Interesting article and very true.
Practicing Writing: Book Reviewing is NOT the Same as Sitting on the Couch Watching Bad TV
Friday, February 26, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Reviewing: "Sworn To Silence" by Linda Castillo
Police Chief Kate Burkholder is sure it can’t be happening again and for a very good reason. Winter has gripped the small town of Painters Mill, Ohio and a serial killer is at work. Sixteen years ago he struck four times and Kate Buckholder is pretty sure he can’t be back now. The dead woman at the household of the Stutz place seems to belie that idea. Not only was she brutally murdered in the same savage way as before there are other signs linking the killings from sixteen years ago to the killings now.
Raised as Amish until she became rebellious and was, for all intents and purposes, disowned by her family, Kate Burkholder has seen quite a lot over the years. But, nothing prepared her for the sight of the dead woman with roman numerals carved into the skin of her stomach. Just as the killer did sixteen years ago.
Clichés and stereotypes exist for a reason. They do have a kernel of truth in them and resonate for readers both in terms of real life and in the world of fiction. They abound in this book in the form of Kate Buckholder and the outsider John Tomasetti of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Investigation. Both are flawed characters, hiding secrets from their past which could very easily destroy them, and both hold themselves apart from others. It isn’t surprising when the two make a connection on various levels and unite in a case that becomes increasingly violent and political.
This is one of those books that are hard to review. As a writer and editor, there were places in the book where it was stunningly easy to predict exactly what was going to happen. The same was true as a reader because I read so many books. For this reader, the who-dunit was no surprise once the triggering event became very obvious. It was also obvious where there were occasional continuity issues and plot point problems.
At the same time, despite the predictability and the clichés, Texas author Linda Castillo has created a highly suspenseful and atmospheric book. Much of the criticism that has noted the plot point problems and continuity issues will not impact the casual reader who allows the story to take over and doesn’t analyze the work. The book works because it is highly atmospheric, the main character isn’t run of the mill and the setting using the Amish in the area is a bit different. The author manages to hook the reader quickly and pull one deep into her world where it all does make sense and everything works.
Not only is the book, which is very violent and very graphic in several spots, worth your time and effort, it serves as the foundation of what could be an entertaining series. “Pray For Silence” is the second book in the series and is currently scheduled to be released this June.
Sworn To Silence
Linda Castillo
http://www.lindacastillo.com/
Minotaur Books (St. Martin’s Publishing Group)
http://www.minotaurbooks.com/
2009
ISBN#0-312-37497-6
Hardback
321 Pages
$24.95
Book provided by the good folks of the Plano Texas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2010
Raised as Amish until she became rebellious and was, for all intents and purposes, disowned by her family, Kate Burkholder has seen quite a lot over the years. But, nothing prepared her for the sight of the dead woman with roman numerals carved into the skin of her stomach. Just as the killer did sixteen years ago.
Clichés and stereotypes exist for a reason. They do have a kernel of truth in them and resonate for readers both in terms of real life and in the world of fiction. They abound in this book in the form of Kate Buckholder and the outsider John Tomasetti of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Investigation. Both are flawed characters, hiding secrets from their past which could very easily destroy them, and both hold themselves apart from others. It isn’t surprising when the two make a connection on various levels and unite in a case that becomes increasingly violent and political.
This is one of those books that are hard to review. As a writer and editor, there were places in the book where it was stunningly easy to predict exactly what was going to happen. The same was true as a reader because I read so many books. For this reader, the who-dunit was no surprise once the triggering event became very obvious. It was also obvious where there were occasional continuity issues and plot point problems.
At the same time, despite the predictability and the clichés, Texas author Linda Castillo has created a highly suspenseful and atmospheric book. Much of the criticism that has noted the plot point problems and continuity issues will not impact the casual reader who allows the story to take over and doesn’t analyze the work. The book works because it is highly atmospheric, the main character isn’t run of the mill and the setting using the Amish in the area is a bit different. The author manages to hook the reader quickly and pull one deep into her world where it all does make sense and everything works.
Not only is the book, which is very violent and very graphic in several spots, worth your time and effort, it serves as the foundation of what could be an entertaining series. “Pray For Silence” is the second book in the series and is currently scheduled to be released this June.
Sworn To Silence
Linda Castillo
http://www.lindacastillo.com/
Minotaur Books (St. Martin’s Publishing Group)
http://www.minotaurbooks.com/
2009
ISBN#0-312-37497-6
Hardback
321 Pages
$24.95
Book provided by the good folks of the Plano Texas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Mark Troy and the value of sidekicks
http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com/2010/02/sidekicks-by-mark-troy.html
Seems to me that concept is pretty much part of the basic foundation of every mystery novel (as well as the whole buddy action film concept). The only real question is how involved the sidekick is in the plot and storyline.
Having had the privilege of reading some of Mark's published as well as unpublished stuff over the last few years, I must add that Ava Rome seriously scares me. I figure you just shoot Moon on sight and that solves the problem with him. But then, Ava would come unglued and I have a feeling that wouldn't be pretty.
Seems to me that concept is pretty much part of the basic foundation of every mystery novel (as well as the whole buddy action film concept). The only real question is how involved the sidekick is in the plot and storyline.
Having had the privilege of reading some of Mark's published as well as unpublished stuff over the last few years, I must add that Ava Rome seriously scares me. I figure you just shoot Moon on sight and that solves the problem with him. But then, Ava would come unglued and I have a feeling that wouldn't be pretty.
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Barry Ergang has Books FOR SALE!
Barry Ergang, my friend who also occasionally allows me to post one of his book reviews, has some very neat books for sale. The main link is at http://www.barryergangbooksforsale.yolasite.com/ and you ought to check it out.
Kevin
Kevin
Friday, February 05, 2010
EVENT: Poetry Meeting in Garland Tomorrow
The Garland chapter (Bea Land/Phoenix) of the Poetry Society of Texas will meet tomorrow, Saturday, Febuary 6, 2010. The meeting is ususally held in room five at the South Branch Garland Library. Meeting begins at ten.
Bring one or two of your own poems to read, or bring poems you like. Theme for this meeting is "Birth/Rebirth"--literal or figurative.
Bring one or two of your own poems to read, or bring poems you like. Theme for this meeting is "Birth/Rebirth"--literal or figurative.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Reviewing: "Doubleback" by Libby Fischer Hellmann
“DOUBLEBACK” marks the return of P. I. Georgia Davis as well as another very good book by Libby Fischer Hellman. It also unites Georgia and Ellie Foreman (An Eye For Murder and others) in a case that resonates for parents everywhere.
It is a morning like any other in June when Molly Messenger is kidnapped. The mother, Christine Messenger, calls a friend who in turn calls Ellie for help. The eight year old vanished from a day camp in the Chicago area. The kidnappers have threatened to kill Molly if law enforcement becomes involved and Mom is a shattered wreck. Ellie can’t help but respond to her and asks Georgia Davis to look into things. They go back and Georgia knows if Ellie’s asking for help it is a bad sign.
From the start, Georgia doesn’t want the case. The Police, The FBI, etc, should be involved but they aren’t. Christine Messenger is clearly hiding something and her various explanations don’t really explain things. In a matter of three days little Molly is back home and while the case isn’t solved, the parents ordeal is over. The police, who were working the case, have zero leads and zero reasons as to why Molly was kidnapped and with her return are moving on to more current matters. Just when all consider it over, Mom is killed in a freak accident leaving behind a motherless daughter, devastated ex-husband and some bizarre circumstances involving her job at a major bank. Wanting answers to everything, the ex-husband hires Georgia to investigate in a case that will lead her across state lines before finally coming home.
Much like “Easy Innocence” there are dark nebulous forces at work through out the novel. Slowly, author Libby Fisher Hellman reveals clues in a tale that has links to both national and local human interest stories. By using two different major series characters, the author provides an interesting and very different personality driven take on events through each of the characters. Ellie is, for the most part calm and controlled, while Georgia has a passion that drives her into dangerous and violent actions and situations. This device also turns into a drawback at different times in the novel as suspense with one character is pushed back for a chapter while the other major character is brought up to speed. The result, from a storytelling angle designed to build character nuance and complexity, does work. However, from a reader standpoint, the tactic became occasionally annoying and interrupted the natural flow of the novel.
Despite that flaw which will affect readers in different ways, the overall novel is a very good one where the author pulls you deep into her fictional world where everything becomes all too real. Billed and written as a sequel of sorts to the very good “Easy Innocence” it can easily be read as a stand alone.
DOUBLEBACK
Libby Fischer Hellmann
http://www.libbyhellmann.com/
Bleak House Books
http://www.bleakhousebooks.com/
October 2009
ISBN# 978-1-60648-053-3
Paperback
300 Pages
$14.95
ARC
Review copy provided by publicist P. J. Nunn, owner of BreakThrough Promotions, in exchange for my objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2010
By the way, if you have not read "EASY INNOCENCE" you should.
It is a very good book, though the material is dark and disturbing at times. Most really good books are.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Friday's Forgotten Books and Patti Abbott
Back last November, I was asked by Patti Abbott if I wanted to be a part of her "Friday's Forgotten Books" blog postings. I said yes, without reservation, and the piece on Milton T. Burton and his excellent novel "The Sweet And The Dead" ran yesterday. With additional commentary from Patti Abbott on other authors/books and comments on my review it is at:
http://pattinase.blogspot.com/2010/01/fridays-forgottten-books-january-29.html
For those who would prefer to read the piece here, I have posted it below:
Milton T. Burton broke onto the crime scene a few years back with his powerful debut novel, “The Rogues’ Game.”
Set in an unnamed West Texas small town, the book tells the tale of an unnamed narrator who arrives in town to play cards and carry out an act of revenge. The con is the thing and the heavily atmospheric and complex book twists and turns all the way to the end. While I really enjoyed that book, I think his second novel, which came out in 2006 is a bit better.
Titled “The Sweet And The Dead” the book is set in the fall of 1970 in Mississippi where Manfred Eugene "Hog" Webern is deep undercover in Biloxi.
Hog is a retired Dallas County Deputy Sheriff, a good man, and a damn good cop despite the word on the street. It is coincidence and nothing more that he got into some money at approximately the same time his former partner was gunned down and a couple of other nasty things happened. The word on the street is that Hog is dirty which makes him a perfect candidate to investigate from the inside the group dubbed the "Dixie Mafia."
Bob Wallace is a Texas Ranger and a man that Hog has worked with before more than once and a man that Hog trusts without question. Wallace tells him that Curtis Blanchard, one of the chief felony investigators for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety wants Hog to come to Mississippi, hook up with Jasper Sparks, head of the aforementioned Dixie Mafia, and gather enough evidence to bring Jasper and as many others as possible down. Hog agrees for several reasons and before long finds himself deep undercover in a twisting case that seems to know no end.
In both of Milton’s books, the tales twist and turn on themselves and features a main character full of internal demons and unresolved guilt who is seeking his own form of justice. A dark hero who finds a brand of honor in the criminal element and one isn’t sure about the character’s motivations until the final word on the last page.
Books that I simply can’t say enough good things about or do justice to in reviews. The author, like his characters, goes quietly about his business and eschews the limelight and self promotion that so many routinely engage in on every forum possible. Milton T. Burton deserves considerably more acclaim than he is getting and his books deserve a place on your reading list.
Kevin
http://pattinase.blogspot.com/2010/01/fridays-forgottten-books-january-29.html
For those who would prefer to read the piece here, I have posted it below:
Milton T. Burton broke onto the crime scene a few years back with his powerful debut novel, “The Rogues’ Game.”
Set in an unnamed West Texas small town, the book tells the tale of an unnamed narrator who arrives in town to play cards and carry out an act of revenge. The con is the thing and the heavily atmospheric and complex book twists and turns all the way to the end. While I really enjoyed that book, I think his second novel, which came out in 2006 is a bit better.
Titled “The Sweet And The Dead” the book is set in the fall of 1970 in Mississippi where Manfred Eugene "Hog" Webern is deep undercover in Biloxi.
Hog is a retired Dallas County Deputy Sheriff, a good man, and a damn good cop despite the word on the street. It is coincidence and nothing more that he got into some money at approximately the same time his former partner was gunned down and a couple of other nasty things happened. The word on the street is that Hog is dirty which makes him a perfect candidate to investigate from the inside the group dubbed the "Dixie Mafia."
Bob Wallace is a Texas Ranger and a man that Hog has worked with before more than once and a man that Hog trusts without question. Wallace tells him that Curtis Blanchard, one of the chief felony investigators for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety wants Hog to come to Mississippi, hook up with Jasper Sparks, head of the aforementioned Dixie Mafia, and gather enough evidence to bring Jasper and as many others as possible down. Hog agrees for several reasons and before long finds himself deep undercover in a twisting case that seems to know no end.
In both of Milton’s books, the tales twist and turn on themselves and features a main character full of internal demons and unresolved guilt who is seeking his own form of justice. A dark hero who finds a brand of honor in the criminal element and one isn’t sure about the character’s motivations until the final word on the last page.
Books that I simply can’t say enough good things about or do justice to in reviews. The author, like his characters, goes quietly about his business and eschews the limelight and self promotion that so many routinely engage in on every forum possible. Milton T. Burton deserves considerably more acclaim than he is getting and his books deserve a place on your reading list.
Kevin
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Interesting Blog Reading Elsewhere
Just a couple of things I cam across this Saturday morning while playing catch-up on my e-mail.
First, a blog on reviewing and while it is aimed at poetry books it has mass appeal. AN ongoing series titled "10 Questions on Reviewing" can be found at:
http://lemonhound.blogspot.com/
Second, for some time now I have felt that the John Sandford books the last couple of years didn't read like earlier ones and from time to time noted that in my reviews. Peg Brantley mentioned the issue in connection with her reading "Dark Of The Moon" and John Sandford's son responded. The Blog, with comments can be found at:
http://www.suspensenovelist.blogspot.com/
While addressing the Virgil Flowers books issue is great, it doesn't explain why the other books have changed. Clearly, addressing that wasn't part of his response. I am just still wondering about that because it could be a variety of reasons.
Anyway, just a couple of interesting things I found this morning. I hope you find them as interesting as I did. For me, at least, it beats reading again my latest publisher royalty statement that details just how bad sales still are for the anthology. Downright depressing stuff.
First, a blog on reviewing and while it is aimed at poetry books it has mass appeal. AN ongoing series titled "10 Questions on Reviewing" can be found at:
http://lemonhound.blogspot.com/
Second, for some time now I have felt that the John Sandford books the last couple of years didn't read like earlier ones and from time to time noted that in my reviews. Peg Brantley mentioned the issue in connection with her reading "Dark Of The Moon" and John Sandford's son responded. The Blog, with comments can be found at:
http://www.suspensenovelist.blogspot.com/
While addressing the Virgil Flowers books issue is great, it doesn't explain why the other books have changed. Clearly, addressing that wasn't part of his response. I am just still wondering about that because it could be a variety of reasons.
Anyway, just a couple of interesting things I found this morning. I hope you find them as interesting as I did. For me, at least, it beats reading again my latest publisher royalty statement that details just how bad sales still are for the anthology. Downright depressing stuff.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Reviewing: "Death Will help You Leave Him" by Elizabeth Zelvin
Having first appeared in “Death Will Get You Sober” Bruce Kohhler and the gang return in the sequel “Death Will Help You Leave Him.” A title that certainly fits the book very well despite the fact that this novel never comes close to the first book in terms of mystery, humor, or engaging story.
As the book opens, recovering alcoholic Bruce Kohhler is dragged out in the rain in New York in the middle of the night by his friend Barbara. Barbara works as an addictions counselor and is sponsoring a woman, Luz, in Al-Anon. Luz was being abused by her drug dealing boyfriend, Frankie, who was also a married man with kids. Luz came home to find him dead on her kitchen floor. At some point after finding the body, Luz made a semi hysterical call to Barbara telling her about the death and that the cops think she did it. So, Barbara is riding to the rescue and dragging her boyfriend, Jimmy, and Bruce along with her.
Frankie had a history of mentally abusing Luz and most likely physically abusing her which would clearly give Luz motive. Beyond the fact that the guy had the bad grace to die in Luz’s apartment, it also appears that Frankie knew his killer and let him or her in. Then there is the whole adultery angle that she was having sex with a man she knew to be married and wanted him to leave his wife. These points and numerous others make Luz the obvious suspect.
Before long, with the police focused on Luz, Barbara and Jimmy are wading to help investigate and dragging Bruce right along with them. As if Bruce doesn’t have enough to deal with concerning his own sobriety. His ex-wife, Laura, is in heavy contact with Bruce, seems to be deep in her own abusive relationship with another man in her life, and apparently off her meds for her bipolar disorder while making various plays for Bruce’s attention.
The second book in a series is frequently not as good as the first series and that certainly is the case here. While the first novel stayed away, for the most part, from jargon this one does not. It also moves far slower than the first novel. However, the biggest problem is the twin storylines of abuse.
Abuse and issues relating to abuse do not lend themselves to humor or enjoyable reading in a novel that ultimately concludes in a depressing and not at all unexpected ending. “Death Will Help You Leave Him” is a mystery that isn’t much of a mystery and therefore relies on the internal conflict Bruce has dealing with his ex-wife. This extremely slow moving sequel illustrates all too well the dangers with destructive relationships. It also clearly illustrates the long history of the experience the author has as a New York City Psychotherapist.
Death Will Help You Leave Him
Elizabeth Zelvin
http://www.elizabethzelvin.com
Thomas Dunne Books (Minotaur/St. Martin’s Publishing Group)
http://www.thomasdunnebooks.com
October 2009
ISBN# 978-0-312-58266-1
Hardback
275 Pages
$25.95
Book provided directly by the author in exchange for my objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Book Signing Tonight--Robert Crais
Author Robert Crais will be signing his new book, FIRST RULE, at
Borders
10720 Preston Rd.
Suite 1018
Dallas, TX 75230
at 7pm. If you are familiar with his work, this is a novel that focuses on Joe Pike.
Synopsis (per Amazon)
The organized criminal gangs of the former Soviet Union are bound by what they call the thieves' code. The first rule is this: A thief must forsake his mother, father, brothers, and sisters. He must have no family-no wife, no children. We are his family. If any of the rules are broken, it is punishable by death.
Frank Meyer had the American dream-until the day a professional crew invaded his home and murdered everyone inside. The only thing out of the ordinary about Meyer was that- before the family and the business and the normal life-a younger Frank Meyer had worked as a professional mercenary, with a man named Joe Pike. The police think Meyer was hiding something very bad, but Pike does not. With the help of Cole, he sets out on a hunt of his own-an investigation that quickly entangles them both in a web of ancient grudges, blood ties, blackmail, vengeance, double crosses, and cutthroat criminality, and at the heart of it, an act so terrible even Pike and Cole have no way to measure it. Sometimes, the past is never dead. It's not even past.
I haven't read it yet as I am pretty far back in the line of folks wanting it from the Plano Library System. That means I can't tell you what I think about the book. But, Robert Crais is a favorite of mine and I just might try to rearrange things to make the drive down tonight.
Kevin
Borders
10720 Preston Rd.
Suite 1018
Dallas, TX 75230
at 7pm. If you are familiar with his work, this is a novel that focuses on Joe Pike.
Synopsis (per Amazon)
The organized criminal gangs of the former Soviet Union are bound by what they call the thieves' code. The first rule is this: A thief must forsake his mother, father, brothers, and sisters. He must have no family-no wife, no children. We are his family. If any of the rules are broken, it is punishable by death.
Frank Meyer had the American dream-until the day a professional crew invaded his home and murdered everyone inside. The only thing out of the ordinary about Meyer was that- before the family and the business and the normal life-a younger Frank Meyer had worked as a professional mercenary, with a man named Joe Pike. The police think Meyer was hiding something very bad, but Pike does not. With the help of Cole, he sets out on a hunt of his own-an investigation that quickly entangles them both in a web of ancient grudges, blood ties, blackmail, vengeance, double crosses, and cutthroat criminality, and at the heart of it, an act so terrible even Pike and Cole have no way to measure it. Sometimes, the past is never dead. It's not even past.
I haven't read it yet as I am pretty far back in the line of folks wanting it from the Plano Library System. That means I can't tell you what I think about the book. But, Robert Crais is a favorite of mine and I just might try to rearrange things to make the drive down tonight.
Kevin
Monday, January 11, 2010
Event--Writer's Guild Of Texas Meeting: Monday, January 18, 2010
Standard Disclaimer-----I post this as a general service to my readers and receive no financial inducement to do so. Furthermore, I know nothing more about the event than what is posted here so if you have any questions, please contact those involved directly.
****************************************
Please forward to all writers and writing groups
Mark the third Monday of every month for the Writers' Guild of Texas meeting.
Monday, 18 January 2010
7-8:30 p.m.
Topic: Write Naked
Speaker: Wendy Lyn Watson
Richardson Public Library
900 Civic Center Dr.
Richardson TX 75080
Basement Room
We hear it all the time from editors and agents: “I love your voice,” or “I’m looking for a strong voice.” They rarely take the time, however, to explain what they mean by “voice.” A writer’s voice is a combination of style (the mechanics of writing like grammar, sentence structure, and word choice), tone (the mood you set with your writing), and theme (the broad issues you tend to address, like friendship or betrayal or destiny). Voice is not your story, it’s the way you tell it. The great thing about voice is that everyone has one (really!) and each one is unique. The trick is to define your voice, to develop it, and to make sure it shines through in your story. In this interactive workshop, we’ll use a variety of writing exercises to pin down the essence of our unique writing voice. You’ll also learn a number of exercises that will help you continue developing your voice after the workshop ends.
Wendy Lyn Watson writes deliciously funny cozy mysteries with a dollop of romance. Her Mysteries a la Mode (I Scream, You Scream (October 2009) and Scoop to Kill (September 2010)) feature amateur sleuth Tallulah Jones, who solves murders in between scooping sundaes. While she does not commit--or solve--murders in real life, Wendy can kill a pint of ice cream in nothing flat. She’s also passionately devoted to 80s music, Asian horror films, and reality TV. (http://www.wendylynwatson.com/)
==============
A MESSAGE FROM THE FRIENDS OF THE WRITERS' GUILD OF TEXAS:The Guilded Pen, a social network developed for writers, offers an open forum that welcomes writers of all levels and writing mediums. Come join the fun. Create, develop, and promote your work. Get support and inspiration and share in an open, non-threatening environment. Be a resource for those looking for collaborators for joint works. Friends of the Writers’ Guild of Texas.
================================================================
Kat Smith, Membership Chair, is developing a membership directory to help members find members with similar interests, etc. to partner for critique or support. The membership form will provide a clear picture of each member's profile. Take the opportunity to talk to her at the next meeting.
==============
Annual 2010 WGT dues of $20.00 can be paid at the January meeting.
================================================================
All WGT events located at the Richardson Public Library are free and open to the public. For information on the sponsoring organization, visit http://writersguildoftexas.org/joomla/.
Monday, 15 February 2010. Regular meeting: Shirley Duke. Children's Author. Tips and Tools: Navigating the World of Children's Writing.
Monday, 15 March 2010. Regular meeting: Terry Burns, Hartline Literary Agency: Agent Q & A. Listed as number three on the Publisher's Marketplace list of agents helping debut authors to publish. More at http://www.terryburns.net/program_page.htm.
Saturday, 27 March 2010: Saturday workshop
Monday, 19 April 19: Regular meeting. TBA
Monday, 17 May 2010. Regular meeting: Rosemary Clement-Moore. Topic: TBA
Monday, 21 June 2010. Regular meeting. WGT All-Stars' Read In.
All Writers' Guild of Texas events held at the Richardson Public Library are free and open to the public. Visit WGT's website: http://writersguildoftexas.org/joomla/. ================================================================
Writers' Events Calendar (contact shurlock@flash.net to have your conferences, meetings, or other writing-related event listed here--no individual book signings, please):
16 January and 23 January 2010. Saturdays. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Denton County Writers Workshop. LaRee Bryant. The Creative Side of Writing (first Saturday); The Business Side of Writing (second Saturday). North Branch Library, Denton. Contact Carmen Grant, carmengrant@cityofdenton.com.
19 January 2010. Tuesday. FW SPJ: Authors Night. 6 p.m. Mike Cochran, Carlton Stowers, Johnny Hughes. Joe T. Garcia's Mexican Restaurant, 2201 N. Commerce St., Fort Worth. $17 members, $25 non-members, $10 students, free if you join SPJ on the spot. mkpirtle@yahoo.com.
6 February 2010. Saturday. Dallas MWASW. 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Dr. Jeffrey Barnard, Chief Medical Examiner, Dallas. Autopsy--the Real Deal. $20/cash only. rlwriter@yahoo.com.
19-21 March 2010, North Texas Romance Writers of America. North Texas Two Step, A Writers Conference. Screenwriter Michael Hauge, plus agents and editors. http://www.ntrwa.org/
10-11 April 2010, DFW Writers' Conference 2010! Grapevine, Texas. http://dfwwritersworkshop.org/
Second Saturday each month: North Texas Speculative Fiction Workshop. http://www.ntsfw.com/
Visit http://www.writersleague.org/programs/classes.html for up-to-date information on Writer's League of Texas workshops held in Austin TX.
Visit http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/ for guidelines to participate in the annual Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. =========================================================
The Writers' Guild of Texas is a nonprofit professional organization whose primary purpose is to provide a forum for information, support, and sharing among writers; to help members improve and market their writing skills; and to promote the interests of writers and the writing community.If you don't wish to receive these announcements, please let me know.Permission to forward this email is not only granted, but encouraged. Let's get the word out to as many in the writing community as possible.
Carol Woods, Communications
Writers' Guild of Texas
****************************************
Please forward to all writers and writing groups
Mark the third Monday of every month for the Writers' Guild of Texas meeting.
Monday, 18 January 2010
7-8:30 p.m.
Topic: Write Naked
Speaker: Wendy Lyn Watson
Richardson Public Library
900 Civic Center Dr.
Richardson TX 75080
Basement Room
We hear it all the time from editors and agents: “I love your voice,” or “I’m looking for a strong voice.” They rarely take the time, however, to explain what they mean by “voice.” A writer’s voice is a combination of style (the mechanics of writing like grammar, sentence structure, and word choice), tone (the mood you set with your writing), and theme (the broad issues you tend to address, like friendship or betrayal or destiny). Voice is not your story, it’s the way you tell it. The great thing about voice is that everyone has one (really!) and each one is unique. The trick is to define your voice, to develop it, and to make sure it shines through in your story. In this interactive workshop, we’ll use a variety of writing exercises to pin down the essence of our unique writing voice. You’ll also learn a number of exercises that will help you continue developing your voice after the workshop ends.
Wendy Lyn Watson writes deliciously funny cozy mysteries with a dollop of romance. Her Mysteries a la Mode (I Scream, You Scream (October 2009) and Scoop to Kill (September 2010)) feature amateur sleuth Tallulah Jones, who solves murders in between scooping sundaes. While she does not commit--or solve--murders in real life, Wendy can kill a pint of ice cream in nothing flat. She’s also passionately devoted to 80s music, Asian horror films, and reality TV. (http://www.wendylynwatson.com/)
==============
A MESSAGE FROM THE FRIENDS OF THE WRITERS' GUILD OF TEXAS:The Guilded Pen, a social network developed for writers, offers an open forum that welcomes writers of all levels and writing mediums. Come join the fun. Create, develop, and promote your work. Get support and inspiration and share in an open, non-threatening environment. Be a resource for those looking for collaborators for joint works. Friends of the Writers’ Guild of Texas.
================================================================
Kat Smith, Membership Chair, is developing a membership directory to help members find members with similar interests, etc. to partner for critique or support. The membership form will provide a clear picture of each member's profile. Take the opportunity to talk to her at the next meeting.
==============
Annual 2010 WGT dues of $20.00 can be paid at the January meeting.
================================================================
All WGT events located at the Richardson Public Library are free and open to the public. For information on the sponsoring organization, visit http://writersguildoftexas.org/joomla/.
Monday, 15 February 2010. Regular meeting: Shirley Duke. Children's Author. Tips and Tools: Navigating the World of Children's Writing.
Monday, 15 March 2010. Regular meeting: Terry Burns, Hartline Literary Agency: Agent Q & A. Listed as number three on the Publisher's Marketplace list of agents helping debut authors to publish. More at http://www.terryburns.net/program_page.htm.
Saturday, 27 March 2010: Saturday workshop
Monday, 19 April 19: Regular meeting. TBA
Monday, 17 May 2010. Regular meeting: Rosemary Clement-Moore. Topic: TBA
Monday, 21 June 2010. Regular meeting. WGT All-Stars' Read In.
All Writers' Guild of Texas events held at the Richardson Public Library are free and open to the public. Visit WGT's website: http://writersguildoftexas.org/joomla/. ================================================================
Writers' Events Calendar (contact shurlock@flash.net to have your conferences, meetings, or other writing-related event listed here--no individual book signings, please):
16 January and 23 January 2010. Saturdays. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Denton County Writers Workshop. LaRee Bryant. The Creative Side of Writing (first Saturday); The Business Side of Writing (second Saturday). North Branch Library, Denton. Contact Carmen Grant, carmengrant@cityofdenton.com.
19 January 2010. Tuesday. FW SPJ: Authors Night. 6 p.m. Mike Cochran, Carlton Stowers, Johnny Hughes. Joe T. Garcia's Mexican Restaurant, 2201 N. Commerce St., Fort Worth. $17 members, $25 non-members, $10 students, free if you join SPJ on the spot. mkpirtle@yahoo.com.
6 February 2010. Saturday. Dallas MWASW. 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Dr. Jeffrey Barnard, Chief Medical Examiner, Dallas. Autopsy--the Real Deal. $20/cash only. rlwriter@yahoo.com.
19-21 March 2010, North Texas Romance Writers of America. North Texas Two Step, A Writers Conference. Screenwriter Michael Hauge, plus agents and editors. http://www.ntrwa.org/
10-11 April 2010, DFW Writers' Conference 2010! Grapevine, Texas. http://dfwwritersworkshop.org/
Second Saturday each month: North Texas Speculative Fiction Workshop. http://www.ntsfw.com/
Visit http://www.writersleague.org/programs/classes.html for up-to-date information on Writer's League of Texas workshops held in Austin TX.
Visit http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/ for guidelines to participate in the annual Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. =========================================================
The Writers' Guild of Texas is a nonprofit professional organization whose primary purpose is to provide a forum for information, support, and sharing among writers; to help members improve and market their writing skills; and to promote the interests of writers and the writing community.If you don't wish to receive these announcements, please let me know.Permission to forward this email is not only granted, but encouraged. Let's get the word out to as many in the writing community as possible.
Carol Woods, Communications
Writers' Guild of Texas
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Upcoming Writers Event--MARCH 2010
I post this as a general service to my readers and receive no financial inducement to do so. Furthermore, I know nothing more about the conference than what is posted here so if you have any questions, please follow the directions at the bottom of the posting and don't ask me.
***********************************************
North Texas Two Step
A Writing Conference
March 19-21, 2010
NTRWA presents
STORY MASTERY with Michael Hauge
Best-selling Author of Writing Screenplays That Sell and Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds:The Guaranteed Way to Get Your Screenplay or Novel Read.
During this special all-day seminar, Hollywood script and story consultant Michael Hauge, will present his unique approach to creating compelling fiction and to eliciting emotion in your readers. Using clips from recent blockbuster love stories and romantic comedies, along with hands on exercises, Michael will help you strengthen your story concepts, plot structure, love stories, character development and themes.
As an added bonus, on Sunday morning Michael will do an in-depth analysis of the film LARS AND THE REAL GIRL, illustrating the essential principles of story structure, character arc, love stories and romantic comedies.
Topics covered will include:
• The primary goal of all story
• The power of desire, need, longing and destiny
• The essential conflict all characters must face
• Turning plot structure from a complicated concept into a simple, powerful tool you can easily apply to every story
• The single key to creating character arc and theme
• Creating unique, believable and fulfilling love stories
• The unique rules of romantic comedy: fantasy, duality, deceit
• Adapting your novel to film
If you want to elevate your fiction writing to the highest possible level, this event is a must. Also attending:
Adam Wilson, Associate Editor, MIRA and Harlequin Teen
Holly Blanck, Assistant Editor, St. Martin's Press
Joy Azmitia, Agent, Russell and Volkening
Becca Stumpf, Agent, Prospect Agency
NT Members - 12/15/09 - 1/16/10 Cost: $95; 1/17/10 - 2/27/10 Cost: $155
Yellow Rose & DARA - 12/15/09 - 1/16/10 Cost: $125; 1/17/10 - 2/27/10 Cost: $155
General Registration - 12/15/09 - 1/16/10 Cost: $155; 1/17/10 - 2/27/10 Cost: $185
Late Registration - 2/28/10 - 3/20/10 Cost: $215 for everyone
For registration details please check the conference page on the website:_www.ntrwa.org_ (http://www.ntrwa. org) . For questions contact Marty Tidwell:_conference@ ntrwa.org_ (mailto:conference@ntrwa. org)
***********************************************
North Texas Two Step
A Writing Conference
March 19-21, 2010
NTRWA presents
STORY MASTERY with Michael Hauge
Best-selling Author of Writing Screenplays That Sell and Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds:The Guaranteed Way to Get Your Screenplay or Novel Read.
During this special all-day seminar, Hollywood script and story consultant Michael Hauge, will present his unique approach to creating compelling fiction and to eliciting emotion in your readers. Using clips from recent blockbuster love stories and romantic comedies, along with hands on exercises, Michael will help you strengthen your story concepts, plot structure, love stories, character development and themes.
As an added bonus, on Sunday morning Michael will do an in-depth analysis of the film LARS AND THE REAL GIRL, illustrating the essential principles of story structure, character arc, love stories and romantic comedies.
Topics covered will include:
• The primary goal of all story
• The power of desire, need, longing and destiny
• The essential conflict all characters must face
• Turning plot structure from a complicated concept into a simple, powerful tool you can easily apply to every story
• The single key to creating character arc and theme
• Creating unique, believable and fulfilling love stories
• The unique rules of romantic comedy: fantasy, duality, deceit
• Adapting your novel to film
If you want to elevate your fiction writing to the highest possible level, this event is a must. Also attending:
Adam Wilson, Associate Editor, MIRA and Harlequin Teen
Holly Blanck, Assistant Editor, St. Martin's Press
Joy Azmitia, Agent, Russell and Volkening
Becca Stumpf, Agent, Prospect Agency
NT Members - 12/15/09 - 1/16/10 Cost: $95; 1/17/10 - 2/27/10 Cost: $155
Yellow Rose & DARA - 12/15/09 - 1/16/10 Cost: $125; 1/17/10 - 2/27/10 Cost: $155
General Registration - 12/15/09 - 1/16/10 Cost: $155; 1/17/10 - 2/27/10 Cost: $185
Late Registration - 2/28/10 - 3/20/10 Cost: $215 for everyone
For registration details please check the conference page on the website:_www.ntrwa.org_ (http://www.ntrwa. org) . For questions contact Marty Tidwell:_conference@ ntrwa.org_ (mailto:conference@ntrwa. org)
Friday, January 08, 2010
Do Your Part
Point to ponder---Remember, only you can prevent so called "reality stars" from making fools of themselves. Save them by reading a book this week.
I'm doing my part by currently reading "Doubleback" by Libby Fischer Hellman. I am enjoying it very much.
I'm about eighty pages from the end in an ARC recently provided by owner PJ Nunn of BreakThrough Promotions. The book has been out awhile, but if it wasn't for PJ Nunn, I probably wouldn't be reading this sequel to the very good "Easy Innocence"
because BLEAK HOUSE, the publisher, has decided to no longer provide print copies of their ARCs.
Yes, I am serious. Like all bad ideas, this one is probably highly contagious, causes all orifices to weep, drool and dribble, creates projectile vomiting with low back pain, and the infection spreads easily from business to business. Unfortunately, there is no shot to inoculate anyone from business stupidity.
(There are federal bailouts, but, that is another rant.)
If you want to read a book via a PDF, they will gladly provide an ARC review copy. But, if you are a reviewer like me who wants and NEEDS the print copy, the new policy is worthless and makes their books impossible to review in advance of publication.
A stunningly stupid decision as far as I am concerned and one that I think long term they will regret. Seems to me, considering the sad state state of publishing today, the folks in charge at Bleak House would want to do everything possible to get their books out to reviewers so that they can be reviewed. I made this argument in a letter back to them awhile back and never heard another word.
It is too bad as they were always a publisher I could count on to deliver quality books that appealed to me. With the ongoing cutbacks at my local library system, getting their books once I know about them will be increasingly difficult. Hopefully, they will change their minds one of these days.
Kevin
I'm doing my part by currently reading "Doubleback" by Libby Fischer Hellman. I am enjoying it very much.
I'm about eighty pages from the end in an ARC recently provided by owner PJ Nunn of BreakThrough Promotions. The book has been out awhile, but if it wasn't for PJ Nunn, I probably wouldn't be reading this sequel to the very good "Easy Innocence"
because BLEAK HOUSE, the publisher, has decided to no longer provide print copies of their ARCs.
Yes, I am serious. Like all bad ideas, this one is probably highly contagious, causes all orifices to weep, drool and dribble, creates projectile vomiting with low back pain, and the infection spreads easily from business to business. Unfortunately, there is no shot to inoculate anyone from business stupidity.
(There are federal bailouts, but, that is another rant.)
If you want to read a book via a PDF, they will gladly provide an ARC review copy. But, if you are a reviewer like me who wants and NEEDS the print copy, the new policy is worthless and makes their books impossible to review in advance of publication.
A stunningly stupid decision as far as I am concerned and one that I think long term they will regret. Seems to me, considering the sad state state of publishing today, the folks in charge at Bleak House would want to do everything possible to get their books out to reviewers so that they can be reviewed. I made this argument in a letter back to them awhile back and never heard another word.
It is too bad as they were always a publisher I could count on to deliver quality books that appealed to me. With the ongoing cutbacks at my local library system, getting their books once I know about them will be increasingly difficult. Hopefully, they will change their minds one of these days.
Kevin
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Review: Hostile Takeovers: A Leal And Hart Novel by Michael A. Black
In this sequel to Random Victim Sergeant Francisco Leal is more than a little annoyed that his partner, Olivia (Ollie) Hart isn’t back working with him. Instead, when she isn’t working for her upcoming competition as a female body builder, she is stuck on some sort of special detail over in Robertsville, Illinois. Years of corruption have caused the local police force to be dismissed, and for now until the first class graduates from the academy, Cook County Sheriff’s Police are pulling patrol duty in Robertsville.
That leaves Leal running a major surveillance operation involving a snitch without help that he can really count on. The snitch, known as the “Lip” is supposed to make a controlled buy in front of Leal and his team. With the snitch being closely connected to a powerful and very successful drug dealer there is potential of rolling up quite an operation. Unfortunately for Leal and the snitch, the snitch’s cover is blown and he is killed. This sparks retaliation and despite numerous characters and many storylines, eventually Leal and Hart begin to deal with the escalating turf war.
A police officer himself, Michal Black clearly knows his subject well and uses every detail and nuance possible in the novel. An extremely slow moving police procedural, the read spends considerable time off on various secondary storylines where readers are subjected to often actions and characters that have little or nothing to do with the main storyline of the execution murder of the snitch, politics and the drug war. Such sideways trips far from the main storyline have the capacity to bore the reader considerably who should be forgiven for frequently muttering “get on with it.”
When Author Michael A. Black focuses on the main storyline in “Hostile Takeovers” he delivers a solid tale which somewhat salvages the book despite being devoid of human emotion. Even the health scare of Olivia which is a classic cliché and should bring out some realistic character emotion for the reader comes across entirely flat. In this case and others throughout the meandering novel, the characters spend considerable amounts of time telling readers how they feel with little time actually showing readers real human emotion. There is a distant flat quality of writing throughout the 353 novel that reminds one of the sterility of reading a law document.
Despite the theoretically complimentary comparison to Joseph Wambaugh in some reviews, the only thing these two authors actually in common is that they both use their law enforcement backgrounds to write police procedurals. Regarding character development, use of plotlines and emotions, as well as style of writing and a myriad of other issues, these two authors are as opposite as they possibly could be. Such a contrived positive comparison does a huge disservice to both authors with readers hurt by making buying and reading decisions based on such faulty comparisons.
Hostile Takeovers: A Leal And Hart Novel
Michael A. Black
http://www.michaelablack.com/
Leisure Books (Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc)
http://www.dorchesterpub.com/
ISBN# 0-8439-6272-0
Mass Market Paperback (eBook available)
353 Pages
$7.99
Book provided by PJ Nunn, publicist and owner of BreakThrough Promotions in exchange for my objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2009
That leaves Leal running a major surveillance operation involving a snitch without help that he can really count on. The snitch, known as the “Lip” is supposed to make a controlled buy in front of Leal and his team. With the snitch being closely connected to a powerful and very successful drug dealer there is potential of rolling up quite an operation. Unfortunately for Leal and the snitch, the snitch’s cover is blown and he is killed. This sparks retaliation and despite numerous characters and many storylines, eventually Leal and Hart begin to deal with the escalating turf war.
A police officer himself, Michal Black clearly knows his subject well and uses every detail and nuance possible in the novel. An extremely slow moving police procedural, the read spends considerable time off on various secondary storylines where readers are subjected to often actions and characters that have little or nothing to do with the main storyline of the execution murder of the snitch, politics and the drug war. Such sideways trips far from the main storyline have the capacity to bore the reader considerably who should be forgiven for frequently muttering “get on with it.”
When Author Michael A. Black focuses on the main storyline in “Hostile Takeovers” he delivers a solid tale which somewhat salvages the book despite being devoid of human emotion. Even the health scare of Olivia which is a classic cliché and should bring out some realistic character emotion for the reader comes across entirely flat. In this case and others throughout the meandering novel, the characters spend considerable amounts of time telling readers how they feel with little time actually showing readers real human emotion. There is a distant flat quality of writing throughout the 353 novel that reminds one of the sterility of reading a law document.
Despite the theoretically complimentary comparison to Joseph Wambaugh in some reviews, the only thing these two authors actually in common is that they both use their law enforcement backgrounds to write police procedurals. Regarding character development, use of plotlines and emotions, as well as style of writing and a myriad of other issues, these two authors are as opposite as they possibly could be. Such a contrived positive comparison does a huge disservice to both authors with readers hurt by making buying and reading decisions based on such faulty comparisons.
Hostile Takeovers: A Leal And Hart Novel
Michael A. Black
http://www.michaelablack.com/
Leisure Books (Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc)
http://www.dorchesterpub.com/
ISBN# 0-8439-6272-0
Mass Market Paperback (eBook available)
353 Pages
$7.99
Book provided by PJ Nunn, publicist and owner of BreakThrough Promotions in exchange for my objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2009
Thursday, December 31, 2009
One Year Ends...And Another Begins
Having spent nearly all of my two week break from the day job sick with some sort of sinus deal that has gone on to attack the rest of the family while refusing to get out of my head, I find that once again I didn’t accomplish much writing wise the last two weeks. Pretty much symptomatic of the year as well.
While the books keep coming and I continue to do reviews, I don’t seem to be able to turn it into something more than a black hole time eater. Voracious in appetite, reviewing takes up a considerable amount of time because I actually read the whole book. I have yet to find a way to at least bring in a few bucks from time to time for reviewing despite having done this for more than ten years now. The continuous cutbacks of review slots in a variety of markets this past year certainly didn’t help one get a foot in the door.
Fiction wise this past year was my worst since the mid 90’s when I first started out in terms of acceptances. Truth be told, it was also my lowest in terms of submissions. I simply didn’t get the work out there and circulating because I didn’t get the work done. Financial and health issues certainly have taken their toll and I find myself deep in the abyss these days which isn’t a good place for this guy to construct stories. Walk along the edge, peer over the side, that all works. Dropping into the abyss with lead shoes on does little to help the creative process.
The woods might be dark and deep but the abyss is much, much worse.
While I do still enjoy reading, I find I really don’t much care for the review process much anymore. Some of it is the usual crap that goes along with the idea of doing reviews and that goes with the territory. But, I also increasingly wonder if thoughtful reviews, dare I say it, the kind of reviews I do really matter in a sea of noise generated by those who write reviews of a sentence or two and think they have done something as well as those reviewers who love every book they ever write about. I’d like to think the reviews I do still matter, but increasingly, I feel like the moderator on some bad cable talk show where all the guests just scream at each other.
So many things have to change…….
While the books keep coming and I continue to do reviews, I don’t seem to be able to turn it into something more than a black hole time eater. Voracious in appetite, reviewing takes up a considerable amount of time because I actually read the whole book. I have yet to find a way to at least bring in a few bucks from time to time for reviewing despite having done this for more than ten years now. The continuous cutbacks of review slots in a variety of markets this past year certainly didn’t help one get a foot in the door.
Fiction wise this past year was my worst since the mid 90’s when I first started out in terms of acceptances. Truth be told, it was also my lowest in terms of submissions. I simply didn’t get the work out there and circulating because I didn’t get the work done. Financial and health issues certainly have taken their toll and I find myself deep in the abyss these days which isn’t a good place for this guy to construct stories. Walk along the edge, peer over the side, that all works. Dropping into the abyss with lead shoes on does little to help the creative process.
The woods might be dark and deep but the abyss is much, much worse.
While I do still enjoy reading, I find I really don’t much care for the review process much anymore. Some of it is the usual crap that goes along with the idea of doing reviews and that goes with the territory. But, I also increasingly wonder if thoughtful reviews, dare I say it, the kind of reviews I do really matter in a sea of noise generated by those who write reviews of a sentence or two and think they have done something as well as those reviewers who love every book they ever write about. I’d like to think the reviews I do still matter, but increasingly, I feel like the moderator on some bad cable talk show where all the guests just scream at each other.
So many things have to change…….
Monday, December 28, 2009
Reviewing: "Gumbo Justice" by Holli Castillo
Crime is a family business for the Murphy family in pre-Katrina New Orleans. Assistant District Attorney Ryan Murphy is plenty busy in the courtroom and the local bars without having to walk crime scenes in the middle of the night. Thanks to it being an election year for the District Attorney, she has no choice but to go out and walk them in the middle of the night since it is her week to do so. Alerted by her brother, Sean, a NOPD Homicide Detective that he has sent another detective to pick her up, the only question she has for herself is whether or not to wear a bra since she doesn’t plan on dressing up and ruining another outfit or nice pair of shoes. She might worry a little about the fact that she can’t remember much about earlier in the evening, but, she doesn’t have time since the ride is supposed to be there in five minutes. Considering the fact that her over protective father, Kelly Murphy, Captain of the Sixth District in New Orleans will most likely be there she decides she better wear that bra and get going.
The latest murder victim in the housing project is a black male, approximately twenty years old, naked and was tied up and beaten before being shot in the head. He was L’Roid Smith, the Leader of the Soldiers, who was supposed to face trial later in the week for the murder of three rival gang members. Ryan had prosecuted him before on murder charges and had to dismiss the case after all of her witness disappeared. Now the streets have taken care of him.
For Ryan, it won’t be the first killing that has links to her. Links that become obvious to others and raise question as to her involvement in the killings at about the same time she starts realizing the implications personally and career wise. Against a back drop of politics, coveted powerful positions in the District Attorney’s office, and rampant crime, Ryan has to control her own personal demons long enough to deal with a psycho that has targeted her.
Ryan is the classic clichéd law enforcement figure albeit this time in female form. Haunted by nightmares, she drinks far in excess to the point of blackouts; looks for love in all the wrong places while amazingly oblivious to the man in her life who has a romantic interest, and lets her mouth get the better of her in the courtroom and out. She works hard, lives even harder, and one can see the chip on her shoulder from a mile away. Clichéd flaws that could work if used for introspection.
What introspection is here is limited and repetitive. One never gets the feeling of the character coming totally alive for the reader and thus the character exists more as a stereotype than anything. That is unfortunate as while the basic character flaws are clichéd, they are so because other authors have used them quite well to create introspection and empathy for the character.
That lack of character development depth leads to the core of the tale regarding action and investigation as the driving force of the novel. On that level, when Ryan is either actively working the courtroom or various cases, the novel works well and moves forward. At other times, especially in the chapters devoted to the viewpoint of the troubled psychopath, the novel nearly stalls.
“Gumbo Justice” is the debut novel of a planned series that does show considerable promise despite its rough edges. Despite its flaws, the overall read is worthwhile and one hopes that the second novel will improve on the basic foundation of the series.
Gumbo Justice
Holli Castillo
http://www.hollicastillo.com/
Oak Tree Press
http://www.oaktreebooks.com
June 2009
ISBN# 978-1-892343-51-2
Large Trade Paperback
237 Pages
$14.95
Book provided directly by the author in exchange for my objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Reviewing: "Nuclear Winter Wonderland" by Joshua Corin
Uncle Dexter, who believed he was the exiled king of Mars, is dead. Mom wants Adam Weiss to come home for the funeral. Adam would rather stay in the fraternity house at the University of Michigan and play his Xbox, but mom wants him to come home to Rhode Island. Adam might have gotten his way if his twin sister, Anna, hadn’t suggested picking her up on the way and then playing the dad card.
Guilt is a powerful motivator and Adam can’t dodge his sister like he can his mother. The next day finds him driving his green Escort to Oberlin, Michigan where he picks up Anna before getting lunch at a local Denny’s. They eat and get back on the interstate for a while until the gastric effects of his meal take over and Adam desperately searches for a rest stop. He finds one and quickly discovers that lower intestine relief can have severe consequences.
Like his car stolen and his sister kidnapped.
Like the fact that the world will end on next Wednesday, Christmas Eve, when this maniac pulls the trigger on 12 nuclear weapons.
At least the bad guy left his own truck behind so Adam does have a vehicle to start chasing the bad guy and his sister.
What follows is a surreal tale that only works depending on the sense of humor level of the reader. Humor is a tricky thing for authors to get right. Chris Grabenstein does it well with the early books of his Ceepak series. Harlan Coben did it with the early books of the Bolitar series. In both cases, the author had the humor come about naturally under real life circumstances with believable characters and their interaction.
The humor here fails that test because the humor is forced and consists of eccentricity and absurdity. This isn’t the humor of Monty Python either which frequently bordered on the absurd. Even with Monty Python stuff, the humor came about because of character interaction built on the original premise that was absurd or otherwise. In most cases, it wasn’t scenarios where the absurd built upon the absurd and continued to build absurdity upon absurdity. Such is not the case here in this mess of a novel.
After a strong beginning, the novel quickly deteriorates into a quagmire of nonsense fueled by absurdity and eccentricity in the extreme. Every character of any stature, besides Adam and his missing sister, is eccentric to the extreme and totally absurd. Every scenario and or plot twist is over the top as well a case study of giving the book the barest grounding in crime, mystery genres or thriller genres. That grounding, evident in the early part of the book, is quickly thrown out along with any concept of logic or sense of plot. Instead, the read comes down to taking every story point and imagining the most absurd thing and then seeing if the author is going to be even more extreme. In most cases, the answer is an affirmative and the reader is left to wade through yet another ludicrous scenario that is supposedly funny and yet fails the humor test. Nothing is straight forward in this book that constantly screams at the reader just how funny the book is and how mad cap nearly everyone involved is while the fate of the world is at stake.
Fans of the absurd carried to extremes will appreciate this novel, while those readers that prefer a more straight forward crime/murder/thriller novel or a novel with a basic sense of plot will find it extremely tough going. According to the book jacket, “Nuclear Winter Wonderland” is going to “soon be a major motion picture” via the screenplay also written by the author. If the movie ever comes out, it will be interesting to see if a movie version of the work is much better than the original book. It certainly doesn’t seem possible that the movie could be worse than the book.
Nuclear Winter Wonderland
Joshua Corin
http://www.joshuacorin.com/index.htm
Kunati, Inc.
2008
ISBN#978-1-60164-160-1
288 Pages
$15.95
Book provided by Publicist PJ Nunn, owner of BreakThrough Promotions, in exchange for my objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Barnes and Nobles hosts various local writer/reader events
Pat Hauldren writes a column for the Fort Worth Examiner and her latest features local events for writers AND readers around the Dallas/Fort Worth area during the next several weeks. So, check it out at:
http://www.examiner.com/x-21358-Fort-Worth-Writing-Examiner~y2009m12d26-Resolutions-for-writers-upcoming-writing-events-at-Barnes--Noble-Bookstores
Hope to see you at one or more of these events.
Kevin
http://www.examiner.com/x-21358-Fort-Worth-Writing-Examiner~y2009m12d26-Resolutions-for-writers-upcoming-writing-events-at-Barnes--Noble-Bookstores
Hope to see you at one or more of these events.
Kevin
Thursday, December 24, 2009
CSM---The e-book, the e-reader, and the future of reading
Very interesting article over on the Christian Science Monitor website. Especially, the final page.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/2009/1221/The-e-book-the-e-reader-and-the-future-of-reading
http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/2009/1221/The-e-book-the-e-reader-and-the-future-of-reading
Monday, December 21, 2009
Children's Book Review: "Wally The Walking Fish meets Madison And Cooper" by Gary Lamit
Written by Gary Lamit for his grand daughter, Madison, this charming little book tells the tale of Madison and the dog Cooper. Cooper, like all the creatures can talk and be understood by all. Madison catches Wally, the walking fish (a walking catfish) and releases him. They get to talking and over the next couple days, Madison and Cooper are introduced to all the local creatures at the lake.
Self published through BookSurge, the book features numerous colorful illustrations along with brief definitions and descriptions set in small boxes below the prose text. The text in the copy I was provided does not include many dialogue tags or other identifiers which may make it hard for small children and their caregivers to follow the actual speaker. According to posted comments made by the author when this issue was raised by other reviewers, the problem has subsequently been addressed by insertion of character names and color coding them at the beginning of each line.
The pages are not numbered nor are there any references to the rest of Madison’s family who are presumably at the lake with her. Naturally inquisitive children can be expected to ask why they aren’t around. It is unfortunate that something regarding why the family members are never seen was explained in the book.
Despite those issues, the book does feature an interesting easy reader tale while providing lots of information. The result is a good read that works when guided by an adult.
Wally The Walking Fish Meets Madison and Cooper
Gary Lamit
Booksurge (part of Amazon)
http://wwwbooksurge.com
May 2009
ISBN# 9781439225417
Paperback
28 Pages
$12.99
Material provided by the author in exchange for objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2009
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