance, for the lack of WOWZA but... okay! I'm stalling. Here we go. Are you ready? Here we go. Are you ready?

Gah!

"Underneath" -Deserae McGlothen

Broken heart, cluttered mind;
Drew you a map, but blurred the line.
Wish I could say that I was fine,
But I don't know anymore.

Start again in another place,
Cover my tracks, forfeit the race.
Don't know my past anyway.
No, I don't know anymore.

And they say I'm made for more
But I see the pitiful,
The crazy, confused me underneath.
And they know my history
But I know that I am me
I'm crazy, confused, see, underneath.

Dropped the baton, doubled back.
Won the crowd's love; lost the match.
I can't recover after that---
I can't keep running, anymore.

Had a nightmare, scared me stiff;
Saw the faces of foe and friend.
If I had known it'd come to this,
Well--- I wouldn't want to anymore.

And they say I'm made for more
But I see the pitiful,
The crazy, confused me underneath.
And they know my history
But I know that I am me.
I'm crazy, confused, see, underneath.
I'm crazy, and I'm just me underneath.
I-I'm scared, see, I need saving underneath.

END.

So? Did you cry of shame and humiliation? I hope not, 'cause I worked really hard on that! You know what else I worked hard on? Catching up on the Daily Doses I missed! You can see Monday's, Tuesday's, and today's! at their respective links, or you could just visit My Ticket Home and browse through any and all of the doses! Also, if you're on Twitter, be sure to give the author @SangWrites a mention! I missed Twitter Tuesday, but we can Tweet any day. Thank the Lord!

Thursday's post might arrive late like this post, but I WILL get it up tomorrow. I've been stressing about classes BUT what I realized was that posting this stuff actually ALLEVIATES that stress. So why would I skip out on taking my medicine? I wouldn't. Or shouldn't. Yeah, you know what I mean.

Anywho, hope ya'll had an awesome day today! Do you have any CONCEALED, TEXAS GOTHIC, or SISTERHOOD inspired Mayhem going on in your life? Leave them in the comments and remember! Start thinking ahead about NEXT week's Wednesday Wanderings. Get a friend and spread the love! It's more fun if you have people causing Mayhem WITH you, I think.

Later loves,
Deserae

Book Review: CONCEALED

This is actually going to be a really easy review for me to write because I basically have the words I need to say MEMORIZED. I've read lots of reviews on Sang Kromah's debut novel, and several of them have summed up the novel in a single word like "unique," "magical," or I even saw in one, "brilliant."

Me? I don't think I have a word or phrase that can quite describe it. Reading CONCEALED often made me feel like I was being whispered to, and though there is definitely room for improvement as the series develops, it's those lingering whispers that make me happy to have picked up this book. I like hearing good stories, and I think you do, too.

I think a HUGE factor in what makes or breaks a book for any particular reader is the reading experience itself. If I'm in the right mood for a particular book, at the right time, and it's by the right author, I find myself extremely forgiving, and eerily enthusiastic about any and every thing about it.

Such was the case with CONCEALED. I stumbled across this bijou at a time when I really needed something... I don't know... adventurous. I'd been looking over something for a friend of mine, and I wanted to read something that was already in print, but similar to the concept of the manuscript we were tug-of-warring with... And lo and behold... CONCEALED. And  I was excited! At first. But it was WEIRD because I could've SWORN that, the day before, there was nothing on the market like his story so I was spooked, but ready to roll.

That was the first time I read the book, but the second time was just over a week ago shortly after a package came from TLT Publishing. They'd sent over a copy of the book! I was ecstatic and freaking out about Finals and again--- perfect timing. I devoured this 370 something paged gem in three? Maybe four days if you count the amount of time I spent in the wee hours of the "fourth" morning...

So my experience with this story has always been pleasant and YES. This is why I was able to gloss over a lot of its misdemeanors. Truthfully, it could've gone through another round of edits not for content, but for technicalities. There were passages of dialogue I wish I could've altered. There were paragraphs that, if moved around, might've made a scene flow better and words that were made adverbs when they were meant to be adjectives... there were misprints and nuances that would be glimpsed over by careless readers, but caught by the close reader. And Elsewhere, you know I'm a close reader. I like to get the most out of every story I read--- consume every single character, even down to the punctuation...

And it wasn't clean. It wasn't MESSY, but chances are, some of the mistakes will jump out at you. But, Reader, don't let them deter you. I can say that the world in which the CONCEALED universe is set is actually pretty wonderful. It is reminiscent of the tales of old--- the ones you might imagine hearing around a fire in a tribal village, or over a hot cup of cocoa with an elderly storyteller as your sole source of entertainment on "a dark and stormy night..." It's not clean, but it's not messy. It is clear that Sang Kromah KNOWS what she wants from this series, from her characters, and that she wants to make a connection with her readers through the art that preserves the human race: the telling and exchanging of stories.

I'd like to think of CONCEALED as a gateway for Sang who is an obviously talented writer and a not-so-undercover romantic that thinks BIG. The ideas in this story... the characters she's crafted... the stories that work their way through the text in a skeletal manner, like bones... the relationships, both romantic, and unromantic... They're the things I'll be looking for again in the next installment of this series. But I also have hopes that the next story will be even BETTER both in form, in delivery, and of course, in terms of the stakes. Although wow. This book went from a fight for normalcy to a fight for--- Well, if I said for Narnia, would you believe me? Probably not. So I guess you'll have to read the book for yourself in order to know what for and to read the super cool ending that no... not even I saw coming. You can find it at your local Barnes and Nobles, now, so seriously, what are you waiting for? The sequel? Right... me too.

My hope is that you'll fall in love with Sykesville, Maryland and the mythology Sang has crafted around the Concealed. I recommend this to those of you looking for a mystery with a romantic and paranormal emphasis. Because, at its core, CONCEALED challenges us to ask the question who is Bijou? Who can she trust? And it also asks us to wonder if knowing where you come from can compensate for or give value to knowing who you are. Yes. This book has hidden gems, mon amies! Do yourselves a favor; go dig them out.

Blurb from Goodreads:


When 16-year-old Bijou Fitzroy and her nomadic grandmother leave New York City to live in a home in the sleepy town of Sykesville, Maryland, Bijou thinks she will finally be able to live a normal life and be like everyone else. Things soon take a turn for the worse when the stories of the mythical creatures from her mythology class begin to take shape in Bijou's life.

Want more Sang Kromah? Click one.