Book Reviews
I’m going to be cutting back on doing the book reviews. Reviewing other people’s books is too often a losing situation for me. I do it because I want you, my readers, to know what to expect when you pick up a new “wounded hero” story. I want to let you know if the depiction of disability is accurate or absurd. I want to help you find out about new books you might like and which you might want to avoid if your standards are anything like mine. However, so many novels with disabled characters do the disability part poorly. From inaccurate to insulting, reading books too often makes me cringe. I want so much to warn you about these books, but then it reflects badly on me. It makes it seem like I’m trying to harm my competition (when...
Read MoreCharacters Acting Up
You know how writers say that their characters take on a life of their own and won’t always do what they say? That rarely happens to me. I build my plots around who the characters are and I usually am able to stick close to an outline. However. I’m having some real issues with one. Stewart’s father, Richard, is impossible to work with. People want to see Stewart and his father reconcile. I know you guys want that! I want it too. I just cannot seem to get Richard to go along with this plan. In (W)hole I gave him the opportunity at Christmas and he just belittled Stewart the way he always does. I wrote a new story with the purpose of getting them to work out their differences and yet in Stewart’s Story, even though Stewart is helping to care...
Read MoreThe Serialization Bandwagon
I’ve been seeing and hearing a lot lately about people writing serial novels and even writing episodic stories imitating the style of a TV show with seasons. I am fascinated with this form. I’m a lover of TV and lately, watching shows like, Leverage and Supernatural, which have amazing characters and strong stories, it makes me want to try it. It’s like a throw back too to the days of Dickens when it was the norm for authors to write in serial form. I had an idea for a serialized story and I’m going to give it a try during National Novel Writing Month this year. (I love NaNo for the opportunity to try new things!) If it works well, I may restructure Parallel Loves (which is currently really not working plot wise) into a serial format. I...
Read MoreMonday Book Review: To Hear You Smile
To Hear You Smile by Gina Rossi Review… Summary: Olivia is ready for some time away from London. Her job and the upcoming Olympics are making things too stressful. So she leaps at the chance to dog sit for a friend in the small village of Chapel Hill. Her friend tries to mention the cute boy who lives down the road, but Olivia is off men and not interested in hearing about him, not even to get the warning that Ruth tries to give about what she really ought to know about Zac. When Olivia does meet Zac, he comes across as gorgeous, but creepy. There’s something odd about him that she just can’t put her finger on and by the time she realizes what it really is, she’s already knocked him out with a teacup to his head. The Good: The writing is...
Read MoreReviews on the Horizon
I don’t have a new review for you today, but I have a couple coming up that I’m looking forward to sharing with you. 1) I’ve been asked to blurb a book. This means that I read a book before it is published and give an endorsement that the publisher can use on the front cover and in the marketing materials. I’m about half way through reading the book now and I’m really enjoying it. Will definitely be able to endorse it whole heartedly! 2) I’m hoping to get a review copy of To Hear You Smile by Gina Rossi. It’s a novella that she wrote inspired by the Paralympics. I’m not sure what to expect with it, but I’ll let you know as soon as I read...
Read MoreProgress Trackers
At proofreaders; available for pre-order
What Is Meant To Be
Second draft
Homework & Homicide (working title)
Second Draft
Book Montage
RFW winner October 7, 2011
