Tag: fiction

Craft & Technique, by Paul Raymond Martin

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Finished 2-2-09, rating 3/5, writing instruction, pub. 2005

High tension dialogue calls for fewer beats (less stage business).  More beats will elongate a scene, as when characters get to know each other  over dinner.

Never resolve one conflict before presenting another.

The first idea that occurs to you for resolving a plot problem will be the first to occur to the reader as well.  So think again.

In fiction, as in real life, what is suggested is far more powerful than what is revealed.

This is just a sampling of the tips you will receive in this small book.  It looks and reads like the gift book Life”e Little Instruction Book, but is chock full of advice for writers, most specifically fiction writers.  There are more than 300 thoughtful reasons to buy this book.  It covers characterization, dialogue, plot, fiction techniques, style and voice.

There was no groundbreaking insight here, but I did enjoy it and think it worthwhile.  The suggestions were good and forced you to look at your own work and possibly find weak spots.  Some of what was covered I’ve read other places, but in this format it worked to jump start my thoughts and ideas, instead of making me want to take notes.

Included are quotes from established and diverse authors such as Mark Twain, David Sedaris,Virginia Woolf, Elmore Leonard, Vladimir Nabokov, and James Michener.  There were also a few exercises sprinkled throughout and some solid suggestions for name choice and editing dialogue.

This is not an instruction book.  It is more of an inspiration book.  I read the whole thing in a hour or so and came away with a few new insights and ideas and a renewed excitement to start writing.

This is a wonderful gift for the writer in your life.  It is published by Writer’s Digest Books and is on sale -50% off- for $4.50 (link here), which is a good deal for a thoughtful gift.

Free Books for February ’09

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Leave a comment, tell me which book you want and I’ll get the book to you for FREE either by mail or personally if I’ll see you soon.  The first one to request each book wins.  These paperbacks have all been read a time or two.

Once you’ve ‘won’ the book I can get your shipping address if I need it.  Also, you can come back and get a free book every month if you want. 

1. The Bone Collector by Jeffery Deaver.  My review is here.  for John

2. Hot Shot by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.  One of my fave romance authors.  for Keira

3. Until You by Judith McNaught.  My other favorite romance author.  for Keira

4. Deception Point by Dan Brown.  Before the DaVinci Code, he took on NASA.  for Katie

5. The Husband by Dean Koontz.  Koontz is always great.  for Gayle

Thanks for helping me clear some room on my shelves.  Happy reading 🙂

Working Stiff, by Tori Carrington

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Cover ImageFinished 1-28-09, rating 3.5/5, fiction, pub. 2008

Book 4 of the Sophie Metropolis series

“I’d been so busy questioning the restraints on my life, I haven’t had a chance to focus on the possibilities. 

My parents’ fault?  Or my own?

The jury was still out on that one.  Although the verdict wouldn’t matter…

Now it was up to me to convince myself that there wasn’t a thing out there I couldn’t do.”

Chapter 27

Sophie Metropolis is turning into quite the successful private investigator.  She has a few big cases under her belt, but is far from esteemed in her Astoria, Queens community.  Now she is asked to find a dead body that has disappeared from her Aunt Sotiria’s funeral home and hired to prove an alleged murderer innocent.  Her assistant is as sassy as ever and her pseudo reformed cousin is proving helpful. 

While business is booming, her personal life is getting complicated.  Her dog, Muffy, is acting weird and when a stray black cat takes up residence in her apartment the high-jinks ensue.  Sexy Greek, Dino, is warming Sophie’s bed until a chance encounter leaves her questioning their relationship.  And when hot Aussie, Jake Porter, rolls back into town he knows just how to make Sophie forget about Dino.

Sophie seemed a little more introspective and perhaps a little depressed this time around.  Maybe is was her messed up romantic life and her fight with her sister, but Sophie was less irreverent in this book.  And I missed her nosy Greek family.  I did love that her relationship with Muffy is evolving.  Overall, I liked the book, but maybe not as much as the previous ones.

I’ve mentioned before that this series reminds  me of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, but with more heart.  The characters are comical without being cartoon characters and there are fewer (okay, none) outrageous shootouts.  This was my least favorite Sophie Metropolis mystery and I still prefer it over Stephanie Plum.

Second Nature, by Alice Hoffman

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Cover ImageFinished 1-23-09, 2/5, fiction, pub. 1994

There was the faint possibility that Roy was right, that she’d become so intent on having things her way she’d stopped thinking altogether, driven by something as untrustworthy as pure emotion.  She now had, after all, a man in her kitchen who could easily murder her and sneak out the back door without leaving any footprints behind.

Chapter 2

Robin is an almost divorced mother of a teen son.  The Wolf Man had been living with the wolves in northern Michigan since he was three and was found later, as an adult, wounded by two hunters.  The Wolf Man, eventually known as Stephen, refuses to talk to the medical doctors and he is locked up in mental hospitals until Robin comes along and rescues him.  She whisks him away to her home in suburbia and plans to teach Stephen what he needs to know to blend into society and someday make his way back to Michigan.

I could not get past the ridiculous premise to completely enjoy the characters in the story.  A wolf/man who has lived with a wolf pack from the age of 3 1/2 with no human interaction, can read, write, hold conversations with strangers, and begin an affair all within the span of a few months?  There were many other storylines—Robin’s divorce, Connor’s first love, an aging parent’s declining health, and a brother’s nervous breakdown–that were all interesting and engaging, yet the wolf man was always there to remind me how outrageous it all was.  His character kept pulling me out of the story.  That being said, I did like other characters and the true emotions of love, loyalty, and betrayal.

I’ve read other Alice Hoffman titles I liked, but this was a complete miss for me.

The Angel, by Carla Neggers

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Cover ImageFinished 1-18-09, rating 4/5, romantic suspense, pub. 2008

This is not a sequel, but it is book 2 of the Boston PD-FBI series.

She joined him at the table, her cheeks flushed as she buttered a small piece of bread.  “Once upon a time,” she said, laying on her Irish accent, “there were three brothers who lived on the southwest coast of Ireland–a farmer, a hermit monk and a ne’er-do-well, who was, of course, everybody’s favorite…

Prologue

 And so begins the magical tale of the three brothers and the Stone Angel.  This Irish legend is the basis of Keira’s impending six-week trip to Ireland.  She is a successful folklorist and illustrator who is researching Irish stories for an upcoming conference and the trip to Ireland is both professional and personal.  Her mother, now a religious recluse, had gone to Ireland in her youth and returned home pregnant with Keira.

Keira’s uncle, Boston homicide detective Bob O’Reilly, was concerned about her, even more so when she discovers a man dead the night before she leaves.  When he doesn’t hear from her in Ireland he calls a search-and-rescue expert to find her.  When Simon finds her the sparks fly and Simon stays by her side as they head back to Boston.  Once back in Boston a wide range of characters and mishaps prove that the legend may have some truth and every one who knows about it is at risk.

This book really does have a magical feel to it.  There are angels, fairies, Satan, and evil, all fighting an ageless battle.  I’ve never really been interested in fairy tales or folktales, but I must admit there is something very romantic and mystical about them that I’ve never really appreciated.  Also, I fell in love with Ireland even though most of the action was in Boston.  The mystery and rugged beauty appealed to me and now I might have to put Ireland on my list of hopeful vacation destinations!

This is not a sequel, but I think you will not fully appreciate this story without reading the first, The Widow.  My review is here.  Abigail, Owen, and Abigail’s father all play significant roles and I appreciate that she incorporated them into the story instead of them being relegated to a mere mention here and there. 

Book 3, The Mist, will be released this summer.  I am looking forward to it 🙂

Outtakes from a Marriage, Ann Leary

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Cover ImageFinished 1-1-09, rating 2.5/5, fiction, pub. 2008

Julia has just found out that Joe, her Golden Globe nominated husband of many years, is cheating on her.  She decides not to confront him (she knows he is a good liar) and goes about her daily life taking care of her two kids, teenager Ruby and preschooler Sammy.  She becomes obsessed with checking Joe’s cell messages and listening to the woman’s sexy voice repeatedly, looking for the owner of that voice in Joe’s life.  She surprises him on set and lurks on the celebrity websites spreading lies about her clueless husband.  When the time for confrontation comes the fallout begins with the Golden Globe ceremony as a backdrop.

I was prepared to enjoy it based on the good reviews on other blogs, but I didn’t.  I never connected with Julia and the only time I really liked her was when she interacted with Mr. Mom because she showed some depth.  I understand that this was the point being made, that she lost herself in the marriage, but there was so little spark to the character that I was bored with her botox, hair extensions, and recollections of better times with Joe.  There was no real sense that the story was going anywhere and the end proved that true, in my opinion.

The one thing I thought was fun was Julia’s dad identifying a person’s character by his or her first name.  Neds are thoughtful, Jakes sly, Davids smart, and Jacks funny.  Joes, she learned from her father, are a handful. 

I woudn’t recommend this book, but it has received good reviews elsewhere.

Sundays at Tiffany’s, by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet

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Cover ImageFinished 12-1-08, fiction, rating 3.5/5, pub. 2008

“Please don’t leave me, Michael.  I’m begging you.  You can’t – not now, not ever!  You don’t know how important you are to me!”

“You’ll see, Jane,” he promised her.  “You’ll forget me, and it won’t hurt tomorrow.  Besides, you said it yourself: Love means you can never be apart.  So we’ll never be apart, Jane, because Iove you so much.  I’ll always, always love you.”

And with those words, Michael began to fade out of the room, in imaginary friend-style…”     -Chapter 7

Jane was a lonely child with a successful but neglectful mother.  Jane’s imaginary friend, Michael, gave her friendship and love before he had to leave her on her 9th birthday.  Fast forward 23 years and Jane has never forgotten Michael, achieving her own success by putting their story on the Broadway stage.  Even with this success she is still a lonely girl who never feels good enough.  Michael is between assignments and sees Jane on the New York streets and decides to follow her.  Michael is shocked to find out that Jane remembers him, something that has never happened before.

This is a fast read (I finished it in a day) and one that will open your imagination.  Who doesn’t want to have an imaginary friend whose sole purpose is to make them happy?  I was prepared to put my disbelief out in the snow while I cozied up to a lighthearted read.  It did tickle my imagination in a light, if not superficial way.  Michael was the perfect man and Jane was a normal girl who had never stopped loving him.  I even got past the fact that somehow Michael never aged, so when he was friends with an 8 year old girl he was the same age as when he fell in love with the same girl 23 years later.

The ending ruined much of the magic, for me at least.  I won’t ruin it for you, but I was disappointed because it felt lazy.  It could have been powerful or poignant, but it was…boring and short on explanation.  I liked the book and maybe not everyone will have a problem with the ending.  Total romantics will love it.  I consider myself more of a romantic realist, so I was a bit disappointed.  Overall it was a fun read with lots of potential, but one I’ve already rewritten in my head a half dozen ways and liked better!

 

The Empty Chair, by Jeffery Deaver

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Cover ImageFinished 11-12-08, rating 4/5, fiction, pub. 2000

“You have movement of one lumbrical- the ring finger of your left hand- and good shoulder and neck muscle control.  You could lose some or all of that.  And lose your ability to breathe spontaneously.”  -Chapter 2

Lincoln Rhymes and Amelia Sachs are back in book three of this popular series.

Lincoln is in North Carolina for a risky spinal cord surgery and he’s brought Amelia and his aide, Thom, with him.  Lincoln is hoping for any small improvement and Amelia is discouraging him from taking the risk.  The local sheriff, a cousin of a NY friend, asks Lincoln to help with a kidnapping case in the few days he has before he goes under the knife.  Garrett, Insect Boy to locals, has kidnapped two girls and Lincoln and Amelia work with local authorities to track him down.  Once in jail, Amelia is drawn to Garrett’s vulnerability and becomes convinced of his innocence.  She makes a decision that will change her life forever and pit her against Lincoln.

I cannot say enough good things about this series and this one was a nice change of pace.  It focused more on the relationship between Lincoln and Amelia and the southern locale offered a colorful backdrop to the story.  That said, this was my least favorite of the three so far.  There were too many people involved in excessive twists and turns.  I still recommend, but start with the first one, The Bone Collector.

The Gargoyle, by Andrew Davidson

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Cover ImageFinished 11-9-08, rating 4/5, fiction, pub. 2008

“I wanted to cry but my tear ducts had been burned shut.”    -Chapter 2

The narrator of this goth-like tale is a drugged out pornography star who wrecks his car and ends up in the burn unit with severe burns covering his entire body.  When he becomes stuck in the hospital, constant  surgeries and treatments force him to see that he had no real friends before the crash that took his beautiful body from him forever.  He vows to get out of the hospital so he can commit suicide.  Then he meets Marianne, who becomes his friend and protector and she promises him that they have known and loved each other for 700 years.

The graphic burn details turn into a beautiful and confusing love story full of suspicion and obsession.  The enigmatic Marianne opens the narrator’s mind and heart to past experiences and present delusions.  Marianne takes him in and goes about carving out the last of her gargoyles, so that she can give away her last heart.  Is she crazy or is she telling the truth?

When the narrator goes cold turkey in vanquishing his morphine addiction he moves into the many realms of Hell, which anyone who is familiar with Dante’s The Inferno will appreciate.

“Seeing the look of revulsion on my face, Francesco said, ‘None are here by accident.  Hell is a choice because salvation is available to anyone who seeks it.  The damned choose their fates, by deliberately hardening their hearts.’

I couldn’t agree.  ‘No one would choose to be damned.’

Francesco shook his head.  ‘But it is so easy not to be.'”   -Chapter 29

I had read so many reviews of this book that my expectations were high.  I was not disappointed, but I can’t say I completely fell in love with it either.  It is perhaps the most original story and original voice that I’ve read.  Considering this is Davidson’s debut novel, I am impressed.  But the wandering style of moving between centuries and stories was somewhat distracting to me.  I also thought sometimes it was unnecessarily descriptive.  But, that does not take away from the beauty and freshness of the book.  If you get bored by reading the same old thing or are always looking for the next big thing-this is the book for you.