tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6646736153293848012024-03-27T16:53:06.158-07:00Lock and load, brides of ChristMy official book blog Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.comBlogger361125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-5089355222745809602023-05-21T12:38:00.000-07:002023-05-21T12:38:13.589-07:00REVIEW - TOTAL RHUBARB by J. Archer Avary<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9foTx6iHK9WsQt26uGei_Wtg9Hp4kETx3PYb_QgI0JC6kf52_tAah2tQ1nFyghg0OcEXSyNlfvRzp1lmeKLc30iAWDo7FblE4Mdra2oAJluVNlVdddqQq07fyPiQIKNi37WmhVStRCi2TtVkThVhEZOe2AESEm6PEuNTaK35eMMyVsgHQ7k74TZAigQ/s755/TOTAL%20RHUBARB%20REVIEW.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="755" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9foTx6iHK9WsQt26uGei_Wtg9Hp4kETx3PYb_QgI0JC6kf52_tAah2tQ1nFyghg0OcEXSyNlfvRzp1lmeKLc30iAWDo7FblE4Mdra2oAJluVNlVdddqQq07fyPiQIKNi37WmhVStRCi2TtVkThVhEZOe2AESEm6PEuNTaK35eMMyVsgHQ7k74TZAigQ/w640-h256/TOTAL%20RHUBARB%20REVIEW.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>It's not often that I read a collection of poetry and think that I'll keep it by me, but such is the case with this exquisitely painful work by J. Archer Avary, who spares us (and themself) nothing in this wide-ranging chapbook.</p><p>I winced at the poet's descriptions of British life. Avary has the outsider view of us Brits at play, in the pub and on our holidays. This collection juxtaposes this view with the poet's painful reflections on being sacked, solitude in a hot tub, the horror of relationships but also their felicities. Avary is in total command of the language, especially metaphors. </p><p>'Three Horses at Kiln Pit Mill' put me in mind of another favourite poet of mine, Edwin Muir; also adept at capturing the strangeness and unknowability of other creatures and ourselves. This collection runs the gamut from funny to bleak. And thank goodness for the funny. The bleak would be impossible to bear, yet it's the laughter that dies in the throat. It feels like a whole life is captured here. The title would imply that it's all nonsense. It very definitely isn't. The most devastating poem was 'Cactus Daddy', a reflection on the poet's parenting style that had me catching my breath.</p><p>Check out the excellent <a href="https://backroompoetry.co.uk/" target="_blank">Back Room Poetry</a> to see if there are any copies of 'Total Rhubarb' left. And while you're there, check out the other titles. You won't be disappointed.</p><p><br /></p>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-82118889077771320812023-02-07T11:13:00.000-08:002023-02-07T11:13:47.523-08:00REVIEW - HATE, LOVE, HATE by CARSON PYTELL<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7jKM4UXN8ilz1RvaBl6vMy3zss-WbbtLO27acj2ayH7c8mQZk1gMcYfW5xjEO6asSoRVoeb0p6ZkhldBw-TSQXRpIIO_O2B8IE66d-jpfO-i4Ob6dW2awaiQ_ylvvuT0Z_fw74bxbc_UPrlIy_N_VUbqdj5GrZpU4D8db_jAt40pjWcZjnUxLRF_8mA/s604/HATE%20LOVE%20HATE.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="604" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7jKM4UXN8ilz1RvaBl6vMy3zss-WbbtLO27acj2ayH7c8mQZk1gMcYfW5xjEO6asSoRVoeb0p6ZkhldBw-TSQXRpIIO_O2B8IE66d-jpfO-i4Ob6dW2awaiQ_ylvvuT0Z_fw74bxbc_UPrlIy_N_VUbqdj5GrZpU4D8db_jAt40pjWcZjnUxLRF_8mA/w640-h442/HATE%20LOVE%20HATE.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I don't mind telling you I have had this book in my bag for over a month. I could only read and re-read Rytell's poems three at a time. They are raw and unflinching, sometimes difficult and elusive, and felt rather like painful personal testimony. I rationed myself.<br /></p><p>They seem to me to be concerned with the navigation of inner and outer space, not in the sci-fi sense you understand, but in the placement of the subject in their environment and the effect that has on their way of thnking. If you've experienced mental health issues, you will find much that resonates here. Ditto if you have a problematic family dynamic or find transition from adolescent to adult tricky. Do any of us find that easy?</p><p>I had two faves: <i>Worse that Nothing</i>, in which the poet envisons a dystopian world of dogs and winos and <i>Stars</i>, a transcendent poem that will comfort anyone who loses someone dear to them, as we all must.</p><p>More on the poet <a href="https://backroompoetry.co.uk/casron-pytell/" target="_blank">Carson Pytell</a>.</p><p><a href="https://backroompoetry.co.uk/hate-love-hate/" target="_blank">HATE, LOVE, HATE</a> published by <a href="https://backroompoetry.co.uk/" target="_blank">BACK ROOM POETRY</a><br /></p>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-88546197193301209832023-01-24T12:18:00.003-08:002023-01-24T12:18:57.112-08:00REVIEW: COMATOSE BY JANE BADROCK<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaKiQzGU9wiSYiq7LTC1PTh7Nro-1RRx-iKEqQo8rv-ETndd5pUUNChTbwoRcarGLDdLgs2stvMnOl9_45lmGQS8kGjXuGcbxp4HuRhSeo6ln5Xo9t6PpNocnO0S5C67-45NcnpYiCUwpUk5asrpbxxdRRsnQS1OC6hWa-OhqeX36kFM9T0Q2N_v9eg/s310/COMATOSE%20COVER.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="187" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaKiQzGU9wiSYiq7LTC1PTh7Nro-1RRx-iKEqQo8rv-ETndd5pUUNChTbwoRcarGLDdLgs2stvMnOl9_45lmGQS8kGjXuGcbxp4HuRhSeo6ln5Xo9t6PpNocnO0S5C67-45NcnpYiCUwpUk5asrpbxxdRRsnQS1OC6hWa-OhqeX36kFM9T0Q2N_v9eg/w386-h640/COMATOSE%20COVER.png" width="386" /></a></div> <p></p><p>First of all, a disclaimer: I'm not a huge reader of crime fiction. But what I liked about Comatose was its sense of class, place and time. The ensemble of characters all knew far too much about each other - or thought they did. But, as ever, the really interesting thing about human behaviour is the stuff that goes on beneath the surface. People are like icebergs in Comatose. </p><p>I very much liked DS Karen Thorpe. She's the latest in a long line of complex interesting characters that I've read lately. She's determined to get her culprit - and, hurrah! She doesn't care whether people like her in the process. She's very much a modern woman in that regard, unfettered by outmnoded ideas about how a woman should behave. She has to be. How else could she do her job? The ending was unexpected by me. I do love it when that happens.</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Comatose-Jane-Badrock-ebook/dp/B08YX2KVM8/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1SCIBU0U30T3P&keywords=comatose&qid=1674590727&sprefix=Comatose%2Caps%2C543&sr=8-3" target="_blank">BUY IT HERE</a><br /></p>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-23710118122126887842022-12-14T08:00:00.001-08:002022-12-16T08:28:23.550-08:00REVIEW: KILL FOR IT by LIZZIE FRY<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAOS-FbKb2ftbX_ZksApGOqQ4ckxRcu_9L2kUh68Zdx6wxYG9zgjFXehnNkLHJJLWw70wjuza6S8HPBJOsDY7MxKm7MOuUEqgdEWl8WmzcHX-F7kq10ZHenOcScLiiwNw0bp7Yyj8Jm9-p2l2K6An7ET7vZCGpRtDWNqoCyfO9GmmGIjUb__a-JldkQ/s488/KILL%20FOR%20IT.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="323" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAOS-FbKb2ftbX_ZksApGOqQ4ckxRcu_9L2kUh68Zdx6wxYG9zgjFXehnNkLHJJLWw70wjuza6S8HPBJOsDY7MxKm7MOuUEqgdEWl8WmzcHX-F7kq10ZHenOcScLiiwNw0bp7Yyj8Jm9-p2l2K6An7ET7vZCGpRtDWNqoCyfO9GmmGIjUb__a-JldkQ/w424-h640/KILL%20FOR%20IT.png" width="424" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>I'm sure it's no secret that I'm a big fan of Lizzie Fry's work. What I particularly admire is her sense of pace. There are few, if any, longueurs in her writing. She is also clever at keeping the reader guessing. I had no idea what was going to happen to Erin or Cat - though I feared for both as the story developed. </p><p>There can be few women who don't identify with the lives of these characters - the mistreatment by partners, the micro-aggressions both experience at work. But that's the skill of Fry, neither character is likeable at times, Cat particularly so - but you find yourself relating to them. </p><p>Fry is also adept at portraying the link between trauma and behaviour. She demonstrates an innate understanding of her characters. I liked that Erin struggles with family commitments and earning a living. She wants to fix everything for her husband and sons; for her upstairs neighbour, Asif; even, disastrously, for Cat. </p><p>The ending was a stroke of genius! No spoilers here, mind. Suffice to say that here are female characters who are complex: frail, machiavellian, yet enduring. </p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kill-Lizzie-Fry-ebook/dp/B09JS6PVWQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3EH1BEVZ2CZ6Y&keywords=kill+for+it+lizzie+fry&qid=1671032998&sprefix=Lizzie+Fry%2Caps%2C323&sr=8-1" target="_blank">BUY IT HERE</a> <br /></p>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-53252826432953909552022-05-19T05:55:00.000-07:002022-05-19T05:55:43.296-07:00REVIEW: THE COVEN by Lizzie Fry<p> </p><div> </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1NWG8H6lBB5wU_rhVfi6KZFrZLnJpKZbiC76g5aPxnTa-toVUIbAjmjgBN22f84LbLyrGbCjqW7eKVh3OgSmgppxYQ2rGL7douXMi2kVsVBgoEKQbtFDEGkHkgw-9mX9lBIA1vxeGgxVN3f61AFwrQ_sXsFrnwqxmuouHb07Jeyocni-NIiw6u9QZCg/s522/COVEN%20COVER.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="364" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1NWG8H6lBB5wU_rhVfi6KZFrZLnJpKZbiC76g5aPxnTa-toVUIbAjmjgBN22f84LbLyrGbCjqW7eKVh3OgSmgppxYQ2rGL7douXMi2kVsVBgoEKQbtFDEGkHkgw-9mX9lBIA1vxeGgxVN3f61AFwrQ_sXsFrnwqxmuouHb07Jeyocni-NIiw6u9QZCg/w446-h640/COVEN%20COVER.png" width="446" /></a></div><br />By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes... This book is wicked in every sense of the word. Don’t be fooled by the English setting, this book is
global! I loved the pace, the diverse characters and what it taught me
about the Cornish landscape and culture. </div><div> </div><div>With the rise of the far right
worldwide, abortion restrictions in Gilead - sorry (not sorry) - North America and
the very real phenomenon of internalised misogyny, this is a rollercoaster novel for
our time that extends beyond its witchcraft theme. </div><div> </div><div>Trans and non-white characters are included, creating a resistance that feels truly modern. At its beating heart lie believable family dynamics and a wonderful love story that is the polar opposite of sentimental. What a great series this would make!
Come on Amazon and Netflix - make Lizzie Fry an offer!</div><div> </div><div><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Coven-Lizzie-Fry-ebook/dp/B07YMX9VMC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=K4B6VPZJ4B3P&keywords=LIZZIE+FRY&qid=1652964821&s=books&sprefix=lizzie+fry%2Cstripbooks%2C114&sr=1-1" target="_blank">BUY IT HERE</a> <br /></div>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-31525870155181329192022-02-16T00:10:00.000-08:002022-02-16T00:10:44.144-08:00REVIEW - THE GO-BETWEEN: A Portrait of Growing Up Between Different Worlds by OSMAN YOUSEFZADA <p> </p><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEenlwaldNoS7CVnxJDzVhcQRpuDGFCyknJwRpThlxlw-u3pP2bmoMI1VLbQ_tQMJfKUMYy6BBMPdQ_x-IRMyCxzDqI6tgO2Q-rcxRMoNu6HFWCOGdu4JZ_AHhc2rIwRLYGs5pYttjXjOf7L7msvg8XRujddj3mmxT0-ndvvtnB4cd73WYx9nM5epSVQ=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="807" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEenlwaldNoS7CVnxJDzVhcQRpuDGFCyknJwRpThlxlw-u3pP2bmoMI1VLbQ_tQMJfKUMYy6BBMPdQ_x-IRMyCxzDqI6tgO2Q-rcxRMoNu6HFWCOGdu4JZ_AHhc2rIwRLYGs5pYttjXjOf7L7msvg8XRujddj3mmxT0-ndvvtnB4cd73WYx9nM5epSVQ=w404-h640" width="404" /></a></div><br /> </div><div><i>The Go-Between provides a window into the Pakistani/Afghan Pashtun community living in Britain: a closed world in which women can’t leave their homes, where girls can’t be educated after the point of puberty (Osman’s own sisters were taken out of school at the age of eleven), where alternative masculinities are suppressed and where the pursuit of self-expression is forbidden.</i></div><div><i><br />In this coming-of-age story set in Birmingham in the 1980s and 1990s, British-born artist and renowned fashion designer, Osman Yousefzada, tells us about his own family living in a red-light district on the wrong side of the tracks. The adult world is seen through Osman's eyes as a child: the divide between the world of men and women, living cheek-by-jowl with other migrant communities. Children have to balance Western school teachings with cultural traditions and female erasure and honour-based violence are committed, even as empowering female friendships prevail.</i></div><div><i><br />The stories Osman tells, some fantastical, entertaining and funny, others moving and harrowing, take us from Birmingham to the banks of the river Kabul and the river Indus, and, eventually, to the London of Osman’s teenage years. As Osman weaves in and out of these worlds, struggling with the burdens of racism and family expectations, he is forced to realise it is no longer possible to exist in the spaces ‘in between’. </i></div><div><i> </i></div><div><i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Go-Between-Memoir-Growing-Between-Different/dp/1786893525/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1644998690&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><b>BUY IT HERE</b></a> <br /></i></div><div><i> </i><br /></div><div>MY REVIEW: <br /></div><div>It can be a mixed bag when you read books for reviewing
purposes. Don’t get me wrong, as a writer myself, there’s much to be
gained by reading extensively and ploughing on with books you might not
be crazy about. No such inhibition struck me however when reading The Go-between. It's excellent. </div><div> </div><div>I love memoirs and I love books about the city of
my birth. The author lived close to where I still have family, so the
descriptions of place were vivid to me. I also loved his minutely
observed details of immigrant family life, the purdah his mother and
sisters were kept in and the patriarchal sense of honour that kept the
entire community in check - or not. I liked the stories of a young boy
growing up essentially caught between two cultures. I rejoiced at him
finding his own path in life. This is the story of first generation
immigrants everywhere (I imagine). </div><div> </div><div>Cultural conflict notwithstanding,
the most poignant segments were Osman’s appreciation of his mother's
activities as dressmaker extraordinaire to her community. Even if she
couldn't get out into the world, her neighbours came to her. Osman does
not skate over the extreme restrictions that many women lived under
(and still do) in their communities. Nor does he shirk from recounting
his mother’s difficult early life and marriage when she first arrived.
Eye-opening and moving in equal measure. This should be required reading
in schools if it isn’t already. I’d love to read more about Osman's life. Hopefully, a sequel is in the works.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhI0mo6mroM4fF748NJjwfyT3c-ePm8JDP-cuaX9gL1CGDvOfs9YqyKsd2soAKSW-3QywHFd0WJKdLTL5xCBfQ4-6n_PMfZlWTZPAsZQ32C04ZyanIIoPnzOe5ItXJQHr2xBdxg1OY3RjYpv3P5LC8DVk85aX6qJe_ieZk6fjsaPR2KcQdz3U_womdN0A=s472" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="314" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhI0mo6mroM4fF748NJjwfyT3c-ePm8JDP-cuaX9gL1CGDvOfs9YqyKsd2soAKSW-3QywHFd0WJKdLTL5xCBfQ4-6n_PMfZlWTZPAsZQ32C04ZyanIIoPnzOe5ItXJQHr2xBdxg1OY3RjYpv3P5LC8DVk85aX6qJe_ieZk6fjsaPR2KcQdz3U_womdN0A=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></div><br /><div>ABOUT THE AUTHOR: </div><div>Osman Yousefzada was born in Birmingham in 1977 to parents who are illiterate in English and their mother tongue. He is a celebrated multi-disciplinary artist and world-famous fashion designer whose work provides a strong social commentary. He studied at SOAS and Central Saint Martins, and went on to do a Masters at Cambridge University. As well as being nominated for various fashion awards, Osman has been awarded the prestigious British Fashion Council NEWGEN award for three consecutive seasons. He has also been nominated for the Annual Designs of the Year Award at the Design Museum, and shortlisted for a Frieze Art Award. </div><div> </div><div>Osman’s fashion shows have taken place across the globe and his art practice has been exhibited internationally, from the Whitechapel Gallery and Lahore Biennale, to Mendes Wood Brussels and Dhaka Art Summit. He has also exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum, Design Museum London, Ringling Museum in Florida, and Cincinnati Art Museum in Ohio. His solo exhibition, ‘Being Somewhere Else’, which focused on the experience of migration, took place at the Ikon Gallery in Birmingham in 2018. In 2021, Osman’s public installation covered the Selfridges Building in Birmingham. For the summer of 2022, Osman has been commissioned by the British Council as the lead multidisciplinary artist for the 75-year programming for Pakistani independence. This commission will involve a temporary architectural structure in London and a series of interactive activities in and around the public installation, with an opportunity to engage young people to curate events. </div><div> </div><div>Osman also curates a collaborative journal, The Collective, a cross-disciplinary publication featuring artists, writers and other creatives. The Osman fashion label is sold internationally and is worn by celebrities including Beyoncé, Lupita Nyong’o, Thandiwe Newton, Gwen Stefani, Emma Watson, Freida Pinto and many more. Osman proudly represents the empowerment of women, sustainability, diversity, and inclusivity.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://osmanstudio.com/" target="_blank">OSMAN'S WEBSITE</a></div><div> </div><div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/osmanstudio/" target="_blank">OSMAN'S INSTA</a> <br /></div>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-488286211732098022022-01-23T23:57:00.000-08:002022-01-23T23:57:37.845-08:00REVIEW; MESTIZA BLOOD by V. Castro<p style="text-align: justify;"><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMSJINhJb7uHHQE2GUC5psv7Uq7K3cHmqMZwWj9KVT53M4UjEVAc7XiSNOMG84RDuVTlEHzGpDUKAbKuilFUO_3-JQJgXTTpcKNTzMvAW5cgboeNKbe492kn8iCvccmpnzXwwjoNS5iLDMw5zq-yAv8m9ODE4Z4hLGqgYe7IB4R2aVyXqoLVkScNIZCA=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="671" data-original-width="1280" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMSJINhJb7uHHQE2GUC5psv7Uq7K3cHmqMZwWj9KVT53M4UjEVAc7XiSNOMG84RDuVTlEHzGpDUKAbKuilFUO_3-JQJgXTTpcKNTzMvAW5cgboeNKbe492kn8iCvccmpnzXwwjoNS5iLDMw5zq-yAv8m9ODE4Z4hLGqgYe7IB4R2aVyXqoLVkScNIZCA=w640-h336" width="640" /></a></i></div><i><br /> </i><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>From the lauded author of <b>The Queen of the Cicadas</b> (which picked up starred reviews from PW, Kirkus and Booklist who called her "a dynamic and innovative voice") comes a short story collection of nightmares, dreams, desire and visions focused on the Chicana experience. <b>V. Castro</b> weaves</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i> urban legend, folklore, life experience and heartache in this personal journey beginning in south Texas: a bar where a devil dances the night away; a street fight in a neighborhood that may not have been a fight after all; a vengeful chola at the beginning of the apocalypse; mind swapping in the not so far future; satan who falls and finds herself in a brothel in Amsterdam; the keys to Mictlan given to a woman after she dies during a pandemic. The collection finishes with two longer tales: The Final Porn Star is a twist on the final girl trope and slasher, with a creature from Mexican folklore; and Truck Stop is an erotic horror romance with two hearts: a video store and a truck stop.</i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Good lord, what a breath of fresh air this collection is! Just when you
thought horror had been there, done that and shown us everything about
ourselves that we couldn't contemplate, up comes <span>V</span>. Castro with a take
that feels only too appropriate (with the orange one only recently
deposed) yet with a perspective that straddles borders. My personal favourite was <b>Truck Stop</b>, which fascinated yet repelled me in equal measure - a true marker of good horror. I could
not stop reading it despite feeling queasy at the sex scenes. I also loved that the
heroines of the stories were completely unapologetic about the primacy of their own desires and willing to stand their ground against oppression. No
screaming victims here, thank you very much - unless you're a right-wing
bully. For anyone who loves Clive Barker or Poppy Z. Brite, this book is for you.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mestiza-Blood-V-Castro/dp/1787586189/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2LQYVUB9D6CF3&keywords=v+castro&qid=1643010923&sprefix=v.+castro%2Caps%2C66&sr=8-4" target="_blank">BUY IT HERE</a> <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9w8_FdoVJD2xOB3nA4JGHpxAZazB1GN1GSBwqO6aIPtdmAJLi3CqJzewFq_4FVZOrmWFvAOIc8A4wnRulI8yTMXPskMAWFFHWJJhvftKlfX81J0DRN2XGCAeB-FtV3kOZZ1ANhv4RkCal_2sCtjCXg0hhWaDyNC5RFsShe2KKkCFlWYZtXgMm4PClGQ=s600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9w8_FdoVJD2xOB3nA4JGHpxAZazB1GN1GSBwqO6aIPtdmAJLi3CqJzewFq_4FVZOrmWFvAOIc8A4wnRulI8yTMXPskMAWFFHWJJhvftKlfX81J0DRN2XGCAeB-FtV3kOZZ1ANhv4RkCal_2sCtjCXg0hhWaDyNC5RFsShe2KKkCFlWYZtXgMm4PClGQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Violet Castro was born in San Antonio, Texas to Mexican American parents. Since Violet was a child, she<br />wrote short horror stories and was always fascinated with dark fiction beginning with Mexican folklore and the urban legends of Texas. At eighteen Violet left Texas for Philadelphia to attend Drexel University where she received her Bachelor of Science in Political Science and History. Violet now lives with her family in the U.K. writing and travelling with her children. She tries to return to the US twice a year to see her parents, three sisters and extended family. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">For more information about her books and other publications, please visit <a href="http://www.vvcastro.com">www.vvcastro.com</a>. You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram <a href="https://twitter.com/vlatinalondon" target="_blank">@vlatinalondon</a>.<br /></p>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-82777286096189769442021-10-25T23:27:00.004-07:002021-10-25T23:27:51.152-07:00Review - The Reacher Guy:The Authorised Biography of Lee Child by Heather Martin<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvAAl_1D2Mqfk9LdgaTSeYF_wrw_hq1V1JxHRXQgZhfGcyw-i_yW10g6YeqC6Jw0f5202IcnIlnkltZkhhq-43OFHOTXN2Ukg_fLAtbxZ0sAYlCZkOchFDhiFzR-iZ9CrIO905TWACelfh/s1280/The+Reacher+Guy+BT+Poster.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="1280" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvAAl_1D2Mqfk9LdgaTSeYF_wrw_hq1V1JxHRXQgZhfGcyw-i_yW10g6YeqC6Jw0f5202IcnIlnkltZkhhq-43OFHOTXN2Ukg_fLAtbxZ0sAYlCZkOchFDhiFzR-iZ9CrIO905TWACelfh/w640-h468/The+Reacher+Guy+BT+Poster.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>
</p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 26pt; text-transform: uppercase;">The
Reacher Guy</span></b><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 26pt; text-transform: uppercase;">:</span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span><b><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 18pt;"></span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 18pt;">The Authorised Biography of Lee
Child</span></b><span style="font-family: Garamond;"></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> </span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 16pt; text-transform: uppercase;">Heather
Martin</span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> </span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Garamond;">Constable – 29<sup>th</sup> September 2020 hardback
£20.00 – also available as an eBook/audio</span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> </span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: black; font-family: Garamond; font-size: 18pt;">The</span></i></b><b><span style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: black; font-family: Garamond; font-size: 18pt;">
definitive, authorised biography of </span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background: rgb(252, 252, 252) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: black; font-family: Garamond; font-size: 18pt;">Lee
Child</span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 11pt;">“Riveting . . . archival
diligence . . . [Martin] is a skilled and audacious interlocutor, too, but her
subject is just as adept as interviewee . . . starkly affecting” - <i>Irish
Times</i></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: Garamond;">The
Reacher Guy</span></i><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> is a life of
bestselling superstar Lee Child, a portrait of the artist as a young man,
refracted through the life of his fictional avatar, Jack Reacher. It tells the
story of how the boy from Birmingham reinvented himself to become the strongest
brand in publishing, selling over one hundred million books in more than forty
different languages across the globe.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">Heather
Martin interviews friends, teachers, colleagues and neighbours, including
agents and editors. Based primarily on her conversations with the author over a
period of years, together with readings of his books and research in his
literary archive, this authorised biography reveals the man behind the myth,
tracing his origins back through the generations to Northern Ireland and County
Durham, and following the trajectory of his extraordinary career via New York
and Hollywood until the climactic moment when, in 2020, having written a
continuous series of twenty-four books, he finally floats free of his fictional
creation. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">Lee
Child comments: “I met Heather Martin some years ago, and we started talking
about why people love telling and hearing stories. To get more depth and detail
we started talking about why I do. Eventually I said, ‘If you want to really
get to the bottom of it, you’re going to have to write my biography.’ So she
did. It was a fun and illuminating process. I had forgotten a lot, and it was
fascinating to be reminded. Now it all makes sense.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt;"> </span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Garamond;">“Vivid and entertaining . . . a must-buy for any
aspiring novelist, thanks in particular to its terrific insight into how
Child's first book was written, rewritten, edited, sold and published.” - <i>The
Telegraph</i></span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt;"> </span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Garamond;">“You'll emerge from the first 300-odd pages
knowing more about [Child's] formative years that you do about your own." - <i>The
Times</i></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Garamond;">Author
biography:</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">Heather
Martin was born in West Australia. She grew up in Aix-en-Provence, Paris, and Perth,
where she would fall asleep to the sound of the Indian Ocean. She left
Australia for England to become a classical guitarist but found herself singing
with a Venezuelan folk group and learning to speak Spanish instead. She read
Languages at Cambridge, where she also did a PhD in comparative literature, and
has held teaching and research positions at Cambridge, Hull, King’s College
London, and most recently, the Graduate Center, City University New York.
Heather is a long-time Reacher fan. While waiting to get her hands on the next
in the series, she once read a Lee Child book in Spanish and wound up writing
to the author about the fate of his character in translation. <i>The Reacher Guy</i>
is her first biography. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Garamond;">MY REVIEW:</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">Let me state from the off that I have</span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> never</span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> (shock horror!) read a Lee
Child book, though obviously I know his name. I'm always fascinated by
biographies though, and it's been a real pleasure to read this one. Not least
because the author has devoted so much research and travel to her subject,
but also because Child grew up in an area of Birmingham I know well, so
it's always fascinating to see somewhere through someone else's eyes. </span><span style="font-family: Garamond;">Loved the
photos too - always my first port of call when reading a biography.</span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> Child's days at Granada evoke another age, because it was, yet it proves that everything in life is connected. Child credits those days with giving him the skill to write.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">What I loved about the book was the way in which the author links Jack Reacher with Lee Child. It's as Alan Bennett says, you may not intend
to write about yourself in your work but when you've finished, there you
are. It's great to join the dots in Reacher's own backstory, as well. I
watched the Tom Cruise film, Jack Reacher, the other day and thoroughly enjoyed it
because I was reading this biography. I shall certainly start reading the books. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">I loved Martin's exhaustive approach to her subject - what travels she's been on! I'll be reading her future work too. Her dry sense of humour plays well against that of her subject. Child's journey to success reads like a masterclass for anyone wishing to write well-written genre fiction. It's strangely poignant to imagine Child not writing Reacher anymore.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">This is definitely a must for any fan
of Child's work, of biographies in general and of Reacher on film. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reacher-Guy-Authorised-Biography-Child/dp/1472134230/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3128MH3S6BQ35&dchild=1&keywords=the+reacher+guy+the+authorised+biography+of+lee+child&qid=1635229442&qsid=261-4161890-6581653&sprefix=the+reacher+guy%2Caps%2C171&sr=8-1&sres=1472134230%2C1942209819%2C0141194626%2CB00B6TTOWE%2C0141982543%2C0008164614%2C0193405709%2CB06XQSKL8H%2C1942209770%2C0140441336%2CB007JVV7NC%2C1890534013%2C1854791990%2C0193405717%2C1473665884%2CB01N9C4ITA&srpt=ABIS_BOOK" target="_blank">ON AMAZON</a><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglmWEgBwVUL_qsMKl8GPf7khiwCynBCV2vTYOziUQhcHseHM-Ni1bvBSrUC115zKyX0raC5tBA6xmhpVxtpGzo7UXMzQUjYVrLQgX03TtKRFVMrJZyfJVJh9MvcyhnvGKJC-Eb561qs0zG/s2048/200225-Littlebrown-293.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1167" data-original-width="2048" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglmWEgBwVUL_qsMKl8GPf7khiwCynBCV2vTYOziUQhcHseHM-Ni1bvBSrUC115zKyX0raC5tBA6xmhpVxtpGzo7UXMzQUjYVrLQgX03TtKRFVMrJZyfJVJh9MvcyhnvGKJC-Eb561qs0zG/w640-h364/200225-Littlebrown-293.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><br /><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> </span></p>
<p><style>@font-face
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{page:Section1;}</style></p>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-3337004963953284302021-08-26T00:36:00.002-07:002021-08-26T00:36:59.122-07:00REVIEW: Gorilla by Christine Hamm<p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkdfBBI4Folj0VxDX5zfDbgu3Ft5x9PW7rzoi0IVJpx94Jut9k76YOo3pVGm3F6D3t2sBKtPAMHv3R9tFiqu2E9XmOZCoNLiWyOsmxwfotDTWlxE0NAjN_4uDkL2WwxAqj2etUF8V6kOdy/s2048/Gorilla+Cover.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkdfBBI4Folj0VxDX5zfDbgu3Ft5x9PW7rzoi0IVJpx94Jut9k76YOo3pVGm3F6D3t2sBKtPAMHv3R9tFiqu2E9XmOZCoNLiWyOsmxwfotDTWlxE0NAjN_4uDkL2WwxAqj2etUF8V6kOdy/w426-h640/Gorilla+Cover.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div> </div><div> </div><div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><span lang="EN-US">'The world of <b>Christine Hamm’s</b> <b><span>Gorilla</span></b> is both fanciful and
treacherous.<span> </span>In these sharp, vivid
prose poems, women and girls’ bodies are under threat, as men break into houses,
animals trespass into bedrooms and fathers betray daughters.<span> </span>Language in this collection shocks and
startles. Each poem is a surprise. A<span>
</span>horse eats a woman’s hair. A cat drags a movie star into a woman’s bed.
A dog is transformed into a woman in a garden. A winged baby flies to the
ceiling. At every turn, Hamm’s imagination thrills and delights.'</span></i></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>
</i></span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Nicole Cooley, Author of The Afflicted
Girls <br /></span></i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.spdbooks.org/Products/9781944585426/gorilla.aspx" target="_blank">BUY THE BOOK</a></span></i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gorilla-Christine-Hamm/dp/1944585427/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Christine+hamm+gorilla&qid=1629963168&sr=8-1" target="_blank">AMAZON UK</a> <br /></span></i></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>
</i></span></span><style><font size="4"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>@font-face
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{page:Section1;}</i></span></font></style></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;">MY REVIEW:</span></span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;"> <br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;">What an amazing collection this is! I just love poetry that creates the world it inhabits, yet this world is so recognisable. Think of the awful things that can happen to a woman, yet they don't arrest our attention until the assailants turn into animals. Transformative and transgressive, it's a frightening depiction of how violence against women is such casual currency. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Hallucinatory,dissociative, lyrical, disturbing yet sometimes beautiful, it speaks of a
certain sort of Americana that is not visible to the naked eye. The
nightmare rather than the dream. The figure of the gorilla is the most arresting for me (which certainbly speaks to my own issues).
Simultaneously the object of fear and terrified desire, he exerts a strange
paternal power over his female subjects. This is a collection to be kept by me, to be read when I need to understand myself a little better. Perfection.<br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><span lang="EN-US">Christine Hamm’s Bio:</span></span></span></b></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><span lang="EN-US">Christine E. Hamm, queer & disabled
English Professor, social worker and student of ecopoetics, has a PhD in
English, and lives in New Jersey.<span>
</span>She recently won the Tenth Gate prize from Word Works for her manuscript,
Gorilla.<span> </span>She has had work featured
in North American Review, Nat Brut, Painted Bride Quarterly and many others.
She has published six chapbooks, and several books -- including Saints &
Cannibals, about which Cynthia Cruz said, "Joyfully acrobatic is her
language and the wonderful jumps she makes. Hers is a voice we have been
waiting for."</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;">
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{page:Section1;}</span></font></style><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/wolvesnwool/?hl=en" target="_blank">INSTAGRAM</a><br /></div>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-55989848449809310982021-07-24T22:30:00.001-07:002021-07-24T22:30:00.210-07:00REVIEW: Dark Water Sacrifice by Zach Lamb<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCWUOH4W6w3y7CJkKZVda6D_Tr7nWR7dbcxO8Uo6c6D0ewW9l_KVRi6C8NIfQcvXIdYCvkC5gdyzC91Ibpp5yWNUGtwfcpJHtHu63cft32VJS7rO5rELb90hz6IsmTf8KU0JB0ZkaSJEK/s2048/EwsmKBDXAAYCR9e.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1284" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCWUOH4W6w3y7CJkKZVda6D_Tr7nWR7dbcxO8Uo6c6D0ewW9l_KVRi6C8NIfQcvXIdYCvkC5gdyzC91Ibpp5yWNUGtwfcpJHtHu63cft32VJS7rO5rELb90hz6IsmTf8KU0JB0ZkaSJEK/w402-h640/EwsmKBDXAAYCR9e.jpg" width="402" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dark Water
Sacrifice</span></b></span></span></p><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 4;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A
parent’s guilt. Desperate choices. The ultimate cost.</span></b></span></span></p><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The dark water has always
called to the Blackwell family.</span></i></span></span></p><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Devastated by the loss of
his daughter, Adam Blackwell flees his hometown of Scarsville, Georgia. </span></span></span></p><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Something lurks beneath the
churning black waters, and its patience is running out. </span></i></span></span></p><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Two years later, his father
is dead and has left him everything, including the lake where Adam’s daughter
drowned. Now, Adam must return to the last place he ever wanted to go and
settle the affairs of the man he blames for everything. </span></span></span></p><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The time has come for the
next sacrifice, and it will stop at nothing.</span></i></span></span></p><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Adam believes it will be a
short trip to get the house ready for sale. But the closer he gets to the lake,
the more memories return from the worst day of his life.</span></span></span></p><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Living in the past is
dangerous, but there is nowhere to hide when the past comes back for you.</span></i></span></span></p><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Staying in the family home,
Adam hears small footsteps in the dark. Soon after, he hears the voice of his
daughter. She wants him to join her in the depths of the black lake.</span></span></span></p><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">When the waters rise, Adam
must decide whether he will begin the slow process of healing and somehow find
peace between the world of the living and the dead—or become the next Dark
Water Sacrifice… </span></span></span></p>
<p><style>@font-face
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{page:Section1;</style><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Water-Sacrifice-Zach-Lamb/dp/B091GSCQR2/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Zach+Lamb&qid=1627047219&sr=8-2" target="_blank">BUY IN THE UK</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Water-Sacrifice-Zach-Lamb/dp/B091GSCQR2/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1L59N4N8H7F9P&dchild=1&keywords=zach+lamb&qid=1627047333&sprefix=Zach+Lamb%2Caps%2C230&sr=8-2" target="_blank">BUY IN THE US</a> <br /></p><p><b>MY REVIEW:</b> <br /></p><p>It’s not often that I don’t like the protagonist of a
story yet I stay with them to the bitter end. Adam, the anti-hero of this chilling tale does himself no favours with his endless avoidance tactics and acting out. He's all too flawed and that's what makes him relatable. </p><p>What also
kept me reading was the protean nature of Adam’s enemy and the way it
possessed various characters to torment him. Doubtless Carl Jung would
have had something to say about how primal fears express themselves
through myth and legend - this story plays deliciously into that
concept. </p><p>I also liked its evocation of a certain sort of America, cut
off, unsophisticated, a law unto itself. This is geography explored by
the Coen brothers to great effect. Adam, the country boy who escaped to
the cosmopolitan city to be a writer, returns to face the music and a
cast of ex-wives, friends, enemies and ghosts, many of whom have a
surprising amount of sympathy for our resentful hero. He has the quality
of drawing in other people to his own needs, despite his dysfunctional
inability to respond to the needs of others. </p><p>My only cavil is that the
female characters were less nuanced than the male ones. Loving Adam is no guarantee of their survival. The
exception is Adam’s daughter, Grace, who embodies all of her feckless father's fears
and self-hatred. There may be something horribly mysterious in the lake
but sometimes the real monsters are on land.</p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>Author Bio:</span></b><span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Zach Lamb is a fictionist who creates thriller, horror and dark
fiction stories. He is the author of The Suicide Killer and Dark Water
Sacrifice. Zach has an MFA in creative writing from Southern New Hampshire
University. He lives with his wife and kids in the non-fictional town of
Ellerslie, Georgia, named after the fictional character Captain Ellerslie from
the Waverley Novels.</span></span></p>
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{page:Section1;}</style> <b>SOCIAL MEDIA:</b></p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/Zach_LambAuthor" target="_blank">TWITTER</a></p><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Zach-Lamb-Author-102039438275213" target="_blank">FACEBOOK</a> <br /></p>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-23052332450978094942021-07-19T22:30:00.001-07:002021-07-19T22:30:00.230-07:00Review: Ruabon - Tales of Lost Solace by Karl Drinkwater<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMeWZBpbCsqMzIN9KraYc_m47pv78OrYz6mYXLZxJgs4wH6IjZFVTVLjMVYUrJ0Cqd4XuDvQrm7kxtUEmqUg8wKo1Mg9EFit2yOdtxN41JiNgeZoLBV11VHn6l0PJVrmfNAZeLUigC0gR/s2048/Ruabon+Full+Tour+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="2048" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMeWZBpbCsqMzIN9KraYc_m47pv78OrYz6mYXLZxJgs4wH6IjZFVTVLjMVYUrJ0Cqd4XuDvQrm7kxtUEmqUg8wKo1Mg9EFit2yOdtxN41JiNgeZoLBV11VHn6l0PJVrmfNAZeLUigC0gR/w640-h386/Ruabon+Full+Tour+Banner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ruabon</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Welcome to Tecant.</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Nothing ever happens here.</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Until today.</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Ruabon Nadarl is
just another low-ranking member of the scan crew, slaving away for the UFS
which “liberated” his homeworld. To help pass the time during long shifts he
builds secret personalities into the robots he controls. Despite his ingenuity,
the UFS offers few opportunities for a better life.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Then Ruabon detects
an intruder on the surface of a vital communications tower.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">He could just
report it and let the deadly UFS commandos take over, while Ruabon returns to
obscurity.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Or he could break
UFS laws and try to capture the intruder himself. For the UFS, only the outcome
matters, not the method. If his custom-programmed drones can save the day,
he’ll be a hero.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">And if he fails,
he’ll be dead.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: small;">Buy it <a href="https://books2read.com/b/Ruabon" target="_blank">here</a>.</span> <br /></span></p>
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{page:Section1;}</style></p><p>MY REVIEW: <br /></p><p>This is another cracking short story set in the dystopian universe created by Karl Drinkwater. It tussles with the cleverness and autonomy of AI. We may have created it in our image but just as James Cameron predicted in Terminator - it has all become rather self-aware.</p><p>This time Ruabon, languishing in space as a low-level employee, finds himself stimulated to action in the pursuit of a possible terrorist... I shan't give away the ending, except to say (as I've come to expect from the author), there's a twist that I certainly didn't see coming. </p><p>It's very exciting; the action rises and rises (something this author is particularly skilled at, I feel). It's interesting too, how all of the bad old hierarchies that have been developed on Earth over millennia have made their way into space. Humans just can't help wanting to know where they are in the pecking order, it seems.</p><p>So, believable characters, hilarious robots, wayward algorithms, clever nods to other characters in the series of stories (pay attention at the back), I'm looking forward to more.</p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Author Bio: </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Karl Drinkwater writes thrilling SF, suspenseful horror, and
contemporary literary fiction. Whichever you pick you’ll find interesting and
authentic characters, clever and compelling plots, and believable worlds.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Karl has lived in many places but now calls Scotland his
home. He’s an ex-librarian with degrees in English, Classics, and Information
Science. He also studied astrophysics for a year at university, surprising
himself by winning a prize for “Outstanding Performance”.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When he isn’t writing he loves guitars, exercise, computer
and board games, nature, and vegan cake. Not necessarily in that order.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Social Media Links:</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.karldrinkwater.uk/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Website</b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://twitter.com/karldrinkwater" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Twitter</b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/karlzdrinkwater" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Facebook</b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/authorkdrinkwater/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Instagram</b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://us12.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=6e25139367f9f2c126701eb86&id=882c1b5028" target="_blank">Newsletter</a> <br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <br /></b></p>
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{page:Section1;}</style></p>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-66203241208857498772021-07-11T21:30:00.001-07:002021-07-11T21:30:00.194-07:00Review: Clarissa - Tales of Lost Solace<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJp4kL7cCnb-8-x8mQbuLwM-4gghRMKM1oi35p2FwJ-225hbmZO_fSFQtly5KOA3PWylEqaDtwo2O79LHUxWwEOrmNY_FyXU_8X1dYNHStGsWsb3oL-SxNq51wwmij6a3fatH2fEm8k6HR/s2048/Clarissa+Full+Tour+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="2048" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJp4kL7cCnb-8-x8mQbuLwM-4gghRMKM1oi35p2FwJ-225hbmZO_fSFQtly5KOA3PWylEqaDtwo2O79LHUxWwEOrmNY_FyXU_8X1dYNHStGsWsb3oL-SxNq51wwmij6a3fatH2fEm8k6HR/w640-h386/Clarissa+Full+Tour+Banner.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /> </b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Clarissa</span></b></u></p><i>
</i><p class="MsoNormal"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">If you’re reading this: HELP! I’ve been
kidnapped.</span></b></i></p><i>
</i><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Me and my big
sister stayed together after our parents died. We weren’t bothering anybody.
But some mean government agents came anyway, and split us up.</span></i></p><i>
</i><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Now I’m a prisoner
on this space ship. The agents won’t even say where we’re going.</span></i></p><i>
</i><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I hate them.</span></span></i></p><i>
</i><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">And things have
started to get a bit weird. Nullspace is supposed to be empty, but when I look
out of the skywindows I can see … something. Out there. And I think it wants to
get in here. With us.</span></i></p><i>
</i><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">My name is
Clarissa. I am ten years old.</span></i></p><i>
</i><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">And they will all
be sorry when my big sister comes to rescue me.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Buy it <a href="https://books2read.com/b/3GvrPd" target="_blank">HERE</a>. <br /></span></p>
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{page:Section1;}</style></p><div>MY REVIEW: <br /></div><div>This has to be my favourite Lost Solace short story!
Told from the entirely believable POV of a young girl, the author has
made her dystopian universe completely authentic. </div><div> </div><div>Clarissa is the latest
in a long line of plucky hero/ines, raised in adversity yet somehow
full of character and zest battling oppressive adults, forming
alliances with aliens and AI and encountering a sympathetic mother figure who also sports
enhanced robotic strength. </div><div> </div><div>Eerily prescient, the author foregrounds our
increasing reliance on AI while also speaking to our present-day
isolation and desire for connection with others (whether human or AI). Terrific stuff - exciting and alarming in equal measure, this is just begging to be made for the screen. Will someone please offer Drinkwater an option?</div><div><br /></div><div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Author Bio: </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Karl Drinkwater writes thrilling SF, suspenseful horror, and
contemporary literary fiction. Whichever you pick you’ll find interesting and
authentic characters, clever and compelling plots, and believable worlds.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Karl has lived in many places but now calls Scotland his
home. He’s an ex-librarian with degrees in English, Classics, and Information
Science. He also studied astrophysics for a year at university, surprising
himself by winning a prize for “Outstanding Performance”.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When he isn’t writing he loves guitars, exercise, computer
and board games, nature, and vegan cake. Not necessarily in that order.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Social Media Links:</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.karldrinkwater.uk/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Website</b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://twitter.com/karldrinkwater" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Twitter</b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/karlzdrinkwater/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Facebook</b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/authorkdrinkwater/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Instagram</b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://us12.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=6e25139367f9f2c126701eb86&id=882c1b5028" target="_blank">Newsletter</a> <br /></b></p>
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{page:Section1;}</style></div>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-26340381460387286252021-06-21T22:00:00.001-07:002021-06-21T22:00:00.224-07:00Review: The Awful Truth About the Herbert Quarry Affair by Marco Ocram<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOeHe2VmG94G65NlK59HiWGSe_H2NbtCLEuP67057y-Tgvve0jkDbdlWhYd9oHobFFDVxGoJ05kJVISjL6qOVLB8o0sqdix6VdpHVSAw1tq-NHtitAhcJ3c7VPmsmQ_QJtaYnPwTTJtEeF/s1280/The+Awful+Truth+-+eBook+Small.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOeHe2VmG94G65NlK59HiWGSe_H2NbtCLEuP67057y-Tgvve0jkDbdlWhYd9oHobFFDVxGoJ05kJVISjL6qOVLB8o0sqdix6VdpHVSAw1tq-NHtitAhcJ3c7VPmsmQ_QJtaYnPwTTJtEeF/w400-h640/The+Awful+Truth+-+eBook+Small.jpeg" width="400" /></a></b></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Awful-Truth-Herbert-Quarry-Affair-ebook/dp/B08SJ6K62S/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=marco+ocram&qid=1624198680&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Buy in the US</a> <br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Awful-Truth-Herbert-Quarry-Affair/dp/1946501387/ref=sr_1_1?crid=J5TQY9UBBXLS&dchild=1&keywords=marco+ocram&qid=1624198826&sprefix=marco+ocram%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Buy in the UK</a> <br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Awful Truth About
The Herbert Quarry Affair</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">With a jangle of
keys, a door opened. Herbert clanked in, his arms locked to his sides, his
ankles shackled, his face a Hannibal Lecter mask. He was overjoyed to see me.</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“Marco, I’m
jailed day and night with murderous thugs who can’t tell Schiller from
Shakespeare. I’m desperate for intellectual stimulus—but you’ll do for now.”</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">TV personality Marco
Ocram is the world’s only self-penned character, writing his life in real time
as you read it. Marco’s celebrity mentor, Herbert Quarry, grooms him to be the
Jackson Pollock of literature, teaching him to splatter words on a page without
thought or revision.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Quarry’s plan
backfires when imbecilic Marco begins to type his first thought-free book: it’s
a murder mystery—and Herbert’s caught red-handed near the butchered body of his
lover.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Now Marco must write
himself into a crusade to clear his friend’s name. Typing the first words that
come into his head, Marco unleashes a phantasmagorical catalogue of twists in
his pursuit of justice, writing the world’s fastest-selling book to reveal the
awful truth about the Herbert Quarry affair.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MY REVIEW: </b></p><p class="MsoNormal">It’s not often that a book can be a thriller and a
comment on the vagaries of authorship. It is to the writer’s credit that
beneath the witty wordplay there’s a gritty detective story that - though
labyrinthine and questionable in its representation of women (that may
be the point) - still ties up satisfactorily at the end.</p><div>I
also liked Marco's endless self-doubt. Is what he’s writing actually any
good? But really the beguiling factor is the preoccupation with the
writing process itself. Marco pulls off the clever feat of appearing to
make it up as he goes along. I enjoyed the asides to Herbert Quarry as
well, though in many ways as a character he remains suitably elusive. It made me
think of the writing style of Douglas Adams. My only cavil: Women (and girls) tend to be
plot devices in this story. Come on Marco, you can’t let the boys have
all the fun…</div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Author Bio: </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Little is known of
Marco Ocram’s earliest years. He was adopted at age nine, having been found abandoned
in a Detroit shopping mall—a note taped to his anorak said the boy was
threatening the sanity of his parents. Re-abandoned in the same mall a year
later, with a similar note from his foster parents, he was homed with his
current Bronx mom—a woman with no sanity left to threaten.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Ocram first gained
public attention through his bold theories about a new fundamental particle—the
Tao Muon—which he popularized in a best-selling book—The Tao Muon. He was
introduced to the controversial literary theorist, Herbert Quarry, who coached
Ocram in a radical new approach to fiction, in which the author must write
without thinking—a technique to which Ocram was naturally suited. His crime
memoir, The Awful Truth about the Herbert Quarry Affair, became the fastest
selling book of all time, and made him a household name. It was translated into
every known language—and at least three unknown ones—and made into an
Oscar-winning film, a Pulitzer-winning play, a Tony-winning musical, and a
Golden Joystick-winning computer game.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Ocram excelled at
countless sports until a middle-ear problem permanently impaired his balance.
He has yet to win a Nobel Prize, but his agent, Barney, has been placing
strategic back-handers—announcements from Stockholm are expected soon.
Unmarried, in spite of his Bronx mom’s tireless efforts, he still lives near
his foster parents in New York.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.theawfulauthor.com/" target="_blank">The Awful Author</a> </b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://twitter.com/denishaughnessy" target="_blank">@denishaughnessy</a><br /></b></p>
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{page:Section1;}</style></p>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-90915896610912721192021-06-13T22:30:00.001-07:002021-06-13T22:30:00.229-07:00REVIEW: Gender Euphoria edited by Laura Kate Dale<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2QfAsa_uS1WDRUMXPSQQTobZnIe6CqDf8tcnx0g6AGudJj49jmH0BSObTZ8om4q4pKPQCBG784CYrr98OwzhMmwaB_JDQHHyXxkLshvTPQ_ZwthSVWhZyU-W6YyX0B00Lnb4wS-hip9R/s500/Gender+Euphoria+Cover.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="326" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2QfAsa_uS1WDRUMXPSQQTobZnIe6CqDf8tcnx0g6AGudJj49jmH0BSObTZ8om4q4pKPQCBG784CYrr98OwzhMmwaB_JDQHHyXxkLshvTPQ_ZwthSVWhZyU-W6YyX0B00Lnb4wS-hip9R/w418-h640/Gender+Euphoria+Cover.jpeg" width="418" /></a></div><br /><i>● This groundbreaking anthology brings together an eclectic cohort of trans, nonbinary,<br />agender, gender-fluid and intersex contributors to share their<br />experiences of “gender euphoria” - bringing stories of joy, belonging and<br />positivity to the conversation around transition<br /> </i><p></p><p><i>● Moments of gender euphoria include an agender dominatrix being called<br />‘Daddy’, an Arab trans man getting his first tattoos, and a trans woman<br />embracing her inner fighter<br /> </i></p><p><i>● Gender Euphoria reached its funding target in less than a week, and has over<br />1,000 backers<br /> </i></p><p><i>So often, the stories shared by trans people about their transition centre on gender dysphoria:<br />a feeling of deep discomfort with their birth-assigned gender, and a powerful catalyst for<br />coming out or transitioning. But for many non-cisgender people, it’s gender euphoria which<br />pushes forward their transition: the joy the first time a parent calls them by their new chosen<br />name, the first time they have the confidence to cut their hair short, the first time they truly<br />embrace themself.<br /> </i></p><p><i>Gender Euphoria seeks to show the world the sheer variety of ways that being non cisgender<br />can be a beautiful, joyful experience. What each of the book’s essayists have in common are<br />their feelings of elation, pride, confidence, freedom and ecstasy as a direct result of coming<br />out as non-cisgender, and how coming to terms with their gender brought unimaginable joy<br />into their lives. </i><br /></p><p> </p><p>MY REVIEW:<br /></p><div>What a breath of fresh air this collection of essays
is! I feel it is a stroke of genius by its editor Laura Kate Dale to have
initiated such positivity and indeed contributed essays. On social media we are so inured to the
perpetual ‘trauma’ of LGBTQIA+++ people - and I wouldn’t for a second
downplay that - but thankfully euphoria is the other side of the coin. </div><div> </div><div>It’s heartening to read and witness moments of happiness when people
felt right for the first time: going to a gig, coming out, strking a blow
for bodily autonomy, in fact many of the things that cishet people take
totally for granted. Ah brave new world, that has such people in it!
These are the pioneers, who hopefully will pave the way for the
generations to come. I was reminded very powerfully of the Museum of Transology, an exhibition I saw years ago at the London College of Fashion, that has now found a permanent home in Brighton Museum (where else?). This book, as the mueum does, powerfully delineates affirms the diversity of the lives of trans-folk. <br /></div><div> </div><div>We’re not there yet in terms
of inclusion and acceptance but the good work has started. Here is the LGBTQAI+ lived experience in all its joy. Guaranteed to tick the TERFs off and that's never a bad thing. </div><div> </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktFJjOBZqzLcS9Gs3NytWepV9Z_4m8L_Px7iD0fY450UHan5Zo4kWA_39qfGzLqK6RP3Z9f-Hjd58UeC069wch1Wyy5qicqFgInvgezoMgSOj3Sh8Y857urDhNYdn-T3r70e9GGEe-yJQ/s200/Laura+Kate+Dale+Author+Pic.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktFJjOBZqzLcS9Gs3NytWepV9Z_4m8L_Px7iD0fY450UHan5Zo4kWA_39qfGzLqK6RP3Z9f-Hjd58UeC069wch1Wyy5qicqFgInvgezoMgSOj3Sh8Y857urDhNYdn-T3r70e9GGEe-yJQ/w640-h640/Laura+Kate+Dale+Author+Pic.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>About the Editor:</div><div><br />Laura Kate Dale is a full-time video game critic, video creator, podcaster and author. Her first<br />book was <i>Uncomfortable Labels</i>, a memoir about growing up at the intersection of being a<br />member of the LGBT community and living with autism, and she writes regularly on the theme<br />of transgender rights and experience. She can be found tweeting at <a href="https://twitter.com/LaurakBuzz" target="_blank">@LaurakBuzz</a>, where<br />she has over 53k followers.</div><br /><br />Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-45651215798771601292021-05-10T00:24:00.000-07:002021-05-10T00:24:50.328-07:00Review: A Thousand Goodbyes by Ruth Graham<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5L3nW0arfvDkn-zghGSm1NfLJKzhhLDR6TfyQ5iPkAOvsPgZAww7-O1S7mZ-9Iu8YZZs5UsBkOFqget80lDubvovRZtFEWFp6CwzxFjWciwunCgZgF1l3N-VcxxNzIYP_lnVQtdUYDyl/s700/A+Thousand+Goodbyes.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="700" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5L3nW0arfvDkn-zghGSm1NfLJKzhhLDR6TfyQ5iPkAOvsPgZAww7-O1S7mZ-9Iu8YZZs5UsBkOFqget80lDubvovRZtFEWFp6CwzxFjWciwunCgZgF1l3N-VcxxNzIYP_lnVQtdUYDyl/w640-h252/A+Thousand+Goodbyes.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div> </div><div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><b>A Thousand Goodbyes (The Surprising Life Of A Funeral
Celebrant)</b></i></p><i>
</i><p class="MsoNormal"><i>If you liked Adam Kay’s book, ‘This Is Going To Hurt’,
you’ll love the joyously life-affirming memoir, ‘A Thousand Goodbyes’. </i></p><i>
</i><p class="MsoNormal"><i>When Ruth Graham left the world of stand-up comedy to become
a funeral celebrant, she’d imagined a less combative career. <br />
Over a thousand services later… she knows better.<br />
Probably her most demanding role to date, Ruth has needed every ounce of
diplomacy, courage, humour and her wits about her to juggle the daily challenges.
From grief-stricken families to amorous widowers through to plate-smashing,
warring siblings and even a flock of stoned doves at a Rasta funeral. </i></p><i>
</i><p class="MsoNormal"><i>As the story unfolds we witness her new career developing
into a 24/7 commitment. Will it break her?<br />
Or will it be the spur she needs to get her own life in order?<br />
Jaw-dropping, informative, moving and hilarious in turn, ‘A Thousand Goodbyes’
is a reminder that nobody is guaranteed a tomorrow; whilst encouraging everyone
to seize their day. </i></p><i>
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{page:Section1</i></style><i><br /></i></div><div><i> </i></div><div>MY REVIEW: <br /></div><div>Two things appealed to me from the outset about this
book. 1. It was about a humanist celebrant and 2. The author is from the Midlands,
like me! Much like the best books about any subject, it includes much personal
detail and is unafraid of exposing vulnerability on the part of the
writer. It counterpoints tragedy with humour - how else can one cope
with life and its cessation? It also doesn’t shy away from the difficulties of death: the
family that doesn’t get on, the second families of the deceased, those
with strange requests or who live in poverty. Graham treats them all with dignity and compassion. I also respected her willingness to share some excruciating moments - referring to the story-telling deceased as 'Jesus of Narrative'. <br /></div><div> </div><div>What shines through is the
author’s great love for her families, a truly humanist stance. Graham isn’t afraid of the challenges that face her in her profession nor is
she careless of this last great ritual that all of us will undertake for
other people and untimately have performed for ourselves.</div><div> </div><div>I found myself laughing out loud at some of the stories and the revelation that you don't have to rely on undertakers came as news to me. I wonder what American bloggers will make of the book? It made me think of 'The American Way of Death' by Jessica Mitford. I think what both books have in common is the intense non-judgmental interest of their authors, and that by examining the rituals surrounding death we are somehow coming to terms with our own mortality. <br /></div><div> </div><div>PURCHASE HERE IN THE <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thousand-Goodbyes-Surprising-Funeral-Celebrant/dp/B091774HGJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=18XMFO8SCJTH6&dchild=1&keywords=a+thousand+goodbyes+ruth+graham&qid=1620631104&sprefix=a+thousand+goodbyes%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-1" target="_blank">UK</a> AND HERE IN THE <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Goodbyes-Surprising-Funeral-Celebrant/dp/B091774HGJ/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Ruth+graham+a+thousand+goodbyes&qid=1620631253&sr=8-1" target="_blank">US</a></div><div><br /></div><div>ABOUT THE AUTHOR</div><div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ruth Graham has written for many publications over the years
on a variety of subjects. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Initially working for Emap Elan on Period Living and
Traditional Homes magazine, she then moved on to freelance for titles as varied
as The Evening Standard and The Daily Mail.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A move back to the Midlands in 2000 brought her first big
break with her own weekly gossip/opinion column in The Sunday Mercury (Trinity
Mirror), where she was billed as ‘Ruth Graham: More Balls Than Your Average
Bloke’!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">She then went on to launch her own magazine ‘Midlands Homes
& Interiors’.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Two years later (2007), came her first series of short
comedy books, ‘The Bible Series’ (Know The Score Publishing). One of these ‘The
Break Up Bible’ was cunningly launched on Valentine’s day, gaining great
publicity, and a spot on GMTV and Channel 5 news!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Since then Ruth has written and performed her own one-woman
show (Just Sayin’); become a celebrant; and subsequently collaborated with
writer/performer Cat Weatherill on the British Arts Council funded show
‘Unforgettable’ – celebrating the lives of those we’ve loved and lost.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And then came the book ‘A Thousand Goodbyes’ – all about
Ruth’s work as a celebrant, the people she meets and the bizarre, touching and
hilarious circumstances that constitute the average day, and life, of a
celebrant.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNcnpl2s3teLQS6X0BW7l7cBD7S9MUJbWpFPeTRb3m7AUjMnxSJ6GLRacLeE42w3WCMK1meZmzWG9dQeSlISLBOc51Wkj9_Jw_XGJDq6ez35rL8NxZ4s7Vq8BNoBeIgR7iOIiUw1dkUozB/s640/Headshot.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNcnpl2s3teLQS6X0BW7l7cBD7S9MUJbWpFPeTRb3m7AUjMnxSJ6GLRacLeE42w3WCMK1meZmzWG9dQeSlISLBOc51Wkj9_Jw_XGJDq6ez35rL8NxZ4s7Vq8BNoBeIgR7iOIiUw1dkUozB/w640-h480/Headshot.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> SOCIAL MEDIA:<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">TWITTER: <a href="https://twitter.com/CelebrantRuthG" target="_blank">@CelebrantRuthG</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.westmidscelebrant.co.uk">www.westmidscelebrant.co.uk</a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvj6HO8aw5LWJZv1cCBTuOHyNsVJj27Q3CNxOLaXdx3icOj91K4sWND5nCoCdwqtax4c4poJ6ZZBBUuCcK46otDrFrA1F0YfPUGgrniBeg_rZ83ev7ErD2NejacR74a8Dc_z3PVq24vry/s2048/20210309_A_Thousand_Goodbyes_-_Front_Cover_-_Approved.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvj6HO8aw5LWJZv1cCBTuOHyNsVJj27Q3CNxOLaXdx3icOj91K4sWND5nCoCdwqtax4c4poJ6ZZBBUuCcK46otDrFrA1F0YfPUGgrniBeg_rZ83ev7ErD2NejacR74a8Dc_z3PVq24vry/w426-h640/20210309_A_Thousand_Goodbyes_-_Front_Cover_-_Approved.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
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{page:Section1;}</style></div>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-76119601891105850932021-04-30T23:00:00.001-07:002021-04-30T23:00:00.257-07:00REVIEW: The Nirvana Effect by Brian Pinkerton<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqesJYPqgpnbgFgdD5zxwnIM6BOwdmZMePzZNmjJuZylrVeZildFaID4q-gEctMb698mmCmSuuK61ZJTqTIyVAxu6ijHUCmyCAjxmSYhw3ETmSoh2YFf7uYfHA8Py-ZzBVxJRMzQ8iEyp9/s600/The+Nirvana+Effect+Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="386" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqesJYPqgpnbgFgdD5zxwnIM6BOwdmZMePzZNmjJuZylrVeZildFaID4q-gEctMb698mmCmSuuK61ZJTqTIyVAxu6ijHUCmyCAjxmSYhw3ETmSoh2YFf7uYfHA8Py-ZzBVxJRMzQ8iEyp9/w412-h640/The+Nirvana+Effect+Cover.jpg" width="412" /></a> <br /></p><p> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>No one goes out anymore.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br />Society is sheltered indoors. The economy is in ruins. People spend their<br />lives addicted to a breakthrough virtual reality technology, desperate for<br />escapism in a troubled world. <b>The Nirvana Effect</b> has taken over.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br />Aaron and Clarissa are members of a subculture of realists who resist the lure<br />of a fake utopia. They watch in horror as the technology spreads across the<br />country with willing participants who easily forgo their freedoms for false<br />pleasures. When the young couple discovers a plot to enforce compliance<br />for mind control, the battle for free will begins. What started as a playful<br />diversion turns deadly. The future of the human race is at stake.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>FLAME TREE PRESS</b> is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing.<br />Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more<br />established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Buy the book <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nirvana-Effect-Fiction-Without-Frontiers-ebook/dp/B08CWKXL2L/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1C5A8QT0WMYP8&dchild=1&keywords=the+nirvana+effect&qid=1619810194&sprefix=the+nirvana+effect%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-1" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /></p><p><b>My Review: </b></p><p>Like all the best sci fi, the story takes elements of the present day and conflates them to great effect. This version of the United States is all too recognisable: behind the facade of benevolence lurks a neo-fascist state. I found it quite hard to have any sympathy to the chip feed-addicts drooling in their fantasies and it was rather fabulous to be rooting for the realists and rebels - positively left wing, if that is even a thing in the States. This will have the Alt-Right spitting feathers! We can but hope.</p><p>I particularly enjoyed the characterisation. They are essentially Everymen and Everywomen - no superhero/ines here. It is their combined efforts that drive the story forwards, proving perhaps that the self-seeking individuality so prized by North American culture is as naught if it actively promotes degradation. The people rise up!<br /></p><p>Intensely plotted and paced, this would make a great series. One can only hope that Netflix or Amazon will offer Pinkerton an option. It chimes with all our current angst about crowd control through vaccination and the invasion of the body by the state, ostensibly for its own good. It made me think of Wall Street with Gordon Gecko's mantra: 'Greed is good', only here it's 'Feed is good'. The plot twist is genius! An exciting read.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94Ymt9EIvYtY0qWoSJnUycEplkq8SLvlh3IEKxkxB3EHKCEJQ66sWsn_4cfIAAnHAqklMcO5aqmBrfocrAn8ycFsorIhRQ96nyiN77qz-CXhijkK-Boge4HuhT5q9mRAFnEzqyVEFnkwx/s600/Brian+Pinkerton+Author+Pic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94Ymt9EIvYtY0qWoSJnUycEplkq8SLvlh3IEKxkxB3EHKCEJQ66sWsn_4cfIAAnHAqklMcO5aqmBrfocrAn8ycFsorIhRQ96nyiN77qz-CXhijkK-Boge4HuhT5q9mRAFnEzqyVEFnkwx/w320-h320/Brian+Pinkerton+Author+Pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br />Brian Pinkerton is a USA Today bestselling author of novels and short stories in the thriller, horror, science fiction and mystery genres. His books include Abducted,Vengeance, Anatomy of Evil, Killer's Diary, Rough Cut, Bender, and How I Started the Apocalypse.</p><p>Brian lives in the Chicago area and invites you to visit him on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter and at <a href="http://www.brianpinkerton.com">www.brianpinkerton.com</a>. Brian is also a cartoonist and his web site includes his deranged cartoon series, The Ruts. <br /></p><p></p>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-45200282841791348072021-04-05T00:00:00.001-07:002021-04-05T00:00:00.261-07:00Books on the Hill: A new publisher for dyslexic readers<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLZA0OZUxBI5Tt0GsCDgaKAWEyBepW4c2fcRUlBsc7NSkOf1TYLw5WiceVOt8QvfWQgblwEWVWyzTLAo0MdOKplHqrlb4mLcHmPWOn-d-WAD386qhOynUIYXpr7O3NNreAvYWoNVZZhl2C/s1200/Open+Dyslexia+Banner+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLZA0OZUxBI5Tt0GsCDgaKAWEyBepW4c2fcRUlBsc7NSkOf1TYLw5WiceVOt8QvfWQgblwEWVWyzTLAo0MdOKplHqrlb4mLcHmPWOn-d-WAD386qhOynUIYXpr7O3NNreAvYWoNVZZhl2C/w640-h334/Open+Dyslexia+Banner+.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>Reading has always been a huge joy for me. I learned to read quite early and have had my nose in a book or three ever since. My mother always says that I was never bored as a child because I was always reading. When I had children of my own it was a matter of sadness for me that my daughter was dyslexic, That which had come so easily to me was a struggle for her. Thanks to an innovative teacher and her own refreshingly grown-up way of seeing herself ('I am the executive dyslexic,' she once told me), my daughter has grown to appreciate the written word.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEfFFUIlFJ-6j_l1a6QviKJtsq_-Rb4KcA-5_wzG71j4tAaOq3UIuX6E2oKE2AIasPj9WSVWQ3ujvJ-O7Hyvcfc9_qKTIi5xBewYOmNvETwiGX5rRVmRmJ-JlOhJLHk3dsMw4Z1zf3Pncm/s1280/Books+On+the+Hill+Sign+Up+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="229" data-original-width="1280" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEfFFUIlFJ-6j_l1a6QviKJtsq_-Rb4KcA-5_wzG71j4tAaOq3UIuX6E2oKE2AIasPj9WSVWQ3ujvJ-O7Hyvcfc9_qKTIi5xBewYOmNvETwiGX5rRVmRmJ-JlOhJLHk3dsMw4Z1zf3Pncm/w640-h114/Books+On+the+Hill+Sign+Up+Banner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>So it is with great delight that I am supporting the Kickstarter campaign for Books on the Hill. Over to them for the details...<br /></p><p>
</p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #b60004; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Making exciting good quality
fiction accessible to a minority group currently not provided for by today’s UK
traditional mass book market and providing a new tool for booksellers to use in
their drive to increase diversity and inclusion.</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #b60004; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 31.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 20pt;">Who Are We
Working With </span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;">We have
been so fortunate that many great authors have agreed to contribute to this
project. All are brilliant authors and are names I am sure you will recognise. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;">Stan
Nicholls, who has been a great support to me particularly with my PhD. He is
the author of many novels and short stories but is best known for the
internationally acclaimed Orcs: First Blood series. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvH4hkiATd0zangKbQ6mNrd83WMsBXZK8a2sBIFErlW7OWb6RJEATFYV5DxhetNnIpwHVnpllLRlw1HEnJY95_nTnpzDoYYx-xV72wYETJMc1Vk1a-cCnIACTi0Z7d0-zCeCTJ4aZhxIs3/s2048/AnchorPoint_Cover+G_B-Format_FRONT-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1271" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvH4hkiATd0zangKbQ6mNrd83WMsBXZK8a2sBIFErlW7OWb6RJEATFYV5DxhetNnIpwHVnpllLRlw1HEnJY95_nTnpzDoYYx-xV72wYETJMc1Vk1a-cCnIACTi0Z7d0-zCeCTJ4aZhxIs3/w249-h400/AnchorPoint_Cover+G_B-Format_FRONT-2.png" width="249" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;">Steven
Savile, the fantasy, horror and thriller writer, now lives in Stockholm whose
father is a customer of our bookshop. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdyUrKgtn4FiTB9rlI-6JPhOXVHRLkUjDk-0JF9vEW1y_5-G1DdPL8UqUqF2bU4F3tU_1nM6oov-fdtUButW1iK8u37j0J3RtaqWVl0gEBlzS4yqC1fv9QAEMVAzbatfwtW55ZTdhGecUL/s2048/4Kings_Cover_Front.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1265" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdyUrKgtn4FiTB9rlI-6JPhOXVHRLkUjDk-0JF9vEW1y_5-G1DdPL8UqUqF2bU4F3tU_1nM6oov-fdtUButW1iK8u37j0J3RtaqWVl0gEBlzS4yqC1fv9QAEMVAzbatfwtW55ZTdhGecUL/w248-h400/4Kings_Cover_Front.png" width="248" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;">The horror
duo that is Thana Niveau and John Llewellyn Probert, both well established and
engaging authors and also residents of Clevedon. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tg1mLEXuLhd8CbpeB8FNjbivLmBLtJYwV9vWQN4rrDo8Jpn9ao4nIjVvhAIt6vfBPGi0VhRUvT6yzXgYF4kvL4PxWrzXyvi34Hr9Qr9ksvdJUCNNFinSl7ShCLuFnsHUndDuQewas3b4/s2048/Ultrasound+Shadow_B-Format_coverF_FRONT-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1267" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tg1mLEXuLhd8CbpeB8FNjbivLmBLtJYwV9vWQN4rrDo8Jpn9ao4nIjVvhAIt6vfBPGi0VhRUvT6yzXgYF4kvL4PxWrzXyvi34Hr9Qr9ksvdJUCNNFinSl7ShCLuFnsHUndDuQewas3b4/w248-h400/Ultrasound+Shadow_B-Format_coverF_FRONT-2.png" width="248" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTNt70Bg13WzwdMHZ8S0m7Qy1vZx-SAAeOdG-TNUFVrk4-kGsRHLNp-ACg9tOttrBFWuQdJj_txZr1pW3sVZ4ZvszWlaKGLp3C1bAP10YVys7vEpe_SzB8GxFsACK8mxGTboPATjRXJlH7/s2048/At+Midnight_B-Format_coverA_final_front.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1263" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTNt70Bg13WzwdMHZ8S0m7Qy1vZx-SAAeOdG-TNUFVrk4-kGsRHLNp-ACg9tOttrBFWuQdJj_txZr1pW3sVZ4ZvszWlaKGLp3C1bAP10YVys7vEpe_SzB8GxFsACK8mxGTboPATjRXJlH7/w246-h400/At+Midnight_B-Format_coverA_final_front.png" width="246" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;">Adrian
Tchaikovsky is an Arthur Clark Award winner and best known for his series
Shadows of the Apt, and for his novel Children of Time. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ28xj_lZIOaSxmzk-ZfZ8nYC2pYdXVAeE6DXHucm8_yZMMAbnZqZWuLB78yYe_3J0HZ2kvGf6W1glVjpTxFayckoVkn-qpKvmMFjYwcYkhGUkwS3qVFU7oOd63U7fSwjR0iTU_pv2dRoD/s2048/THOTOC_cover+A_FRONT.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1260" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ28xj_lZIOaSxmzk-ZfZ8nYC2pYdXVAeE6DXHucm8_yZMMAbnZqZWuLB78yYe_3J0HZ2kvGf6W1glVjpTxFayckoVkn-qpKvmMFjYwcYkhGUkwS3qVFU7oOd63U7fSwjR0iTU_pv2dRoD/w246-h400/THOTOC_cover+A_FRONT.png" width="246" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;">Steven
Poore is the highly acclaimed fantasy writer who I first met on my first
fantasy convention in Scarborough. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEget0_dlAvUtvPuA8Qg-tLSuF-dveQHYmSBzfawSdII2bPXNO_VDOvTN8S-qGWcW7ijXb84FfLuec-5h4M7QmMakYjo44zVfa3c1hhpGNQx3EvKGT6_OInsD3Z_ur1AKPt8ziyOk1c2iNX9/s2048/TCE_Cover+design+3_1-3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1264" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEget0_dlAvUtvPuA8Qg-tLSuF-dveQHYmSBzfawSdII2bPXNO_VDOvTN8S-qGWcW7ijXb84FfLuec-5h4M7QmMakYjo44zVfa3c1hhpGNQx3EvKGT6_OInsD3Z_ur1AKPt8ziyOk1c2iNX9/w248-h400/TCE_Cover+design+3_1-3.png" width="248" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;">We finish
the Magnificent Seven with Joel Cornah, who also has dyslexia, and with whom I
participated in a podcast on dyslexia for the Clevedon Literature 2020
'Festival in the Clouds'. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCoX3JIiLvt8NO9TsLaoS-6GuQ6DQIdlniLCaCUtvBFTOFYrQQMOlEzU0ZfW4n0xdK_wTOru9x2PFtVOaFgaIVCQ-ddq29Ghc1dLVL2UCUYUBs-EC1zX6JLUq9xhiqdrsV3UAk1NuzQnjZ/s2048/TheBreath_cover+G_Title+8_.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1262" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCoX3JIiLvt8NO9TsLaoS-6GuQ6DQIdlniLCaCUtvBFTOFYrQQMOlEzU0ZfW4n0xdK_wTOru9x2PFtVOaFgaIVCQ-ddq29Ghc1dLVL2UCUYUBs-EC1zX6JLUq9xhiqdrsV3UAk1NuzQnjZ/w246-h400/TheBreath_cover+G_Title+8_.png" width="246" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 31.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 26.5pt;">How To Get involved </span></b></span></p><span style="color: white;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;">We are
launching a Kickstarter beginning April 2nd 2021 for 30 days, with the focus
on paying for the printing of our books and giving us starting capital to
continue to print more titles. </span></p><span style="color: white;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;">There will
be many ways you can be involved in this. You can contribute on the Kickstarter
website itself. There will be a number of different options of donating money,
in which you will receive rewards, such as ebooks of a title or a paperback of
one or more of the titles to be published. In addition a unique reward from
authors who are contributing to the project. </span></p><span style="color: white;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;">You can
still contribute outside the kickstarter. We are happy to receive your help in
the shop, where we will have a donation box available. </span></p><span style="color: white;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 31.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 26.5pt;">The Project </span></b></span></p><span style="color: white;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;">Books on
the Hill is passionate about helping people who have dyslexia, or have any
difficulty with reading, to access the joy of good fiction. There are great
books out now for children with dyslexia, with specialist publishers like
Barrington Stokes and mainstream publishers such as Bloomsbury doing their
part. However, there are sadly very few books for adults with Dyslexia in
traditional mass market publishing. </span></p><span style="color: white;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;">Dyslexia
is a learning difference that primarily affects reading and writing skills. The
NHS estimates that up to 1 in every 10 people in the UK have some form of
dyslexia, while other dyslexic organisations believe 1 in 5 and more than 2
million people in the UK are severely affected. </span></p><span style="color: white;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;">Dyslexia
does not stop someone from achieving. There are many individuals who are
successful and are dyslexic. Famous actors, such as Orlando Bloom;
Entrepreneurs like Theo Paphitis, and many, many more, including myself. All of
who believe dyslexia has helped them to be where they are now. Dyslexia,
though, as I can attest to, does not go away. You don’t grow out of it, and so
we are acknowledging that and trying to without being patronising, create a
selection of books that will be friendly to people who deal with dyslexia every
day. </span></p><span style="color: white;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;">Since we
started the project in 2019, Books on the Hill have had many adults customers
with dyslexia come in shop the asking for something accessible to read. For
example, one customer asked if we stocked well known novels in a dyslexic
friendly format. Unfortunately we had to say no, as they just don’t exist. We
explained what we are trying to achieve by printing our own and she replied: </span></p><span style="color: white;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;">“I have
been reading [children dyslexic] books but they are a bit childish so am really
happy I have found your company!! Thanks so much again and thank you for making
such a helpful and inclusive brand - it means a lot. “ </span></p><span style="color: white;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;">This
response is not isolated. We have had many adults come in to the shop with
dyslexia, who do not read or struggle to read and they they believe dyslexic
friendly books would have real impact on their reading for pleasure. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 31.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 20pt;">The Team </span></b></span></p><span style="color: white;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;">Books on
the Hill is Alistair Sims. He is the manager and commander-in-chief of the
bookshop (though his partner, Chloe and his mother, Joanne, who set up the
bookshop with him, may disagree with this description). Alistair is dyslexic
and has a PhD in history and archaeology. Alistair could not read until he was
13 and is passionate about helping anyone who has difficulty reading. He is the
driving force behind BOTH Press and has been involved in every step in this
project, from finding award winning authors to contribute, the cover design,
and the road to publication, including setting up for distribution. </span></p><span style="color: white;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;">Books on
the Hill are collaborating with Chrissey Harrison, who is also an local author
and member of North Bristol Writers Group. Chressey and Alistair have designed
the book-covers together, with Chrissey creating the finished product we now
look on at awe with. Nearly all the design work has been done by Chrissey, and
she is also in charge of the printing process, typesetting. We are so proud and
appreciative to be working with her. </span></p><span style="color: white;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;">Special
mention must go to Harrison Gates, who runs Nine Worthy, and who has dedicated
his time and expertise to produce our print catalogue for us free of cost. </span></p><span style="color: white;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: white;">Joanne
Hall is an author, editor and formerly the Chair of BristolCon, Bristol’s
premier (and only) science fiction and fantasy convention. We must give a huge
thank you to Jo for proofreading the stories free of cost.<span style="font-size: small;"> Vicky
Brewster has edited all the new stories by the authors. She specialises in
editing and beta reading </span><span style="font-size: small;">long-form fiction. Vicky is a great professional
editor.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><style><font size="3">@font-face
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{page:Section1;}</font></style><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>Sign up here: <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/both-opendyslexia/open-dyslexia?ref=section-homepage-view-more-discovery-p1" target="_blank">Books On The Hill - Kickstarter</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu43n-VfWFVPQgj72y2qwPjf5fk-Phdw7di_yVKSUcMf9M8yGPtWI8UMUQ5q9i1-n45myor9YoMZPw3btnImg9PV3cDWns2sn2KbjbRT1KtcrVC_qYMFPRFboY2NakDaejP6fa60ifQSyT/s937/+Both+Logo+Minmal+block+colour+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="937" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu43n-VfWFVPQgj72y2qwPjf5fk-Phdw7di_yVKSUcMf9M8yGPtWI8UMUQ5q9i1-n45myor9YoMZPw3btnImg9PV3cDWns2sn2KbjbRT1KtcrVC_qYMFPRFboY2NakDaejP6fa60ifQSyT/w640-h544/+Both+Logo+Minmal+block+colour+.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><p></p>
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<p><style>@font-face
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{page:Section1;}</style></p>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-55090917418715661812021-03-07T04:46:00.000-08:002021-03-07T04:46:38.975-08:00Review: The Shadowy Third by Julia Parry<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiuPt4ZM-VZhUXYNIR7hsqH6rrwi8wYGOwiczwPdP3vQVoG8AsSnAoAWab5UFvw18-p-i-CZ6HHzeLNXtwNdVDj1ZjiuT2YcGm1JO-mmQOgqEjwRCpyXDFLe0BAsDzvWGYY10Twry3ZMGE/s1280/Shadowy+Third+BT+Poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="1280" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiuPt4ZM-VZhUXYNIR7hsqH6rrwi8wYGOwiczwPdP3vQVoG8AsSnAoAWab5UFvw18-p-i-CZ6HHzeLNXtwNdVDj1ZjiuT2YcGm1JO-mmQOgqEjwRCpyXDFLe0BAsDzvWGYY10Twry3ZMGE/w640-h420/Shadowy+Third+BT+Poster.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>‘A fascinating and moving portrait of love, loyalty and infidelity.’ Sarah Waters</i></p><p><i><br />A sudden death in the family delivers Julia a box of love letters. Dusty with age, they reveal an illicit affair between the celebrated twentieth-century Irish novelist Elizabeth Bowen and Humphry House – Julia’s grandfather.</i></p><p><i><br />So begins an intriguing quest to discover and understand this affair, one with profound repercussions for Julia’s family, not least for her grandmother, Madeline. This is a book about how stories are told in real life, in fiction and in families.</i></p><p><i><br />Inspired by Bowen’s own obsession with place and memory, Julia travels to all the locations in the letters – from Kolkata to Cambridge and from Ireland to Texas. The reader is taken from the rarefied air of Oxford in the 1930s, to the Anglo-Irish Big House, to the last days of Empire in India and on into the Second World War. The fascinating unpublished correspondence, a wealth of family photographs, and a celebrated supporting cast that includes Isaiah Berlin and Virginia Woolf add further richness to this unique work.</i></p><p><i><br />The Shadowy Third opens up a lost world, one with complex and often surprising attitudes to love and sex, work and home, duty and ambition, and to writing itself. Weaving present-day story telling with historical narrative, this is a beautifully written debut of literary and familial investigation from an original and captivating new voice.</i></p><p><b>My Review: </b><i></i></p><p><b>The chief pleasure of this book for me was the way in which the author weaves past and present together. Another (sort of) pleasure was the reading of a love-triangle which mirrored aspects of my own marriage. I certainly felt a bond with Madeline, the author's grandmother. One can only respect the way in which Madeline held home and hearth together in the face of her husband's affair with Elizabeth Bowen, a dynamic and successful writer, part of the Oxford elite..</b></p><p><b>In the research and writing of the book, the author Julia Parry feels herself bound to her grandparents by 'blood, ink, and ideas'. She physically follows her antecedents' paths and discovers that her grandfather Humphry's memory is still kept in far-flung corners of Britain's former empire (where Bowen's is not). Parry is particularly successful in inhabiting the feelings of the players in her story and contextualising them in the mores that governed moral behaviour in the upper middle-classes of the thirties. She links this with the uncanny (coincidences, feelings) that distinguished so much of Bowen's own writings - a body of work that Parry knows and teaches. </b></p><p><b>She is also very good of purveying the guilt attendant on such revelations. Bowen had several lovers but hitherto not much was known about Humphry House. It is plainly not always an easy task. There is always the sense that the writer wants to spare the relatives the potential distress of family secrets becoming public knowledge.</b></p><p><b>I loved the author's use of metaphor. She writes of a later meeting between Elizabeth and Humphry, 'wine in their glasses and water under the bridge'. This made the book poetic for me, as did the interweaving of the author's own journey with family anecdotes. The letters are fascinating. I wanted to cheer when Madeline takes the reins of her own life in hand and comes to feel more her clever husband's equal. As ever, there's no easy villain or hero/ine of this story but all three emerge as complex human beings, whose characteristics we can see in ourselves.+</b></p><p><b>ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</b></p><p><b> </b><br />Julia Parry was brought up in West Africa and educated at St Andrews and Oxford. She teaches English literature and has worked as a writer and photographer for a variety of publications and charities. She lives in London and Madrid. This is her first book.</p><p>Social Media:</p><p><a href="https://juliaparry.co.uk/" target="_blank">Julia Parry</a><br /></p>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-83705157910254428772021-02-26T03:48:00.001-08:002021-02-26T03:51:06.774-08:00Review: Dead Moon by Keith Crawford<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx5PYH6rUvFkdG15R7uL-P2vzPAqRwT-yvgrQ1eSeGpbVQU71qAwryovKZBnmsf9agXYEIJOITCgtf4Sf5yBpZvIRWzfbgh2M_I8Noze5JcMvLUVfYiyO1j8xuW8bkLqwZtJ2GsH4nx82M/s1184/Dead+Moon+Blog+Blitz+Poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="1184" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx5PYH6rUvFkdG15R7uL-P2vzPAqRwT-yvgrQ1eSeGpbVQU71qAwryovKZBnmsf9agXYEIJOITCgtf4Sf5yBpZvIRWzfbgh2M_I8Noze5JcMvLUVfYiyO1j8xuW8bkLqwZtJ2GsH4nx82M/w640-h344/Dead+Moon+Blog+Blitz+Poster.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Humanity will be extinguished within seven days.</p><p>Wing Commander Jude Styles is a starfighter pilot trying to get pregnant before the world ends.</p><p>Her wingman Hamid Ashkami just wantes to block the spam messages he is receiving from someone claiming to be his dead ex-husband.</p><p>Instead they are locked in a media tour, shown off as the heroes who stopped the alien invasion by destroying the massive mothership known as the Dead Moon, persuading the masses that all be fine if they keep calm and carry on.</p><p>Trapped telling the same lies, driven over the edge by post- stress and the constant flow of alcohol, it is only a matter of time before Jude and Hamid break down - and the fragments of the Dead Moon have already begun to fall from the sky.</p><p>Grim, human and thought-provoking, Dead Moon is a road trip driven by a friendship stronger than love and an impossible task: how do you go on living when the world is coming to an end? </p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dead-Moon-Keith-Crawford/dp/2957327805/ref=sr_1_11?crid=2Q9UVEC6WJQ7V&dchild=1&keywords=dead+moon&qid=1614285773&sprefix=Dead+Moon%2Caps%2C358&sr=8-11" target="_blank"><b><i>Dead Moon is now 99p on Amazon.</i></b></a></p><p><b><i>My Review </i></b></p><p><b><i>Wow! This book is an absolute rollercoaster! It cleverly encapsulates disaster, gender politics, the nature of PTSD (induced by warfare and bad parenting) and like all good sci fi, speaks to how we live now.</i></b></p><p><b><i>I loved the central characters - their relationship transcends the boundaries of sexual love. Their quest seems hopeless yet they do not shirk their duty to themselves or the human race. They're damaged, complex and dangerous yet rise to the ultimate challenge. I loved the desperate race against time and the many fascinating descriptions of the augmented creatures that human beings have become since the 21st century.</i></b></p><p><b><i>It's tremendously visual. If I had the money I'd option it for Netflix or Amazon Prime. Such is the density of the narrative that a series would be in order. The author's flights of fancy are temepered by his experience of the military life, that always feel authentic even within a speculative world story. Terrific stuff! </i></b> <br /></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-2bb1cc05-7fff-2b6a-7f3f-5314d5040467" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author Bio <br /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-2bb1cc05-7fff-2b6a-7f3f-5314d5040467" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Keith Crawford is a Doctor of Law and economics, a qualified barrister, and a retired British naval officer. An Economics and Social Research Council doctoral scholar and first of his call to the bar, he taught corporate law and banking regulation at Sciences Po and has spoken at conferences from Toronto to Lecce to Joongbu. He has written for journals, collections of academic writing and newspapers including The Economist.</span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With the arrival of his first child in 2014 he decided to try the stay-at-home Dad thing and write stories. As a disabled veteran he is passionate about social justice; as a geek he likes literary fantasy and speculative fiction. His first novel, Vile, is a complex science-fantasy about toxic racialism with dollops of sword fighting. His second, Dead Moon, is about the end of the world, which feels terribly appropriate these days.</span></span></span></p><p><br />Follow the author on <a href="https://twitter.com/keithcrawford77" target="_blank">Twitter</a></p><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_GoBack"></a></p>
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{page:Section1;}</style><p></p>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-63322936167456528822021-02-25T23:00:00.001-08:002021-02-25T23:00:02.570-08:00Review: The Mind's Eye by Miles Hudson<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPU1yClms_6FuxC6oXA1t9xRsrDriPL7JqX99P2xcKk3ivaL11FEKajHkxmjcClvXSVQYmnQvtjr35ZPH4zQ_S48IerY2Z4iekaF6ncvlWVjSmxirOVRthcIr9EP_1PMJsGZDWZo1IzmT/s1280/Minds+Eye+Graphic+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPU1yClms_6FuxC6oXA1t9xRsrDriPL7JqX99P2xcKk3ivaL11FEKajHkxmjcClvXSVQYmnQvtjr35ZPH4zQ_S48IerY2Z4iekaF6ncvlWVjSmxirOVRthcIr9EP_1PMJsGZDWZo1IzmT/w640-h360/Minds+Eye+Graphic+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <p></p><p><b>The Mind's Eye:</b></p><p>In the sequel to <b>2089</b>, Jack has seemingly escaped from his island exile and is once more performing acts of terrorism on the British mainland - facts that seem to be backed up by the audiopt surveillance technology that everyone has implanted. What they see is the truth, isn't it? Jack and his friend Vicky go on the run to discover who is manipulating the surveillance feeds to incriminate Jack and why.</p><p><b>My Review:</b></p><p>The best sci fi speaks to factors present in our society now. This novel feels particularly apposite when you're a citizen of the most surveilled country on Earth. I don't know about you but I hardly give it a thought as I go about my daily business, yet I know others who are busy covering up their iCamera even when they aren't on Zoom. And with Siri capable of overhearing what we say and then flooding our Facebook feeds with random products, it is clear that AI and humanity are destined to merge on some level.</p><p>I liked that the humans in the story placed their trust entirely in the tech that they all carry. It is the basis of their law even in humanity's decline. I was really rooting for Jack and Vicky as they embarked on their quest, even in the face of opposition from Vicky's family and the proximity of a family tragedy. I enjoyed that the story was set in Gloucestershire. I was also glad to note the ethnic diversity of the characters - this felt fresh and reassuring.</p><p>I wanted to know mopre about the events that had led up to this society, who Malthus was and the Covenants of Jerusalem, but I guess I'll have to buy the prequel, 2089, for that.</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Minds-Eye-Miles-M-Hudson/dp/1838125884/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2OH3VQ7HQD5QN&dchild=1&keywords=minds+eye&qid=1614281417&sprefix=Mind%27s+eye%2Caps%2C158&sr=8-5" target="_blank">Buy The Mind's Eye</a> <br /></p><p><b>Author Bio:</b></p><p><span style="color: white;">Miles Hudson was born in Minneapolis. he has taught physics but his main passion is for writing fiction: <b>The Mind's Eye</b> and its prequel <b>2089</b> are set in an Orwellian dystopia. He also writes detective novels set in Durham City where he lives.</span></p><p><b><span style="color: black;">Social Media:</span></b></p><p><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://mileshudson.com" target="_blank">mileshudson.com</a></span></p><p><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://twitter.com/milesmhudson" target="_blank">Twitter</a> </span></p><p><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MilesMHudson/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span></p><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"></span> <br /></span>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-17306052617406069712021-02-25T00:44:00.001-08:002021-02-25T12:26:49.718-08:00REVIEW: 52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner, Vol. II by Mariëlle S. Smith<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-gYs3gjWdg8pwKABEHgj5H0oEjp4B9tGIgvzt1LgaodApNkPLzqXNWM2G7EN0XbCCedCqrNfSK7AfwVBFsDcyeSUgPSIfxrzp5NqnoTsKOmM0ht1FC83M43e_yO4TXXzfQ3YLnFWU-D1A/s1920/52+Weeks+Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1541" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-gYs3gjWdg8pwKABEHgj5H0oEjp4B9tGIgvzt1LgaodApNkPLzqXNWM2G7EN0XbCCedCqrNfSK7AfwVBFsDcyeSUgPSIfxrzp5NqnoTsKOmM0ht1FC83M43e_yO4TXXzfQ3YLnFWU-D1A/w514-h640/52+Weeks+Cover.jpg" width="514" /></a></div><span style="background-color: #783f04;"><br />
</span><p></p><p><b>52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner, Vol. II</b></p><p><i>‘With this book by your side, anything feels possible.’ Jacqueline Brown</i></p><p>Tired of not having a sustainable writing practice? You, too, can get out of your own way and become the writer you’re meant to be!</p><p>52 Weeks of Writing:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>makes you plan, track, reflect on, and improve your progress and goals for an entire year</li><li>helps you unravel the truth about why you aren’t where you want to be; and</li><li>keeps you writing through weekly thought-provoking quotes and prompts.</li></ul><p>With this second volume of the 52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner, writing coach and writer Mariëlle S. Smith brings you the same successful strategies to craft the perfect writing practice as she did in the first journal. The only difference? Fifty-three different writing quotes and prompts and a brand-new look!</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P8SJ8FK" target="_blank">Purchase in the US</a></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08P8SJ8FK" target="_blank">Purchase in the UK</a></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.de/dp/B08P8SJ8FK" target="_blank">Purchase in Germany</a></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08P8SJ8FK" target="_blank">Purchase in Canada</a></p><p>A printable PDF is available through <a href="https://payhip.com/b/0YgJ" target="_blank">Payhip</a></p><p>Get 50% off until 31 March 2021 by using the coupon code 52WOW during checkout.</p><p><b>My Review</b></p><p>Much like its <a href="http://lockandloadbridesofchrist.blogspot.com/2020/03/52-weeks-of-writing-by-marielle-s-smith.html" target="_blank">predecessor</a>, this book is chock-full of ideas to banish procrastination. If, like me, you're the sort of writer who feels that they spend too much time thinking about writing and not enough time, you know - ACTUALLY WRITING, then this book is for you. </p><p>I particularly liked the way the quotes tied in with the writing prompts, linking the reader with all the greats: Margaret Atwood, Octavia E. Butler, Virginia Woolf, Stephen King et al. It brought home to me very forcefully that the actual process of writing is a daunting thing but somehow we must sustain ourselves while doing it. My favourite quote is from Octavia E. Butler in week 9, in which she reminds us that all first drafts are rubbish, the point is that by doing it YOU GET BETTER AT IT.</p><p>There's a nice balance in the tone of the book, though. The author, a highly experienced wrtiting coach, is not at all prescriptive in her approach. As she says frequently, if the writing prompts don't work for you then come back to them another time. My favourite prompt was entitled 'Am I having any fun?'. Reading this made me want to join one of the author's writing retreats. You can't say any fairer than that.<br /></p><p><b>Author Bio</b></p><p>Mariëlle S. Smith is a coach for writers and other creatives, an editor, and a writer. Early 2019, she moved to Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean Sea, where she organises private writers' retreats, is inspired 24/7, and feeds more stray cats than she can count.</p><p><b>SOCIAL MEDIA:</b><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/mswordsmith" target="_blank">FACEBOOK</a> </p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/mariellessmith/" target="_blank">INSTAGRAM</a></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtnYOpjmj83mvMM2L348F1w" target="_blank">YOUTUBE</a><br /></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> <br /></p><p><style>@font-face
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{margin-bottom:0cm;}</style></p>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-64894504890447148062021-02-22T23:00:00.001-08:002021-02-22T23:00:06.901-08:00Review: Deep Level by Richard E. Rock<p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjcKl4kGLZwgikj9LOg4i-EvlvXtIaFie1Zqs-kXyiN2dSK1rJYzxIs3XhmmhzLaLRHHqJDv9DQwq3n1T7EwZyQ2OazcqQVa3CWEyPq4K6jPNTc1-vYpl98FWuXse8CGUXX7M1ojORIMJ/s2048/Deep+Level+Full+Tour+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1172" data-original-width="2048" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjcKl4kGLZwgikj9LOg4i-EvlvXtIaFie1Zqs-kXyiN2dSK1rJYzxIs3XhmmhzLaLRHHqJDv9DQwq3n1T7EwZyQ2OazcqQVa3CWEyPq4K6jPNTc1-vYpl98FWuXse8CGUXX7M1ojORIMJ/w640-h366/Deep+Level+Full+Tour+Banner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Deep Level</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When Rich stumbles upon a secret Victorian underground network, he sees not only a great historical discovery, but also a way out of his humdrum life. He convinces three of his friends to join him, and together they venture deep into the maze of tunnels beneath London’s bustling streets.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A rude girl made good. An aspiring writer. A cinema usher from Wales. A bookseller who dreams of being an urban explorer. Four friends trapped together in one nightmarish situation as they realise some things are kept secret for a reason.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Will any of them manage to escape the horror that lurks in the DEEP LEVEL?</span></span> </p><p><span style="color: #00ff44;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deep-Level-Richard-Rock-ebook/dp/B08FJ7LY11" target="_blank">Purchase here in the UK</a></span></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #00ff44;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Level-Richard-Rock-ebook/dp/B08FJ7LY11" target="_blank">Purchase here in the US</a></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">My Review:</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So much resonated with me about this story: the recognisable characters and relationships between the friends, Rich's shameful emotional redundancy, but most of all the author's portrayal of the London Underground system. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Many years ago I was a guard on the tube - the Northern Line to be precise (AKA the Misery Line - and with good cause). It is indeed a strange netherworld full of levels and labyrinths. The book felt very authentic in this regard. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It moves along at a cracking pace and I feel Rock has a good ear for intimate conversations and the inner workings of a father and husband who wishes he were anywhere but at home. Of course, one should always be careful what one wishes for...</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This is a very satisfying book, linking past and present, surface and subterranean, the everyday and the extraordinary, innocence and evil. It's very visual and good on shocks. It'd be great to see it on the screen. Someone give the author an option!</span></span> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Author Bio:</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">By day, <b>Richard E. Rock</b> works as a commercial scriptwriter for radio and contributes ideas to Viz Comic. But by night... he writes horror.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He was inspired to do this after experiencing a series of particularly ferocious nightmares. After waking up and realising he could turn these into utterly horrible stories, he started deliberately inducing them.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Based in Wales, he lives with his girlfriend and their cat. If you’re looking for him, <span style="line-height: 107%;">you’ll probably find him wedged up against the
barrier at a heavy metal gig, for that is his natural habitat. </span></span></span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Social media:</span></span></span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardERock1" target="_blank">@RichardERock1</a><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/richard_e_rock/" target="_blank">richard_e_rock</a><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Facebook : <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Richard-E-Rock-horror-writer-111294463977293" target="_blank">Richard E. Rock - horror writer</a></span></span></span>
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{page:Section1;}</style></p>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-38100007435629074512021-01-31T23:00:00.003-08:002021-02-01T00:59:35.813-08:00REVIEW: GOLD LIGHT SHINING by BEBE ASHLEY<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6avFWXELC9yQcOlXvRE19Ufzv5FqDNptm7GVZwOEqYoKHcFaaQMpUSDfCsewOY-p_ntohBbe7rg6bMV8A5m-UcXbd8d-keZSpplNKnvwjIm59i3kCcN0EFKKn5pSyinaaBJA5t9sPtdNm/s1280/Gold+Light+Shining+BT+Poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="1280" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6avFWXELC9yQcOlXvRE19Ufzv5FqDNptm7GVZwOEqYoKHcFaaQMpUSDfCsewOY-p_ntohBbe7rg6bMV8A5m-UcXbd8d-keZSpplNKnvwjIm59i3kCcN0EFKKn5pSyinaaBJA5t9sPtdNm/w640-h372/Gold+Light+Shining+BT+Poster.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>
</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span><span></span></span><span>Publisher
: Banshee Press (22 Oct. 2020)</span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span><span></span></span><span>Language:
: English</span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span><span></span></span><span>ISBN-10
: 0995655081</span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span><span></span></span><span>ISBN-13
: 978-0995655089 <br /></span></span></span></span></span></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><b><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;"> </span></b></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><b><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;">BLURB </span></b></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">
</span></span></span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;">In her debut collection of poetry, Bebe Ashley
spins gold from the detritus of the internet. A landscape often depicted as a
wasteland is illuminated in poems that explore celebrity, obsession, sexuality,
coming of age, and that charismatic enigma, Harry Styles. Inspired by sources
as diverse as Styles's track listings, Scandi webseries Skam, and One Direction
newsletters, Ashley spins us across continents on a tour of the surreal highs
and absurd lows of celebrity culture. These are poems of youth and yearning,
yet they're suffused with the hard-won wisdom that the communities we build can
be as meaningful as the families we're born into. Perceptive, witty, and
exuberant, Gold Light Shining introduces an essential new voice; one that
captures how pop culture's Technicolour joy disrupts our greyscale world.</span></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;"> </span></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #333333; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmySprWL8MxFslTFWasmRDAL9I_lA6ZARFjFA0w4b2TfNvEJx_LCyyEhd9d_lPP09rZmgudbFqhKFef1AgGyQpRrP86Yppvsyx_9neNU0dUzmHYN28YtkMHkMhZd1ZHwdDZKX42_t30GWA/s800/Gold+Light+Shining+Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmySprWL8MxFslTFWasmRDAL9I_lA6ZARFjFA0w4b2TfNvEJx_LCyyEhd9d_lPP09rZmgudbFqhKFef1AgGyQpRrP86Yppvsyx_9neNU0dUzmHYN28YtkMHkMhZd1ZHwdDZKX42_t30GWA/w250-h400/Gold+Light+Shining+Cover.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br /> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><b><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;">MY REVIEW </span></b> </span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">The best chapbooks make you feel as though you know the author. So it is
with Gold Light Shining by Bebe Ashley. Taking the songs and celebrity
of Harry Styles as a central pillar of the book, the poet gives us
snapshots of pop culture, youth, relationships and their difficulties to
create a chapbook rich in visual imagery - some of it tragic. So dense is the experience of reading the poems that I had to restrict myself to a section at a time. This proved the better approach on second reading, as the work revealed deeper meanings to me. </span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">I was fascinated to read all the notes and acknowledgements at the back
of the book. The process interested me as much as the finished piece. Many
of the poems crystallise the poet's own experiences like rare insects
trapped in amber. The poet is especially gifted with capturing the
moments of awkwardness we experience as we try to connect with others
yet can never admit. My particular favourite was the prose poem
<b>Exhibitionist</b> in the section <b>Fan Girl</b>. </span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">The poems in this collection bear
reading at least twice to get the full enjoyment out of them. It feels
modern and fresh with its anti-elitist revelling in the internet, pop culture and Harry
Styles. Interestingly, I think it contributes to his mystique as a modern
icon. I'm looking forward to reading more from Bebe Ashley.<br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;"></span></span></span></span></span>
</p><p style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><b><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;">ABOUT
THE AUTHOR</span></b></span></span></span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><b><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;"> </span></b></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">
</span></span></span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;">Bebe Ashley lives in Belfast. She is an AHRC
funded PhD candidate at the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry. Her work can be
found in Poetry Birmingham Literary Journal, Poetry Ireland Review, Banshee,
Modern Poetry in Translation, Poetry Jukebox and The Tangerine. When
procrastinating from her PhD, she takes British Sign Language and Braille
classes and writes pop culture articles for United by Pop, specialising in
Harry Styles.</span></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;"> </span></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJGmnJQBotKFs6O3LxexwdRCYDsH232hi2EChmgOO2ltUJXLdxsFyTt9PdEM7KMcmXwtAGx-nsxjhHpx8CFl1gPVP-YxwgQ4P3gog11pT6nAjfLRfTuzklYfvBqT1oCaD5dyuNlYh9PZ-/s1000/Bebe+Ashley+Author+Pic.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJGmnJQBotKFs6O3LxexwdRCYDsH232hi2EChmgOO2ltUJXLdxsFyTt9PdEM7KMcmXwtAGx-nsxjhHpx8CFl1gPVP-YxwgQ4P3gog11pT6nAjfLRfTuzklYfvBqT1oCaD5dyuNlYh9PZ-/s320/Bebe+Ashley+Author+Pic.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gold-Light-Shining-Bebe-Ashley/dp/0995655081" target="_blank">Buy it here.</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><p></p>
<p><style>@font-face
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{margin-bottom:0cm;}</style></p>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-61787781743484111772021-01-07T10:43:00.006-08:002021-01-22T08:58:09.591-08:00REVIEW: EDITING YOUR NOVEL'S STRUCTURE by Bethany A. Tucker<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; line-height: 27pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>'Editing Your
Novel's Structure: Tips, Tricks, and Checklists to Get You From Start to Finish</b></span></span></span></span></p><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>
</span></span></span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;"> </span></span></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcZOaJl0_mRNoVl6Yk_M2GsQpjz2hyphenhyphenp5OsapakuJ-KVSGe9PMOD8LlDrfYhppREGCcd2ijJazoatQXdKWVNyoxJCYwiEvyOdeSWMBbkWXG_i2k_arcqt3QrpjleyRSzf3wL1Ruz9-ZdYs_/s2048/Edit+Your+Novel%2527s+Structure+Ebook+cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcZOaJl0_mRNoVl6Yk_M2GsQpjz2hyphenhyphenp5OsapakuJ-KVSGe9PMOD8LlDrfYhppREGCcd2ijJazoatQXdKWVNyoxJCYwiEvyOdeSWMBbkWXG_i2k_arcqt3QrpjleyRSzf3wL1Ruz9-ZdYs_/w400-h640/Edit+Your+Novel%2527s+Structure+Ebook+cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></div><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;">Before it’s time to check for
commas and iron out passive voice, fiction writers need to know that their
story is strong. Are your beta readers not finishing? Do they have multiple,
conflicting complaints? When you ask them questions about how they experience
your story, do they give lukewarm responses? Or have you not even asked anyone
to read your story, wondering if it’s ready?</span><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;">If any of the above is true, you may need to
refine the structure of your story. What is structure you ask? Structure
is what holds a story together. Does the character arc entrance the reader? Is
the world building comprehensive and believable? These questions and more have
to be answered by all of us as we turn our drafts into books. </span><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;">In this concise handbook, complete with
checklists for each section, let a veteran writer walk you through the process
of self-assessing your novel, from characters to pacing with lots of compassion
and a dash of humor. In easy to follow directions and using adaptable
strategies, she shows you how to check yourself for plot holes, settle timeline
confusion, and snap character arcs into place. </span><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;">Use this handbook for quick help and quick
self-editing checklists on:</span><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;">- Characters and Character Arcs.</span><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;">- Plot.</span><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;">- Backstory</span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;">.</span><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;">- Point of View.</span><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;">- A detailed explanation of nearly free
self-editing tools and how to apply them to your book to find your own
structural problems.</span><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;">- Beginnings and Ends.</span><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;">- Editing for sensitive and specialized subject
matter.</span><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;">- Helpful tips on choosing beta readers, when to
seek an editor, and a sample questionnaire to give to your first readers. </span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;"> </span><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto;">Grab your copy of Edit Your Novel’s Structure
today! Now is the time to finish that draft and get your story out into the
world.'</span></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">Buy on <span><span><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Editing-Your-Novels-Structure-Checklists/dp/B08SYXTXSX/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1W8H1940FLKII&dchild=1&keywords=bethany+tucker&qid=1611334321&sprefix=bethany+a+tucker%2Caps%2C151&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a></span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: black;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Buy on</span> <span style="color: white;"><span><span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=editing+your+novel%27s+structure+bethany+tucker&crid=2AAQP4UENBUBF&sprefix=Editing+your+novel%27s+structure%2Caps%2C215&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-a-p_1_30" target="_blank">Amazon USA</a></span></span></span><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">MY REVIEW:</span></span><br /></span></span></p><span style="color: #0f1111;">
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{page:Section1;}</span></style> All writers are gleaners. We collect and trawl through books on the art of writing (and there are loads!). Most of us find a template we like. More often we create hybrids absorbed from the many authors whose wisdom we have sought. </p><p>Many writing books are veritable tomes - daunting in their bible-like thickness. Not so Bethany A. Tucker's <i>Editing Your Novel's Structure</i>. She literally concentrates on structure, comparing it to house construction. It is the skeleton upon which you will flesh out your story. </p><p>She is refreshingly open to many approaches to structure, having tried and tested them herself. Not only that, she deals with voice, character, sensitivity and how to navigate ethnicities, disabilities or sexualities that are not your own. I particularly liked the checklists in each chapter of this short handbook. This is certainly going on my virtual bookshelf when I come to edit.</p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b>Author Bio:</b></span></span></p><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">Bethany Tucker is an author and editor located near
Seattle, U.S.A. Story has always been a part of her life. With over twenty
years of writing and teaching experience, she’s more than ready to take your
hand and pull back the curtain on writing craft and mindset. Last year she
edited over a million words for aspiring authors. Her YA fantasy series
<i>Adelaide</i> is published wide under the pen name <b>Mustang Rabbit</b> and her dark epic
fantasy is releasing in 2021 under Ciara Darren. You can find more about her
services for authors at <a href="http://TheArtandScienceofWords.com">TheArtandScienceofWords.com</a>. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;">SOCIAL MEDIA: <a href="http://mustangrabbit.com" target="_blank">Mustang Rabbit</a> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
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{page:Section1;}</style></p>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664673615329384801.post-77388928876635828712020-12-10T22:30:00.001-08:002020-12-10T22:30:06.652-08:00Review of Chroma by Oscar Wenman-Hyde<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVb63_4_7MoG8dF63waMRu4kFN4MkYlZUjB4-qk83Yh20yrEp3ya-dIMjUHVuLEKWpvex5hc_gfiAvZFGWIV0qcIwGVON3CDbw35h5VHHtzI5Yh2H6EQhbaKGquYiXy89oubVOSCk4ZrKd/s1443/Chroma+Full+Tour+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="1443" height="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVb63_4_7MoG8dF63waMRu4kFN4MkYlZUjB4-qk83Yh20yrEp3ya-dIMjUHVuLEKWpvex5hc_gfiAvZFGWIV0qcIwGVON3CDbw35h5VHHtzI5Yh2H6EQhbaKGquYiXy89oubVOSCk4ZrKd/w640-h554/Chroma+Full+Tour+Banner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>When Riley watched Chroma, the latest movie by Armani Manora, he had no idea how much his life was about to change. Riley's parents, Jean and Paul, are currently getting divorced, and they have managed to keep the situation hidden from Riley, until now. </p><p>They were unaware of the effects this was having on Riley's emotional and mental well-being, and as tensions rose at school and at home, he was visited by a voice in his bedroom. Before too long, he began a journey that was not only dangerous, but eye-opening. </p><p>Chroma explores the rapidly changing family dynamic throughout divorce, and how a child's imagination can take them to unknown places. It is emotional, insightful and a moving story which not only teaches us how to be an adult, but how to be a child.</p><p><b>My Review: </b></p><div class="adM">
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<p><span>Who was it who said that all happy families resemble each other?
Dostoevsky? Tolstoy? No matter... The point is that when a family is
unhappy it can feel like a peculiarly isolating and singular experience,
that convinces the miserable
family members that only they feel so bad. the rest of the world is having a high old time. </span></p><p><span>So it is with young Riley
and his 'astrobro' Eli, both the children of divorced or divorcing
parents and relying on each other in an unreliable world populated by erratic adults. This feels
very much like a passion project on the part of the
author. It certainly has its heart in the right place. </span></p><p><span>It's also very good at
delineating the boys' friendship and Riley's obsession with film, so
often an escape (for all of us) when times are difficult. It's heartbreaking but also wry with recognisable and relatable characters. Jean was especially contradictory but grounded in her love for Riley. <br /></span></p><p><span>Purchase: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chroma-Oscar-Wenman-Hyde-ebook/dp/B08H5S1JTZ" target="_blank">UK </a></span></p><p><span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chroma-Oscar-Wenman-Hyde-ebook/dp/B08H5S1JTZ" target="_blank">US </a><br /></span></p>
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<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRgN3IcD7JOSQY2mdjscxBpLtuIPSsRk1ChROXjsND7v5s2ZDYCkmlvj4FdSR32Q5L0VURvVPoD1zP_Pi2SeZVyKKGj6IYjq7drrDpl3TSwhzJthHsfAf3AyjVD3AJI3G-wGbY71l1FtON/s960/Chroma+-+Oscar+Headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRgN3IcD7JOSQY2mdjscxBpLtuIPSsRk1ChROXjsND7v5s2ZDYCkmlvj4FdSR32Q5L0VURvVPoD1zP_Pi2SeZVyKKGj6IYjq7drrDpl3TSwhzJthHsfAf3AyjVD3AJI3G-wGbY71l1FtON/w640-h640/Chroma+-+Oscar+Headshot.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:</p><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/OJ-Scriptwriting-106185034262166" target="_blank">FACEBOOK</a></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/oj_scriptwriters/" target="_blank">INSTAGRAM</a></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/oscarwenmanhyde/" target="_blank">INSTAGRAM </a></p><p>Author bio:</p><p>Oscar Wenman-Hyde is a writer living in Gloucester, UK. Born and raised in the quiet towns of North Devon, Oscar would spend the majority of his time as a child writing and directing short films with his brother and neighbours. From here, Oscar’s passion led him to explore all aspects of his creativity, by graduating with a BA Hons in Songwriting at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. He now finds joy in all mediums of writing and although he has worked and trained in many areas, he is always inspired by film and remains grounded in storytelling. <br /></p><p> <br /></p>Elinorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233219453840471777noreply@blogger.com0