The Trees Have Eyes

Backed The Tress Have Eyes. Great twist on serial killer theme. Character development of Lillian is well done. Good job with dialogue. Suggestion: First paragraph you used the word sweet twice. Might consider changing one to innocent or child like. Hope you will have time to take a look at our book Dark Side.
CC Brown

Dear Cara, Well here I am reading & commenting on your 2nd book :) - your 1st book I read, backed & commented on 147 days ago. :) This one is as well written as your 1st book & the suspense is totally scary - I have fear for Lillian at the end of chapter 9 & hoping that she will be safe. :) Your pitch prepared me for the serial killer & I hope I don't have nightmares, so will write in my mind a happy ending. :) I've backed all 3 of your books :) - could you please take just a moment to back my memoirs book? :) Thanks so very much. :) Love, Susie :)

:) comment to follow - read & comment on 1 day later :)

Great pitch and well written.

Dawn
Sammy and the Wise Willow

Hi Cara:

Well paced and a universally appealing theme. Definite thriller material!
Peace,
Christian Piatt
PULLING THE GOALIE

An excellent thriller in the vein of Along came a spider and kiss the girls. Easily stands head and shoulders with them. Backed. Great pitch and title, caught me immediately.

Cara--The writing is excellent and the descriptions—stylish.

Scott
The Esrevinu Chronicles/Secrets of the Elephant Rocks

I love all your books. I backed them all with pleasure. Bamboo promise

Cara, I appreciate the variety in your writing; you skillfully setup of the first chapter. The snappy dialogue and carefully selected words--the imagery is vivid and the book as a whole is very well constructed
Best wishes
Scott
The Esrevinu Chronicles/Secrets of the Elephant Rocks

This is a very scary story. Your first chapter couldn't set a more ominous tone if you tried. Makes it clear this is not a book to read when you're all by yourself in a house where the floorboards creak. I'm adding this to my book shelf. Burgio (Grain of Salt).

Cara, your chapter one is fine work. Good narrative and true-to-life dialogue. I have a couple minor nits.

In the first paragraph, you write Annabella's skin is the color of sand. There is white sand, grey sand, black sand, etc..

In the first two paragraphs, you use the adverb "gently" twice in the opening sentences. Maybe you should omit one of them.

I hope this helps.

Happy to back this.

Joffrey (The Silver Spoon Effect)

A very good opening so backed. Kop - The Lucky Bean Tree.

Annabella's murder was chilling . . . how sad to think you're safe from the one thing you fear, only to find pain at the hands of another. Lillian doesn't sound very different from the authors here, anxious to do whatever she needs to to get her words out. I haven't decided about Nate yet. All in all an intriguing puzzle that I want to read more of. Shelved.

Sessha

What a way to start! You really grabbed me and sucked me into this story. Great writing and I think it will appeal to today's YA market. The suspense is really amazing, so happy to have found this and backed it. Thanks for an awesome read and good luck with this.

Missy

Poor Annabella - only 14, abused and murdered! Captivating start to the story to ensure people read on. I found it very moving, particularly when Annabella thought "it was the man who always beat her when she didn't do as she was told. She was wrong. It was somebody much worse".
Backed and good luck.
Hatts

Nicely executed, Cara! The first two chapters build up the suspense and mystery of what happened to Annabella- the reader yearns to delve further to uncover the Truth! It vaguely appeared that a Wiccan ritual was underway during the first chapter, with the dancing and masks and nature swirled into the storyline. Your description of the monster who appeared as a friend, and beckoned Annabella at the water, reminded me of a particular angel of light.

I also enjoy your pitch- so stark, which makes it all the more intriguing! "All steps start small as all sins start small..." Yes, indeed! And then sin's wages must be reaped! Kudos on a most intriguing mystery! The book cover also compliments the manuscript nicely, too! Backed.

<>< Shalom! ><>

Teric Darken

(K - I - L - L FM 100 / U-Turn Killur)

Your tags don’t give away what type of read this is ;-)

Your pitches are great.

I liked the opening, great imaginative writing. Couldn’t work out if the monster was in the girls mind or real (or both) I need to read on (and will, this has caught me).

I’ve enjoyed this – Good luck

This is very dark and it made me feel very cold! There is the a couple of missing pieces of punctuation which will disappear with a good edit leaving a very stirring, effective thriller in its wake. This will do really well and I can tell it's going to scream up the charts.
Backed.
Diane

Read the first chapter of 'The Trees Have Eyes', Cara. Apolgies for the delay.

This is a strange story - starting out as apparent fantasy, then evolving into reality. Obviously, I'll need to read on before I can make any useful comment, but you have a pleasant writing style and I'm sure it will be worth pursuing.

Good luck with the book!

Marko

I was going to go with my usual, punchy three or four words and the I saw Pia's comment and I have to say that she says it all.
Backed!
A look at mine would be appreciated.
Frank, Sicilian Shadows

Dear Cara,

The Trees have Eyes - a rhapsody of sweet longing, death and love entwinded, the business of poets. As with your other works, the gift of words ring as unique voice in the field of your imagination. Best success.

Pia (Course of Mirrors)

I have to ask.. is this set in a historical time period? If so, it would explain the dialogue, but if it is set in more modern times then I would suggest reviewing the story and reading it out loud. All the 'perhaps's and 'i said nothing's make for unconvincing modern dialogue, but perfectly acceptable olden day dialogue.

oooh Chapter 2 and I told you so. A storytelller indeed. Button is the baddie, of course one of a whole lot of monsters...isn't he?

Fabulous stuff.

Well based upon Chapter 1 I like this quite a lot.

I wonderd about the overt "fairy" tell, talking to the audience like Mother Goose telling a cautionary tale. But I think it works.

I'm a bit confused about what's going on, but it's the sort of confused that comed from being in the hands of a consumate storyteller who will let me in on things WHEN SHE IS GOOD AND READY, rather than the confusion that comes from, well, the writer being confused or unskilled.

Naturally I will back this.

wow...thought I would take a look at "The Trees Have Eyes" and wasn't disappointed. You words carry a lot of meaning and sincerity as a writer.

Very well done.

I have backed this book.

(Nigel Hotton - Fatal Disclosure) if you are interested in a read.

Hello Cara,
Thanks for backing Love Me Sane. I have read the first chapter of The Trees Have Eyes and once again I will say that you have an amazing way with words. Lisa

I'm not sure I trust Nate, nor any of them in the town come to that. NB could be the clue but a false one. I think this is going somewhere else. I can certainly see you have a vivid imagination and the knack to develop a story and stories within the story which is a talent in its own right.
And your story about the school in Ch5, was that based somehow on yourself while you were there, or just one written as an exercise? I'd have to say you must have won some awards for your talent - you are better than a lot on Authonomy and you have age on your side, so keep going -- and I want more. No, Irealise you have the other two books up and you should push for them. You do know that I will have to read some of them now, don't you? I quite like poetry though, so I will start there. Not tonight though -- it's 3am over here and sleep beckons. Jim

I was just wondering whether you have more of this story or where it's going to go. It is like crossing over an invisible line in the road - everything appears the same yet it takes you to another world.
Can small towns like this, where everyone seems to be watching everyone else or are they only looking at the newcomer, Lillian? And is Lillian only being told what they want her to hear?
I love your descriptions and wonderful writing - I'd like to read more of this. It's such a pity it stopped where it did. When you have more, let me know.
I haven't looked at your other books yet; this I felt was more suited to my taste, but I will soon enough.
Thanks, Jim.

I particularly like your descriptive and poetic writing style which goes well with this kind of story. Great opening. Shelved,
Carole

This is the begining of a great story and you are a great writer. The words flow so easy, and you captivated my thoughts, taking me away to this fictious world with Lillian. I'll back it now, get some sleep and continue tommorrow, as I am eager to find out what happens when she does what she plans on doing, walkin gin this dead girls footsteps. Also, your pitch is what drew me into this story, and wanted me to read on!!!

A prose poem, evocative and painterly.
Frank

Lyrical opening, poetic in its imagery. You grab the reader in the first paragraph with the line: Maybe that’s why they chose to kill her. Then you lure the reader further in, with the tension and sense of menace growing. Is the first bit Lillian’s writing? I think if it is what you are doing then some more differentiation between your writing and Lillian’s would help clarify this – eg perhaps cut down some of the descriptive prose except when Lillian has written it. This is just imo. And of course it may not be what you’re doing but I did wonder so either way I think you need to be clearer. Nicely captivating though so I’m shelving.

You need to watch out for repetition - I counted ten 'beautiful' in the first two chapters, and an awful lot of other repeated words. The writing has an old-fashioned feel to it - I don't know whether that's deliberate, and if it's meant to be set in the past. If it's set in the present then some publishers might be put of by the archaic language, for example - "Hello my lady," the fine gentleman tipped his hat..."

Cara, your talent has no limit! This does have the creepy feel of a thriller, and I like how you refer to the killer as 'the monster'. As I've said before, I really love and admire your writing! I don't doubt you'll be very successful;)

Spooky story and spooky cover! I like it. I got that Lillian was writing her own story in the opening and she had an almost naive fairytale style. I want a bit more from it so it is good that her character wants to research to find out more as you want her to develop the story. I was so into it though that I now believe Anabelle was abused and had a bruise before her death. It was really creepy how you called the killer(s) monster, as though anybody who has a dark soul could be the one there, especially somebody known to her and you continued this when Lillian was out in town in Chapter 2. I thought that this would be a mystery in that anybody could potentially kill, anyone you didn't name could be a monster for some reason or other, so was quite surprised when you named Mr Button! However, from your pitch which I have no re-read, I see that this is going to be game of sorts between Lillian, Nathaniel and perhaps the female monster. In just 2 short chapters I am hooked and you have created some wonderful characters in Nate, Lillian and the interfering Mrs Mayburn!

Hi Cara,
Great start. Very powerful and full of sexual menace. In fact the whole first chapter struck me as a sexual metaphor, even to the knife and death. (I see you very much in this) Shelved.

You have the line "He lounged it for her kneck" and I think you meant lunged :-)

John

i read the first two chapters and i like it so far
you're really good with painting images :)