About Hallowe’en time, I learnt that I’d won a free print copy of the book of an author I follow, Yawatta Hosby. Yawatta pops up on Miss Alexandrina sometimes, and she’s got a great eye for tone and character – this I know from her having critiqued my first chapter. 🙂 In addition, Yawatta and I are both 5’2 and we’ve both set books in 2010! Weird, eh?
Anyhoo, the book arrived today and that picture up there is me squeeing about it!
One By One Synopsis:
Alone in the woods, thirty miles from civilization with no cell phone reception, the weekend turns into a deadly game when a killer hunts Rae and her friends. They struggle to stay alive and discover the truth.
Is someone stalking them, or is there a killer among the group?
Reminiscent of “Harper’s Island,” ONE BY ONE is a disturbing mystery thriller where a group of friends let paranoia get the best of them. With suspense and betrayal, it’ll also remind readers of “Scream.” Someone never intended for them to leave the cabin and will follow through with the plan by any means necessary.
I’ve only read ten chapters so far, because of my uni priorities, but I’m hoping to keep reading in the weekends. The chapters are bite-sized, two or three pages a scene, so they’re easy to pick up and put down (in a good, ‘I’ll read the next when I’ve written 1000 words of this essay’ way). However, they are not chapters one can skim-read, due to that fact that, from the first chapter, we meet a whole cast of suspects, a la Agatha Christie. At times I had to double check I knew who was saying what. And, whilst there’s not too much description, sometimes I feel as if not all of it is necessary (eg. what the characters are wearing).
On the other hand, each character I’ve met is very vivid. Not clichés, they each have personalities that make them distinct. I already dislike Adam, but some of the girls I wouldn’t want to spend a weekend with, either. They get on my nerves, which makes them more realistic, since I’d probably feel the same were they real people I’d met in my hall one day. I like the romantic elements so far, though I had to gather my thoughts together after a chapter to recall who was crushing on whom. But that’s good! Real life isn’t book-smart straight.
About Yawatta:
Yawatta Hosby resides in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. She teaches creative writing through the Adult Community Education Program, and she enjoys connecting with other writers through blogging. She’s always had a fascination with psychology, so she likes to focus on the inner-struggles within her characters. Yawatta is also an avid reader, favorite genres: mystery, thriller, horror, and women’s fiction.
Find Yawatta here, and buy One By One on Amazon and Smashwords and Barnes and Noble. 🙂
Alexandrina Brant 
Hey Miss Alexandrina,
I’m happy you got the book! I was afraid it would take a very long time since it was going across the pond. Thanks for the mention!
Keep smiling,
Yawatta
P.S. How is your editing going so far for your booK?
I was wondering the same, actually, but I had faith it would find its way to me eventually. 😉 At Wantage Hall we have a funny system anyway: whilst we get letters delivered to our ‘pidges’ (ie. alphabetic pigeon holes/post-boxes) by the clock-tower, we have to go to reception to sign for parcels once our name is up on the list – but reception closes at 1.30, and I tend to miss the window due to my morning/noon lectures (it takes me at least ten minutes to walk onto/from campus). And reception is closed at the weekend. So, it technically arrived in the box on Friday, but I didn’t get my paws on it ’til today.
Phew, that was a longer explanation that I meant to do 😉 You’re welcome, too! I’m actually so excited to have a self-published, signed book by someone who started with a blog. You’re journey is so encouraging, and you deserve mentions!
Alex 🙂
PS. It’s going alright. I’ve had to put it on hold 😦 until the Christmas hols, since I’ve got a couple of marked assignments to work for. Would you be interested in critiquing the second chapter, actually?