about 4 months ago - No comments
It is not unusual to find differences between what you read in a book or article on creating a novel and what you have been told by your trusted writing instructor. Methods of writing fiction vary, so don’t be disturbed by that. One of our greatest novelists, Somerset Maugham, said, “There are three rules for the writing of a novel.
about 4 months ago - No comments
In this sequel to the popular epic fantasy The Warded Man, the legend of the hero Arlen Bales takes a backseat as two other characters capture our imagination. There is Jardir, the pseudo-hero and king who leads violent, stereotypical desert folk against the tranquil “green lands.” The rags-to-fame story of Jardir mirrors Arlen’s, feeling repetitious
about 4 months ago - No comments
Leaving Unknown by Kerry Reichs In Frying Pan Landing, North Carolina Maeve Connelly is fired twice in one day. First her boss at the Gin Mill canned her for being late again; this time as they tried a new happy hour venture. Second her family gives her the boot tired of her irresponsible behavior. She
about 4 months ago - No comments
Terminal World begins in a Department of Hygiene and Public Works where the telephone has a black handset and a dial. This opening primes the reader to expect a 1950s world, an expectation which the following pages gently perturb. There are references to angels with propulsion harnesses; to the city's underlying fabric and the fact
about 4 months ago - No comments
When first time authors are just getting into the business, they really want to learn and be sure they know how to write a good novel. The advice they usually get is to read as many books by successful authors in the same genre as that which they are interested in.
about 4 months ago - No comments
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting Derting’s debut novel is a gripping page turner full of romance, mystery, and suspense. Violet’s ability to sense the dead has plagued her since she was little. She had to constantly cope with being drawn to the echoes left behind by the dead. The torment that ensued after her
about 4 months ago - No comments
Spellwright by Blake Charlton “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Not so in Blake Charlton’s world. In his novel Spellwright, not only can words break your bones, but they can chop off your limbs, stab your heart, and create all sorts of mayhem. Combined with a classic fantasy
about 4 months ago - No comments
Mr. Shivers by Robert Jackson Bennett Mr. Shivers is a bit of an odd ball book. It beings as a simple quest and murder story set in the depression era of America (readers will be reminded of the HBO TV series Carnivale as it’s set in the same era but Mr. Shivers is a bit
about 4 months ago - No comments
Memory by Donald E. Westlake Memory is a noir novel, centered very much on its now-loner protagonist. Paul thinks he has a mystery to investigate — to figure out who he is — and he goes through the detective-motions. But the pieces, even as they add up, don’t help him. What he really has to
