Songs of Earth: A Teller’s Tale
Posted: August 10, 2018 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, World Building | Tags: Book Review, Eugene W. Cundiff, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Songs of the Earth Leave a comment
The title is Songs of Earth: A Teller’s Tale, and the author, Eugene W. Cundiff is a story teller in following with the best of the tradition. A well-crafted science fiction post-apocalyptic story, with excellent world building, this book keeps the pages turning. Cundiff captures the imagination and doesn’t let go. I didn’t want to put it down.
Songs of Earth is a tale of an abandoned civilization, left by the Mongers, those who came before them, to fend for themselves in a harsh environment as best they could. On Luna, Elisheva is a Teller’s apprentice until the terraforming technology that enables their existence quits and she is sent with a group of Miners, a Marshall and an Engineer, on a journey into the wastelands, from which no one ever returns, to attempt repairs. In thier quest to save thier people, they uncover the secrets the Mongers never intended them to discover and travel much farther than any of them ever imagined they would have to repair the damaged machinery. And they solve the mystery of what happened to those who went into the wasteland before them, including Elisheva’s brother, but they aren’t the answers Elisheva had hoped to find.
Songs of Earth follows story telling traditions in exquisite form. I give it five quills.
Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.
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“Love Me Tender”: A Romance of Convenience
Posted: August 3, 2018 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fiction, romance | Tags: Book Review, Elvis, Love Me Tender, Mimi Barbour, romance Leave a comment
What a great idea to title and theme your romances so each matches an Elvis song. I picked up this book because of the title, so I guess it works. Love Me Tender, By Mimi Barbour, is a true romance, although the circumsatances unfold and solutions resolve a little too conveniently. Girl meets boy, falls in love, but numerous obstacles keep them apart until the story unfolds and they have an epiphany that they must be together and they live happily ever after.
Love Me Tender is a touching and compelling story of what happens when two very different worlds collide. Anne comes from France to stay on a Texas ranch, owned by Rose and her husband, where she falls for the rancher’s son, Clint. They have one night together, which he was too drunk to remember, but Anne comes away with a precious keepsake of that night, her son, Max. After eight years, Rose is dying and she asks Anne to return to help her granddaughter adjust to the eventual loss. But, Anne isn’t the only one with a secret and Clint’s ex-wife is back in town. Can Anne break through the hardened shell that Clint has surrounded himself with?
This romance has all the right elements, but conflict seems to be resolved too easily. I give Love Me Tender three quills.
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Writing the Rockies through the years
Posted: July 30, 2018 Filed under: Books, Writing, Writing Event | Tags: 2018 Writing the Rockies Conference, Creative Nonfiction, Creative Writing, Genre Fiction, Poetry, Publishing, Screenwriting, Western State Colorado University, Writing Events Leave a comment
Every event we take part in touches us in some way, helping to shape us into who we are. Our experiences change us, sometimes in small ways, and sometimes in more drastic ways. We live, we learn, we transform, and always there is movement and growth. Certainly, the 2018 Writing the Rockies Conference was one such inspirational event, although there were so many offerings, it would be impossible for me to touch on them all. The offerings which I did get to attend were very informative and inspirational.
During the welcome reception, the program director, Dr. David Rothman, talked about what it is that makes the Writing the Rockies Conference stand out among other writing conferences. Certainly, the fact that it leans heavily toward the academic aspects of writing should be counted toward the top of the list. Not that the writings explored are all academic in nature, but the intention is to educate us in how to tap our inner creativity and allow it to flow out onto the page. And every year that I have attended the conference, like everything else in life, it changes and grows.
The Writing the Rockies Conference has expanded considerably since I first attended in 2012, and has even grown some since I last attended in 2016.In addition to the great panels and single day workshops, and their outstanding poetry symposium, which are offered every year, the 2018 line-up included an opera performance and workshop, three-day intensive workshops and seminars in all five concentrations, (creative nonfiction, genre fiction, poetry, screenwriting and publishing), which are available for an additional fee. And as usual, there were opportunities to sign up for pitch sessions and manuscript critiques, and social events such as Coffee with the Pros, where you have the chance to chat with professionals from the industry, both student and professional readings, as well as open mic events and a full day’s schedule of nature hikes in the Gunnison Valley, (one more thing which makes this Conference unique). While attending, there were also opportunities to attend a special presentation of Comedy is Hard by Mike Reiss and a one man play, Multitudes: An Evening with Walt Whitman by Kim Nuzzo, both public performances which coincided with Conference dates.
In his Keynote, author, poet and educator, Mark Todd discussed Writing From the Edge of Nowhere, and why so many writers sprout from Colorado or are drawn to Colorado as a backdrop. Certainly, the breath taking scenery attracts the attention of writers and many have tried to capture the beauty of the Colorado landscape with their words. There are some who haven’t done a bad job of it. As a native Colorado author who made historic Colorado my setting in Delilah, I can tell you that the love for the landscape draws you and for westerns, the landscape plays a big part.
The publishing panel, moderated by Kevin J. Anderson, who has been traditionally published for many years and has founded his own WordFire Press with his wife Rebecca, was enlightening for me. As I’d been wondering if my own publisher was being fair with me. I learned what you should be able to expect from a small press publisher, and found that although perhaps my communication with my own publisher could be better, they are probably giving me a pretty fair deal in today’s market. Their panel also made me reconsider my own plans for publishing The Great Primordial Battle, which is book 1 of my Playground for the Gods science fantasy series. It’s been sitting on the virtual shelf after many rejections, and I was planning to self-publish it when it comes back from my beta reader, but now I’m thinking perhaps I should give traditional publishing one more shot before I go that route.
I had the honor of sitting on the alumni panel for Western’s Graduate Program for Creative Writing, which offered the chance for panel members to toot their own horns about their individual successes and tout praises for the M.F.A. in Creative Writing program. On the panel with me were my fellow alumni, Chris Barili, Susan Spear and moderator, Steve Visel.
Although I did not purchase a meal card, I heard high praise for the conference cuisine, well worth the additional charge. The welcome dinner and ceremonies, featured delectable appetizers, a main course of stuffed peppers or mushroom chicken and all the accompaniments, and mouth-watering fruit pies for desert. All was well prepared and attractively presented by Western State Colorado College.
The one thing I was disappointed with was that I didn’t get to do the book signing I had anticipated due to scheduling conflicts. But at Writing the Rockies they are always looking for ways to improve their program, so I can always hope that next year things will be scheduled better. Over all it was a great conference and I look forward to watching it grow and develop in the future.
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“Zomnibus: Two Zombie Detective Novels in One Book
Posted: July 27, 2018 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Crime, Dark Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Post-Apocalyptic, Speculative Fiction | Tags: Book Review, Comedy, Crime novel, Detective stories, Humor, Kevin J. Anderson, Speculative Fiction, Zomnibus 6 Comments
In Zomnibus, by New York Times best selling author, Kevin J. Anderson each case is a short tale in the unlife of a zombie detective. In the world following the Big Uneasy and the return from death en mas, vampires may be victims, ghosts can be discriminated against, zombie’s might be graffitti artists and ogres serve as security guards. Together with his human business partner and his ghost of a girlfriend, Dan Shamble detective agency solves cases for both living and unnatural clients.
These zombie detective tales are carefully crafted to keep your attention and tickle your funny bone. Anderson’s light tone and corny humor guarantee the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. tales will evoke at least a few chuckles. I give Zomnibus five quills.
Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.
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Interview with author Ashley Scott
Posted: July 23, 2018 Filed under: Action/Adventure, Author Profile, Books, Dark Fantasy, Fiction, Interview, Speculative Fiction, Thriller | Tags: Action, Ashley Scott, Author Interview, Dark Fantasy, Demon Anarchy, Speculative Fiction, Thriller Leave a comment
I always love to do interviews with new authors, because they get so excited. The first interview I ever did, with Dan Alatore, I was riding on the top of the world. For me, it signified that this was it and I was really a published author. Today we have an up and coming author with us, Ashley Scott, whose debute novel is a dark fantasy action thriller, Demon Anarchy. She’s here today to tell us about her book and a little about herself, as well.
Kaye: Would you share the story of your own publishing journey?
Ashley: My publishing story began with a manuscript of course. Once completed, my beta readers tore it apart piece by piece. I had to make changes before daring to pass it along to my editor, who also helped strengthen my story, Demon Anarchy, before deciding where to publish. Should I publish through a house or self publish through a website? After doing some research I decided to self publish through Amazon with assistance of a few friends who have done this process before. I love how simple it was however my next goal is to publish a book through a publishing house.
Kaye: Are you a plotter or a pantser? Why?
Ashley: I guess you could say a little bit of both. If I plot out my story chapter by chapter (I’ve tried this method before and it took me weeks, I finally accomplished beginning to end and threw all my notes out because I grew bored of the story). This proved to me I required some mystery involved in plotting my stories. So now I write very minimal notes and type what comes to mind. I believe some plotting is good to keep the flow of your story and to keep your readers interested.
Kaye: What is the one thing in your writing career that is the most unusual or unique thing you’ve done so far?
Ashley: Um….how about try ‘too hard’? If that’s a thing? I used to get up in the early hours of dawn to type a page or two before going to college or going to work. I also used to trial so many different methods of plotting and note taking it drove me insane! So I settled for what currently works and blocked out a reasonable amount of time during the day to type.
Kaye: Would you like to talk a little about your blog or website?
Ashley: Currently, I don’t have a blog. I only have a website where you can find a buy link to my book Demon Anarchy along with my contact information and monthly author interviews I post to help authors succeed at reaching out to their audiences.
Kaye: What was the most fun interview you’ve ever done? Why?
Ashley: I’ve only completed a few author interviews so far, I think all of them are fun to do in a way.
Kaye: Would you like to tell us a little about Demon Anarchy?
Ashley: Would I ever! It’s not only a page flipper flooded with action including explosive weaponry, but also combined with entrancing romantic encounters and a twisted plot line. It opens to New York City, the big apple, where the reader discovers demons lurching in the shadows of the city living off the blood of humans. Only agents know of their existence, the rest are left blind to the war about to appear within the allies and streets.
Time isn’t on their side when the agents discover the leader of the demons appear and wreak havoc among the city by rallying the numbers, creating Demon Anarchy.
Kaye: If Demon Anarchy was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?
Ashley: I keep jumping between two main characters. Alice, an agent trained to kill demons, and Damien a half demon who feels trapped between the human the demon world. Damien would be my first choice, Mr. Bad Apple and won’t take a no for an answer, however Alice whose stubborn and strong willed personality takes a close second. I would cast Milla Jovovich as Alice, and Christian Bale as Damien.
Kaye: It seems that you travel quite a bit. Have any of the places you’ve traveled ended up in your books? Which ones?
Ashley: I love to travel, which is why I’ve traveled different parts of the world with my husband. Yes, I’ve traveled to New York City which is the setting for my story Demon Anarchy as portrayed with descriptions of alleyways during rainy nights and the busy crowded streets filled with people during the day. I always thought the big apple would be the perfect location for demons lurking in the shadows.
Kaye: What is the strangest inspiration for a story you’ve ever had?
Ashley: Not sure….there has been so many random moments where all I have to do is listen to the right music or see something that sparks my imagination and my thoughts go wild.
Kaye: What can you tell us about what’s in store for your readers? Any WIPs you’d like talk about?
Ashley: I’m currently 22 weeks pregnant and am due in November, so my writing has slowed down a bit. But I’m still hammering away at the first book of a trilogy consisting of young women who revolutionize their kingdom in the early 1800’s. The book I’m currently typing is about a young woman who fights against the world of men to become the first female professor in her kingdom by entering the king’s challenge, a challenge of the mind proven to pluck out the smartest individual in Cirus whose worthy enough to tutor the future heir to the throne. However within time the plot could change a little depending on my mood/interest, but this is the strongest plot I’m currently focusing a lot of my time and effort on.
Kaye: Describe yourself in three words.
Ashley: Friendly. Gregarious. Social.
Kaye: Your introduction on your Facebook page says, “Multi-tasking is my talent”. Besides writing, what are your other talents?
Ashley: Playing tennis, editing manuscripts, and developing exercise programs for the elderly.
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If you’re an author and you’d like to be interviewed on Writing to be Read, email Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com and put Interview Request in the subject line.
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“Brave New Multiverse”: A Short Story Collection
Posted: July 20, 2018 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Science Fiction, Screenwriting, Stories | Tags: Book Review, Brave New Multiverse, Jeff Bowles, Science Fiction, Short Fiction, Short Stories, Short Story Collection Leave a comment
Brave New Multiverse is a collection of unusual and unique short stories by Jeff Bowles, in which there is never a dull moment. You may be amazed, amused, confused, or even a little disgusted, but you will not be bored with any of the stories in this collection.
Bowles combines the craft of short story with screenwriting to create an experimental writing style that somehow works. His descriptive power is phenomenal, if a bit graphic. The worlds he has created may be strange and difficult to define, but they are also different from worlds encountered by any other author. In Itsies, ids are called itsies and you don’t got to love them, even if they wear a teddy bear suit. In The Many Deaths of Lazarus Lad, comic book heroes never ever die. In Detective Robot and the Murderous Spacetime Schism, robots and gorillas are detectives solving the case of the deceased dropping from the sky. In Donald Carmichael’s Brave New Multiverse: A trip to five very odd ‘verses’, where nothing is as it appears, or is it? And in Snip, Snip: where they take bigotry to new levels and have hang ups about testicles.
His characters are as diverse and unique as the worlds he’s created, and he pairs them into unanticipated couplings: Gorilla Todd and Detective Robot, an investigative team that can solve the crime, even in the face of the dead falling randomly from the sky; Donald Carmichael and Max, who don’t know love until it reaches out and bites them in the ass; Lazarus Lad and his egocentric dad, who know no other life; Nelson and Jay, who just wanted to help their injured pooch; Tug and Petunia, rude and obnoxious itsies, who may even be dangerous, belonging to Tom and Pamela, who don’t know the meaning of tough love.
Want to explore strange new worlds which you’ve never encountered before? Take a trip into any one of Jeff Bowles’ stories from this collection. I give Brave New Multiverse five quills.
Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.
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Writing for a YA Audience: LEND ME YOUR EAR…OR YOUR LENDING LIBRARY
Posted: July 18, 2018 Filed under: Books, Reading, Writing, Writing for a YA Audience, Young Adult | Tags: Books, Lending Libraries, Reading, YA, Young Adult, Young Adult Fiction Leave a comment
Lending libraries are the new craze. Basically, you build this little wooden box on a pole and stick it in your front yard. Most of the time, the little wooden box has a little glass window. People walking by leave a book and take a book. Lending libraries encourage neighborhoods to connect and read more. Plus, if you’re like me, they’re a great way to give away books and know they’ll go to a good home. The lending libraries can also be found outside of churches, schools, community pools, anywhere you might find a group of readers hungry for new books.
(For those who feel the need to DIY, here are some simple instructions to build your own.)
Lending libraries pull me in, and I’ve frequented quite a few. There’s one in Old Forge, Westernville, and New Hartford, all towns in Upstate New York where I live. Recently, I dropped off signed copies of my novels to the one in New Hartford.
Lending libraries, however, cater more toward adults than to young adults. Each one I’ve been to has never contained a young adult novel. I’ve seen some picture books for kids, but nothing in the young adult genre. The books are all well-worn copies of religious non-fiction, popular chick-lit or obscure fiction. I’m not knocking any of those genres, but let’s build up some interest for teenage readers.
The news is often talking about how teenagers aren’t reading enough. The news talks about how teenagers focus on their phones instead of getting out into the world. Lending libraries meant for young adults, or lending libraries with YA titles mixed in, would “fix” both of those issues. Teenagers would be reading more. They’d be introduced to more options. They would also be getting out into their neighborhoods. A great way to make lending libraries more interactive is to leave a note or bookmark inside the treasure you drop off. I like to include a thought about why I enjoyed the story. It helps to connect the readers, even if they live in a different town.
I’m all for dropping off a young adult title or two in the nearest lending library. Who is with me?
Jordan Elizabeth is a young adult fantasy author. Her latest book, a post-apocalyptic novella entitled ROTHAM RACE, released July 14th fron CHBB. You can connect with Jordan via her website, JordanElizabethBooks.com.
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“Rotham Race”: A Story of Orphan Love
Posted: July 13, 2018 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Dystopian, Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic, romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult 1 Comment
Rotham Race, by Jordan Elizabeth, is a post-apocalyptic, dystopian YA romance; a crossing of genres that works well for the most part. The story has a good plot with a smooth flow, although the pacing felt rushed at times. The world which Jordan Elizabeth has created, where a nuclear blast annihilated half of country, and the government can’t be trusted, is both believable and thought provoking, and her characters are both relatable and likeable.
The Rotham Race is a tradition where young men and women go out into the wastelands left by a nuclear blast to find a microchip which can return things to the way they were, or so they are told. Each year dozens of racers set off into the wastelands never to be seen again. Troy Vonpackal is an idealistic orphan, determined to find the chip and save the world, and Barbie Chambers is the orphan who can help him achieve his goal. When fate throws them together, they find themselves falling in love, but there are many obstacles which stand in their way. When Troy returns with the chip, they both learn that the government may not have been entirely truthful about the race or the chip, and the truth may change their lives forever.
My only criticism is that there wasn’t enough foreshadowing to suspend my disbelief in certain places. Many of the conflicts are resolved with little difficulty, or in some cases, the solution is just handed to them, making some events seem too convenient for me to buy in. Yet, I can’t say this detracted from my enjoyment of the story, which was quite entertaining overall.
A quick and easy read, with an ending that comes too sudden. I felt like the characters had more to give, so maybe there will be a sequel. I give Rotham Race four quills.
Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.
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The Impacts of Digital Publishing
Posted: July 9, 2018 Filed under: Books, Promotion, Publishing, Self-Publishing, Writing | Tags: Digital Publishing, promotion, Reader Platform, Writing Leave a comment
Everyone talks about how the rise of digital publishing has impacted the book industry and the effects it may have on authors. Some think these effects are good, while others view them as having a negative impact. It is true that digital publishing opened up opportunities for would be writers, making it so just about anyone can write and publish a book with no need to be discovered by an agent or publisher.
But, it is equally true that many brick and mortar bookstores have had to close their doors due to the competition from eBooks and the rapid growth and expansion of Amazon. And, it’s also true that because it is now so easy to publish a book and authors who publish independently are able to circumvent the traditional publishing gatekeepers, there are no gauruntees that the books we purchase will be of good quality writing. There is nothing in place to be sure the books we put out have been edited. So, it would seem that digital publishing had had both positive and negative effects, depending on which area of the business you work in.
One area of impact that many authors don’t realize or appreciate, is the fantastic promotional opportunities the digital era has supplied for us. Due to social media promotion and email, we are able to access direct communication with fans and followers that via means which weren’t available in the pre-digital era, and this is a great plus for us. We need to take advantage of these great opportunities and listen to our readers, when we’re fortunate enough to get a comment or a review. I try to respond back to every comment readers leave me, and check my reviews for new ones frequently. And yes, these days posted reviews can make or break a book’s success, influencing potential readers, so reviews do matter.
Today’s author doesn’t have a fan base of faceless readers. Today’s authors have the opportunity to make connections with their readers. Some authors have found ways to take advantage of this by gathering their followers together in Facebook groups or put together street teams who actively promote their writing or go out and get reviews for them.
I can see how beneficial these practices are, because I know how much time and energy I have to put into marketing and promotion. But even though I don’t harness my fanbase as a promotional asset, I still appreciate the chance to reach out and chat with my readers to find out what works for them and what doesn’t. And while I don’t have a gazillion reviews on Amazon or Goodreads, the ones I do have are good ones, making Delilah a four and a half star read. It’s all because of you, my readers. So, I can appreciate the impact that digital publishing has had in this area.
The negative impacts, the fading of brick and mortar bookstores, the increase in the number of poor quality books put out. They are still there and likely will be for time to come, although I’ve heard the trend for print books is rising again. Unless digital publishers implement some type of quality control system, or all authors act professionally and create quality writing that’s been edited before publication, a poorly written or unedited book is liable to pop-up here and there, being generally unavoidable.
I don’t have all the answers, and I can’t change trends that I feel are negatives on the industry, but I can appreciate the positives that digital publishing has brought with it. I like getting to know my readers. So, before I sign off on this post, I’d like to urge you to reach out and let me know who you are and what you like, or don’t like, about my writing. It only takes a moment to leave a comment, and I promise to respond to each and every one.
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“Behind Frenemy Lines”: Sometimes the lines between friends and enemies get crossed
Posted: July 6, 2018 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fiction, romance, Romantic Comedy | Tags: Behind Frenemy Lines, Book Review, Chele Pederson Smith, romance, Romantic Comedy, Spy Romance Leave a comment
Behind Frenemy Lines, by Chele Pederson Smith is a cute spy romance about two spies who end up partners, in ways that go far beyond the case they’re on. This story reads like it was begun as a playful tease for the author’s husband, which is exactly how it was, as revealed in my interview with the author. Like the author, who was upbeat and fun when interviewed, you can’t help but smile as you read this story.
The dominant romance element and snappy banter between the protagonists sets a rom-com tone that carries throughout the novel. I had trouble buying in to the whole, ‘we’re spies who don’t trust each other, but we can’t keep our hands off one another’ concept because I was trying to take this story too seriously. It was written as a sort of fun game and is meant to be read that way, as well. The sex scenes are tasteful and ‘R’ rated. Although there is frequent headhopping and perhaps a little too much exposition and a couple of logic flaws, it is a fun read.
This story is like fine chocolate – to be endulged when you just want to feel good. Like the catchy title, Behind Frenemy Lines will tickle your funny bone in unexpected ways. I give it four quills.
Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.
