vanessa-jean-shockley

Book Review: Cut & Run by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux

vanessajeanshockley@gmail.com (Vanessa Shockley) — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 12:59:27 GMT

Zane and Ty ... Oh yeah!

Initially, I thought this book was going to be a basic police procedural book with a story involving two males who become intimate with each other. Wrong. Cut and Run is brilliant, enticing its readers to continue the journey to solve the mystery of the cryptic death.

Cut and Run is about two FBI Special Agents that are thrown together in an unwanted and explosive partnership. Neither Zane nor Ty could stand each other. Talk about being rubbed the wrong way. The enemies to lovers trope is delightful and titillating.

"Are you getting hysterical?” Ty asked eagerly. “Can I smack you?"

- Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux's Cut & Run

In the beginning of the book, Ty despised everything about Zane. Ty was a rough, brutally honest and sarcastic man. He was everything that made my toes tingle in anticipation.

Ty to Zane when they first met …

"I don’t wanna know about your childhood or how your momma whipped you with a rubber glove or how much therapy you had to go through ’cause you flunked out of preschool…and I’m not gonna help you pick out your ties to match your socks and, I swear to God, if you get me shot, I’ll kill you."

- Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux's Cut & Run

This book is filled with a bottomless pit of highlight worthy moments. Funny enough, I was so excited about the tale that I forgot to make the notes for this review.

I highly recommend this book to any adults that are interested in an extreme psychological serial killer thriller. I loved the plot, the story and two sexy men and their relationship.

This book contains highly descriptive violent crime scenes. The intense attraction between Ty and Zane is wonderful. There are amazing intimate and sexual scenes between the two male characters. It’s well worth the time. A MUST READ!

And that’s My Two Cents…

Writing Coach Philosophy

vanessajeanshockley@gmail.com (Vanessa Shockley) — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 14:19:15 GMT

My thoughts on being a writing coach and teacher.

My philosophy on coaching and mentoring is that everyone has a story to tell, and my role is to guide them through the process so they will write a story worth reading.

The approach to coaching and mentoring that I will employ is honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness. My role is to support someone with a story they feel compelled to tell.

My passion for coaching, teaching, and mentoring others is one of my driving motives. I prefer the Socratic method of coaching, which works well with this role because the questions will prompt the writer to review the intent behind their choices. In addition, the questions aid the writer in considering alternative perspectives and ways to implement what they hope to achieve. The end goal is to guide the writer through the drafting process so that they finish a story.

Virtual meetings provide a long-distance opportunity for a personal connection. In addition, my approach when working with others is establishing boundaries and building a healthy foundation to work efficiently together.

"Write a story worthy of reading."

- Vanessa Shockley

My understanding of industry-specific techniques for substantive and line editing services may differ from the norm. For instance, substantive editing often includes a letter to the writer that ranges from 10 to 25 pages. My philosophy is to take a more personal, direct route and have in-person or live virtual meetings with my clients to converse about my observations. Real-time soundboarding ensures that the writer understands the lesson and allows them to ask questions for clarification.

Substantive editing is my favorite role because I incorporate coaching and teaching techniques. Substantive editing is at the scene and page level. The role also fine-tunes elements, such as character arcs, goals, motivations, conflicts, use of secondary characters, and plot holes. I look at the scenes and wonder what the character believes will happen in the scene. In addition, what is the cause and effect of what happens? Understanding and communicating this concept to others can help with pacing, rationality, and believability.

Furthermore, I realize that more writers tend to head-hop. Head-hopping is one of the most distracting errors made in writing. This habit can be alleviated quickly with a short and straightforward session about point-of-view.

"Living at risk is jumping off the cliff and building your wings on the way down."

- Ray Bradbury

As an editor, I fill some roles: writing coach, critic, champion, and wordsmith. Developmental and content editors are considered high-level editors. Our textbook states that developmental editors primarily work with non-fiction projects as they’re being written (234). Content editors focus on the book’s structure, style, and overall development, often called a book doctor. Combining content editing and writing coach services helps aspiring writers wrap their heads around the third rail of their scenes so that the story has a natural, logical progression. My strengths lie in surface-level editing. This includes line editors, copy editors, and proofreading.

And that’s My Two Cents…

Book Review: Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton

vanessajeanshockley@gmail.com (Vanessa Shockley) — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 17:13:12 GMT

Anita's Paranormal Perversions ... Yum!

Guilty Pleasures. Anita Blake. She is an animator who raises the dead for a living and occasionally consults the new task force that covers all possible paranormal homicides. Surrounded by monsters, dodging the manipulative powers that attempts to lure her into their world, Anita remains steadfast in her fierce nature and sexy stature.

Anita is an arrogant and rude character. Apparently, she never developed the filter between her brain and her mouth. Hilarious! She is brave and bold. Adventurous and loyal to her friends. Although, in the beginning, her morals were black and white. As the book progressed, monsters became unclear.

"If you fail me again, large or small, I will tear your throat out, and my children will bathe in a shower of your blood."

- Laurell K. Hamilton's Guilty Pleasures

Jean-Claude is a seductive vampire who gets under her skin. He is a monster. but his charm does not elude her. He owns the vampire strip club, Guilty Pleasures. Below is one of his opening lines to the audience that is eagerly awaiting a sexy performance.

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to feel my breath upon your skin? My lips along your neck. The hard brush of teeth. The sweet, sharp pain of fangs. Your heart beating frantically against my chest. Your blood flowing into my veins."

- Laurell K. Hamilton's Guilty Pleasures

Guilty Pleasures is a must read for anyone who wants to step outside of their comfort zone and ride alongside a strong female character who doesn’t take shit from anyone or anything.

And that’s My Two Cents…

Edgar Allan Poe: A Stylistic Linguistic Analysis on Soundscapes

vanessajeanshockley@gmail.com (Vanessa Shockley) — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 16:59:46 GMT

Soundscapes and Sensory Imagery

Edgar Allan Poe uses stylistic diction and sensory imagery to express terror and dread. “The Black Cat,” “The Fall of the House of Usher,” and “The Pit and Pendulum” are three stories that contain brilliant diction that reinforces the gothic horror experienced by the characters. The stylistic choices made by Poe, coupled with diction and imagery, produce a profound, emotional effect, one experienced by both narrator and reader (Israel).

"No sooner had the reverberation of my blows sunk into silence, that I was answered by a voice from within the tomb."

- Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat

Poe’s “The Black Cat” twists the emotional turmoil of an alcoholic male and creates monstrous imagery (Civelek). Masterfully executed auditory impairments unearth the main character’s emotions of guilt and terror.

Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” is an excellent depiction of sensory descriptions that escalates the tension before reaching the climax (Weisheng). The story’s first line sets the tone for a typical gothic horror (Duffy).

"During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day."

- Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher

Furthermore, Poe’s “The Pit and Pendulum” relies on sensory details to instill the despair experienced by the victim, generating urgency, luring the reader with anticipation. Through stylistic diction and sensory imagery, specifically auditory and visual, Poe invites readers to experience the terror through the narrator’s perspective.

And Now You Know ...

"The tall candles sank into nothingness…the blackness of darkness supervened."

- Edgar Allan Poe's The Pit and Pendulum

Works Cited

Civelek, Deniz. “The Detailed Analysis of the Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe in Stylistic Perspective.” Journal of Faculty of Letters / Edebiyat Fakultesi Dergisi, vol. 39, no. 1, June 2022, pp. 99–112.
Duffy, Caitlin. “Sensory Overload and Poe’s Mechanics of Terror.” Poe Studies: History, Theory, Interpretation, vol. 52, 2019, pp. 69–90.
Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Black Cat.” The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Barnes & Noble, 2006. pp. 531-538.
---. “The Fall of House Usher.” The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Barnes & Noble, 2006. pp. 299-313.
---. “The Pit and Pendulum.” The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Barnes & Noble, 2006. pp. 443-454.
Weisheng, Tang. “Edgar Allan Poe’s Gothic Aesthetics of Things: Rereading ‘The Fall of the House of Usher.’” Style, vol. 52, no. 3, Aug. 2018, pp. 287–301.

Annabel Lee and Her Emotional Support Human

vanessajeanshockley@gmail.com (Vanessa Shockley) — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 11:40:23 GMT

I love my Annabel Lee ... Even if she hates taking selfies :)

In 2013, I rescued a mut and named her Annabel Lee. It worked out well because I was a full-time student and could give her the proper attention any puppy deserves. My mornings were consumed by puppy training, Diablo 3 with Matt, and homework. Life was great!

Annabel Lee is practically perfect in every way. She doesn’t have accidents in the house. She lets us know when Amazon shows up with a package. One of my favorite pastimes with my dog is wrestling in the living room. Sound effects and all. She eats that shit up.

"Once you have a wonderful dog, a life without one is a life diminished."

- Dean Koontz

We used to take a ton of road trips! The back of the SUV was exclusively hers. She had food, water, and a comfortable dog bed. When I say road trips, I’m talking about driving 16 hours from Georgia to visit family in Texas. Alex binged her videos in the back seat next to the luggage, which, I might add, was solid evidence of my Tetris skills.

"Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."

- Winnie the Pooh

A nnabel Lee may not be the brightest bulb in the bunch, but she’s a sweet girl who knows when her momma isn’t feeling well. We can close ourselves in the guest room, turn on a box fan for noise, and nap for hours. She’s the chill to my mellow. I love her.

Hello World!

vanessajeanshockley@gmail.com (Vanessa Shockley) — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 16:48:38 GMT

I'm in the process of building this website. Please bear with me, and if you can spare a second, send positive vibes to my web designing husband. He's a patient man :)