Interview Intimidation

So I've been trying to expand my horizons on how I can help my fellow authors but for some reason this reviews and interviews thing intimidates the heck out of me.



So I thought maybe before I dive into the season where I've promised some half dozen of these various things, I would have a little therapy session with Yibus.

Why on Reviews



Well see, it's like this... There are a bunch of bloggers who write KICK-ASS reviews! They know stuff (and yeah, I know I know stuff), but they know stuff about the elements of books... the pieces that need to be there, the comparitive works, what books of the genre call for... A couple of my regular haunts that do great reviews include (but are by no means limited to) Leigh and Mason. And they just know how to review books!



How the heck is a hack like ME supposed to review books!?

But even more intimidating is the INTERVIEW



I've only done... two maybe... but I have three currently scheduled... I HAVE read one book, am READING one, and will read the other in August...



I guess the thing here is... I really prefer both the questions and answers to interviews where the interviewer is familiar, can ask original and relevant questions that are FRESH. I think the interviewee comes across better too—it is something that they haven't answered a thousand times, so the answers are more fun.

Anybody else intimidated by these things? Any tricks of the trade you want to share?

For the Record... What's Coming



Review: Very Bad Men by Harry Dolan: July 6

Review: South of Superior by Ellen Airgood (when it's written)

Interview: Harry Dolan: July 16

Review: My Fearful Symmetry by Denise Verrico (early August)

Review: Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis (early August)

Interview: Denise Verrico: August 16

Review: String Bridge by Jessica Bell (November)

Interview: Jessica Bell: (November)





So if any of YOU have fresh unusual questions for any of my interviewees, I will be thrilled to consider them! (I'd actually love the help!)



[NOTE:  All this grumble is about MY inadequacies... these are totally skills I want to master, so THANK YOU for you fabulous people letting me give them a go]



[Also Wik:  I finished What Ales Me (first draft) last night:  Wordcount currently 55,148]



[Also also wik:  I love yibus!]

Mildred’s Tale

This is sort of Halloween themed… When I was in college I was in a sorority—I won’t name it.  My local sisters all got the Naked ME, but I’m not so sure the national council would see it that way, but anyway… we had a brother fraternity… and the brother fraternity happened to live in the house that was originally OUR house.  Now this fraternity (or rather, the house) had a GHOST.  The ghost went by the name of Mildred.  Mildred was NOT a former Figi (obviously, as she was female), so the story GOES that Mildred was one of US.





I rushed as a sophomore (on a dare, but never mind; and for those of you who have never contemplated it: rush is the process of choosing a Greek house on a college campus--but while you choose them, they also choose you--it can be ugly); the University of Oregon didn’t start school until late September.  Once started, there were often parties on the weekends, paired with a fraternity, but the first BIGGIE was a Halloween party... with out brother Figis—the THEME?  Mildred’s Wake.

You see... according to the social chair (a girl named Meagan who was very tempting to believe because mostly I fell over laughing when she talked) MILDRED NEEDED US! She was in agony and needed this wake to put her at PEACE.

So we all got costumed. To go to the party we walked through Pioneer Cemetery, a detail that freaked out a few of my sisters. Me? Cemeteries are a little cool... in fact a few years later, I had sex in the same cemetery, but don't tell anyone—it's in poor taste. *cough*

But anyway, when we got to the Figi's, a tale was told about Mildred... her depression... suicide... her HAUNTING...

Mildred was picked upon... Sad...

But as a ghost Mildred had a sense of humor... she interrupted at... rather obnoxious times.

She was compassionate: showing up for people needing sympathy.

She was annoying: creating an alternate noise when someone was trying to... be sneaky.

The consensus was... Mildred was a bit strange... Many Fijis SWORE they had had a Mildred experience...

Our wake for Mildred was a GLORIOUS party. It was briefly solemn, stories of her death... but the tales of her haunting changed the tone quickly.  Our Figi brothers were a good match for the quick switch--they really appreciated Mildred. It then became an enjoyable celebration of Mildred's life, an appreciation of her ghostly humor...

Any of you had any 'real ghost' experiences?

I am mostly a skeptic about paranormal, but ghosts are a different matter to me—mostly because of how I see life... as an energy concentration of sorts... I think it is possibly some people are so concentrated they manage to stick around a while... or something... So I'd love to hear evidence for or against ghosts...

Mockingjay

Totally late on a Mockingjay review... I LOVED the book (unlike my poor friend Leigh who wasn't pleased). My thought on the matter is this. War is dark. Love triangles are sticky. I really felt like it was the book it needed to be. I thought what happened to Peeta was exactly right-- realistic, given their reality... and REDEEMING for a skeptic like yours truly who never quite found him a worthy interest before this.

Yes, war is ugly. I admire Collins for not shying away from what was necessary to keep this compelling.

It was just a darned good book.

Movie/Writer Melding

Cheap Therapy is holding a MOVIE Bloghop on the 18th for movies about WRITERS.  Now I know the brainstorming can be a little rough, but there are some great ones, so why not join the fun!?

Banned Books

On Friday, Kimberly Loomis posted a list of 50 banned books and I love her proposal of reading all of these.  I thought in an effort to assist you on choosing, I'd give a brief description of the ones I've read... (plus my always intelligent assessment of what I plan on reading)   

Red=probably won't read,  

Blue=on my list,  

Black=read and reviewed

Recommended by Jan so changed from red to purple

1.   Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger 

2.  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.

This is a fabulous book.  It was required reading my Junior year in high school and I think I got more out of it for the discussion we had,



3.  Forever by Judy Blume.

I didn’t think they let a girl go through puberty without having read this. Did I miss something? Have the rules changed?



4.  The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman.

Reading this out loud was a little difficult, but it is a pretty darned good book. I like the parallel world thing a lot.



5.  Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

This one isn’t so much ‘good’ as important.  I read it to both kids before starting middle school.  I felt they needed some perspective on how awful kids can be to each other if they engage in group-think.

6.  The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling.

These are my favorite books EVER. These books made me a writer and I love them deeply.



7.  Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson.--good movie, but not compelled to read.



8.  James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl.--I've seen the movie and liked it—probably past my reading Roald Dahl though, until grandkids (BFG is my favorite—though I love Matilda, the movie).



9.  And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson.



10.  A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle.

Read this to my daughter and liked it—I think it is top notch for its era, but I think later young reader books get a lot better.

11.  The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier.

12.  The Giver by Lois Lowery.

13.  The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie

14.  A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

15.  The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck



Steinbeck is an important author for historical perspective. I'm not sure it matters WHICH Steinbeck you read—this happens to be mine (this and Cannery Row) but we all need a Steinbeck.

16.  Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriett Beecher Stowe

17.  The Lorax by Dr. Seuss 

This is my FAVORITE Dr. Suess. (The Sleep Book is #2) Most Dr. Suess is about reading or just for fun. The Lorax is Environmentalism... both EARLY and hard-hitting for a 'child author'. This is one that I feel ALL PARENTS should read their kids. It is our hope for the future.



18.  he DaVinci Code by Dan Brown

Oh, I know—you all grumble.  But I liked this one. Then again, I read it before I wrote.



19.  1984 by George Orwell

As a 1984 graduate, I felt compelled.  Not bad.

20.  Animal Farm by George Orwell 

21.  Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

22.  Candide by Voltaire

23.  Lady Chatterly’s Lover by DH Lawrence

I am convince I read this, but remember nothing about it. I think my thought was 'what is the fuss' because at the time it was written, it was controversial, but it is controversial in the way that ankles were controversial before WW1... just nothing of note WITHOUT the context. I think this would have been better as part of a class.

24.  Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller

25.  Fanny Hill by John Cleland

26.  Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

27.  The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I read this in high school and found it somewhat boring, but worth banning?  Not so much.

28.  Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

29.  The Kite Runner by Khaled Hossieni

This was a tragic and beautiful book (beautiful in that the horrible tale was told so well)

30.  Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

31.  The Awakening by Kate Chopin

32.  Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

33.  Rabbit, Run by John Updike

I haven't read this but this is my chance to go on record... I DON'T like John Updike.



34.  Anne Frank:  Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

I think this is a must read for all middle school students.



35.  Lolita by Vladmir Nabokov

This is another horrible story told so incredibly well that it is a fabulous book. In fact I bring this one up a lot as the rare example of a horrible MC that is somehow still compelling. I HAVE TO always credit Nabikov's writing, though. In a lesser writer's hands Humbert Humbert would have repulsed me too much to read.



36.  To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I had a teacher in high school that I could never praise highly enough—she led us through a number of REALLY important books (it included Huckleberry Finn and A Streetcar Named Desire)

37.  Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

38.  The Color Purple by Alice Walker

This was required reading in one of my college classes, but I loved it anyway. It takes a little time to fall into the cadence, as the narrator (in diary form) can't spell or punctuate, but her story is deeply compelling.

39.  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

40.  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

This was the first 'novel' my mom read to me—I think she read it twice, and then I read it once. I love Jo. An MC who is a writer speaks to us all, and I love the historical picture this gives us.

41.  Catch-22 by Joseph Heller 

42.  Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Odd... I'm not sure if this feels juvenile because it was so far ahead of its genre and it has come so far since then. I KNOW for when it was written, it was ground-breaking, but it felt like... fan fiction or something to read. It is interesting which predictions came true and which were really off. I think this is an IMPORTANT book, but I think it is best read within a historical context, as what is important about it may not be obvious, and what is HOKEY, isn't so hokey if you look at when it was written and what the meaning was.

43.  Native Son by Richard Wright

44.  Beloved by Toni Morrison

No light, lovely tale, but a good one to have read. Brings up a lot of questions on where the line falls between ghosts and personal haunting (all in the head) and I personally believe as a white person from whiteville, that several of these cultural immersion experiences are good for me, too.

45.  As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

46.  One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey

I LIKED this book but LOVED the movie—one of the rare cases of the movie catching all the essence that mattered and then some. It also has the bonus of being filmed at Dammish—Oregon's 'closed' mental hospital.



47.  The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

While I didn't LOVE this, I still think this is an important book—it comes back to me with some regularity, as the 'future dystopia' seems more realistic that some, and more subtle, which is in a lot of ways, more frightening.



48.  In Cold Blood by Truman Capote—movies--both the one of the same name and Capote, which was of his making of it... not my stuff, but interesting to know ABOUT.



49.  Slaughterhouse – Five by Kurt Vonnegut

I'm not a Vonnegut fan. REALLY. I can't even remember it, except not liking it.



50.  East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Baby Book Review

What do a string of teenage overdoses, a dominatrix, and biblical threats have to do with muffins?

I'll tell you what... But you would have MUCH more fun reading it.  I just finished a book that my friend BrioNI sent to me... she lives in Australia, and was trying to figure out if they have cozy mysteries there... This particular book has the quirky characters, sassy voice and hobby angle (the MC is a baker and there is a lot of talk of technique, plus recipes in the back) of cozies, but the victims aren't so dislikable, exactly--they are addicts, yes, but sympathetic.  And the violence and sex are more graphic than cozies typically have.



The book also had more than one mystery involved... there was a missing girl and the threats.  The MC wears a size 20, and still has some very sexy adventures... It really is a fabulous read, and I strongly recommend it.





In other news:



I am having the AMAZING HaRRY Dolan as a guest soon... keep your eyes peeled.



And I was the person who got to pick this weeks Drabble Dare Image at Burrowers, Books & Balderdash, so of course IT'S NAKED!  That means it is time for YOU to give your hand the drabble test!  Go give it a try!

Delicious and Suspicious

A Book Review: Looks familiar, doesn't it? Elizabeth was here yesterday in all her FABULOUSNESS, and TODAY, I am going to talk about her book! (this, my friends, is called a marketing one-two-kapow! *snort* okay, so I made that up... but that is what we're doing)







The Tart Gets Cozy



When I first started blogging, I was looking for an agent for my main stream/suspense book. I was making friends with all sorts of writers, and I was learning just how much I DIDN'T know about the genres out there.



It possibly is truly beautiful that I first heard the term 'Cozy Mystery' from Elizabeth. Oh, once they were described I knew I'd read a couple (typically enjoyed them), but I hadn't known 'mystery' distinguished this way.



And not knowing, was PART of why I didn't really have a feel for whether I liked mystery or not—sometimes I LOVE it—sometimes I find it dry and boring... I guess it boils down to how much HUMANITY is in there. Unlike CSI, which on television, I can watch with fascination, I don't really WANT a ton of forensic technicalities in my reading. I think it's because on TV I can SEE what they mean, so I can 'get it' but when something is described without a visual, it is WORK WORK WORK, and if I am going to WORK that hard at reading, I prefer a literary book. Give me a dead Russian.



And PI books tend to have such isolated MCs. I like some of them—read The Big Sleep recently—that was decent... there is a woman who writes a female cop in England that I really like, though can't remember who I'm talking about, but the WOMAN seems real to me, and the books involve things like having to deal with racist accusers pegging the wrong person... so it is social issues and such... I just like the tone. But I am NOT interested, for the most part, in the heavy drinking single man PI.



COZIES though, have clues that can be spotted without a PhD, and a puzzle comparable in difficulty to a Sudoku (which sometimes I can do and sometimes I can't, so I keep trying), and CHARACTERS that are colorful, often funny, and have a hysterical mix of quirks and baggage. It is mystery meets soap opera, and I LOVE it.

Delicious and Suspicious



I had a chance to read this little gem early. Elizabeth was truly FABULOUS with some guidance when I was doing my Cozy Audition, and one of the things she let me do was READ her pre-published Cozy...



I fell in love right away with Lulu, owner of 'Aunt Pat's' a restaurant touting the best barbeque in Memphis. Aunt Pat's has been in the family for a long time—Lulu literally grew up in the kitchen helping her Aunt Pat, and now one son works the pits, her daughter in-law waitresses, and her other son has recently returned to town and is helping out with book keeping. Even her twin granddaughters help out—a real family affair.



The book opens as the group is preparing for a talent scout from the Food Channel, who is going to do a FEATURE on the best barbeque in Memphis, and they badly want to be chosen (believe they DESERVE to be chosen)



See... the trouble is that talent scout is a B word that one would never USE in a Cozy Mystery... Shrew might work... her specialty is belittling just about everybody and she treats a WHOLE MESS O' people REALLY ROTTEN... erm... then she dies.

It is the way with Cozies... the rotten people are not long for this world... and then the real fun begins of figuring out whodunnit.



Aunt Pat's in addition to the family running the place has a variety of colorful customers—the old men musicians, the romance writing spinster, the art gallery owner next door, and... (these are my favorite) the GRACES.--One of the Graces is even a Tart!



But you really should just read the book to find out.



Now I KNOW some of you have gotten it and read it, but there are OTHERS of you still waiting for it, so I would LOVE to have a book discussion, but PLEASE no spoilers!

My Favorite Things

So my Burrow peeps and I were having a relatively typical conversation, and it went something like this:

“I could sure use a cold beer.”





“I wish we were having a critique session over a pitcher of good microbrew” (this was me)





“Oh, I like that. Burrow, beer and books!”





“You are forgetting. Boys. We need to Cabana boys to bring the pitchers, apply the sun screen, and periodically massage our feet.”



It was unanimous. Our favorite things: Burrow, beer, books and boys. So I am dedicating a blog to the matter.

Burrow



In all its diverse fabulousness, representing four continents and seven countries, we REMAIN, four score blondes and brunettes between the ages of sixteen and nineteen and a half. But we are BRILLIANT (at least collectively, though I confess to mooching where my own content is lacking... See, I got a REALLY good processor and very little memory storage, so I can DO stuff, but there are times I don't really KNOW stuff. (thus, it is in my best interest to have really smart friends).



But it isn't just a SMART bunch, but a bunch that has complimentary skills in empathy, practical knowledge, life stage info... pretty much across the board, whatever I need, somebody there can offer it up. If I need good chocolate, there are three Europeans. If I need a knitted stuffed animal, there is Leanne (though she is sensitive about sock monkeys *shhhhh*) If I need to figure out how to tell my principal he's a moron in words that won't offend him, there is Chary. Whatever will sustain me...



If I was to be stranded on a desert island, THIS is the company I want (provided I can add a few male distractors, too... but for company, I mean).

Beer



Y'all know I'm a beer snob, yes? It is possibly the only area of my life in which I'm a snob... other than my Pacific Northwest Anti-snobbery thing where I'm snobby about snobs... and possibly really bad literature *cough*Twilight*cough*



But I DO love me a really GREAT beer. There are a couple rules involved... First: beer should be made ONLY with barley, yeast, hops and water. I'm willing to allow a little experimentation for FLAVOR (I've had a few excellent ginger ales, for instance, and Raspberry stout is so good even my cats liked it, back when I lived in Portland and March was Raspberry Stout month). I am NOT willing to compromise for something like PRESERVATIVES. If you need to put preservatives in it, you aren't drinking it fast enough, or you're shipping too far. And you know what the BRITISH do when they have to ship far? INCREASE THE ALCOHOL—yes, alcohol works just FINE as a preservative and solves the problem without messing up the flavor—why do you think India Pale Ales are so strong? They needed to have a high enough alcohol content to sail around the cape of Africa without it going bad! Problem solved! So if there is a chemical name to be seen? DON'T DRINK IT!



My personal favorites: Hammerhead (McMenamins), XX Stout (Pyramid—brewed with Starbucks coffee), Ballard Bitter (Pyramid), Wassail (Full Sail's winter ale), Blue Heron (Bridgeport—Bridgeport has a stout I love, too and I ALSO want to call THAT XX... shoot—hate that I live so far away that I can't keep these straight!), Mad Hatter (New Holland), Sacred Cow (Arbor Brewing), Oatmeal Stout (Arcadia)



So if I can get a regular supply o' THESE on my deserted island, I will be a HAPPY camper.

Books



So in this interim, while I wait to hear about the cozy, as I don't know what I will write next until I know that... I've been spending a little extra time READING. I've read two much discussed books, and am THRILLED both lived up to their hype (mostly).



The Hunger Games: the dystopian future world where each 'territory' is supposed to send a pair of children (randomly chosen... sort of) to play a brutal and deadly form of 'Survivor' for the viewing pleasure of the capital *shivers*) The idea is so gruesome, but the reading was fabulous. The characters were mostly likable but also flawed; you were rooting for them, particularly the narrator, Katniss. DEFINITELY worth reading.



The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: This one I felt was slightly under-edited at the tails—a little heavy on the tell don't show. But as the author was DEAD by the time his books were released, I forgive this—I wouldn't have wanted another editor to change Stieg Larsson's story, and that would have been the only other alternative. It was DEFINITELY worth releasing and reading, as the tale woven was FABULOUS!



I will read the next on BOTH of these (both are parts of trilogies)



My OWN book the next... TITLED, this morning on my power walk. I'm calling it 'Kahlotus Disposal Site', which is based on location and an in-joke by the kids living there. See, I wanted rural (middle of nowhere rural) and when I used to drive from Portland to Moscow, I would pass through the Tri-Cities in Washington, and then there was a cut-off toward the highway I WANTED (the main Washington one running between Seattle and Pullman)--I spotted it by the sign that said Kahlotus Disposal Site. Kahlotus is actually a small town (population 90, or some such thing), not just a dump, but the sign seemed an appropriate metaphor for what I want this book to be about, so there we have it.



And FINALLY, back to my island... ALL of us are readers. I figure we would ALL bring books, and other than having 13 sets of the Harry Potter series (make that 18—Leanne will probably bring it in multiple languages), the overlap probably wouldn't be that great, so we'd be able to read read read. But besides that—we'd each be WRITING new books all the time, so the new material supply would keep growing!

Boys



They are so useful, aren't they? They can refill the pitchers, apply sunscreen, read to us when we want to close our eyes, massage our feet... Just darned handy to have along...



Yeah... if I had those four things I could be VERY happy for a VERY long time...





THIS JUST IN!  Inkygirl with 400+ followers has linked yesterdays post and it is getting retweeted like crazy--I suspect I will break all records today on hits, but the GREAT news is BuNoWriMo folks!!!!

Murder Mysteries

I used to read mysteries from time to time... it was the genre I preferred for 'light' reading, as opposed to the brain heavy stuff I love when I have no other preoccupations, or the thriller/suspense stuff I choose when I have emotional freedom, but not extra brain power. I've begun though, reading mysteries with a new eye.



In February, I read two Iain Pears Art Mysteries (and enjoyed them a lot) but that was background on ART THIEVES for my trilogy. At the end of February, it was suggested my voice fit very well with cozy mysteries and I began to explore the genre.



You know my FAVORITE thing about this? I have read a couple books by people I KNOW, and that is a totally exhilarating, impressive experience—to read a published book by someone I know.



I fessed up to being a lousy liar yesterday, right? I mean... I can NOT say stuff, but I don't tell anyone anything that is NOT TRUE. I just had to get that off my chest, because what I have to say might sound like sucking up.



THE PEOPLE I KNOW WRITE BETTER BOOKS THAN THE PEOPLE I DON'T. There. I've said it. Oh, I know. There are some darned impressive writers out there, but among the mysteries I've read in trying to figure out the ins and outs of WRITING ONE, I've decided I know some impressive people.







Brief reviews from people I don't know:





I began with two Kate Collins novels—both flower based, and I loved certain aspects of them. They were witty, light... My only real complaint was some use of stereotypes—there was a 'sex trade' story involving Chinese women who'd been 'stolen' which for starters, was incongruent enough early on that it was obviously related to the deaths, and frankly... not a light enough option to be treated lightly. I mean I don't think it was intentionally distasteful, but my feminist edges have been too sharply filed for this to belong in a cozy. It's NOT FUNNY, and though it wasn't exactly presented as funny, it WAS presented as characature. The other one I had fewer issues with, but there was still some leaning on stereotypes. What I liked best was the friendships the MC had with the women who worked with her.



The one I am in the middle of 'Snow Place to Die' also has a couple stereotypes—an Asian businesswoman who is ALL BUSINESS and the couple black characters fall neatly into boxes.



I have one in my stack upstairs that looks more promising... The Scent of Murder by Barbara Block, but then... the Collins ones looked impressive up front, too...







But among people I KNOW...



The first I read was a sneak peak that I possibly can't mention by a certain somebody who has helped me a lot. Her characters are FANTASTIC, her humor, fabulous, and the story wonderful... but I will save it for the book release.



The actual reviews for today are two books: A Real Basket Case by Beth Groundwater and The Prairie Grass Murders by Patricia Stoltey. They aren't 'as cozy'... but they were GREAT examples of mystery writing. So here goes:







A Real Basket Case by Beth Groundwater

[I've only had a few interactions with Beth, but she was among the first authors I began watching, as when I started this networking thing last May, so was promoting her newly released book, and she is very nice]



Claire Hanover is approaching a midlife crisis with an overworked (always absent) husband and an annoying paunch to her belly. She decides aerobics with friends might slim her (and attract the hubby's interest) but is tempted into getting a massage (at her home) by her hot instructor and massage therapist. During their first massage session, as she lays there in her underwear, he is shot in her home, and her husband is blamed...

What I love about this book is the real emotion—the self-doubt, partner doubt, the cynical friend. It all rang VERY realistic to me. There were two 'loops,' if you will, stringing in suspects, both of them plausible, and it kept pulling Claire into a battle of 'friends versus husband' when her husband had been pretty darned lousy.



It was sassy, periodically naughty, but only in a PG way, and a very fun read.















The Prairie Grass Murders by Patricia Stoltey (who also writes a lovely blog



[note, Pat sent this to me because she is a nice lady and I had mentioned that I was reading some mysteries, but I haven't paid for ANY of these (most are library lends), and I ALWAYS call it as I see it... that is sort of me—you know... naked.]

The book starts with a Vietnam Vet who is nearing retirement and wanting to visit the area in Southern Illinois where his family grew up. Willie is a bit odd, or so the conservative locals see it—marching to the beat of his own drummer. He has small features of shell shock—acute anxiety over loud noises and small places, but he also returned with a careful perceptiveness—the kind that keeps you alive. He decides to wander a drainage ditch, as he used to as a boy, and a Turkey Vulture alerts him to a particular location along the ditch. It's a tenacious bird... clearly hiding something. When Willie reports the body he finds to a deputy along the road, he is promptly taken to the county home and tossed unceremoniously in the loony bin.

But Willie, unlike some well meaning citizens who get on the wrong side of small town law enforcement, has a sister who is a circuit judge in Florida, and LKNOWS Willie is not bonkers, so something is fishy. She comes to first check him out of the crazy ward, then help him investigate... the plot thickens as important town citizens get pulled into the web.



I loved this story, primarily for the characters—they were smart. There was a stupid mistake or two, but they were of the variety people really make when pressed and stressed. Neither fell into stereotypes, though they maintained enough features for their 'kind of character' to be realistic. I loved the relationship between the two because of the balance. Sylvia is an important and respected judge, but she is also the 'little sister' so they struggle with the dynamic a little, each resenting any reining in the other tries to do.



I enjoyed too, the struggle to free themselves from their 'Norwegian sensibilities'. My maternal line goes back to Norway, and this small town could have sat on the Iowa/Minnesota border and included my extended family, so it was just a nice perk.



Pat's writing isn't as 'cozy', but on the other hand, the mystery is tighter—it wasn't 'light' but neither was it horribly gory, and it was far more realistic, so I think it would appeal to both cozy readers and more traditional mystery readers.







My Conclusions



Either this genre has seriously improved in the last decade, or I just hit a couple clinks from the older list of people I don't know... who knows, maybe since I am reading from the library, the really GOOD older ones wear out.



But I think it's more likely that I've just met the really impressive people, so if you TOO want to be impressive, an important first step is to be my friend.



That's my story and I'm sticking with it!





AND THIS JUST IN:  For writers ready for some feedback, there is a contest giving away some GREAT prizes, including critiques, and lunch with some big wigs.  Check it out.  http://sarahwithachance.blogspot.com/2010/04/something-fun-and-celebratory.html

Ten Books that Changed Me

On the tenth day of Christmas, her Tartness gave to us…



Ten Books that changed me



Nine Crisco Twisters

Eight Solstice Wishes

Seven Success Secrets...

Six Writing Tasks

Five Sii---illy Songs

Four Cross-Dressed

Three Christmas Lists

Two Tartlet Minis

And a Boy Toy on a Hay Bale





Before I get started on my list, I should probably explain that books causing change have as much to do with TIMING as they do with the books. So there are plenty of more influential books out there than at least SOME of these… in fact I’ve READ some of them, but these are the books that perfectly hit certain points in my life and caused some spark… some redirection or rethinking…





The Shining by Stephen King Makes Me a Reader: Age 12

I wasn’t a strong reader as a kid. I was slow and uncomfortable with it. To compound matters, I thought I was ‘all that’ which meant that books within my moderate ability range seemed ‘babyish’. Then, in seventh grade, through my friend Kim, I discovered Stephen King. It was the first time I’d ever walked around with a book, reading it between classes, using *gasp* my spare time for reading.









The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand Makes me a Thinker: Age 17

For several years I was a passive absorber of whatever story I read, enjoying, or not, a set of characters or series of events. I think age probably mattered a lot here—that is an age where brain development makes us first capable of complex thought, but Rand’s explicit use of her philosophy was also necessary—a perfect storm if you will. I disagree with Rand about 90% of the time, but I adore her for engaging me so deeply that I bother to argue with a book.









The Drifters by James Michener taps my Independence: Age 18

My uncle gave me this book for my high school graduation and it is PERFECT for that age. It is about a collection of late teens and early 20s finding their own paths, which is what we all need to do… it is okay to be wanderers for a while. It is definitely okay that each of us chooses a different path (certainly important to be self determining rather than parentally determined). And best of all, if we discover the path isn’t the right one—unfulfilling in some way, we are allowed to change paths, taking with us the joys and lessons of our last path, but not stuck with it any more than that.





David Copperfield by Charles Dickens: Age 22

This was the first ‘classic’ I ever read voluntarily. I was a new college graduate, reading for pleasure (finally) instead of what I had to, and my roommate had the book. I learned that the classics are classics for a reason and that my vocabulary and intelligence were finally equal to some of these older books that used more complex language.







Mists of Avalon by Barbara Zimmer-Bradley: age 25

I loved this feminist take on the Arthurian legend, but oddly, what the book did was get me thinking about and exploring religion and faith—who defines it, what makes sense. It was a philosophical area I had been avoiding, but the appeal of ‘the goddess’ pulled me into some self exploration (hint: while I ADORE the goddess, a gendered god doesn’t make any more sense to me as a female than as a male).





Skinny Legs and All by Tom Robbins: Age 26

This joyful digression of a book taught me that some really warped minds can even make money at it. I ADORE Robbins, largely because he is evidence that people can get paid to play. I may not have been writing at the time, but the Tart was planted.









War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy: Age 27

It took me great effort to get into this, as the characters each have multiple names and the relationships are a little confusing… having read it though, it is probably the best book ever written. (a cheat sheet of names and relationships helped immensely). I suppose none of that says how it changed ME, except that being able to follow (and enjoy) it gave me confidence as a reader (I went on to enjoy Don Quixote, the Brothers Karamazov… books that I have thoroughly enjoyed but take a lot of brain power. I thank Tolstoy for writing a fabulous enough book that he won me over.





Harry Potter (series) by JK Rowling: Ages 35-41

This is the only fandom of which I’ve ever been a part—the books pulled me in enough that I wanted to make predictions. I found online forums and friends, and my interest grew. I read complex theories that got me thinking about story structure, foreshadowing, use of mythology, literary references… and THEN, I was inspired to write again, first fan fiction, then original work. This series is responsible for HART finally putting all those ideas on paper.





Les Miserables by Victor Hugo: Age 37

I think my GOAL for story structure was heavily influenced here. I will never equal Hugo, but I adore the complex story with characters introduced early, coming back later, laying hints, then a large pulling it all together at the end. If there is any work I would like to subtly emulate, this is it.











The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho: Age 38

And finally… I love the life lesson in this book… I find it brings peace when things are hard. It is just so comforting to think that where we end up in the end isn’t nearly so important as the journey that got us there… that even if we end up in the same exact place, we arrive as a different person and can make something new and different of it.

Fresh or Familiar

The Beauty and the Beast of Branding.

I'm not talking here about series, because I think readers who choose series books have declared that they WANT familiar. But what about those prolific authors people consume like buffet style starches, piling them on and reading again and again. Where do THOSE authors draw the line (where should they?)

Several years back, on recommendation from a coworker who rarely steered me wrong (Carol Ann, I miss your book recommendations!), I read Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner. I loved it, so I got ahold of another of her books. About fifty pages in I thought, 'I've read this book'. Now that may not be fair. I haven't read MORE since then, and I may just have happened to pick the one that was most like her first (though I think it was her second). When 'In Her Shoes' came out as a movie I read reviews, and it sounded like even though there were several overlapping themes, it was good. And I should probably also confess that I approach Chick-Lit like sushi—I love it from time to time, but only if it is really fresh and handled perfectly. Otherwise it has made me nauseous often enough that I am afraid, especially in a land-locked location, but I digress.

But what about other authors? Grisham and his legal thrillers seems to have enough different twists that I've read maybe eight or nine of his without ever being bothered (I don't seek them out, mind you—I tend to run across them in the 'exchange books' places around work or on my mother's shelves). Anna Quindlen seems to strike a different enough story each time that her familiar voice hasn't worn on me (and she very nearly writes Chick-Lit). Nicholas Sparks on the other hand? Full at three, no matter HOW MUCH I adored The Notebook (again though—I take my romance in small doses).

How do the authors that hit it, hit it? Or am I the only one who grows annoyed if it is TOO familiar? Maybe this is why I prefer mainstream fiction to genre fiction for the most part—the genre stories have certain points all of them hit and I'd rather be surprised.  But besides that, add formula to the same voice and there is just only so much variation possible. I have also wondered if there is something to reading speed. I know many speed readers who consume a book a day and those people seem to me to only take away main points--the broad plot, a character or two, but they haven't read every word, so maybe the stylistic repetition isn't as wearing—maybe they don't even notice.  My husband wouldn't recognize subtext if it bit him because he just doesn't read that way.

I read every word—always have. It helps with retention for the non-fiction content I need to know, and I believe it helps with style in my own writing. But maybe it is also why I get tired of authors that don't shake it up enough.

Any thoughts?

Do you like familiarity?  Always?  Within limits?  And how do you read?

On a related note:  My survey from last week about hand versus computer... I've decided there are two primary factors:  the dominant one is what ELSE do you do on a computer?  If you do other creative endeavors, then writing via computer is fine.  If you do conflicting things... hand write.  Second is age.  Several older people prefer hand writing, even if for the sake of practicality, they don't do that all the time.

So there.

Sunday Book Review

This is a little non-conventional, as book reviews go. It is more a guide for reading with your KIDS than yourself. I somehow know a lot of people with kids just behind mine in school, so I thought maybe it would be helpful. I've got a 14 and a 10 year old and have read with both since One Fish Two Fish in utero. I've read to them every night, though my daughter refused about 3 months into 6th grade, and I get the feeling my son may do the same, but we've been through a LOT of books together. Some are parent friendly, some, not so much... I'm only reviewing series, as I could hardly begin to address individual books, but this will give a good guide as to what parent and child might (and might not) like TOGETHER.



Artemis Fowl (Eoin Colfer):

Boy genius and criminal mastermind—these are smart and it is a nice twist of an evil boy genius growing a conscience in an unlikely manner. I loved the first couple, but the glimmer is wearing off, not because the later books are worse, I don't think, but because while they count on you having read the earlier to some degree, they are largely separate stories with more of the same, rather than one long story (regular readers will know that wears on me). Conclusion: read one or two together and let your 11+ child decide if they want to keep going.



Warriors (Erin Hunter):

This is a series about tribal cats, kept relatively realistic to the extent one CAN when giving cats humanized thoughts. Four tribes battle over territory, hunting grounds, leadership... The series was entertaining...the first time. The problem is the author (who is actually two people) seems to have decided if one set of 7 is good, 42 sets is better... Conclusion: I would read the first set and pretend that is all there is. The later iterations are not nearly as interesting and I quickly grew annoyed.



Series of Unfortunate Events (Lemony Snicket):

These are a GIANT chuckle if you are at all into word play. As a story it is over the top and might make you roll your eyes as an adult, but Lemony Snicket is a writing junkie's writer... grammar jokes, word jokes, even writing technique jokes. My son got some, I had to explain others, but he was always entertained with the story and I was always entertained with the telling, which makes for good reading time. Conclusion: Read them! Probably an eight or nine year old is the idea audience for the STORY and you are the ideal audience for the TELLIN.



Pendragon (D.H. MacHale):

We just finished the last of these. I liked them, but didn't LOVE them. I think had I had a recommendation, I would wish someone had said, 'let your son read them' because they are GOOD, but it is a long series and I grew bored with it eventually—it doesn't quite have the humor or complexity to keep an adult engaged. Conclusion: Let your 10-13 year old read them.



Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Rick Riordan):

These are EXCELLENT—HIGH recommendation. A tween boy learns his ADHD diagnosis is really part of the normal profile for a demi-god, or child of one of the Greek Gods (in his case, Poseidon)... Olympus has sort of... moved with the techtonic plates... or something, and is now centered atop the Empire State Building, and the kids of the Olympians are being called to help in a battle against the Titans. It is a brilliant meshing of adolescent jokes and mythology—many mythological creatures are given literal or endearing forms that make them very funny, and the adventure is just right in terms of adrenaline without too much gore. Conclusion: BUY them. You may want to reread, and certainly every family member will need to read them!



Tomorrow When the War Began (John Marsden):

This is my daughter's favorite series ever, and it is MAJORLY intense. It begins with a group of teens who 'go bush' to camp for a week when school gets out (southern hemisphere means this is December). While gone, Australia is invaded and they come home to find their families have been taken prisoners, their animals are dead or dying, and hostile forces are everywhere. They initially hide, but eventually decide they need to do what they can for their country and become guerilla soldiers. It is FABULOUS in the non-judgmental, but vivid presentation of the choice to kill, when it might or might not be justified, and the consequences to the people involved in either case. It is extremely realistic, and very graphic, but I felt like it was an incredibly valuable experience to have read this together, and they were page-turning thrillers, every last one. My daughter and I read them when she was a 5th grader, and at that age I'd say—only a kid who's been talked to honestly about some of the world's horrors is ready for it. Probably middle school is better together, and I wouldn't suggest them until high school alone, but Conclusion: they are MUST READs for a daughter at least (my son won't warm up to the female narrator).



Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling):

Best books EVER. These were the first 'novels' for both of my kids and made them real readers. The basic story works for a child as young as 6 or 7 (and at least in our case I think they didn't really attend to things that were disturbing), then as a teen they get the romantic undertones, the friendship stuff, etc... and then you and your PhD can debate symbolism, mythology, literary techniques—JK Rowling is my hero. Conclusion: OWN them.



Other Series my kids have read on their own and loved:



Cirque de Freak (Darren Shan)(my son's FAVORITE ever—urban teenage vampires)

Alex Rider ((teen spy)

The Uglies (more girl oriented—thought provoking series on what appearances really mean)

Twilight (mind-melting MUSH but your teen daughters will surely insist)--read at least one yourself so you can counter the idea that obsession is love and argue how badly written they are from a knowledgeable standpoint.



Happy Reading!

A Field of Darkness- Book Review

Cornelia Read is definitely a tart, and I think you know when I say that, it is a very good thing.

My Book Choice

My friend Mari ran across a blog a while back called Naked Authors, which a tart like me can hardly ignore. I've been following them and reading (shockingly, nobody streaks or flashes; they are a classy bunch). I was so enamored of the group name that I looked into the authors and their books. Several looked intriguing, but the pair by Cornelia Read caught my eye most strongly. Being the orderly person than I am *shoots evil eye at laughing section*, I started with the first.

The Author

I don't know Ms. Read in person, though she has graciously friended me on Facebook, but I've read a fair bit, particularly details that Madeline Dare is relatively autobiographical. I would definitely like to sit down for a couple boilermakers with either woman. What strikes me most strongly though, is how two people from such opposite backgrounds (she and I) might have struck such similar symptom profiles.

Since Madeline is the book's main character, I will leave my comments to her, not knowing where the 'mostly autobiographical' and 'not this detail' lines cross. Madeline is from 'money so old it is gone', complete with the delusionally snobbish trappings of relatives who have never done anything to merit their privilege (killing entire lakes for profit notwithstanding), yet hold onto all of the pomp and hauteur. Madeline however, sees them for what they are, and is critical, while simultaneously somehow yearning to not be the poor relation. Madeline was 'abandoned' by her father in youth, and Cornelia pulls a writing coup by letting us believe first person Madeline really sees it that way, but giving us enough information to realize it is a failure of the man and marriage, not an actual abandonment of the child. Madeline's life after though, seems to be a mix of 'proving herself worthy' and moderately self destructive 'I couldn't possibly be worthy' behaviors (this is where the symptom similarities to the tart came in).

The Book

That brings us to the present story and action... Madeline lives, much to her disgust, in Syracuse, New York, with her often gone welder/inventor husband (who I ADORE—it was a nice trick to have him so wonderful but gone so he couldn't be counted on much). She works for the local newspaper, writing fluff pieces. One day at lunch at her in-laws, her creepy brother-in-law tells her about a long-ago murder case and shows her a set of dog tags he found at the field, tags he never turned in to the police, and that happen to belong to a second cousin of Madeline's. The cousin is not just her favorite relative, but as the story goes on, proves to be her only relative who isn't bottom of the barrel horrible.

Madeline struggles with herself. She wants to solve the case for the sake of the two girls killed, and an internal ethic never mentioned, but obvious, but there is also a deeply seeded need to clear her cousin. From there it is a wild ride, a few more dead bodies, twists and turns---a wonderfully written solving of an old mystery with new consequences.

My Favorite Things

This is, above all things, a smart book. Details are well researched, from photography and lighting, to roses, to heirloom firearms. Every necessary detail had a reason Madeline knew what she was talking about, and all of it was given in a subtle, well-ahead-of-time way so that I never argued with the narrator (something I often do if something feels contrived).

Madeline's wit, too, in her observations about her family, her coworkers, her city, and herself, are laugh-out-loud funny, even while often invoking pity. It was a brilliant way to balance the very dark events—a knife wielding M.O. of a murderer hung up on old German Fairy tales *shivers*.

And finally, Cornelia's skill at juxtaposition is amazing. There is a Nazi man-servant of Madeline's uncle (who her mother lives with), who isn't softened in his views, but is still somehow sympathetic, especially compared to the actual family he serves. Contrasting the failings of old 'society' and the nobility of some of the 'lower class' is done with a soft touch, and no set of people is exempt from having terrible people with dark motives.

Summary

I think this was one of the best written books I've read in a long time, and I strongly recommend it. My only complaint is that Read only has one more book out there at the moment—so GET WRITING!

Sword of Truth

I suppose it’s fitting that the first book review for a watery tart would be about a special sword. Fitting also that the sword’s special skill is to grant a truth-seeking ability to the Seeker-- the sword’s carrier... I’ll confess right now that I’m only ALMOST done with the series, but with 11 books, averaging 700 pages a piece, almost is close enough. I’ve been reading these books since February.

Contrary to my husband’s misattributions, fantasy isn’t a genre I have read a lot of, particularly not adult fantasy. I think the reason is that I have a definite intolerance for things that are too far-fetched--magic, okay, space-time foibles, okay, alternative beings, okay. But so often the genre has some belief suspension required that ISN’T just --‘this is only a book, don’t worry about it‘--it is a logic issue or something. But I digress.

I began this series because my husband (believing I read fantasy because of my Harry Potter obsession, and because somewhere he read a good review) bought me the book Confessor. A browse inside the cover told me enough to know HE hadn’t browsed inside the cover… it was the ‘conclusion of a series’… The LAST book. A poor start, in my opinion.

I did what any other purist, book-loving, poverty stricken person would do. I looked up the series online, then got on the waiting list at the library for Wizard’s First Rule--the FIRST book in the series, and where I always recommend a person begin--the beginning.

Oh, I know--where’s the adventure in that? But really, it is about my love of a surprise. If you read them out of order, it is too easy to figure out what is coming--you miss nuances and brilliant foreshadowing--it all becomes sledgehammer stuff… So one of the few orderly things I insist on, is reading series books in order…

Back to the Review

The Sword of Truth Series by Terry Goodkind

Overall I have totally enjoyed the ride, but it is largely the ‘whole’ of it, instead of any given book. The world created was so complete and rich, and vividly described, and the action of the books was intense, keeping me turning page after thrilling page. There were enough drawbacks that any given book might not have passed off into “I recommend it” alone, but as a series, I actually do--I recommend the series.

Story Summary

Richard Cypher is a woods guide in Hartland and spots a woman in white being pursued by four men. He decides to help her, in spite of having been stung by an evil vine that is infecting his hand at great speed. He and the woman end up having to kill all four men, the woman using a bizarre trick that actually turns one man on the rest of his peers, and then the woman, to help him in return, takes him to Zedd, an odd hermit with healing abilities who likes to stand naked on his rock and read the clouds. (my kind of guy)

It turns out Zedd is the reason Kahlen has come into Hartland (across a boundary thrown up decades earlier to protect Hartland from magic)--it begins a long journey to a world being taken over by an evil wizard who Richard is destined to face. It’s great stuff, but it is only the beginning. After Darken Rahl, the evil Wizard, there are Sisters of the Dark, there is Jagang, and there is prophecy about the end of life… it is a fabulous ride overall and I can’t summarize the later stuff at all, without giving away the end to earlier stuff--so there. There is a love story at the base, but it is understated because the two figures have multiple obstacles keeping them in other places, meeting other responsibilities.

The battle scenes, are gruesome, vivid, and seem realistic… Kahlen ROCKS as a battle leader--probably the best written war scenes I’ve read. A group of women called Mord Sith are particularly intriguing--kidnapped in their early teens and trained to capture magic and use torture to enslave. They are an excellent way to delineate the different ways people can rule.

I think though, my favorite feature, is an Ayn Rand-ish underlying story-- Jagang leads a group of people called the Order, who are using “Brothers” and preaching sacrifice for the greater good--a life after death that is more important in their thinking than this one--nobody is better than anybody else, people should be ashamed of accomplishments because they squash others down, and Richard and his allies are fighting for doing the best we can and being proud and sharing those achievements--for LIFE rather than death. The philosophy is entertaining, but serious, and I quite enjoyed watching a few characters undergo an awakening of sorts--in particularly a certain sister of the dark--but I don‘t want to give too much away. Faith of the Fallen though, was definitely my favorite of the series for this reason. (What? Compared to a book called Naked Empire? Well… yes… but only because naked means something different)

Critique

That said, I think it has failings related to its genre--VERY under-edited… there were typo-variety mistakes in every book that were noticeable. And it was under edited from the author too--there were times I felt pummeled over the head as he tried to get his point across. I don’t consider this a failing of WRITING nearly as much as I believe it is a failure of requiring REWRITING. In a three page span something could be rationalized and explained twice or thrice, when… if a person assumed the reader was reading the whole series, it didn’t need to be said AT ALL.

It’s a little ironic that after all my grumbling about having to cut my own book, my primary complaint is that these books would be vastly improved by a 30% reduction--but that is a 30% reduction that doesn’t change the STORY at all--just a getting rid of repeated information and over-description. I think too that a couple times the characters were too slow to give up stubborn misconceptions, but that was actually a part of the page turning “come on already” that was going on. You KNEW they couldn’t remain that delusional.

Recommendation

I suppose what I end up with is a ‘definitely read if’… you need to be content with ‘long’--because the series is 7700 pages altogether, and you need to be willing to ignore the mistakes and repetition. If you are a fantasy reader, undoubtedly it is something you are already used to. I think if you normally stick to other genres and are persnickety that way, it might bug you more.

But I believe all in all, the story is worth it. (there is a season of a TV show on Hulu called Legend of the Seeker that in my opinion totally fell short on the same topic, but if you DON’T read the books, they may entertain you and give you some of the flavor with less effort.)