Author: tamaramorning

Motivation Waning…

So, I just started the new job this week. I like it, but I’m having a hard time adjusting to 1) having to get up and go to work, and 2) having to get up at 4:15 IN THE MORNING. Yeah. That’s proving to be a big adjustment. Who knew having three months off would turn me into a sleeping-late kind of person?

Clearly, trying to adjust to a work schedule AND the time change has made for a rough week. I haven’t done anything writing-related all week. Heck, I’ve barely managed to function on a day-to-day level (Sad, really.), much less actually be coherent. (FYI being too tired to even check my email for two days resulted in approximately 100 emails, half of which I deleted without opening, and about three times that much spam. Really? Do I really need THAT many advertisements for Viagra? Is somebody out there trying to tell me something? Okay, Universe, I’ll pass the message along.) So, now that I have three days off, I’m trying to get some writing things done, namely revisions and lessons one and two of How to Write a Series. I’m not saying it’s working, but I’m trying.

Other than that, I’ve got nothing. Except…I really hate when people don’t think about how their actions affect other people. Or their lack of action, either one. Really, people? You’re not the only one on this planet. Other people need certain things, too. Think of someone besides yourself!….Deep breath….Okay. That is all.

Pearl in the Sand, by Tessa Ashfar

Pearl in the Sand, Moody Publishers

Biblical fiction is a difficult genre to write in. Many people are familiar enough with the Bible to be able to point out inconsistencies and inaccuracies, even in written works that are clearly mean to be fictionalized. Writing about well-known and beloved characters without alienating readers would be hard, but writing about a character about which almost nothing is known is probably even more difficult. Tessa Afshar does an amazing job at this with her new book, Pearl in the Sand, about Rahab, the harlot who helped bring down the walls of Jericho and ended up becoming the ancestor of Jesus.

At the age of fifteen, Rahab became a harlot. She did it to save her family, but that did not stop her shame and dislike of her life. She despises Canaan’s gods, and refuses to worship them. If they were truly gods, would they allow their people to starve and suffer? When she first hears of the fierce Israelite army and their awe-inspiring God, she doesn’t know what to think. Soon the city of Jericho is awash in tales of the destructive army, but these Canaanites are smug about the protection of Jericho’s famed walls. Rahab is merely intrigued with tales of the Israelite God. When two Israelite spies enter Jericho, Rahab is moved to hide them, and even helps them safely escape the city. In return, they offer her protection with their army takes the city, and she and her family are the only ones who survive the ensuing destruction.

Rahab and her family are allowed to join the Israelites, and she finds faith in God that gives her strength. She meets Salmone, one of the leaders of the tribes, and the two must fight to overcome their pride and distrust and follow the path God has laid before them.

Pearl in the Sand is beautifully written, and grounded in historical details and description that brings not only the doomed city of Jericho to life, but also the Israelites and their way of life. Rahab is mistrustful of men, scarred by her path, and she has many emotional barriers to overcome before she grows into the full strength of her character. Salmone is burdened with pride and judges Rahab for her past, and it is difficult for him to see past who she was. The characters truly live and breathe on these pages, and it is wonderful to read this vision of how one woman’s life helped change the course of history.

(Galley from Moody Publishers via NetGalley)

Those that Wake, by Jesse Karp

Those that Wake, Harcourt Children's Books

The recent trend in dystopian young adult books continues with Those that Wake by Jesse Karp. Set in a future New York City where technology consumes the lives and minds of everyone, the setting of this story is dark and foreboding, filled with shadowy, threatening authority figures and a populace that is so self-involved as to be almost paranoid.

Laura has a perfect life. She makes good grades in school. She has a bright future ahead of her. Then one day, her parents no longer know who she is, and no one at her school has any memory of her. Mal is a loner, a boxer with no family but his brother, Tommy. After one middle-of-the-night phone call, Tommy disappears, and soon no one remembers Mal, either. When Mal and Laura meet, they discover that they have both had strange dreams, and everything around them seems to be breaking down. The two must struggle to figure out what is happening to their society, and to try to reclaim their lives.

Those That Wake is not a book that is overwhelmed with backstory and setting details. On the contrary, details are few and far between for both the reader and the characters, which can be a bit confusing. The book is well-written and the characters are engaging, but this lack of detail detracts from the quality of the writing and the story.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

What, for you, is the hardest part of writing? The part that makes you want to bang your head against your desk (or the nearest wall), the part that you have to grit your teeth to get through? Is there a part of writing like that for you, or is it all sunshine and roses? (And if it is all sunshine and roses, you suck. Just sayin’. I’m jealous…)

I’ve been writing more or less seriously (depending on how you look at it) for the past 11 years. I love the thrill of getting a new idea, and planning a new story is great fun. (Sometimes a little too much fun, as I tend to plan all sorts of details that aren’t particularly necessary, and therefore keep myself from actually starting to write the story. But that’s a whole other post…) The rush of writing and getting what I see in my head down on paper is always (Okay, usually.) fun. I like talking about writing. I like thinking about writing.

But for me, the part I like least about writing is…revising. Yep. Revising=not so much fun to me. My revision process goes like this:

1) Finish draft, put it aside for at least 2 months.
2) Re-read draft and resist impulse to cry at how badly I suck!
3) Slog through the MS, trying to figure out how I managed to mess up my spiffy, pretty idea so badly…and try to repair it.
4) Actually cry when I couldn’t quite manage to make the actual draft match the vision in my head.

Well, at least that’s how my revision process used to work. And then I discovered Holly Lisle’s How To Revise Your Novel class. I’ve been a long-time member of Forward Motion for years. I’ve been in a private crit group there for years (Hello, any of my fellow Silver Griffins!). The crit group alone has taught me an astronomical amount. I would never have imagined that critiquing other people’s work would teach me so much about my own, but it did. I took Holly’s How To Think Sideways class, and while I know some of the techniques escaped me, I learned a lot. So, when she created HTRYN, I jumped at that chance, baby! A system to actually teach me how to revise, and how to look at each aspect of revision logically (and therefore avoid the whole crying/head-banging thing?). I was there!

I’ve only used the class to revise one full novel so far, but I’m a third of the way through my second revision with it. Is it easy? No. Is it still painful? Yes. Do I still want to cry when I realize what I wrote doesn’t quite match up to my vision? Yeeesss. Do I actually cry now? NO!

Revision is still my least favorite part of writing, but this class has made it much less painful. More like minor surgery without anesthesia, instead of…a double amputation. And I think it’s awesome that Holly does so much to pay it forward to other writers. I’ve read several of her books, and enjoyed them all, and the amount of work she puts into helping other writers is phenomenal. Her amount of knowledge–and she freely admits that these techniques are what work for her–is also astonishing. If you haven’t yet checked out her site, you should. In addition to the paid courses, she also has a bunch of helpful freebies and writing advice.

So, tell me, what’s your least favorite part of writing?

Green-eyed Demon, by Jaye Wells

Green-Eyed Demon, Orbit Books

Happy Mardi Gras! To celebrate, you could attend one of the local Mardi Gras celebrations, like Fat Tuesday at the Mansion, or you could visit All Saints’ Episcopal Church tonight for their annual Mardi Gras feast. If neither of these is your style, you could try reading something set in the city that’s known for Mardi Gras: New Orleans!

Set mostly in New Orleans, Green-Eyed Demon by Jaye Wells, brings this richly-detailed world to vibrant life. The sometimes over-the-top characters are larger-than-life, and twice as fascinating. Even the most far-fetched details of the story seem realistic, and the action is nonstop and full of unexpected twists that will have the reader up late reading “Just one more chapter!”

Sabina Kane is a mixed-blood, half-vampire and half-mage. She’s also an assassin, and her temper and smart mouth frequently land her in a heap of trouble. This time, her evil vampire grandmother, Lavinia, had kidnapped her newly-discovered twin sister, Maisie, and Sabina is determined to rescue her sister—and eliminate Lavinia for good.

Along with steamy mage Adam Lazarus, and her demon familiar, Giguhl, Sabina heads of to New Orleans in search of Maisie. An uneasy alliance with the Fey Queen and weakened mages supports Sabina’s efforts, but they’re more concerned with killing Lavinia than rescuing Maisie. With the help of a voodoo priestess, a drag-queen changeling, and the lead singer of a rock band, Sabina races to find her sister before Lavinia can murder her, and in the process summon an ancient evil.

Jaye Wells is an author with local ties, since she lives in Texas, and has been known to frequent the Dallas/Fort Worth area doing book signings and even appearing at ConDFW. Her Sabina Kane urban fantasy series blends vampires, demons, and fey with arcane magic, snarky humor, and tons of action. The latest book in the series, Green-Eyed Demon, is no exception.

Done!

Yay! I finished the first draft of a MS today. It’s not perfect. It’s not pretty. It is, however, finished. I have no immediately plans to revise it. It will sit for a while as I write something else, and I’m already revising another story, so I definitely can’t revise it yet. It’s the sequel to something I’m hoping to put through my crit group sometime, so revising it at this point is probably a waste of effort. But at least it’s finished.

Of course, this means I can give my full writing-attention to the new story…the one that the Muse is still playing with. I love new stories! They’re so fun!

Emily and Einstein, by Linda Francis Lee

Emily and Einstein, St. Martin's Press

Native Texan writer Linda Francis Lee now lives in New York City, but she has set several of her books in Texas, including The Devil in the Junior League. Her newest book, Emily and Einstein is set in New York City, but the main character, Emily has a down-to-earth, Texan vibe.

Emily is blissfully happy in her life as an up-and-coming book editor. She is madly in love with her new husband, Sandy, and busy remodeling their apartment in the fabulous Dakota building. Then Sandy is killed in a tragic accident, and Emily discovers her life was not as happy as she thought it was. Sandy was hiding many things from her, not the least of which was the sham of his lies and broken promises, and now Emily is in danger of losing everything.

While Emily deals with the hurt from Sandy’s death and his betrayal, she is on the verge of losing herself. Then she meets Einstein, a scruffy stray dog who charms his way into her heart and her life. Emily may not feel like saving herself, but Einstein is determined to make sure she does. With the help of the oddly charming Einstein, Emily starts the difficult journey to deal with the ghosts in her past—and to make her future all she’s ever dreamed of.

Emily and Einstein is a magical, heart-warming book. Ms. Lee brings New York City to life in a way that has nothing to do with the hustle-and-bustle of the city, but with its colorful, larger-than-life inhabitants and quaint settings. The book alternates Emily’s heart-wrenching thoughts and feelings, with the more pragmatic Einstein’s. This story of redemption and love is well worth the read.

Aftertime, by Sophie Littlefield

Aftertime, Luna books

Dystopian fiction is one of the fastest-growing genres out there. With the wildly successful series The Hunger Games being made into a movie, and even a movie version of Stephen King’s The Stand in the works, the genre is sure to gain even more popularity and many more readers as well. Aftertime, by Sophie Littlefield is dystopian fiction, mixed with a little bit of horror, along with a touch of sci-fi and some romance as well.

Cass Dollar wakes up sometime after the end of the world, with no memory of how she got where she is. She remembers being attacked by Beaters, the zombie-like creatures that plague the dying California countryside, but she has no idea how she survived. No one ever has, not once the Beaters carry them away.

But Cass survived, and now she has only one goal: to find her daughter, Ruthie. With the aid of Smoke, a stranger intent on helping her, she sets off to find Ruthie. They have to travel miles through Beater territory, and escape the clutches of the Rebuilders as well, power-hungry, controllers who want to build a society, and one where they run things, but for Cass, anything is worth it, as long as she can have Ruthie back.

Sophie Littlefield paints an evocative picture of this post-apocalyptic society, the result of bioterrorism attacks and botched genetic engineering. Despite the horrific descriptions of the Beaters and their flesh-eating ways, the story is focused on Cass’s journey, not just to find Ruthie, but to finally find self-acceptance after years of addiction. While Cass is a troubled character, the author brings her to life so well that the reader understands why she’s done the things she has—and feels her horror and grief over her past, as well as her overwhelming love for her daughter.

Backstory…or not?

So, I’m reading Those that Wake, by Jesse Karp, (which doesn’t hit shelves until March 21st, by the way), and it starts off with what seems perfectly normal days in characters’ lives. One of the characters, a high school student, wakes up late for an important interview for an internship. At this point, it seems the story world is normal. Then the author starts dropping hints of a 9/11-style disaster, the aftereffects of which have been contained by a dome, and you start figuring out that this is a future society where today’s smart phones would be the obsolete equivalent of rotary phones, and everything is recorded and digitalized to within an inch of its life. And then the character tries to call her parents and they have no memory of her whatsoever. Her school has no record of her. She has no idea what’s going on. I’m 150 pages into the book, and I…don’t really have a clue what’s going on. Don’t get me wrong, I’m intrigued, and I want to know. I just…don’t.

My question is, as a reader, do you prefer to have a solid grasp on what’s happening in the book you’re reading right up front? I don’t mean you know every little detail and there aren’t any surprises in store. I’m talking mainly about world-building and cultural/societal details. I didn’t know right up front this was some sort of dystopian futuristic story, and it didn’t exactly throw me off-balance, but I didn’t have a solid grip on setting.

And as a writer…what’s the best way to set the stage for your readers setting-wise, so to speak?

This Side of the Grave, by Jeanine Frost

Don’t you just love it when a book you’re reading is set locally? The Dallas/Fort Worth area isn’t often used as a setting for books, so it’s always a thrill to come across one that is. This Side of the Grave, by Jeanine Frost

This Side of the Grave, Avon
, has several different settings, but the finale of the book takes place in nearby Garland, Texas. This Side of the Grave is the fifth book in the Night Huntress series, and takes place in a world where vampires, zombies, ghosts, and demons are commonplace.

Cat is half-vampire, and her husband, Bones, is a powerful Master vampire. They’ve spent most of their relationship fighting for their lives, and just once, they’d like a break. But vampires are disappearing, and there are rumors of trouble looming with the ghouls.

With Cat’s new and unusual powers at the center of the firestorm, Cat and Bones travel to New Orleans to seek help from legendary voodoo priestess and ghoul queen Marie Laveau to stop the coming war. But Marie has an agenda of her own, and Cat is dragged even deeper into trouble. If she cannot control her new powers, she’ll never be able to stop the battle between zombies and ghouls.

This Side of the Grave is well written and fast-paced, with lots of action and a detailed, believable world. Cat is capable, with an inner core of strength that often gets her in trouble, and she doesn’t hesitate to act. Bones is ruthless when he needs to be, and at times overprotective, yet he knows Cat can take care of herself. He’s also British, with an accent that practically melts the pages (not to mention one of the best anti-Twilight lines ever). All of the books in the Night Huntress world are captivating, and This Side of the Grave is no exception.