…and do you know why?

Because I just read halfway through a review book with these lovely qualities:

• outrageously predictable plot
• at least three twists that I predicted long before they happened (they were that poorly “foreshadowed”)
• flat, one-dimensional heroine with obvious “I needed to give her more personality so I added this quirk even though it doesn’t fit with the rest of the character profile”
• a “mysterious” hero who is neither likeable, mysterious, sexy, or dangerous (though the story wants to suggest he is)
• pacing that makes me want to tear out my eyeballs
• romance so forced I sometimes wondered if the characters were actually robots
• cliches so glaring I needed sunglasses

…and that’s only about 100 pages into the book. And you know what? If that can get picked up as a debut novel from a traditional publisher, your work can too.

Keep writing. Keep trying. Yes, it might take awhile, but those writers who succeed to become published authors are the ones who kept going and held onto that hope.

You can do it. I can do it. That crappy book tell me anyone can do it, so long as we persevere.

Have you read any books lately that bolstered your confidence by their sheer awfulness?

First, THANK YOU to everyone who weighed in on my voice dilemma. I wrote through it for a bit, then tried some brainstorming, then asked some questions… I haven’t done the interview thing in a formal way yet, so that’s next on the docket. I’m also going back in the story and trying to figure out if maybe things went wrong a little earlier. Or the issue may be with a change of tense. We’ll see. Either way, I’ll figure it out one of these days!

Beyond that, I’ve caught that stupid cold that’s going around and haven’t managed to get a whole heck of a lot accomplished.

Included in that pile of non-accomplishment is figuring out what I’m going to write for NaNoWriMo this year. I have little flashcards with all my novel ideas on it, and no idea which one to pick. I may just draw a big target and throw the cards on it one at a time. Whichever lands closest to the center “wins”.

How’s that for “writing to the market”? HAH.

Anyway, I’ll save you lovelies from my potential rambling (could be delirium from the sickness setting in) and send you off with this word of wisdom:

POPSICLES.

Remember that, the next time you have a sore throat. Then tell me it’s not a word of wisdom.

YOU’RE WELCOME, READERS.

What do you do when you can’t capture your character’s voice?

I’m having a bit of a conundrum. A situation, if you will.

As some of you know, I’m rewriting my NaNo novel from 2009. It’s going swimmingly (despite the fact that I’m not a very good swimmer), and my main female character’s voice is set. Firm. Mercifully natural, most of the time. I’ve got her down (more or less), and where I’m having trouble with it, I can fix it with a few tries.

Problem?

Halfway through the book… the narrator changes.

Er, if anyone from my critique group is reading this… heh. Spoiler alert. Sorry. BUT NOW YOU ARE PREPARED (and hopefully will throw fewer things at me…).

Without saying exactly who it is (for the sake of my crit group), the narrator changes to a teenaged male. I’ve written male characters before… so this isn’t my first time.

However, for some reason that’s beyond my ability to understand, I cannot get this blasted character’s voice right. First he sounds too young. Then too whiny. Then too juvenile. Then too stiff and lifeless. Then too forced.

WHAT DO I DO?!?!?!

If you’ve had this problem before, how did you solve it? Did you just write and rewrite and write again until you found it?

The issue isn’t having the right character to tell the story, either. I know this is the right person. He’s just… being difficult about it. Argh.

Heeeeelp!!!

Mind Over Mind

by Karina Fabian

Science Fiction

Release Date: 2011

Synopsis:

Deryl Stephens’ uncontrollable telepathic abilities have landed him in a mental health institution, where no one believe in his powers.  Joshua Lawson, a summer intern at SK-Mental Institute, does something no one else has ever done:  he accepts Deryl’s reality and teaches him to work with it.  As Deryl learns control, he finds his next challenge is to face the aliens who have been contacting him psychically for years–aliens who would use him to further their cause in an interplanetary war.  The first in the Mind Over trilogy, from DragonMoon Press.

Trailer: 

My Thoughts:

What a different, interesting approach to science-fiction! I know books like this are “out there”, but I can’t say I’ve stumbled across them lately… I tend to pick up the space operas, or Star Wars novels, or off-world ship stories. Fabian’s book is definitely not that—she’s crafted a psychologically driven sci-fi tale that centers heavily around character, as opposed to setting or massive world-building.

While the synopsis above focuses on the character of Deryl, I found that he was almost secondary to what was happening with the intern character of Joshua Lawson. There is a lot of character-building activity centered around Joshua and his past, his present internship, his techniques for dealing with clients, and his love interest.

Most of the time, I enjoyed this—I didn’t even mind the heavy focus on Joshua’s romance, though there were moments when I tried to mentally urge the book to get back to the sci-fi aspects instead—but I found the best parts of the book were moments when Joshua and Deryl worked through issues relating to Deryl’s psychic abilities.

These conversations formed the core of the novel, and made what could have otherwise been a very flat story turn into one full of life and conflict. I say “flat” because the vast majority of the book takes place inside the institution, and rarely ventures outside of those confines. It could have easily turned into a plodding, “day-to-day” rote with the occasional “ah-ha!” moment, but Fabian kept the story moving by revealing certain aspects of character and conflict at key moments.

Now, I know this is part of a trilogy, so there are more books coming that will presumably answer all the questions this one raised and DIDN’T answer. I was a bit disappointed that the focus on Deryl’s mental contact with an alien species didn’t get as much play time as the synopsis led me to believe it would. I wanted to see a lot more of this, and I’m hopeful that it’s coming in the next installment.

That said, I really liked that Fabian was able to believably incorporate the Catholic faith into the main character’s worldview—in a way that fit, really truly fit—as well as including characters of diverse ethnic background. It’s rare to see this done well these days (at least in the books I’m reading), it’s refreshing to see faith and ethnicity presented in such a natural, non-cliche/stereotypical manner.

Worth the read? You bet.

About the Author

Unlike her characters, Karina Fabian lives a comfortably ordinary life. Wife to Air Force Colonel Robert Fabian and mother of four, her adventures usually involve packing and moving, attending conventions, or giving writing and marketing advice in one of her many workshops. She’s always had an overactive imagination, however, and started writing in order to quell the voices in her head–characters who insisted on living lives in her mind and telling her their stories. Winner of the 2010 INDIE award, winner and finalist for the EPPIE and finalist for the Global e-book awards, she’s glad people enjoy reading the tales her characters tell. Visit her website at: http://fabianspace.com

All right folks… I recently had the privilege of receiving not only one, but two books from Dani Harper’s Changeling series for review, and let me tell you… after all the buzz I’d heard about these ones, I was pretty excited. However, don’t get ahead of yourself—there’s good and bad here, so I’m going to combine the reviews on these and put them together in this one post.

That way, when you hit the bookstore, you’ll know which one to pick up and which one to leave behind (see what I did there??? it’s like a spoiler alert for my own review post… aww yeah…).

Got your wishlist handy? A’ight, here we go:

Changeling Moon

by Dani Harper

Paranormal Romance

Release Date: May 2011

Summary (author’s website):

He roams the moonlit wilderness, his every sense and instinct on high alert. Changeling wolf Connor Macleod and his Pack have never feared anything — until the night human Zoey Tyler barely escapes a rogue werewolf’s vicious attack.

As the full moon approaches, Zoey has no idea of the changes that are coming, and only Connor can show her what she is, and help her master the wildness inside. With her initiation into the Pack just days away and a terrifying predator on the loose, the tentative bonds of trust and tenderness are their only weapons against a force red in tooth, claw . . . and ultimate evil.

My Thoughts:

I liked this one! Plain and simple. It took me a little while to get into the writing—Harper has a very distinct cadence that didn’t feel quite natural at first—but I ended up being drawn into the story and characters. Even if the word “wolf” shows up on every page. You know when you were five years old and decided to repeat the same word a hundred times in a row and eventually it didn’t even sound like a word anymore? Yeah. That. Wolf. Wolf wolfy wolf. Wolferoo.

But, WOLF aside WOLF from that (wolf), I really liked the main character of Zoey. She was strong, determined, and yet had enough flaws to make her vulnerable—and therefore relatable. The love interest was manly and capable, and readers are able to see moments of weakness that allow us to really cheer him on. I wanted the main characters to be together—the spark between them was clear from their first meeting, and the journey from meeting to full fledged romance is interesting and sweet without being tedious.

If you’ve read my reviews before, you know I have a low tolerance for cheesy romance. Thankfully, there was enough meat to the story and plot (and the characters themselves) that I was able to enjoy the story along with the natural progression of the romance. I didn’t care for the sex scenes, but thankfully they were few (and not unexpected, considering the genre).

So, naturally, when I found out there was another book in the series, I eagerly picked it up to begin reading. However…

Changeling Dream

by Dani Harper

Paranormal Romance

Release Date: June 2011

Summary (author’s website):

In times of stress Jillian Descharme has always found calm in her dream of a great white wolf with haunting blue eyes. But she is startled when the visions return and this time seem so real. Late at night he comes to her, speaks to her, touches her.

Thirty years ago James Macleod lost his wife and unborn child to a killer bent on destroying the Changelings. Though he longed for death, his animal instinct fought for survival and James has been a wolf ever since. Yet now a woman has reawakened the man in him, taming wild
instincts but arousing still wilder needs. With his ancient enemy hunting the legendary white wolf, James must fight for new life, new hope, new love.

My Thoughts:

…yeah… plot? Not so much. Enjoyable characters? Not exactly. Story before sex? Heck no.

James Macleod is incredibly broody… Jillian Descharme is ridiculously dense when it comes to men and apparently has absolutely no sense of self-preservation (which doesn’t make logical sense considering her tragic past). This book meanders along without a real villain or sense of direction until the “climax” at the end (though there are plenty of “climaxes” throughout, if you know what I mean… sigh) which seems tacked on, like “oh yeah, we need to have something bad happen and some kind of resolution… okay, here’s a gun and an angry dude, *ta-da*!”

And if you didn’t get my not-subtle-in-any-way hint in the previous paragraph, the book just seems to glide from sex scene to sex scene, without particular concern for story. It was frustrating, and I felt like I was reading a different book from a different author. Not to mention my disappointment that we’d switched main characters from the first book. I wanted more Zoey and Connor!!!

Ultimately, I don’t know if I’ll read the third book. I might page through it in hopes that it’s more like the first, but I’ll put it down quickly if it doesn’t go anywhere. But I would definitely recommend Changeling Moon to fans of paranormal romance, if you can get used to Harper’s writing style and accept the fact that you’ll never read the word ‘wolf’ again without wanting to gouge your eyes out.

Verdict: Read book one, leave book two on the shelf.

About the Author

Dani Harper, author of Changeling Moon, writes paranormal romance, blogs about the paranormal, watches paranormal TV and movies, and reads paranormal books of almost any kind. So it’s only natural that werewolves, faeries, ghosts and other supernatural creatures populate her stories. She lives on an island in Southeast Alaska with her fisherman husband. Her stories get written on land or at sea with the help of her executive secretary, Fiona the Pug.

For more information please visit http://www.daniharper.com/  and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter.

Hey all!

It’s been awhile… but I have something super special for you today. Recently, I read a fun sci-fi novel called Paradise 21, written by no stranger to the bloggy univese, Aubrie Dionne. If you’re a frequent reader of epub fantasy, sci-fi, or magical realism, you’ve probably come across her name more than once. At the end of this post, I’ll tell you a little more about her newest release with Entangled Publishing, and where you can go to get a copy!

She was generous enough to grant me a little interview on her blog tour, so without further ado, let’s get to it!

Thanks for stopping by today, Aubrie! Your previous books & short stories have been primarily fantasy-based tales (Nebula’s Music aside…). What made you decide to venture into the realm of novel-length science-fiction? 

This is a great question!

I love science fiction as well! I grew up watching Star Wars and Star Trek, and that’s also a big part of my childhood. To ignore it would be like ignoring an essential part of myself! Fantasy was the easier path for me at first, but as my writing grew, I tried my hand at sci fi romance!

I’m glad you did! We need more female authors representing in the genre, which is a bit of a peculiarity since science-fiction is well-known for its portrayal of strong, capable female characters–particularly when compared to women in fantasy books and films. Did you have this in mind when creating your main character Aries, or was she a natural development of the storytelling?

I always have strong female characters in my writing! I have no idea why. They just jump off the page at me. Being a girly girl who liked My Little Ponies, pink dresses, and Rainbow Brite, I’m not good at writing tough as nails men characters. I always have to work on beefing up my men characters in every manuscript. Maybe that’s why?

Ahh, My Little Ponies… I think I still have a few of those around somewhere. *Ahem* Somewhere. Er, moving on… give us a little insight into the inspiration for your desert planet! And by extension, would you rather be stranded on Sahara 354 or an ice planet like Hoth from Star Wars?

Well, funny you should say that, because the second book in the series is an ice planet like Hoth! Living in NH, I feel like I already live on Hoth, so a desert planet would be much nicer for me.

My desert planet was definitely inspired by Tatooine in Star Wars. I watched Episodes IV, V, and VI so many times that I think I absorbed Star Wars into my DNA! Since Star Wars, there have been many more cool sci fi desert planets: Pitch Black, Stargate, and Mad Max (but I think that’s just as old as Star Wars, right?).

Okay, if Aries has to crawl inside a Tauntaun-like creature for warmth… I’m going to have a serious nerdgirl freakout. In a good way!

As for the publishing side of things… inquiring minds want to know what it’s been like working with Entangled Publishing!

Entangled is fantastic. The editing has really pushed me to a higher level. Never have I edited so much at such a deeper level. And I love having a publicist. I feel as though I’m not alone. I need to thank my agent, Dawn Dowdle for introducing me to Entangled in the first place. Thank you, Dawn!

That’s definitely great to hear, and very encouraging. But let’s get to the serious question: Writing beverage of choice?

Coffee! Lots of it!

And finally, what are you reading right now?

I just finished a sci fi book called The Gardener by S.A. Bodeen. Very good!

Thanks for having me here today, Faith!

So, now that you know a little more about Aubrie… here’s some more about her book!

Paradise 21: Book 1 of A New Dawn
by Aubrie Dionne
Sci-Fi Romance
Release Date: August 2011

Watch the Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8vCni_TZUA

Synopsis:

Aries has lived her entire life aboard mankind’s last hope, the New Dawn, a spaceship traveling toward a planet where humanity can begin anew—a planet that won’t be reached in Aries’ lifetime. As one of the last genetically desirable women in the universe, she must marry her designated genetic match and produce the next generation for this centuries-long voyage.

But Aries has other plans.

When her desperate escape from the New Dawn strands her on a desert planet, Aries discovers the rumors about pirates—humans who escaped Earth before its demise—are true. Handsome, genetically imperfect Striker possesses the freedom Aries envies, and the two connect on a level she never thought possible. But pursued by her match from above and hunted by the planet’s native inhabitants, Aries quickly learns her freedom will come at a hefty price.

The life of the man she loves.

My Thoughts:

I’ll make this quick, since this is a fairly long post to begin with… but if you’re looking for some exciting, action-packed sci-fi, combined with sweet romance and intriguing characters… this is your book! I’ll admit, it took me about 30 pages to get into the story, but once I kept reading, I realized I really wanted to know what happened to these characters, and why Aries was willing to go to such lengths to avoid this arranged marriage.

To that end, I read it in one sitting. I’m also very interested to see where the next book takes us… whether it’s with these characters or others, I know it’ll be on my reading list.

About the Author

Aubrie is an author and flutist in New England. Her stories have appeared in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, A Fly in Amber, and several print anthologies including Skulls and Crossbones by Minddancer Press, Rise of the Necromancers, by Pill Hill Press, Nightbird Singing in the Dead of Night by Nightbird Publishing, Dragontales and Mertales by Wyvern Publications, A Yuletide Wish by Nightwolf Publications, and Aurora Rising by Aurora Wolf Publications. Her epic fantasy is published with Wyvern Publications, and several of her ebooks are published with Lyrical Press and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. When she’s not writing, she plays in orchestras and teaches flute at Plymouth State University and a community music school.

http://www.authoraubrie.com
http://authoraubrie.blogspot.com

Anyone else happen to catch this post by J.A. Konrath last week?

Are You Writing?

…ouch.

I’m not telling you to stop blogging, or Tweeting, or reading posts from other people… but he makes an excellent point. When our social media time & learning efforts outweigh our actual writing time, what are we actually gaining?

Time spent on those things is time not spent writing.

We won’t get anywhere if we’re not gluing our hands to the keyboard and writing.

We are all going to fail if we continue to not write.

I don’t know about you, but that post was a pretty darn effective guilt trip… and I’ve been on a blog break! I’m going have to actively make sure I don’t allow blogging and social media to fill up all my time now that I’m back “on the scene”. (LOL)

How much online time is too much for you? Are you writing?

Last weekend, El Husbando and I attended a sci-fi convention in Toronto. We’re not huge fans of the convention itself, but one of the guests of honor was author Brandon Sanderson—no way we were going to miss that! Sanderson is best known for finishing Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, but we’ve been huge fans since Elantris, so… uh, yeah. A little fangirl/fanboy *squeeing* from both of us.

The convention offered a number of panels on writing speculative fiction, which Sanderson helped to lead. One of the things he said on a panel about writing endings is that the end of your book should be “surprising, yet inevitable.”

I think this particular phrase can also be found on his Writing Excuses podcast, so I don’t know if he necessarily coined the phrase, but it stuck with me… it really, really makes sense!

When you’re writing the ending of your story, the last thing you want is a predictable ending. You don’t want your reader to come to the CLIMAX OF EVERYTHING and then say “oh, I saw that coming a hundred pages ago.”

Instead, you want the reader to realize what’s happening just as the characters realize what’s happening, turn that last page and then think: “Wow, I didn’t expect that… but of COURSE it had to happen that way!”

The ending then informs the rest of what came before it, and the reader realizes that it really couldn’t have happened any other way.

The best example I can think of for this is from one of Sanderson’s own works, the Mistborn series. The end of that trilogy is shocking, unexpected, and yet… all things considered… absolutely, 100% the ONLY way it could have ended.

Now, how you craft those endings is another matter entirely… but the more you write, the more natural this kind of ending will be.

How about you… do you write endings that are “surprising, yet inevitable?”

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Canada Day/4th of July/other kind of weekend fun if you don’t live in North America.

I’m still here, plugging away at the rewrites, naturally not as far along as I’d like but further than I’ve managed to get in years.

I’ve rewritten about 25% of the novel… which means I have 75% to go. Hmm… it sounds a lot more impressive if I just focus on that first number. Heh.

I’m coming close to the areas of the book where I’d skipped writing scenes the first time around, and I’ll have to find my notes to figure out what I intended to put there. Does anyone else do this? Skip scenes, write notes in random places, then get intimidated by filling them in during the rewrite? o_O

Anywho, if you’re here reading this, leave me a quick note to tell me what you’re working on!!! I feel a little disconnected being on this bloggy break, but I promise to give you a visit in return.

Hope you’re enjoying the sunshine! Grab a book, head outside, get some of that good ol’ Vitamin D in your system.