Tuesday, December 12, 2011
As the end of the year nears, I’m trying to catch up on some neglected reading. The three e-books I am reviewing below are from differing genre’s, but all have one quality in common: excellent storytelling. Bear with me while I try to do justice to the reviews.
First is
Rusty Webb’s novelette A Dead God’s Wrath. The genre is a bit difficult to pin down - not sure if you’d call it a western due to the turn of the century setting, or a historical mystery, or perhaps steam punk.
The setting is beautifully woven into the narrative, and I infer early 1900 era by several vivid descriptions: “the new, yet already obsolete gas lights, “the once muddy ground was expertly paved with cobblestone”, police instead of lawmen, “waves of progress”. The unfolding mystery is as expertly drawn as the setting.
Thomas “Tom” O’Brien, our MC, is a simple man who owns a small business in town with his partner Nathaniel. One night the O’Malley brothers - the local loan sharks - arrive at Tom’s house with Nate and his wife in towe. They force Nate to confess he has borrowed money against the business, and as a object lesson to Thomas, the brothers kill Nate and kidnap Tom’s lady love, Mary, to assure he returns with the repayment money by dawn.
“Recall what I asked you to do should something horrible happen?” Mary reminds out reluctant hero just before she is carted off.
And thus starts Thomas’ adventure. As the story progresses, he meets a mystery man Charles- a colored man with facial scars that tell their own tale - who uses strange gadgets to guide Thomas through the paths he must undertake to barter the release of his lady love.
With each paragraph, a bit more of the mystery is filled in, until finally Thomas must come to his own decisions about the past the Mary and Charles has shared, the true reasoning for the murder and kidnapping, and what he will choose to believe about his own future.
I wouldn’t consider this novelette action packed, nor would I call it a sweet tale of innocence lost. But to say the mixture isn't a perfect blend of both action/naivete might be an understatement. No matter the usual genre you read in, if you like short stories that draw you into a world and leave you breathless for the next scene, then you’ll definitely love A Dead God’s Wrath. It is just different enough to satisfy any reader’s interest.
A note on the artwork: Rusty includes a number of his sketches of the characters and the setting as a bonus at the end of this novelette. He is also the artist for the cover of A Dead God’s Wrath. If you stop by his blog to visit, please encourage him to continue to develop his artwork, and to include it in his writings.
Purchasing link
About the author: Aspiring author with a closet full of manuscripts that will most likely never go anywhere. Here's to dreams!
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I don’t think I can write a review for Indie Chicks that is more compelling than the product description:
This exciting anthology contains stories from twenty-five women from different parts of the world. Their ages differ, as do their backgrounds and locations, but one thing they all have in common is a spirit of independence and a determination to not only succeed, but prevail. Whether their struggles are to maintain balance between motherhood and career, escape from an abusive relationship, or to step out in faith and pursue a dream, all of these women have forged their own path.
As women, one of our most powerful "gifts" is the ability to encourage one another. This book is an effort to encourage women across the world. These twenty-five women share stories that will make you laugh, inspire you, and maybe even make you cry. Their hope is that these stories will inspire YOUR independent spirit and allow you to live the life you were meant to live.
In addition, each woman has included a “sneak peek” into one of her own novels.
All proceeds from this book will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation which fights breast cancer - a disease all too close to home for many of us. Our prayers and best wishes are with those who are struggling with this terrible and devastating disease. Buy a book for yourself and “gift” one to the important women in your life. Together, we can make a difference. Thank you for your support.
I’m not entirely sure what I expected when I opened this e-book. Tear-jerker type personal stories of the author’s journey towards publication, and excerpts from memoir’s and girl-power oriented novels. Neither are exactly my style.
I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of uplifting testimonials (barely a tear shed, though I assure you all tears were appropriate) and stories of strength and commitment to the fine art of writing. These women amazed me, not only with their writing journeys, but also with their choice of excerpts.
The genre’s encompass romance (including paranormal), contemporary fiction, fantasy, historical, mystery, suspense, and YA. I’m not going to tell you I read every excerpt - and I’m not talking a few paragraphs or a chapter for an excerpt; these excerpts are anywhere from three to six chapters). Some of the genre’s did not appeal to me as a reader. Not due to the quality of writing; these are all awesome writers who know how to craft a well developed, well written story concept. If you are a consistent reader/writer, then you know that not all stories appeal to all readers, regardless of the Author’s writing skills.
Several of the excerpts left me “high and dry”; gasping for breath as I turned the page and - there was no more. After a few of those cliffhanger experiences, I had to STOP myself from reading through several of the longer offerings so that I didn’t feel I’d already read the novel - regardless of where it ended. (I had to close my eyes sometimes to NOT read on as I thumbed to the next Chick.)
I skimmed through many of the actual excerpts to get to the author introductions - getting sidetracked frequently by the engaging published works. I can honestly say I’ve found myself at least ten new authors to indulge in at my leisure. And, I don’t have to put them on a TBR list. They are all right there, in my Kindle, in this handy compilation, waiting for me browse not only the stories and author bio’s, but complete with links to the actual novels. Need I say I’m in reader heaven . .
This was a marvelous concept. These Indie Chicks are all successful not only in their personal lives, but also with their writing careers. They all put the lie to the myth that inde-pubbed authors are disgruntled writers who have lost faith in the publishing industry. I think they exemplify what the writing dream is all about.
And not just for women. I think the personal stories would mimic and appeal to many male authors out there who are struggling with the same issues of day job, family, and publication aspirations.
I highly recommend this e-book to anyone who appreciates meeting interesting authors, and getting trial samples of reading material. I will be surprised if you do not find several somethings in this collection to pique you interest.
Purchasing link
Edited by Cheryl Shireman (
Cyber Witch Press)
See a complete expose on The Chicks by Anne R Allen
here
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Author /blogger
Anne R Allen is one of the Indie Chicks published in the above collection. Ghost Writers In The Sky is not showcased however.
This story is best described as a classic “whodunnit” with a touch of the grittier “hard boiled” American version of detective stories - minus the on stage violence. Perhaps, chick lit meets the cozy?
I’m not normally a fan of mystery novels - cozy or hard boiled - because the plots are usually so convoluted I feel I need to take notes to keep track of all the clues to determine which were mentioned and which were “dropped in” conveniently at the climax/resolution. I didn’t feel that sense of loss in Anne’s novel however.
As an example (and not a spoiler): our heroine Ms. Camilla Randall (Dr Manners) is given a key to an essential character’s red Ferrari to get her from a crime scene to a safe area. She gets out of the car, pushes the button to lock the vehicle, and drops the key in her purse. A perfectly natural act, one so routine it is forgettable. Later, at a point of misdirection, the key is in the purse, exactly where it needs to be. There are many such expertly integrated plot points throughout the “puzzle”. Essential objects are moved about in such subtle, routine manner you forget you notice, until the point you need to remember.
I won't mention the Fendi shoe - you'll just have to discover that one on your own (LOL).
I never once had to flip back through pages to see if the clue was previously mentioned (and believe me, with an e-book, page flipping is no easy maneuver). The reader is drawn into the mystery, not lead or deceived. The misdirection is successfully accomplished, and in the end, I was doing a "Duh, of course."
I especially loved the voice of the MC, Dr Manners. Whitty, intelligent, fashionable. The story plot was a bit over dramatic, but still completely believable. The type of scenario I could see escalating out of proportion to the circumstances in my everyday life.
I did a lot of giggling, outright laughing, and head nodding in agreement, and eye-candy type drooling while reading Ghost Writers In The Sky. The characters were vividly portrayed, the dialogue so real I wanted to check gossip magazines for the fictional celebrities, the humor and action blended perfectly.
If you’re looking for pure entertainment with a nostalgic feel, and a game of follow the clues, you’ll love this novel as much as I did.
Purchasing link
About the author: I’m the author of five comic mysteries debuting in 2011 with two publishers: Popcorn Press and Mark Williams international Digital Publishing. FOOD OF LOVE, originally published in the UK in 2003 by Babash-Ryan, made its US debut in September 2011. THE BEST REVENGE, also first published by Babash Ryan, (2005) will be relaunched by Popcorn in December. My titles with MWiDP include: THE GATSBY GAME (October 2011) GHOSTWRITERS IN THE SKY (October 2011) AND SHERWOOD, LIMITED (December 2011.) These titles will be available in paper from Popcorn Press in 2012. I’m also working on a self-help guide for writers with PAY IT FORWARD author Catherine Ryan Hyde. I’m on the faculty of the Central Coast Writers Conference and live near beautiful San Luis Obispo—the town Oprah called “the happiest town on earth.”
