Happy 3rd Birthday Inksoaked Page

Three years ago I had the pleasure of revamping this blog from a 2009 diary type blog. After asking some opinions of my peeps on Google + and close friends, I decided to go for it! Now three years later a small blog has grown exponentially into everything I've dreamed of and more. I never had the idea that this can slowly develop into a business which it has or that I would gain a publishing partnership with Random House. 

Yet here we are in 2016 and it is very possible. Now this blog has become my portfolio for other business prospective, a platform for other writers and a creative outlet for myself. This year Inksoaked Page is expanding even more and I cannot wait to see what will happen in one year! Thanks for the followers and help from everyone! Even the doubters, haters and certain people that claim that this will fail. Youve inspired me the most! 

HAPPY WRITINGS!

Book Review: Wonderland by Amily Shen

  

Wonderland by Amily Sheen

Rating: 3/5 Stars  

This new type of coloring is making its way onto the shelves in stores. Adult coloring books are all the rave and not too long ago I reviewed some. Now I am back with another one! This coloring book features Alice in Wonderland and the characters we love. One should understand that this book does not follow the Disney movie, but sort of a classic British one. The story-line was quite cute and very simple the author Amily Shen leads the reader to sort of become Alice and travel to Wonderland to attend the Mad Hatter's tea party. However, it lacked the characters that make the story come to life such as the Mad Hatter or Queen. Its main focus is on the tea party, flowers and food which are great to color, but still it needs that Alice feel to it. 

 I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a spring feeling.

Story Excerpt: Legion Part 1

They lay within one another arms in the dark with just the moonlight spilling into the room. It was a perk that Theo had no roommate so the luxury of privacy was at its peak. Lia could be whoever she wanted to be and acted how she contented. This would be the moment she would take the leap and tell Theo her secret.

“I dropped out of school” Lia whispered and Theo looked down at her. She didn’t raise her head to look at him instead she listened to how rapid his heartbeat was and the heat emitting from his skin.

“Why?”

“They wanted me too, I have to focus on being a Guardian but yeah, no more Social Work for me” She whispered and quivered when he traced his name onto her skin with his finger. The goosebumps rose on her radiant skin and sent a chill down her spine. His hands stopped by her hair and began to run his fingers through it.

“One day”

“One day?”

“One day you will be exactly where you need to be, don’t worry, I am here for you always”

“Theo … I love you so much”

“I love you too Celia”

She rolled her eyes and he let out a lax laugh. Years later she still detested the way he said her name but not the same way as others did. He could repeat it all day and her heart will still swell with nervousness. She never felt this way before. Sure she had feelings for guys, hell girls, but Theo; he touched a nerve that no one else could.

“Let’s sleep” He whispered and pulled her up so she could lie on the pillow.

“No let’s stay up” She appealed and he laid his hand on her cheek to calm her.

“I have class at 10 AM”

“I don’t want to go yet. I want this to last Theo”

“So don’t go”

Book Review: Wet Sand in an Hourglass by Lana C. Marilyn

Wet Sand in an Hourglass by Lana C. Marilyn

Rating: 4/5 Stars 

I've watch this work grow since it was just an idea by Lana. I have been following the development of Lana but known to me as Ciinnie from Tumblr. When the opportunity to review this work came along I jumped at the opportunity to review it. When I review books I have an ideal of what it will be but for this one I decided to go in full blind to stay strictly unbiased. The story is broken up through short snippets of her life through her eyes. Some of these snippets get very intimate and you get a rush of excitement of peeking through someone else's eyes. The work starts with a story about her Mother and how she shifts between Animal and Animalé. She describes her Mother and how she embodied everything that Ciinnie wanted to be. As all daughter do as a young age, we strive to be mothers until we learn who we truly are in the inside. That is what this work is about, finding yourself or rather Ciinne finding herself.

 What stopped this other than stellar work from being a five were the works that were meant to be breaks.It was cute but I felt it pulled away from the emotions and distracted from the main idea. However I would figure that this was the ideal that Ciinnie was trying to portray with her work. It is a representation of her and how she is. Full of life, constantly moving and bouncing in between emotions. I would say that my favorite excerpt had to be Nine Lives of Love.  She goes into depth about a woman name Carmela and I just could imagine her and then about the cats which reminded me of my own experiences with Love.

I would recommend this book for all ages but especially to women of color. This is what kind of work we need in our shelves. Support one another and read one another tales.

"MY EARLY LESSON IN love were always administered under the circumstances of loss, the depth of which correlated to the value (Sentimental or monetary) of the missing entity in question. 

----

Check out her blog

http://cinniie.tumblr.com/

Journal: Happy National Notebook Day

Happy National Notebook Day

Story Excerpt: Reunions Chapter ???

 First sorry for the delays with the story excerpts but I have so many projects, work and school that I am trying to juggle. However I decided to post a story excerpt of something I've written about ten years ago and compare it to the revamp edition of 2016. 

This story started off as one thing and just flowed on. While I was going over the document I noticed that at some point I just wrote scenes. These scenes had no place within the story but were probably ideas that I wanted to put somewhere. 

Check it out!
-------------------------------------------------------

Original (Unedited)

Circa 2006

 “New York? Mike I thought we were going to Charleston?! We are going to get in so much trouble with our parents ” Manny screamed stepping off the bus. “Manny, shh calm down” Mike said holding in the laughter. She was so like Jenny but different. “Ugh fine who are we looking for?” Manny said and shook her head. “Nicholas Daniels” Mike said and pointed to the school.

“I knew that Greyhound bus was evil” Manny joked and they laughed together. The bell rung and kids piled out of school till one caught Mike’s eyes. A beat up kid dressed in black passing them. “Nick” Mike whispers. Nick turns to Mike and Manny, attitude present and fist curled. “What!” Nick barked. “Nothing” Mike said. “What no, if we are going to die I rather it be for something” Manny said with a smirk.

“Um hey Nick, I’m Manny this is Mike” Manny said. “And Blondie?” Nick said looking at the girl. “Back of Goth Vader, we came to help you okay” Manny said. Mike smiles at the girl and notices the difference from the old Manny and now, she was more relaxed and out there. “Okay calm down” Nick said and raised his arms back.

Mike saw a glimmer of old Nick for a second till the cut on his lip and the black eye zoned out on him. “Some guys giving you trouble at school” Mike said.  “Uh … yeah look nice to meet Barbie and Ken but I need to go okay, see ya” Nick said and started to walk away. “Were going to follow him aren’t we” Manny said watching Nick. “Oh yeah” Mike said. 

Rewritten

Circa 2016 

They stepped off the bus and Manny glanced around the area to realize they were far from their home. The large skyscrapers loomed over her head and the loud traffic blared in her ears.

“Mike!” Her voice was sharp and she turned on her heel to face the boy who was smiling at everything.

 “New York? Mike I thought we were going to Charleston?! We are going to get in so much trouble with our parents! “Manny screamed.

“Manny please don’t worry I will take most of the blame with our parents” Michael retorted and held in his laughter. Manny was just like Jenny but yet still had her own aura around her.

“Who are we looking for again?” She asked and shook her head in frustration.

“Nicolas Daniels.” He pointed to a large school across the street and beckoned her to follow.

They crossed the street when the bell rang and the doors flew opened.  Students began to swarm out in packs and fill up the concrete yard that was surrounded by a chain linked fence.

“I knew that Greyhound bus was evil” Manny joked and they laughed together as Michael looked around. His eyes landed on a brunette dressed all in black and covering a fresh black eye with his hand. The brunette shoved through the crowds of cliques to the sidewalk.

“Nick” Michael whispered and followed the boy until they reached the corner of the block.

“What?” Nick barked and curled his fist into a ball while glaring at the two staring at him.

“Nothing” Michael stuttered and took a step back from Nick. Manny shook her head before taking a step closer and sticking her hand out to Nick.

“If we are going to die might as well be worth it. Hi my name is Manny and this Mike” Manny said and waved her hand in Nick’s face and he moved back.

“And Blondie?” He retorted and rolled his eyes ate her.

“Relax Goth Vader we are here to help you …. I think” Manny said rolling her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.  Michael let out a small laugh and realized how different Manny was and how much she reminded him of how Jenny used to be.

“Damn relax my bad” Nick said and raised his arms back in defense with a slight smirk.

Michael saw a glimpse of his old best friend but he was brought out of his memory when the cut on Nick’s lip began to bleed again. He took another look at his eye and noticed the puffiness beginning to turn a grossly blue color.  

“Nick … is someone bothering you? I mean here at school or ….?”

“Look it was great chatting with you Barbie and Ken but I need to go so yeah, Bye!” Nick said and shoved off from the two.

“Were going to follow him aren’t we Mike?” Manny groaned and watched Nick cross the street as cars blared by.  

Michael watched the path that nick was taking and nodded his head.

 “Oh yeah”

Book Review: Brain Freeze Journal by Potter

Brain Freeze by Potter

Rating: 4/5 Stars 

This journal is smaller than your average journal, but it is perfect for carrying around in your book-bag or purse. Its smaller than your average A4 journal, but what is unique about this journal its texture and lack of a firm spine. Thanks to the lack of spine the book lays flat open making it easier for writers to inscribe their thoughts. What is also interesting about this journal is that the pages have lines, a chunk of space and then more lines. Although others may appreciate it, I did not and that is one of the reasons stopping this journal from being a 5. Another reason it was not a 5 was that I felt the journal was too small, although convenient it was too small for my type of writing. 

Recommended for writers, ice cream lovers and anyone who likes to jot down some notes.