Location: United States
Member Since:
Oct. 06, 2011
Darian Wilk
Biography
Freelance writer and author specializing in women's fiction. Current titles include Love Unfinished, Reinventing Claire, and the upcoming series The Four Peas.
For more information about my books, to sign up for my newsletter, giveaways, or general cyber-stalking, please visit www.DarianWilk.weebly.com
For more information about my books, to sign up for my newsletter, giveaways, or general cyber-stalking, please visit www.DarianWilk.weebly.com
Where to find Darian Wilk online
Website: http://darianwilk.weebly.com/
Twitter: @darianwilk
Facebook: Facebook profile
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/darian-wilk/29/319/449
Blog: http://darianwilk.weebly.com/blog.html
Twitter: @darianwilk
Facebook: Facebook profile
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/darian-wilk/29/319/449
Blog: http://darianwilk.weebly.com/blog.html
Where to buy in print
Books
Smashwords book reviews by Darian Wilk
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Maggie Mae
on March 02, 2012
(no rating)
When first reading the synopsis of this book I was intrigued, the idea of fate pulling two people together, people seemingly impossible to fall for loves tricks, well obviously, that’s right up my alley! I was eager to dive into this one, and not at all disappointed once I started reading. Wolters did a superb job showing the emotion, the unexplainable connection between Maggie and Michael. The characters feeling the strange sensations they both feared to ever feel, yet not being able to deny its existence, was very well described. You could sense the rush, confusion, fear and hope in the wave of their meeting. And from there, you couldn’t help rooting for love to triumph fear, and to crush Rafferty’s twisted hopes for his relationship with Maggie. I was so pulled into this story I had to keep turning the pages. Just as I was about to cheer that love would survive, I saw how many pages were left and braced myself for heartache. In one turn after another love was at your fingertips, and then pulled away, then within reach again. It was a thrilling ride Maggie and Michael’s whirlwind relationship took me on. So much so that I finished the book in one day. Yes, neglecting everything I had on the to-do list, I plopped my kids in front of the TV and put a movie on for them – I just had to see how this ended. I could easily connect with these characters, getting wrapped up in their every emotion came easy, and I can’t even quite say why. Which right there, is a sign of solid writing. They were real characters; flawed, broken, hopeful and scared. Much like we all have been at some point in our life. The ending held a few surprises in it, and I won’t indulge you with whether it left me heartbroken, or embracing the excitement of a ‘happily ever after’. I will say however that it held within it many sweet moments. Overall this was an excellent read, and well worth the guilt of making my kids watch TV for an entire afternoon. The way Wolters developed the bond between Maggie and Michael, and the challenges they met to fight or accept love was, well…for anyone who has seen The Notebook, that feeling – you’ll find it in this book. If you’re a fan of love, a fan of getting sucked into the story of people meant to be together – yet almost pulled apart by circumstance, you’ll love this book. Wolters masterfully produced one of the best love stories I have read in a very long time. **Copied from my blog http://crazyladywithapen.blogspot.com/
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Maggie Mae
on March 02, 2012
When first reading the synopsis of this book I was intrigued, the idea of fate pulling two people together, people seemingly impossible to fall for loves tricks, well obviously, that’s right up my alley! I was eager to dive into this one, and not at all disappointed once I started reading. Wolters did a superb job showing the emotion, the unexplainable connection between Maggie and Michael. The characters feeling the strange sensations they both feared to ever feel, yet not being able to deny its existence, was very well described. You could sense the rush, confusion, fear and hope in the wave of their meeting. And from there, you couldn’t help rooting for love to triumph fear, and to crush Rafferty’s twisted hopes for his relationship with Maggie. I was so pulled into this story I had to keep turning the pages. Just as I was about to cheer that love would survive, I saw how many pages were left and braced myself for heartache. In one turn after another love was at your fingertips, and then pulled away, then within reach again. It was a thrilling ride Maggie and Michael’s whirlwind relationship took me on. So much so that I finished the book in one day. Yes, neglecting everything I had on the to-do list, I plopped my kids in front of the TV and put a movie on for them – I just had to see how this ended. I could easily connect with these characters, getting wrapped up in their every emotion came easy, and I can’t even quite say why. Which right there, is a sign of solid writing. They were real characters; flawed, broken, hopeful and scared. Much like we all have been at some point in our life. The ending held a few surprises in it, and I won’t indulge you with whether it left me heartbroken, or embracing the excitement of a ‘happily ever after’. I will say however that it held within it many sweet moments. Overall this was an excellent read, and well worth the guilt of making my kids watch TV for an entire afternoon. The way Wolters developed the bond between Maggie and Michael, and the challenges they met to fight or accept love was, well…for anyone who has seen The Notebook, that feeling – you’ll find it in this book. If you’re a fan of love, a fan of getting sucked into the story of people meant to be together – yet almost pulled apart by circumstance, you’ll love this book. Wolters masterfully produced one of the best love stories I have read in a very long time. **Copied from my blog, Crazy Lady with a Pen
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The Beacon Singer
on March 24, 2012
The Beacon Singer is about Jane Lake, a feisty jazz singer who finds herself home again to mend the pieces of her life, and figure out exactly what the heck she’s going to do with it. Mingled throughout this book are the stories of those around her, Philip and his strange connection with young Stella, Ruth and her awkward longing for Simon, to Margaret and her here-then gone husband, Jane’s parents, and Jane’s love/hate relationship with her brother, David. By the synopsis I had expected the book to mostly be about Jane, but it’s far more than that. There’s an abundance of plot here, much like watching a mini-series; you were slipped into not only Jane’s life, but also of all the ones around her in the English Lake District. You’re not very far into the book before you’re met with the scandalicious ways of small town life. Chapman nailed that aspect, how life in these towns can be smiles up front, yet burning your ears with the buzz of gossip. Chapman did a very nice job describing London and the peaceful life of Jane’s quaint hometown, so much so that I felt as if she plucked me right out of America and set me down in this beautiful, exquisite land I have never seen with my own eye. She’s left me with the urge to take a vacation I cannot afford to indulge in the beauty of that land. I did however have a hard time really connecting with the characters. Their struggles and emotions were on the tips of my fingers, but I just couldn’t quite feel them for a good portion of the book. But that’s not to say others would have this problem. Connections felt with characters can vary greatly from reader to reader. Where I felt this slight barrier between me and the characters, another reader may relate with them on the deepest of levels. That being said, I did end up bridging the gap with them better toward the middle of the book, and felt I knew them well by the end. The ending for me was tied up nicely, Chapman did well in addressing any loose ends. And I would have to say the ending seemed fitting for the characters and their journey, I probably would have been disappointed had it ended any other way. Overall this was a decent read! Chapman is a very fine writer, she has wonderful talent with description, a keen eye for plot twists and pace, and I also loved that she kept her chapters short. This makes reading for busy people like me so much easier. I could dive into the story, yet always had a decent place to stop and not feel as if I was leaving in the middle of a great scene. I hate when I have to do that. Chapman, clearly, put a lot of thought and heart into this book, and I applaud her for that. I do wish that I could have connected on a deeper level with the characters earlier on, but a connection was established, leaving my inner reader satisfied in the end! **My review copied from Krazy Book Lady's blog
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Shades of Grey
on May 01, 2012
Shades of Grey is a collection of three short stories, all touching on violence and death. Although this may sound a bit gruesome or odd, it's quite the contrary. Each story is from a different perspective, all seeing violence, life, and death differently than the other stories. Which was a nice approach for me. While I haven't read many collections of shorts, the ones I've had felt so similar they almost blended together to me. That's not the case with this collection - each story stands on its own. The first and main title, Shades of Grey, is about a John, a government agent in the UK. Its told through his thoughts, as he's tied to a chair by an unknown captor. Cargill pulls you into the mans thoughts so deeply that they almost feel as if they're your own. He connects you with the character, not an easy task to accomplish with a short story. In Cargill way, there are bits of humor throughout the story, which added a lightness to the scene, yet connected you even more to the character. The second short is There and Back Again, about James, a British soldier during WWII. This story comes at a completely different angle than the first. I loved the emotion it evoked. It shows how, sadly, war can make people become almost numb to violence and its affect on others. This was a very touching, heartbreaking read for me - one I think many would also feel an impact from. The last title is Down the Rabbit Hole, is about Tom, a young boy with a very loving mom, and jerk, abusive dad. His best friend is a stuffed rabbit, who Tom finds out has come to life to help Tom with the issues in his life. Of course, Tom is thrilled, until things turn for the worst down a sinister path. This short is the favorite of most reviewers. It's much darker than one might think at first, certainly a very interesting story, and was fleshed out very well by the author. I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite of the three; all offer so much for being short stories, and from such different perspectives. The author did a wonderful job separating each story, making it truly its own, not comparable to the rest. Cargill has a little darkness about his writing, a quirky humor, that I quite enjoy. This collection of shorts has good reviews and ratings for a reason - it's well written and very entertaining. If you're looking for something that's a little bit different than the norm, I'd say this book is for you. **My review copied from my blog, CrazyLadywithaPen.blogspot.com