Anna Bowling of Unusual Historicals has penned a tongue-in-cheek list of historical romance heroine characteristics. Very funny.
Go, enjoy:
http://unusualhistoricals.blogspot.com/2008/09/women-historical-romance-heroine.html
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Batman a la Jane Austen
Too good not to share -
Cara King, of the Risky Regencies site, has penned (keyboarded?) one of the funniest pieces Apprentice Writer has read in a long time, containing the doubtless soon-to-be-immortal phrase "...unbending suit of petroleum derivatives."
Go, enjoy:
http://riskyregencies.blogspot.com/2008/09/jane-austens-batman.html
Cara King, of the Risky Regencies site, has penned (keyboarded?) one of the funniest pieces Apprentice Writer has read in a long time, containing the doubtless soon-to-be-immortal phrase "...unbending suit of petroleum derivatives."
Go, enjoy:
http://riskyregencies.blogspot.com/2008/09/jane-austens-batman.html
Saturday, September 6, 2008
The Delicate Art of Title Creation
Coming up with the perfect title for one's masterpiece is, as any writer will tell you, not so easy. For authors of some publishing houses, it is not even an option, conferred as their titles are by mysterious editorial/marketing powers-that-be. Some ubiquitous title word inclusions have come to have the power to signify instantaneously what the book's genre or subgenre might be: "savage", "sword", "scoundrel", and "billionaire", to name a few. (Having strung together the previous words, Apprentice Writer is now overwhelmed with the urge to write the first chapter of "The Savage Sword of the Billionaire Scoundrel.")
In some cases, however, one wonders whether the author/publisher took even the briefest moment to consider how the title might sound to browsers who aren't steeped in the subject matter. There are some mighty peculiar but seriously intended titles out there, a phenomenon celebrated by the
DIAGRAM PRIZE.
Over the years, the finalists and prizewinners have included many a humdinger. Apprentice Writer laughed muchly at such gems as
"Big and Very Big Hole Drilling"
"How to Avoid Huge Ships"
"Proceedings on the Second International Workshop on Nude Mice"
The Diagram Prize (aside: why diagram? Is it meant ironically, considering that there are usually only words and no pictures in a title?) is a British creation, unsurprising in a culture that prides itself on eccentricity. In this vein, one learns that the origin of the competition was as a means to break up boredom plodding down the endless aisles of ginormous (AW can personally attest) annual Frankfurter Buchmesse, or Book Expo, and that the actual title conferrer is not the person to receive a reward, but rather the person spotted and sent in the winning title. It all makes delightfully whimsical sense.
To read an entertaining article on the subject, go to
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/aug/30/oddestbooktitleprize.awardsandprizes
As the author notes, "...Oddness is in the eye of the beholder." Wise words to ponder.
In some cases, however, one wonders whether the author/publisher took even the briefest moment to consider how the title might sound to browsers who aren't steeped in the subject matter. There are some mighty peculiar but seriously intended titles out there, a phenomenon celebrated by the
DIAGRAM PRIZE.
Over the years, the finalists and prizewinners have included many a humdinger. Apprentice Writer laughed muchly at such gems as
"Big and Very Big Hole Drilling"
"How to Avoid Huge Ships"
"Proceedings on the Second International Workshop on Nude Mice"
The Diagram Prize (aside: why diagram? Is it meant ironically, considering that there are usually only words and no pictures in a title?) is a British creation, unsurprising in a culture that prides itself on eccentricity. In this vein, one learns that the origin of the competition was as a means to break up boredom plodding down the endless aisles of ginormous (AW can personally attest) annual Frankfurter Buchmesse, or Book Expo, and that the actual title conferrer is not the person to receive a reward, but rather the person spotted and sent in the winning title. It all makes delightfully whimsical sense.
To read an entertaining article on the subject, go to
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/aug/30/oddestbooktitleprize.awardsandprizes
As the author notes, "...Oddness is in the eye of the beholder." Wise words to ponder.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Laughter Reviews #20
TWIN REVIEWS - NON-BRIDES
Unbridaled by Eileen Rendahl
There Goes the Bride by Lori Wilde
Premise
Bride makes a mad dash out of her wedding and then tries to figure out why as she deals with life and extended family.
Bride arranges for her own kidnapping during her wedding when she can't figure out how to deal with life and extended family.
Cover
Clever title. Cartoon-like drawing of a bridal gown in a trash can - good fit between image and content.
Clever title. Partial image of departing woman in gown and veil, wearing a running shoe. Strictly speaking this is more reminiscent of the Julia Roberts movie "Runaway Bride" than the book's content, but it nevertheless underscores the title and gives the gist of the premise.
What Works
Despite her near-ludicrous departure from the ceremony, Chloe is not a ludicrous or impulsive person. She is a thoughtful person doing her best to deal with (to put it mildly) highly complex family dynamics and emotional baggage; her efforts to understand what made her take such uncharacteristic action take the length of the book, and are convincing.
The aspect Apprentice Writer liked best of Delaney's story was the striking cover.
What Doesn't
One of AW's pet peeves is being forced to endure speaking accents for the length of a book. Just tell her when a character is first introduced that he/she speaks with a Scottish brogue or a French throatiness or a German consonant roll. Please don't make her endure endless rounds of "Och!", "Zees!", "Vich vay?", etc. This was made all the worse by the Cajun character not only persisting in his torturous accent, but made to look like an uneducated slob as well, with references to habits of urinating in the heroine's flower garden, not washing hands, leaving garbage strewn about, etc. These details were not only perplexing (they added precisely nothing to the story) but, one would imagine, unwelcome from a Cajun person's point of view given the length of time they have settled in the American South after being hounded out of more northerly parts of the Continent some centuries ago partially due to prejudices against French-speaking Acadian people. Depressing to think these generalized negative views followed them south and still persist so long after. But to be fair, this was a minor irritant; all other elements of the story worked well for AW.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for TGTB. Despite being competently written, the story never came together for this reader in a way that made her engage with a single character or care what happened. The best explanation that AW has is that she read the whole thing as a writer, rather than a reader. She was never able to lose herself in the story, because the sense of recognition of how the component parts were manufactured was so strong. Paranormal element - check, hero and heroine from opposite ends of social ladder and large/small family situations - check, secondary female characters lined up to be heroines in upcoming installments of the series - check, opening hook providing a dramatic moment taken from the final climactic scene - check, first meeting done in a memorable and romantic sparks flying manner - check, many long passages of hero and heroine angsting about why they were attracted to one another but couldn't be together - check. Perhaps the story would work better for readers who don't write themselves. Or like stories with much, much introspection. AW is more of a 'get on with the action' kind of girl.
Overall
AW first encountered Eileen Rendehl's name as one of the "Literary Chicks", a now-disbanded grog (group blog) of women's fiction authors. This story was a thougtful, unpredictable, satisfying read about people one might encounter in daily life.
The claim to fame of TGTB was that as a mere concept, it had the power to unleash a bidding war for movie rights. If AW recalls correctly, there were at one point eight parties competing to secure the option before the book was even written. How can a reader resist such a story? So AW purchased the book with mucho anticipation. Though in her view the story did not live up to the clamor, she has nothing but admiration for an author who can inspire such industry reaction, and who has a few dozen printed titles under her belt.
But does it make you laugh? YES / NO
"Unbridaled" is not a laugh-out-loud, mile-a-minute story. It is quiet slice-of-life tale with moments of wry humor, such as when the heroine is called a 'wetback' by some bar patrons and wonders to herself whether she should point out what the correct ethnic slur would be in her case. AW would look forward to reading other books by this author.
"There Goes the Bride" has moments that seem intended to be funny, but didn't work that way for this reader. The way the hero and heroine meet, a wardrobe malfunction at an amusement part, the zany outfit choices of a ghost - all felt too manufactured. Based on her Two Book Rule (reading at least two before deciding to bypass an author permanently) AW would read the second in the Wedding Veil series.
Unbridaled by Eileen Rendahl
There Goes the Bride by Lori Wilde
Premise
Bride makes a mad dash out of her wedding and then tries to figure out why as she deals with life and extended family.
Bride arranges for her own kidnapping during her wedding when she can't figure out how to deal with life and extended family.
Cover
Clever title. Cartoon-like drawing of a bridal gown in a trash can - good fit between image and content.
Clever title. Partial image of departing woman in gown and veil, wearing a running shoe. Strictly speaking this is more reminiscent of the Julia Roberts movie "Runaway Bride" than the book's content, but it nevertheless underscores the title and gives the gist of the premise.
What Works
Despite her near-ludicrous departure from the ceremony, Chloe is not a ludicrous or impulsive person. She is a thoughtful person doing her best to deal with (to put it mildly) highly complex family dynamics and emotional baggage; her efforts to understand what made her take such uncharacteristic action take the length of the book, and are convincing.
The aspect Apprentice Writer liked best of Delaney's story was the striking cover.
What Doesn't
One of AW's pet peeves is being forced to endure speaking accents for the length of a book. Just tell her when a character is first introduced that he/she speaks with a Scottish brogue or a French throatiness or a German consonant roll. Please don't make her endure endless rounds of "Och!", "Zees!", "Vich vay?", etc. This was made all the worse by the Cajun character not only persisting in his torturous accent, but made to look like an uneducated slob as well, with references to habits of urinating in the heroine's flower garden, not washing hands, leaving garbage strewn about, etc. These details were not only perplexing (they added precisely nothing to the story) but, one would imagine, unwelcome from a Cajun person's point of view given the length of time they have settled in the American South after being hounded out of more northerly parts of the Continent some centuries ago partially due to prejudices against French-speaking Acadian people. Depressing to think these generalized negative views followed them south and still persist so long after. But to be fair, this was a minor irritant; all other elements of the story worked well for AW.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for TGTB. Despite being competently written, the story never came together for this reader in a way that made her engage with a single character or care what happened. The best explanation that AW has is that she read the whole thing as a writer, rather than a reader. She was never able to lose herself in the story, because the sense of recognition of how the component parts were manufactured was so strong. Paranormal element - check, hero and heroine from opposite ends of social ladder and large/small family situations - check, secondary female characters lined up to be heroines in upcoming installments of the series - check, opening hook providing a dramatic moment taken from the final climactic scene - check, first meeting done in a memorable and romantic sparks flying manner - check, many long passages of hero and heroine angsting about why they were attracted to one another but couldn't be together - check. Perhaps the story would work better for readers who don't write themselves. Or like stories with much, much introspection. AW is more of a 'get on with the action' kind of girl.
Overall
AW first encountered Eileen Rendehl's name as one of the "Literary Chicks", a now-disbanded grog (group blog) of women's fiction authors. This story was a thougtful, unpredictable, satisfying read about people one might encounter in daily life.
The claim to fame of TGTB was that as a mere concept, it had the power to unleash a bidding war for movie rights. If AW recalls correctly, there were at one point eight parties competing to secure the option before the book was even written. How can a reader resist such a story? So AW purchased the book with mucho anticipation. Though in her view the story did not live up to the clamor, she has nothing but admiration for an author who can inspire such industry reaction, and who has a few dozen printed titles under her belt.
But does it make you laugh? YES / NO
"Unbridaled" is not a laugh-out-loud, mile-a-minute story. It is quiet slice-of-life tale with moments of wry humor, such as when the heroine is called a 'wetback' by some bar patrons and wonders to herself whether she should point out what the correct ethnic slur would be in her case. AW would look forward to reading other books by this author.
"There Goes the Bride" has moments that seem intended to be funny, but didn't work that way for this reader. The way the hero and heroine meet, a wardrobe malfunction at an amusement part, the zany outfit choices of a ghost - all felt too manufactured. Based on her Two Book Rule (reading at least two before deciding to bypass an author permanently) AW would read the second in the Wedding Veil series.
Monday, August 25, 2008
SHOMI Contest
Interested in the new SHOMI line from Dorchester?
What's that, you say?
How about: cutting-edge, genre-crossing, speculative action adventure reading entertainment.
The stories range from apocalyptic tales, to time-travel, to cyber-reality, to manga-inspired showdowns.
Apprentice Writer's list of must-reads includes
HIDDEN by Eve Kenin
DRIVEN by Eve Kenin
COUNTDOWN by Michelle Maddox
The Book Binge is having a month-long spotlight on this new line, and challenging readers to give it a try. As an incentive, the Bingers are giving away a seven-book Shomi library.
Take a look atBook Binge: **CONTEST ALERT** I Showed You Mine, Now You Shomi Yours
What's that, you say?
How about: cutting-edge, genre-crossing, speculative action adventure reading entertainment.
The stories range from apocalyptic tales, to time-travel, to cyber-reality, to manga-inspired showdowns.
Apprentice Writer's list of must-reads includes
HIDDEN by Eve Kenin
DRIVEN by Eve Kenin
COUNTDOWN by Michelle Maddox
The Book Binge is having a month-long spotlight on this new line, and challenging readers to give it a try. As an incentive, the Bingers are giving away a seven-book Shomi library.
Take a look atBook Binge: **CONTEST ALERT** I Showed You Mine, Now You Shomi Yours
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Lightning Reviews x 3
1. MELUSINE
by Sarah Monette
FANTASY
Why Picked Up: On recommendation from a friend at 'GoodReads', and was absolutely blown away. A Ph.D. in English doesn't always translate to a compelling or elegant or convincing writing style; in this case, however, it did in spades. No scene was overwritten, not once did the reader confuse which character held point of view due to clear and adept distinction between education level, personal experience, and personality of protagonists. The author is a master of the most basic writerly rule of all: 'Show, don't Tell'. The story takes place in a world with unfamiliar calendar, currency, time measurement, languages and slang, social order, etc. etc. but the story hurtles ahead in full expectation the reader will grasp what is going on. Somehow, it works.
Cover: Another of the bare-chested male variety, but this one thankfully has a head, and for a change, is facing away and looking over his shoulder. Both the multi-colored tatoos running up to his elbows and his red mane are critical to the story. Apprentice Writer wouldn't particularly have been drawn to this cover without word-of-mouth, but neither does it repel her. The title itself gives precisely zero clues about the content; Apprentice Writer kept wrongly thinking of 'Melisande' (as in, the French ballet) instead.
Thoughts: The author tells this first of a series of connected tales in dual first person, through the eyes of Felix the wizard and Mildmay the cat burglar. Both live in the magical city of Melusine, a Dickensian place with a brutal suvival-of-the-fittest philosophy that forces everyone to live by whatever wits and skills they have or be trampled. Despite his strength as a wizard, ties to the brother of the Lord Protector (somewhat like a king), and dwelling in the priviliged area of the Mirador (inhabited by the upper class/wizards), circumstances expose Felix to a physical and psychological sadist who commits crimes that severely destabilize the city and then pins them on Felix. Due to abuse suffered and spells cast upon him, Felix cannot tell anyone what truly happened, and keeps slipping back and forth across the fine line of madness - made all the worse by attempts of various parties to punish him and force him to give up information.
Like many in the Lower City, Mildmay was sold to a brutal and exploitative Keeper in early childhood and has grown up with underworld talents and internal as well as external scars proving the high cost of staying alive. Despite the horrendous things he was forced to do, Mildmay (known as the Fox due to his red hair) has somehow developed an innate sense of justice and decency. Fleeing the city, the two main characters' paths eventually cross and make them journey across the empire together. They meet many human and magcial creatures along the way in their search for political sanctuary and healing for Felix. When the story ends, there remains many a loose end; but at 477 pages, it is understandable that author chose to bring this instalment to a close, and at an emotionally satisfying and significant moment.
Based on this book, seek out this author again?
Absolutely.
Apprentice Writer cannot recommend this book highly enough. Be warned: Though the abusive scenes are not explicit, it is nevertheless always abundantly clear what is going on. AW's friend described it has 'hardcore', and AW took care not to leave the novel in a place where her children might pick it up.
2. GAMES OF PLEASURE
by Julia Ross
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
Why Picked Up: Had seen the author praised by other authors in cyberlandia.
Cover: Bland landscape. Generic title. AW would never have picked this up on her own.
Thoughts: The author is indeed talented at evocative description. She described objects, landscapes and people in ways this reader had never encountered before. This is a wonderful talent, but AW is of the school of thought that a person's greatest strength can also be their greatest weakness; in this case, there came a point when she wished there might not be quite so much description of everything all the time.
The story involves a highly influential British arisocrat rescuing a young woman from drowning. She turns out to be a courtesan who claims to have committed a murder she can't quite remember and from who the rescuer must distance himself lest he be tainted by association with her crime. He, however, is convinced that she has been wronged and was only defending herself. Thus the two journey across England incognito, to evade her assailants and puzzle out who and why really committed the murder.
The story is entertaining and well-written, and the characters engaging enough (apart from the heroine's much-repeated refusal to provide information about what happened or accept assistance growing very tedious). Reading was fine up until the ending, when there was a triple blow to this reader's suspension of disbelief. The first two (having to do with reaction of noble families to liaisons of their firstborn sons with couresans, and manner of a rescue) were of a nature that Apprentice Writer was more or less willing to tolerate for the sake of the story and the drama provided. The third, however, made her snort "Oh, please. Enough already." It involved the same biologically so-improbable-it-should-be-impossible pet peeve that diminished AW's enjoyment of Elizabeth Hoyt's The Raven Prince.
Based on this book, seek out this author again?
The author writes well and overall the story was entertaining. She would not mind reading more, but other works will not fly to the top of the TBR list.
3. THE PERFECT KISS
by Anne Gracie
HISTORICAL ROMANTIC COMEDY
Why Picked Up: Kept encountering author's name in cyberlandia.
Cover: Rose petals, a letter, a necklace. Title clues reader in that it is part of a series of 'Perfect's from this author. Apparently, this is the (or one of the) last of the series, and the aspect that binds them - protagonists being taken in by a non-relative and trained as servants despite their aristocratic background, or something like that - was not quite clear to this reader.
Thoughts; A perfectly (ha!) pleasant, quick and breezy read. Pairings and ending can be seen a mile away but that's not the point of such a story: it's how the characters get that that matters, not the final destination. And as promised, there were funny bits.
Based on this book, seek out this author again? Similar to above, AW enjoyed the writer's style and wouldn't mind reading more, but the story wasn't unique enough for further works to kick other books out of its path on the way to the top of the TBR pile.
Any Gentle Readers have an opinion on these stories? Please share!
by Sarah Monette
FANTASY
Why Picked Up: On recommendation from a friend at 'GoodReads', and was absolutely blown away. A Ph.D. in English doesn't always translate to a compelling or elegant or convincing writing style; in this case, however, it did in spades. No scene was overwritten, not once did the reader confuse which character held point of view due to clear and adept distinction between education level, personal experience, and personality of protagonists. The author is a master of the most basic writerly rule of all: 'Show, don't Tell'. The story takes place in a world with unfamiliar calendar, currency, time measurement, languages and slang, social order, etc. etc. but the story hurtles ahead in full expectation the reader will grasp what is going on. Somehow, it works.
Cover: Another of the bare-chested male variety, but this one thankfully has a head, and for a change, is facing away and looking over his shoulder. Both the multi-colored tatoos running up to his elbows and his red mane are critical to the story. Apprentice Writer wouldn't particularly have been drawn to this cover without word-of-mouth, but neither does it repel her. The title itself gives precisely zero clues about the content; Apprentice Writer kept wrongly thinking of 'Melisande' (as in, the French ballet) instead.
Thoughts: The author tells this first of a series of connected tales in dual first person, through the eyes of Felix the wizard and Mildmay the cat burglar. Both live in the magical city of Melusine, a Dickensian place with a brutal suvival-of-the-fittest philosophy that forces everyone to live by whatever wits and skills they have or be trampled. Despite his strength as a wizard, ties to the brother of the Lord Protector (somewhat like a king), and dwelling in the priviliged area of the Mirador (inhabited by the upper class/wizards), circumstances expose Felix to a physical and psychological sadist who commits crimes that severely destabilize the city and then pins them on Felix. Due to abuse suffered and spells cast upon him, Felix cannot tell anyone what truly happened, and keeps slipping back and forth across the fine line of madness - made all the worse by attempts of various parties to punish him and force him to give up information.
Like many in the Lower City, Mildmay was sold to a brutal and exploitative Keeper in early childhood and has grown up with underworld talents and internal as well as external scars proving the high cost of staying alive. Despite the horrendous things he was forced to do, Mildmay (known as the Fox due to his red hair) has somehow developed an innate sense of justice and decency. Fleeing the city, the two main characters' paths eventually cross and make them journey across the empire together. They meet many human and magcial creatures along the way in their search for political sanctuary and healing for Felix. When the story ends, there remains many a loose end; but at 477 pages, it is understandable that author chose to bring this instalment to a close, and at an emotionally satisfying and significant moment.
Based on this book, seek out this author again?
Absolutely.
Apprentice Writer cannot recommend this book highly enough. Be warned: Though the abusive scenes are not explicit, it is nevertheless always abundantly clear what is going on. AW's friend described it has 'hardcore', and AW took care not to leave the novel in a place where her children might pick it up.
2. GAMES OF PLEASURE
by Julia Ross
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
Why Picked Up: Had seen the author praised by other authors in cyberlandia.
Cover: Bland landscape. Generic title. AW would never have picked this up on her own.
Thoughts: The author is indeed talented at evocative description. She described objects, landscapes and people in ways this reader had never encountered before. This is a wonderful talent, but AW is of the school of thought that a person's greatest strength can also be their greatest weakness; in this case, there came a point when she wished there might not be quite so much description of everything all the time.
The story involves a highly influential British arisocrat rescuing a young woman from drowning. She turns out to be a courtesan who claims to have committed a murder she can't quite remember and from who the rescuer must distance himself lest he be tainted by association with her crime. He, however, is convinced that she has been wronged and was only defending herself. Thus the two journey across England incognito, to evade her assailants and puzzle out who and why really committed the murder.
The story is entertaining and well-written, and the characters engaging enough (apart from the heroine's much-repeated refusal to provide information about what happened or accept assistance growing very tedious). Reading was fine up until the ending, when there was a triple blow to this reader's suspension of disbelief. The first two (having to do with reaction of noble families to liaisons of their firstborn sons with couresans, and manner of a rescue) were of a nature that Apprentice Writer was more or less willing to tolerate for the sake of the story and the drama provided. The third, however, made her snort "Oh, please. Enough already." It involved the same biologically so-improbable-it-should-be-impossible pet peeve that diminished AW's enjoyment of Elizabeth Hoyt's The Raven Prince.
Based on this book, seek out this author again?
The author writes well and overall the story was entertaining. She would not mind reading more, but other works will not fly to the top of the TBR list.
3. THE PERFECT KISS
by Anne Gracie
HISTORICAL ROMANTIC COMEDY
Why Picked Up: Kept encountering author's name in cyberlandia.
Cover: Rose petals, a letter, a necklace. Title clues reader in that it is part of a series of 'Perfect's from this author. Apparently, this is the (or one of the) last of the series, and the aspect that binds them - protagonists being taken in by a non-relative and trained as servants despite their aristocratic background, or something like that - was not quite clear to this reader.
Thoughts; A perfectly (ha!) pleasant, quick and breezy read. Pairings and ending can be seen a mile away but that's not the point of such a story: it's how the characters get that that matters, not the final destination. And as promised, there were funny bits.
Based on this book, seek out this author again? Similar to above, AW enjoyed the writer's style and wouldn't mind reading more, but the story wasn't unique enough for further works to kick other books out of its path on the way to the top of the TBR pile.
Any Gentle Readers have an opinion on these stories? Please share!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Quotes of the Day
A pair of unrelated quotes that struck Apprentice Writer's fancy:
From the human nature department:
There are three kinds of people: those who arrive early, those who arrive on time, and those who arrive late. In general, the early ones are anxious, the punctual ones are obsessive, and late ones are hostile.
Unknown
From the author department:
In fact, if romances are fantasies of love, and mysteries are fantasies of justice, I would now describe much SF as fantasies of political agency.
Lois McMaster Bujold
Gentle Reader, do you agree?
From the human nature department:
There are three kinds of people: those who arrive early, those who arrive on time, and those who arrive late. In general, the early ones are anxious, the punctual ones are obsessive, and late ones are hostile.
Unknown
From the author department:
In fact, if romances are fantasies of love, and mysteries are fantasies of justice, I would now describe much SF as fantasies of political agency.
Lois McMaster Bujold
Gentle Reader, do you agree?
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