Practical Advice for New and Experienced Writers

 

The title ways it all. This is a book for writers at all levels. If you’re just starting he provides good advice on how to begin. If you’re already a writer who wants to get to the next level, he has advice for you too.

Straczynski has a varied career writing for films, comics, television and, of course, books. These unique experiences led him to develop a series of proven methodologies that will help you at whatever writing stage you find yourself. He always wanted to be a writer and over his thirty years of experience he’s had many challenges. One of my favorite parts of the books is the stories he tells about his career.

His advice is helpful. There are no magic formulas. He embraces the idea that writing is hard work and takes tenacity to succeed. In some ways, this is the most useful advice. I highly recommend this book to all writers and wannabe writers. I think you’ll be glad you gave it a look.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Paranormal Romance, and Suspense

 

Stella Harrison is trying to rebuild her life. She has purchased a beautiful resort on Sunrise Lake. With many friends in the community, she thinks she’s finally beaten the problem that haunted her childhood, but the nightmares have started again. Stella has a unique ability to see future murders taking place, but only with people she’s close to.

Sam, the handyman at the resort, is Stella’s protector and a major source of her support. Sam’s background is mysterious. He appears to have military training, but he doesn’t want to talk about the past. He’s comfortable being off the grid.

When the nightmares start again, Stella is driven to tell Sam. Together they try to decipher Stella’s dreams to discover which of her friends are in danger.

This is a reasonably fast paced romantic thriller with a large dollop of paranormal. However, it paranormal isn’t your thing, it’s not overpowering and the mystery is quite satisfying. I loved the descriptions of the lake both the scenery and the resort accommodations. I felt like I was there in a very special place.

Stella is a strong character. She is bedeviled by premonitions of murder, but she doesn’t run from it. She wants to find the killer before he or she can strike again. Sam is the perfect partner. He strong, quiet, and very attracted to Stella, but he’s not overbearing. I also loved Stella’s large dog, another protester. I recommend this book if you enjoy romantic suspense.

I received this book from Berkley Publishing for this review.

The Strains and Rewards in a Long Term Friendship

 

When Jules and her single mother moved to the small Alabama town where Michelle’s family had lived for generations, the two third graders became instant best friends. The closeness lased until after high school graduation. For college, Jules went to New York City where she hoped to pursue a career in publishing while Michelle stayed home and became the consummate sorority girl.

Now Michelle is getting married to the man of her dreams. Jules is chagrined to learn about the engagement first from Instagram, but when Michelle asks her to be the maid of honor, she agrees. This is the beginning of a year the will test their friendship and bring individual challenges that help them grow.

This is a sensitive and well written book. Anyone who has a best friend from childhood will enjoy this book. Both Michelle and Jules are well defined characters. Their problems are real and the way they deal with them, while not always perfect, reminds us of their own trials as a twenty somethings.

The story is quite emotional. This is not a sugar coated friendship, but you’ll remember the characters, and their struggles, and probably think of your own best friend.

I received this book from Dutton for this review

A Dracula Festival Weekend Turns Deadly

 

Whitby in the far north of Yorkshire hosts a Dracula Festival because this is where Dracula enters England in the shape of a large black dog. People flock to the festival for fun and to be slightly frightened. Louise, daughter of DCI Jim Oldroyd, and her friends are no exception. They’re dressed as Goths and are headed to an “escape room” where they solve clues and try to escape.

The group is congenial but Andrea and Dominic, who have been partners for awhile, are taunting each other and fighting. They group doesn’t attach importance to this behavior, they often do this, but tonight the bickering has tragic consequences. In the escape room, Dominic stabs Andrea to death and vanishes. The friends are horrified, but as Louise replays the scene in her mind something seems off. Her instinct is to tell her father.

I enjoy the Yorkshire Murder Mysteries. This is the sixth book, but can be read as a standalone. The Yorkshire scenery is beautifully describes and Jim’s cases are always complex and interesting. This one is no exception.

The pace is not fast, but it fits the area and the nature of the crime. I enjoyed the inclusion of Louise in a major role in this novel. She’s an intelligent character with some of her father’s instinct for crime.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Maggie Again Solves a Trans-National Case Between the US and Ireland

 

Suffolk County, Long Island Detective Maggie D’arcy is taking her daughter Lily to Ireland for a much anticipated reunion with Conor, her boyfriend. She’s ready to leave until a body unexpectedly turns up near the marina in Bay Shore. The body is rapidly identified as an Irish international aid worker. Maggie hopes for a rapid conclusion to the case so she and Lily can be on the plane to Ireland.

Clues seem to point to the victim’s background in Ireland. Reluctantly, her supervisor, Marty, decides that looking for evidence in Ireland will be beneficial. Maggie is torn between her desire to solve the case and an equally strong desire to see Conor and find out whether their mutual attraction has a future.

This is the second book in the series. I loved the first book and wondered how Conor and Maggie would manage to get back together. This book is the perfect solution. The case is complex, clues are spread throughout the book, so you keep reading to find out what really happened and why. The story is told primarily in the first person from Maggie’s point-of-view. However, sections from the victim are cleverly slipped in at intervals. I thought they were are great addition to the novel.

Although this is the second book in the series, it can be read as a standalone. However, I recommend reading the first book before you tackle this one. Maggie and Conor are wonderful characters and getting to know them from the beginning is a treat. I highly recommend this book.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

A Mild Retelling of the Heroines of the Trojan War

 

Sisters Helen and Klytemnestra, daughters of Lord Tyndaroes, King of Sparta, are famous in Greek mythology and tragedy for their roles in the Trojan War. Klytemnestra, married to Agamemnon, King of Mycenae, was wed first. Helen, supposedly the most beautiful woman in the world, was married to his brother Menelaos. In the book Helen thinks this will be a wonderful idea because as sister-in-laws she and Klymnestra may be able to see each other. As the narrative unfolds this turns out to be a vain hope.

The girls were raised in luxury, but little was expected of them aside from spinning, weaving and giving birth to an heir. This was a boring existence and Helen eventually escaped with Paris to a hopefully more fulfilling life. It led to the tragedy of the Torjan War.

The plot of the book is well known. The portrayal of the characters is at the core of this book. The author tries to make them examples of Bronze Age women. They come across as placid and accepting of the fate they have been dealt. This was not the way myth portrayed the sisters. Helen was a temptress and Klyemnestra was the raging mother set on revenging the death of her daughter Ipigenia, sacrificed by Agamemnon.

The book was well written and not difficult to read, but I was disappointed by the characters. Both sisters came across as so mild as to be non-existent, not at all they way they are portrayed in tragedy. The moving back and forth between the sisters giving their thoughts on whatever was happening was tedious. I had high hopes for this book, but they weren’t fulfilled.

I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.

A Psychic Communicates with Animals

 

Ruby Heartwood has been running for most of her life. She was left at a Catholic orphanage by her mother as an infant. Growing up, she felt could know things about a person by touching them. When she tells a nun what her life holds, the Mother Superior calls her evil and puts her in solitary confinement. Ruby escapes and hits the road as a fourteen-year-old.

Ruby’s had a difficult life. She earns her living going from carnival to medieval fair and on to another carnival, but her powers seem to be waning. One night during a wild rainstorm, she falls asleep in her van. In the morning she opens the door to a King Charles spaniel. She calls him Hitchhiker and they team up. She seems to be able to know what he’s thinking.

The town where she’s landed is Harmony Farms. She signs up for the Farmers’ Market and Makers Faire to use her psychic talents. She now adds the ability to communicate with animals. Although she usually moves on, Ruby finds she wants to stay in Harmony Farms. Perhaps she will find why she has been running away from everything for so long.

This is a wonderful story, particularly if you love animals. The story is about friendship, struggle and overcoming obstacles. I loved the animals not just Hitchhiker, but the other animals Rudy worked with. I thought Rudy’s character was great. Her life was a struggle, but she didn’t give up. If you enjoy a well written story, with a good ending, you’ll enjoy this one.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

Is Someone Stalking Her, or is She Paranoid?

The divorce has been final for three months, but Kate can’t pull herself together. She’s still taking large quantities of anxiety medication. She tried to be a good wife furthering her husband’s legal careen and keeping life running smoothly. When he decided to move the family back to his hometown, she was hopeful it would mean more togetherness and family time.

Her dreams were dashed when he took up with his high school girlfriend and ultimately asked for a divorce. Now Kate is trying to hold it together for her children who she can’t stand to lose. She also has to deal with Audrey, her husband’s domineering mother.

At her son’s soccer game when trying out a drone for an article she’s writing, the drone hits her in the head. The footage from the drone makes it appear that she has a stalker. Not wanting to appear crazy, particularly in front of the police officer who is trying to help her, she tells a little lie that will haunt her.

This is a fast paced suspense novel. The plot is not particularly difficult to figure out, however, the fact that the pace is fast keeps you reading.

Kate is so tentative and torn with self-doubt and has trouble making decisions that I found her hard to relate to. While this was all right in the opening, I thought it went on too long. I did like Audrey. She was tough, but I thought she was fair and understood the situation much better than Kate.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

 

The Race for Admission to a Top Rated College

The book opens with the author racing about like crazy trying to find all the appurtenances for a successful college admission for her youngest daughter. There are tutors and coaches and always the question of how much you can afford just to get through the application process. Behind it all is money. You want the best for your child, but you also have to eat and take care of your other children. The other factor about money is that the college or university wants to make money. In fact, they have to make a lot of money to pay administrator salaries, provide amenities for the students, and keep star faculty.

The book is filled with anecdotes about how some well-qualified students are denied admission to top ranked colleges because of bias by the administrators of their prep schools and other problems that have little to do with how well qualified the student is. There are also stories about how parents cheat and bargain to get their students into the top ranked schools. The questions is whether the top ranked schools are worth the effort.

The book has good information for parents facing the challenges of college admission, but it also points out the problems with the system. Financial aid is hard to come by for students that really need it. The rich have an advantage because they can pay the outrageous tuition. Student loans are in many instances designed to suck you in and limit your future because of monstrous debt.

I enjoyed the book. I did find the author a bit repetitive. She had one story to tell and told it in every chapter although bolstered by different anecdotes. In the opening, I found the spectacle of the author racing about to do all the right things to get her daughter into college off putting. The question it raised for me is whether college is really that important right out of high school. Even if you go to a top ranked college the degree in most fields with be ancient history once you’re in the job market.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

 

Five WWII Fighter Pilots Tell Their Story

 

WWII is now a long time ago and many of the major actors are no longer with us. The desire to get some of the stories before the men died led the author in the seventies to interview five WWII pilots who were famous for their exploits

The pilots include Jimmy Doolittle who led the raid on Tokyo that showed the island was vulnerable, Ed Haydon who dueled famous German fighter pilots, Robin Olds a West Pointer who became celebrated in the European theater, Robert Johnson famous for his 27 kills, and my favorite, Curtis LeMay who was responsible for the air tactics pummeling of Germany.

This is a must read book if you’re interested in aviation during WWII. The history is told in other places but the interviews being immediacy to the historical actions. I particularly liked that the author followed the men’s careers beyond WWII. I enjoyed Curtis LeMay’s reactions to senior officials including President Johnson and Secretary of War, McNamara during the Vietnam War.

I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.

A Family Saga with a Maine Background

In 1944, Marin is a cadet nurse. She meets and falls in love with Oliver Demarest, a physician in the same hospital. They wed quickly. When Oliver takes his bride to Haven Point in Maine to meet his parents she realizes that she has married into a wealthy family, one with traditions, and deep roots at their summer place in Maine.

Annie, their daughter, is rebellious. She becomes involved with the anti-war protests in the Vietnam era. Her father forbids her to continue to see Patrick, young man who is an anti-war protester. She doesn’t obey and a tragic accident occurs after which she refuses to return to Haven Point.

Annie’s daughter, Skye, has absorbed her mother’s dislike of Haven Point, but she agrees to come back to scatter her mother’s ashes. She was raised with her alcoholic mother’s view of her family, but now she needs to be told the truth of what happened the summer Annie left for good.

This is an enjoyable, but slow paced family saga. I loved the setting. Maine is beautiful and wild. The descriptions of summer life with parties and the yacht club were enthralling. The characters, particularly Marin, are well done. Although Annie’s and Skye’s stories are part of the book, for me, Marin dominated. She was a strong woman who kept her marriage together after the Annie’s tragedy.

If you want a leisurely read, this is a good one.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review. 

Siblings Reunited

 

Siblings Katie, Grace, and Garth McAlister, traveled to Canada from Britain at the end of WWI. Believing their mother is dead, the children have become British Home Children who were taken to Canada to find homes. In the Prologue, we meet the siblings, but the emphasis is on the youngest, Grace. She’s chosen by a wealthy family. She grows up knowing nothing about her siblings until she discovers an old journal.

Grace isn’t happy being pressured to become a young lady and make a good match. She wants to find her siblings. Garth grew up on a farm in Canada and fought in WWI. He also wants to locate his sisters. He has an additional quest. He fell in love with Emma Lafferty. They wrote for three years, but now he hasn’t heard from her. He wants to find her to see if her feelings have changed.

This is the second book about the McAlister children, but it can be read as a standalone. This is a heart warming story with a good background of Christian faith. The characters are well drawn. All the children are determined people who are dedicated to finding each other and restoring their family.

In the Author’s Note at the end of the book. The author gives the reason for writing this story. She wanted to tell about the British Home Children and their experience. Many, like Garth, were used as unpaid labor on farms. They were stigmatized because of their background and felt that they had to hide where they came from. We can see this in Grace’s adoptive family wanting to hide her history even from her, but many went on to successful lives.

I highly recommend this book.

I received this book from Waterbrook Multnomah for this review.

A Dream and the Adventure of a Lifetime

 

Sixty-three-year-old Annie Wilkins, a farmer in Maine, found herself penniless with no home and no family, but she had a dream. Annie wanted to see the Pacific Ocean before she died. She had never driven a car, and she didn’t want to leave her dog, Depeche Toi, behind so she opted for a horse. She got a broken down racehorse named Tarzan, donned men’s jeans, and set off South.

The journey starts in 1954 when the world was quite different from today. There was no GPS so Annie had to use gas station maps to find her way. Riding a horse is very different from cruising along in an SUV. Annie could only do ten miles a day. What it cost her in speed it made up in the friends she made, and the communities she visited. In the end, the press found out about her ride and she became a celebrity. Towns had parades to welcome her, but besides the good times there were floods, mountains, snow and more traffic than she’d seen before.

This is a wonderful book. I loved it. Annie is an unforgettable character. When the going got tough, she kept on believing that if you keep moving you will get there. She didn’t give up on her dream, either. She was offered homes in various states, and even one marriage proposal, but Annie wanted to see the Pacific Ocean

In addition to meeting all the interesting, helpful people Annie encountered, we also learn about the history of the places she visited. Interspersing history with the adventure of the ride is very effective. The book is well written. It’s an adventure you’ll remember for a long time, I did.

I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.

The Importance of Being in the Moment

 When so much is happening and we’re all busy, we often spend so much time thinking about what’s next that we don’t appreciate where we are at the moment. Learning to be where you are and give whoever you’re with your full attention is the secret in this book.

This book is very family centered in the prologue the author tells his daughter that the most important thing is family and being able to count on your family no matter what happens. Things will go wrong. That’s a given in life, but the important thing is to accept that it happened and move forward. Giving in to despair is not an option.

I enjoyed this book. This principles are very solid. If you can follow them at least most of the time you can have a successful life. I enjoyed the many stories told by people both famous and not, and I particularly liked the focus on family and the Christian background.

This book is well worth reading, as we emerge for a year of enforced quiet and being at home. Our busy lives will take us over again, but if you can remember some of these principles life may feel a little easier.

I received this book from St Martin’s Press for this review.

Spiritualism, a Con-game, and an Escape from a WWI Prison Camp

 

The WWI war in Turkey is not as well known as the war in Europe, but British troops were fighting there because Britain wanted to maintain access to the oil fields in Persia. The prison camps in Turkey were even worse than those in Europe.

Two prisoners, the aristocratic Elias Henry Jones, and Cedric Waters Hill an Australian airman from the RAF, were overcome with boredom and hated the bad conditions. To entertain themselves, they fashioned a ouiga board. During that time there was a resurgence in interest in spiritualism. The guards at the camp became fascinated by what the young prisoners were doing.

The prisoners running a long con were able to keep the guards interested and were able to plan an escape although the camp was located far from anywhere with roving bands of brigands in the area.

This is an incredible story of the psychological effects that can be achieved by successful con-men. The men were skilled in the art of persuasion and were able to use the gullibility of the guards to build trust until there were able to attempt an escape.

If you’re interested in WWI this is a must read. The story, although non-fiction, is so well told that you feel as if you were reading an adventure story. I thought the author did an excellent job of explaining the prevalence of the belief in spiritualism and the psychological basis of what the men were able to accomplish. I highly recommend this book.

I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.