Into Coraira review with meet and greet with author Jaime Lee Mann

Into Coraira by Jaime Lee Mann
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The simple events laid out in the plot of this book are; a bad villain escapes, the twins learn of their magical powers, there was a betrayal of trust for revenge, and a good versus evil battle. Unfortunately, they are presented with as much emotion as the above description of the book. This novel has all the elements to make it a wonderful fantasy story but it is very impersonal and the only character which shows any real emotion is the villain. The characters are described at the beginning of paragraphs instead of intertwined within the story making them into harsh facts instead of smooth introductions. The end battle itself was too quick and the important facts regarding the reasons for the fight in the first place were lost in the shuffle. Despite these negatives this was not a bad novel the characters were good especially the fairies, and the underlying plot was well thought up and even though it starts out very vague the story does pick up steam as it moves along. The execution overall was just not emotional enough for my liking. I would recommend this book only to young adults who like fantasy. Everyone else should skip this one as there is not enough emotional meat on the bones to leave you satisfied. The excerpt at the end of this book from the next book did peek my interest and if I get the chance I would like to check it out.

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I would like to welcome Jaime Lee Mann to my blog today please introduce yourself, who are you and what do you do?

My name is Jaime Lee Mann. I'm a freelance copywriter/ghostwriter by day, and children's author by night!


1) What genre do you like to write?
Fairy tales for the middle graders of the world! What could be better?

2) If you were to branch out from your current genre which one(s) would you like to explore?
I'm pretty comfortable in this space right now, but I think that one day there may be a book of poetry in me.


3) How long have you been writing? What prompted you to start writing?
I've been writing professionally since 2008. I have been making up stories since I was about five years old. I was prompted to start writing by the voice inside that refuses to be still.


4) What inspires you to write?
Life. I am inspired constantly, by nature, by my children, by books.


5) When a story idea pops into your head, how long does it typically take to write it (from start to finish)?
It depends on the type of story. My first two children's novels took about nine months from start to finish, but my forthcoming children's picture book took a day or two.


6) What did you find to be the most difficult part of the writing process?  Easiest? 
Most difficult part is the last revision! The easiest part is the first draft.


7) Of all your characters whom do you most relate to?
I'm not sure I can answer that without a spoiler!


8) Is there one of your characters that you did not like when you started writing about them, but found yourself liking by the end of the story?
So far, I've loved all of my characters. Even the nasty goblin. They all have a part to play in the story!


9) What is your least favorite part about writing? The Most?
I think this goes back to question six. My favorite thing about writing is coming up with the story and throwing in the twists. My least favorite thing is the third or fourth revision where I know the story has to be perfect, but I don't want to do any more work on it. I just want to move on to the next one, already. :)


10) When you are not writing or editing what do you do for relaxation?
I like playing board games with my family, and I love running and going to my exercise classes.


11) What genre of books do you like to read?
I don't have much time to read anymore, but when I do, I love chick lit that will make me laugh and forget about the troubles of the world.


12) What author(s) do you enjoy reading?  Why?
I love Marian Keyes because she's hilarious, and I love John Irving because that guy sure knows how to write a story.


13) Tell us about your books; where can people find them?
Elora of Stone is the first installment in the "Legend of Rhyme" series of middle grade fiction novels and Into Coraira is the second. They are available online at Indigo, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.