Bloggin' Outloud

How I Write

2012-01-25T15:47:00.001-06:00

From Ideas to Completed Project

Everyone has a different approach to writing. Jeff Ambrose just posted a short note on how he massages ideas into various stories. Read his slant on the matter and see what you think. I believe whatever works for you is great. But if you need help getting off dead center, then experiment - try different approaches to getting a story from brain to paper. Dean Wesley Smith, for example, is in the midst of a 100 short story challenge and he starts with a title and goes from there.

A lot of times I will just start writing based on an intriguing scenario. I simply start off with an opening hook (usually in media res) that grabs a reader’s attention. Well, my attention anyway. And then I fill out that opening scene or develop the main character in order to get the story going and until I run out of steam (usually at 500 to 1000 words). At this point I let my story idea(s) simmer a bit (and maybe gather more ideas) and return to the manuscript later with a basic plot and very often an ending in mind.

This second step can come on the heels of writing my opening hook or many weeks later – or even longer! If you've seen my WIP list, you know I have a bunch of story starts just waiting around for my subconscious brain to return to them. Now, if I know the ending then I can power through on my third swipe at the story and maybe have something worth reading by the time I come up for air. Ambrose calls this the 'idea honing' stage. If I don’t know the ending of the story, I’ll just keep cycling back (I edit as I go) until I get there and discover what just happened. If I'm happy with the result, it's a wrap. If not, I go back and simmer.

That’s my current approach, at any rate. It may change as I move from short stories to novellas and on to novels. How do you go about the writing process?

Indie Publishing Bootcamp

2012-01-24T18:11:00.002-06:00

The bullet points for this post are completely "borrowed" from David Gaughran's recent post, Why Is My Book Not Selling? Go ahead and visit David's site for an expanded discussion, but for now, read the summary below and let me know if we've missed anthing.

(These points, btw, have been borrowed in one form or another from other successful writers. Feel free to rework them for your own purposes and spread the word to emerging writers everywhere who will benefit by these basic principles of indie publishing.)

So, what does it take to find and keep an audience for your stories? Here's a 2 minute bootcamp (we might call it Publishing 101):

Write a compelling story. Find your voice and use it. Readers will discover your unique storytelling style if you write enough material and make it available. Get some beta readers to proof and edit even if you're good at this yourself.
Create or purchase great cover art. Catch your potential readers' interest with professional artwork that doubles as a paperback cover as well as an icon for online browsing (ie, it has and easy to read title and byline).
Write a fantastic blurb. Typically the blurb introduces the reader to the main character, hints at the story's crisis, and hooks the reader with your creative voice. Entice, don't explain.
Price your story right. You may need to experiment here, but the current shake down seems to be that short stories sell for 99 cents to $1.50; short collections of stories and novellas run from $1.99 to $3.99; longer collections and novels start at $4.99 and go up from there. Test it and see.
Provide a free sample. Called try before you buy. Make 10% to 20% of your story available for preview or free download. Also, if you post a free short story (called a loss leader) include one or more samples of your longer works along with links for easy purchase.
Format properly. Experiment with Smashword's meat grinder until you get it right. Then take what you've learned and upload your Kindle version. Make it available as a paperback POD as well. Hit all the outlets you can...which is really part of the last bullet...
Learn to market - but not at the expense of writing your next story. Download Gaughran's PDF version of Let's Get Digital for free. It's a great summary of "how to self-publish and why you should."

So. Are those all the basics you've heard of? I can probably come up with a few more that may form the basis of Indie Publishing 102. But this will get us started for now. Feel free to add your two cents. And let's begin selling our best.

(Note: I cross posted this blog entry elsewhere online.)

Top Secret Project

2012-01-20T14:08:00.002-06:00

Well, I guess it's not super secret anymore since I'm telling you a bit about it, but the reason I haven't blogged for a few days is that I'm plotting out a series of interrelated, or serial, novellas.

The style will be quite different than my normal fun and fancy. I guess I'd describe the genre as gritty realism (thriller/suspense/psychological), with multiple flashbacks, and told by an unreliable narrator.

Speaking of which, do you like unreliable narrators? Does the storytelling keep you guessing or make you mad?

Grammar Nazi BeGone!

2012-01-16T20:28:00.000-06:00

or The Confessions of a Former Grammar Nazi

Yep, I was one. I use to believe that grammar rules were absolute. But times have changed and so have I. Or rather, the rules have changed and I finally got a clue. Let's say it together: Grammar - that indefinable set of examples of syntax and word usage - changes over time.

That's right, indefinable. Oh, we claim there is this thing called Standard English Usage. But who decides just exactly what is standard at this point in time? What passes as standard here in America is different than the standard in Great Britain.

Now, granted, we all utilize a kind of Textus Receptus of English vocabulary, sentence structure, spelling norms, etc. All well and good. As a result of this usage we've developed a set of "rules" that explain what we've come up with. They tell us how we've been using English after the fact. Did you catch that? These "rules" are descriptive in nature. Not prescriptive.

Bottom line? What passes as proper grammar is simply not written in stone. But many people insist that it is. Meet the grammar police. They'll correct you if you write or say something that doesn't jibe with their sense of propriety. They have rules and they're sticking with 'em.

Well, I have rules too. In future posts - consider this an occasional series - I'll tackle a few examples of what I think are just dumb grammar practices that some insist should be standard practices for everyone everywhere. Feel free to participate. But if you're into hard and fast rules, beware. I may turn my new anti-snooty cream on you: Grammar Nazi BeGone!

PS This is all in good fun, btw. Future discussion will likely include split infinitives, place of prepositions, double negatives, text-speak, etc. What are some of your most passionate beliefs regarding grammar?

Duffy vs Adele

2012-01-12T16:00:00.000-06:00

In this corner, Duffy weighs in with her debut album, Rockferry (2008). This album boasts some great songs, even though the radio hit "Mercy" (a good song, mind you) gave the wrong impression as to the totality of the album's style. "Warwick Avenue" is more representative of the collection's feel and showcases Duffy's range, vocal strength, and versatility. "Distant Dreamer" is probably my favorite song (it builds, baby, it builds), but "Stepping Stone" is a haunting tune and lyric. I like the variety of song styles on this CD as it provides something for every mood. Rockferry is a great debut album, too bad her 2010 Endlessly didn't do as well - I probably would have bought it if I'd been reminded of it on the radio.

In the opposite corner is Adele boasting her second studio album 21 (2011). I'm a bit behind the curve here having only recently purchased her CD, evidently a followup to 19, her debut from 2008. Both titles are indicative of her age at production, which underscores how remarkably mature her voice is for her age and experience. The first track (and radio release), "Rolling in the Deep," is a good song and a fair representative of the rest of the album's sound, but it is a bit repetitive. In fact, most of the songs rely on a catchy hook and then play it for all its worth. The other radio hits are "Set Fire to the Rain" and "Someone Like You" but my favorite is probably "Turning Tables." I like this collection overall, but the songs do start to sound the same after awhile.

So, which album is better? Duffy vs. Adele. Imagine a Venn Diagram (I'm introducing Compare/Contrast to my 6th grade Language Arts class).

First of all, they're both young women with moving and inspiring voices. They both sing a popular form of "new blues" or Motown-inspired British soul. They're both from England (okay, okay, Duffy is Welsh). And both albums are about the loss of love and the "screw you, I'm over you" feminine independence of our current and last decade (think of them as providing the soundtrack for Sex and the City). Oh, and the cover art for each album features the singer in b/w with downcast eyes. The disappointment of unrequited love!

+ Typical lyric from Duffy: "I will never be your stepping stone. Take it all or leave me alone." (4th track, "Stepping Stone")

+ Typical lyric from Adele: "Next time I'll be braver, I'll be my own savior standing on my own two feet." (3rd track, "Turning Tables")

There are differences as well. As alluded to, Adele's song selection is consistent in the new blues tone and style whereas Duffy's album is a mix of rhythm, blues, soul, and pop. I think Duffy's range is greater since Adele starts to whine a bit in the higher register. And...hmm, I'm sure there are other differences, but this post is already running longer than usual.So you'll have to do your own Venn diagram. Or T-chart. And let me know.

Bottom line. If you like one, you'll probably like the other; their albums round out this corner of the contemporary female pop/blues genre. What's my preference? Well, if you put an MP3 player to my head and told me to choose, I'd have to lean toward Duffy. Can you say the same?

Fill Your Submission Pipeline

2012-01-10T17:23:00.001-06:00

Writing is a pipeline business. To get acceptances to come out the one end you have to push submissions into the top of the line. Push. And keep pushing. Don't think one little sub is going to be an oil gusher.

I think beginner writers - and many of us who can no longer be considered beginners - make a common mistake: we put our little baby in the top of the pipeline then run around to the other end and look for it. Helloooo in there. Where are you little story? Did you get accepted yet?

Then, 3 months later, a little fart escapes out the pipe's end, a depressing, hissing noise that lets us know our story was declined. So we mourn that little story's passing for a few months until we get up the courage to put it (or another one we finally finished) into the top of the pipeline. And we run around to the end again to wait, call, beg, wonder, fume...

That's called Riding the Pipeline to Heck method of submitting stories. One at a time. Wait, worry, wilt. Repeat. Yikes!

Here's the reality. You want acceptances to come out the back end of the pipeline? You have to stuff the front end. Truth is, a number of stories will get lost in there. But if you keep the pipeline full of activity (writing more stories, submitting more stories), then inevitably you'll start getting a flow of acceptances.

Simple business model. Keep the pipeline full.

Are you a writer or an author?

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

Great post at Dean Wesley Smith on Writer vs Author.

— A Writer is a person who writes. — An Author is a person who has written. — A Writer is always focused on the story they are writing at the moment, always focused on the story coming next to write. — A Writer is always focused on the future. — An Author is always focused on what they have written. — An Author is always focused into the past. — A Writer is a person who writes the next story. — An Author is a person who spends their time promoting their last story. — A Writer gets feedback from the simple act of writing and finishing stories. — An Author must get feedback from external sources such as reviews, sales, promotions, editors, workshops, and so on.

And some final thoughts from Dean:

Each person must decide why they write. Is it to be published and get acclaim? Then you are more than likely an Author. If you write because you love to tell stories, love the fear and the joy and the excitement of entertaining yourself while telling stories, then you are more than likely a Writer.

It Wasn't Rejected, It Was Declined

2012-01-08T14:37:00.000-06:00

Okay, so maybe it's a matter of semantics. But you have to admit, rejection has such a negative connotation that even saying the word is difficult. It feels personal and permanent. Loser. Unworthy. Reject. See what I mean?

I prefer the word declined. This seems less personal. Passive, in fact. Do you want some more mashed potatoes? No thanks, I'll decline. No big deal. Passing on a good thing for now. You're potatoes were wonderful, Aunt Molly, really. I'm just stuffed. Hear what I'm saying?

That being said, I got my first reje...er, declination of 2012. I felt sad...for a few seconds...for the market that passed on my story! Then I turned around and submitted it to another magazine.

In fact, I was hoping I'd get the inevitable out of the way early in the year. Since Christmas I've sent 7 stories "off to market" and have been sort of waiting for the shoe to drop. Well, the first publication (of many, I'm sure) to decline one of my stories finally came through and we can now put that concern to bed. It's time to wake up and start submitting.

Oh, and remember. Babe Ruth led the league in strikeouts in 1927...the same year he hit 60 home runs.

For discussion: How do you approach so-called rejection?

Why do we envy published writers?

2012-01-06T19:29:00.002-06:00

It's not like they're making much money going the traditional publishing route. Check out the math from Kristine Kathryn Rusch as she talks about how "writers will work for cheap."

Math doesn’t lie, y’all. Most of you traditionally published midlist writers—you’ll never earn your measly $5000 advance back, y’know, the one paid in installments over three years? The thing you licensed most of your rights for to get 5,000 or 10,000 or maybe, if you’re lucky, 20,000 copies of your book into stores in the first six months of publication.

What happens after six months? The paper editions go away. Out of print, out of sight, out of mind. The e-book will remain in print, but you try earning back an advance with inaccurate sales reporting, and some kind of math that turns 25% of net into 8% of retail. Good luck with that. If you get any royalties at all, they’re years down the road.

You’ve licensed almost everything you could on that book for an extra 5,000 or 10,000 sales in a six-month period that is rapidly disappearing in your rearview mirror.

So just because someone has an agent and a traditional publishing deal doesn't amount to much. Are they making money. That's the, well, the bottom line. For me anyway. Not that we need envy anyone who makes money either, but it seems to me that earning a living trumps any false fame one might perceive he or she gets from actually publishing a book with a traditional publisher.

What do you think? Do you write for fame? For fortune? To get your name on a book, even if you do it for cheap?

Pick One For Me To Finish

2012-01-05T16:37:00.000-06:00

So far, so good. But then, this is only the first week! In my quest to Write 1 Sub 1 each week this year (my New Year's resolution), I've completed one story and submitted it already.

Now I have to come clean, I only needed 500 more words to finish that story. But heh. Whatever it takes, right? And to keep me motivated these first few months, I just have to turn to my list of WIPs. These stories are just begging to be completed. They have titles and a beginning but little else.

Here's where you come in. In the sidebar is a poll. Pick the title (or two) of the story you want me to finish by the end of the month. The poll is open until January 10th. So vote soon and often. Well, just kidding about the often part. But vote! Let me know your favorite title. Thanks!

(Oh, and if you comment here with your prediction of the winning title of the story that I'll finish, I may pick a random winner to...er, win something. :)

UPDATE (Jan 11, 2012): Polls are closed! The winning title is "Yes Allie, That's a Bogeyman Under Your Bed." It beat "The Curious Case of Kevin Klaag" by one vote. "To Tame a Demon" came in third. So here's what I'll do. I'll start on these stories right after I finish this week's W1S1 challenge, "Or the Highway." And for those who commented, Deb and Chris, your reward is to be my beta reader for the Klaag piece since you both voted for it and it came in second. (Plus, I'm wanting to submit it to the Monsters! anthology and will need the feedback, if you're willing! :)

But I'm not a...

2012-01-03T17:01:00.000-06:00

...fill in the blank.

Go on, admit it. You've said that phrase in protest to something or other in your past. Someone recommends a book. "But I'm not a reader." A friend suggests you take Zumba together. "But I'm not coordinated." Your Language Arts teacher asked you to write a story in middle school. "But I'm not a writer."

And so you let the nottas control your life. The truth is we are (and can do) anything we decide to be (or do). It's a matter of choice. Oh sure, there're some genetic limitations that limit an insignificant number of our choices in life. But those miniscule exceptions prove the rule - we can choose to do and be and create! We have the ability to choose what our life looks like.

At least have the guts to say, "I choose not to read, dance, or write." For at the point that we admit "we are choosing" we take ownership of our current state.

So, if you were not happy with 2011, then you chose not to be happy with it. You didn't read that book, not because you aren't a reader but because you chose not to read it. You didn't write that story, not because you aren't a writer but because you chose not to write it.

The good news is that you can do something different this year. And you can choose to be happy with the results. So, what's holding you back? Be someone different this year. Create something. Do it.

Christmas Break Outing

2011-12-30T14:36:00.000-06:00

The Kansas Underground Salt Museum was a fun and enlightening family field trip this week. Taking a break from feasting and lazing around the house, we took a trip to one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas.

Hey, don't laugh. We have them! Among the finalists that Kansans voted on are the largest ball of twine, largest hand dug well, and Big Brutus. And they're all on our list to see in 2012.

Back to the salt mine - it's a real, working site that probably provides salt gravel for your roads in the winter. In addition to an underground museum, the mine hosts Underground Vaults and Storage, a place where government records, movie films, and anything else imaginable is stored.

There are so many organizations that want to use this mine, it's crazy...do you know? Because a mine is a terrible thing to waste. :)

Hey, Traditional Publishers Here's An Idea

2011-12-28T01:00:00.000-06:00

The Passive Guy posted an excerpt from Joe Konrath's neener neener Happy New Year wishes to all the editors who rejected his best selling indie novel, The List. This prompted some interesting discussion. One person, William Ockham, wrote:

The question that came to my mind when I read this is why don’t the big publishers have an e-book only (or e-book + POD) imprint? Surely, all the editors who rejected that book for traditional publishing can’t be idiots, so lets assume that the book was too big a risk to publish the usual way. Why don’t the big publishers take the “not quite good enough for ‘real’ publishing” manuscripts, put them through a low-cost assembly line (copyediting, cover art, etc.) and send them to Amazon and B and N? They could charge a lower price for these ‘inferior’ goods and make a ton of money. I am increasingly convinced that if you are a stockholder in a traditional publishing house, you should be suing the company for corporate malpractice (that’s a joke, I know our host is a lawyer).

This prompted David Forbes to say:

I love William’s idea of e-book only imprints. Though the standard publisher stance at the moment is that it’s not that much cheaper *for them* to do e-books since only 25%, or thereabouts, is tied up with the actual physical media.

That’s what needs to change. Publishers have to *dramatically* lower some of their so-called “fixed” costs so that they *can* create e-book only imprints that can get books to market in weeks to a month or two rather a year to a year and a half. Time will tell if they realize this before Amazon and others eat their lunch.

Which in turn led Ockham to state:

If the publishers want to lie to themselves and say it isn’t much cheaper to publish e-books, there’s not much that can be done, but as our host points out, publishing is not a healthy business. The slush pile is an asset that can be converted very easily into a brand new revenue stream.

Remember, an editor has read these manuscripts and should have a fairly good idea which ones can be turned into a decent quality e-book for $5,000 or less. Pay no advances, but give the authors a 50-50 royalty split ($3 on our $6 e-book). If you figure the distributor (Amazon, et al.) gets $1, that leaves $2 a copy for the publisher. If these editors can’t pick manuscripts that will sell 3,000 copies in a year, why do they have jobs?

They should be able to do this with essentially zero risk. They need to start now while their name still means something.

I think this idea has merit. Anyone else have a reaction?

The Right Way to Critique

2011-12-26T16:47:00.000-06:00

Came across a link at Deb Walker's blog about an intriguing call for entries from Edmund Schubert, editor of Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic Medicine Show. At Magical Words (a site for aspiring writers), Schubert offered to critique the first 200 words of the first 20 authors who posted excerpts from their short stories.

I was pleasantly surprised by how he worded his feedback. I learned a lot from reading his responses - as much from how he said something as what he said. Of course, he set the ground rules from the beginning: "So that we’re clear, I’m going to post my comments about your short story in a direct fashion. I don’t intend to mock anyone or be brutal, but I need to be honest or this exercise is a waste of everyone’s time." Fair enough!

Here's one example (I may post more in the future):

A writer* posted:

If one could trudge across the Atlantic, that’s how I might have described my progress back from London, where the streets were cool, the men were well-dressed, and when they weren’t, they at least had the decency to give a polite, “morning!” before darting nakedly down an alleyway in search of a Lycanthrope Emergency Box. The muggy North Carolina summer seemed to suck out not only my energy, but every ounce of expectation I’d had for a good break between semesters.

A buffalo-sized man in little more than a greasy apron and an orange hunting cap shunted me out of line in Target. I watched in horror as his gray-sprouted backside rippled away from me and noticed that he was also wearing pristine timberlands with the price tags still attached.

He slammed a tent-sized pair of sweatpants in front of the clerk. Her thin ponytail quivered as she scanned the barcode.

“F-five-twenty-”

“Y’all think I walk around like this for fun?” he barked. “You happen to look up last night, hun? This is what my tax-dollars pay for!”

“The town is really growing up!” my mom said, taking my attention away from the train-wreck of Lycanthrope-Human relations occurring a few feet away. She gestured out the window. “We have a Starbucks now.”

Schubert responded:

Your opening is an interesting mix of confusion and intrigue. I think “If one could trudge across the Atlantic, that’s how I might have described my progress back from London…” means that your narrator has just returned from London, but I found it confusing and had to read it more than once to come to than conclusion. Openings need to be crystal clear, but slush readers aren’t going to take the time to figure things out; they’re just going to reject anything that doesn’t make sense and move on to the next one.

On the plus-side, you’ve created a really intriguing blend of everyday normalcy and werewolf madness, and that is clear. And it’s not ‘told;’ it’s very deftly shown through details.

The other thing I’d ask you to address is that I don’t yet have a sense of what is driving your narrator. What does she want? That needs to be established strong and clear very early on in short stories, and I don’t any hint of that yet, beyond “a good break between semesters.” That’s not enough. I doubt it’s the main thing, but you need to get to the main thing ASAP. What does she want?

You’ve created an intriguing setting for a story (a world were lycanthropy is a common problem that borders on mere nuisance its so common), but you need a specific situation/problem that impacts and drives your character specifically.

Now this is the right way to critique, imo. Helpful, honest, and still encouraging. As an editor, I wish I was able to respond with as much detail to every submission, but of course it's impossible. Schubert doesn't either - this was just a special event, if you will. But pretty cool idea. What are some of your experiences with feedback and critique from editors? Do you want it? Ignore it? Use it?

(*BTW, the above story excerpt is copyrighted by its author - I'm just using it here as an example, but since it's posted online I figure that's okay. Just know that it belongs to someone else. :)

A Shepherd Boy's Christmas

2011-12-25T09:44:00.002-06:00

Based on the Master Story from Luke 2:8-20

In the hill country of Judea some 2000 years ago there was a little shepherd boy tending some lambs for his father.

“Hazaiah,” his father called, “bring the little ones back to the flock. It is getting late and we must set up camp.”

“Yes, father.” Hazaiah obeyed and with his little stick herded the five young lambs back to their mothers.

Sheep are affectionate animals and when treated well are almost like pets, following their masters from place to place. Hazaiah's father, Melki, had told his son not to get too attached to this bunch. The owner of the flock would soon be taking them for sacrifice since the five lambs were without blemish.

Hazaiah knew all about that but still he would run with his animals and care for them as if they were his own. He even named them.

“Father,” he said, “can Rhappa sleep with us tonight? It is getting cold and she is the smallest of the herd.”

“No,” said Melki. “That is why there is a herd so that they can protect each other from the cold. Our job is to protect them from wild animals. All of them, my son, not just Rhappa. Come, help me pitch the tent."

Continue reading this Christmas devotional story at FWD: Thoughts.

Christmas Break At Last

2011-12-22T15:40:00.000-06:00

Quick updates for those who care, or pretend to, or even for those who don't.

1. I passed my PLT (Principles of Learning and Teaching) and have just one more major hurdle before I'm fully certified as a 6-12 Language Arts teacher. This will come next spring.

2. Speaking of spring - I just have one more semester in my Transition to Teaching program and I didn't flunk this past semester. So that's good.

3. Speaking of not flunking, I completed my CE requirements for licensing in another area of business (not teaching). So I can continue making money there.

4. Speaking of making money (there sure is a lot of speaking going on here, well that makes sense as this blog is called bloggin' outloud!), I have an editing job for a friend that I'm going to complete before Christmas. I'll tell you about it when the book is published.

5. Oh, and since you brought up Christmas, I'll be sharing a short story that I wrote with my congregation titled, "The Joy of a Shepherd Boy" on Christmas Eve. I'll post a link to it soon so that you may enjoy it as well.

I think that's about it for now. If I don't get the chance to say it again next week, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Christmas Fiction

2011-12-09T12:32:00.001-06:00

In the mood for a story? Here are some holiday themed selections from ResAliens.com - short, speculative fiction with a spiritual twist.

1. "A Gift Long Forgotten" by R. Scott Russell - a science fiction encounter with an ancient civilization.

2. "Traveled So Far" by Stoney M. Setzer - a flash piece and a surprise journey of discovery.

3. "Sleigh Ride" by Charlie Bookout - Jesus chats with Santa about the meaning of it all.

4. "The Debut" by Francis W. Alexander - What? Did you think Santa was the same person year after year?

5. "The Little Star" by Nick Ozment - a Christmas fable in a star spangled setting.

Which story did you enjoy the most? Comments welcome. And, by the way, Merry Christmas!

Write 1 Sub 1 Challenge

2011-12-07T15:53:00.001-06:00

Write1Sub1 Reloaded

Yep, I'm almost thinking about maybe considering potentially participating in the Write 1 Sub 1 Challenge - possibly!

The goal? Write a story a week each week in 2012. And then submit a story for publication each week in 2012. As an editor, I do read and comment on stories quite a bit, but I've gotten away from actually writing them. So my New Year's resolution? Write more stories!

But I know me...if I don't have support, it'll be a tough row to hoe. But now there's a web community to help me reach my goal. You can read more details here, but here's the overview:

Here's the challenge, should you choose to accept it:

Write and submit a short story or poem every week (or month), starting the first week of January and ending the last week of December.
Goal: 52 new submissions in 52 weeks (or 12 in 12 months).
You don't have to write and submit the same story within the same week -- although that's what Bradbury did. Often it pays to set a story aside for a while and come back to it.
The length of your story can be as short as Twitter fiction (140 characters) or as long as a novelette (15,000 words). Any style, any genre: whatever you write.

Now, perhaps it's time to conceivably get ready...

Coriolanus: Epic Hero, Political Failure

2011-12-03T21:23:00.000-06:00

This post is an essay on Coriolanus by Williams Shakespeare - not the new movie starring Ralph Fiennes. Although I do want to see the movie.

The original play from the early 1600s is a political drama centering on the heroic life and tragic end of General Caius Marcius. The play is set primarily in Rome during the 5th century B.C. following the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of the republic. General Marcius is given the honorific “Coriolanus” after an epic battle against the Volscian city of Corioli in which he defeats the enemy almost single-handedly.

Such an example of extreme valor is worthy of epic recognition, and indeed Coriolanus is an epic hero; he’s proud, arrogant, and condescending, with little patience for the common person or even his fellow soldier. However, the mythic age of heroism is quickly coming to an end and Coriolanus finds himself out of place in the newly formed Roman republic.

One question this play poses, then, is: can a fundamentally anti-social hero survive the demands of the body politic? In other words, is there a place in modern society for a classic hero? By examining the life of Coriolanus, we’ll discover that the answer in most cases is no. Assuming the mantle of champion practically necessitates failure as a politician. Because this is generally true, the drama ends in tragedy due to Coriolanus’s inability to be anything other than what he was born to be – an epic hero.

Although military success would seem to open doors to political leadership, Coriolanus is ill-equipped for such a transition. Upon his return from victory over the Volscians, the Roman Senate offers him a consulship. It is even assumed (as the dialog between the two officers in the second act demonstrates) that Coriolanus will be accepted by the populace as a consul despite the wide-spread perception that he “loves not the common people” (2.2.6).

Of course, one needn’t love commoners to be successful, but one must at least appear to care for them, for “there hath been many great men that have flattered the people, who ne’re loved them” (2.2.7-9). But Coriolanus is no flatterer. One reason, then, for his failure to transition from military service to politic leadership is the very nature of politics itself. In order to be a successful politician one must win the approval of the masses by giving them what they want.

People want a hero they can “own” – that is, approve of. However, the nature of the classic hero is such that the hero neither cares for nor seeks the approval of others. When requested by the Senators to show the crowd the wounds he obtained in battle so as to win their sympathy, Coriolanus responds, “I had rather have my wounds to heal again than hear say how I got them” (2.2.70,71).

Coriolanus will not play act simply to win the hearts of the general public. He tells Menenius, “It is a part that I shall blush in acting” (2.2.145,146). Later, even when his mother, Volumnia, pleads with him to placate the Roman citizens he has antagonized, Coriolanus responds, “Would you have me false to my nature? Rather say I play the man I am” (3.2.14-16).

Throughout the play, Shakespeare highlights this tension between Coriolanus (who is being wooed by and represents the patricians) and the plebeians, and indeed his tension with all of society. Just as Coriolanus despises others, the people express their disdain for him, for as one citizen states, “he’s a very dog to the commonality” (1.1.28). Yet this conflict of personalities is but a symptom of some deeper theme within the play. Shakespeare’s Coriolanus is not simply about class conflict, although that theme is expressed in the opening scene, for example, by the aristocracy’s monopoly on setting the price of grain. The drama embraces a broader perspective regarding a hero’s place in society.

For instance, Shakespeare relies on character development, or lack thereof, to emphasize this point. In contrast to other tragic heroes (e.g., Hamlet and Lear), the playwright paints a fairly flat portrait of Coriolanus. This appears to be a device and not a shortcoming of the dramatist’s ability to develop a character. This play’s hero is intentionally portrayed as a two-dimensional figure who knows only victory or defeat and is therefore out of place in the three-dimensional world of politics, plebeians, and patricians. Again, this reiterates the truth that a classic champion has no place in modern society and will eventually be banished from it.

Later in the play, when Coriolanus is banished from Rome he reacts violently, but not because his bid for consul was rejected by the people. He has no use for politics. Rather, it is because his fellow Romans reject him for who he is; they do not want an ancient hero like the Greek Achilles whom they cannot own or control. And since Coriolanus cannot but help “play the man” he is, he must depart from their presence. But it is enough that Coriolanus knows his own worth as a man; and he acts instinctively with noble, and therefore not political, intentions.

In fact, all of Rome recognizes his nobility, they just can’t accept it. Menenius, although a friend of Coriolanus, speaks for the people and greets him upon his entrance in Act 1, “Hail, noble Marcius!” (1.1.164). Even the two antagonists, Sicinius and Brutus, acknowledge his elevated status and proclaim, despite their sarcasm, that “he has no equal” (1.1.254).

This revelation that Coriolanus “has no equal” is critical in understanding why he has no place in society. He is something “other” and is thus disruptive to the political order of the day. Shakespeare subtly hints at this by regularly referring to Coriolanus in non-human terms. For example, General Cominus when recalling our hero’s military prowess, speaks of his friend’s “Amazonian chin” (2.2.92) and describes him as “a thing of blood” (2.2.110) on the battlefield. The audience, then, is given the impression that Coriolanus is god-like in his abilities.

In fact, Coriolanus recognizes no equal to himself except that of the enemy, Tullus Aufidius, whom he refers to in animal terms. “They have a leader,” Coriolanus says of the general of the Volscian army, who “is a lion that I am proud to hunt” (1.1.229-237). And when they meet, Aufidius, although flattering him, nevertheless recognizes Coriolanus, not as a mere human hero, but something approaching the Roman god Mars (4.5.122).

So, too, do Menenius and Cominius refer to Coriolanus when they tell Sicinius and Brutus that they have unleashed the general’s wrath on Rome by manipulating his banishment. Coriolanus has joined with the Volscians and is marching against Rome in retaliation of their rejection of him. “He is their god,” Cominius states. “He leads them like a thing made by some other deity than nature” (4.6.91,92). Like Hercules (4.6.100), Coriolanus is larger than life and has “grown from man to dragon” (5.4.13). Menenius concludes that Coriolanus lacks nothing that a god has “but eternity and a heaven to throne in” (5.4.25).

It is because Coriolanus is this kind of hero that he must be purged from society. Like the killjoys in Shakespeare’s festive comedies, Coriolanus serves as a kind of ideal which, since it cannot be attained, must be eliminated in order for society to return to balance. An epic hero disrupts that natural political order of give and take, compromise and negotiation. Coriolanus, who sees life only in stark terms of victory or defeat, cannot function effectively in a society that depends on degrees of success and failure.

Even Aufidius, the closest representation of Coriolanus’s epic heroism, has a political streak and so resorts to conspiracy to kill the hero. Unable to match him on the battlefield, Aufidius (representing the merging of military and political might of society) is the tool whereby Coriolanus is killed and thus eliminated from society. The tragedy of this drama is that this epic hero, reminiscent of the classical gods and demigods, could not find a place in the modern world.

(Note: This essay was written for a college lit class and for which I received an A. But if you plagiarize, I cannot be held responsible for the grade you receive. Write your own dang paper.)

Stories Recently Read

2011-11-26T20:49:00.001-06:00

I shudder when I have to read anything longer than a short blog post or news story on a computer screen. Laptop, desktop, doesn't matter - I hate the glare, the wide screen, the inflexibility of it. Great to surf, a pain (for me at least) to use as an e-reader.

Kindle changed all that. I now send documents to my handheld and read family newsletters, Christmas greetings (yes, those long family updates), articles, short stories and more (oh, and uh, books) on my e-reader. For longer blog posts and free short stories posted online I'll even copy and paste them into a word doc and, as mentioned, email them to my Kindle. It's pretty slick.

So I'd saved a bunch of short stories on my Kindle to read "later." With time in short supply, later never happened. But round trip flights for Thanksgiving provided the right opportunity to catch up on my penchant for short fiction. Here's a quick take on some of what I read.

Two Poker Boy stories ('The War of Poker' and 'Just Shoot Me Now') by Dean Wesley Smith. The series is fun and fanciful, and features Poker Boy, a superhero in the gambling universe who answers to Stan, the God of Poker, as well as Lady Luck herself. With the help of a colorful cast of characters, the sometimes reluctant hero solves problems that fortunately (or unfortunately as the case may be) come his way - usually one per story! I started reading Dean's challenge stories awhile back and enjoy most of what I find on his site. Each story is free until the next one is posted and then it becomes available for 99 cents at sites like Amazon, Smashwords, etc.

This past week I also read 'The Wages of the Moment,' a Jukebox Story, which is another series of short stories by Dean. This one features a time travel machine that happens to be a...jukebox. Admittedly lighter fare, I appreciate the fact that Dean doesn't take himself too seriously in writing these pieces. He also provides a little blog entry on how each story in this self-challenge came about, how long it took to write, and anything else that seems pertinent to the creative process. I don't think he'll reach his goal of 100 new stories for 2011 (due to some life interruptions), but what he's done so far has been inspirational - and provided some reading pleasure during my recent holiday travels.

Three more, briefly:

'The Woman Who Was Afraid of Lightning' by Jeff Ambrose is a quirky, slightly horrific piece that was pretty well written, had me hooked, but didn't quite satisfy my curiosity as to the supernatural occurrence that frightened the woman. But maybe that was the Lovecraftian influence, and if so, then it met its own expectations fairly well.

'The Peacock's Tower' by David Barron is definitely an odd bit of a steampunk/fantasy mash-up that wasn't particularly my cup of coffee. It's free on Smashwords, so go decide for yourself.

'A Pleasure to Burn' by David Bain is a reflective, somewhat horrific ghost story. Sort of a ghost story. The protagonist is definitely haunted by his past. Pretty good yarn.

What have you been reading?

Castle of Endless Woe Reviewed

2011-11-20T20:55:00.001-06:00

The Castle of Endless Woe
by Ty Johnston

This is a solid novelette set in the same world as the author's epic fantasy trilogies known collectively as The Ursian Chronicles. The setting of this story is vivid and the pacing is steady, and like a novel it takes awhile to warm to the plot. But by a third of the way in I was hooked.

Johnston is a deliberate writer, choosing words and images with care. His characters are soundly developed with just enough ambiguity to keep you guessing as to their drives and motives.

As for the suspense, it definitely simmers but doesn't quite boil over, in my opinion, and ultimately the mystery surrounding the Castle of Endless Woe isn't fully explained. Not all loose ends need to be tied up, but I was expecting a bit more revelation as to the evil residing in the haunted manor. However, if you enjoy storylines with an episodic feel to them, this long short story will provide some engaging entertainment while leaving you wanting more.

(Note: I downloaded a free promotional version of this story. It's now 99 cents at Amazon, which is not a bad deal for an afternoon of reading pleasure.)

Winterland Reviewed

2011-11-14T19:00:00.000-06:00

Winterland, a novella by Mike Duran, is part psychological fantasy, part intrapersonal suspense, and part allegorical thriller. Think Pilgrim meets the Phantom Tollbooth, but in Purgatory. The premise works well enough - and has since Dante took his journey of redemption - but as in many allegory-esque tales, the tension slips now and again due to the inevitable and somewhat predictable outcome. (But hey, we all knew Dorothy would return from Oz, so this doesn't necessarily mean this type of story can't work.)

Duran is a solid writer (his novel, Resurrection, is published by Charisma House) and the opening hook pulls you in fairly quickly. Our heroine, Eunice, on her way to see her dying mother, winds up in a car accident on a SoCal freeway. She slips into a between-worlds darker dimension (Winterland being the opposite of the Faery's cheerful Summerland) where she must reach her mother before it's too late! (See what I mean about the tension level? At this point I started skimming a bit to get to the action that never quite reaches a climax.)

Along the way, Eunice has to travel through the Swamp of Mlaise and face her family's generational demons of license, legalism, perfectionism, and regret. While not a straight up Everyman tale, the symbolism is fairly transparent. But again, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just a particular style of storytelling, one that I'm not overly fond of. I'd give it a 6 out of 10, but if you like your morality fables spiced up with a bit of suspense, this novella might be right for you. It's competently self-published and at $2 isn't a bad bargain.

(Note: I received a free promotional copy of Winterland with no obligation to review it. Mike Duran blogs about Faith, Culture, and Composition at deCOMPOSE.)

Review of "Magnus Kir"

2011-10-23T19:24:00.002-05:00

Magnus Kir by Dean Hardy
Published by Ambassador International
Reviewed by Lyn Perry (I purchased my copy.)

Magnus Kir is a walled city in a wild world. It is ruled by a benevolent, enigmatic king who seeks to protect the people from the dangers without and provide for the citizens within. But young Zack wants to experience more than the safe, predictable life he's been accustomed to. And so the adventure begins.

For the reader, however, the adventure is fairly tame. Zack goes on what amounts to a safe and predictable journey of self-discovery which eventually leads him back to the city he once tried to leave. While there is a bit of suspense as Zack encounters a few strange and mysterious characters (including the lost prince of the kingdom), the overall narrative leaves no doubt as to the final outcome. All's well that ends well.

In this short YA novel, author Dean Hardy leans heavily on the allegorical tradition (sort of a cross between Pilgrim's Progress and The Phantom Tollbooth) and ends up with a fairly solid effort for a first time novelist. The story is okay, especially if you enjoy simple, straightforward tales interlaced with moral truths. While Hardy is over generous with ellipses (a punctuation annoyance) and is a bit wordy (some sentences are redundant), this is a solid choice for your young middle schooler. I rate it a 6 of 10 stars.

~*~

Dean Hardy, Bible Department Chair at Charlotte Christian School in North Carolina, is also the author of Stand Your Ground, an introduction to apologetics for young adults in high school or college. The book includes thirteen chapters that engage the various intellectual challenges that Christian college students face on university campuses. Hardy takes readers on a spiritual and intellectual journey, addressing such issues as the nature of truth and reality, the investigation of other worldviews, the evidence for Christianity, critics' arguments against Christianity, and the relationship between apologetics and evangelism.

Also, read Dean's essay, "The Metaphysics of Magic: Writing Christian Fantasy from a Christian Worldview." And feel free to connect with him at the Magnus Kir Facebook Page.

Review of "The Worker Prince"

2011-10-14T22:37:00.000-05:00

The Worker Prince by Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Published by Diminished Media Group, October 2011
Cover art by Mitch Bentley (high res image worth a look)
Reviewed by Lyn Perry (I received a free advance copy.)

The Worker Prince is a YA space opera novel with a straightforward and recognizable plot, solid but predictable action and characters, and a clear, if a bit heavy-handed, moral. It's a good first effort by an emerging author (I rate the novel 6 out of 10). Here is a bit of critique interlaced with an occasional spoiler.

After reading the prologue, you'll easily spot Schmidt's influences. He borrows from the Moses/Kal-El mythos and the first portion of the book is devoted to our protag Prince Rhii's journey to self-awareness. Instead of nephew to the High Lord Counselor, Davi (his nickname - and true name) discovers that he's actually the son of Worker parents. The Workers are the last enslaved people of the Borali Alliance and are ruled by the Prince's uncle, a somewhat one dimensional tyrant named Xalivar.

Upon witnessing the injustices done to the Workers, Davi sets out to undo decades of prejudice and slavery by advocating for their freedom. This sets the Prince at odds with his uncle and while his adopted mother, Miri, initially seeks to placate her son and maintain the status quo, she eventually reveals to Davi his origins and becomes his advocate (and her brother Xalivar's adversary). So the story unfolds and ultimately escalates into a foreseeable confrontation between the banished Prince and ruling High Lord.

Of course, there are a few twists and turns along the way, including a test of friendship, a bit of romance, and a feuding duel with a lumbering ox of an ex-classmate named Bordox. (Which, by the way, makes for a fun prequel short story by Bryan Schmidt titled "Rivalry on the Sky Course" which I published at ResAliens this month.) The novel is unsophisticated, but keep in mind that the quintessential space opera, Star Wars, isn't very complex either. So you'll forgive the author when you realize the Worker battle training and final standoff against the Alliance echo Luke Skywalker's rallying of the troops to face the Empire.

So overall, The Worker Prince is a nice bit of sci-fi adventure with a generous dose of anti-bigotry thematic elements. The writing is competent although a bit lackluster at times. The opening action is engaging and promises a rolicking space adventure, unfortunately the anticipated suspenseful thrill ride gets bogged down by the occasional dialog heavy exposition. In addition, the third person omniscient POV gets a bit tiresome as the reader never has to infer the interior life of the main characters - I'll tell you what I think instead! My suggestion for the next novel - go with 3rd person limited and show more of the characters instead of telling us everything about their motivations.

As mentioned, I'm giving this a 6 out of 10, which is still a recommended read on my scale. If you like your YA novels straight with no chaser, this new release might be just what you are looking for. Plus, it's a safe, clean bet for your middle schooler. To help you decide, here is 4 of 5 star review by another indie author, R. L. Copple. (Or read it on Goodreads and find more reviews.)

Guest Column - Humor in Flash Fiction

2011-08-20T16:22:00.001-05:00

Note: Our Guest Columnist is Camille Gooderham Campbell, Managing Editor at Every Day Fiction. I asked her to share some thoughts on writing flash fiction, EDF's specialty. Here's what she has to say.

Back in the early days of Every Day Fiction, we decided that we’d make a point of scheduling something humorous for every Monday. Mondays are hard enough, we thought, without adding a gritty tale of abuse, terminal illness or abject poverty to the mix. And so, over the past four years, we’ve done our best to make sure that the start of the week brings a laugh from EDF.

However, finding enough humorous pieces to fill our Mondays hasn’t proven to be as simple as all that, for two reasons: genuinely humorous storytelling isn’t the easiest thing in the world, and even leaving writing skill aside, we don’t all share the same sense of humour.

Many of the unsuccessful humour submissions that we see at EDF fall into the category of joke-telling rather than storytelling:

Since to some extent jokes are stories, there’s no clear line between a joke and a story, and a flash fiction piece can play both roles through character development and narrative skill. A joke virtually never develops its characters; when a man walks into a bar, he doesn’t have any characteristics that don’t function as part of the joke – he’ll be tall or ugly or a priest as the punchline requires, but that’s it. In a joke, the setup exists only to serve the punchline, rather than the humour serving the story. The difference is a matter of perception and taste, and has a lot to do with the way in which the piece is delivered. Told as a story, it comes alive as a story; told as a joke, it is reduced to a joke. (from my essay “Connecting the Dots” in The Best of Every Day Fiction Two)

Unfortunately, since perception is a subjective thing and tastes differ from person to person, and especially with flash fiction since so much of the story has to be sketched in, implied, hinted at and left to the author’s imagination, the difference between a joke and a story is an imprecise grey area. A humorous story is an exercise in tightrope walking, with half the readers ready to shoot it down for being only a joke and the other half ready to find it unfunny and either boring or offensive.

There’s no formula for success in writing humour, but after reading too many flash fiction submissions to count, I’ve come up with three tips that seem to be relevant more often than not:

* Develop real characters and settings. Make them as real as anything in your head. Give that tall ugly priest a secret lover and a weakness for chocolate, give that bar a grotty washroom and watered-down booze. Even if you only hint at those dimensions when you pare your story down to the bones of flash, you’ll be thinking of them as real and they will come across as real.

* Tell the story naturally; don’t editorialize or try too hard to be funny. If you’ve got a genuinely humorous concept, it will make people laugh without any additional window-dressing and finger-pointing.

* Value the flow of the story as a whole over individual witty lines; falling in love with a particularly clever turn of phrase can impair your inner editor, and a great line isn’t great when it has to be shoe-horned into the story.

Writing a good story is only half the battle, though, since you then need to match the story to the right publication for a good fit.

When you choose where to send your finished piece, keep in mind that not all publications have the same level of tolerance for humour involving bodily functions. Whether we’re talking about comedy of the gastrointestinal system or the lighter side of getting sexy, there’s a delicate balance between funny and gross, and the line falls in different places for different magazines. Think about the target readership when deciding if a piece is appropriate for a particular venue; for example, at EDF we know that many of our readers are eating while they read and may also be at work (on a coffee or lunch break, right?), so we’re cautious about stories that push the gross factor. We’ve seen some very funny pieces that are just too extreme for us.

Finally, remember that humour is largely a matter of taste, and that goes for editors and publishers just as much as for any other reader. There’s no benchmark of humour, no way to authenticate whether something is or isn’t funny – the reader either laughs or doesn’t laugh, end of story – so if a piece gets rejected on the basis that it isn’t funny, recognize that it wasn’t funny to that editor, and try a different market. Collecting a stack of twenty-five “it wasn’t funny” comments might suggest something, of course, if only that your sense of humour is fairly esoteric and you might be hard pressed to find an editor who shares it.

[Thanks, Camille, for sharing your take on humor (American spelling ;) and flash. I have a similar opinion regarding the difference between jokes and short stories. I talk about it in Part 3 of my short series on writing flash fiction. Read Part 1 and Part 2 as well. - Lyn]

What Doesn't Pass for Flash Fiction

2011-07-22T07:09:00.002-05:00

Flash Fiction and How to Write It - Part 3
Read Part 2 Here
Read Part 1 Here

Okay, you come up with a great idea for a flash fiction piece. You're going to add some setting details and characterization so it won't just be snippets of conversation or a brief bit of infodump. You've even got a story set-up to deliver the punch line.

You're now ready...wait, what did you just say? A story set-up to deliver the punch line? Okay, hold the bus. I think you have flash fiction mixed up with something else. You're not trying to sneak in a pun story here, are you? Ha, caught you red handed. (Because I've done it myself!)

We just admitted succumbing to a common pitfall of writing flash. The shaggy dog. The Feghoot. The elaborate story joke. Outrageous, creative, groan-worthy, sometimes even laugh out loud funny. But not flash fiction.

At least in my opinion. Some markets want exactly this, but normally flash ends with an Aha! not an Argh! While a twist ending or a surprise turn of events may be a satisfying (and logical) conclusion to a flash story, the intentional story deception (too strong a word?) for a cheap laugh simply disappoints and frustrates the reader.

Now I don't mind pun stories, in fact, I love wordplay and can pass that internet pun test with both feet tied behind my back (quite a feat!). But I want to know from the beginning what I'm getting into. If you enjoy these type of humorous set-ups, then here are a couple I think you'll like. Okay, those are examples of what flash is not.

So what does pass for flash fiction? Can flash be funny? Sure! But the story shouldn't be a string of red herrings and the ending can't be a non sequitur to the plot. As mentioned, the flash ending should be a natural denouement to the climax - or simply end at the climax or reveal itself (think The Tell-Tale Heart). It can be a bit jokey, but the point is that flash is not an extended joke.

This may be a fine line, but in a closing example, here's my story, "Spam Fiction" published by Every Day Fiction which I think (obviously, I'm biased) presents a bit of humor but within the structure of a real story. A few more of my flash pieces are available in a short collection at Smashwords. Enjoy.

And all the best as you have fun with this popular form of story telling.

[Note: This series continues with a Guest Column by Camille Campbell, managing editor of Every Day Fiction. You can read her blog at Copy. Edit. Proof.]

Micropublishing - Claim Your Indie Niche

2011-07-13T18:38:00.000-05:00

“Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book?”

– The Beatles

Micropublishing Trends

It seems everyone wants to be a paperback writer. Or at least an e-published author. And with the advent of web-based self-publishing tools like Lulu and CreateSpace (for print-on-demand books) and Smashwords and Feedbooks (featuring a variety of electronic formats), anyone with a bit of talent and know-how can claim the title of published author.

This is not a bad thing. In fact, the surge in self-publishing, especially via electronic means, has led to an unprecedented number of people earning (at least some) income as freelance authors, small business owners, and indie or small press publishers. That’s me, a small press publisher. So small that I use the term micropublishing to describe what I do.

Micropublishing, according to Wikipedia, at least this week, is “when an individual or group uses efficient publishing and distribution techniques to publish a work intended for a specific micromarket.” I can buy that. Very small presses find a niche and fill it by publishing a select group of authors that larger publishing houses might not discover.

And the more options available for the reading public the better. This is why the trend is a good thing. Yes, I know. Everyone and her dog can publish a book nowadays. Doesn’t this dilute the industry? No. The simple yet difficult task of marketing and distribution will prevent most books from ever being read. The stark reality is that while everyone has the opportunity to become a published author, we still have to ask the public to buy and read our book.

Here are some thoughts on that topic from just one micropublisher, me, poking about in the dark as he discovers the path toward publishing success.

Claim Your Niche

If you are an author or a micropublisher, find your voice and stick to it. Gareth L Powell (on whose blog this article originally appeared) is a “science fiction author.” He lets people know it. He updates his blog with current content. He crafts consistent, quality material. He stays on topic. Go and do thou likewise.

My zine is ResAliens.com which is short for Residential Aliens (alluding to both the speculative and spiritual elements of the stories I publish). So my particular niche is “spiritually infused speculative fiction.” That may turn you off. I understand. You’re not my market, evidently. With 6 billion people on the planet, though, I figure there are probably a few others who might be interested in this sort of thing. My job is to simply let people know what I do and update my site regularly with consistent, quality material. You could do worse.

Maintain a Good Reputation

Nothing turns me off more than an arrogant writer or an unfriendly publisher. You probably feel the same way. And because there are so dang many authors and micropublishers out there, I have no problem crossing them off my look-into list. On the other hand, I want to build a reputation as being a friendly and approachable publisher. So even if I do cross someone off my list, I don’t tell anyone.

So, again, if you’re an author or publisher, here are a couple things that I believe will build some goodwill and help in the marketing of your product.

First, interact politely and promptly with your fans. You have them, you do. People who friend you on Facebook, follow you on Twitter, or comment on your blog. Stay in touch with them. And answer your dang emails. ;)

Second, treat other writers as peers. We’re all in this together so why not think of other authors or venues as team mates. We're not in competition! Repeat that. Remember those 6 billion people on the planet? More than enough readers to go around.

Third, share the love. Cross-pollinate and help promote or at least hat tip others. See my second point. One suggestion is to read and post reviews of fellow writers' books, articles, or stories.

To Blitz or to Build, That is the Question

Define your strategy to market and distribute your work and then work the plan. How? Social networks like Facebook and Twitter are obvious platforms for getting the word out. Blogging, mailing lists, and posting reviews are also standard and acceptable forms of marketing. But behind these strategies is the simple principle of asking for help. Gareth put out a call for guest columnists. I ask people to review my zine. Since there’s no such thing as a self-made person (we all need some help along the way), we might as well ask others to assist us in accomplishing our goals.

And if they say no, well, there’s 6 billion people out there. Keep asking, keep working, keep honing your skills as a writer or publisher. If your audience likes your voice, identifies with your niche, senses your good reputation, and knows of your vision, then you’re on your way. And if the quality and consistency is there then you will become not just a published author but a bestselling published author. After years of quality persistence, you’ll become an overnight success!

[Note: This article first appeared at the blog of science fiction author Gareth L. Powell, May 2010.]

Darkside Isn't That Dark, Really

2011-07-12T18:06:00.001-05:00

In fact, the novel Darkside by S.K.S. Perry (no relation to yours truly), if not exactly light, is quite witty, fast-paced, and seriously genre-bending. The story is about a guy named James Decker who dies in the process of saving a young woman from being attacked. But he finds that he really isn't dead...well, sort of.

From the blurb:

Haunted by the ghosts of his father and grandfather, [James Decker] learns that the woman he rescued is in fact an Innocent, the physical embodiment of hope. As it turns out, seeing dead people is the least of James' worries. It's the trolls, goblins, vampires, and other assorted creepy-crawlies that make being dead a living nightmare.

Turns out Darkside is what all these dark creatures living in the Otherworld call our reality. And that's just one of the rules of the afterlife James has to learn as he finds a new lease on life protecting the Innocent from further harm. With wry humor and snide first person remarks, Perry transports you from one realm to the other and back again in a quest you'll not likely forget - if you don't die laughing first. A bit slow in the middle, but overall, a solid debut novel.

The frolicking adventure continues in Darkside: Waking the Dead, which I just loaded on my Kindle! By the way, Darkside, first novel is available for only 99 cents!

Flash Fiction Tips & Pitfalls

2011-07-11T09:54:00.001-05:00

Flash Fiction and How to Write It - Part 2

So you're interested in flash fiction? Join the club! It's become quite a subcategory of fiction writing these past few years. However, the form as been around since at least 600 BC when Aesop told his tales. With the internet, though, quick stories that can be read in a flash are all the rage. And now that there are even different types of flash, it's probably simply a category of writing, no sub about it.

For example, there's microfiction (generally, anything less than 500 words). There's postcard fiction, or micro-bursts, with just enough prose to fill an index card. Some markets can get a little gimmicky here (but still fun and challenging) and insist on no more than 200 words, 100 words, or exactly 55 words! There's even nanofiction, Twitter-sized stories told in 140 characters or less.

But are these really stories? Some say yes and point to Ernest Hemingway's (probably apocryphal) 6 word flash: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." A story? Not in my opinion. But an emotional vignette? Sure.

As I pointed out in Flash Fiction and How to Write It - Part 1, a story traditionally has three critical elements (the Big 3) - characterization, setting, and plot. (Although, I have to admit there are a number of good stories without a plot - Per Petterson's novels come to mind. What he has, though, is tension, an important component of plot.) Scenarios, sketches, vignettes are just that - sections of a story that may contain the seed element of the piece, but that's about it.

The pitfall I want to address briefly is our tendency as writers to present an idea, slap a few words around it, and call it good. These may be great ideas, engaging, intriguing, and all that, but the essence of the story doesn't even hint at or imply any setting, protagonist, or conflict/resolution. A complete story, at least from my perspective, needs more.

Take my three separate twitter-bytes, for instance, published by Thaumatrope.

I married a serial killer. Fortunately, he only murders strangers. But lately we’ve drifted apart; he said he didn’t know me anymore...
“I think our baby is a changeling!” I told my Stepford wife. So I wasn’t surprised when my doppelganger showed up and said I had to leave.
“Tell me how to write horror,” I beg my muse. “Write what you know,” she replies and pulls out a stiletto. “Here, let me show you instead.”

All fun (well, I thought they were fun!) and spooky, and with an interesting hook. But no setting, maybe a protagonist, and no real plot - just a twist resolution. Ideas, really, simply seed stories which can be expanded into short stories, obviously. (In fact, I did expand this last one into a microhorror you can read here, but it's still not a full blown story, imo.)

So after all this discussion, does it simply boil down to a continuum of story length from nano, micro, flash, to short? Since story telling is an elusive art (as we often say about art, "I know it when I see it"), then probably yes. But somewhere along the continuum of a story the more traditional elements begin to appear and when it seems to satisfy a writer's (or reader's) penchant for completeness, then you've got a full tale well told. What are your thoughts?

How to Write Flash Fiction

2011-07-10T17:36:00.003-05:00

Flash Fiction and How to Write It - Part 1

First of all, if you're not familiar with flash fiction, don't be embarrassed. Recently, a writer friend of mine asked me to explain the concept since there'd been a good amount of hype about it in his social circle and he mostly just smiled and nodded.

A quick definition, then. Flash fiction is a story that clocks in at about 1000 words. Therefore, it’s a quick read, over in a flash. Some gauge the range anywhere from 500 to 1500 words. But the idea is brevity. Any story you can tell quickly might be considered a candidate for flash.

But here's the catch. It's a story. Not a sketch. Not a scene. Not a vignette. Flash fiction is a story told in about 1000 words. While there's some debate even as to what elements are required to create a story, I adhere to the traditional Big 3 - characterization, setting, and plot (crisis, climax, & denouement). A well written piece of flash, in my opinion, balances these elements. Add to this mix an engaging voice (writing style) and you have a successful short short piece.

How short can a story be? I guess that depends on what the writer (or reader) is willing to sacrifice. It's difficult to balance setting, characterization, and a storyline that resolves nicely, so, by necessity, something has to give. I tend to shortchange setting, myself. Many of my flash fictions are dialog heavy and rely on conversation to move the plot along. Where does it take place? Who knows! Who cares? It's fun, it's fast. It's flash fiction!

But really, a tale without setting is probably more of a story concept. And, admittedly, most flash fictions are little more than seed stories that need expanding. In my next post, I'll look at some of the common pitfalls of writing flash (and how to avoid them), including this tendency to simply present a scenario and call it good. Until then, what are your thoughts on flash fiction?

Read Flash Fiction and How to Write It - Part 2.

Dead or Alive - An Aston West Collection

2011-07-08T15:22:00.002-05:00

Disclaimer! I'm the editor and publisher of Dead or Alive - An Aston West Collection by T.M. Hunter. That being said, I think it reasonable to assume that if I liked these stories well enough to publish them I should be able to talk about them! After all, editors are simply people who promote stories they enjoy reading. So read on...

The Aston West series is classic space opera where rawhide adventure of the frontier meets sophisticated technology of the 23rd century. T.M. Hunter has developed an engaging and likeable antihero in Aston West, the reformed (?) space pirate who still manages to get himself into a number of ill-advised scrapes. That, despite the gentle guidance of his AI companion, Jeanie, who is his ship's brain and has a few adventures of her own.

In Dead or Alive, Hunter pulls together a representative collection of 11 new and classic stories featuring Aston, Jeanie, and a number of other recurring characters. These short fictions coordinate nicely with Hunter's longer works, Heroes Die Young and Friends in Deed. (Visit AstonWest.com.) These compact novels, along with the novella Seeker, establish the author as a fresh voice in the expanding universe of space opera/science fiction. T.M. Hunter is here to stay, and we can thank him that Aston West is as well.

Note: The Kindle, NOOK, EPUB, and other e-versions are on their way. In the mean time, you can buy a 10 story collection at iTunes for your iPad/iPhone (see the different cover to the left? That's why!). Also, the paperback is always available at CreateSpace.

Some Amazon Reviews:
“Fabulous book! I was kept in suspense on every page and I couldn't stop reading until the end!” - About Heroes Die Young

“My favorite sci fi hero is back! Aston West, the reluctant hero and space scavenger, seems like an old, dear friend to me.” - About Friends in Deed

Zero Hour - Stories of Spiritual Suspense

2011-07-07T18:27:00.002-05:00

If you have a nostalgic fondness for old episodes of the Twilight Zone, then you'll likely enjoy Stoney M. Setzer's collection of short fiction. In Zero Hour - Stories of Spiritual Suspense, Setzer combines mystery, thriller, and moral themes into a family friendly volume. Think Mystery Theater with a spiritual twist.

Disclaimer! I had the privilege of editing these 15 stories and then recently publishing this anthology through my indie publishing venture, ResAliens Press. But, despite my bias, I can say these are fun and engaging reads.

But don't take my word for it. Check out this review from MindSpike.

The cover copy claims similarity to The Twilight Zone, and certainly there is something of that flavor herein. Stories like “In the Shadow of the Sphinx”, and “All Hail Sam” feel like they should begin with Rod Serling voiceover delivering the moral lesson of the story. Other tales hearken back to radio programs like Escape and X Minus One, with the subtle deviations from reality that tell the reader something is just barely off about the world they are experiencing; “Doomsday Falls on a Tuesday This Year” and “Square Peg” need only a scratchy background of static noise to complete the illusion. Still other offerings evoke the classic short stories of Larry Niven or Isaac Asimov with their emphasis on the ordinary character reactions to the most extraordinary situations, including “The Alabama Hammer” and “We Serve All Kinds Here”. Finally, Setzer delivers his more direct spiritual lessons in the form of pure morality plays in “Darkest Before Dawn” and “Enamored.”

Find Out More: Visit Stoney's website, Zero Hour, and his Facebook Page to discover the stories behind the stories. Plus, you can purchase one of his short stories not in his collection at Amazon titled The Widow Greer. Still not convinced? Then read his time travel conundrum, "Unsinkable," for free in Issue 5.1 of ResAliens.

About the Author: Author Stoney M. Setzer lives outside of Atlanta, GA, with his beautiful wife and three wonderful children. As a fiction writer, he strives to create suspenseful stories with Christian themes. His works have been featured in such publications as Residential Aliens and Christian Sci-Fi Journal, as well as a number of anthologies. He is employed as a middle school special education teacher.

Sorrow Remains for the Night

2011-07-06T09:32:00.001-05:00

Three fables make up this short collection (about 4000 words) titled, Sorrow Remains for the Night. It's only 99 cents at Smashwords and will soon be up at Amazon and B&N.

Often, it is the sorrow that we experience during the dark nights of life that are the most poignant when retold in the daylight. In this short volume of fables, I wanted to touch on themes of pain and suffering but also end with a glimmer of eternity and hope. Yes, sorrow remains for the night, but joy comes in the morning.

About the Author (that's me!): Lyn Perry writes a variety of speculative fiction, from SF and fantasy to mystery and spiritual thriller. He is also the owner of ResAliens Press, a micropublisher of spiritually infused speculative fiction. Collections include Stoney M. Setzer's Zero Hour and T.M. Hunter's Dead or Alive.

Flash Fiction Five Pack Available Now

2011-07-05T08:14:00.008-05:00

Enjoy Five Flash Fictions (plus a Bonus Microfiction!) in this humorous collection of digital tales. In this short, whimsical, "A to Z" volume you'll read about alien romance and zombies as well as email spam and space monkeys. In fact, two tales feature Mazaru the Space Monkey while a third introduces Billy Farnsworth, Zombie Hunter, characters that will likely become recurring characters in full blown stories of their own - but you'll have discovered them here first! (About 3500 words.)

Available now for $0.99 at your favorite eStores:

* Smashwords (various formats)
* Amazon Kindle
* B&N's NOOK

About the Author (that's me!): Lyn Perry writes a variety of speculative fiction, from SF and fantasy to mystery and spiritual thriller. He is also the editor of Fear & Trembling, a zine of spiritual horror and suspense.

Amazon Reviews:
5 Stars from S.M. Setzer:
"Each story hits the ground running, establishes its situation right away, and pays off with a comic twist at the end."

5 Stars from Jade Smith:
"If you love sci-fi and dark humor, you will definitely enjoy this collection! Highly recommend!"

5 Stars from TK Toppin:
"Perry's quirky mind and whipcord wit certainly infiltrates into his writing, which is spot on. Can't wait to read more!"

New Short Story Up at Smashwords

2011-07-02T13:09:00.008-05:00

A Lesson in War
A Sword of Otrim Story
by Lyndon Perry

Fighting the barbarian hordes for Queen Philipa of Idessa, Otrim - a fierce yet contemplative warrior - hadn't considered that his real enemy might just be his commander. Completing the campaign against the Korreti infidels and returning home victorious was all he really wanted. But when Otrim's commander, Ardus Telemachii Atellus, challenges him on the battlefield, the bronzed warrior must quickly determine where his ultimate loyalty lies.

This short story (about 4800 words) taps the spirit of battle and intrigue reminiscent of classic sword and sorcery. You can read a sample first page here. It is available for $0.99 online at your favorite eStores:

* Smashwords (Kindle, Epub, PDB, PDF, etc.)
* Amazon (Kindle)
* Barnes and Noble (NOOK)

About the Author (that's me!): Lyn Perry writes a variety of speculative fiction, from fantasy and science fiction to mystery and spiritual thriller. He is the founding editor of Residential Aliens, a zine of spiritually infused speculative fiction.

New Reviews:
"The spiritual musing of [Otrim] is reminiscent of a time when holy warriors fought for the greater good...or at least some of them did. A good read for those who love heroic fantasy." - Milton Davis, "Soul & Sword" author of Meji and Changa's Safari.

"This short story has a medieval fantasy setting and sometimes these types of stories can have language that plods along. Perry's story isn't like that at all. The dialog is fun and the character interaction is great." - Julie Jansen, science fiction and horror writer, and an Associate Editor for Dark Moon Digest.

"Great swashbuckling summer read! It is packed with action, great characters, and beautiful fluid language...[with] a "Lord of the Rings" kind of feel." - Jason, Amazon Reviewer

The Icarus Hunt by Timothy Zahn

2011-03-23T18:18:00.009-05:00

A brother of mine turned me on to SF writer Timothy Zahn (the author of a number of Star Wars novels as well as the Conquerors' Trilogy and Dragonback series). My introduction to Zahn came via The Icarus Hunt - a fun and fast-paced space opera jaunt through the galaxy. I thoroughly enjoyed the engaging characters, witty dialog and repartee, as well as the adventure laden plot (that reads like an Agatha Christie in space along with the requisite locked room mystery and Poirot-like denouement). Good, clean fun (with a few minor swear words and PG situations) - a solid book in which to introduce the genre to your junior higher! Don't let the 450 pages deter you either, quest/adventure novels have come a long way since Don Quixote.

Zahn is a talented writer with an imagination that spices up the standard space opera trope with just the right amount (imo) of hard SF detail. The Icarus is a spaceship that is carrying an unknown cargo that could break the economic stranglehold of the Patth, an alien civilization that controls a majority of the commercial space lanes. Enter Captain Jordan McKell who is hired to pilot the Icarus to Earth - and along the way unravels a number of mysteries that spring up regarding this special cargo. The book is a page-turner as McKell jumps through space from one crisis to the next.

I enjoy Zahn's first person narrative voice (via a Han Solo-esque protagonist); he nicely integrates dialog and action, weaving in the world-building and background information through POV reflection and conversation. If there is a quibble, it would be that his characters "grimace" too often. It's a descriptive word, but is almost as frequently used as "said" for a dialog marker. (I've noticed in the two other books I've read by Zahn that grimacing must be one of his writerly peccadillos.) Still, I can live with that since it doesn't take away from the story, and eventually one just ignores those markers.

That said, if you're looking for an escape while on spring break or at the beach this summer, grab The Icarus Hunt and strap yourself in for a wild ride. (8 out of 10)

George W Bush Memoir

2010-12-25T14:45:00.005-06:00

Looking forward to reading Decision Points by George W. Bush in the new year (one of my Christmas presents).

UPDATE: Still haven't read it! Okay, I'm slow.

Broken by Travis Thrasher

2010-05-26T07:08:00.004-05:00

I received this book free from the publisher to review...I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but it looks interesting from what I've seen, so I'll post my review in a few weeks. But for now, here are the official blurbs.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Broken (FaithWords, May 25, 2010) by Travis Thrasher

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

It was during third grade after a teacher encouraged him in his writing and as he read through The Narnia Chronicles by C.S. Lewis that Travis decided he wanted to be a writer. The dream never left him, and allowed him to fulfill that dream of writing fulltime in 2007.

Travis Thrasher is the author of numerous works of fiction, including his most personal and perhaps his deepest work, Sky Blue, that was published in summer of 2007. This year he has to novels published, Out of the Devil’s Mouth, and a supernatural thriller, Isolation.

Travis is married to Sharon and they are the proud parents of Kylie, born in November, 2006, and Hailey, a Shih-Tzu that looks like an Ewok. They live in suburban Chicago.

Stop by and visit Travis at his Blog where you can sign up to follow him on Facebook and Twitter!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Laila had it all - love, family, wealth, and faith. But when her faith crumbles, her world falls apart and Laila finds herself living an empty, dangerous life as a call girl in Chicago.

When she is threatened, Laila shoots and kills a client in self-defense, sending herself into a spiral of guilt and emptiness. Six months later, she is trying to move on, but she's haunted by the past. She hasn't told anyone about the man she killed, and she's still estranged from her family.

When she is approached by a stranger who says he knows what she did, Laila has no choice but to run. But the stranger stays close behind, and Laila begins having visions of the man she killed. Little does she know she's being hounded by something not of this world, something that knows her deepest, darkest secret.

Scared and wandering, will Laila regain her trust in God to protect her from these demons? Or will her plea for salvation come too late?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Broken, go HERE.

Predator by Terri Blackstock

2010-05-20T07:00:00.003-05:00

Note: I received this book free from the publisher to review...I read it and have posted my review below. But first, here are the official blurbs.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Predator (Zondervan, May 25, 2010) by Terri Blackstock

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Terri Blackstock’s books have sold six million copies worldwide. Her suspense novels often debut at number one on the Christian fiction best-seller lists, and True Light, published last year, was number one of all Christian books—fiction and non-fiction. Blackstock has had twenty-five years of success as a novelist.

In 1994 Blackstock was writing for publishers such as HarperCollins, Harlequin and Silhouette, when a spiritual awakening drew her into the Christian market. Since that time, she’s written over thirty Christian titles, in addition to the thirty-two she had in the secular market. Her most recent books are the four in her acclaimed Restoration Series, which includes Last Light, Night Light, True Light and Dawn’s Light. She is also known for her popular Newpointe 911 and Cape Refuge Series.

In addition to her suspense novels, she has written a number of novels in the women’s fiction genre, including Covenant Child, which was chosen as one of the first Women of Faith novels, and her Seasons Series written with Beverly LaHaye, wife of Tim LaHaye.

Blackstock has won the Retailer’s Choice Award and has appeared on national television programs such as The 700 Club, Home Life, and At Home Live with Chuck and Jenny. She has been a guest on numerous radio programs across the country and the subject of countless articles. The story of her personal journey appears in books such as Touched By the Savior by Mike Yorkey, True Stories of Answered Prayer by Mike Nappa, Faces of Faith by John Hanna, and I Saw Him In Your Eyes by Ace Collins.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The murder of Krista Carmichael's fourteen-year-old sister by an online predator has shaken her faith and made her question God's justice and protection. Desperate to find the killer, she creates an online persona to bait the predator. But when the stalker turns his sights on her, will Krista be able to control the outcome?

Ryan Adkins started the social network GrapeVyne in his college dorm and has grown it into a billion-dollar corporation. But he never expected it to become a stalking ground for online Predators. One of them lives in his town and has killed two girls and attacked a third. When Ryan meets Krista, the murders become more than a news story to him, and everything is on the line.

Joining forces, he and Krista set out to stop the killer. But when hunters pursue a hunter, the tables can easily turn. Only God can protect them now.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Predator, go here.

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Some of my thoughts: First off Blackstock is a competent writer, not great, but solid. So you won't be embarrassed recommending her or being caught reading this type of CBA product. Predator has an interesting, if not a very compelling, premise. It covers contemporary yet familiar ground: a murder mystery occasioned by an online social networking stalker. The subject matter is adult oriented (if you don't like reading about serial rapists/murderers, you won't like this story). There are faith elements (questioning God's role in an evil world, etc.), but the Christian themes weren't woven into the story very tightly, imo; they seemed stitched on and could easily be edited out in order to turn this book into an ABA offering.

My biggest challenge was the implausible "insider" world of the Facebook-like company that Blackstock describes. Some of the explanations as to how data is gathered and the role that computer programmers play in this story just didn't ring true. It was as if the author wrote about things she didn't have first-hand experience or knowledge of, but instead of doing research she relied on general knowledge that true "insiders" would find laughable. But then, most of her reading audience probably isn't worried about being extremely accurate in the details. I guess I'm too used to reading John Grisham and Tom Clancy - authors that Blackstock is trying to emulate both in style and genre, but hasn't quite succeeded.

If you enjoy a bit of mystery with some Christian themes and a moderate dose (at times a bit tedious, even) of socially relevant commentary, then you might like this book. But read it quick, it'll become outdated in a year or two. I give the book 7 out of 10.

Book Review - A Matter of Character by Robin Lee Hatcher

2010-05-17T19:49:00.006-05:00

So you know, I received a free copy of Robin Lee Hatcher's newest release, A Matter of Character, from Zondervan Publishing.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing A Matter of Character (Zondervan, May 25, 2010) by Robin Lee Hatcher

Here's my review:

Just finished reading this "faith-filled historical romance" set in 1918 Idaho. It's the third and final book of "The Sisters of Bethlehem Springs" series. You needn't be familiar with the first two novels, however, to enjoy this light and cozy, quick but competently written beach-or-bathtub read. Overall, I enjoyed the story, but to be honest, Christian chick lit isn't my favorite genre.

That being said, at about 250 pages, it's a little long and somewhat repetitive. I got tired of reading every few pages in the opening chapters why Joshua, the male protagonist, traveled to Bethlehem Springs on a mission to defend his grandfather's good name! I get it already. But because this was a fairly weak premise for an instigating crisis, I guess the author felt she needed to reiterate it half a dozen times or more. (Reminds me of the preacher joke/note to self: "Weak point, pound pulpit!") Still, the rising tension between Daphne (who has a secret about Joshua's grandfather) and the new man in town makes for a nice set up for the second half of the book, which covers their romantic troubles and resolution. If you enjoy clean reads with overtly Christian themes, this is a good representative of Christian historical fiction (the author's admitted "sweet spot").

Like the dime novels that Daphne writes, A Matter of Character reads a bit like the melodramatic fiction popular 100 years ago. It's fun, fast-paced, and transitions back and forth between Daphne and Joshua's POV fairly seamlessly. Although I'm not overly keen on meta-fiction (a writer writing a story about a writer writing a story - it's like a country singing star singing about becoming a country singing star), this wasn't too bad. My main challenge was that nothing extremely bad happened nor were there any nasty scoundrels to hate! I know, it's romance-lite with faith-triumphs themes, so again, if this is what you enjoy, Hatcher delivers. And there's a place for this type of lit. I just prefer something a bit more "adventurous."

My rating: 7 out of 10. But your mileage may vary. Here's the official blurb:

It's 1918, and Daphne McKinley, heiress to a small fortune, has found contentment in the town of Bethlehem Springs. But Daphne has a secret.

A series of dime novels loosely based on local lore and featuring a nefarious villain known as Rawhide Rick has enjoyed modest popularity among readers. Nobody in Bethlehem Springs knows the man behind the stories...except Daphne.

When newspaperman Joshua Crawford comes to town searching for the man who sullied the good name of his grandfather, Daphne finds herself at a crossroads, reassessing the power of her words, re-thinking how best to honor her gifts, and reconsidering what she wants out of life.

You can also view the book trailer here.

Book Tour for Crossing Oceans

2010-05-16T15:01:00.004-05:00

Received another book, Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes (see info below) in the mail for free to review from Tyndale House Publishers. Again, I didn't have time to read it myself, so gave it to a woman at church to read and comment on. No full review here, but she said it was well written and very emotional. It deals with loss, grief, the breakup of a family and eventual reconciliation. My friend said that it might be a good book for pastors to read in order to be better able to minister to families suffering illness and loss. Sounds like it's a powerful story.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing
Crossing Oceans (Tyndale House Publishers, May 1, 2010)
by Gina Holmes

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Gina Holmes began her career in 1998, penning articles and short stories. In 2005 she founded the influential literary blog, Novel Journey. She holds degrees in science and nursing and currently resides with her husband and children in southern Virginia. To learn more about her, visit May 2010's issue of CFOM at Interview with Gina Holmes or Novel Journey.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Jenny Lucas swore she’d never go home again. But being told you’re dying has a way of changing things. Years after she left, she and her five-year-old daughter, Isabella, must return to her sleepy North Carolina town to face the ghosts she left behind. They welcome her in the form of her oxygen tank–toting grandmother, her stoic and distant father, and David, Isabella’s dad . . . who doesn’t yet know he has a daughter. As Jenny navigates the rough and unknown waters of her new reality, the unforgettable story that unfolds is a testament to the power of love and its ability to change everything—to heal old hurts, bring new beginnings . . . even overcome the impossible. A stunning debut about love and loss from a talented new voice.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Crossing Oceans, go HERE.

Note: This one will likely go on my TBR pile, but for now I donated it to the church library for others to read and enjoy.

Book Review - A Woman Called Sage by DiAnn Mills

2010-04-28T21:06:00.008-05:00

Note: I received this book out of the blue (with no press release or note of explanation) from Zondervan Publishing, presumably to review.

UPDATE May 13, 2010: I Now realize that this is part of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Book Tour.

Since this isn't quite my genre, I gave it to a friend - who has read a couple "prairie romance" novels, although admittedly not her favorite genre either - and she provided the following review. Thanks, Mysti!

A Woman Called Sageby DiAnn Mills
Reviewed by Mysti.

Sage Morrow is half white, have Ute, and a self-proclaimed wild child. The story opens with Sage, a love-struck wife and mother-to-be, lost in the eyes of her husband. Romance abounds. Then tragedy! After gun shots ring out, we're fast-forwarded to a moment in time where we meet Sage as a hardened bounty hunter. The transition is jarring and unbelievable.

We're told that after spending several years learning the ways of the Ute with her Native American people, she sets out to seek justice for her husband's and unborn child's deaths. But the reality is, she's out for revenge. Sage has forsaken God, her parents values, and everything womanly about her. How, then, does she expect to succeed? On her own, one outlaw at a time, apparently.

Being a bounty hunter, her job is to bring in some of the worst criminals around - and we're expected to believe that she is still beautiful, still full of life, and still able to function in regular society. In a time of all out racism against the Indians, in a period that holds little respect for women, Sage is paraded across the pages like a pageant queen saving the world.

The other main characters aren't much better. A sheriff with a wayward brother, a brothel cook that seeks to deter the "girls" from working, and a few Christian ladies full of lace and sunshine make up this unbelievable cast. Although I rather appreciated the fire and brimstone preacher and all his bluster, even he takes a fantastical turn from reality in the last chapters.

A Woman Called Sage is a book full of romance and violence - and not a scrap of believability to be found in it. Although this is marketed as a Christian novel, I question the message the author is sending to those who are new in the faith. Sage is separated by God and is fully consumed with vengeance, but in the last chapters she has a hot flash that is portrayed as God touching her. I strongly caution against this use of "touch and feel" as a sign from God just when the moment requires it. Many Christian novels are used as icebreakers into Christian conversations with new believers and I wouldn't want someone to be turned off by a fictional miracle experience that doesn't mirror reality.

If you are a reader that can completely immerse yourself in a story, suspend your disbelief, not worry about period consistency or about the logic of human nature (or all the laws of nature, for that matter), then this novel might be for you. But if you find yourself getting hung up on that telephone pole in the distance in an old western movie, put this book back on the shelf.
###
Wow! Thanks, Mysti, for giving me the low down on this book. But you can decide for yourself, obviously. Here's the official blurb from the publisher:

They took away everything she loved … now, she’s out for revenge. Sage Morrow had it all: life on a beautiful Colorado ranch, a husband who adored her, and a baby on the way. Until five ruthless gunmen rode up to their ranch and changed her life forever.

Now Sage is a bounty hunter bent on retribution. Accompanied only by her majestic hawk, she travels throughout the Rocky Mountains in search of injustice, determined to stamp it out wherever it’s found. The stakes are raised when two young boys are kidnapped and Sage is forced to work with Marshall Parker Timmons to rescue them. But Sage may ultimately get more than she bargained for. In this exciting historical romance set in the late 1800s, murder, intrigue, kidnapping, and questions of faith will keep you in suspense until the final pages.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Award-winning author, DiAnn Mills, launched her career in 1998 with the publication of her first book. Currently she has over forty books in print and has sold more than a million copies.

DiAnn believes her readers should “Expect an Adventure.” DiAnn Mills is a fiction writer who combines an adventuresome spirit with unforgettable characters to create action-packed novels.

Six of her anthologies have appeared on the CBA Best Seller List. Three of her books have won the distinction of Best Historical of the Year by Heartsong Presents. Five of her books have won placements through American Christian Fiction Writer’s Book of the Year Awards 2003 – 2007, and she is the recipient of the Inspirational Reader’s Choice award for 2005 and 2007. She was a Christy Awards finalist in 2008.

DiAnn is a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Inspirational Writers Alive, Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope and Love, and Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn is also a mentor for Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writer’s Guild.

She lives in sunny Houston, Texas. DiAnn and her husband have four adult sons and are active members of Metropolitan Baptist Church.

You can also read an "interview" the author has with Sage! DiAnn Mills' interactions here will definitely give you a feel for her writing style, as will this list of books she's published. Like I said, not my cup of tea, but this type of fast-paced, airplane/beach/bathtub reading might be right up your alley.

The book will be released next week, but in the mean time, here are a few other reviews I've found.

* YouTube Book Trailer

* Mary Lou Cheatham for The Examiner.com

* Amazon.com Reviews

* CFBA participant, A Fiction-Filled Life Blog, has a good review and interview with the author. Check it out.

La Mort de un Chat

2010-02-07T14:50:00.002-06:00

compared to La Mort de Marat...

Cartoon of the Week

2010-02-07T14:45:00.003-06:00

Slave Narrative of Olaudah Equiano

2010-01-23T19:30:00.006-06:00

Read a portion of the slave narrative of Olaudah Equiano today - The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African (published in 1789). Equiano states in this best seller of the day that he was born in Africa and was captured when he was about 11 years of age. Abolitionists in England utilized his life story as a tool for reform. The full text is here.

Another slave narrative is The History of Mary Prince, a West Indian Slave, Related by Herself. This autobiography was published in 1831 and was also an important literary tool for the abolitionists. Mary Prince, born about 1788 in Bermuda and into slavery, was likely the first female slave to be the subject of such a narrative.

It took many years, of course, and many such narratives and accountings of human atrocities to finally bring about the end of the slave trade. One of the leaders of the movement was William Wilberforce. These readings for class reminded me of a quote from John Newton to Wilberforce in 1796 upon the defeat of his proposal to end the slave trade in the English colonies. Not knowing it would be another 11 years of sustained effort before success, Wilberforce was expressing to his old friend Newton (pictured below) his willingness to consider retirement from public life.

Here is Newton's reply, which convinced Wilberforce to stay the course.

Daniel, likewise, was a public man, and in critical circumstances; but he trusted in the Lord; was faithful in his department, and therefore though he had enemies, they could not prevail against him.

Indeed the great point for our comfort in life is to have a well-grounded persuasion that we are where, all things considered, we ought to be. Then it is no great matter whether we are in public or in private life, in a city or a village, in a palace or a cottage. The promise, "My grace is sufficient for thee," is necessary to support us in the smoothest scenes, and is equally able to support us in the most difficult. . . .

[Christ] is always near. He knows our wants, our dangers, our feelings, our fears. By looking to him we are enlightened and made strong out of weakness. With his wisdom for our guide, his power for our protection, his fullness for our supply, and proposing his glory as our chief end, and placing our happiness in his favour, in communion with him, and communications from Him, we shall be able to "withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand."

Source of Quote: William Wilberforce: A Hero for Humanity by Kevin Belmonte (Zondervan, 2007, pages 137,138)

John Newton is the author of the hymn Amazing Grace, which also serves as the title to the wonderful film that captures the life of William Wilberforce (see pdf study guide). I recommend you rent the DVD!

Archive of Books Read

2010-01-23T08:24:00.001-06:00

Some Books I Read in 2009

Beloved by Toni Morrison
Writing Great Books for Young Adults by Brooks
Devil's Cape by Rob Rogers
Molly Fyde by Hugh Howey
POW!erful Tales, ed by Michael Lea
The Tempest by Shakespeare
King Lear by Shakespeare
As You Like It by Shakespeare
Twelfth Night by Shakespeare
Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare
Henry 4, Part 1 by Shakespeare
Richard II by Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare
Fantasy & Science Fiction Oct/Nov 2009
Quofum by Alan Dean Foster
The Salt Palace by Darren DeFrain
The Black Dossier by Alan Moore
Stealing Buddha's Dinner by Bich Minh Nguyen
Offworld by Robin Parrish
Transforming Realities by R.L. Copple
The Black Tower by Louis Bayard
Death Books a Return by Marion Moore Hill
Hard Country by William W. Johnstone
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
When The Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
The Surrounded by D'Arcy McNickle
Pocho by Jose Antonio Villareal
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney
Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
Christ The Lord: Out of Egypt by Anne Rice
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
Future Bristol Edited by Colin Harvey
Armageddon's Children by Terry Brooks
Beowulf and Other Poems Edited by Constance Hieatt
Triumph Born of Tragedy by Andre Thornton
The Big Black Mark by A. Bertram Chandler
Grammar Girl's Quick & Dirty Tips by Mignon Fogarty
Broken Angel by Sigmund Brouwer

Some Books I Read in 2008

The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue
Fearless by Robin Parrish
Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat
The Soloist by Steve Lopez
Conscientious Inconsistencies by Nancy Jane Moore
Filter House by Nisi Shawl
Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card
Harry Potter 5, 6, & 7 by J.K. Rowling
Playing for Pizza by John Grisham
Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Shack by William P. Young
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson
Infinite Realities by R.L. Copple
Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier
Blue Like Jazz by Don Miller
Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam
When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin
And a bunch of Louis L'Amour books :-)

William Blake's The Tyger

2010-01-22T16:39:00.009-06:00

Starting a new semester and am taking a British Writers class. We're beginning our discussion with the Romantics and were assigned some poems by William Blake (1757-1827).

Blake was a poet and illustrator and is probably best known for his singular publications which combined his (increasingly esoteric) poetry and art. Songs of Innocence and of Experience is perhaps his most well-known and accessible collection of works.

In Songs (and other volumes), Blake experimented with a technique called "relief etching" (along with illuminated printing) where he created individual copper plates of art and poetry etched into the surface. He would then print a limited number of copies, hand illustrating each page using mostly water colors. These pages would eventually be hand-bound into small chapbooks which he would sell or distribute to a close circle of friends. Thus, without mass distribution, Blake was relatively unknown during his life time.

In fact, I had never really heard of him (I know, for shame!)...and yet when I started reading his poems, I found familiar quotes. For example, from the final verse of "The Tyger" comes this memorable line: "What immortal hand or eye / Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?" (Yes, it's also an instrumental piece by Inked in Blood on their "Lay Waste the Poets" album, lol.)

So, I have a new Romantic to delve into. And he's worth the delve. Look at the sample illustrations of "The Tyger" - and each one is different which shades the message slightly as the poem and art work together in various ways. Notice that the tiger in one appears to be smiling. Huh! For an indepth look at his artwork, you must visit the William Blake Archive.

For more information, visit:
+ Poets.org
+ WebMuseum

Review of POW!erful Tales - Super Powered Short Stories

2009-12-19T09:29:00.004-06:00

My review of editor Michael Lea's collection of super human fiction, POW!erful Tales, is up at TangentOnline.com. Here's my opening take:

I have to admit at the outset that I’m not a super huge fan of superhuman stories, but I do like well told speculative adventures, which is what this anthology boils down to. And for the most part, the stories contained in POW!erful Tales, edited by Michael C. Lea, are fairly well told fictions featuring superheroes and super villains battling it out in and over Beta City, “the hero capital of the world.”

The setting of Beta City (on the shores of a post-cataclysmic Lake Erie) is important as it serves as a unifying thread for a collection of (for the most part) disparate stories written by thirteen different authors. Lea did a fairly good job tying them together with a running narrative that grouped thematically similar adventures into four sections. He even referred back to some of the characters and situations in his climactic story, “Uncreation Myth.” The overall project was maybe a bit ambitious as the groupings were somewhat forced, but I have to admit it was fresh and creative and did serve to set this anthology apart from the various other hero fiction collections out there.

After a fictional introduction by Lea that seeks to offer the reader some rationale for the increased hero activity in and around Beta City, the dossier is opened and we are invited to judge for ourselves the origins of the sensational happenings as well as the “menaces catalogued” there.

Read my reviews on all 15 stories included in this collection. And if this is your type of lit, then I'd give it a recommended thumbs up, a 6.5 out of 10.

Shakespeare's Complicated Killjoys

2009-12-14T13:11:00.005-06:00

Note: This is an essay I wrote this semester on "Shylock and Malvolio as Complicated Killjoys" in the plays The Merchant of Venice (MV) and Twelfth Night (TN), respectively. I received a 95, but can not be held responsible if you plagiarize and receive a failing grade for your efforts. I post this for your enjoyment and intellectual stimulation alone.

~*~

The Complicated Killjoy

In Shakespeare’s plays, the killjoy serves as a foil against which the joy of merry making and festivity can shine. In the playwright’s comedies this negative character must be purged or put down before the celebration of love can be fully enjoyed. This is an interesting device and a necessary one in Shakespeare’s festive comedies. It has its origins in the seasonal preparations and rituals for various religious festivals, including Christmas and Easter. Prior to the celebration of such holidays there is a period of fasting or contemplation so that, one may assume, the holy day can be appreciated that much more. Before Easter, for example, comes Lent. Advent precedes the Twelve Days of Christmas. Humans have within them, it seems, a natural capacity to break from the routine and release themselves in ritual celebrations. Even pagans have May Day (the advent of spring) and Midsummer’s Eve (the summer solstice) among other holidays.

Both The Merchant of Venice (MV) and Twelfth Night (TN) are comedies and feature the killjoys Shylock and Malvolio, respectively. Each serves as a hindrance to celebration and must be removed in order for the festivities to proceed; and their role is readily identifiable. Their names and backgrounds are clear indications to the audience that these characters are going to “get what’s coming to them” in the end. Shylock is a Jew and even his name conjures up the image of a shyster, which is derived from the Old High German term scheisser, meaning “one who defecates” (Dictionary.com). Of course, Jews were on the receiving end of all kinds of prejudicial mistreatment during the Elizabethan age and anti-Semitism was an accepted cultural attitude and practice. Elizabethan England was also anti-Puritan. An uneasy balance existed between the Church of England and Catholicism, but there was very little tolerance for the Puritan cause, represented by Malvolio. His name, too, is meant to bring to mind “ill will” and unsympathetic feelings for his character. These two easily identifiable killjoys serve as dramatic devices that, once purged of their power, give way to the happy endings that Shakespeare’s audiences had come (and paid their money) to expect.

Yet Shylock and Malvolio are a bit more complicated in their characterization than is typical of simple “straw-men” antagonists. While not tragic figures like Hamlet or King Lear (in terms of their sufferings) both characters elicit some sympathy in that their eventual punishment seems excessive. Shylock is publically humiliated by Portia (posing as a lawyer) in a wonderfully executed reversal of technical legalities in the court room scene (MV 4.1). Shylock demands a pound of flesh from Antonio and “the law allows it” (4.1.302), but Portia surprises him: “This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood” (4.1.305). Denied his bond, Shylock bargains for but ends up losing even his initial principle. In the world of “an eye for an eye” this seems a fair punishment, but in anti-Semitic Elizabethan theater Shylock is forcibly converted to the Christian faith to the delight of the audience. This extra dramatic action of “kick ’em when they’re down” prompts me to wonder if Shakespeare is simply echoing popular sentiment or is commenting on the excessive prejudice of his day. Is this the playwright’s attempt to complicate the character of Shylock and so deny the audience of a simple whipping boy? I’m inclined to believe it is. While Shakespeare was obviously a product of his times, his use of the killjoy seems to carry with it a deeper significance than mere entertainment.

So, too, Malvolio’s demise is a bit unwarranted. He is imprisoned (TN 4.2) without proper trial or authority by Toby simply because Toby resents his arrogance and position as household steward. In my opinion, the wonderfully comedic prank that Toby and Maria played on Malvolio was enough to “purge” the Puritan of his position as killjoy. Believing the letter that Maria wrote was written by Olivia and intended for him (2.5) leads to hilarious results. The prim and proper sourpuss is forced to play the harlequin (like a smiling jester with yellow stockings and cross garters) in penance, if you will, for his arrogance and presumption that he might one day be “Count Malvolio” (2.5.35). When Olivia sees him thusly dressed, she thinks him mad. The audience rightly laughs at this humbling reversal and it seems retribution is served. Yet at the end of the play when all is revealed, Malvolio is utterly defeated and declares as he exits, “I’ll be revenged on the whole pack of you!” (5.1.380). His attitude is strangely subduing at this point and causes the audience to consider if he was unjustifiably wronged. Again, Shakespeare isn’t simply employing a one dimensional character to poke fun at; Malvolio has a certain depth to him that complicates his role as a killjoy.

In fact, both Shylock and Malvolio display (and represent) certain admirable qualities that the audience should appreciate. Shylock is frugal (in words and in money) and canny; he’s wise in the ways of the world. He also represents the abused and downtrodden. He rightly rebukes Antonio for a recent insult – “You called me dog” (MV 1.3.125) – when Antonio returns and seeks to borrow money from him. Despite these qualities, however, I agree with most readers that Shylock is more villain than innocent. He even describes himself as anti-social and anti-Christian – “I hate him for he is a Christian” (1.3.39) – in a social and decidedly Christian cultural setting. Malvolio, on the other hand, displays more typically respectable qualities that a Christian nation should admire. He’s orderly, sober, composed, proper, competent, and loyal. He embodies the characteristics of the elite and royal class. His fall, then, is as much a commentary on the common person’s relationship with the nobility as it is their resistance to Puritan ideals. Still, the audience can’t help but admire Malvolio’s insistence on clinging to his sanity in the midst of his abuse. He says, somewhat ironically to the clown who is verbally torturing him, “I am as well in my wits, fool, as thou art” (TN 4.2.91). These examples demonstrate again that we have somewhat complicated killjoys and not mere rogues in need of a comeuppance.

These added dimensions to the roles that Shylock and Malvolio play not only complicate their characters, they also affect the comic tone of their respective plays. Instead of light comedic drama written to simply entertain the masses, Shakespeare presents us with festive comedies that explore the nature of ritual, the role of sacrifice, and the importance of celebration. If the killjoy was just a device to mock and forget about, then their role would be a shallow one. Based on the lingering doubt, though, of Shylock’s and Malvolio’s punishment and possible discomfort over the excessive retribution they received, Shakespeare leaves us with thoughtful comedies that, obvious to us now four hundred years later, give audiences timeless explorations of human nature and interactions.

~*~

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. Signet Classic Edition. 1987.

Shakespeare, William. Twelfth Night. Signet Classic Edition. 1998.

Some Thoughts on Capitalism & Freedom

2009-10-24T12:02:00.006-05:00

Came across a thought-provoking post by Hugh Howey titled, "A Fan of Freedom," in which the author defends some basic tenets of capitalism against those who, in light of the extraordinary incomes received by those in the banking industry in recent weeks, are questioning its value.

Hugh states the problem (emphases his):

All capitalism means is that the people own their own stuff. We can possess our own land, we can start our own business, we can determine the price of goods we create, and we can enter into binding contracts with one another. That’s it. This is a system that creates economic freedoms of potential (if not outcome). How can people be against freedom? Because they don’t like the choices other people make and would really like to have complete control over someone else.

This makes sense. A lot of people are just plain envious of the wealth others have accumulated and prefer to bring them down to their level rather than do the work required to achieve similar levels of financial success. What capitalism allows is the opportunity for someone to drop out of college, build a business (or work in one), and become a billionaire. This is a good thing. What a country!

Hugh on money:

A side-note on what money is, for those that seem to hate or distrust it. Money is a token used to represent work. It’s the stand-in, the go-between, for a cobbler and a butcher. One man trades shoes for another’s sausage. Even when they don’t need each other’s wares at the exact same time. Hating money is like hating trade between two free peoples, or hating the idea that a person’s work has any intrinsic value. I usually find that people who hate money are misplacing their hatred of greed (or expressing their own envy and materialism).

Exactly. If people have a problem with others earning and accumulating money, they're really commenting on their own unwillingness (or laziness) to do the hard work of building their own fortune. That's the system we live in. If you or Michael Moore don't like it, move some place else.

Otherwise, here's what you're left with. Hugh again:

The current thinking on economic freedom seems to be this: Human liberty occasionally results in abuses of human liberty. Free people often use that freedom to trample the freedom of another free person. In order to make sure the latter has freedom from the former, we need to remove ALL human freedom. That is, in order to make sure nobody murders anyone ever again, we need to all be locked up in our individual cages. This is what’s best for mankind.

Freedom to build wealth means that someone will abuse the system through illegal means. They should be punished, obviously. But don't punish the system that allows all of us the ability (the freedom) to create wealth by legitimate means.

KABUL24 - The Documentary Film

2009-10-23T08:46:00.005-05:00

KABUL24 - A documentary film directed by Ben Pearson and narrated by Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ) about the captivity of 8 Western aid workers and their 16 Muslim co-workers by the Taliban in 2001.

In the summer of 2001 the Taliban strategically captured 24 Shelter Now International Aid hostages that captured the attention of the world for more than three months. The Taliban took hostage 2 Americans, 2 Australians, 4 Germans, and 16 Muslim co-workers from Afghanistan, and held them as an insurance policy against the impending retaliatory actions of September 11th.

Based on the true story as told by the captives, KABUL24 recounts their frightening 105-day captivity and the cruel treatment of their Muslim co-workers who were accused by the Taliban of converting to Christianity. Revisit their journey from the grueling interrogation to their sham “trial” before the Taliban Supreme Court, to the dangers endured during the bombing of Kabul and a crushing sense that the world had abandoned them. What transpired through this trial is a journey of inspirational faith, grace and endurance.

This film is being shown this weekend at the Tallgrass Film Festival in Wichita, KS.

Marriage Is Not A Right

2009-10-22T07:54:00.007-05:00

Subtitled: You Can't Legislate Morality!

Got off topic a few weeks ago in an American Lit class. We were discussing slave narratives in conjunction with early feminist writers like Margaret Fuller. The general point had to do with disenfranchisement - the denial of civil rights.

"This is what gays are going through today," one person said. "They're being denied their rights to marry." A general chorus of amens followed.

I raised my hand.

"I don't think gay marriage is analogous to disenfranchisement," I said. "No law is keeping consenting adults from cohabitating." I probably should have left it at that, but I went on to say, "Marriage isn't even a right." I guess that's how we got off topic.

So for the next 20 minutes we all shared our ignorance. The discussion ranged from efforts at defining marriage to personal testimonies of alleged discrimination against some third cousin's step-son's half-brother who couldn't visit his lover in the hospital.

I raised my hand.

First, no law is denying two consenting competent adults from entering into any legally binding or privilege providing contract. The power of attorney addresses health and hospital issues. Co-signing loans and property titles is done all the time. And one's will covers transfer of property after one's death. So what rights are gays being denied?

Second, marriage is a civic institution (albeit one ineluctably molded by religious values) that has inherent limits. It is between two people, for one. (Polygamy, at least the last time I checked, is still illegal, denying the "rights" of its advocates.) It is serial - at least for those who decide to have multiple marriages. (This, too, denies the "rights" of someone who wants to have multiple concurrent spouses - say in different states.) In other words, marriage is not an unrestrained right - it is an already legally defined and self-limiting concept.

So in an attempt to get back on topic, I concluded, "This is why I believe that the issue of gay marriage is not comparable to disenfranchisement of blacks and women in the 1800s."

Someone responded, "But you can't legislate morality."

To me this was a non-sequitur. But that got me thinking. Hmm - I thought - that's exactly what those in favor of gay marriage are trying to do. They are trying to legislate, and thus institute, a particular set of moral values upon/within the broader American culture. Isn't this what all acts of legislation attempt to do? The question is really, whose set of moral values best promote the welfare of society? (And this post is way too short to address that issue!)

Finally, one woman told an emotional story of how a person she knew of was forcibly removed from his home after his partner died because his name wasn't on the lease, etc. The story was a bit convoluted but there seemed to have been some legitimate legal issues that were violated. At the very minimum, human decency was denied this person.

I felt sad for that guy who lost his home. What happened to him was probably not right. Something should be done to change that, and prevent something like that from ever happening again.

But then, I guess you can't legislate morality.

Cultural Relativism Isn't

2009-10-20T19:52:00.004-05:00

Interesting discussion in class the other day. My prof mentioned that Gene Roddenberry's Prime Directive was an example of cultural ethnocentrism!

Here's why. Despite the widespread touchy-feely sentiment regarding Star Trek's promotion of multiculturalism, the nefarious premise behind the Prime Directive is that there is a developmental timeline that applies to all cultures. Given enough time - and without interference from their 'superiors' - primitive societies will advance to one day become like us. Smile. Nod. Father knows best.

This is ethnocentrism - measuring other groups in relationship to one's own group. And this is a no-no for cultural relativists, who believe, among other things, that one should not judge a culture by one's own set of standards. One should simply try to understand a culture's values, beliefs, and activities within its own context.

Therefore, cultural relativism is the superior way of viewing all cultures!

Which, of course, is internally contradictory. Judgments are made regardless of who is doing the observing because all observations are inherently subjective - they come from certain perspectives. The real question is what set of standards are most appropriate to judge that culture, for we all have standards by which we judge.

For example, those who say we should not call a culture primitive are invoking a standard that assumes that their belief is more advanced (or civilized or enlightened or etc) than those who hold more traditional views of cultural differentiation. Those who claim that cultural relativism is the axiomatic anthropological principle by which to study other cultures are simply intellectual ethnocentrists.

Now some cultural relativists hold to ethical relativism as well. That is, having no absolute standard by which we should judge, we are disqualified from criticizing any (including our own) society's beliefs or practices. This is ludicrous on the face of it. While this is an extreme position (well, maybe not, I am in a university setting now and they believe some crazy stuff on campuses), it merely proves that those who hold to this view are in fact making judgments based on their own absolute standard.

So it turns out that cultural relativism really isn't.

Keep the F-word Vulgar

2009-10-19T18:48:00.007-05:00

I'm starting a "Save the F-Word" Campaign.

And I'm asking each of you to do your part. Please, keep the f-word vulgar - as in indecent, obscene, lewd. Or at least let it remain something crude, coarse, and unrefined.

How? By not allowing another connotation of vulgarity to dominate its defining characteristic. That is, don't let it become current, popular, common...or even worse, banal. That's right, I'm asking you to refrain from using the f-word in order to save it.

Why? Because the effin f-word is used so effin often as an effin descriptor that it's effin lost its effin significance. Is that effin clear enough for you!? Plus, that kind of writing is boring.

And yes, I'm specifically appealing to writers here, but potty mouths can zip it as well. Either way, f-word saturation has reached critical levels and threatens to undermine its essential value.

Oh yes, the f-word is valuable. It's shocking. It's subversive. It's controversial. Or it used to be. Sadly, it's starting to lose its punch. Witness Catcher in the Rye. It used to be banned from our school libraries, now high schoolers find the book...dull.

Mark my words, that's what will happen to you and your stories. Sure, right now it's trendy. The f-bomb is everywhere! Vive la liberté! People think it cool, hip, expressive to pepper their blogs, creative writing assignments, literary journals, and popular novels with the f-word. It's realist, modern, and postmodern (all three at once!) standing in solidarity against out-of-date conservative puritanical prudish authoritarian values.

I get it. So you have to spread your wings. Fine.

But if after reading this you're still committed to the liberal use of the word, better fly now because that window is closing. One day - soon! - it will simply be a mark of sloppy writing, like, you know, omg, slang gone wild. Then you'll have squandered a perfectly good obscenity. We may even be too late. "F**k you" doesn't even start a bar fight anymore.

Still, there is hope. There is yet time to pull back from the brink. I implore you to save the f-word for those rare and special occasions when its appearance in the text is surprising, effective, and actually says something important. You'll know when to use it. Treat it like painite in your bag of vocabulary gems.

In the mean time, what are some alternatives? Well, of course, frack/frak is a scifi favorite and can be used quite creatively. Friggin' works. Effin, too. Fudge has lost its flavor, imo. But fiddle might be worth bringing back. The point is, give these a try and save the f-word - and vulgarities in general - for really important literary jobs.

Please, before it's too late. Join me in my campaign to keep the f-word vulgar.

Edgar Allan Poe, Detective Fiction, & the Romantic Tradition

2009-10-16T08:01:00.005-05:00

And Now For Something Completely Different
A Short Examination of Poe’s Groundbreaking Detective Fiction Within the Context of Romantic Literature

With the creation of Inspector Dupin, Edgar Allan Poe not only debuts the first literary crime investigator but introduces a whole new genre into American literature, detective fiction (Norton 1599). While many consider Poe to be the father of the crime story – and so, in plot and character development, parts ways with his contemporaries – he nevertheless is writing within the Romantic tradition. The three stories that feature C. Auguste Dupin (“The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” “The Mystery of Marie Rôget,” and “The Purloined Letter”), while ground-breaking in regards to genre, contain elements of romanticism that we will briefly examine here. Limiting our discussion to the theme of reform, we will inspect two aspects that reveal Poe’s romantic influences and one that seems to break with the movement and foreshadow a more realistic (perhaps darker?) tradition of literature.

Many writers of this period concerned themselves with issues of societal reform. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Margaret Fuller, for example, wrote about equality and individual advancement. Both were suspicious, however, of institutional expressions of reformation. They believed in the self’s inherent ability to attain enlightenment and thereby transform society. These two aspects of reform – distrust of governing authority and faith in the individual – are echoed in Poe’s detective fiction. In “The Purloined Letter,” for example, the hero of the story is Dupin who stands outside the law and in fact gently mocks his “old acquaintance, Monsieur G—, the Prefect of the Parisian police” (1599) for being unable to solve the crime, that is, the theft of a certain piece of correspond-ence. When Dupin succeeds, he (and so Poe) reveals the inadequacy of the institution and celebrates the power of the self.

What becomes a standard element of crime stories (the rivalry between traditional law enforcement and the maverick detective) finds its roots in Romanticism’s distrust of traditional authority. So, too, the detective’s keen powers of investigation are lifted up. Dupin is a master of deduction, observation, and the human psyche. Considering that the Prefect failed to discover the letter purloined by Minister D—, Dupin boasts, “the more satisfied I became that, to conceal this letter, the Minister … [did not] conceal it at all” (1609). Dupin then goes on to explain his superior reasoning and daring exploits which lead, of course, to the recovery of the stolen item. He quite enjoys the drama of it all as illustrated by his presentation of the document and acceptance of the monetary reward from the Prefect: “[Y]ou may as well fill me up a check for the amount mentioned. When you have signed it, I will hand you the letter” (1604).

So Dupin appears to be a quintessential romantic hero, standing in sharp relief against an inadequate establishment. Yet the motivation for his daring exploits – that of revenge (1611) – seems to portend a transition from romantic (especially transcendental) literature where the soul is ennobled and, according to Emerson, is “part and particle of God” (1112), to a more realistic or naturalistic style of writing in which the human condition, in all its faults and foibles, is simply observed with very little commentary. Although Poe is supremely interested in the interiority of the mind, he does not judge as right or wrong, or true or false, its motivations and perceptions.

As a Romantic writer, Poe rejects the rationalism (and faith in the institution) of the enlightenment, but does not quite embrace the emotional optimism of his contemporaries toward personal reform. He both stands within and is stepping beyond the literary movement of his day; and with the creation of detective fiction (as well as other genres) may be introducing to the literary world something completely different.

Work Cited:
The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Volume B, 1820 – 1856, Seventh Edition. Ed. Robert S. Levine, Arnold Krupat. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2007.

Note: This short essay earned an A in my American Writers class, but I can not be held responsible if you plagiarize and get a B.

Cross Cultural Symbolism in Sunjata

2009-09-11T19:59:00.005-05:00

Sunjata is a 14th century epic lay from West Africa that recounts the events and legends surrounding the life of Sunjata, the 13th century king of the Mali empire and of the Mande people. It is an involved and communal tale full of myth and folklore told by a griot, or cultural bard. The role of the griot is not only to relate the happenings of their particular subject (in this case, the Mande king), but to shape the message in such a way as to highlight truths and mores appropriate for a specific occasion. Each telling, then, is a unique rendition of the epic poem performed – with music, verse, and commentary – in concert with a listening audience.

Intended as an oral piece, Sunjata is therefore somewhat difficult for the uninitiated to read and comprehend in written form. In fact, there are a number of different “versions” of Sunjata, often times conflicting in their details, due to the varied settings of the story. The particular source used for this discussion is the version told by the griot Bamba Suso and translated by Gordon Innes in 1974. (Bedford 26 – 47).

Despite the unfamiliarity of the form and the occasional aspect of this piece, an observant reader will quickly find cross cultural points of contact within the text. Many of the myths, characters, and symbols of Sunjata crop up throughout ancient literature. As has been noted by scholars for centuries, there seem to be certain archetypes that are part of the DNA of our psyche, if you will; symbols that cross cultures, language groups, and generations. While griot Bamba Suso may bring forth Africa-specific applications, and touch on certain life lessons that we as western Euro-Americans find a bit tricky to understand or appreciate, he nevertheless is working with a number of universal symbols that most of us can identify and identify with.

Space will not permit a thorough investigation into every archetype within the saga, but a sampling should suffice to demonstrate its cross cultural message. As has been stated, Sunjata concerns the remarkable, even magical, life of the king of Mali, who history tells us defeated a rival king, Sumanguru, and consolidated the Mande tribes to form an empire centered in Timbuktu. (20, 21) The prediction of Sunjata’s birth and his coming of age tales – and eventual deeds of greatness – are the first to echo a common motif from other epics and narratives. The divinely appointed leader, like Moses or David in the Bible, is an archetype many of us will recognize. Indeed, the “great reversal” theme (where the greatest leader arises from the lowest of positions) is found in the opening lines about Sunjata’s father responding to the prediction of a soothsayer: “If you go to Sankarang Madiba Konte and find a wife there, she will give birth to a child who will become king of the black people.”(lines 29 – 32) But after interviewing nine potential wives, the soothsayers still hadn’t discovered the right one. “Now, is there not another Sukulung?” … “There is, but she is ugly. She is my daughter.” … A soothsayer consulted the omens and then told him, “This is the one.” (lines 40 – 45) Like the shepherd boy David who grew into the greatest king of Israel, Sunjata’s humble origins will give way to an appointment with destiny.

Moreover, like King David, Sunjata assembles a group of loyal followers – in this case, griots – who defend his cause as he learns to become a great warrior. In a dramatic show of solidarity with one of his griots, Sunjata cuts off some of the meat in his calf for food so his friend will not starve. (lines 441 – 475) This brings to mind the “body and blood” of Christ eaten in a symbolic way even today by Christ’s followers to demonstrate their unity with their Savior. The idea of having a “blood brother” (a friendship that is as strong or stronger than family ties) is also found in Native American spirituality.

Another biblical allusion is in the details of the defeat of his final foe, Sumanguru. A common story element in the tale of overcoming an enemy is the discovery of some secret strength that is then used to expose the foe’s weakness (or Achilles’ heel, a la Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey). Sumanguru, like the biblical Samson, harbors a secret to his success as a warrior. And like Samson who tells his secret to Delilah, Sunjata’s sister discovers Sumanguru’s source of power. (lines 680 – 682) This information is used in the end to defeat Sumanguru, thus making Sunjata the unrivaled king of the Mande people.

As with many folk tales, there are story elements in Sunjata that are included to explain the origins of various tribal customs or cultural traditions. They don’t seem to have anything in particular to do with the epic itself, but are used by the griot in order to share valuable lessons with those assembled. Because modern readers may be unfamiliar with the oral tradition of African storytelling, the actual reading of the text may be a bit tedious at first. The version told by Bamba Suso is repetitive at times, seems to head off on a few tangents, and includes a number of allusions to tribal myths and historical events that the casual reader would miss or find confusing. But if one reads the text with an eye for broader themes, Sunjata will reveal some cross cultural symbols that most will recognize. This epic lay is an interesting exploration of how different cultures utilize similar themes and archetypes to communicate that which is most important to them.

WORK CITED
The Bedford Anthology of World Literature, Book 3, The Early Modern World, 1450-1650.
Boston, New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004.

(Note: This short essay was for a college class. If you plagiarize I can not be responsible for your grade. :-)

Spring, Finally - At Every Day Poets

2009-09-09T20:57:00.003-05:00

A friend at SFReader - von Darkmoor, in fact - recently posted his reflection on the statue "Death of the Last Centaur." It's funny, because I participated in this same challenge a couple years ago and just had part of my sketch published in Every Day Poets. Here's the visual prompt...

... from which I based the following opening scene. Start by reading the opening scene to this opening scene at Every Day Poets (in prose poem form, titled "Spring, Finally"). Then come back and read the rest, the title for the whole narrative being "The Sorrow of Raetheos."

~*~

All but the Centaur Raetheos — Light of God — who arrives alone and with a quizzical countenance, having traversed the valley in vain search for his paramour and partner Celeste, a superior beauty among the superior creatures. They were to meet at the fountainhead in the mountain pass the day following the Chickadee’s inaugural song; when the spring’s water breaks free of winter’s icy grasp and gushes once more toward the valley floor.

Raetheos had lingered beside the spring an additional sun’s rising and setting, waving on those excited companions who were returning to their seasonal home, inviting him to join them, assuring him that Celeste would surely be waiting, as their friends were, for him below. But the Centaur knew these were but sympathetic words, without thought or knowledge of their covenant to enter gaily together as Lord and Lady of the Vale.

As Raetheos ponders this unforeseen happenstance, a creature who rarely announces its presence and is as rarely acknowledged, creeps its way to the Centaur and coils itself before the mighty beast. “O Light of God,” the Serpent breathes, “your humble servant is ever before you to honor your will and carry out your commands. I am but a willing instrument in your…”

“Yes, yes,” Raetheos responds, pounding his hooves impatiently, inching his powerful and imposing forelegs forward, threatening to crush whatever lay in his path. The Serpent, content in its despised role and accustomed to such maneuvers, confidently certain that no harm will come its way, seems to bow in obeisance and continues.

“My lord, I bring you word from beyond the mountain pass concerning the Daughter of Stars which might interest you, as I am well aware of your...”

“Enough! What of Celeste, what of my bride? Speak quickly or that long-throated, unholy tongue of yours will cease to conjure another spoken word.”

The Serpent nods and speaks, although without urgency and with feigned concern. “It is with great sadness that I must announce to you that your fair and honorable beloved has fallen in a brutal and vicious attack, an ambush of such a nature that no one is left to tell of its details. I happened upon the deathly scene within a day or two of its occurrence, too late to render aid, and the only service I know to provide is that of a herald, albeit one that is reluctant to proffer his message.”

At this the great Centaur cries out in an anguished shout that echoes throughout the valley, interrupting the ignorant levity and bliss of the rest of the animals caught up in spring’s celebration. Raetheos demands that the Serpent disseminate the exact location, time, and any further details concerning the circumstances of Celeste’s demise. Upon extracting everything pertinent from the ill-received messenger, Raetheos gathers a band of trusted advisors and friends and sets out to determine the veracity of his soul mate’s fate.

They arrive upon the scene and it is as was described by the Serpent—the stiff and pale body of the Centaur slashed through and splayed upon a dark and muddy patch of ground; a lifeless mass that, without the privilege of foreknowledge of who lies before him, is unrecognizable to Raetheos. The compatriots silently gather around the body, circling their hearts against the fear and grief they know must come, but shielding, for now, the immediate shock of despair.

The land is deserted except for patches of snow and the lingering of winter’s shade that slowly reaches out to blanket the forlorn assembly in one last act of cruelty. The funeral drizzle returns in brief defiance of the changing seasons, but for Raetheos, it could well be forever.

The End. For Now.

Stealing Buddha's Dinner by Bich Minh Nguyen

2009-09-01T20:45:00.003-05:00

A Short Essay on the Role of Food in...
Stealing Buddha's Dinner by Bich Minh Nguyen
(part of my final exam for a multicultural literature class)

Food is an important metaphor for American culture in Bich Minh Nguyen’s memoir, Stealing Buddha’s Dinner. Growing up in Michigan in the 1980s, young Bich adores, even obsesses over, the cultural icons of that decade – from pop music to fast food and candy. She wants to consume it all. In her memoir, the role of the food she sees in commercials (“Hey, Kool-Aid!”) represents the essence of what is truly American.

Her particular family situation is insightful as to why she was so drawn to such convenience foods. While born in Vietnam, her step-mother is Hispanic, and their family lives among neighbors of Dutch descent with their blond hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. To fit in with her friends at school, Bich saw food as the great equalizer. Ethnic food proclaims one’s differences, but fast food means they are all part of one culture.

As a child the author, perhaps passively, disassociates herself from her Vietnamese heritage. While trying to blend in with her surroundings, she slowly loses her connection to her cultural community as she stops attending parties, fails to contact childhood friends, and eventually lets her native language go.

It seems young Bich is looking to the adults in the household for help in finding a middle path of incorporating into her life the variety of these cultures. Sadly, the father can’t be trusted to provide a consistent and stable presence; and her mother is too busy to teach her basic social graces. In addition, there are strong family secrets and taboos that cripple everyone’s ability to relate in healthy ways toward one another.

Her one anchor – both to the past and present – through this difficult acculturation process is her grandmother, Noi. Noi grounds Bich in her Vietnamese heritage via delicious hand-prepared food, her Buddhist faith, and nonjudgmental spirit. Still, it is not enough to overcome the yearning that Bich has for cultural acceptance. Even today, the author, through this memoir, recalls the ache of growing up different in America.

(Note: If you enjoy memoirs, this is a recommended read. I'd rate it 7 of 10.)

American Writers

2009-08-24T09:50:00.007-05:00

List of stories read, Fall 2009.

William Apess (1798-1839)
+ "An Indian's Looking-Glass for the White Man" (1833)

Charles W. Chesnutt (1858-1932)
+ "The Wife of His Youth" (1898, Atlantic)

James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851)
+ Selection from The Last of the Mohicans (1826)

Edith Maude Eaton, wrote as Sui Sin Far (1865-1914)
+ "Mrs. Spring Fragrance" (1912)

Edith Wharton (1862-1937)
+ "Souls Belated"

Review of Transforming Realities by R. L. Copple

2009-08-10T07:00:00.002-05:00

R. L. Copple's first novel, Transforming Realities, picks up the theme and expands the storyline of his earlier novella sized collection of short fiction, Infinite Realities. In many ways, this sequel reads like an anthology of adventure stories with the chapters (37 of them over 215 pages) serving as bite-sized scenes – most of them ending in a “cliff-hanger” that sets the stage for the next scenario.

One of Copple's strengths is his ability to develop drama, create tension, and reach a climax in just a few pages. This approach works well for short fiction but a novel requires a longer view. While Transforming Realities does have an overarching plot that is advanced scene by scene, the drama-tension-climax-repeat formula made the journey a bit tiresome, in my opinion. Having followed the characters through storm and peril, ambush and imprisonment, evil wizard and demon encounters, as well as numerous fights, flights, and escapes, there just wasn't much “punch” left by the end of the story.

That being said... (read the rest of this review at SFReader.com)

Review of Offworld by Robin Parrish

2009-07-29T07:36:00.005-05:00

Something is wrong with the world.

It's July 4, 2033 and Commander Christopher Burke and his crew have just returned to Earth from the first manned mission to Mars - only to find humanity missing. They've been away for more than two years and now it appears everyone, everywhere, is offworld.

Months prior to their return strange happenings occur around the globe - a T-Rex stomps out of a cave in France and vanishes, Flamingos turn from pink to blue and back again in a Denver zoo, a lake in New Zealand appears then disappears.

Then, humanity vanishes. Burke and his three crew mates are thrust into a new mission: to discover who or what is behind the disappearance of ten billion people.

~*~

This is the premise behind the latest novel by Robin Parrish, also the author of the Dominion Trilogy. Parrish is a competent author - a solid story teller, character developer, and vivid "imagineer." He blends elements of science fiction, superhero action, and fantasy into a contemporary fiction typical of what's currently on the shelves at your local B&N. (Think M. Night Shyamalan meets The X-Files meets The Avengers.) Offworld competes nicely with other titles by name brand authors and I'm betting that with his next novel he will make the jump from the Religious Fiction section (where I found him at my local big box) to the regular shelves (where, btw, Jeffrey Overstreet and Donita K. Paul recently moved).

However, Parrish has a few plotting dangers to watch out for, in my opinion. The first one has to do with the theme itself. People disappearing? Yawn. The idea didn't grab me. I'd read On the Beach (a classic), I avoided Left Out or Get Behind or whatever (not a classic), and I hate dream stories ("and then I woke up"). So I was a bit skeptical going in. Don't get me wrong, I liked the book. I'm happy to report (non-spoiler alert) that the plot has nothing to do with nuclear weapons, the rapture, or cannabis. And although not terribly original nor completely satisfying, the mystery revealed in the somewhat longish denouement at least tied the story together.

Another weakness (again, imo, as I'm sure some readers love this part) is the action sequences. Some parts read like a beat-em-up-smash-em-up car chase that might translate well on film but had me skimming during what was supposed to drive the final climax of the story. When I find myself flipping to the explanation (give me the reveal already!) then that's a sure sign I've lost interest. I'm usually a word by word reader and I measure the quality of the story on how many times I start skimming. Offworld lost me on only two or three occasions, so that translates to pretty good overall.

The author's strength is character driven stories - good people with angst set in compelling situations with enough reality based conflict to give the fantastical elements of the story their appeal. I like spec fic but I like good characters and story telling best. And Parrish delivers. This is a clean, non-religious but spiritually themed novel by a writer who happens to be a Christian rather than a writer trying to spin a 'Christian' novel.

Recommended read if you like this style.
Rated 7 of 10.

OFFWORLD Book Tour Day 2 of 3

2009-07-28T07:59:00.004-05:00

Watch the book trailer:

By the way...
I have two copies of Robin Parrish's new book, Offworld to give away. It's a science fiction novel (Bethany House, 2009) that I've agreed to blog about, and so they sent me a couple copies. One may be yours!

Here's how to win your free book...
1. Leave a comment HERE with your name and blog.
2. Link to that post in your blog, announcing this contest.
3. Watch for Friday's announcement here to see if you're a winner.

Giveaway: OFFWORLD by Robin Parrish

2009-07-27T09:11:00.004-05:00

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing
Offworld by Robin Parrish (Bethany House July 1, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robin Parrish had two great ambitions in his life: to have a family, and to be a published novelist. In March of 2005, he proposed to his future wife the same week he signed his first book contract with Bethany House Publishers. They contracted him for the rights to not only that first book, Relentless -- but two sequels including Fearless and Merciless. A trilogy that unfolded in the consecutive summers of 2006, 2007, and 2008.

Robin Parrish is a journalist who's written about pop culture for more than a decade. Currently he serves as Senior Editor at XZOOSIA.com, a community portal that fuses social networking with magazine-style features about entertainment and culture. He and his wife, Karen and son live in North Carolina.

ABOUT THE BOOK

"Every Person on This Planet Has Disappeared."

Commander Christopher Burke and his crew are humanity's greatest explorers. They've finished their mission on the red dirt of Mars and now they just want to get back to Earth. To see friends, family, and loved ones. To be home. But even with communication to ground control cut and a perilous landing, nothing could prepare the crew for what they discover when they step foot back on planet Earth.

Everyone...everywhere...is gone.

It's not a dream. It's not a trick. Now Burke and his team have one mission:find out who or what is behind the disappearance of all mankind.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Offworld, go here.

I'll review Offworld tomorrow, but if you want to win a free copy of the book, go here!

Need Help With A Giveaway

2009-07-10T06:30:00.005-05:00

You're Attention Please...

I have two copies of Robin Parrish's new book, Offworld - one to review and one to give away. It's a science fiction novel (Bethany House, 2009) that I've agreed to blog about, and so they sent me an extra copy. Maybe I have yours!

My dilemma is that I'm not sure what type of contest I should run in order to...

1. Generate more traffic! (yes, it's ultimately about that, lol)
2. Encourage readers to check out the book. (it's called marketing)
and 3. Mail this book to you.

Any ideas?

While you wait for inspiration...
+ Here's a review from The Christian Manifesto.
+ And an interview with Robin from Profess.
+ Oh, and here is my 1, 2, 3-part Q&A with the author about his novel Fearless.

Narrative Fiction - Day 1

2009-07-06T13:00:00.003-05:00

Started a new class, Narrative Fiction.

First day we were assigned Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness. This was my first exposure to Conrad (author of Lord Jim, which we were supposed to have read in high school, but I doubt I did, lol).

The story takes the reader to "darkest Africa" (of the late 1800s) and exposes for examination the heart and soul of both Marlow, the story teller, and Kurtz, an ivory merchant. The novella is a commentary on the mercenary nature of colonialism and how society then (and today) is not that far removed from the "savage" ways of primeval man.

Here's what I mean regarding this mindset. Marlow states:

"They were conquerors, and for that you want only brute force - nothing to boast of, when you have it, since your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others. They grabbed what they could get for the sake of what was to be got. It was just robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale, and men going at it blind - as is very proper for those who tackle darkness. The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much. What redeems it is the idea only. An idea at the back of it; not a sentimental pretense but an idea; and an unselfish belief in the idea - something you can set up, and bow down before, and offer a sacrifice to...."

Kurtz embraced this idea fully, but in the end (after a detailed but sometimes plodding narrative - Conrad is a sloooow read, imo), looking into the abyss of death, could only cry out, "The horror! The horror!" Which gave rise to the equally famous line, "Mistah Kurtz - he dead" (used as an epigraph by T.S. Eliot in his poem, "The Hollow Men").

Another interesting tidbit is that this story gave inspiration to the film Apocalypse Now. At any rate, Heart of Darkness is a good, if somewhat laborious, read. Thumbs up if you find yourself with an open weekend.

The Black Tower by Louis Bayard

2009-07-05T15:00:00.005-05:00

Finished The Black Tower by Louis Bayard, a historical mystery set in 1818 Paris and involving the lost Dauphin of France, Louis-Charles (who would have been Louis XVII if Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette hadn't lost their heads in the revolution). The novel also features the historical François Vidocq, a former criminal who became France's first Director of Security and one of the first detectives of the modern era.

The writing is good - 1st person present, which is difficult to pull off but Bayard does quite well with snappy (and often humorously vulgar) dialog, flashbacks, a diary, correspondence, and fast-paced narrative. Got a little long in the middle, as modern novels often do, but the denouement was satisfying. Bit of an anti-religious bias (Bayard writes for Salon after all), but again, it's something many modern novels stumble over. Too bad, decreases their shelf life.

New Book to Review - Transforming Realities

2009-07-04T11:00:00.005-05:00

UPDATE Aug 10: Read my review here.

Just received my review copy of R.L. Copple's new book, Transforming Realities (cover art by E.J. Mickels). This novel is a followup to his collection of 5 short stories in novella form, Infinite Realities (published by Double-Edged Publishing).

I'll be commenting on it soon, but until then, check out this review:
+ Splashdown Reviews
+ Plus, here's my take of Infinite Realities at SFReader.com.

But wait, there's more...
Want a taste of R.L. Copple's style? Some of his short stories appear in the pages of ResAliens here:
+ The Battle (super flash fiction)
+ Space Talk (sci-fi flash fiction)
+ For nonfiction, read Copple's essay on Fantasy and Christianity.

BTW, R.L. Copple produces Ray Gun Radio, a podcast production of Ray Gun Revival.

The Surrounded by D'Arcy McNickle

2009-06-25T08:00:00.005-05:00

The Surrounded by D'Arcy McNickle.

Written in 1936 this novel tells the story of Archilde, a young Native American man caught in the clash of cultures typical of early reservation life. Although I read it in a college literature course, the reading level and content are appropriate for any high school language arts class.

Quick impression: Recommended read.

Here's a portion of my essay that I wrote for class:

In D’Arcy McNickle’s novel The Surrounded the protagonist Archilde Leon is a conflicted character. Through a series of events – some predictable in their consequences, and some a result of unforeseen circumstances – Archilde finds himself in a terrible place by novel’s end.

His problems throughout the story stem largely from his reactions to the real and perceived expectations of his family and friends, cultural norms, and the authority figures he interacts with and how Archilde attempts to deny or fulfill them. What I think we’ll discover as we examine a few of these expectations is that our protagonist, like the reader of McNickle’s insightful novel, is at times both hero and victim; he both rises above his circumstances as well as succumbs to them.

Archilde Leon is the son of a Spanish rancher and an American Indian mother who reside on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana. This sets the stage for plenty of family conflict since the father, Max Leon, is a hard man and impatient with his Indian wife and children whom he perceives to be lazy and ungrateful. So from his birth Archilde is a product of a conflicted heritage.

Set (and written) in the 1930s, the location and era also evokes a time of prejudice and paternalism against Native Americans by the ruling ‘white man,’ represented by the Bureau of Indian Affairs which oversees reservation life. Archilde is a product of this conflict of cultures as well. After his education at a federal Indian boarding school, he leaves the reservation and his family, presumably to find himself and develop his own identity.

The story opens as Archilde returns from Portland, Oregon, where he made a passable living playing his fiddle in a show house. While he admits some success out there in the real world, something is evidently missing in his soul and he returns home to get a taste of his former life.

He looked toward the mountains in the east, and then upward to the fleckless sky. Nowhere in the world, he imagined, was there a sky of such depth and freshness. He wanted never to forget it, wherever he might be in times to come. Yes, wherever he might be! (McNickle 5)

But he realizes immediately that his life had changed. The narrator reminds us, “When you came home to your Indian mother you had to remember that it was a different world.” (McNickle 3) It seems, like many of us who have been away from home yet long for a connection with our past, Archilde wanted to renew his familial and cultural ties. Ultimately, however, he desired to leave the reservation for bigger things.

Yet upon his return, his mother, Catharine, expected him to remain at home. For, “An Indian boy, she thought, belonged with his people.” (McNickle 2) So Archilde decides to extend his stay a few weeks – which turns into months – since Catharine seems to be of ill health and lonely. At first this is a laudable decision but he slowly loses sight of a driving vision for his life.

Which is the complaint of his father. Max Leon is bitter that none of his sons – “Seven sons, they might have been seven dogs!” (McNickle 26) – made anything of themselves. Or more accurately, they didn’t join him in running the ranch. Instead, they all left to go “back to the blanket” (McNickle 25) - a derisive racial slur. In Max’s mind it’s either the lazy reservation Indian or the hardworking ranching Spaniard. And while Archilde is neither lazy nor ungrateful, he does not want to take up the yoke of running the ranch. He responds to his father’s dual expectations in anger and frustration.

Eventually Max is sensitized to Archilde’s conflicted emotions by his old friend Father Grepilloux. So Max encourages his son to talk to the priest about using his musical talent within the context of reservation life. After meeting with Archilde, Father Grepilloux is ecstatic. He believes he has found an Indian of sufficient talent and motivation to serve as a kind of saving representative of the Indian people. Here at last is a shining product of the religious and cultural assimilative process (that had failed when applied to previous generations, but never mind that)!

One can imagine the pressure that Archilde felt to fulfill such a role, even though much of Father Grepilloux’s hopes remained unspoken. So for the sort term, since he is interested in music Archilde does accept the priest’s offer to continue his training. This seems to be a worthy response, but again, Archilde soon loses steam as it’s not a decision that flows out of a life purpose but is rather a reaction to someone else’s expectations.

And so the story proceeds. It's a well written narrative, moves fairly quickly, and has a number of intriguing and fascinating characters, customs, and history to it, but it doesn't seem to get bogged down or lost in its central purpose of showing the internal conflict of the characters being worked out on the external stage.

From these limited examples we’ve seen in Archilde a person much like ourselves. We have interests, hopes, goals, and aspirations. And we often gravitate toward experiences that foster our dreams, as did Archilde. When responding to these various expectations, Archilde considered his life interests, responded in a way that seemed to move that direction, but then ultimately let the circumstances of life dictate his destiny. This is often our story as well.

But in this novel, Archilde’s pattern of timidity and uncertainty eventually result in a desperate situation. I won't spoil the plot, but there is murder involved. And, although innocent of the crime he is accused of, Archilde has so often let others’ expectations decide his fate that unless he takes control of his destiny when the novel ends, he will pay for those expectations with his life.

Am Multicultural Lit - Day 3

2009-06-16T14:00:00.002-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

American Multicultural Literature - Day 3
We read the following selections for class yesterday:

1. "The Indian Removal Act" (see page 411 & 412)
From the Twenty-First Congress, Session 1, Chapter 148 (CXLVIII), Approved May 28, 1830.

An Act to provide for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, and for their removal west of the river Mississippi.

Comment: The law reads pretty one-sided: The Indians gotta go. Seems President Andrew Jackson wanted to make sure the South got settled by Whites who might support him in his presidency. Here's more on the Indian Removal Act which led to the infamous "Trail of Tears."

Image via Wikipedia

2. An excerpt from An Indian's View of Indian Affairs by Chief Joseph (Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt, or Thunder Rolling Down the Mountain), published in 1879:

"If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian he can live in peace. There need be no trouble. Treat all men alike. Give them all the same law. Give them all an even chance to live and grow. All men were made by the same Great Spirit Chief. They are brothers. The earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it. . . . Let me be a free man - free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade where I choose, free to choose my own teachers, free to follow the religion of my fathers, free to think and talk and act for myself - and I will obey every law, or submit to the penalty.

"Whenever the white man treats the Indian as they treat each other, then we will have no more wars. We shall all be alike - brothers of one father and one mother, with one sky above us and one country around us, and one government for all. Then the Great Spirit Chief who rules above will smile upon this land, and send rain to wash out the bloody spots made by brothers' hands from the face of the earth. For this time the Indian race are waiting and praying. I hope that no more groans of wounded men and women will ever go to the ear of the Great Spirit Chief above, and that all people may be one people."

Comment: Wow!

3. Lullaby by Leslie Marmon Silko.

4. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie.

Blog Touring Some Chic Lit Book

2009-06-15T09:00:00.001-05:00

I am not into Chic Lit, so I haven't read this book, but...

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducingBreaking Up Is Hard To Do by Anne Dayton & May Vanderbilt(Published by FaithWords, April 16, 2009

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

ANNE DAYTON graduated from Princeton University and is earning her master's degree in English literature at New York University. She works for a New York publishing company and lives in Brooklyn.

MAY VANDERBILT graduated from Baylor University and went on to earn a master's degree in fiction from Johns Hopkins University. She lives in San Francisco, where she writes about food, fashion, and nightlife in the Bay Area.

Together, the two women are the authors of Miracle Girls

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ana, Christine, Riley, and Zoe have grown closer than ever over the past few months, but summer is over and it's time to put their friendship to the test.

It's been a little over a year since Christine Lee's mom passed away in a tragic car accident. Now her dad is engaged to Candace--"The Bimbo"--and Christine couldn't be less thrilled. When her attitude starts to take a toll on her schoolwork, the administration forces her to attend counseling sessions. At least she gets to skip gym class!

But with her father's wedding inching closer, Christine is growing even more bitter. To make matters worse, the Miracle Girls are beginning to drift apart. Christine's anger and the pressures of high school threaten to break the girls up when they need each other the most. Will they find a way to join together to help Christine come to terms with her mother's death . . . and her father's remarriage?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, go here.

A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist

2009-06-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing A Bride In The Bargain by Deeanne Gist(Published by Bethany House, June 1, 2009)

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Wedding Is All Planned...Someone Just Needs to Tell the Bride

In 1860s Seattle, redwoods were plentiful but women scarce. Yet a man with a wife could secure 640 acres of timberland for free.

Joe Denton doesn't have a wife, though. His died before she could follow him to Seattle and now the local judge is threatening to take away his claim. In desperation, he buys himself a Mercer bride--one of the eastern widows and orphans brought to the Territory by entrepreneur Asa Mercer.

Anna Ivey's journey west with Mercer is an escape from the aftermath of the Civil War. She signed on to become a cook--not a bride. When she's handed over to Denton, her stubborn refusal to wed jeopardizes his land. With only a few months before he loses all he holds dear, can he convince this provoking, but beguiling, easterner to become his lawfully wedded wife?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Deeanne Gist, the bestselling author of A Bride Most Begrudging and The Measure of a Lady, has a background in education and journalism. Her credits include People magazine, Parents, and Parenting. With a line of parenting products called "I Did It!® Productions" and a degree from Texas A&M, she continues her writing and speaking. She and her family live in Houston, Texas.

Since the debut of those novels, her very original, very fun romances have rocketed up the bestseller lists and captured readers everywhere. Add to this two consecutive Christy Awards, two RITA nominations, rave reviews, and a growing loyal fan base, and you’ve got one recipe for success.

Note: I have not read this book, I'm participating in a weekly blog tour. If you would like to read the first chapter of A Bride In The Bargain, go here.

Introducing the Phrase American Dream

2009-06-12T07:00:00.002-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

James Truslow Adams (1878-1949) wrote The Epic of America in 1931, in it introducing the phrase "the American dream" for probably the first time in print. His writing is a product of the times and he is not without his biases (referring to the indigenous population as savages and 'naked Indians') but his commentary against consumerism and corporate greed could have appeared in last week's Time Magazine. Adams calls for an evaluation of our values as a nation and a commitment to those social standards that fulfill human potential and not just progress for the sake of progress:

If, as I have said, the things already listed were all we had had to contribute, America would have made no distinctive and unique gift to mankind. But there has been also the American dream, that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of a social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.

Moving words and a worthy dream indeed. This reading was part of an assignment in my American Multicultural Literature class in which we also read, discussed, and compared The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus and Ellis Island by Joseph Bruchac.

The New Colosssus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightening, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries shee
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

(Note: I'm using the Firefox plug-in Zemanta for the first time on this blog. Based on what I wrote, it suggested the graphic and a couple links and tags. Cool.)

Hard Country by William W. Johnstone

2009-06-10T12:00:00.006-05:00

A Town Called Fury is a series of (currently 3) western books written by an anonymous author (or authors) writing under the name "William W. Johnstone With J.A. Johnstone." The first novel was published by Pinnacle (an imprint of Kensington Publishing Corp.) in July 2006 but with the co-author listed as Fred Austin (see the cover to the right). It was subsequently released with J.A. Johnstone as the co-author (see left cover) probably to better build the Johnstone brand since William Johnstone died in 2004. It appears that all new Johnstone books are now being released in this manner.

I recently read Hard Country, the second in the series. The first one, A Town Called Fury, is reviewed at Western Fiction Review. The third book is Judgment Day. While the story telling is solid, there is nothing particularly grabbing about the plot. Some feuding, gunfighting, a group of bandits abduct some ladies in the town - including the Marshall's girlfriend as well as his younger sister - and a posse heads out to rescue them. Some nice action, but not a lot of depth to the characters. Like the reviewer wrote at WFR, it "didn’t offer anything new to the seasoned western reader."

However, if you like light fast-paced fare before bedtime, this book answers the call. And since I got the book through BookMooch it was worth it. I'll probably mooch the first and third books in the series eventually, just so I can catch more of the back story and find out what happens next. And really, that's all a publisher wants - enough interest in a series so a person goes out and buys the next one.

Now I did enjoy the first book in Sidewinders (another 3 book series). The two heroes in this novel have character and the story is a bit more complex. Will have to get the second and third books in that series as well. Once my night stand clears!

Note: I also see now that J.A. Johnstone is releasing his first book without the imprimatur of ('uncle') William. The Loner is reviewed here.

The Deliverer by Linda Rios Brook

2009-06-10T09:00:00.004-05:00

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducingThe Deliverer by Linda Rios Brook
(Published by Realms, May 5, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Linda Rios Brook, President of the RiosBrook Foundation, believes the answers to issues of social justice and righteousness lie in the proper alignment between the church, the marketplace and media and entertainment. She is a sought out speaker and teacher on matters relevant to cultural restoration.

Linda worked as a media executive for over 20 years in the field of broadcasting serving as President and General Manager of television stations in Texas, Florida, and Minnesota and was President and part owner of KLGT-TV in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota.

Linda has served on several national boards and community organizations and is listed in Who's Who of American Women. She is an ordained minister and has a Doctorate of Practical Ministry from the Wagner Leadership Institute.

Linda is also the author of Lucifer's Flood. She is a teaching Pastor at Covenant Centre International in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and is married to Larry Brook, who is the Executive Director of the RiosBrook Foundation.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ancient language expert Samantha Yale returns to translate a new batch of scrolls written by the fallen angel from Lucifer's Flood.

Samantha Yale has taken on a daunting translation project. A set of scrolls, delivered by a man she knows nothing about, tells a fascinating and frightening tale of what went on behind the scenes of biblical history. What is even more incredible is who is telling the tale - a fallen angel who immediately regretted his decision to side with Lucifer.

With The Deliverer, Linda Rios Brook brings new depth of imagery into the spirit world. It is a story about rebellion and consequences. It is about demonic strategy to disrupt and destroy the people of God. But ultimately, it is a story about the unrelenting love, grace, mercy, and determination of a sovereign God in pursuit of His children.

Read the first chapter of The Deliverer.

NOTE: I'm participating in this week's blog tour, but I have not read this book. For a cautionary review, please visit Window to My World.

Scottsboro, Too, Is Worth Its Song

2009-06-09T09:00:00.002-05:00

Taking an American Multicultural Literature class this Summer. In the first class we discussed Countee Cullen's poem, Scottsboro, Too, Is Worth Its Song. (pdf)

The poem is a reaction to the lack of outcry against the infamous multiple trials and convictions of the "Scottsboro Boys" in Alabama in the early 1930s.

The heart of the story is retold in an appropriately slowly paced film, Heavens Fall (2006), starring Timothy Hutton and David Strathairn. The title of the film is from the quote, "Let justice be done, though the heavens fall." While not heavy-handed, the movie is definitely a morality play that casts a spotlight on our racist and prejudicial past. The acting is strong, the story well-told, and the outcome tragic. Despite the suspect witnesses (one recants) and lack of clear evidence, the men are convicted and sentenced to death for raping two white women in 1931.

Countee Cullen's poem (below) questions why the poets of the day (usually advocates for the downtrodden) were not raising this issue to the level of indignation that surrounded the Sacco and Vanzetti trial.

Scottsboro, Too, Is Worth Its Song
A poem to American poets
by Countee Cullen, 1934

I said:
Now will the poets sing, -
Their cries go thundering
Like blood and tears
Into the nation's ears,
Like lightening dart
Into the nation's heart.
Against disease and death and all things fell,
And war,
Their strophes rise and swell
To jar
The foe smug in his citadel.

Remembering their sharp and pretty
Tunes for Sacco and Vanzetti,
I said:
Here too's a cause divinely spun
For those whose eyes are on the sun,
Here in epitome
Is all disgrace
And epic wrong.
Let wine to brace
The minstrel heart, and blare it into song.

Surely, I said,
Now will the poets sing.

But they have raised no cry.
I wonder why.

Ghostwriter by Travis Thrasher

2009-06-08T07:00:00.001-05:00

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Ghostwriter by Travis Thrasher(Published by FaithWords, May 28, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

It was during third grade after a teacher encouraged him in his writing and as he read through The Narnia Chronicles by C.S. Lewis that Travis decided he wanted to be a writer. The dream never left him, and allowed him to fulfill that dream of writing fulltime in 2007.

Travis Thrasher is the author of numerous works of fiction, including his most personal and perhaps his deepest work, Sky Blue, that was published in summer of 2007. This year he has to novels published, Out of the Devil’s Mouth, and a supernatural thriller, Isolation.

Travis is married to Sharon and they are the proud parents of Kylie, born in November, 2006, and Hailey, a Shih-Tzu that looks like an Ewok. They live in suburban Chicago.

Stop by and visit Travis at his Blog where you can sign up to follow him on Facebook and Twitter!

Also check out the radio interview with Travis on Monday June 8th at BlogTalkRadio/FaithWords.

ABOUT THE BOOK

For years Dennis Shore has thrilled readers with his spooky bestselling novels. Now a widower, Dennis is finally alone in his house, his daughter attending college out of state. When he's stricken by a paralyzing case of writer's block and a looming deadline, Dennis becomes desperate. Against better judgment, he claims someone else's writing as his own, accepting undeserved accolades for the stolen work. He thinks he's gotten away with it . . . until he's greeted by a young man named Cillian Reed--the true author of the stolen manuscript.

What begins as a minor case of harassment quickly spirals out of control. As Cillian's threats escalate, Dennis finds himself on the brink of losing his career, his sanity, and even his life. The horror he's spent years writing about has arrived on his doorstep, and Dennis has nowhere to run.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Ghostwriter, go here.

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

2009-06-05T12:00:00.003-05:00

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines
Good book. Will review it soon. (UPDATE Dec 2009: Let me just admit it, I probably won't get around to reviewing this book. It was good though. Trust me.)

Resources
+ The Big Read
+ CliffsNotes
+ SparkNotes
+ Wikipedia

Blog Reviews
+ Book Chase
+ Brothers Judd
+ Care's Online Book Club
+ goodreads

Scream by Mike Dellosso

2009-06-03T07:00:00.009-05:00

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducingScream by Mike DellossoPublished by Realms (March 3, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Mike now lives in Hanover, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Jen, and their three daughters. He writes a monthly column for Writer . . .Interrupted.

He was a newspaper correspondent/columnist for over three years and has published several articles for The Candle of Prayer inspirational booklets. Mike also has edited and contributed to numerous Christian-themed Web sites and e-newsletters.

Mike is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, the Relief Writer's Network, and International Thriller Writers. He received his BA degree in sports exercise and medicine from Messiah College and his MBS degree in theology from Master's Graduate School of Divinity.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Otherworldly Screams...
A Madman on the Loose...
This Time the Stakes Are Higher Than Ever

While talking to his friend on the phone, Mark Stone is startled by a cacophony of otherworldly screams. Seconds later, a tragic accident claims his friend's life. When this happens several more times--screams followed by an untimely death--he is compelled to act.

Battling his failure as a husband and struggling with his own damaged faith, Mark embarks on a mission to find the meaning behind the screams and hopefully stop death from calling on its next victim. When his estranged wife is kidnapped and he again hears the screams as she calls from her cell phone, his search becomes much more personal and much more urgent.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Scream, go here.

Breathe by Lisa T Bergren

2009-06-01T12:30:00.008-05:00

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Breathe by Lisa T. Bergren(Published by David C. Cook; New edition June 1, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lisa T. Bergren is the best-selling, award winning author of over thirty books, with more than 1.5 million copies sold. A former publishing executive, she now splits her time between writing and freelance editing and parenting her three young children with her husband Tim. She lives in Colorado Springs.

ABOUT THE BOOK

To make a new life, she'll have to learn how to breathe again...

By the time Dominic and Moira St. Clair get their ailing sister, Odessa, to Colorado Springs in the winter of 1883, she is nearly dead. Odessa has been seriously aling for the past year from consumption, an illness that claimed the lives of four of her younger brothers, prompting her father, to send his only surviving children west to chase the cure.

Moira is beautiful and dangerously headstrong; and pugnacious Dominic is charged with establishing a new arm of the family business--a business he doesn't want.
Several days after her arrival, Odessa witnesses what she fears is the murder of miner Sam O’Toole, friend and neighbor to the charming Bryce McAllan.

What’s more, Sam leaves her a poem containing clues that seem to direct her to his mine, which is purported to carry a fantastic vein of silver. But if she is ever to rise from her bed again, she must first concentrate on conquering the giant that threatens her: consumption. Indeed, she must learn to breathe again - daring to embrace her life, her future, and hope in her God.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Breathe, go HERE

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

2009-06-01T08:00:00.004-05:00

Collection of short stories from Bengali/Indian-American perspective. Poignant and forlorn. Definite recommend. Fuller review later. (UPDATE Dec 2009: Another confession - I probably won't ever get around to reviewing each of the stories in this collection. So sue me. Just read 'em. They're good. Trust me.)

More Reviews:
Bookreporter
Hey Lady!
IndiaStar

When The Emperor Was Divine

2009-05-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

Just finished When The Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka. Her style is a bit minimalist, but she offers some keen cultural and historical insights via an engaging narrative. Good for a high school language arts class. I read it for an American Multicultural Lit college course and wrote the essay below about one of the characters in the story. (I got an A but I can not guarantee that's what you'll get if you plagiarize :-)

"Saying Goodbye to the Emperor"

The perspective of the young boy in Julie Otsuka’s novel, When The Emperor Was Divine, is a defining lens through which the reader can understand and experience this powerfully emotional narrative. His is one of five points of view that serve as chapters in this somewhat minimalist book about one Japanese family’s experience in an internment camp during World War II. The boy’s story is the central chapter from which the novel takes its name and recounts the loss of innocence that often accompanies difficult experiences or life transitions. In this story of struggle and survival, the boy is saying goodbye to his childhood, even his heritage, yet without an assurance that something better is waiting for him once the journey ends.

As the young boy’s narrative begins, he and his mother and sister are already in the camp behind barbed-wire fences, housed in tar-paper barracks: “It was 1942. Utah. Late summer.” (Otsuka 49) His father had been taken away months prior and the boy, naturally enough, expected to be reunited with him upon their family’s arrival at the holding facility. Confused at being separated from his dad, but harboring childlike hope, he “thought he saw his father everywhere.” (49) His expectations, however, were dashed repeatedly which led to a solemn grief that he wasn’t able to express. His older sister understood and she nudged him, somewhat cruelly, toward the cold truth when she stated directly that their papa was gone. (50)

In the absence of his protective provider, the realities of his situation eventually dawn on him. He realizes how little they have left. Their family is stripped of everything but the bare essentials, which include “three iron cots and a potbellied stove.” (50) Not only does he lose his possessions, his mother instructs him to “never say the Emperor’s name out loud.” (52) Refusing to lose all sense of identity, the boy sometimes whispers it anyway.

Then there is the dust. He and his mother and sister are in the desert; it is hot, and the perpetual dust finds its way into what little he does own. At one point the boy writes his name in the sand, but by morning the wind has blown it away. (64) Little by little he is losing himself and the drudgery of internment existence is taking over. He waits for the bells before meal times. He waits for the mail and the slim chance of hearing from his papa. He longs for the six o’clock dinner hour in his old neighborhood where in his mind he sees America as it should be – where “fathers with shiny black briefcases [burst] through front doors, shouting, ‘Honey, I’m home!’” (66)

His sense of dislocation is further aggravated when rumors sweep through the camp about what might happen to them. They might be sterilized, stripped of their citizenship, “taken out onto the high seas and then shot,” (70) or left to die on a desert island. The boy doesn’t know if he will stay or go from this camp, or whether he’ll see his father again. Still, he writes to his papa in order to stay connected to reality. Sadly he, like his sister, can’t always remember what their father’s face looked like. He tells her, “It was sort of round.” (72)

Life in the internment camp eventually settles into a workable, if not enjoyable, routine to which the boy adjusts. There was school. There was the pledge of allegiance. There were the reciting of lessons and the playing of games. There was also news about the war. The months pass. The boy could almost believe he was living something close to a normal life.

Then winter came and added another set of difficulties to life in the Japanese internment camp. The cold seeped into the barracks and wouldn’t let go; they were assigned only two army blankets per person. (92) It snowed and then rained, but “the alkaline earth could not absorb any water” (77) so there was mud everywhere. The school was shut down. Outbreaks of flu and diarrhea spread through the camp. His mother got depressed and became ill. The boy’s old life started slipping away “like a dream he could not quite remember.” (93)

Despite the various struggles, the boy never gave up hope of seeing his father again. He imagined the day they would be reunited: “He’d rest his head on his father’s shoulder and smell the dust and the sweat and the faint smell of Burma Shave and everything would be very nice.” (105) This vision helped him survive and gave him strength to face the many painful days in the camp.

After the war, the boy is indeed reunited with his father. However, life will never be the same. His father returns broken, and so does the boy to a lesser degree. He is no longer a child. During the internment he not only says goodbye to his childhood, but loses the innocent trust that a child has in governing powers. He’ll adjust, though – he did in the camp. Yet the scars will remain as memories.

Pocho by Jose Antonio Villarreal

2009-05-21T19:55:00.020-05:00

The 1959 novel, Pocho, by José Antonio Villarreal (also here and here) is an insightful cultural exposition told primarily from the vantage point of Richard Rubio, the coming-of-age son of immigrant Mexican parents who eventually settle in Santa Clara, California, after many seasons of migrant farm work. Although fiction, the story likely mirrors some of the experiences of the author who was born to migrant laborers in Los Angeles in 1924 and was himself a "pocho" - a child of the depression era Mexican-American transition. ("I am a Pocho," he said, "and we speak like this because here in California we make Castilian words out of English words." p 165)

Such a journey was a difficult one ("...for the transition from the culture of the old world to that of the new world should never have been attempted in one generation." p 135), and Villarreal nicely employs a cross cultural bildungsroman to explore a diversity of related themes.

Among the most prominent are strains of racism/classism, belonging and dislocation, death and meaning and self-identity, and sexual awakening. In a slim 187 pages the author competently weaves social commentary (via the seemingly innocent adolescent perspective) into a moving narrative that only occasionally veers toward the pedantic.

Some Themes Explored

Richard's father, Juan Rubio, is proud to be a Mexican and resents the Spanish people, whom he identifies as oppressors (although Juan is clearly of Spanish descent since he had "fair skin" and "blue-gray eyes" - p 1). He explains to his son, who exclaims in response to his father's prejudice, "But all your friends are Spanish!" (p 99):

"That is all there is here," said Juan Rubio, "but these people are different - they are also from the lower class, although some of them take on airs here. They are people who were stepped on, much the same as we were in our country. That is the wonder of this country of yours, my son. All the people who are pushed around in the rest of the world come here, because here they can maybe push someone else around. There is something in people, put there only to make them forget what was done to them in other times, so that they can turn around and do the same thing to other people. . .It is not in retribution because they remember they were once mistreated, my son; it is because they forget." (p 99, 100)

Another response to this clash of cultures is the emergence of the zootsuiters, a "lost race" (p149) generation filled with anger and frustration over their uncertain place in society. But Richard is fascinated by their strangeness and attended their dances and fiestas as part of his journey of self-discovery.

They had a burning contempt for people of different ancestry, whom they called Americans, and a marked hauteur toward Mexico and toward their parents for their old-country ways. The former feeling came from a sense of inferiority that is a prominent characteristic in any Mexican reared in southern California; and the latter was an inexplicable compensation for that feeling. They needed to feel superior to something, which is a natural thing. The result was that they attempted to segregate themselves from both their cultures, and became truly a lost race. (p 149)

In addition to exploring these expansive ideas on class, status, and cultural identity, Pocho works on a very personal level giving the reader insight into the mind of a maturing young man. With regard to self-identity and throwing off his Catholic upbringing, Richard states with some irony:

"There are but three things that I can say I have learned for myself. First, I know that one should never discuss matters of sex with one's parents. Second, one should not, on penalty of going to Hell, discuss religion with the priests. And, last, one should not ask questions on history of the teachers, or one will be kept in after school," he said. "I do not find it in me to understand why it is this way." (p 85, 86)

Author José Antonio Villarreal has a dry sense of humor and, as mentioned above, does a marvelous job weaving bits of wry commentary throughout the novel. Another fun quote is when Richard's sister, Luz, demonstrates her own prejudice for the newly arrived, and darker skinned, Mexicans: "Well, they ain't got nuthin' and they don't even talk good English." (p 148)

Like Villarreal, I'm a native Californian, but not Mexican-American. I was raised during the César Chávez years in a small farming town which saw its fair share of migrant worker strikes and labor unrest. It was a difficult era for whites to understand. Now, 50 years after the novel was first written - and a lifetime removed from my upbringing - I find the story still relevant. It's an intriguing narrative and helpful in capturing the "double consciousness" that many of my Mexican-American friends that I grew up with lived with as a matter of course.

About the Book

Pocho was likely the first Mexican-American novel released by a major publisher and is considered the first of, or at least a precursor (pdf, p 8, 9) to, what is now called Chicano literature. It's not a perfect story - the POV changes from father to son on occasion, the life-lessons can seem a bit heavy handed at times, and is, in my opinion, overly concerned with sexuality. Still, it's a mature read and lends itself well for discussion at a college level (or possibly an advanced high school class if taught appropriately).

Originally an Anchor Book published by Doubleday in 1959, Pocho is still available through Anchor Books, now part of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Random House. (Although it's cheaper to buy used at Amazon.)

Helpful Blog Links:

Pocho, from A Commonplace Blog.

Latinos in Lotusland, from La Bloga.

As Found in Other Books:

In Race and Racism in Literature.

In Growing Up Chicana/o.

For Discussion:

Discussion #12 from StoryLines California.(pdf)

Pocho Lesson Plans from www.SCU.edu. (pdf)

Three Critical Texts from Stanford Uni. (pdf)

Definitions of Pocho:

Other Reviews:

Wry Bit of Humor

2009-04-20T09:48:00.003-05:00

I got a kick out of this partisan newsbook report of the trial (and ultimate beheading) of King Charles I on January 21, 1649:

"The commissioners kept a fast this day in Whitehall. There preached before them Mr. Sprig, whose text was, "He that sheds blood, by man shall his blood be shed." Mr. Foxley's was, "Judge not, lest you be judged." And Mr. Peter's was, "I will bind their kings in chains, and their nobles in fetters of iron." The last sermon made amends for the two former.

(Source: The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume B - The 16th Century/The Early 17th Century, Eighth Edition, page 1741)

New & Improved ResAliens Coming in May!

2009-04-16T15:00:00.000-05:00

ResAliens

A Zine of Speculative Fiction

with a Spiritual Thread

Conscientious Inconsistencies by Nancy Jane Moore

2008-10-25T09:27:00.006-05:00

This review originally appeared at The Fix, Oct 24, 2008.

PS Showcase #2 - Conscientious Inconsistencies

by Nancy Jane Moore.

Conscientious Inconsistencies by Nancy Jane Moore is the second volume in PS Publishing’s series of “mini-collections of brand new short stories by some of the best and brightest new writers on the genre fiction scene.” And I have to say I was impressed. Although touted in the introduction as a sampling of stories influenced by Moore’s feminism, I found, rather, the four pieces of fiction (and a list of “Thirty-One Rules for Fulfilling Your Destiny”) as examples of great writing featuring fully characterized protagonists who just happen to be women. Moore’s style rises above a particular perspective and stands on its own as quality short fiction. To classify this collection as feminist literature, in my opinion, might unnecessarily marginalize these stories away from the very genre fiction scene it seeks to represent.

That being said, the opening piece, “A Mere Scutcheon,” is a galloping sword-and-sorcery tale featuring a duo of the queen’s guardswomen who are smart, sassy, and bold enough to contest Alexandre Dumas’s famous trio any day you please. The characters, plot, and writing style are just as entertaining as that classic story as well. Anna d’Gart is sworn to protect the honor of her liege and must undertake a mission on behalf of her queen, whose honor the realm’s evil Cardinal (and sorcerer) is seeking to discredit. With only a week to accomplish their quest, Anna and her cohort, Asamir, must outwit the cardinal who has influence over both the king’s guardsmen and the weather! Along with requisite sword clashing, chivalry, and a bit of romance, and we have a very satisfying short story.

Leaving the world of historical fantasy (although I did note in this second story passing reference to The Three Musketeers), Moore’s next piece is a modern day speculative reflection on one’s own mortality. In “The First Condition of Immortality,” the narrator takes us to the funeral of her friend, all the while accompanied by a shadowy figure lurking just outside her periphery. Frightened by the implications this unexpected companion represents, our protagonist initially ignores the shadow, or tries to. Eventually she confronts the unknown…which is the subtle message behind the narrative. Poignant yet laced with humor, this short fiction captures both the somber reality of death and the (in this case, tentative) hopefulness of an examined life.

The interlude, “Thirty-One Rules for Fulfilling Your Destiny,” seems to serve as a thematic tie that binds these stories together, and, while admittedly aimed at the female reader, was informative and entertaining to me, a male. I especially enjoyed the humorous implication of Rule #8:

The male way of warriorship has been defined for thousands of generations. It is possible that there is a female way of warriorship. Think on these things, but not when your enemies are attacking.

And the profundity of Rule #28:

Do not be deceived by those who would make you a god. If taking on the name of God is a good strategic decision, accept the title humbly. But do not believe it yourself. Godhood is not your destiny.

These two rules seem especially appropriate in light of the themes found in the third story, “Homesteading.” Set in a postapocalyptic near future, Isabel and Lily find refuge among a ragtag clan of women and children headed by Harlan, the only grown man on the farm. Even though they carry their load and share in the chores, the inevitable tension of a shifting interpersonal dynamic gives way to outright confrontation. And the results are surprising. The new dynamic is not the byproduct of the typical male way of warriorship. But, then, as the clan discovers, Isabel is not your typical warrior.

The final story is a bit of slipstream titled “Three O’Clock in the Morning.” Told in second person present tense (a rarely used but, in this case, competently written POV), this urgent and bizarre tale communicates the hidden prejudices, perceived inadequacies, and underlying loneliness that pervades our modern culture. Put yourself in the story: Early each morning, you awake to discover that another insurmountable wall has cut you off from a portion of your world. What will you do when those walls isolate you completely? You, the protagonist, have a choice…

As a collection, these short stories fit together nicely. While some might prefer more cohesion among the genres, I thought the mix of fantasy, speculative, dystopia, and/or SF worked rather well in this showcase. Both the publisher and the author should be happy with the results, and I look forward to future installments in this series.

Reviewed by Lyn Perry
Rated 7 of 10

BTW, Book View Cafe used a bit of my review as a blurb for Moore's collection. So that's cool.

Also, at SF Signal, Moore discusses a comment from my review. She's very gracious and her insights help me understand even further her perspective on feminist literature. She writes:

In recent years, I've been exploring gender issues in a lot of my fiction, and I've never made any secret of the fact that I'm a feminist. I hadn't thought I was violating any taboos by doing that, but a comment in a positive review of my collection, Conscientious Inconsistencies, has given me some food for thought. On The Fix, Lyndon Perry wrote, "To classify this collection as feminist literature, in my opinion, might unnecessarily marginalize these stories away from the very genre fiction scene it seeks to represent."

His observation, which was based on the fact that the introduction and the jacket cover both discuss feminism, has made me wonder if some of the rejections I receive have to do with the fact that many of my stories do touch on gender issues, or if - as Perry suggests - my reputation as a feminist makes some editors (and readers) dismiss my work without paying close attention.

I wouldn't go so far as to suggest that a taboo exists against feminist material - or political material generally. Frankly, I hope Perry's wrong, much as I appreciate the nice things he said about my stories. But it does seem as if fiction that goes farther than simply writing a woman character into a role once reserved solely for male ones is not common in mass market fiction. It's nice to see the kick-ass heroines, but I am hungry for meatier material.

Thinking about this hasn't driven me to self-censorship, though. The truth is, I just find gender issues too interesting to stop writing about them. And I've been told "girls can't do that" too many times to let any criticism stop me from being a feminist.

I've been tagged...

2008-10-24T14:46:00.003-05:00

RULES OF TAGGING
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
(That would be Fringe Monkey.)

2. Post the rules on your blog.
(I'm doing that now.)

3. Write six random things about yourself.
(See below.)

4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
(No.)

5. Let each person know when he or she has been tagged.
(N/A - See #4)

6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.
(I will do that.)

Six random things about me:
1. I'm reading Prisoner of Tehran right now.
2. I'm the same weight I was in college.
3. I have 3 cats, 2 kids, & 1 spouse.
4. I will go see JJ Abram's Star Trek.
5. I've run out of random things to say.
6. I don't think I like playing this game.

Now if you want to play, that's up to you. :-)