Reviews I've Posted

I spent the past couple of days reading instead of writing, and wrote reviews of the books I read. Without further ado, here they are, in the order published. The titles have links to Amazon product pages, and I hope you might interested in them. If you don't have a Kindle, or don't like Amazon, leave a note in the comments, and I'll get you a suitable link (if one exists). You may leave any other comments as well.

Headshot
by John Hartness

Loved the story! I fell for Cindy and her... talent? training? occupation, I guess. Mr. Hartness developed a much more complex and interesting story than I was expecting. I read the first few hundred words on John's blog way back when, and pestered him every chance I had after that to finish it and get it out. I was so intrigued.

However, while the story is excellent, and the characters I like a lot - so much so that I'm hoping he continues to document Cindy's trials and tribulations - I was disappointed in the mechanics. In the Kindle edition, the editing needs work, enough that it took me out of the story one star's worth, and I hope John can correct it in a new edition. In fairness, in my brief exposure to John's work, this was unexpected.

I still recommend Headshot because of the characters, the multi-threaded story lines, the surprises and the detail. It's an excellent work that deserves somewhat better presentation.

Four Stars

Lunara: Seth and Chloe
by  Wyatt Davenport
I was of two minds about Lunara: Seth and Chloe. Mr. Davenport has created a pretty good opening to his series, I think, now that I've finished it. However, the beginning is so slow (to me) that I almost moved on to the next story on my Kindle to avoid giving it one or no stars.

However, I persevered. Once we got to some action, the story began to work for me. I liked the characters (most of them) and the plot had sufficient twists and turns.

However. There's always a however, isn't there? Stylistically, there are some problems. I don't take stars off for these kinds of things, as others may not agree or be bothered by them. But the dialogue is stilted and takes me out of the story. Davenport declines to use contractions. Partly due to this and partly due to word choice and construction, both the dialogue and the narration seem much more formal than seems appropriate, especially in the more 'tender' scenes.

Other reviewers have pointed failings they believe exist; read them and heed them. Take heart from the good reviews. There were a few homonym confusions, but my biggest complaint on the Kindle formatting end was the lack of a table of contents.

It's an intriguing story and a good beginning to the series, especially if the writing loosens up a little.

Four Stars

Poker Face
by Jess Sturman-Coombs
Poker Face has the ingredients: a strong female protagonist (I'd like to work with Ruby!); well-drawn supporting characters, both helpful and... not-so-helpful; an active and engaging plot; descriptions that made me feel the settings. The ingredients are stirred, blended, smoothed a little, and as a result, Poker Face is a confection, a delight!

With all that, you say, why only four stars? There aren't enough grammar or formatting errors to drop a star. So... I'm American, and while I'm pretty well read in British fiction, and have had several friends and acquaintances who live in England (I know what a kerb is, and an estate, for example), there are British colloquialisms aplenty. Not a surprise, from a British author, and normally I'd overlook it. However, Ms Sturman-Coombs left me in the lurch several times. Having to look in my British dictionary (and not always finding an answer) took me right out of the story, and it is a story I didn't want to be taken out of.

Let me hasten to add that this complaint does not extend to dialogue, where whatever fits the character and the situation works. In narration, however, I'd like one of Ms Sturman-Coombs readers or editors to come from a less British speaking background and perhaps raise the less widely known phrases as possible things to reword.

That aside (and it mayn't apply if you're more widely read than I in contemporary British fiction - or conversation, maybe), this is a wonderful story that I'm happy to recommend to YA readers and adults alike. There's no talking down here: we see realistic, uncomfortable situations, and intelligent, uncontrived (by the author, that is) reactions and solutions. I'm anxiously awaiting the next offering.

Four Stars (Five on Amazon UK, where I expect my issues with British colloquialisms have little weight.)

Sandy Morrison and the Pack of Pussies
by Zoe Whitten
(Think Mrs. Slocum's pussy...)

In Sandy Morrison and the Pack of Pussies, Zoe Whitten has given us an intriguing story about fantastical people... err, beings. Her characters are lively and full blooded (all but one, anyway), her descriptions are excellent and the story has as many twists as... as the Tail of the Dragon (a wonderful 12 mile stretch of US route 129 in North Carolina). Ms Whitten drew from a long list of inspirations to craft a story that opens taking readers one direction; leading us out into the weeds, so to speak, before a sharp turn and a new vista, completely different but still well connected, lies right there!

There are a few typos and grammatical errors, not enough to worry over even if, like me, you're obsessed with them. Ms Whitten asks for comments on the story; here are three: Find a thesaurus and look up "huff." Replace every instance in the story save one with one of the alternatives. Really. At the point in the story it happens, I was so disappointed in Sandy at the water tower. I did get over it and then, of course I remembered, "She does not get eaten by the sharks at this time." Still... And the ultimate fight scene, I thought it went by too quickly. There was a big build-up, then it was over. Might just be me.

Obviously, even the slow beginning hasn't diminished my enjoyment of Sandy Morrison. While sensuality is present (as it must be, given the characters), it isn't ever in your face. Sandy holds her character throughout, and the changes others go through are all believable, making the story enjoyable. The events of the story, while fantastical on their face, all fit into the plot Ms Whitten has woven.

I am comfortable recommending Sandy Morrison and the Pack of Pussies to anyone looking for a stimulating read. Next story, Ms Whitten? 

Five Stars

Following Up On the Things on the Interwebz

Update 9 July:
Go here for the latest from the Oatmeal, i you've missed it. Warning: May offend lawyers and those with no money.

My last post was about the asshattery of Charles Carreon - go and read here, if you've forgotten (lucky you).

A couple days ago, Faith Erin Hicks tweeted a link which updated the story, and that link is here.

Only a lawyer could give up and claim victory at the same time. Well, ok, not only a lawyer can do this, but it seems particularly egregious for Carreon to delay the charitable contributions just to prevent a photo being taken...

Enough of this; hopefully this episode is behind us.

The Things One Finds on the Interwebz

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Egypt, a Year and a Bit On

Over a year ago, I blogged briefly about the revolution in Egypt and the fact that we all should be grateful that violence played rather a small part - though not to those killed or injured, to be sure, or to Mubarak - in the overturning of the old regime.

Today, real elections have been held. However, as I listen to the news reports of the apparent refusal of the military to support Mohammed Morsi, the reputed victor,  or even to allow him to be certified by holding the results in secret until some unannounced date, I am reminded of the first line of that post: the easy part is done.

And so it appears. Right now, it looks as if the military and the Muslim Brotherhood will duke it out on the streets of Cairo and Alexandria. I hope that's not the case, and that the respective parties can find common ground which will allow the democratic process to proceed. The time to contest an election is not following the polling. To influence the outcome, a contender, or his or her party, must connect in some way with the people, offering them clear choices which will make their decision to support you an easy one. Like it or not, that seems to be what the Muslim Brotherhood has done.

If Egypt is to truly be a democracy, certify the results and permit the victor to take control. Put any proposed new constitution to a popular ratification. The test will come when the next elections are due. In a democracy, the citizens will have the opportunity to judge for themselves the success of the governing party, and then either rescind their approval, or confirm it. If the governing party refuses to allow elections, that is the time for the military to step in.

The time for influencing this election is past. Set your sights on the next one.

Back in the Old Days

Well, a year and a half ago, when I still thought I might get a job...

I was also signed up for Critters.org, as I've said in the past. One of the authors whose early version I had the opportunity to read is Sharon Bayliss, and Lo and Behold! She's taken The Charge to the next level. It will be published by Curiosity Quills Press later this year. So, Congratulations, Sharon!

The story has changed considerably, she says, but I still recognize the character introduced in the first chapter as one she and I had several exchanges over during the course of the critting I did for her. It was even then a solid work, and I'm looking forward to seeing it again, all grown up and out in front of the world.

In the Critique Partner Spotlight Series, she is kind enough to give me, as well as the other readers and critters who helped during the story's early days, a 'thank you' post on her blog. You should go and read it, because there is also a link to The Charge. She's included a snippet from Chapter One which you should find interesting.

Thank you Sharon, both for the chance to read your story, and for giving me space on your blog.

Interview with Becka Sutton!

 Becka Sutton is the author and publisher of two web-serials, The Dragon Wars Saga and The Haventon Chronicles, and she's also converting Dragon Wars to ebook format. The first of these, Land of Myth, is now available in several convenient formats. I've been reading Dragon Wars since early in its on-line life, and find it thoroughly enjoyable. Since Land of Myth went live last month, Becka's on a tour to raise awareness and I'm very happy to provide a stop for her, in the form of an interview with questions that range from the sublime to the... not so sublime. 

The format of this interview:

First, I have some writing and author related questions.
The center section deals with more project specific topics. Since Becka publishes two web-serials, I asked some related questions.
Lastly, a selection of random questions, so we can get to know her a little better.

me: Why did you get into writing/become a writer?

Becka: When I was eight we used to do little creative writing projects in English. On parents' night my teacher told my mother that I had a talent for the English language that verged on the astounding for my age. I asked what would be astounding and was told writing a novel at that age. So I set to work writing a novel. I seem to remember it was some Mary-Sueish thing about a girl who had to go on a quest to win the hand of a fairy prince which would end a curse that had been placed on her homeland after they burnt someone as a witch generations ago. As the chapters were only a paragraph long, it was really just a short story, and the plot was totally incoherent. I misplaced it when we moved a while later. But I kind of caught the bug then and haven't stopped writing since.

As a teen, I wrote my first proper novel length story in a stack of exercise books my mother bought me for the purpose. It was a tad less incoherent but still awful. I burned it ages ago. The second one as well.

me: Why did you decide to go into Indie Publishing?

Becka: That's a difficult question. I think it was the realization that most writers, whether Indie or Traditionally Published, didn't make a living at it, so in the end this was mostly about fun that might, with hard work and a following wind, bring in a little dough. Keeping control of my work seemed like more fun than hawking it around and having all the creative decisions taken away from me if I managed to sell it to a publisher.

me: Can you give a synopsis of your current WIP (Work In Progress)?

Becka: Which one? Apart from The Dragon Wars Saga and The Haventon Chronicles, I'm currently working on the outline for a traditional fantasy about an asexual female navigator in an island culture – I think that might be this year's NaNoWriMo Project - and a set of Science Fiction flash fiction pieces about the first contact between humans and an alien species from a planet where the thalassogen is sulphuric acid and who want to buy Venus.

Note: For readers like me: "Isaac Asimov has coined the term 'thalassogen,' by which he refers to any substance capable of forming a planetary ocean."

"Isaac Asimov; 'The Thalassogens'; Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction 39 (December, 1970):94-104."

Quoted from Robert A. Freitas Jr.,in Xenology: An Introduction to the Scientific Study of Extraterrestrial Life, Intelligence, and Civilization, First Edition, Xenology Research Institute, Sacramento, CA, 1979; http://www.xenology.info/Xeno.htm

me: What is your biggest inspiration as a writer?

Becka: I find inspiration everywhere. I'll come across a fact somewhere – documentaries, books, Wikipedia, random conversation – and my brain runs away with it. Music is another big one. I'm not a writer who has soundtracks for my stuff but having the radio playing when I'm writing or outlining helps me focus.

me: What is your writing process? (ie: outline, notecards, etc)

Becka: I tend to worldbuild like crazy. My head is full of worlds. Then I notecard my outline. Then I lose the notecards and write by the seat of my pants, XD.

More seriously, I worldbuild a lot and I sometimes notecard but I usually have an outline in my head even when I don't have it on paper.
 

me: What was your motivation in publishing web serials?

Becka: It sounds weird but I sort of fell into the web fiction scene on Twitter and next thing I know I'm thinking that seems like a fun idea and trawling through my WIPs to see what I want to post.

me: What advice would you give a writer thinking of beginning a web serial?

Becka: Have a buffer and a regular posting schedule. Be prepared for a hard slog to build up your number of readers.

me: I think Dragon Wars is a success, but that’s from the reader’s perspective. What would you do differently, if you had the chance?

Becka: Success is always relative. I'm not Amanda Hocking (though I can dream) but I have awesome fans like you who were willing to fork up the dough to make the book happen. That's a big success in my book. 
 

What would I do differently? I'd probably look into the promotion side more. Making the world aware of web serials and books is not easy. Then again I'm still not sure what I'm doing on the marketing side of things – so if I had done that I'd probably still be waiting.

me: What’s your feeling about an author producing multiple web serials?

Becka: Well speaking as an author currently publishing two at the same time I don't have a problem with that. It is a lot more work than just doing one. On the plus side, updates draw people.

me: Why did you decide to publish Dragon Wars in the more traditional format of ebook and paperback? Any advice to offer from that experience?

Becka: A lot of people don't like reading huge chunks of text on a website so I suspect that some people are put off by the huge archive they'd have to read through. It's also easier to read an ebook or paperback anywhere once you have it. Websites require not just a computer but an internet connection to browse the page. On top of that I wanted to give my fans the chance to own a copy of the story they've supported so long. Plus there's just something immensely satisfying about holding your own book in your hands.

Advice? Work out how you're going to fund it. Self-publishing is more affordable now than it has been historically but it's still not free to do it properly. Every penny you spend is one you have to make back. I was fortunate in that while my IndieGoGo campaign didn't reach target it did make enough to cover everything so the first book has broken even before going on sale. Not losing money equals a big success. :-)

And some fun questions to see what Ms Sutton likes:
me: What three toppings would you mix into/put on top of your ice cream?

Becka: I tend to eat my ice cream plain. Also usually chocolate ice cream rather than anything else.

me: What is the coolest animal in the world?

Becka: The wolf or possibly the cheetah.

me: Who do you think would take the fight - Captain Kirk, Captain Jack Sparrow, or Captain Crunch?

Becka: Undoubtedly Captain Jack Sparrow – he's such a trickster archetype.

me: What is your favorite type of food? (IE: Mexican, Chinese, Thai, Italian)

Becka: A toss up between Chinese and Italian. I'm also rather fond of curry.

me: What is one thing on your bucket list? (Bucket list = things to do before you kick the bucket.)

Becka: I'd love to visit Japan.

me: Any closing statements? :)

Becka: Thanks for hosting me. :-)

Art for Land of Myth

 

Becka also shared her bio:

Becka Sutton is a self-described crazy cat lady, but she’s not very good at it: while she is crazy she only has one cat. She was born in Britain in 1972 and has lived there her entire life. In her early teens she started scrawling fantasy stories in exercise books her mother bought her to stop her scribbling in her school books. She hasn’t stopped writing since, and she credits writing as the outlet that allowed her to recover from the nervous breakdown she had after her parents died.

Her other interests include reading, listening to music, attempting to draw, growing her own vegetables and looking after the aforementioned Pumpkin cat.

No, you can’t read the novel she scrawled as a teen – she burned it long ago because it was awful.

Follow Becka on Twitter: twitter.com/shutsumon
Her website: http://firebird-fiction.com/

For information about purchasing her book: http://firebird-fiction.com/books (this is the hub page on the site that links to the various places it can be found)

So, thanks Becka, for helping to fill the blogging void this Friday with humor and advice. I appreciate the responses and the information. Along with following The Dragon Wars Saga, I'll be looking for more on your flash fiction series, and your navigatrix sounds fascinating as well.

This interview format based on one used by JE Medrick.

Pantsers Part 2

I posted last week about the cast size problems I've had by not controlling my characters, letting them do as they please while wandering along the story arc.

Of course, the new characters feel that they are as important as the ones I started with, the ones who brought them to life. They bring their own story arcs, with which they are enamoured. To tell the truth, sometimes I'm equally enamoured of them. But the main story doesn't take this interference lightly. Or positively.

I'm still learning the discipline to either cut these extraneous arcs out, or change the main arc to embrace them. A bigger issue for me in recognizing these side arcs as what they are: superfluous. It's one of the things my beta readers do that really helps-even if I would rather they thought everything worked just fine! It's better that they be honest, after all.

Only peripherally related: does anyone else have difficulty rewriting scenes? Once I've written something, I better back it up! For the life of me, I can't create it for a second time. It's like the muse says 'I gave you the clue once, it's your job to keep track of it. Don't bother me!'

Comments welcome below.