State of Wonder a Guest Review by Lilla Friend

There are a few books that I consider “favorites of 2011” and “State of Wonder” by Ann Patchett is undoubtely one of the best. Marina Singh is a pharmacologist working for a major pharmaceutical company when her colleague, Anders Eckman, dies under mysterious circumstances in the Amazon. She is sent to investigate his death, but more importantly to determine the progress of an important research project which is why Anders was sent there in the first place.

The research project concerns the preservation of fertility – a guaranteed money-maker for the company. Imagine being able to postpone having children indefinitely, to never having menopause, to be able to restore fertility in a woman thought to be unable to have children. The possibilities are endless. But the timeline isn’t. Yes, the death of Anders Eckman is important, but the research project is paramount. The project is under the leadership of an ex-professor of Marina’s, an eccentric gynaecology professor called Annick Swenson, a charismatic and mysterious, yet utterly brilliant mind.

The novel centers around Marina’s travel to Manaus and then into the heart of the Amazon. It is beautifully written and utterly hypnotic. Patchett draws the reader into a world of green jungle, a primitive tribe and into a state of wonder. But always she reminds us of the harsh reality – tropical illnesses, multiple insect bites, humidity, a river inhabited by danger and a total lack of even basic medical care.

One of the most interesting aspects of the book was the description of the Lariam side-effects as experienced by Marina. Since it is a weekly dose, patients often want Lariam as Malaria prophylaxis instead of Malarone (very expensive) or doxycycline (daily dose for a few weeks), but the side-effects are horrible. These include nightmares, suicidal thoughts, major depression and acute psychosis. I was highly impressed with the depth of research that the author did for this brilliant work of fiction. It was one of those books where you can’t wait to find out what happens next, but you don’t want it to end either. It can also be compared to a delicious meal where every bite has to be savored – you cannot skip a single word for fear of missing something.

I adored “State of Wonder” and all my Kindle owning friends were told to buy it as soon as possible.  I have since (of course) bought all of Ann Patchett’s other novels as well.

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Anonymous Celebrities: A Confessional

by Gabriel Porras

It was one of those moments that I try to pretend I was much cooler than I really was. I forget the actual date, sometime in early July of 2009 I think. I was sitting in the bar of a Manhattan hotel at around midnight, talking with a client who was there for ThrillerFest. I’d taken a red-eye out of San Diego for the meeting, which had been postponed a few times throughout the day due the organized chaos that is any author/fan convention, and I was tired. So when a group of people walked in and joined us, effectively ending the meeting, I mentally gave up and struck up a conversation with one of the newcomers.

I’m not sure what I talked about, but I know it was something so mundane that I wasn’t just boring him, I was annoying myself. The signals to shut up were all there, but I just I just blathered on. I think it might have been about shoes…? I honestly don’t know. What I do know is that at some point in the conversation I realized I was talking to James Rollins. And, as polite as he was, James was a man looking for an escape.

I don’t remember much after that. I think I mumbled something incoherent and then just kind of smiled. Like a crazy person.

Yeah. That’s me. Smooth.

I looked around at the rest of the group that joined us, and realized there were one or two faces that were dust-jacket familiar, but I couldn’t place them. I tried chalking it up to being worn out from traveling, but to this day I’m still not sure who all I shook hands with that night.

It also wasn’t a case of being starstruck. I mean, yes, I like to tell people I’m not intimidated by fame, but the truth is that I ran into Will Smith once…like literally walked right into him, and when I looked up and said “I’m sorry,” all that came out of my mouth was “No s***?” Like I said, smooth. But my epic moments of awkwardness aside, this was different.

I’d never really given much thought to the relative obscurity afforded to authors — even famous ones — before that moment. It’s not like the concept was profound in any way, just something that I’d never stopped to consider prior to irritating a New York Times bestseller. (Yeah, I’m pretty sure it was about shoes.) At that time, I’d worked with a handful of writers, from debut novelists to bestsellers, and I understood that traditional fame doesn’t apply the same way it does to other entertainment personalities. But it really never dawned on me that I could be talking to someone like this without realizing it.

What also struck me, as I sat grinning like an idiot, was how we view the writers ­— and more to the point, the books — that we love. Maybe it was my brain’s way of avoiding thoughts about footwear of any kind, but suddenly I was fascinated by the attachment we feel to a certain style of book cover, or how diehard fans can identify an author’s name just from the font it’s written in. Even while the Internet was making it easier and easier for fans to link a face and a personality to the writer, I couldn’t stop associating James Rollins with the dog-eared, water-swollen books that my wife leaves by the tub.

And just like that, my perception of the man, who was now edging slowly away from me, changed instantly He wasn’t a celebrity; he was just a man who, I apparently felt, needed to hear about shoes. I was only vaguely aware that part of my brain was telling me to say something intelligent, like “You spend a lot of time with my wife in the bathtub.”

I don’t think he would have appreciated it.

I stuck around the conference for a few more days, attended a few workshops, even met a new client – a great writer and all around great guy by the name of Brett King (authorbrettking.com) – but the whole time it was like an odd little spell had been broken. And I was worried. What if I found out that the magic had worn off books as well? I was convinced that I’d find my favorite stories were really just as long and tortuous as whatever it was I was going on and on about that night.

Before catching a plane home, I stopped by an airport newsstand and picked up the latest James Rollins hardcover for the flight. I knew it would be an endurance trial, but figured I owed the man. If you’ve ever worried about something incredibly stupid before, you won’t be surprised to learn the flight was a blur. As my dad would say, that flight just flew by. (Now he’s in your head too. You’re welcome.)

Eventually, I chalked the whole thing up to a newfound level maturity. The fanboy in me was dead. I used words big words like “pragmatic” when describing myself. I saw myself as immune to the effects of stardom, and feel superior to my wife when she reads TMZ. I’m awesome.

Then, about three months ago, I was introduced to the author of a fantastic new trilogy, a man named Bruce Jones. Not the comic book creator, but a Hollywood heavyweight who’s demo reel (http://brucejonesproductions.com/reels/) includes everything from Star Trek: The Next Generation, to Michael Jackson’s This is it. In working with him on book one (The Becoming, which is available in mid-July), I’m glad to say I’ve been pretty mellow. His stories, both in his writing and from his day job, are amazing but I’m all mature and stuff, and people like me are immune to stardom. Then he mentioned he was the second unit director on Sam Raimi’s “Drag Me To Hell.”

The Sam Raimi.

Of like….the best movies ever. I mean, come on people. EVIL DEAD. Sam Freakin Raimi.

So I’m not sure what I said at that point, but I like to think I was pretty cool about it.

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Visited Narnia and Middle Earth?  Now escape into Dream.

What are dreams? Some think they are figments of our mind. But what if they were wisps of a distant, magical world… a world you could visit?   Twins Cade and Tasha discover Dream, the land dreams come from. It is a realm of misty forests, of verdant mountains, of mysterious gods who send dreams into our sleep. Cade and Tasha seek solace there; they are refugees, scarred and haunted with memories of war. In Dream, they can forget their past, escape the world, and find joy.   Phobetor, the god of Nightmare, was outcast from Dream. Now he seeks to destroy it. He sends his monsters into Dream, and Cade and Tasha find their sanctuary threatened, dying. To save it, the twins must overcome their past, journey into the heart of Nightmare, and face Phobetor himself.

Discover a world of light and darkness, of hope and fear, of dreams and nightmares. Discover The Gods of Dream.

The DOGs want to destroy the world. The gods want to make a new one. The trick is to survive both.
The world is on the brink of ecological cataclysm set off by the Oil Spill of 2010 and the Great Sea Level Rise of 2070. Hydroponics agronomist Char Meadowlark has become a recluse since her fiance was killed by a terrorist bomb and her twin sister Sky went underground to protect a top secret alternative energy project. Warned about an impending eco-terrorist attack, Char tries to get off planet, but the Defenders of Gaia strike while she’s at the airport. Shuttle pilot Jake Ardri might offer her only hope.

Just your average Pittsburgh soccer mom, baking brownies and carrying a loaded forty-caliber Glock…  Lucille Teresa Guardino. A woman of many identities. Lucille to her doting mother, Lulu to her devoted husband, Mom to her pre-teen daughter, Lucy to her friends, LT to her co-workers, and Supervisory Special Agent Guardino to the criminals she captures for the FBI’s Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement squad.  A loving mom and wife, dutiful daughter, consummate professional, and kick-ass federal agent, Lucy is living the perfect life.  Until the day she comes up against a predator more vicious and cunning than any she’s ever tackled before, one who forces Lucy to choose between the life of the young victim she is fighting to save and her own daughter’s….and Lucy’s dream life is shattered.

Ava Delaney calls herself a hybrid – a living, breathing human who happens to have vampire poison running through her veins. The only thing greater than her thirst for human blood is her capacity for guilt. She does her best to avoid the human world, for everyone’s sake.

When Ava accidentally enslaves a human while saving him from a vampire, she realizes she has to look for help setting him free. Despite her misgivings, she expands her world but finds herself dragged into a possible vampire civil war. With the help of some new friends with ambiguous loyalties, she tries to find a way to keep her human, and herself, alive.

In ancient Israel, at the crossroads of the great trading routes, a man named Benaiah is searching for a fresh start in life. He has joined a band of soldiers led by a warlord named David, seeking to bury the past that refuses to leave him. Their ragged army is disgruntled and full of reckless men. Some are loyal to David, but others are only with him for the promise of captured wealth. While the ruthless and increasingly mad King Saul marches hopelessly against the powerful Philistines, loyal son Jonathan in tow, the land of the Hebrew tribes has never been more despondent—and more in need of rescue. Over the course of ten days, from snowy mountain passes to sword-wracked battlefields, Benaiah and his fellow mercenaries must call upon every skill they have to survive and establish the throne for David—if they don’t kill each other first. Day of War brings to life the exploits of the Mighty Men of Israel, a rag-tag band of disgruntled warriors on the run with David, the soon-to-be King. Their legendary deeds are recorded in 2 Samuel 23 and 1 Chronicles 11

From the violent assassination of the President to covert action against terrorist havens in North Africa, Cloudburst takes the reader on a riveting, action-packed journey as FBI agents and elite counter-terrorist units fight a desperate battle to save millions of innocents, and bring those responsible to justice.

Somewhere in the hinterlands of Alaska, among the millions of sprawling acres that comprise “The Park,” a young National Park Ranger has gone missing. When the detective sent after him also vanishes, the Anchorage DA’s department must turn to their reluctant former investigator, Kate Shugak. Shugak knows The Park because she’s of The Park, an Aleut who left her home village of Niniltna to pursue education, a career, and the righting of wrongs. Kate’s search for the missing men will take her from self-imposed exile back to a life she’d left behind, and face-to-face with people and problems she’d hoped never to confront again.

When he left for America six years ago, the handsome Viscount Stonehurst never suspected that he would return home to England to find his lovely fiancée embroiled in the scandal of the decade. The woman he planned on making his wife has been kissing every man in London…except him!

Book One – The Macho Brother Former DEA agent Adam Gregory intended to get Neen Summers out of the drug lord’s house before the raid three years ago, but he was stabbed in the back by one of his own people. Neen has been on the run since the raid, staying one step ahead of the drug lord’s goons. Greg is desperate to find the dirty agent who stabbed him and protect Neen from the killers.

Daniel Tomelin, a battle-worn veteran haunted by the carnage of the First World War, deserts his family in the Great Depression and goes on the road to seek relief from his soul-shaking trauma. He’s too proud to return and face his loving wife without a job, but LaDaisy is determined to care for their family alone, if that’s what it takes. After leaving his loved ones to cope with a hell he helped create, does Daniel dare show his face again? Sometimes LaDaisy feels like killing him.  FACE THE WINTER NAKED is a story for today’s struggling economy and unemployed citizens, set in a tragic era when hope was sometimes all they had.  Bonnie Turner’s Face the Winter Naked is set during the Great Depression, but her story encompasses issues that reach far beyond that era and know no time constraints”war. Political strife. Economic collapse. Environmental catastrophe. Division of families. Cruelty and oppression. Poverty, inequity, and all the faces of prejudice. But it is also about love. And faith. And strength. And hope, forgiveness, and perseverance.   Face the Winter Naked provides an engrossing read in which Turner interweaves history, geography, and a compelling love story. More than that, it is a story that looks beyond the surface, delving into the inner workings of the human mind”a powerful narrative that illuminates larger issues of humanity that are timeless and volatile and just as apropos today as decades ago. “

The Dragon King Seeks His Princess—  Who Dares to Stop Him?

Princess Una of Parumvir has come of age and will soon marry. She dreams of a charming prince, but when her first suitor arrives, he’s not what she’d hoped. Prince Aethelbald of mysterious Farthestshore has travelled a great distance to prove his love—and also to bring hushed warnings of danger. A dragon is rumored to be on the hunt and blazing a path of terror.  Una, smitten instead with a more dashing prince, refuses Aethelbald’s offer—and ignores his cautions with dire consequences. Soon the Dragon King himself is in Parumvir and Una, in giving her heart away unwisely, finds herself in his sights. Only those courageous enough to risk everything have a hope of fighting off this advancing evil.

When the handsome, rakish Earl of Hawthorne buys the charming house across the back garden from his town home, he never expects the lovely lady he installs there to ensnare him completely . . .  Again . . . After Lady Anne Keighley marries the earl, it seems a shame to leave the house empty, so she offers it to her childhood friend Felicity Mercer, who discovers that the earl’s gorgeous cousin is precisely the man she’s been waiting for . . . and again . . . Finally, feisty Georgiana Baxter moves into the house to escape an arranged marriage, and encounters the earl’s friend Lord Julian Silsby late one night in the back garden. The handsome soldier is more than willing to give her the lessons she asks for . . .  There is plenty of gossip, scandal, and torrid speculations surrounding the “mistress’ house”, but behind closed doors, passions blaze . . .

Calliope Crestone thinks life is hard, but it gets much harder with an unexpected move from her home in Georgia to a drafty old mansion in Oregon. Things seem to be looking up when she meets Octavius, who loves her poetry and seems interested in her. Maybe a little too interested. Why the fascination? And who — or what — does she hear screaming at night?

For as long as she can remember, Gabrielle Hope has had the gift of knowing–visions that warn of things to come. When she and her mother joined the Pleasant Hill Shaker community in 1807, the community embraced her gift. But Gabrielle fears this gift, for the visions are often ones of sorrow and tragedy. When one of these visions comes to pass, a local doctor must be brought in to save the life of a young man, setting into motion a chain of events that will challenge Gabrielle’s loyalty to the Shakers. As she falls deeper into a forbidden love for this man of the world, Gabrielle must make a choice. Can she experience true happiness in this simple and chaste community? Or will she abandon her brothers and sisters for a life of the unknown?

On the night where it begins snowing in every country of the world, a group of ordinary people gather at an old English pub. At first they assume the weather is just a random occurrence, but as the night goes on, and weird things happen, they start to realise something far more sinister is occurring. By the end of the night, not everyone will make it, and those that do may wish they hadn’t.

A blood-hued exile, a cursed girl with wings, an unlucky thief, and a secretive tracker… What would bring this unlikely cast together? Ironically, the answer is the recovery of Raven’s Heart, the Stone of Undoing. Yet it is not a magic stone that threatens their survival but their own inner conflicts. Can they see beyond their differences to survive their quest?

Police officer Tess Fuller has her hands full trying to maintain order in a poorly-resourced small mountain town over-run by the beautiful, arrogant and lawless Bycraft family. But what will her new sergeant, a serious by-the-books city cop, think of her renegade policing style? And will they be able to work together to save Tess’ life when her feud with the Bycrafts escalates dangerously?

(P.S. A great big thanks to Trish from PickyMe for the artwork)

10 Men in Literture You DON’T Wanna Miss!

#1 Adam Black

The Immortal Highlander by Karen Marie Moning

With his long, black hair and dark, mesmerizing eyes, Adam Black is Trouble with a capital T. Immortal, arrogant, and intensely sensual, he is free to roam across time and continents in pursuit of his insatiable desires. That is, until a curse strips him of his immortality and makes him invisible, a cruel fate for so irresistible a man. With his very life at stake, Adam’s only hope for survival is in the hands of the one woman who can actually see him.

Enter law student Gabrielle O’Callaghan. For Gabrielle, cursed with the ability to see both worlds, Mortal and Faery, it is the beginning of a long, dangerous seduction. But as Adam’s quest to regain his immortality plunges them into a world of timeless magic, the price of surrender could be their very lives. Unless they can thwart the conspiracy that threatens both Mortal and Faery realms…and give them a shot at a destiny few mortals ever know: glorious, wondrous, endless love…

#2 Mick

Stormwalker Series by Allyson James

Janet Begay is a Stormwalker, capable of wielding the raw elemental power of nature, a power that threatens to overwhelm her. Only her lover, Mick, is able to calm the storm within her-even as their passion reaches unimaginable heights of ecstasy.

But when an Arizona police chief’s daughter is taken by a paranormal evil, they find themselves venturing where no human can survive-for only together can they overcome the greatest danger they’ve ever faced.

#3 Lachlain MacRieve

A Hunger Like No Other (Immortals After Dark) by Kresley Cole

A mythic warrior who’ll stop at nothing to possess her . . .

After enduring years of torture from the vampire horde, Lachlain MacRieve, leader of the Lykae Clan, is enraged to find the predestined mate he’s waited millennia for is a vampire. Or partly one. This Emmaline is a small, ethereal half Valkyrie/half vampire, who somehow begins to soothe the fury burning within him.

A vampire captured by her wildest fantasy . . .

Sheltered Emmaline Troy finally sets out to uncover the truth about her deceased parents — until a powerful Lykae claims her as his mate and forces her back to his ancestral Scottish castle. There, her fear of the Lykae — and their notorious dark desires — ebbs as he begins a slow, wicked seduction to sate her own dark cravings.

An all-consuming desire . . .

Yet when an ancient evil from her past resurfaces, will their desire deepen into a love that can bring a proud warrior to his knees and turn a gentle beauty into the fighter she was born to be?

#4 Bones

Night Huntress Series by Jeaniene Frost

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father—the one responsible for ruining her mother’s life. Then she’s captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.

In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She’s amazed she doesn’t end up as his dinner—are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn’t have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side . . . and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

#5 Rehv

Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there’s a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood.

The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.

#6 Gabriel

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean

A lady does not smoke cheroot. She does not ride astride. She does not fence or attend duels. She does not fire a pistol, and she never gambles at a gentlemen’s club.

Lady Calpurnia Hartwell has always followed the rules, rules that have left her unmarried—and more than a little unsatisfied. And so she’s vowed to break the rules and live the life of pleasure she’s been missing.

But to dance every dance, to steal a midnight kiss—to do those things, Callie will need a willing partner. Someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston—charming and devastatingly handsome, his wicked reputation matched only by his sinful smile.

If she’s not careful, she’ll break the most important rule of all—the one that says that pleasure-seekers should never fall hopelessly, desperately in love . . .

#7 Jamie Campbell

Highland Warrior by Monica Mccarty

The ruthless enforcer of Scotland’s most powerful clan, Jamie Campbell will use any means necessary to vanquish lawlessness and unrest among the feuding Highland clans. Seduction is a game as easily played as subterfuge, but when Jamie poses a as suitor to a rival clan’s daughter in order to expose treason, the line between duty and pleasure is suddenly blurred. Ebony-haired, ruby-lipped Caitrina Lamont defies him, denies him, and arouses him like no other woman.

Caitrina has no intention of forsaking her beloved father and doting brothers for a husband–especially a hated Campbell. But Jamie’s raw, sensual strength and searing kiss melt her resistance. When her idyllic world is shattered, Caitrina’s only hope to save her clan lies in the arms of Jamie Campbell, the enemy she holds accountable for its ruin. Can their tenuous truce, born in the velvet darkness of passionate nights, forge a love as strong as the sword that rules the Highlands?

#8 McKell

Ecstasy in Darkness by Gena Showalter

New York Times bestselling sensation Gena Showalter enthralls with a dark, tantalizing world of humans, otherworlders, powers beyond imagining, and a seductive vampire undone by his insatiable hunger for one woman. . . .Growing up poor on New Chicago’s meanest streets, Ava Sans had two options: be the predator or be the prey. No contest. Now, working for Alien Investigation and Removal, she’s been ordered to capture the biggest, baddest warrior of all—a vampire too beautiful to be real, with the abilityto manipulate time. Once the leader of the entire vampire army, McKell has been deemed savage and unstable, spurned even by his own kind.To McKell, humans should be nothing more than sustenance. Yet the petite, golden-skinned Ava is a fascinating contradiction—vicious yet witty, strong yet vulnerable, lethal but fiercely loyal. Against his better judgment, McKell craves that loyalty, and much more. When the chase leads to seduction, McKell and Ava will race to discover the truth about his past. But the answers will come at a price, even for a woman who thought she had nothing left to lose. . . .

#9 Wren

Unleash the Night (Dark Hunter) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Marguerite, the daughter of a wealthy senator, has little interest in the socialite life her father wants for her. So when New Orleans friends decide to go to a bar called Sanctuary, curiosity prompts her to tag along. There she meets Wren, a shy busboy. The attraction is immediate on both sides–and dangerous. Wren is a hybrid were-animal, an outcast even in his own supernatural world, and he’s been marked for death. Marguerite should leave, but their fates and hearts are now entwined, and she knows there is no turning back. In this second novel to feature the Weres, Kenyon defies expectations once again. Wren the loner plays a tortured Romeo to Marguerite’s Juliet, a young man coming to terms with who and what he is and having to find his niche in the world. This depth and vulnerability of character has not been seen before in her heroes and proves a challenge for Kenyon, but the result is a thrill ride filled with magic, action, and scintillating passion.

#10 Ven

Warriors of Poseidon Series by Alyssa Day

Eleven thousand years ago, before the seas swallowed the Atlanteans, Poseidon assigned a few chosen warriors to act as sentinels for humans in the new world. There was only one rule – desiring them was forbidden. But rules were made to be broken…

Riley Dawson is more than a dedicated Virginia Beach social worker. She’s blessed with a mind link that only Atlanteans have been able to access for thousands of years. Being an empath may explain her wistful connection to the roiling waves of the ocean, the sanctuary it provides, and the sexual urges that seem to emanate from fathoms below…

Conlan, the high prince of Atlantis, has surfaced on a mission to retrieve Poseidon’s stolen Trident. Yet something else has possessed Conlan: the intimate emotions – and desires – of a human. Irresistably drawn to the uncanny beauty, Conlan soon shares more than his mind. But in the midst of a battle to reclaim Poseidon’s power, how long can a forbidden love last between two different souls from two different worlds?

If you would to learn more about Carmen and her work you can visit her at www.carmenspage.blogspot.com or follow her on Twitter at @CarmenWBuxton

Why are there so damn many errors in ebooks?

(Please note that this post refers to errors in ebooks published by traditional print publishers, not self-published ebooks, which can have their own set of problems stemming from other causes)

If you are a reader who prefers digital reading, you will have noticed that some ebooks have errors in them, either formatting errors or actual incorrect words. Some errors are minor—the occasional word with a hyphen where it shouldn’t be, or a paragraph that block indents when it shouldn’t. Some are more annoying because they make the story hard to read and understand, as when paragraphs of dialog that should be separate all run together. Every now and then you will see truly awful errors, like a paragraph of text that repeats, or letters with diacritical marks that convert into gibberish.

Print books might have a typo or two get past the proofer, but they don’t suffer from as many errors as ebooks. Which is interesting, because print books are mostly to blame for ebooks errors, or rather the workflow for print books is to blame.

Most authors write in MS Word or something like it, and send their manuscript to the editor in that format. Some editors even rely on the Word “Track Changes” feature to convey suggested edits. Once substantive edits are final, the Word document is converted to something that allows for easier and more sophisticated page layout, like InDesign. It could be other software, but I’m going to say InDesign just for simplicity’s sake. Note that this workflow is all driven by the need to get a manuscript into printed pages quickly. Print books have been the main event for so long, they are still very much at the core of what publishers do.

Once the document is in InDesign, the Word file is no longer edited, and thus, last minute changes and corrections are not in that file. On the other hand, the file in InDesign is often tweaked to make the pages look good. If the composition person wants a word to hyphenate, and InDesign isn’t breaking the word, or is breaking it in a bad place, the compositor will often type in a hard hyphen. If a line is breaking in a bad place, they might use a nonstandard character like a non-breaking space to control where the line breaks. Whatever it takes to make the pages look pretty, the composition staff will do it. Using software like InDesign, composition staff will produce a PDF that is then sent to the printer to produce the printed book.

That’s a total of three file formats for each book: MS Word, InDesign, and PDF. Now that ebooks are part of the picture, publishers have to decide which file to use to convert to ebook format. They can use the MS Word file; it converts easily, but doesn’t have the latest corrections. Also, it’s hard to make Word convert reliably in a way that identifies things like chapter breaks. They can use the InDesign file; Indesign even offers a conversion to ePub. But anything that has been done to the file to make pages look good is going to be hard for a conversion to give good results. The PDF file will have absolutely every correction, but PDF has the same page layout constraints. That’s how you get words like “hyphen- ation” in an ebook. Besides, PDF is notoriously difficult to convert to text in a way that yields reliable, readable paragraphs 100% of the time.

In addition to new books, a lot of publishers are now looking at converting their backlist books. If the book is old enough, there might not even be a file to convert. Instead, they have to scan the printed book (or possibly the “boards”) with OCR (optical character recognition) software. But OCR can make a lot of mistakes. “Freddie” could become “Freclclio.” Because backlist books are so often OCR’d, I always recommend getting the free sample before you buy the book, just to see if the publisher has corrected the formatting and other errors that creep in.

Right now publishers are scrambling to adjust to the digital world. They haven’t yet figured out that they can take advantage of the fact that ebooks can be corrected much more easily than print books. Books are now data, and publishers need to know that. In the long run, the most likely solution will be that book publishers will follow information providers’ lead and begin to convert their data to a neutral format like SGML (standard generalized markup language) or XML (extensible markup language). Instead of marking up the text in a typesetting system according to how it should look (e.g., 14 point Bodoni bold, 11 point Helvetica italic), mark it up to show what it is (e.g., chapter, chapter title, paragraph, etc.). Once you have data in this kind of structured format, you can more reliably convert it to whatever output format is needed: print, web, or ebook. You can impose rules to make the data valid (e.g., every chapter has to have a chapter title). If you make the SGML or XML text the source for all outputs, you can proof and correct it once without having downstream effects on other formats. You can even load it into a database and control who edits it.

Basically, it’s getting better, but ebook workflow still has a ways to go.

For Gina

Today is my wife’s birthday. I don’t tell you that so you’ll all wish her a happy birthday in the comments, although I know she’d appreciate that. She turns 33 today. I’ve known her for six of those years and been married to her for three of them. A friend introduced us, and on the night that Gina and I really got to know each other I told her something that I’d never told anyone who wasn’t an immediate family member. She asked me what I did for fun, and I told her I was a writer. It was a big step for me. Up until that point, “writer” was a badge that I wore under my clothes. I never let others know that at night I’d sit behind my keyboard and bang away at stories.

Telling Gina, though, helped me. Once she knew I wanted to write, she encouraged me. She pushed me. She motivated me.

If you look at the dedication of my book, Chasing Filthy Lucre, you’ll see it’s to Gina. Not a surprise, she’s my wife afterall. It reads like this:

For Gina
She helps me get there and back again. This wouldn’t have been possible without her pushing me to do it then supporting me every step of the way.

The first line is an inside joke between the two of us, but the rest of the dedication is completely serious. Without her support I wouldn’t have been able to submit short stories to different publications. Without her support I wouldn’t have worked on my writing and gotten it to the point that some of those publications would actually choose to publish what I’d submitted. And without her support, I wouldn’t have been able to finish my book and put it up for sale.

I’m not writing this to tell you how great Gina is, even though she is great. I’m writing this to encourage you to find authors you like and to support them. Writing is a pretty solitary business. You do it by yourself — just you and the keyboard. Even if you’re writing in public somewhere it’s very easy to get lost in your own head. Knowing that there is someone out there who likes what you’re doing and believes in you can make all the difference between hanging up your laptop or pushing through when the writing gets tough.

Support can mean lots of different things. It can be an encouraging or complimentary email. It can be a review of the writer’s recent work. It can be telling friends about this wonderful book you’ve found. It doesn’t matter so much what you do, but that you do it. Because just knowing there is someone out there who wants you to succeed and believes that you can makes all the difference in the world. Believe me, I know.

Happy birthday, Gina.

Misty, thanks for asking me to be a guest on your blog. I’m truly honored to be included along with your other guests, many of whom (yourself included) I look to as examples of how to do it right.

I recently had the pleasure of reading The Shadow at the Gate, the second book in The Tormay Trilogyby Christopher Bunn. I reviewed the first book in the series The Hawk and His Boy in March (view that interview here). As it was for that first book, I found myself wanting to reread The Shadow at the Gate the moment I finished it. I have yet to award an indie author a 5/5 star rating on Amazon (I gave The Hawk and His Boy 4/5 stars). This book will be the first to get a 5/5 star rating from me on Amazon (I’d give it a 9.5/10 on a 10-point scale). It is, in a word, exquisite.

The Shadow at the Gate is a gripping read. It is action-packed from start to finish. I never wanted it to end. Fortunately for us, there is still one more part of the story to be told in The Wicked Day.

The Shadow at the Gate is a story of dark versus light, or evil versus good, yet it also reveals the necessary balance that exists between the two forces.

“…the things of light can be inferred by the darkness, for the shape of shadow only exists out of opposition to the light.”

Throughout the story are references to dark and light energy. The light is beautiful and restorative:

“The air around the singer seemed to shimmer, almost as if the sunlight had been caught by the woman’s voice and was coaxed to slow and thicken in attentiveness to her sound.”

The dark is accompanied by a feeling of cold and damp and of dread:

Darkness deepened in the hall, thickening until it was a presence—a vapour drifting through the air like smoke. It was difficult to breathe.

“Come closer,” said the thing.

There is beauty and wisdom in the text as well. I felt a sense of connection to our world as I read about the beautiful land of Tormay and the challenges faced by its people. I can’t recommend this book enough.

The three books of The Tormay Trilogy are suitable for all ages from Young Adult (YA) up, but I know some tweens and teens that would enjoy it also (parental discretion advised).  The Shadow at the Gate (The Tormay Trilogy) is available at Amazon.com for $2.99. The first book in the series, The Hawk And His Boy, is just $0.99!

Interview with Christopher Bunn

Cookie’s Mom: Hello again, Christopher. Thanks for speaking with me today.

Christopher Bunn: Hi, Sue. Thanks very much for having me by again.

Cookie’s Mom: Please tell us about The Shadow at the Gate.

Christopher: The Shadow at the Gate is the second book in my epic fantasy series, The Tormay Trilogy. It continues the story of the young thief Jute as he tries to stay alive and figure out why so many people suddenly want to kill him. The book also includes a couple other substantial subplots that weave in and out of Jute’s story.

Cookie’s Mom: Where did the book’s name, The Shadow at the Gate, come from?

Christopher: The book’s name is key in terms of plot and theme. The second book introduces what I would term the secondary layer, or depth, of evil that then goes on to figure prominently in the rest of the story (though, I might add, it is not the last layer). The shadow referenced in the title is a serious personification of evil, a character who has been waiting unseen offstage in the first book, unseen but orchestrating many of the events that happened in The Hawk and His Boy. In The Shadow at the Gate, that character makes his entrance.

However, the character of the shadow is not evil itself, but only one of many manifestations of evil. I attempted to make that distinction in the trilogy, as there are some interesting (and troubling) implications in the thought that evil might exist as something external to creatures (human or otherwise).

Cookie’s Mom: What factors were the most important to you when writing this story?

Christopher: Writing this story was definitely a balancing act in many ways. I wanted to write a good story, of course, but I also wanted to write a story that a young school-aged version of me and an older version of me would both want to read. I also wanted to see how the main themes of good & evil, family, regret, death and sacrifice would play out. I didn’t write the story, of course, as a showcase for those themes, as there’s nothing so tedious as stories written specifically to communicate a message. That sort of thing is propaganda or marketing. It’s usually a waste of time, unless you’re hell-bent on revolution in Russia or selling toothpaste.

Beauty was also another important consideration in this story. Even though I painted with a lot of darkness in The Shadow at the Gate, I wanted to include glimpses of beauty. We need beauty in our lives. We crave it, like water, even if we are not conscious of our thirst. Mind you, I’m not using the aesthetic definition of beauty. Rather, I would define it as the summation of the key elements of goodness: faith, hope, and love.

Cookie’s Mom: The characters in The Shadow at the Gate are very believable. You have spoken about moral compass in the past (see Christopher’s guest post on “Moral Compass and Character”). How did this guide your writing of The Shadow at the Gate?

Christopher: I’m glad you found the characters believable. That’s always an anxiety of mine. These days, I have very little objective perspective on my characters, due to the fact that they’ve been living in my head for so long. There were two main things that helped me create the characters. First, all of the main characters that had at least a decent amount of dialogue and personality were based on real people or amalgamations of real people. I borrowed heavily from my past in that regard. I really hope I don’t get sued because of this.

Second, I freely let my moral compass (essentially, my worldview, philosophy, etc) influence and instruct how my characters behaved. I suppose every writer does this to varying degrees. With some, like Dickens or Chesterton or Dumas, it’s extremely easy to see that in action. With others, it’s more difficult. At any rate, the things that I believe in, things such as evil & goodness, humility, the value of courage and sacrifice, etc., create, I think, a logically and internally consistent view of the world that, when applied to the creation of characters both good and evil, generates equally logical and internally consistent personalities.

Cookie’s Mom: You maintain such suspense in this book. It never lets up. How do you manage this?

Christopher: You know that old writing tip about how, when you write a story, you take your character and have lots of bad things happen to them? I might have gone a little overboard with that.

Cookie’s Mom: You wrote this as one story and later broke it down into the three books of the Tormay Trilogy: The Hawk and His Boy, The Shadow at the Gate, and The Wicked Day. Did you know the path this story would take from the beginning or did it unfold for you?

Christopher: Very early on, I knew where the story would begin and where it would end. I also had quite a few scenes tucked away in my mind, but I wasn’t exactly sure how the story would get to them. A lot of unfolding happened. And then a lot of rewriting happened.

Cookie’s Mom: The book is so well organized and so well paced. Despite the complex web of characters, lands and plot lines, I never felt confused or lost.

Christopher: Thank you for that compliment. Organization and pacing become much more difficult with longer books like this one. At one point in the process, I had to stop writing and create a flow chart for the subplots, as well as a companion flow chart for the characters, in order to see if they surfaced in a regular, evenly spaced fashion.

Cookie’s Mom: In addition to creating a flowchart, did you create an outline for this story? What did that look like?

Christopher: When I first began writing, I was foolish enough to think I could pull it off without an outline. However, after a couple hundred pages, I wised up. I stopped and made an outline. It had a lot of question marks and empty spots to begin with, but I began filling in the storylines of the various plots as the months (and years) progressed. I had to tweak it quite a bit, though, due to unanticipated characters appearing in my mind and declaring their inclusion in the story.

In addition to an outline, I wrote huge amounts of backstory. History. I think I wrote about 100 pages or more of history. Character studies. Stories that I needed to know in order to truly understand what I was trying to write. If I ever combine all three books of the trilogy into one single book, I might include all that backstory in an appendices.

Cookie’s Mom: What sort of research did you do before writing or as you went along?

Christopher: I didn’t do any specific research for the trilogy. However, that said, I think I’ve been researching my entire life. While the story is a fantasy, set in a make-believe world of magic and strange creatures and the like, it’s heavily autobiographical in terms of themes and characters and motivations. I think I started researching this one back in third grade…

Cookie’s Mom: How much of this book was written in your head before you began writing it on paper?

Christopher: Only a few scenes were in my head before I started writing, more than ten years ago now. However, I tend to write in my head when I’m doing other things (so don’t get too close to me if you see me driving on the freeway, as I’m probably not concentrating on the road). That’s always been a habit of mine.

Cookie’s Mom: This book speaks largely of the opposition between the light and the dark. How did your representation of the dark and the light forces develop? Was it pure imagining, was it based on a personal faith, or was it perhaps influenced by some other works that you have read? The use of language to convey light and dark is brilliant.

Christopher: The relationship between light and dark is one the main themes in the trilogy. Light and dark, or good and evil, are central in how I personally see the world. I’m a Christian and, due to my faith, I’m fascinated by the permutations of how good and evil can play out in human lives. Not just fascinated, I’m also painfully aware of how important the problem of evil is, as well as its corresponding answer. Despite being a Christian, when I set out to write the Tormay Trilogy, I was not interested in proselytizing for my faith. I think that sort of writing, like the propagandizing we were discussing before, usually makes for very dull reading. I merely intended to write a diverting story. However, we can never escape ourselves (should we ever?), so a certain amount of my views on evil and the nature of good were, of course, going to color the story. If that’s allowed naturally, more as a product of the subconscious, I think one ends up with much better art. I think C. S. Lewis wrote an essay on that topic, but I’m sure he was much more logical and persuasive about it.

Cookie’s Mom: You weave much wisdom into this book that, while it applies to the land of Tormay and its people, may also be applied in our own lives. How did you manage to include such pearls of wisdom in the text?

“But obligation,” he said, “must be chosen afresh every day, particularly for those who rule, for the power of the ruler brings with it a temptation to order one’s world so that it no longer contains opposition and all the painful weights of duty.”

“Water is mine, and you are mine as well, for my blood runs in your veins now. I’ll not compel you to do this. If compulsion is not married with choice there is a hatefulness in it that can’t help but lead to destruction in the end. I ask you to do it of your own choice, for such a choice will be strong and there’s more to you, Ronan of Aum, than a sword.”

Christopher:  Er, pearls of wisdom? I’m flattered you think so. I’m really not certain how such things appeared in the story. I prefer listening rather than speaking in my day-to-day life, so I must be listening to someone wise (my wife probably). I’m really not wise myself. I think I slept through most of school, or, at least, skulked in the back row with a paperback novel secreted inside my math textbook.

The second quotation you used is from some dialogue spoken by Liss Galnes. It’s interesting that you would pick a selection from her. The Liss character was one of a handful that showed up in my mind, completely uninvited. She wrote herself from her very first scene. It’s almost as if she dictated her dialogue to me. That said, those pearls all belong to Liss (and they do, which will only make literal sense to anyone who has read the trilogy).

Cookie’s Mom: We’ve talked before about the authors and books that have influenced your writing. Have you read any good books lately?

Christopher: Well, I just started reading David Mamet’s new book, The Secret Knowledge. Regardless of one’s view on politics, he can certainly write. He wields a heavy pen. I also just read Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Links. I know she isn’t typically regarded as one of the great lights of literature, but, hey, I think she’s fantastic. She knows how to tell a story, and Hercule Poirot is right up there with Sherlock Holmes and Father Brown. Other than that, I just read a book on Famines and Plagues to my five-year-old. He picks a book to read before bedtime each night. Last night, he picked that one. The first paragraph was a remarkably bloodthirsty opener, something along the lines of “Famines happen when people no longer have access to food. This causes a condition caused malnutrition. The stomach distends and the limbs become stick-like. Starvation and death then occur.” The section on Plagues was pretty unsettling. He loves books like that. Odd little boy. He must take after his dad.

Cookie’s Mom: Christopher, when can we expect to have the third book in the trilogy, The Wicked Day, in our hands? Please say it will be soon.

Christopher: The Wicked Day is done, sitting on my hard drive, and patiently (no, impatiently) waiting for the artist to finish the cover.

Christopher is expecting to publish The Wicked Day sometime in August. I’ll post an update on Cookie’s Book Club when it is available.

Cookie’s Mom: Finally, Christopher, Just for fun, will you answer the desert island question? If you were somehow stranded on a desert island with a water-proof backpack (perhaps you floated on it from the shipwreck), what three things found in your backpack would you be grateful for having had the foresight to bring on your journey in the unlikely event of an emergency?

Christopher: I guess if I were stranded, my backpack would contain one of those Acme Inflatable Hydrofoils (you know, the ones that are about the size of a nickel – you sprinkle some water on them and they inflate into a thirty-foot cabin cruiser equipped with long-range fuel tanks, fully stocked refrigerator, satellite radio, small tube of sunscreen, etc.), my Kindle, and…hmm…oh, my wife. She actually knows how to pilot boats and do ocean navigation, so I’d let her drive while I would read on the bow.

Cookie’s Mom: Thank-you for speaking with me today, Christopher, and thanks so much for writing The Hawk and His Boy and The Shadow at the Gate. I have loved these stories!

Christopher: It’s been my pleasure to chat, Sue. I’m glad you enjoyed the books (it kind of feels like you’re complimenting my two sons). Best wishes to you.

Christopher Bunn (1969-still alive) was born in California to parents of extra-terrestrial origin. After working a long and not-so-illustrious career that did not include a stint as a mule skinner, six months lost at sea on a life raft provisioned only with a crate of bananas, two years as a prize fighter, several shameful terms in Congress, nor a brief time spent in the circus as a lion tamer, he began writing novels in order to chronicle his life and the lives of other people who did not exist (exerpt from Christopher Bunn’s biography on Amazon.com).

Christopher is one funny guy! If you want to know what he’s really been up to, check out his blog, Scribbles and Tunes.

Kat boasts a pretty hefty string of writing/editing credentials (ForWord Magazin, AOL DigitalCities, Envoy Magazine…etc) and has written a whopping 13 novels (including Dead Barchetta, Pithed and Little Flowers) More importantly however, is that she is an EPIC Award winner! (I’ll pause for a round of applause.)  If you would like to get to know Kat better you can visit her on her main site www.kathrynlively.com or stalk her on Twitter at @MsKathrynLively. Happy Reading! 

The Worst Case Scenario for Authors: Torn Between Two Lovers

I’d like to thank Kindle Obsessed for this opportunity to guest blog again. I thought today I would discuss a situation some authors may experience during the submissions process. This is sort of a continuation of a series of blogs from my home blog, and you can read the first such post here. Having worked as a publisher and editor for a small eBook house, I’ve learned quite a bit about the industry and am happy to share.

Scenario: You have simultaneously submitted your manuscript to several publishers – your absolute first choice dream publisher and other similar houses. One of the smaller publishers comes to you with a contract offer which, since it’s been forever since the book went out, you accept. Shortly afterward, the Number One Dream Publisher comes back and is interested in the book…which is now contracted elsewhere.

Oops.

I can’t say I was ever placed in this situation. However, twice I have had this situation foisted upon me by authors who, after agreeing to work with us, asked for their rights back. No reflection on the house where I worked, of course, it’s just that when the Big NYC Publisher knocks on the door and wants to invest the contents of your piggy bank, you might realize the pennies will multiply more under their watch. In my situation, I released the authors. In this industry, it is better to act professionally and with courtesy – I like to think these gestures are remembered more often than those borne of ill will.

What to Do: Obviously, the thing to do in this situation is to take measures to ensure it never happens. As you research publishers, take care to know if simultaneous submissions are permitted in the first place. When I say “simultaneous,” I refer to the act of sending the same book to more than house. Some publishers are cool with this, given the lead time on turnarounds. Of course, you should note in your submission that another publisher is reading your work – this may work to your advantage if the editor believes he/she should move your book up the slush pile for consideration. Also, disclosure is simply good manners in this business. Think of the time invested in reading your work: if an editor spends day reading a book he/she can’t ultimately contract, you have wasted that person’s time.

Though the cancellation of a contract can happen quietly and amicably, it won’t always occur without some degree of embarassment on the part of either or both parties. And remember what I implied above, too, about long memories. Let’s say you manage to get released from Small House to go to Dream House, then something happens (poor sales, Dream House folds or is bought out and books are canned)…what then? Would you still be able to pitch your book? Even if you don’t approach the house that first contracted you, what happens when you go elsewhere and the editor/publisher discovers your history (people the industry do talk to each other, some listen more than others)? Quite possibly you might be fine, but there’s always the chance you could be viewed as a risk – an editor might worry that he/she will invest so much work in your book only for you to pull it from them.

You may attempt to appeal to the editor in this situation. Given their knowledge of the industry, an editor may understand the opportunity of publishing with a larger house – a nice advantage and first printing, and the greater probability of national distribution in stores. If your editor turns out to be sympathetic toward your writing goals, and assuming not too much work has begun on your book, you may be able to execute a painless release. However, if your contracted publisher decides to uphold the terms of the contract, you are legally bound to comply unless you can find a loophole that allows you freedom. If that takes too long, though, it will jeopardize your other opportunity.

One thing I can say with conviction if you are held to a contract: comply with grace. You may feel tempted to drag your feet on edits or do other things in hopes the house will release you, but playing bad author could gain you a reputation that could harm your career later on. As soon as possible, have your next work ready and, if you have managed to stay on good terms with that Dream House editor, offer a new book.

Also remember, don’t feel as though you must leap on the first contract offered to you. If you find more than one house is interested in your book, you have the advantage. Don’t be afraid to ask questions of the publishers regarding royalties, distribution, and other aspects of the author/house relationship. You will work together to earn your success, so find the right match.

Today’s post is brought to you by the lovely Bri Clark of briclarkthebelleofboise.blogspot.com.

Do book reviewers ever cheat?

This thought recently crossed my mind, as I was tempted to do just that. It was a brief fleeting thought. Still it came. Then I thought I wonder if other reviewers do especially authors who review for their platform. Let me set up the scene for you of what was going on to cause this flow of ideas.

In the great iPhone, PC, Google, yahoo calendar debacle of 2011, (what you didn’t hear about that) my calendar was ruined. I spent weeks trying to get the thing sorted out. In that process I unintentionally book 3 book reviews for the same day. I review for a Pump It Up Books regularly and after they had to email me about some late reviews, they decided to remind me instead. Well I got 3 in one day say…hey where’s such and suches review.

After closing the shades and dead bolting my doors because those women aren’t playing, I’m kidding they are nice, I got to work. Luckily, for me I had already read the books. However, what if I hadn’t what would I have done then?! These reviews had been scheduled for months…authors were counting on me.
Luckily, for me after posting the cover art, the blurb and exert I was reminded of the stories and was able to do a decent review. However, to my dismay they were not the quality I usually deliver. In order to clear up any more calendar issues I haven’t accepted any more reviews and won’t until September.

Back to what could have happened. Because of my ethics, I don’t think I would post a review of a book I hadn’t actually read. Instead, I would probably feature it with an explanation and an expectation of delivery…like what I was excited about reading in the book.

What do you think? Is it ok for reviewers to cheat?

Big Al  has been an avid reader for more decades than he would care to admit. (*giggle) He was best known for his  music reviews, which spanned a variety of websites and magazines, until 1 day the big bad world of books caught up with him. (YAY!) How? Well, after having several readers and authors tell him, “You ought to start a book blog,” he said, “what the hell.”  And so was the beginning of Big Al’s Books and Pals.  Now… I could throw out a bucket load of reasons why I love Al, or better yet, share some slightly embarrassing stories about him, but in the interest of saving our friendship I’ll leave you with this instead…Big Al’s spectacdamundo (yes I made that up) review of the talented (and obnoxiously beautiful) Imogen Rose’s “Quantum”  Happy Reading!

If you would like to get to know Al better be sure to stop by his site Big Al’s Books and Pals, his Facebook page, or you can annoy him on Twitter like I do @BooksAndPals

Quantum – Book 3 of the Portal Chronicles

Genre: YA / Paranormal

Approximate word count: 70-75,000 words

Availability Kindle: YES Nook: YES DTB: YES

Author:  Globetrotter Imogen Rose is Swedish by birth, went to college in London where she received a PhD in immunology, and is now a Jersey girl. After her eight-year-old daughter insisted she write down her stories Rose wrote the first of the Portal Chronicles and decided to let it out into the world. The response was so positive that she’s continued. This is the third book in the series with more to come. Rose will be releasing Faustine, the first book in a separate, but possibly interconnected, series called The Bonfire Chronicles in the spring of 2011 with Momentum (Portal Chronicles Book Four) to follow. For more visit the author’s web site.

Description:

In Portal (Portal Chronicles Book One) teenager Arizona Stevens wakes up in a car to discover her life has changed. Her last name is Darley, she has an older brother she’d never met, a different father, and has transformed from a hockey-playing jockette into a blonde-Barbie cheerleader. As information comes out in this book and Equilibrium (Portal Chronicles Book Two) Arizona slowly learns that she was transported through both time and space via a “portal” by her scientist mother. Due to technical issues with the portal she is trapped in this new dimension for at least a year.

A year has passed. As Arizona Darley contemplates traveling back through the portal to see her dad life takes some unexpected twists.

Appraisal:

This is easily the best book of the Portal Chronicles series so far. Quantum starts out with a significant revelation in the prologue and continues with lots of plot twists you’d have never guessed, but that make perfect sense when they happen. As you learn more about the history of the characters in the series and how they relate to each you gain a deeper understanding of them and care more and more about what is going to happen next. When you finish, just as with the prior two books, you’re left with the satisfaction of a good story well told, yet are eager for the next in the series. With each book in the series Rose adds new layers to the ongoing story to continually jack up the stakes and the complexity of the story to hold the reader’s interest.

FYI:

While I think it would be possible for someone just starting this series to begin with Equilibrium (Portal Chronicles Book Two) if they hadn’t already read Portal (Portal Chronicles Book One) I would not advise starting with Quantum. This is because with each new volume Rose is expanding our knowledge of the world she has created. This volume, at least IMO, hits the point where knowledge of everyone’s back story is needed to understand the full import of the continuing saga of Arizona and her family.

***** (5/5)

8 Pounds: Eight Tales of Crime, Horror, and Suspense

When I was seven, I knew three things, and I knew them with absolute certainty.  The first was that I was never going to grow up. Adults were adults and kids were kids, and that’s just the way it was.  Second, I knew that every boy possessed some weird need to scare you, and therefore they weren’t to be trusted.

The third thing I knew was that there were monsters in the dark.  Always. Anywhere there was a dark corner to be found, something sinister would sit and watch.  And of course turning on the lights didn’t do much good…because as everyone knows, monsters move fast.

It shouldn’t surprise you to learn that I didn’t sleep real well as a child.

Of course I grew out of it.  No more staring contests with whatever sat in the shadows. No more imminent death at night when the old house creaked.   Now I watch my son, fearless at 4, taunting whatever lives under his bed, and I have to laugh and ask myself how I could have been so wrong. And that’s what makes what I have to say all the more difficult.

I can’t sleep because of Chris F. Holm.

Seriously. The guy’s messed up. I had heard really good things about Holm’s collection of short stories, 8 Pounds: Eight Tales of Crime, Horror, & Suspenseand I started reading it late one night after my husband and my little one passed out.  And let’s just call that what it was, alright?  It was Mistake #1.  I thought I was immune to tales of the things that go bump in the night.  It turns out that whatever lives in the shadows thought that was pretty funny.  Clearly, Chris Holm still feels compelled to scare the hell out of me.

Okay, yes, I had some warning signs.  The first story in the collection, “Seven Days of Rain,” won the Spinetingler-Award and it set the bar pretty high for the rest of the stories.  Probably too high, I figured.  After all, you always put your hit songs on Side A, right up front. Right?  Yep. Mistake #2.   Through each of the stories, Holm just finds a way to pull you along with him and you don’t have much choice but to follow into his dark, should-probably-be-medicated little world.

Don’t get me wrong, this guy can write. In “The World Behind,” ­— a freakishly compelling story about a boy who takes refuge from a bully in the woods behind his house — Holm’s gift for character development creates a feeling of claustrophobia….the character’s fear  quite literally becomes your fear.  It’s yours. You own it.  And yet, as much as I just wanted to put the book down and wake my husband up, I really didn’t want that one to end either.

I like to think I don’t scare too easy though, so do me a favor?  Read “The Toll Collectors” and tell me how well you sleep tonight.  Me? The seven-year-old in me is back to sleeping with the lights on for awhile.

If I had one complaint, it would be that now I want a Chris F. Holm full-length novel. Fortunately, Dead Harvest comes out in March of 2012 from Angry Robot Books, so I suppose I can wait,

I just hope that thing under the bed doesn’t eat me first.

Click image for complete details.

Marilyn is currently writing a science fiction novel, GODS IN THE MACHINE, and is one of the contributing authors in BOOK: THE SEQUEL, (she of course has an entry included in serialization titled: THE DAILY BEAST.) Her short stories have been published in seven anthologies and on the Literary Blog, GLASS CASES, she has also recieved a handful of awards including the Silver Award, two Honorable Mentions and eight Finalist placements in the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards, two Winner and two Finalist placements in the EPPIE Awards, and Winner of the Dream Realm Awards.

If you would like to know more about Marilyn be sure to stop by her site www.marilynpeake.com or follow her on Twitter at @marilynpeake

Calling Crow (Book 1 of the Southeast Series)

When Misty Baker put out a request for guest reviewers on her KindleObsessed Blog for the month of June, I volunteered and chose CALLING CROW (BOOK ONE OF THE SOUTHEAST SERIES) by Paul Clayton from her list of books to review.  About one-fourth of the way through this book, I was so impressed, I purchased the entire series and another book by this author.  I talked so much about CALLING CROW as I read it, my husband decided to read it as well.  He also thought this book was fantastic and went on to read the entire series.

CALLING CROW is an historical novel set in 1555 in the Southeastern United States, when the Spanish slavers arrive from the island of Hispaniola to capture Native American Indians and force them into slavery.  Calling Crow is the strong, brave Chief of the Muskogee people who has nightmares of the “Destroyer” and believes that his dream is an omen of terrible events about to be visited upon his people.  He knows that the “cloudboats” have been seen out on the sea, and wonders if they will bring the Destroyer to his people.

The author has an incredible ability to show everyone involved in this historical novel as human, and to show the story through the eyes of multiple individuals.  The Indians are shown as flawed human beings, and there are good people among the Spanish within the culture that enslaves them.  However, the strength and dignity of the Indians and the horror of the slavery they endured is made very clear in this beautifully written, action-packed novel.

One of the most fascinating aspects of CALLING CROW is Paul Clayton’s genius at showing how Native Americans might have initially perceived the Spanish inventions they had never before seen, using new words to describe them, e.g. “cloudboats” to describe the sailing ships, “thundersticks” to describe guns, “metal skins” to describe armor.  The true intelligence of Calling Crow becomes evident as he analyzes and figures out a culture so completely alien to him, it threatens his survival at every twist and turn.

I highly recommend this novel.

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***** (5/5)

Today’s guest post comes from talented author Kathryn Lively. Not only does Kat boast a pretty hefty string of writing/editing credentials (ForWord Magazin, AOL DigitalCities, Envoy Magazine…etc) and written a whopping 13 novels (including Dead Barchetta, Pithed and Little Flowers) but she is and EPIC Award winner! (I’ll pause for a round of applause.)  If you would like to get to know Kat better you can visit her on her main site www.kathrynlively.com or stalk her on Twitter at @MsKathrynLively. Happy Reading! 

Death by Honeymoon: Book #1 in the Caribbean Murder Series)

When I learned KindleObsessed sought guest authors for the month of June, I volunteered immediately. I have the Kindle (rather, eBooks in general) to credit for my return to the reading world. In college I had no problem putting away as many as three or four novels a week — and I don’t mean puny mass markets, either. I’m talking about those thousand-pages thick Stephen King sagas one could use to wall a fence around the front yard.

In the last decade, though, parenthood and work took up enough time for me to slip away from reading pleasure. Though many of my novels first released digitally, eBooks were not something I read until I actually acquired a device that made it easy for me to buy, download, and read anywhere and anytime.

The consequent boom in affordable titles from first-time and seasoned independent authors has only served to increase my love of reading. When offered the opportunity to review a title on KindleObsessed I chose a mystery, my home genre, because I had not enjoyed one in a long time. Death By Honeymoon caught my eye with an intriguing premise and the promise of a well-rounded sleuth.

Cindy Blaine believed she had found the man of her dreams, the man with whom she’d grow old, surrounded by grandchildren in the cozy home they built together. Any hopes of a happily ever after, however, shattered mere days into the young couple’s honeymoon. On discovering her groom’s twisted body washed up along a rough patch of the shore of Barbados, Cindy is naturally devastated, yet suspicious of the speed with which the Bajan police dismisses Clint’s death as an accidental drowning. She is convinced Clint had help.

Back home, one plainly sees why Cindy might feel reluctant to accept the official ruling. Her in-laws, whose collective presence seems to drop the temperature whenever they visit, seem more concerned with money and probating Clint’s will than consoling the young widow. Cindy can’t help but suspect one of them might have arranged a way to expedite a reading. Then there’s the odd letter in the mail Clint never received, containing a photograph of a strange woman and a mild threat. Determined to prove Clint’s murder, Cindy chips away at clues with a diligence that frustrates friends and family and endangers her own well-being.

While Honeymoon delivers on suspense, I found the mystery rather obvious early on in the story. Author Skye brings Cindy from Point A to Point B with methodical pacing that is mildly marred by many instances of telling the story rather than showing the action. The beginning chapters that cover the fated honeymoon and aftermath seemed rushed, as though Skye wanted to get the murder out of the way in order to for Cindy to spend more time solving it. As a sleuth, Cindy is determined (and admirably so) yet bland. Supporting players appear cut from their respective stock descriptions as well: angry and accusatory in-laws, the supportive sister, and Clint’s patronizing boss. The way this novel portrayed Clint made me think he was the most interesting of the cast.

When reviewing eBooks I don’t normally comment on formatting gaffes because I know some books look differently in specific readers. People tend to expect to mistakes in indie/self-published works, and while I spotted a few in this book it didn’t take away from the reading experience. One continuity error involving surnames, however, deserves a mention if Skye plans to continue this series.

Death By Honeymoon is a book one can read rather quickly. As a series anchor there is promise for character growth, but I would definitely encourage the author to delve more into the moment when writing scenes rather than glossing over events. Such improvements will bring me back to the beach.

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***~~ (3/5)

The Kensei – A Guest Review

From the moment I saw “The Kensei,” by Jon F. Merz, on Misty’s list for guest reviewers, I leapt at the chance to read this book, hoping it would not let me down.  I have been fascinated by the Japanese fighting culture from a young age and in fact own several katanas, the slender, curved swords commonly referred to as “samurai swords.” This novel did not let me down!

Merz’s story draws you in from the very beginning, beginning with an action-packed fight to the death, resulting in the demise of a Yakuza, one of the famed Japanese mob. Lawson’s vacation was only beginning, and it was already not off to a good start.  It didn’t help that being born into a vampire race tended to complicate things.  He is a Fixer, sworn to protect the fine balance between vampires and humans, and he’s going to need all the help he can get.  He finds it in his sensuous, passionate lover, Talya, but she’s brought problems of her own. An ex-KGB operative, working on her own, her mission involves the required assistance of Lawson to bring down a criminal ring involved in organ trafficking.  And now, because he interrupted an assassination attempt, he has become the target of a master swordsman, known only as Kensei, “sword saint.”

Truly talented writing drew me in.  Not only are the fight scenes well played, but the imagery puts you right there on the sidelines.  Jon F. Merz is a fantastic writer, and his witty and sometimes humorous wordplay will keep you nose-deep in this book until the very end.

This is not Lawson’s first appearance in Merz’s novels.  However, don’t let that make you think that you have to go back to the beginning to understand the history of the character.  ”The Kensei” is an excellent stand-alone piece of writing.  Unfortunately for me, I have to go back and read the rest of the series, because I am now hooked.  Warning, reading this book will lead you to more spontaneous reading that will spiral out of control!

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Happy Reading!

Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert

Why am I Kindle obsessed? I love reading. I love it more than anything else EVER. And I read fast which is great, but if you travel a lot, you need to buy new books all the time. And since I am just a tad OCD, I need to know that I have at least a few unread books on my bookcase at all times. Otherwise I might die. I probably have more than 300 books I still have to read. The other brilliant thing about the Kindle is that I don’t have to wait months for the books to be launched in South Africa. I can get them immediately!

There are three seasons why I chose this book:
1. Witches are seriously de rigeur at the moment
2. The author is South African (as am I)
3. The cover was pretty (looked at actual book before I got it on Kindle)

The story is simple: Gabriel Blackston (a hacker aka information broker) is contacted by the love of his life (Frankie) and is asked to find her new millionaire husband’s missing son (Robert) by using his powers of clairvoyance. OK, maybe it is not that simple.

As students, Gabriel and Frankie were part of an organisation called Eyestorm that used its members’ paranormal powers to solve cases. The tragic death of a millionaire’s wife leads to Gabriel quitting Eyestorm. He is therefore quite reluctant to get involved in finding the missing young man.

His investigation into Robert’s death leads him straight to the Monk sisters who are direct descendants of John Dee, the Elizabethan occultist. Minnalouse and Morrigan Monk are both beautiful and mysterious and Gabriel is soon drawn into their world. When he accesses the last thoughts of Robert, he realises that one of the sisters is responsible for his death. Thanks to his hacking capabilities, he gets access to a diary written by one of the sisters and soon realises that one of the sisters is a killer and the other is the love of his life. Is it the intellectual, sensuous, red-haired Minnaloushe or the adventurous, eco-terrorist, dark-haired Morrigan?

At the centre of this exceptionally well-written novel is a so-called memory palace where the Monk sisters can hone their arcane powers to become solar witches – the most powerful of all witches. The more enmeshed Gabriel becomes into the lives of the Monks, the more he loses focus on his actual task and disappoints his best friend, Isidore. There are many levels to this intricate novel and each brings more surprises

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The twists and turns around every corner keep you guessing all the time. This is not a pretty fairy tale, but a dark story of magic, love, extra-sensory powers, death and revenge. Mostert writes compellingly and there is no doubt that my Kindle will acquire her other books as well. Poor bank account.

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Marilyn is currently writing a science fiction novel, GODS IN THE MACHINE, and is one of the contributing authors in BOOK: THE SEQUEL, (she of course has an entry included in serialization titled: THE DAILY BEAST.) Her short stories have been published in seven anthologies and on the Literary Blog, GLASS CASES, she has also recieved a handful of awards including the Silver Award, two Honorable Mentions and eight Finalist placements in the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards, two Winner and two Finalist placements in the EPPIE Awards, and Winner of the Dream Realm Awards.

If you would like to know more about Marilyn be sure to stop by her site www.marilynpeake.com or follow her on Twitter at @marilynpeake

More than a Social Networking Site, Twitter Is an Experience

When I first heard about Twitter, I thought it sounded like a waste of time. I mean, how could meaningful conversation take place with every message (in this case, “tweets”) limited to 140 characters or less? Sometimes in life we are wrong. This was one of those times when I was definitely wrong.

In Robert McCrum’s article, “The web allows stories to be spun in new ways,” he describes the 21st century as “a golden age of reading and writing.” He quotes from Frank Rose’s book, THE ART OF IMMERSION: “a new type of narrative is emerging – one that’s told through many media at once in a way that’s nonlinear, that’s participatory and often game-like, and that’s designed above all to be immersive. This is ‘deep media’.” You can read Robert McCrum’s article here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/may/08/deep-media-fiction-web-mccrum .

Twitter adds greatly to the experience of deep media. Husband and wife, Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer, are experts at this. Neil Gaiman is a writer (and, as it turns out, a talented singer as well); Amanda Palmer is a singer-songwriter-performance artist. Both are extremely active on Twitter, communicating comfortably and openly with fans. Recently, they teamed up with Ben Folds and Damian Kulash for a project called “8in8,” in which they set a goal of writing and recording eight songs in eight hours. Making the project interactive, they called on their Twitter fans to chime in with ideas for song titles and topics. They also created the #8in8 hashtag chat group on Twitter where the 8in8 artists could communicate directly with fans and their fans could tweet ideas for the record album. The project was extremely ambitious. The group managed to create six songs and record them within twelve hours, they were able to donate a significant amount of money from album sales to charity, and the album received rave reviews. Adding to its Internet presence, 8in8 now has its own website: http://www.eightineight.com/band.html . At some point, a fan suggested that the group invite fans to create videos for the songs, the group liked the idea and requested videos. Some amazing videos came out of that project. Here’s an interview in which Neil Gaiman, Amanda Palmer, Ben Folds and Damian Kulash discuss the entire 8in8 experience: http://www.livestream.com/rethinkmusic .

Twitter feels like a deep media experience to me. In addition to the 8in8 project, I’ve followed a number of other events as they unfolded in real time. Important world events are reported by news organizations and people living through the events in real time on Twitter in immediate ways that conventional news outlets are unable to do. Twitter’s allowed me to connect with fellow writers and people in the book world, to follow astronauts (who sometimes tweet from outer space!), to take part in live chats, and to follow links to artwork, photos and videos. Twitter is, in many ways, an interactive and transformative event.

For everyone reading this blog who loves books – and I’m assuming that includes most of you who visit Misty’s Kindle Obsession blog – Twitter allows you to connect with authors, readers, literary agents, book publishers, book reading groups, writing groups, and every type of person involved with the book business. In fact, I actually found out about the opportunity to write an article as a guest blogger on the Kindle Obsession blog when Misty posted an invitation on Twitter!

In closing, I’d like to leave you with something cool to explore. Here are two articles with amazing photos that astronauts have tweeted from space:

“Astronauts’ Spectacular Twitter Pictures From Space (PHOTOS)” on HUFFPOST TECH:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/20/astronauts-twitter-pictures_n_721555.html#s137927&title=Aurora_Borealis_Over

“Astronauts’ Amazing Twitter Pics [PHOTOS]” on AOLNews.com:
http://www.aolnews.com/2010/09/20/astronauts-amazing-twitter-pics-photos

And, turning from science to science fiction, here’s a video of Neil Gaiman on the set of “Dr. Who” after he wrote an episode (the video may contain spoilers):
http://blogtorwho.blogspot.com/2011/05/preview-neil-gaiman-on-confidential.html

Hope to see you over at Twitter!

Run – Guest Review by Kipp Speicher

One of my first Kindle books was a sick fun read called Serial by Blake Crouch and Jack Kilborn, and I knew right then my Kindle was a great investment. Few years later I kept seeing Blake Crouch show up on a few more books I found myself reading.

Last Fall I got to check out the book Draculas that gave me a renewed love for vampire stories, so I decided to take a chance on reading his new thriller RUN.

Let me warn you once you pick up this book you will not want to leave it, The title fits it very well, You will find yourself out of breath as you journey through the nightmare the family of four are thrown into just trying to stay ALIVE.

The four family members are very well fleshed out and you instantly feel the paranoia and fear they are dealing with, as the world we know suddenly becomes a savage wasteland.

The book crosses into Thriller and Horror with some extreme graphic scenes that will leave you wincing. So buckle up for a ride as you find a family ready to do anything to survive.

***** (5/5)  must read.

Today’s post is an exciting one brought to you by the talented Amanda Brice. Amanda lives outside of Washington, DC with her husband and toddler daughter. An intellectual property attorney for a large federal government agency, she combines her love of writing with her legal career by speaking on basic copyright and trademark law on the writers’ conference circuit. A two-time Golden Heart Award finalist, Amanda’s debut novel, Codename: Dancer, was released for the Kindle in April, and in paperback last week. You can learn more about Amanda and her books at her website: www.amandabrice.net.

Congrats to Suzanne Collins, the first children’s author in the Kindle Million Club (1 million Kindle books sold)! The author of the hugely popular Hunger Games joins Stieg Larrson, James Patterson, Nora Roberts, Charlaine Harris, and Lee Child in the Club. She may be the first writing specifically for children and teens, but I’m sure it won’t be long before others join her.

I sort of feel like I’m preaching to the choir here today, since this is the “Kindle Obsessed” blog. I’m not going to run through the benefits of e-books, how readers can finish one book and start reading the next within 60 seconds, or how you can tote thousands of books with you along to the beach, or how it’s environmentally friendly. Readers of this blog already know how awesome e-readers and e-books are. According to Bowker/PubTrack and the Association of Booksellers for Children, more than 80% of teens don’t read e-books at all, but you fall in that 20% who does. So I don’t need to sell you on them.

Instead, I’m here to tell you about a fabulous contest (if I do say so myself!). Are you a teen who likes to borrow your parents’ Kindle? Or are you a parent who is ready to send out a search party for your Kindle because your teen won’t give it back?

Wouldn’t it be great to have your own Kindle? But who wants to spend the money in this economy? (I know when I was a teen, I didn’t make enough babysitting to afford a Kindle, and my parents wouldn’t have bought it for me since paperbacks are readily available.)

If this describes you, then July 4, 2011 could be your lucky day! Enter the Kindle INDIEpendence contest between now and July 3, and you could win a brand-new Kindle, preloaded with 17 of the hottest indie YA and MG titles. Runners-up will win e-books.

So how do you enter? SIMPLE. Just go to http://http://www.kindleindiependence.webs.com/ and register.

But don’t stop there! The website also lists all the various ways to earn additional entries, such as by sending Twitter messages, liking us on Facebook, or submitting honest reviews of any (or all) of the books involved in the promotion. There’s no limit to the number of times you can enter, so start sending tweets today!

What types of tweets count? Well, I’m glad you asked. Here’s some sample tweets you can send:

Want a free Kindle? #KindleINDIEpendence http://bit.ly/l3yXeE

Visit the #KindleINDIEpendence day blog to learn more ways to win a free Kindle. http://kindleindiependence.blogspot.com

I just put Codename: Dancer by Amanda Brice on my TBR pile! #kindleINDIEpendence

Love the cover of Queen Bee of Bridgeton by Leslie DuBois! #kindleINDIEpendence

Those are just some examples. Use your imagination, but be sure to use the #kindleINDIEpendence hashtag so we can count it.

So come join us and earn your Kindle INDIEpendence! Deadline July 3, 2011!

This one made me crack up. Happy Reading!

Tortured Writer Street Cred

Are you one of those tortured writers?

I’m not, although for a while I was tortured about not being tortured.

I’m not making light of it. Some writers have had their lives turned upside down by events beyond their control, and this shapes what they write and how they write it. Other writers willingly torture themselves through a bottle or other destructive behavior.  And some writers torture others, by making them read what they put on paper.

For the rest of us non-tortured writers, well, we’re all pushing daisies.

It’s not like we’re dead or anything.

What I mean is, we’re selling daisies, and if we’re not careful, it’s painfully obvious in our writing. Maybe our water-boarding is a bit too relaxed. Or our brothel scenes skew a little toward the missionary side. Or perhaps our protagonist is shooting the bad guys with a gun that is so “yesterday” among those familiar with fashionable firearms. It happens more often than not. That’s because, for a lot of us, the dark, scary forest of our soul is little more than a flower garden. Hell, most of us can’t even grow roses. Daisies, that’s what we have, and that’s what we write.

So, I’ve been aware of my lack of tortured writer street cred and have been looking for opportunities to add to my misery resume. Since I am and always will be a family man, I knew the wife and kids would play a key role in this.  I figured it would happen in the form of a weeklong Disney World vacation, but about a month ago, late one night, there was a pounding on my back door. It was the police, yelling for me to “Open up!” Four armed men, hands hovering over their guns, all steely faced and tough. On aFriday night in my household, this was bizarre.

I practically threw open the door. “What’s the problem, officers?”

One of the policemen said, “Somebody reported that you’ve been out in the yard beating on your wife.”

Uh-oh.

This was not what I had in mind.

It took me a second, then a squeaky voice told them I would never, ever, lay an angry hand on Bethany. For some reason, the policemen did not believe me. Then, I let loose with a verbal diarrhea of reasons they were way off the mark. We weren’t even fighting. My wife was in her favorite pajamas. Drinking wine. On Facebook.

The police asked to speak to her.

As my wife walked through the kitchen I suddenly wondered if she saw me in a different light? Did I look dangerous now?  Did I look like someone who could do such a thing? And did she happen to notice that I had wet my pants?

Bethany finally convinced the policemen I’d never physically harmed her. The police departed and we were left shaking behind a locked door.  I didn’t know whether to faint or throw up.

At that moment, I decided I didn’t need a tortured past, or spooky skeletons in my personal closet, or even a few bugs in my head in order to be a good writer. That just wasn’t me. Sure, I’ve got a mischievous smile at times, but that’s it. I’m simply a daisy kind of guy.

So writing a memoir was out of the question.

But what about a mystery? After all, we had a good one. Who had called the police? How had they ended up at my house? Would the urine stains come out of my pants? Did the authorities believe I was innocent, or was I still a person of interest?

A few days later I marched into the police station and requested a copy of the police report.  Then I brought together my entire household for a recreation of the evening’s events. In addition to the suspect and the victim, we had Wayne, our oldest son, who had just become a teenager, my daughter Beth, who was eleven, and the nine year old twins, Jacks and Wilkins.

I read them the police report. It was one paragraph long. It stated that the suspect, me, had “tussled” with the victim, my wife, in the front yard, and that she had screamed for help, after which the suspect, me, fled south on a bicycle.

The kids began to squirm.

“Here’s what I remember from the evening,” I began. “After a dinner party down the street, the victim and the suspect walked hand in hand behind the four of you as you biked home. When we reached the house, I told the four of you to bring in the empty garbage cans from the street and I went inside to watch the game. After a few moments inside, I realized I’d left my cell phone at the dinner party, came outside, and took a bike to go get my—.”

“You stole my bike,” Jacks said.

“I would never steal a bike where my knees hit the handle bars.” I tapped an index finger on my chin, channeling my inner Sherlock. “Maybe going back for my phone explains my ‘fleeing to the south’, although it was more like wobbling, but how did four children retrieving the empty garbage cans result in a SWAT team at our house?”

“OK! OK! Wayne did it!” Wilkins blurted. “They all did!”

“Did what?”

“They locked me out! In the dark!”

“He was taking too long,” Wayne said.

Beth started laughing. “And he was running with the biggest garbage can ‘cause he was scared and he kept tripping over it.”

I turned back to Wilkins. “Let me guess. When you fell over the garbage can, you screamed like a girl?”

“He screamed like he was dying,” Beth said.

“It was dark out there! And I don’t scream like no dang girl.”

“So somebody thought the garbage can was your mother?”

I regretted the question as soon as I asked it. No one moved. No one breathed. No one said a word.

I changed the subject, pointing at them. “Do you realize you almost got your father arrested?”

They nodded their heads somberly, then Jacks said, “Yeah, but if you had gotten arrested, wouldn’t that have been cool?”

I used to think so. Not anymore.

Longing for a tortured life just to prop up my writing is behind me now. I don’t want to walk in my characters’ shoes; I’ll stick with my own, thank you very much. Other people of the pen would do well to heed my advice. For all you Reacher-wannabe writer types, do not call it research when you take on the happy hour crowd at the Rock Bottom Saloon; all you’re going to do is learn how to type with a broken jaw.

My recent brush with the law aside, I am embracing who I am: a good husband, a good father, and a writer willing to work on his craft. I can try to create a cowardly man capable of striking his wife. Or a woman who would rob a bank. Or a guy who would shoot a stranger for no reason.

Of course, I would be imagining those things from the good side of the garden. Where kids hide when it is bath time. Where dogs steal socks. Where I try to steal two seconds alone with my wife. Where the laundry piles up. The dishes need to get done.  And a chicken nugget is almost healthy fare.

I’m not going to apologize for it. I’m a writer, and my life is good. I will write what I know, and then fake it when I don’t. And the simple fact of the matter is, I hope I’m always pushing daisies.

She first started TNBBC (The Next Best Book Club) on Goodreads back in the fall of ’07, and watched it grow from a few members to the largest, most active book group on the site. Her search for The Next Best Book has pushed her out into the world of blogging, tweeting, and facebooking. TNBBC’s focus is on supporting and promoting independent publishers and authors through reviews, interviews, features, giveaways, and author/reader discussions.

Without further ado… Here is TNBBC’s review of “Warm Bodies” Enjoy!

(Click image for complete novel details.)

Warm Bodies – A Guest Review by TNBBC

4.5 Stars: Highly Recommended
Pgs:239

I cannot tell you how I excited I was when I tore open a package from Regal Literary and discovered they had sent me a copy of Isaac Marion’s zombie novel Warm Bodies!

Anything but your typical run-of-the-mill zombie story, Isaac does something that no author (that I’m aware of, at least) has done before… He puts you inside the head of one of the Undead.

Meet R. He does not know how long he has been dead, or what killed him for that matter. He assumes from his body’s slight state of decomposition that he is recently Undead. He has vague, incomplete memories of who he used to be yet he clearly understands what he is now.

Breathing new life into a somewhat tired genre of monsters and mindless villains, Isaac takes a huge risk by spinning R as an entirely likable, and even potentially lovable, character. By giving R the ability to rationalize, while perhaps unable to completely vocalize, his reasons for being who he is and doing what he does, Isaac encourages his readers to take everything they thought they knew about zombies and forget it all…

The zombies in this novel lives surprisingly human-like lives. They have best friends, they get married, they are given kids to look after. Our leading Zombie R and his hive-mates have built a church of sorts, bring their children to school (where they are locked in a ring with a kidnapped human for training purposes) and pair up on hunting expeditions for food. Oh yes, let’s not forget – they eat brains! They are zombies, after all!

On one particular hunting trip, R falls in love with a Living girl named Julie, the girlfriend of the man whose brain he’s just ingested, and makes the decision to wisk her away and keep her safe.

What we are witnessing is the transformation from Zombie to something else entirely. As R spends more time with Julie, he notices changes in his thought processes, he can control his hunger for flesh, and begins to register emotions. He begins to feel… more human.

Isaac introduces “What If”…. What if the plague that caused the dead to rise could be reversed? What if humans and zombies could come together and fight alongside one another to battle an ever greater enemy? What if the Living and the Undead could fall in love?

Part horror story, part love story, Warm Bodies is certain to catch you off guard and have you questioning everything you thought you knew about the zombie apocalypse. It’s sure to stick with you long after you’ve read the last line.

Take a peek at Isaac Marion’s homemade trailer for the novel. His book hits shelves on May 17th, under Atria Books. Go buy it!

Book Trailer