Character Voice

I picked up a new book from an author I've never read before. It's The Boy Who Could See Demons by Carolyn Jess-Cooke. I'm not that far into it, but I have to say how intrigued I am with her writing. The basis of the story is that a woman is called in to evaluate a young boy who's mother had attempted suicide (more than once). She's a psychiatrist with her own set of problems that we learn a lot about very quickly. The boy is young and sweet and loves his mother very much. What I'm loving about this is the way it's told. We are seeing things not only through the eyes of the woman, but the eyes of the boy as well.

The author has an amazing talent for quickly changing gears. One moment we're seeing and hearing things from a young boy and the next it's from an experienced older woman. The boy sees things much differently than the woman does of course and his speech reflects that. The way he speaks and describes things is amazing. You can hear the voice of a child, the thoughts of a child. He relates feelings and situations differently than the adults. It's brilliantly written. I found myself chuckling a few times. The way he thinks about love and how at his age it's a girly thing except for the way he loves his mother. When he sees his mother we get a picture of her told to to us through his eyes. She's in the hospital and like most of us who have been in the hospital, not looking her best. He describes her hair as if she had been electrocuted. He sees his aunt as strange for having muscle tone in her arms and being strong. When he looks at the psychiatrist he compares her hair color to milk chocolate. I have a very clear picture of this boy in my head. It's awesome. That's the best way I can describe it.

I'm sure as I continue reading and finish this book that I will still love it and be sad to see it end. I usually feel that way about books that I really enjoy. I don't often recommend a book before I'm done reading it, but this time I couldn't help myself.

Enjoy! Read often!

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

I've been reading the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz. It's an interesting series. I'm on book three, Brother Odd, where Odd Thomas is living in a monastery. He's not a regular at St. Bart's Abbey. He had decided to go there after book two. Odd was seeking some peace and tranquility and perhaps some direction.

Odd Thomas was told as a child that his name was meant to be Todd, and that there was a mistake on the birth certificate. No attempt was made to fix the error and he was called Odd from birth. This fits the young man since he can see the dead. Odd always seems to get himself into trouble, but he's always hell bent on helping people.

This third book in the series is definitely a supernatural thriller. It plays with the idea that your mind is your reality. Our antagonist in this is Brother John who has developed a way to make his mind reality. He creates creatures that wreak havoc on the monastery and it's inhabitants. It is up to Odd to stop him with the enlisted help of a few others.

What's my favorite part so far? In all of the books thus far, my favorite thing is that Odd Thomas shares a special ghostly friendship with no other than Elvis Presley. Up until the middle of book two there hasn't been much communication on Elvis's behalf. Ghosts don't talk to Odd although he can see them and speak to them, and they can understand him. We do see attempts at communication on Elvis's part at some points (read the books to find out more because it's really good). In this third installment I see this friendship come to an end and it makes me sad. Elvis finally crosses over. I have high hopes for Frank Sinatra though. He appears to Odd at the end. Maybe this will be another ghostly friendship I will come to love.

I am enjoying the Odd Thomas series. He is a peculiar character that grows on you. He has loved and lost, had a sad childhood and is growing up to be a sweet young man despite the odds. You don't eve have to be a supernatural fan to delight in Odd's story. Give it try.

Enjoy! Read often!

Film vs Novel: Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter

I tend to not watch the movies of the books that I really like (Hunger Games is my exception to the rule), but this time was different. I was struggling to get through the book Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. It's written in a journal sort of way. At times it was boring and daunting. But honestly what can you expect from a journal? Not every day is action packed. I didn't make it through to the end, instead I decided to watch the movie thinking Hollywood would make it more exciting. I was wrong. Watching the movie made me appreciate the novel.

The differences were too much. Young Abe learns of the vampires from his father in the book. His father cannot repay a debt and as punishment the vampire bites Abe's mother which is the cause of her agonizing death. This a traumatic for Abe. In the movie... not so much. Abe doesn't even learn about the vampires from his father at all. He's told about them by a vampire who saves him from being killed and nurses him back to health. Good ole Henry. I actually like him in the novel and the movie. A good vampire? I guess so.

In the movie Abe wants to end slavery because of his childhood friend (who is black). In the novel he wants to end slavery because the slaves are the food/blood source for the vampires. The Emancipation Proclamation frees the slaves, begins to starve the vampires and turns the Civil War. Now what sounds better here? The novel!

Edgar Allen Poe is Abe's friend in the novel. He teaches Abe a thing or two about vampires. In the novel a vampire kills Poe and that is cause of Poe's suspicious death that many ponder (a real life mystery!). How cool is that? I thought it was awesome, but there's no mention of Poe in the movie at all. Boo!

The end is 100% different. Novel: John Wilkes Booth thinks he kills Abe. Henry (Abe's vampire friend savior) turns Abe into a vampire. Abe kills Booth in a barn before he can be arrested by Union troops. The last scene is of Abe attending MLK's I Have A Dream speech at the Lincoln Memorial. That was pretty awesome! The movie: none of that happens.

So a few days later I find myself back at the local library hunting for the book once again.

Enjoy! Read often!

How to Become a Kick-Ass Writer

So here I am poking around Writer's Digest and I find this great article about being a writer.

Chuck Wendig writes a blog about being a writer. Writer's Digest gives us some of his tips. They are anywhere from scary to hysterical.

Scary: "Be ripped apart by other writers".... Yes, this one is scary! It's hard to stick your neck out there only to have it slashed especially with a piece that you love. This is the hardest one for me.

Hysterical: "Do not defile the penmonkey temple".... Chuck is essentially telling us that heroin is not a breakfast food and to treat ourselves better than a "urinal in a Wendy's bathroom". He's right, but the way he says it freakin awesome.

What did I learn? I need to challenge myself, or as Chuck calls it, make myself a gauntlet. Start writing things I don't normally write. Start meeting small challenges (see his suggestions at the link below). This could be really cool.

How to Become a Kick-Ass Writer

Enjoy! Read often!

Michael Connelly: Void Moon

If you enjoy a good crime thriller, I'm sure you've read a Harry Bosch or Mikey Haller. We know Matthew McConaughey as the Lincoln Lawyer and soon to be Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch. Those are great characters and it should be an honor to be chosen to portray them (in my opinion anyway). But what about the other books written by Connelly? What about the ones that are one-timers? The ones that don't belong in a series? Do you get caught up on the series and only focus on those leaving other great stories on the shelves unread? I realized that sometimes I do that! I've started picking up some of my favorite author's books that are not part of a series or are older (older than me) that I wouldn't normally pick up.

I was searching thought my state's digital library and decided on Void Moon by Michael Connelly. I was looking through the reading list of the Harry Bosch series (I admit it, I'm behind a bit) when I came across Void Moon. I decided to give it a go knowing that when the book was over, it was over. The connection I lost with this character was going to be gone as soon as I read the last page. She was not coming back. With a sigh I hit the borrow button, downloaded it to my phone and set off for a long walk to start the audio book. Keep in mind I have about three books going at any given time. I have a book by my bed (currently Servant of the Bones by Ann Rice), I have a Kindle book (currently Home For The Holidays by Jeaniene Frost) and then my audio book which is now Void Moon. Wait, I just realized at this very moment I have a fourth book, it's The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler. That one is in my bag those goes back and forth to the car with me. You never know when you're going to need a book to read. I want to be prepared.

Anyway.... back to Void Moon. Even though Cassidy "Cassie" Black had driven off into the sunset to start her knew life, I'm okay with that. Let's start at the beginning. Cassie Black has been out of jail for just a short time when the novel starts. But it's not too long before she sucked back into her old life. The difference this time is that she just wants one bog score so she can take her daughter and run away and live happily ever after. Like that was going to happen! Cassie hooks up with her old pal Leo. Leo gets her a big job where they are going to strike it big. Cassie immediately sets out to get the job done. She hits some bumps along the way. Her other old pal Jersey tries to steal from her and let's just say he was a bit inappropriate as well. But this girl can kick some butt! With a kick to the groin and a gun to his head she's able to get the upper hand and tie up the dirt bag in the back of his own van, the one she uses for the job! What a dumbass this guy is. Anyway, there's a lot of suspense throughout, from the time she gets to Las Vegas to the time she's standing in the "mark's" room with $2.5M and a gun aimed at the man's head.... holy moly! But then Connelly cleverly cuts off Cassie story right at that point and brings in the next set of characters.

Now we've got the casino manager, Vincent, who gets a guy named Jack to find out what the hell happened to the money and why is the guy dead in the hotel room? You think you know everything. This is why I love mystery novels! Jack tracks Cassie to Los Angeles. Back up - he sees Jersey;s van outside the casino on cameras thus leading him to Jersey who gives up Cassie fairly quickly. Jack kills Jersey (duh! he's a bad guy!). Jack finds Leo but Leo won't give up the money or Cassie. Leo is dead. Jack finds Cassie's place. Unfortunately Cassie's parole officer is doing a home check and the poor fat woman is shot by Jack (don't worry, she doesn't die). Jack finds out about Cassie's daughter and kidnaps her. Now Cassie had given birth in prison and this child was adopted by a loving couple. The almost 6 year old girl has no idea who Cassie is, but Cassie had been planning to snatch her and run away with her. Jack gets there first and they all meet back in Vegas to exchange the money for the kid. Cassie is smarter than that. She knows that Jack won't ever let them out of it alive. She plays some tricks getting Vincent (the casino manager) involved. And then....

And then we have the what what? Holy moly! I didn't see that coming moment... Cassie never killed the "mark". In fact Vincent arranged the whole damn thing. There are so many parties involved that you just don't see this coming! But the other parties aren't really involved the way you think they are and so much of it Vincent made up. Cassie saves her daughter and starts driving back to Los Angeles. She now has a decision to make. Does she take the girl and the money she was able to salvage (over a million bucks) and blow out of the country? Nope. She delivers the girl back to her adoptive parents. She did the right thing. 

I would suggest picking up this book and giving it a read for yourself. I know I give a lot away, but there's a lot I didn't cover. So if you have a favorite author and you've been ignoring some of their other works, give them a try. You never know what you might find.

Enjoy! Read often!

Vampires

Vampires are different from author to author. What do you like about them that makes you coming back for more?

If you haven't been living under a rock, you know about Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer. You don't have to read the books or watch the movies to know there are vampires in it (or that they sparkle for that matter). It's a young adult fiction series that blew the heck up. Good for her. I liked it, both the movies and the books. I really liked Edward's family more than the daunting love triangle of Bella, Edward and Jacob. The family and their struggles as a family is why I went back book after book. Plus I found this great movie theater in Portsmouth, NH where I can eat breakfast and watch a 9am showing. Who else besides me is going to do that? I can tell you, it's only a handful of people. 

How many read Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series? An action packed series that does one thing that I love the most: character development across the series. Anita is so different now compared to the early novels. I love seeing the the changes that take place and the reasons why. It's not just her relationships with her lovers (although I do enjoy Jean Claude moments), but it's also her relationship with Edward/Ted. I think I enjoy that because he too has changed so much. It's an unlikely bond that works. This is one series that I haven't gotten bored with. Honestly, sometimes when you're looking at 20 or so in a series... you might lose people. I'm still hooked as ever. Have you ever looked at the list of characters n wikipedia? Holy sh!t.

Ann Rice. You just can't go wrong with Ann Rice. I think a lot of people were first introduced to her and her amazing stories when Interview With A Vampire hit the theaters. Who wouldn't go see Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt? Rice is a great story teller. I haven't read as much of her as some other vampire focused authors, but her ability to tell a story within a story gets me every time. No one does that as good as Rice does (and not completely lose the reader). 

How about the Cat and Bones series aka (Night Huntress) from Jeaniene Frost. Now this one is making me a little sad. I'm waiting to read the very last book of the series. I've loved the characters and love affair. I'm anxious to see how the end turns out (even if it makes me sad). In the series we were introduced to Vlad. Yes, the one and only Dracula. It's become a spin off series that's equally as action packed and sexy as the Cat and Bones series is/was. But I digress... what's keeping me coming back to this series? Nothing ever goes like you think it will! Cat becomes a vampire so she can be with bones and keep the ghouls at bay, but as simple as that sounds... not! She drinks vampire blood and can take on some of their powers. Oh and sometimes has a heartbeat. What the heck is that? The unpredictability is pretty awesome.

I've been saving my latest infatuation for last. Christopher Farnsworth you have now given me a new vampire to love. Nathaniel Cade is a brooding ruthless vampire that belongs to the President of the United States. He does the dirty work and of course is a big, giant secret. He was turned into a vampire while on a ship bound to America in 1867. With the blood from Abraham Lincoln (taken from the bullet that he was shot with) and the witchy connections of then President Andrew Johnson, Cade was bound to serve whomever the president was. This vampire is saving lives by killing the violent. I'm in love with this series all around. I love Cade's story of course, but he has a handler named Zach. The relationship ads a humor to the series that's otherwise serious, action packed and bloody. I keep coming back for many reasons and that's one of them. But I also need to know what the heck is going to happen next. The last book left me with a giant cliffhanger. 

There are a lot of different choices out there for the vampire lover. Some of them involve other supernatural beings and others are just about vampires. If you like this sort of thing I suggest branching out. Try other types of vampire novels. If you like the young adult fiction, take a look at The Morganville Vampires series. It's a different take on the vampire world than my above mentioned. I will leave you to look that one up on your own. Find what you like and read it, but don't be afraid to branch out! 

Enjoy! Read often!

Audio Books: Yes or No?

For me an audio book is a necessity. I spend about an hour and a half in my car (at a minimum) each day. I'd much rather listen to an audio book than channel surf music I'm not into or fumble for CDs. I will absolutely be late for work (or anywhere for that matter) waiting for an audio book to download to my phone if I don't have one ready to go. I can't go for a walk with the dogs, hike or run without an audio book in my ears. Saying this out loud... I might have an obsession. Addiction? Maybe.

What's the downside? Oh there is one. Let me explain. I've been into Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series. I really love reading a series. I like that I can see the change and development in a character from book to book. The person she/he was in the first book isn't the same person they were in say book ten. If I love it so much what's the downside? If I can't get into the voice of the narrator then I have a hard time getting into the book as a whole. The best part of a mystery novel (for me) is the twists and turns. When I can say "No way!" or "I never saw that coming!" or "He's the killer, what?". These are the best. But when the voice of the narrator doesn't fit the voice of the novel... well, my interest fades.

In other words, some books are better read in print. The voice I hear in my head is sometimes better than the voice coming across my headphones. I guess the bottom line is, I need audio books, ebooks and bound books in order to be happy. Does that make me spoiled or demanding? Probably.

Enjoy! Read often!

The latest Alex Cross book...

So I just finished Cross My Heart, the latest in the Alex Cross series by James Patterson. Here I am once again left with another Patterson cliffhanger! The Cross family has bee taken by a madman. This happens towards the end so it's not until the next book that we'll get some resolution. Will everyone make it out alive? I feel like they will. So does that make this predictable? Maybe. He gets the bad guy, saves the day and will sit down to family dinner. Not that I want someone to die, but... I don't know.

What was the best part of this one? The moment Alex thinks his entire family is dead he acts like I would expect a grieving father and husband. He's no super hero. He wants to die. Good thing that homeless person didn't succeed in killing him, but it seemed like a valiant effort.

Overall, I liked it. Probably not my favorite in the series though. What I do like about Patterson's writing is the third person point of view of many characters. I like "seeing" what's going on from different angles. I know a lot of people like to write in first person because they feel they can write a more in depth piece about that main character. For anyone who thinks writing a passionate piece in third person can't be done, read this book. You are the walking dead with Alex as he roams the streets of DC (and when you read this book you will totally get my reference to the walking dead).

Enjoy! Read often!