Halloween Timetaker

Halloween Fan? A few minutes on your hands? Enjoy(ed) those little calendars sold at Christmas time when you get to open one window per day for a chocolate reward when what you really wanted to do was rip them all open at once?

Romance Junkies' Haunted House is the place for you.

A delightful house that you tour to click on all manner of objects and denizens, leading to all sorts of possibilities of prizes. Books of various nature (ebook and print, historical and contemporary, romantic and mysterious, fantastical and literary), candy, other items... There are also a few so-called wrong turns, including an invitation to compose a poem about the Haunted House ghost (who looks like the butler). Great fun.

If you compose a poem for Fred the ghost, please come back here and share it with us!

Whither Romantic Social Media?

Recently, the following rmantic fiction grogs (group blogs) gave notice of final curtain:

The Soapbox Queens (group of authors)

Romance Vagabonds (group of aspiring authors/readers)

Love is an Exploding Cigar (group of authors)

Romance Novel TV (group of reader/reviewers and guest authors)

In the blogosphere's natural course of events, blogs come and blogs go. Nothing new about that.

What struck Apprentice Writer this time was the question: what led these faithful bloggers to close shop, and more interestingly (is that a word?) - have they really departed to have more time for writing or other personal projects, or is this another sign of the rising dominance of the almighty Twitterverse? Have blogs and grogs concentrating on, say, fantasy, mystery, or litfic gone through similar changes?

*ponders*

In Which Apprentice Writer is a Techno-Doof

Gentle Readers,

Apprentice Writer made her two previous posts right before dashing away for a long weekend which did not include wifi. She returned to discover that due to her non-techiness, the order of appearance was reversed -

ergo, the 'Latina Heroine' Twin Reviews post appeared first, with the one promising reviews 'tomorrow' posted second.

Evidently, it is time for AW to lean on her blogsavvy friends again.

Apologies.

Page 1

"This is either the longest suicide note in history or the juiciest, dirtiest, most delicious confession you'll ever hear. Call me Canela. That's Spanish for Cinammon, but don't call me Cinnamon; that's a stripper's name."
Josefina Lopez, 'Hungry Woman in Paris'

"There are a few theories about my weight. One of them places the responsibility of my extra pounds on my reckless behavior: I eat too much. I don't exercise enough, I combine the wrong foods, I eat late at night, etc. The truth is that I watch carefully what I eat, I exercise every day, and I never eat carbohydrates past 7 p.m. So there goes that theory."
Alberto Ferreras, 'B as in Beauty'


Twin reviews of these novels tomorrow.

Twin Reviews: LATINA HEROINES

B as in Beauty
Alberto Ferreras
Literary Fiction? Chicklit?

Hungry Woman in Paris
Josefina Lopez
Literary Fiction? Autobiographical Women's Fiction?

Premise
1. Big beautiful career woman with self-esteem issues learns to capitalize on her unusual look.
2. Grieving, romantically-conflicted and family-challenged first generation American woman
seeks answers in French haute cooking school.

Cover
1. Very beautiful, with eye-catching colors and relevant title. Would have snared Apprentice Writer's attention if walking by in a store.
2. Gorgeous colors. Unusual, striking, and symbolic image which perfectly captures a key moment in the story. Fantastic title which reflects content exactly. One of the best covers AW has seen this year.

What Works
1. B, short for Beauty, is an appealing young heroine. Of Cuban-American descent, she is in an ongoing struggle on three levels: to navigate her way between her family's traditional expections while in the 'new country', to get ahead in her job in advertising, and to make peace with the fact that despite her best efforts, her body does not conform to current notions of feminine body ideal. Following a few chapters establishing the baseline of her life, she meets an enigmatic older woman who offers her the opportunity to see her body in a new way; through the eyes of men whose thoughts and needs regarding love are highly specific and out of the norm. Offering her services to these men sets B on a gradual transformation process. Watching her growing self-esteem touch off changes in her personal and professional life was enjoyable, with the reader rooting for her along the way.

2. Who (apart from Parisians) hasn't entertained a fantasy or two about leaving all one's troubles behind to run away to Paris and recreate one's life? And who (apart from - OK give AW a minute here, she's having trouble coming up with an exception) doesn't equate Paris with exquisite food and passion for eating? This reader was more than ready to vicariously live out her dream through the heroine's actions, and eagerly explored the legendary Gallic capital through Canela's eyes.
As a visible minority member in France, Canela lives through the immigrant experience all over again after doing so the first time following an immensely difficult transition to the United States from Mexico. Her descriptions and flashbacks to key childhood scenes are vivid, and show what she means by hunger, of the body and the soul. This is the author's first novel, and there are sudden, small moments peppered throughout the novel that seem gem-like in beauty and clarity. One such is the scene where Canela recalls the exhausting work of picking grapes with her entire family, holding a cluster of fruit in her hands as though it were a heart, and having this memory abruptly tainted by arrival of authorities to conduct a raid on illegal workers. All panic and flee, so that fear of discovery, physical hunger while waiting till it's safe to emerge from the hiding spot, blood from an injury, and sweet grape juice all mingle together in the child Canela's mind. A shining moment in the narrative, and one that shows the author's screenwriterly and poetess roots.


What Doesn't
1. For some reason (the trade paperback size? the artistic cover? the reading group guide?) AW began this story under the impression it was literary fiction but as pages turned, it felt more like Latina chicklit. To wit: first person (check), young, urban, single, female protagonist (check), label-conscious (check), works in publishing/marketing/some such field (check), relies more on friends than family (check), has evil ex-boyfriend or evil boss or both (check). All that was missing was the gay best friend.

Gentle Reader, don't misconstrue. AW does not dislike chicklit. To the contrary, she has been diligent in her efforts (recorded in this space) to track down the increasingly endangered beast in its natural habitat. It's simply that she could do without the more strident tropes of the genre. Simply inserting a Latina heroine where, say, a standard-issue British one would usually be, does not alter the fact that a genre stereotype remains a genre stereotype. Specifically, the evil, ultra-onedimensional boss seemed overdone.

At multiple points throughout the story, B feels the need to repeat to her employer that she does not agree to have sex with the clients, and the employer assures her that she need not do anything with which she is not comfortable. Given the facts that the meetings with clients take place at night, that B is paid handsomely (by the employer after being given cash by the clients), that she is expected to devote large amounts of time and money on appearance, and that she is taken to and from appointments by a male driver who assures her that he can extract her from situations just as soon as she signals she is uncomfortable, it is understandable that B finds the lines blurry at times. Little tip: if you are in a frequent state of anxiety due to constant checking where the line is drawn, YOU MIGHT WANT TO STEP BACK AND RE-THINK THE WHOLE SITUATION.

2. There was much to enjoy in this story. There was also much to stub one's reader toe on. First, the character of Canela herself. The story opens with her behaving badly during a funeral. Grief can take mourners in different ways so it was not difficult to overlook this opening , however Canela continues at times to act in ways that seem oddly young and/or ego-centric for the stage of life she has reached. This is not the same as acting selfish; a recurring theme is her despair that she felt unable to help her beloved cousin in a difficult life situation, and when presented with an opportunity to make a difference for another woman in dire straits, she jumps in with both feet. It was more a matter of not grasping her hypocritical actions (e.g. she remarks more than once that she hasn't heard from a friend who had to leave France abruptly, yet she herself took off for France without telling anyone where she was going and takes a very long time to communicate with family members to let them know she is alright, avoids talking to parents directly so as to avoid lectures, etc.) and also, disappointingly, the schoolgirl level at which the cooking experience seems to remain.

Being a fan of HGTV, and having recently read 'Julie & Julia' (in which an amateur chef chronicles attempts to cook all recipes in a classic French cuisine cookbook in a year), AW has this preconceived notion that people who go into the profession are filled with passion and creativity where food is concerned. And though there were a few times where this came through it mostly was when gastronomic and romantic (or perhaps more accurately, lustful) passion intersected. Canela doesn't enrol in cooking school because she loves food an admires French cuisine; she does so to obtain a legal document that will allow her to stay longer in France because she doesn't feel ready to go home yet. Consequently, it should perhaps have been no surprise that the school scenes describe worry about tests, jostling with fellow students, time running out - all things that could take place at any kind of school. AW missed the zing that goes along with people for whom food is art, who train themselves to heighten their senses in service to providing new taste experiences for their clients and families. In this context, she was taken aback at the sheer number of men who appeared to seek employment at the school for the purpose of gaining access to a never-ending stream of foreign student bedpartners (since emphasis is made on the fact the French cooking students don't enrol). Perhaps she should be more cynical?

She also missed smooth writing. The author's style felt choppy and confusing, with details and characters mentioned that at first were assumed to be designed to further the plot but then led nowhere. Like Canela, the author spent time in France at cooking school. It made this reader wonder if the writing style could partly be explained as autobiographical memory, with scenes given straightforward description of what took place at the time, rather than deliberate fictional build-up of one detail logically upon another so as to achieve a particular effect in the reader. Yet - the parts that worked, worked very well. Often in short snippets, such as clever chapter titles: 'Like Water for Canela', 'Last Mango in Paris', 'A Chicana in Paris'.


Overall
Apprentice Writer has read very little Latin-oriented fiction. She won these titles as part of a Hispanic Literature Appreciation Month prize, and eagerly dove in. Though she didn't click on every level with these particular stories, without question, the background of the heroines added depth and interest to tales of universal struggle of young women trying to find their place in the modern world. AW greatly looks forward to reading further titles exploring the Latin diaspora.

Learn more about the authors here:
Alberto Ferreras

Josefina Lopez

Author Q & A: EVE SILVER

Multi-genre author Eve Silver graciously took the time to indulge Apprentice Writer's curiosity about all things authorial. Take a look:

The cover of SbaS is lovely. Did you choose the title and/or provide input on art?

Thank you, but I can't take any credit. My editor came up with the title and the cover arrived already complete. All I had left to do was frame a cover flat and hang it on the wall. *g*

That must be quite a nice collection of cover art by now!

My favorite scene in SbaS is when Gabriel takes Catherine up to his secret room in the tower. Such clear and touching proof of his transformation. Which was your favorite scene?

I have a tough time picking a favorite scene from Seduced by a Stranger, but I'll choose a memorable scene that evinces the hero's first tentative steps toward personal growth. In this scene, Gabriel - the tortured, emotionally stunted hero - experiences the urge to comfort Catherine. Her pain and heartbreak reach the cold core of his heart, warming him and breathing life into emotions he had never imagined he possessed. Against his nature, he is drawn to comfort her and he pauses, uncertain exactly what to offer her.

In the dark hallway, Gabriel stood outside Catherine's door. She was crying. The sounds were muffled, as though she struggled to suffocate them into silence. Something inside him shifted and turned, an unpleasant and wholly uncharacteristic instinct of chivalry that insisted he step inside and offer comfort of some sort.

He had no idea how.

What did one offer in the face of another's pain? Here was a lesson he had failed to learn...no...a lesson he had never been taught. In the place where he had grown from boy to young man, there had been only lessons in survival. Hide behind an emotionless mask. Evade. Lie. Show only what they expected. The level of his suffering had been determined by his abilityto guess exactly what they wished to see and hear. If he was right, they left him alone. If he was wrong, there were all manner of tortures and deprivation. He had striven to be right more often than wrong. The sound of Catherine's sobs confused him. He wanted to comfort her as much as he wanted to avoid the necessity of doing so.

Copyright 2009. Eve Silver. All Rights Reserved.

Agreed, that's a good one too. Very powerful, when someone simply walks away.

Nightstand Inspection! What was the last ____ you read?

I have a towering pile on my nightstand, but here are a few of the recent reads that were real stand-outs for me. (Of course, I could probably type and endless list, but I'll try and be brief.)

Contemporary: Start Me Up by Victoria Dahl

Historical: What Happens in London by Julia Quinn and an advance read of For Your Arms Only by Caroline Linden.

Paranormal/UF/Fantasy: Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning and Amazon Ink by Lori Devoti.

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller: Burn by Linda Howard and The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner.

YA: Demon Princess: Reign or Shine by Michelle Rowen.

Apprentice Writer has a soft spot for Michelle Rowen's reliably funny voice, also.

Who is your writing idol and why?

I have quite a list of writers I admire, but I'll share a few here.
- Linda Howard because no matter what direction she takes, I end up loving her books; she's pure genius. I'm embarrassed to admit I turned into a squeeing fangirl when I met her.

- Mary Shelley because she dug the foundations of a genre. (And shout-outs to Sherrilyn Kenyon, Christine Feehan, Maggie Shayne, Linda Lael Miller, and others who were the early explorers of paranormal romance.)

- Karen Marie Moning because she is the queen of foreshadowing and her imagination is wonderful.

- Shana Abe because she is a wordsmith.

- Kelley Armstrong because she is a brilliant writer in every genre she tackles, and because she is a gracious and lovely person.

- Nora Roberts because she is oh so savvy.

- Marjorie M. Liu because she writes where her heart takes her.

- Gena Showalter because she has fabulous unique ideas and because she's dedicated.

- Lori Foster because all these years later I still remember reading my first Lori Foster love scene...the one with the guy, the girl, and the fridge.

- Christina Dodd because she's talented and wise and shares her wisdom (check out the Squawkradio blog).

- Teresa Medeiros because she's funny as can be on Twitter (go forth and follow her!) and because she's always been one of my fave historical authors.

- Daphne du Maurier because her writing just pulls me right in.

- Sarah Waters because every sentence she writes flows like a smooth river.

- Lisa Kleypas because I adore her books and because she had the guts to take her career in the direction she wanted it to go.

- Kathleen E. Woodiwiss because she was the first romance author I ever read.

- Christopher Moore because there's no voice out there even remotely like his.

- Lisa Gardner because she scares me. And because she is generous with her knowledge of writing (check out her website for tricks of the trade).

I could go on and on because there are many wonderful authors who bring so much to the table, but I suspect you don't want this blog post to run for 15 pages! ;-)

Great diversity of reasons. Love it that Christopher Moore made this list - reminds me of the children's song "One of These Things is Not Like the Others.." And now I won't be able to rest till I find out about the guy, the girl, and that fridge....

Best piece of advice for aspiring writers?

Finish the book. You can't sell the book if you don't write the book. Get those fingers flying on the keyboard every day, even if it's just for a few minutes. If you only write a sentence or two, you're still a sentence or two closer to typing 'The End'. Polishing can come once the entire story is complete. Rewriting the first chapter over and over again won't get the story told - it will only get you a beautifully polished first chapter. So finish your story...the whole story. Then move on and tell the next story, and the next. Don't get hung up on a single chapter or a single manuscript. If writing is your dream, if stories whisper to you in the darkest hours of the night or while you're cooking dinner or walking the dog in the bright light of day, then tell your story, all the way to the end.

To sum up that advice: butt in chair, hands on keyboard.

*whistling oh-so-casually* *nudging uber-polished first chapters out of sight*

Anything else you'd like to share with Apprentice Writer's readers?
Thanks for having me, Maya, and thanks to the readers for reading! For excerpts, info, contests and more, please visit my website at http://www.evesilver.net.

And there you have it. Wise words from a prolific, multi-faceted author. Upcoming on the horizon is OTHERKIN, a 'dark, gritty paranormal trilogy' to be released in 2010. Thank you, Ms. Silver, sharing your insights and the perfect gothic candidate for the RIP challenge.

Non-Laughter Reviews: GOTHIC

Seduced by a Stranger
Eve Silver
Romantic Suspense


Premise:
Woman with haunted past travels to forlorn abbey in support of ailing childhood friend and is unsettled by enigmatic host.

Cover:
Pretty colors with interesting lighting, in a welcome change from all too-frequent nekkid manchests it is the lady's back which is exposed. Title indistinctive, though with some mental gymnastics ("Do we ever really know the person we're with?") can be seen as applicable to content.

What Works
Apprentice Writer read this book for three reasons: As a classic gothic-type tale, it fit beautifully with criteria for the RIP reading challenge (see sidebar button); curiosity about the author's historical voice after enjoying her speculative fiction voice in 'Driven' (written as Eve Kenin); and the good fortune to have won a copy through a Goodreads early readers lottery.

She was not disappointed.

The restless mood of dread the author creates with the first scene permeates the whole story, with the reader ready to see malevolence lurking in every detail and villains foreshadowed with every new character. The historical voice was kept pitch perfect throughout, with not a single occasion of words, behaviours or setting details feeling out of place or time (not that Apprentice Writer is a great expert in judging these matters, but the thrown-out-of-the-story effect happens all too often even for historical laypeople). The story has every ingredient a Gothic-lover could want: secrets on all sides, mystery illness, whispers of poison, murder, secret passages, cemetary with mystery resident, alternate identities, gloomy manor with even more gloomy lake set on a languishing estate, and many a flickering candle.

The heart of the story explores the question of how two people who have survived past emotional damage by erecting walls around themselves can create a bridge to one another. Whether they will or not isn't a true question, given the genre; it's how they do so that is of interest. The backstory of the hero, when it finally is fed in, was of such a level of suspense and empathy for the character that it had to be read all of a piece, pages flying to find out what happened, breathless all the while. To avoid spoilerisms, suffice it to say that for the modern reader some details may seem utterly incredulous but are in all likelihood too terribly historically accurate.

The big climactic crisis scene had an especially pleasing ending, in terms of the two last statements the heroine makes to the hero right before the epilogue. They were delicious, one of AW's favorite parts of the whole story, and the Gentle Reader can take a guess in which direction they went through knowledge that among Disney princesses, AW loves Mulan best while Cinderella goes on her last nerve.


What Doesn't
In terms of the suspense part of the tale, AW was neatly led astray by a red herring, and didn't guess the full answer to the puzzle until quite close to the end. The final explanation of how things occured generally left this reader satisfied, with one exception which can't be detailed so as not to spoil it. Let's say it had to do with logistics, time frame, and staying true-to-character of the person involved. Perhaps there is a simple explanation for apparent conflict; AW hopes to put the question to the author directly.

The second area where AW would have liked a bit more detail had to do with a main character's reaction to learning of the extent of the villain's deeds and subsequent demise. The build-up to that moment was years and oodles of the strongest emotion possible in the making. The reaction to all that resolution felt gratingly brief, artificial, and understated. Perhaps a victim of tight word-count?

And those two minor instances were the sum total. So, altogether, very little to step on the reader's suspension-of-disbelief toes.


Overall
A satisfying tale of chills, emotion, physical and emotional survival, and the power of love.

BUT WAIT - THERE'S MORE!
The author graciously agreed to answer a few questions despite a looming deadline. Come back tomorrow to get a glimpse into the mind of a (sometimes) gothic author.