Writing review: “Candlepower” – the art of literature

I’ve just read with great enjoyment “Candlepower” by Janet Doolaege – a contemporary novel full of mystery and intrigue. Stella lives in a small apartment in Paris where – through the close-knit of modern living – she gets to know her neighbours Rose and the dark-eyed Olivier with whom she falls in love. Rose, a figure of strange powers it seems, has a curious connection with birds and a bizarre effect on anything electrical. This uneasy triangle of friendship, subtly threaded with an underlying tension and a sense of the paranormal, makes the ordinary and the everyday seem edgy, unpredictable and even a little dangerous.

And Ms Doolaege has the remarkable ability to make you think about these ordinary and everyday things in a different way. That is what literature is all about. The difference between a story – and a story that communicates something beyond the story. The term ‘literary” has nothing to do with high-brow intellectual waffle as so many believe – but rather reflects in the little gems Ms Doolaege has weaved delicately through the narrative.

There is Stella’s strained relationship with her family in England which translates into how we often perpetuate old hurts with the smallest nudge of memory. There is the nature of friendship: what does it mean to be a good friend? What does it mean to really care? There is the paranormal: what does it mean to be genuinely gifted with powers that other people don’t understand – the prejudice, the fear, the distrust an individual may have to bear for simply being different. There is also reflection on the impact of civilization on nature: how does the way we live affect other creatures who have equal claim to our spaces? And then there is romance – the raw truth between imagination and reality, and how we often misinterpret the feelings of others.

For those who would enjoy an original, well-paced and well-written mystery with an unexpected literary slant, “Candlepower” is definitely one to pick up.

Review: ‘Hereward’ The Last Englishman – history kicking butt

James Wilde has done a rollicking job with his first book in the Hereward series. With little consideration for our delicate sensibilities honed through fifty years of social indignation and political correctness, we are summarily dragged into the 11th century and our noses rubbed in the dirt.

Hereward is a complex man who is both brave and barbaric but threaded with glimmerings of the age of chivalry that was yet to come a century or two later. He is a man in his time and of his time – so we forgive some excesses in cruelty and aggression. He’s an honest chap who has been wronged and if he needs to slice, chop and mincemeat some enemy nasties, we’re in it with him – right there curling our toes with glee under the blood-dripping sword.

What we get in this rumbustious romantic saga of blood and battle, is an up close and personal view of this dark era in English history. Not much is known of this century or of Hereward and his fight for freedom against the Norman invaders of his land, but Wilde builds on what we do know and presents an authentic tale steeped in the sounds, scents and hardships of this time with a stark reality that has you cringing and gasping for more.

Wilde has created a hero who is both merciless and charming. His sword is his soul and his honour. He fights for justice in an era when there was none. And he dispatches his enemies with the unconstrained violence of his time. And we see in him much more of ourselves than we might like. These are our ancestors and our history and – even if we are horrified, disgusted and frightened by lives without law and order – the desire to pick up that sword and slash our way to justice alongside Hereward is a shadow rising on the dark side of our psyche that we can’t ignore.

That is the power of this excellently written and vividly told story. Highly recommended.

Review: ‘The Celtic Dagger’ – the making of mystery

I’ve just finished reading ‘The Celtic Dagger’ by Jill Paterson – a conventional detective whodunit murder mystery set in Australia where the author lives. I’m not a great fan of detective novels but I enjoyed this book for several reasons. The style of writing was clean and crisp, no waste of words or pointless conversations – everything was pertinent. The plot was carefully structured with some intriguing twists and turns along the way. I liked the characters – all appearing upright, decent citizens. Who among them could be a murderer? The plot development was well-thought out and there was just the right amount of witnesses and suspects. And for those who love a cosy mystery, minimal violence. It is a gentle book in this genre and I wouldn’t describe it as a thriller – and for that reason it may not appeal to those who prefer a renegade detective on the blood-splattered trail of a lunatic psychopath.

But for me what was most interesting from an analytical point of view, is that in creating this story, the author touched on all the key points of writing a mystery. I do think that mysteries are the most difficult genre because no matter how much information the writer gives away as the story progresses, there must always be that final card up the sleeve. This is done by what I call the ‘give but add’ plan: for every bit of new information the reader gleans, there must be an extra problem added. Thus the mystery deepens even though some knowledge has come to light. Characters come and go in the revolving doors of interviews and investigation. More is learned but the puzzle is greater. Suspicion hops from person to person.

Red herrings are one thing – but don’t waste the reader’s time with elements that ultimately have nothing to do with the murder – because that’s cheating. The mystery must genuinely involve everybody. Reasons must be unraveled in the context of the murder and may lead along many threads – but ultimately those threads must all tie up in a way that makes sense. And the writer has to control those threads with a steady hand. I often liken writing mysteries to driving a six-horse carriage over rocky terrain – you cannot let go for a second. One thread out of place leaves a flaw in the picture.

I think Jill Paterson has done a tidy job with ‘The Celtic Dagger’.

‘The Next Big Thing’ blog hop: My WIP

So honoured to be tagged to join this interesting and unusual blog hop. Having never done anything like this before I am feeling my way to say the least. I always find what other writers are working on to be rather fascinating and often inspiring. So let’s hope I succeed on both counts! I was tagged by LK Hunsaker – http://lkhunsaker.blogspot.com  After you check out my next big thing, go check out her Next Big Thing!

The rules of the blog hop are simple: Answer ten questions about your WIP (Work in Progress) and tag five more writers/bloggers to do the same. A chain of links will lead you to a forest of wonderful writers all busy creating new books for the hungry reading public. Here’s my contribution to the chain.

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What is the working title of your book?

“Midnight Gods”

Where did the idea come from for your book?

The quirkiness of people fascinates me and I love Celtic history. So I fell to thinking of marrying an eccentric, reclusive and obsessive family with the darker side of history. Midnight Gods grew out of that thinking and became a story of history, religion, fanaticism and insanity; the licence of the past applied with increasingly dangerous consequences in modern times.

What genre does your book fall under?

Suspense Thriller – murder mystery set in England

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Well, after reviving from the coma I’d slip into upon hearing such tremendous news, I’d have to say I don’t mind. The main characters in this book are mature people and somewhat overweight! So that would present a difficulty straightaway. I look for realism rather than movie glamour in my books, so I have no idea really. Grace is in her early thirties and Peter in his early forties. So if anyone can think of a good match – hats off!

What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

Upon the disappearance of her friend Ruth, Grace goes to look for her and finds herself gradually dragged into mystery and horror as she uncovers the secret lives of a cloistered and clearly deranged family.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Wouldn’t mind an agency but we all know how difficult, tedious and frustrating a route that is – so for the moment, it’s purely self-publishing for me.

How long did it take to write the first draft of your book?

I’m not finished the first draft yet – about 2 thirds through – and that took me around six months. Hoping to finish it in less time than that, but no promises. This is a romance, a murder, a mystery, a history, a slant on religion and the weirdly mysterious. The plot therefore is fairly complex – and obviously there is some research involved.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Well, it’s a thriller and a mystery so I would (boldly) liken the topic to Barbara Erskine and style to perhaps Nicci French or Minette Walters.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I love history and I love the Celts and the dark ages – and all of that ilk. The old Celtic gods were powerful in their day. The thought that their arcane ceremonies might be remembered in a way that was not simply nostalgic tradition but seriously dark and dangerous stuff, set me off.

What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

The book carries several touch points to interest readers. Firstly, it’s a murder mystery, a thriller with plenty suspense and creeping about in the dark. Secondly, the characters are very easy to identify with – they’re ordinary, nice, everyday people who suddenly find themselves up against appalling circumstances. The way they try to cope and the courage they display is exciting to say the least. And thirdly, the dark traditions of the past in Britain – all that myth, damp stone and dark passages – always strikes a cord with both the lover of thrills and of history.

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Blogs I’m tagging:

Nicole Storey – http://nicolestorey.wordpress.com/

Darlene Foster – http://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/

Jeanette Hornby – http://jeanettehornbybooks.blogspot.com.au/

Jill Patterson – http://theperfectplot.blogspot.com/

Jennie Orbell – http://jennieorbell.wordpress.com/

War Poets Remembered

While cleaning out my bookcase (a mammoth task as you can imagine) I came across an old book of poetry by Rupert Brooke which had been given to me by my mother when I was eight years old. For a moment I was lost in time remembering that book – old and tattered even then – and how it had affected my love of poetry; that curious lilt and flow of language that has fascinated me all my life.

And I remembered how I loved that book, how I would trace the words with my eyes, hungering for understanding, awestruck at the way words could be brought together and knitted to create all kinds of meaning and message, how language could frighten, shock, make my blood run cold. Make me laugh.

This drug continued on into my teens – and I fell upon the darker side of poetry, that which was so eloquently reflected in the war poetry that came out of that most tragic of all wars, the First World War. It was my first brush with protest, with denigration of authority and the stupidity of violence. Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, Rupert Brooke. Their haunting words have stayed with me forever.

Wilfred Owen (1893 – 1918)

The Sentry (excerpts)

The sentry’s body; then, his rifle, handles

Of old Boche bombs, and mud in ruck on ruck.

We dredged him up, for killed, until he whined

‘O sir, my eyes – I’m blind – I’m blind, I’m blind!’

Coaxing, I held a flame against his lids

And said if he could see the least blurred light

He was not blind; in time he’d get all right.

I try not to remember these things now.

Let dread hark back for one word only: how

Half listening to that sentry’s moans and jumps,

And the wild chattering of his broken teeth,

Renewed most horribly whenever crumps

Pummelled through the roof and slogged the air beneath –

Through the dense din, I say, we heard him shout

‘I see your lights!’ But ours had long died out.

Siegfried Sassoon 1886 – 1967)

Counter-Attack (excerpt)

Mute in the clamour of shells he watched them burst

Spouting dark earth and wire with gusts from hell,

While posturing giants dissolved in drifts of smoke.

He crouched and flinched, dizzy with galloping fear,

Sick for escape, – loathing the strangled horror

And butchered, frantic gestures of the dead.

Rupert Brooke (1887 – 1915) 

The Soldier (excerpt)

If I should die, think only this of me,

That there’s some corner of a foreign field

That is forever England. There shall be

In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;

A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,

Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,

A body of England’s, breathing English air,

Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

I think it was this last poem, the sad glory of a patriot’s words, that stirred me the most. And while Owen’s and Sassoon’s poetry held me in horrified thrall, it was the beautiful, flowing words of Rupert Brooke that made me a writer. Perhaps it is the mixture of romance and madness that inspires writers? I only know that if you read these works, feel their emotive power, you will appreciate their dedication to the right word, balance, tone, weight, and rhythm of language.

These words inspired me at a very early age. What was the earliest influence that motivated you to write?

 

Book review: ‘Candy’s Man’

I have just finished reading ‘Candy’s Man’ by Jeanette Hornby. From the start, I was taken by the cover – which I thought just gorgeous glam. So it’s been on my TBR list for some time. I must also say that romance is not generally my genre, but I know there are millions who love it – and that’s why I can say with confidence that those millions will love this book. ‘Candy’s Man’ has all the bells and whistles: snappy, slick, with a well-planned plot laden with passion, twists and thwarted desire.

There are beautiful people, beautiful cars, beautiful houses and beautiful clothes. Not to mention the shoes. And enough emotion, tension and unhappy confusions to keep you glued to the story. Will Candy get her man? Rather ask, will Candy’s Man get her? The twists and turns are so adroitly planned, I could not stop reading – I had to know the answers to these questions. I fell in love with all the men, admired all the women’s clothes, and identified totally with Candy’s roller-coaster turmoil of feelings.

This is a book for a glass of wine or a good slab of chocolate, and a self-indulgent afternoon on the couch, away from all working demands. Well-written, well-paced, it is both heart-warming and heated, intriguing and satisfying. If you’re a lover of traditional romance novels, then this one’s for you.

Review: ‘Grimsley Hollow – Eve of the Beginning’

I’ve just finished reading ‘Grimsley Hollow – Eve of the Beginning’ by Nicole Storey, prequel to ‘Grimsley Hollow – The Chosen One’. Related in first person, the prequel is pacy, well-written and intriguing. A complete magical world is brought to life with all the mythical beings who once lived on earth but now occupy Grimsley Hollow – a place populated with witches, werewolves, vampires and pixies.

When a wicked witch takes charge of Grimsley Hollow, the residents have only one solution up their voluminous sleeves – and that is to engage the help of a human boy who has magical powers. The boy, Gage, is autistic – but while challenged in the human world he has unbeknown to him, capability of holding powerful sway in the magic one.

‘Eve of the Beginning’ introduces many of the characters that will play major roles in the Grimsley Hollow series. It provides background and an understanding of the world of Grimsley Hollow and how they lost their world to the control of an evil witch – a witch whom only Gage, the human boy, has the key to confront.

I found ‘Eve’ a delightful read – vibrant and full of humor while carrying a serious undertone. Eve, a young witch only 11 years old,  is a snappy little number – pithy, cheeky, streetwise (Grimsley-wise!) and very, very real.  This prequel novella prepares you for the grim events ahead in ‘The Chosen One’ when the battle between good and evil moves into play. When the Halloween-like world of Grimsley Hollow needs help, it’s almost comforting to know they need to find a human boy with the kind of powers even the wizards of Grimsley hold in awe. A great read – whether you have already read ‘The Chosen One’ or not. It certainly fleshes out what is becoming a very worthwhile children’s series.

One Night ~ the book that wrote itself.

My latest suspense thriller ~One Night~ will be up for free on Amazon on Friday 28 and Saturday 29 September. I know we are all bombarded with free books all the time and sometimes it’s almost a chore to download yet another one. But I do think readers (particularly if you are a writer) may find this one interesting not only from the story point of view, but also the history of the writing of the book.

Because, in fact, this book was written with hardly a change. As you read it is as I wrote it. I made one nifty turn in the middle of the book which was entirely unexpected but which fitted and worked with the plot perfectly. After independent editing, I had around 20 minor errors to correct. That was the sum of the second draft, so to speak. And before you ask…no, I did not have a perfectly set out plot beforehand. I was curious to find out what was going to happen every time I came to my PC to write. So nothing was planned. But the people became so strong, I let them tell their story in their own way.

Was this luck, you ask? Well, I’m not sure. Except to say that writing improves as you continually work at it. And after many years of mammoth re-writing exercises, it seems that finally my brain has got its pattern into gear. This book flew from beginning to end almost too fast for me to keep up. It was an exhilarating ride!

But for me, writing wasn’t always like this. I have torn up, stormed about, slunk into deep depression many times because a scene would not work or a set of characters simply not do as they were told. I want to tell all those aspirant writers out there who are struggling with just these issues, that it gets better. Writer’s block is real and demoralizing, but you can break it. What is important is the veracity of your story. If the characters are truly made real – then let them breathe, let them talk. And your story will tell itself.

Review: ‘Latitudes – A Story of Coming Home’

Here is a book beautifully constructed and crafted. Every sentence balanced, whole and relevant. ‘Latitudes – A Story of Coming Home’ by Anthony Caplan, evinces a poignant undertone of things lost and emotion suppressed; a story about a family separated by latitudes but never fully disconnected. On the separation of his parents, Will develops a steady cool exterior, a defensive distance between his circumstances and the behavior of his parents. Every event, however seemingly innocuous, can affect character and development. What I gleaned by the end of this beautifully written story, was that life itself is our teacher regardless of circumstances; basic character is built from adversity and from what we need to gain for ourselves. There is no doubt in my mind that Will’s experiences slowly strengthened him. At the end we know Will can deal with any kind of situation. Separation from his mother and sisters was both devastating and in some strange way, releasing. His father’s disinterest gave him the freedom (the latitude) to find his way to independence. And yet, right at the end he breaks down at his mother’s funeral and cries and cannot stop – and there we see fruition of that poignant undertone – the hidden damage that dysfunctional family brings. Will is starved of attention, always searching for that elusive element in his life which he cannot quite pinpoint; love. Understanding its lack, the implications of its loss in his life, is the key to coming home to that place beyond childhood we call adulthood. And author Anthony Caplan journeys us there with insight, empathy and style.

Review: The Historian

‘The Historian’ by Elizabeth Kostova is a sweeping saga of the search for the real Dracula, delving into the mysteries surrounding his life, death and burial. It is a combination of historical fact and fantastic legend. Vlad Tepes, the Impaler, murdered more than 20,000 people. His father had been inducted into the Order of the Dragon by the Holy Roman Emperor – and hence Vlad’s name as Dracula, meaning son of the dragon. It was Bram Stoker’s novel that created the legend of the undead – and Dracula became known as a bloodsucking vampire.

With the delicacy of unwrapping an ancient manuscript, the story begins with a letter in a library. Working our way through books, libraries, ancient castles and medieval monasteries, we journey back in time to understand Dracula’s life as a real historical figure – a man of such immense cruelty and evil that the idea of him cheating death is not too fantastic. Is Dracula still alive? Does he hold the extraordinary powers attributed to him? And who is his next victim?

Meticulously researched and written in a rather Victorian style, The Historian begins as an intriguing read. But for an impatient reader like myself, it was just too slow. I think it was a great idea that died halfway through and did not recover itself. I often wonder, when plodding through books like these, if the writer was writing more for herself and the agent rather than the reader. It’s a fat book, a tome, and I wonder how many people really have the time for books like this today, especially if the work loses pace halfway through.

But this is just my opinion. This is a major work well-crafted by a good writer. Those who like a detailed, informative, densely plotted and lyrically written book to keep them company for a number of months, will definitely enjoy this.