Cherese A. Vines

I'd love to read a review from you.

I was born into a military family during the late 1970s. I've lived in a number of different cities throughout my life, including Chicago where most of my family resides. Although I have a background in Journalism, my love of reading fiction led me to creative writing pursuits. I have incorporated my experiences and travels into my writing, which include young adult fiction, science-fiction, and fantasy. I currently reside near the Atlanta area with my husband and two children.

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Blog: http://www.cheresevinescharmingwords.wordpress.com

action scifi thriller    adventure    aliens    dimension travel    fantasy    genius    haitian    magic    marriage    matchmaker    mind control    mystery    nanochip    nanotechnology    paranormal    president    puppet strings    revenge    romance    science fiction    sciencefiction    thriller suspense    time travel    young adult   

• The Last Stop on Feb. 22, 2012
  
  Enjoyed it very much. Simple and creative look at something that many wonder about. There still is that wonder at the end, but satisfied with the ending.
  
• The Other Slipper on March 12, 2012
  
  May contain spoilers, but not details. The Other Slipper by Kenechi Udogu The story begins with the preparations for the great ball where (Cinder)Ella will meet her prince and live happily ever after. However, this story is not about her. It is about Jo, and to a certain extent, her brother Ron. When Jo stumbles across a pumpkin and glass slipper and takes them home, she alters her destiny. When the slipper starts to hum for its mate, Jo is forced to accept the rumor about Ella and an enchanted slipper. Hoping she can just return the slipper and go back to normal, she seeks out Ella who is now living in the palace. However, Ella's godmother Arla tells Jo that she must now return the pair to their rightful owner, the Lady of Ould. Jo can no longer doubt the existence of magic as everyone has heard of the great and powerful Lady of Ould. So in the company of her protective older brother Ron, Jo begins a journey that reveals truths about her family origins that expand her small world and leaves no doubt that magic does exist. I was hooked right away. The author presents a good description of Jo as the too-tall awkward teenaged girl. The reader is immediately endeared to her. Although Jo can be frustratingly stubborn at times, her stubbornness does push the story forward. The story is an easy and quick read that keeps you interested. In one scene, Jo and Ron meet a stranger named Locke who offers to accompany them on their journey as protection when they are attacked by someone trying to take the slippers. When Locke reveals who he really is, the passage only explains the symbol he shows them and then the chapter ends. The reader doesn't find out what this all means until several pages later, and by then new surprises spring up to keep you reading. Some of the explanations of characters' history are a little confusing. Others are long and seem a bit awkward for characters to be narrating them. I would have liked a little more "he said" or "Jo said" because in places it took longer to figure out who was speaking until the end of a long passage of dialog. There are grammar issues but not too distracting. The description and consistency of prose really involves the reader. Jo's character is really perceptive on facial expressions, letting the reader "see" the reactions of other characters. Also, the humming of the slippers does not end when they are reunited and at first the constant reminder of this fact annoys, which is exactly what it's doing to Jo throughout the book until it just becomes background noise, again like Jo's experience. Great device to bring the reader in. The ending, although neatly tied up left me desiring a bit more from Jo and the antagonist. There does seem to be room for a sequel. I would give it 3.5 out of 5 stars, or 7 out of 10. Good reading for those who like fairy tale spinoffs. But don't be confused, this is an original story and not a retelling.
  
• Flee: A Short Story on Dec. 10, 2012
  
  Flee by Alicia McCalla is a short story about Shania. Her grandmother has just died and she is dealing with a number of serious issues. One such issue is an alcoholic ex-boyfriend who quickly becomes a danger to Shania and her young daughter. On the surface this could be a Lifetime movie about domestic violence and stalking, but there are supernatural elements that quickly come into play. Reading this as a short story is like eating a caramel and trying to chew it, getting it stuck in your back teeth. There is so much going on in a few short pages it's difficult to wade through. The information the reader gets would not have been so overwhelming in a longer work. There is also a part that was gruesome and shocking. I realized too late that I should have read the tags under the description that state plainly what elements are in the story. I have learned my lesson. Read the tags. I'm not sure what to think of this short work. But it truly sets the tone for a disturbing supernatural thriller.
  
• Aversion (Book One of The Mentalist Series) on Dec. 27, 2012
  (no rating)
  Aversion, Book One in The Mentalist Series by Kenechi Udogu is a novella following the first Aversion performed by Gemma Green and how it goes oh so wrong. Fifteen-year-old Gemma is the only female Averter in a long history of Averters, an anomaly. Nonetheless, she has been taught from a very young age the responsibilities, honor and rules of Aversion. Averters use their minds to deter others (without the person realizing it) from decisions that will keep them from their life path. When Gemma gets her first "jolt" from Russ Tanner, she is confident and a little nervous. But this is what she is born to do. Everything seems to have gone well with Russ--disaster averted. That is until Russ approaches her at school the next day. She has never talked to him before and has kept a low profile at school, but now she can't shake Russ. He doesn't remember the Aversion, but for some reason he feels drawn to her. What else can go wrong? Gemma is a down-to-earth character that tries her best to live up to her legacy. But being a teenaged girl just gets in the way of duty sometimes. The reader goes with Gemma on her journey to becoming a full-fledged Averter (and not just a trainee) and her journey into the world of the average teen. She is believable, if a bit too analytical. The story is Gemma's first person account, so she's already been through the adventure that she's relating to the reader. The only thing that bothered me was that because it's already happened, she inadvertently reveals minor plot points. Description is minimal and other character development is scarce. We get to know a little about Russ and Gemma's father, but we're not yet sure what is true about either one of them. After all, we're dealing with Aversion. But there is still more to uncover. I liked this first installment in The Mentalist Series and recommend it for a quick read. I look forward to the next installment. I was provided with a copy for an honest review.
  
• The Summer of Brian on Dec. 27, 2012
  
  The Summer of Brian by Kenechi Udogu is a good YA read. After the first chapter my first impression was "cute." Of course, I'm old and anything to do with teenagers and their first loves and crushes will be cute to me. I could easily see a couple of teenagers finding Charlene's predicament with Brian important enough to consume their summer. It is a quick, light read with normal characters in situations that seemed only slightly over done especially with Nathan's past and how it comes out. Of course, the best friend Orla is more entertaining than Charlene. But that's what secondary characters are for, relief from the more "serious" matter facing the heroine. Brian's character is kind of flat, which is surprising because he's in the title. Nathan is "cute." My favorite part is the scene where Nathan takes Charlene, Orla and Brian to the fair to see his friend play guitar. Too cute! OK, enough of the cutes. You'll enjoy it. I was provided with a copy for an honest review.
  
• Aversion (Book One of The Mentalist Series) on June 28, 2013
  
  Aversion, Book One in The Mentalist Series by Kenechi Udogu is a novella following the first Aversion performed by Gemma Green and how it goes oh so wrong. Fifteen-year-old Gemma is the only female Averter in a long history of Averters, an anomaly. Nonetheless, she has been taught from a very young age the responsibilities, honor and rules of Aversion. Averters use their minds to deter others (without the person realizing it) from decisions that will keep them from their life path. When Gemma gets her first "jolt" from Russ Tanner, she is confident and a little nervous. But this is what she is born to do. Everything seems to have gone well with Russ--disaster averted. That is until Russ approaches her at school the next day. She has never talked to him before and has kept a low profile at school, but now she can't shake Russ. He doesn't remember the Aversion, but for some reason he feels drawn to her. What else can go wrong? Gemma is a down-to-earth character that tries her best to live up to her legacy. But being a teenaged girl just gets in the way of duty sometimes. The reader goes with Gemma on her journey to becoming a full-fledged Averter (and not just a trainee) and her journey into the world of the average teen. She is believable, if a bit too analytical. The story is Gemma's first person account, so she's already been through the adventure that she's relating to the reader. The only thing that bothered me was that because it's already happened, she inadvertently reveals minor plot points. Description is minimal and other character development is scarce. We get to know a little about Russ and Gemma's father, but we're not yet sure what is true about either one of them. After all, we're dealing with Aversion. But there is still more to uncover. I liked this first installment in The Mentalist Series and recommend it for a quick read. I look forward to the next installment. I was provided with a copy for an honest review. Read more reviews by Cherese Vines at www.cheresevinescharmingwords.wordpress.com
  
• Legon Awakening: Book One in the Legon Series on Aug. 07, 2013
  
  I received this as a free kindle download. This is the story of Legon and his sister Sasha who are forced from their small mountain village into a world of magic and dragons. I would not recommend this to readers with weak stomachs because of the detailed violence. People are not just killed, their demise is medically detailed with amounts of blood and which tendons are involved. It sounded slightly clinical in the details. Like someone who had medical training wrote those parts. That said, the world is well thought out and the author knows it well. Although I didn't need to know every little detail as sometimes described relating to the mechanics of some of the magic. The characters' language was a bit too modern. There was too much modern slang in it and made the story sometimes sound foolish. The language was easy to follow but like one reviewer said, why were they "fist bumping" with elves and calling themselves "hot" when they had on nice clothes in a fantasy. It just seemed out of place especially after what some of these characters went through. For these reasons it was hard to immerse myself in the story of this world. Was this a distant future or a completely new and fantasy world? I gave it three stars because of the world built and story potential. The characters were funny sometimes but really not individuals. We knew what everyone was thinking and they pretty much sounded all the same. And when there could have been potential for a character to really stand out, it didn't happen. This is a series and I'm not sure of the outcome. I'm not sure the author knows either. Our hero Legon has no idea what he's destined to do and neither does the reader. Sometimes you have an inkling of where the story will lead, but in this first book of the series I was not made to care enough about Legon to find out his purpose. Great imagination. Just like Keither there just needs to be a little more writing practice and training to reach the full potential.
  
• Sentient (Book Two of The Mentalist Series) on Nov. 19, 2013
  
  Gemma Green (Colt) is back in Sandes and nothing is the same. When we last saw our heroine, she had just escaped a threat that could've destroyed her family. But by luck or destiny, she survived only to face a more powerful foe. Sentient is the next installment in The Mentalist Series by Kenechi Udogu. New characters arrive and new talents surface. In this book, Gemma seems emotionally drained by everything that has happened, however her abilities are gaining strength. Although Gemma is more subdued mentally this time around, outside forces push the plot forward. Russ is as solid as ever and holds Gemma up where she's lacking. Laura is a quirky character that Gemma nor the reader are really sure of her intentions. She brings much needed relief to the growing tension of the plot. The background of The Mentalists is really beginning to grow here. Something big is brewing and it looks like it's headed toward Gemma whether she likes it or not. You'll have to read to find out what. I recommend this for a good read. There are many mysteries posed and many mysteries made clear. I'm looking forward to the next installment to answer some big questions and see what Gemma is really capable of.
  
• Broken Ties (Prequel to The Mentalist Series) on May 22, 2014
  
  I really liked this prequel to The Menalists series by Kenechi Udogu. The author has a way of drawing on the reader's emotions that really brings you into the story. My only compliant is that this is a teaser. It was much, MUCH too short. It leaves a cliffhanger that does make you want to read the rest of the series if you haven't done so already. Great writing. I'm looking forward to The Keepers, the third installment in The Mentalists series.
  
• Dead(ish) on May 22, 2014
  
  Dead(ish) is a short work by Naomi Kramer about a ghost named Linda who’s lost her body. As the story progresses from her boyfriend’s point of view to the viewpoint of the private detective (who dead Linda hires), we find out that it’s not a simple case. The language is rough and the plot shocking. But it has a great twisted sense of humor to carry you through. I’m rating this R for Restricted. If you’re not easily offended, check it out. It also offers a preview of the next book in the Deadish series: “(technically) Dead.” Linda is back and it’s too funny.