Writer Unboxed - The "Connect Kitty" Approves
AAC can't help but deliver the best bloggish content that will inspire writers to new leaps of imagination. This one is mostly new releases, bestsellers, literary fiction historical fiction, mysteries, popular non-fiction, memoirs and biographies.
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We are so pleased to share a look at a new book by long-time contributor and multi-published author Sophie Masson called Inside Story: the Wonderful World of Writing, Illustrating and Publishing Children’s Books! The book, which releases on May 1st in Australia and this summer in the states, is a gorgeous and unique resource–as Sophie is about to explain. Q1: What’s this new book about? SM: Inside Story is a fabulous showcase of the richness and diversity of contemporary Australian children’s books. An attractive full-colour production, it is packed with tips, advice, illuminating quotes and anecdotes. The stellar list of contributors includes writers, illustrators, edi…
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(How I picture the Writer Unboxed Community. Look at that glow!) If it takes a village to raise a child, it requires a community to create a book. If you are a part of the Writer Unboxed UnConference alumni group, you probably know I had a book launch this week. But what you may not know is that DARLING GIRL is my second book. My first, EVENFALL, came out 11 years ago. Yes, you read that right. That first book was a quiet one, and although I received some lovely reviews, it slowly sank from sight. But, hey, I wasn’t ALL that worried. I’d sold a book, so how hard could it be to sell another? You already know where this is going. It was pretty damn hard. Part of th…
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(Yes, this actually IS a photo of F. Scott Fitzgerald.) In my previous post, I focused on the importance of the written word in the time of Covid, and on how I was embracing a newfound reliance on written correspondence to stay connected with people – in particular, people I care deeply about. Among the books I mentioned in that post was this collection of letters written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, which I recommend to anyone who’s a fan of the author. Since posting that, I stumbled onto a powerful quote from F. Scott. (By the way, how cool is his name? I actually went through a phase in college where I insisted on being listed in musical programs as “K. Daniel Cronin.” Go…
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How nice when a novel boils down to one simple idea. Oh, my life as a literary agent gets easy! Pitching becomes a breeze. Everyone from editors to reviewers are happy too. There’s little to explain. No one needs to be sold. The story sells itself. The premise rings like a starting bell and the horses are off and galloping away. The novel has practically written itself in our brains. Except… High concept novels have instant appeal but reading a novel doesn’t happen in an instant. There are hundreds of pages to fill. With what? That’s where this business of writing fiction starts to get complicated. A good idea gets you going but going where? How do you hold…
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At the start of any mystery or whodunit, often authors find themselves grappling with a conundrum: how, exactly, do I hide my villain or “bad guy” in plain sight? This individual is often a key player in the story, meaning we need to introduce the reader to our villain early (ultimately, this makes for a more satisfying ending: no one wants to learn that the villain is a minor side character who shows up in act III.) We also need the reader to engage regularly with the hidden villain throughout the story. When keeping our villain’s identity under wraps, we want the reader to not only understand this key character’s motives, but even root for them. And of course, we want …
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When you read the headline of this piece — you can’t do it all — did you bristle? Relax? Recognize your own struggle as a writer? For most of us, it can be a combination of the three. We want to do it all, of course. If a great book idea comes into our heads, we want to write that book. If we have a book releasing into the world, we want to visit every bookstore and write every blogpost and promote! promote! promote! on social media. We want to share wonderful memory-making moments with our families and friends, take care of our responsibilities, do our jobs to the highest standard, field the curveballs life throws our way, all while maintaining healthy lifestyles, clean…
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We are thrilled to bring you an in-depth look at Writer Unboxed contributor Liz Michalski’s second (and very high concept) novel today: DARLING GIRL! In a nutshell? Darling Girl is a modern-day re-casting of Peter Pan. He isn’t who we thought he was. He isn’t charming. He can get older. And the stakes couldn’t be higher for the women in the Darling family. Just this past week we learned that DARLING GIRL was chosen as one of this month’s picks for the Book of the Month Club! DARLING GIRL is climbing the charts pre-release. And there is more exciting news that can’t be shared yet (darn it). Just know that this little book that could is one to watch! “This addictive tale…
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Have you ever imagined being interviewed on late night television about your breakout bestselling book? Do you long for your own Wikipedia page? When you read the New York Times “By the Book” feature, do you draft out what your own answers would be? Or is that just me…? Well, whatever your specific fantasies may be, we all have them. We all stretch our imaginations toward the brightest possibilities the future may hold, like plants seeking out light. Even if we’re a little afraid, I think we just can’t help it. It’s human nature to dream. It’s also human nature to feel the ticking of the clock. As the years pass by, our future seems to shrink, and some of those shiny p…
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“Writers don’t have time to read.” It was a phrase someone said at a book club I attended as nonchalantly as I think it’s going to rain tomorrow. Later that week, as I wandered the aisles of Vroman’s bookstore with my little bundle of books in my arms, I too wondered “Am I going to have time to read all these books?” Reading has always been second nature to me to the point where I could easily get away with saying that was born with a book in my hand. From Teddy Ruxpin to Reading Rainbow my childhood revolved around books. A trip to the bookstore was just as good as a trip to Toys ‘R Us, if not better. That love of reading continued through my adult years, especially wh…
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My dad grew up in Miami, Florida, the oldest son of a Southern Baptist deacon. Their house, like other midcentury homes, had a flat roof topped with a layer of gravel. On weekends when they weren’t at church, my dad and his younger sister were made to walk around the outside of their house, picking up pebbles that had blown off the roof. Was this necessary work? Maybe—I don’t have a gravel roof. But the lesson, as my dad told the story, wasn’t about the labor involved in roofing choices, but that any time spent at leisure was wasteful—sinful, even. “Idle hands are the devil’s playthings,” as the saying goes. I thought of this story as I finished Draft Zero of my current …
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Novels reside at the intersection of psychology and sociology. Depending on the era and the novelist, the intersection of the psychological and the social shifts and becomes the story of a character’s formation (the bildungsroman), or the story of a society that works to crush the very notion of character or self. Novelists negotiate that intersection, consciously or not, reflecting the history they witness and the societies in which they abide, telling the story of a character who develops agency because she disobeys, or the story of a character crushed because she can only obey. Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist, reflects on the biblical story of the Tower of Babel…
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Last Thursday something a little unusual happened here on WU. The post published that day was a new edition of the popular monthly feature Flog A Pro, by WU’s own Ray Rhamey. If you haven’t read the post and plan to, here’s your spoiler alert! in regard to the unusual aspect. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the pro Ray featured was an icon of fantasy, and the book is beloved staple to the genre. The book: The Wizard of Earthsea (1968). The author: the late great Ursula K. Le Guin. The results of the poll, however, were less surprising, with almost two-thirds saying they would not read on past the first page. And although Ray voted yes, and the majority of the comm…
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Whether you’re easing back into a writing routine, need a break from your magnum opus, or just want to inject a little fun into your day… YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN THE STORYADAY MAY CHALLENGE New For 2022: 2 Ways To Play This year, for the first time, I’ve created a Fun-Size StoryADay challenge—one month, one story—to ease you (back) into a daily writing practice that fits your life. Your Perfect Writing Day Imagine opening your email each morning of May and finding an encouraging note, writing prompt or tiny task that will start you off on the right writing foot. No guilt, just an invitation to let your inner writer come out and play. What’s In the Fun-Size Challenge?…
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NOT writing as a whole. Neither of us would be here if we wanted to give up writing. But what if you gave up an idea that is holding you back? Might it free you, your writing, your creativity? I have to finish this manuscript before I can write the next story. What if you didn’t? What if you moved on to another story? Just tested it out. You can still come back to the old manuscript. But what if the self-imposed idea that you have to finish something before you start the next thing is preventing you from working both on the old story and on the new story? Maybe you don’t like the old thing anymore, or the story isn’t quite working and you can’t figure out how to fix it, …
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Trained by reading hundreds of submissions, editors and agents often make their read/not-read decision on the first page. In a customarily formatted book manuscript with chapters starting about 1/3 of the way down the page (double-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point type), there are 16 or 17 lines on the first page. Here’s the question: Would you pay good money to read the rest of the chapter? With 50 chapters in a book that costs $15, each chapter would be “worth” 30 cents. So, before you read the excerpt, take 30 cents from your pocket or purse. When you’re done, decide what to do with those three dimes or the quarter and a nickel. It’s not much, but think of paying 30 …
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A story, by definition, is something that moves through time. If you removed the passage of time, you’d have an exposition, description, or interior rumination. While there are exceptions, like Jodi Picoult’s novel A Spark of Light that starts at the end and works its way back to the beginning, the movement of a story is usually forward—from now to later, from before to after. That’s why a good story engages our attention. We want to know what’s going to happen next, how everything works out (or doesn’t). Sometimes, we also want to know what happened earlier, before the story began. Usually, it’s because we want a deeper or fuller explanation for a character’s response …
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As I was working on this article, news came of Russia’s deliberate bombing of a train station full of refugees, mostly women and children, trying to escape the shelling in eastern Ukraine. That vile act added some urgency to the topic I was writing about – the problem that evil is often easier to write than goodness. Evil people make the deliberate decision to be bad and often take delight in doing harm. Goodness is less self-conscious, almost by definition. A lot of good people never think of themselves as good – they don’t let their left hand know what their right hand is doing. In fact, good people are often good because they have doubts or fears and do the right t…
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During the 2022 Academy Awards, much of the world was transfixed when the actor Will Smith strode onstage and proceeded to slap comedian Chris Rock across the face for a joke made about his wife’s appearance. (Rock compared Pinkett Smith, who suffers from alopecia and sports a shaved head, to the character GI Jane.) He then returned to his front-row seat and instructed Rock to “keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth.” Twice. I happened to be watching at the time and, as one does these days, hastened to Twitter to see what others made of the incident. In the moments that followed, we collectively watched to see whether it had been a stunt gone wrong (it wasn’t), w…
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Welcome to a new edition of Desmond’s Drops! This month, enjoy three drops about: Mystery vs. Backstory Oppositional Dialogue Conflict Analysis Email subscribers, please click through directly to writerunboxed.com to view. Look for more of Desmond’s Drops in May! Have your own bit of wisdom to share? Drop it in comments. About Desmond HallDesmond Hall, author of YOUR CORNER DARK, was born in Jamaica, West Indies, and them moved to Jamaica, Queens. He’s worked as both a high school biology teacher and English teacher, counseled at-risk teens, and served as Spike Lee’s creative director at SpikeDDB. He’s also written and directed the HBO movie, A DAY IN BL…
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photo adapted / Horia Varlan Every element in a story must be necessary, suggests the dramatic principal known as “Chekov’s gun”: If you put a gun on the wall in the first act, it should be used before the end of the play. That’s equally true for any unusual detail. If you introduce a Waterford crystal vase in a trailer home, or a caged boa constrictor in the house where your character picks up his babysitter, it will grab your reader’s notice and make her wonder, Hmm, what’s that about? Because your reader will assume that detail is a sign pointing toward the story to come, its presence (or even its sudden absence!) will add an undercurrent of tension to any scene taki…
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Last week my youngest daughter went back to work in her office for the first time since the pandemic began. It was harder than she expected. Her office is an open space with dozens of cubicles, and she found herself distracted by all the faces and voices, by the need to be “on” all day with people, self-conscious about others overhearing her as she conducted meetings from her cubicle. It felt, she said, like being thrown into the proverbial deep end of the pool and being told to swim. And this kid is an extrovert. Maybe the organization could have handled this transition better, she said. And I said, How much experience do you think your company has with transitioning em…
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Every hero has a flaw, and that is a major element drives stories to their conclusions. In the meantime, the character goes through all many trials, overcomes all several obstacles to reach a point of self-realization where they can change and become a different person. Sometimes, however, the flaw leads to the downfall of the character. Aristotle called this the tragic flaw, often referred to by the literary term hamartia, although that is also taken to mean the error the character makes that leads to the tragic end. Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman is a classic example of a hero with a tragic flaw. Loman has many flaws, but his pride and refusal to accept the realit…
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When it comes to book marketing, this is what’s been the water cooler talk recently: On Instagram and growth. Read this New York Times article. On media relationships and quizzing publicists…also, how publicist’s should and shouldn’t respond to prospects. An old PR colleague sent this LinkedIn post to me the other day. On gaining more BookBub followers. Read this blog post from author Juno Rushdan. I’ve said this before–I learn a lot from my clients. Many come to me with a wealth of marketing and PR hits and misses. For this post, I asked a few authors at different stages in their careers, what did they learn about book marketing and PR which was surprising. Additional…
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When last we left our intrepid heroine (for those who forget and dare to refresh their recollection, go gently here and here), my current work in progress, aka the Mighty Manuscript (henceforth MM), was invigorated, refreshed and renewed by shedding over 22,000 needless, flabby words. She now stood tall—a lean, mean, once-upon-a-time machine—and was ready to … …be read by a second editor, to determine whether MM’s sleek new frame was indeed as healthy as hoped or, on the contrary, suffering now from narrative enervation from having so suddenly lost so much heft. As noted before, I’d hired Zoe Quinton as my editor for the first several rounds, and she was encouraging, th…
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Fiction implies a made-up world, but for some novelists, their books are rooted in real events. WU contributing author Nancy Johnson offers examples of contemporary novels that explore some of our shared experiences. Check out her video here. Do you center your own fiction around real-life events? If so, what have you learned in the process? As a reader and writer, how do novels help you make sense of the real world around you? About Nancy JohnsonNancy Johnson (she/her) is the debut author of THE KINDEST LIE, forthcoming February 2 from William Morrow/HarperCollins. Her novel has been named a most anticipated book of 2021 by Marie Claire, Good Housekeeping, Refiner…
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ALGONKIAN SUCCESS STORIES
WTF is Wrong With Stephen King?
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Supper Clubs, Kit Rocha, & More
Slippery Creatures RECOMMENDED: Slippery Creatures by K.J. Charles is 99c! AJ reviewed this one and gave it a B+: Long story short, if you’re looking for a fun thriller and you don’t mind buckling up for the long-ish haul on the romance (or if you just miss used bookstores as much as I do), give it a try! Will Darling came back from the Great War with a few scars, a lot of medals, and no idea what to do next. Inheriting his uncle’s chaotic second-hand bookshop is a blessing…until strange visitors start making threats. First a criminal gang, then the War Office, both telling Will to give them the information they want, or else. Will has no idea what that information is, and nobody to turn to, until Kim Secretan—charming, cultured, oddly attractive—steps in to offer help. As Kim and Will try to find answers and outrun trouble, mutual desire grows along with the danger. And then Will discovers the truth about Kim. His identity, his past, his real intentions. Enraged and betrayed, Will never wants to see him again. But Will possesses knowledge that could cost thousands of lives. Enemies are closing in on him from all sides—and Kim is the only man who can help. A 1920s m/m romance trilogy in the spirit of Golden Age pulp fiction. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → You can find ordering info for this book here. The Kindred Spirits Supper Club The Kindred Hearts Supper Club by Amy E. Reichert is $1.99! Reichert’s books, I feel, lean more toward fiction with romantic elements, but often have a lot of foodie elements. There also appears to be a ghosty/paranormal element. Jobless and forced home to Wisconsin, journalist Sabrina Monroe can tolerate reunions with frenemies and kisses from old boyfriends, but not the literal ghosts that greet her in this heartwarming tale of the power of love and connection from acclaimed author Amy E. Reichert. For Sabrina Monroe, moving back home to the Wisconsin Dells–the self-described Waterpark Capital of the World–means returning to the Monroe family curse: the women in her family can see spirits who come to them for help with unfinished business. But Sabrina’s always redirected the needy spirits to her mom, who’s much better suited for the job. The one exception has always been Molly, a bubbly rom-com loving ghost, who stuck by Sabrina’s side all through her lonely childhood. Her personal life starts looking up when Ray, the new local restaurateur, invites Sabrina to his supper club, where he flirts with her over his famous Brandy Old-Fashioneds. He’s charming and handsome, but Sabrina tells herself she doesn’t have time for romance–she needs to focus on finding a job. Except the longer she’s in the Dells, the harder it is to resist her feelings for Ray. Who can turn down a cute guy with a fondness for rescue dogs and an obsession with perfecting his fried cheese curds recipe? When the Dells starts to feel like home for the first time and with Ray in her corner, Sabrina begins to realize that she can make a difference and help others wherever she is. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → You can find ordering info for this book here. The Checklist The Checklist by Addie Woolridge is $1.99! This is another book that seems more like fiction with romance elements than a contemporary romance. Woolridge’s second book, The Bounce Back, has been mentioned on the site. In an energetic debut novel about personal and professional chaos, author Addie Woolridge introduces a multicultural cast whose exploits are redefining the modern rom-com. Killing it at work? Check. Gorgeous boyfriend? Check. Ambitions derailed by an insecure boss? Sigh—check. Things were going a little too well for Dylan Delacroix. After upstaging her boss on a big account, she gets dispatched to the last place she wants to be: her hometown, Seattle. There, she must use her superstar corporate-consulting skills to curb the worst impulses of an impossibly eccentric tech CEO—if she doesn’t, she’s fired. The fun doesn’t stop there: Dylan must also negotiate a ceasefire in the endless war between her bohemian parents and the straitlaced neighbors. Adding to the chaos is a wilting relationship with her boyfriend and a blossoming attraction to the neighbors’ smoking-hot son. Suddenly Dylan has a million checklists, each a mile long. As personal and professional pressures mount, she finds it harder and harder to stay on track. Having always relied on her ability to manage the world around her, Dylan’s going to need a new plan. She may be down, but she’s definitely not out. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → You can find ordering info for this book here. The Devil You Know Deal with the Devil by Kit Rocha is $2.99! Sneezy reviewed this one and gave it a B: Despite my confusion regarding some of the worldbuilding, the characters and their relationships are developed beautifully, and the entire story thrummed with the sort of vitality that you can only get from a post-apocalyptic road trip with suped-up BAMFs. I can’t rave enough about the emotional literacy this book is built on, which I find incredibly catnippy. Maya has had a price on her head from the day she escaped the TechCorps. Genetically engineered for genius and trained for revolution, there’s only one thing she can’t do—forget. Gray has finally broken free of the Protectorate, but he can’t escape the time bomb in his head. His body is rejecting his modifications, and his months are numbered. When Maya’s team uncovers an operation trading in genetically enhanced children, she’ll do anything to stop them. Even risk falling back into the hands of the TechCorps. And Gray has found a purpose for his final days: keeping Maya safe. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → You can find ordering info for this book here. View the full article -
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Tamron Hall On Journalism, Missing White Woman Syndrome, and Who Gets to Be The Girl Next Door
Tamron Hall is an Emmy-Award-winning talk show host who is also an advocate for domestic violence awareness. She brings all this impressive experience to her debut psychological thriller, As the Wicked Watch (now in paperback from William Morrow), the story of a crime reporter who becomes consumed with her need to bring attention to the murder of a Black teenage girl, the kind of victim who never gets their fair due in the news. As the Wicked Watch eviscerates the news industry as the home of Missing White Woman Syndrome, and combines a driving narrative with a fierce main character for a novel that will keep you turning pages well into the night. Thanks to Tamron Hall for letting me ask a few questions about the new book and her experiences in journalism. Molly Odintz: How did you incorporate your own experiences in media into the book? Tamron Hall: Jordan is very much inspired by my life as a journalist. 25 plus years of reporting and anchoring gave me perspective. That said, Jordan is her own being and, in some ways, she is a piece of so many woman I’ve worked alongside in newsrooms from Philadelphia, Texas, Chicago, and New York. MO: As the Wicked Watch draws attention to the way Black girls’ disappearances and murders are underreported on; what did you want readers to think about when it comes to “missing white woman” syndrome and who mainstream media leaves behind? TH: I could never have imagined As The Wicked Watch would be released just as we were having the national conversation again of who gets to be the headline. The book launched just as the nation was captivated by the disappearance of Gabby Petito. But what we learned after so many black parents and family members spoke up was, yet again, missing people of color were invisible to those writing and reporting the news. This is explored in the book inspired by my own newsroom experiences over the years. I want the readers to see and hear in this story the real pain I witnessed talking with parents who wondered aloud to me, “Does anyone care?” MO: As The Wicked Watch challenges the typical notion of the “girl next door.” What does “girl next door” mean to you? TH: The phrase “girl next door” was always triggering for me. As a young woman, I was always led to believe that was a white blonde woman. The fresh faced “Noxzema” ads never looked like girls next door to me. Nor did they look like me. In the context of the story, it explains why the media and the public are often lured into caring more about a certain type of girl when she goes missing. It should go without saying no matter what the girl looks like: she lives next door to someone, she is part of a community. MO: The structure of a reporter story is great for fair play mysteries, as we follow along with the investigation and learn the same details as the journalist along the way. What is your writing advice for those who want to write a novel featuring a journalist? How did crafting a crime novel resemble or differ from the actual work of digging into a story as a reporter? TH: This was all so new for me. Writing a news story is so different from a novel. I found myself far out of my comfort zone. I would suggest remembering journalists are people. The notion that anyone walks away from the harsh reality of covering crime, for example, unfazed is unrealistic. When writing a novel about a journalist, I would go back to the “girl next door’. A journalist may not live next door to you, but they just like you live in this world and creating a character begins with seeing not what they do, but how does it impact their view and decision. *** View the full article -
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Elyse Watches The Bachelorette–S19 E5: Radar
So last week chicken-poo guy, Logan, was starting some shit by deciding he’d rather be with Gabby than Rachel. Rachel’s already been rejected a whole bunch and is fragile. Also they’re all sailing around Europe on an empty cruise ship because…reasons? I told Pudding it was time to watch The Bachelorette and this was her face. Also joining us is Radar, our newest foster baby. He’s 1.5lbs of absolute chaos and will be here until he’s big enough to be fixed. So the SS WTF is sails to Bruges. Chicken Shit Logan is telling Rachel how special he feels whenever she gives him a rose, which is cringe because we know he wants Gabby. Rachel says that makes her feel special. Then he says, “I feel like something’s been holding me back a little bit. Something that’s been anchoring me down.” Her face falls. Pudding: We could legit anchor you down and shove you over the side. Just sayin’. He tells her he can’t go on the group date because he feels stronger about Gabby. “You accepted so many roses from me…” she says. She walks him out of her cabin and tells the camera, “Everyone is leaving me. The rejection feels really awful.” Rachel should ditch all these assholes and adopt Radar. His love will be true. Then it’s time for Rachel’s group date that Chicken Shit Logan isn’t on. Meanwhile Dale, or whatever the fuck his name is, goes and talks to Rachel who is crying. She says she feels like they should be past the point of people changing their minds. “How is this affecting you?” Dale asks. WELL SHE’S CRYING IN A BATHROBE YOU SHIT STAIN, HOW DO YOU THINK IT’S AFFECTING HER. Radar: Give me the final rose, Rachel! Pudding: Yes, please do. When did we become a home for urchins? So Dale tells the dudes Rachel is canceling their group date but will still have a cocktail hour. Frankly I’m not even on this show and I need to drink right now so… Click for me [spoiler] We cut to Chicken Shit Logan looking pensively over the balcony on the ship, but tragically he doesn’t fall overboard. Logan goes to talk to Gabby and says he was “on fire” for her. They make an ointment for that, I think. Gabby admits he was their only “overlap.” She says she needs to check with Rachel because she puts her friends first. [spoiler spoilerwarning="Click for Pudding and I"] Gabby goes to Rachel’s cabin and learns that she canceled her group date. “Someone else left, I feel like a failure as the Bachelorette,” Rachel says. “Logan dumped me for another Bachelorette.” “I would feel the same way,” Gabby says. Rachel says Logan strung her along for weeks and she doesn’t think Logan is trustworthy. During the cocktail hour, Rachel is honest with the dudes that Logan decided he wanted to be with Gabby instead of her. Meatball says “I want to tell her I’m 100% invested in this relationship.” Pudding: I am 100% invested in bacon. I’m still struggling that this dude is called Meatball. The date rose goes to Tino, certified forklift driver. Then it’s time for Gabby’s group date. Logan is not included. They explore Bruges and sample some waffles. Then the guys play a version of rock, paper, scissors where if you lose you get slapped in the face with a fish. During the cocktail hour, Logan shows up and there’s much “oooooohhhh”ing. The guys are pissed that Logan is there now after pursuing Rachel. Pudding: MAKE HIM WALK THE PLANK! Nate feels like Logan is being calculating. Click for me In the end Gabby gives the group date rose to Nate. Erich says he feels like he’s wasting his time. You are touring Europe in an empty cruise ship with unlimited booze, so maybe calm the fuck down. Rachel goes on a one-on-one date with Aven. They go on a carriage ride and stop at a chocolatier. During the dinner they aren’t allowed to eat, Aven tells Rachel that for him stability is the most important thing in a relationship, so it makes total sense that he went on reality TV to find a relationship. He gives Rachel a bracelet his mom made for him to bring her luck. He gets the date rose. Back on the ship, Gabby’s group of dudes discuss Logan switching sides. They aren’t happy. The next one-on-one is between Gabby and Johnny. I’m two and a half Whiteclaws in, you guys. Click for me Pudding: Lightweight. They go to a brewery and taste flights of beer. Then they go to a spa where they take a bath in beer which sounds…sticky. Ed. note: I shuddered when I read that. During the dinner they aren’t allowed to eat, Gabby tells him he’s funnier than she thought he’d be. She says he’s guarded. He says he’s “the least confident guy ever.” He then implies that he probably needs therapy for lack of self esteem and depression. WHY ARE YOU ON THIS SHOW? Gabby suggests he give himself some grace. She gives him the date rose. Jesus Christ. We still have 30 minutes left. Okay, then it’s time for the Pre-Dreaded Rose Ceremony cocktail hour back on the ship. Gabby gives Nate Belgian chocolates she bought for his daughter. Chicken Shit Logan observes how close she is with the other dudes and starts to panic. Dale announces it’s time for the Dreaded Rose Ceremony. Rachel sends Meatball home. Gabby sends home Mario and Michael. And that’s it. Are you watching? View the full article -
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THE MAN WHO CAME AND WENT by Joe Stillman (BOOK REVIEW)
‘Being seen was more beautiful than anything I had ever known’ Instagram: @joethestillman Twitter: @JoeStillman1 Huge THANK YOU to Saichek Publicity for my review copy Joe Stillman’s writing credits include “Shrek,” “Shrek 2,” “King of the Hill,” “The Adventures of Pete and Pete,” “Beavis And Butthead,” “Planet 51,” and “Gulliver’s Travels,” among others. For “Shrek” he was nominated for an Oscar and won a BAFTA award. For “King of the Hill” he was nominated for two Emmys. His first writing job in college was the movie trailer for Frank Zappa’s, “Baby Snakes.” As a copywriter, Joe worked on over 200 movie campaigns. Eventually that led to TV promos and then “The Adventures of Pete and Pete” for Nickelodeon, on which Joe was head writer. After writing about 20 episodes of “Beavis And Butthead”, Joe pitched “Beavis And Butthead Do America” and wrote it with Mike Judge. It was his first produced feature and, more importantly, provided a tax write-off for the drive from New York to Los Angeles. His first novel, “The Man Who Came And Went” was the result of a 30 year journey that included failures, near-misses, and approximately 9000 pounds of self-doubt. If you should decide to purchase a copy, the amortized income of Joe’s effort would come to about 9 cents per year, for which he would be very grateful. From one of the writers of Shrek, comes a fantastically philosophical novel The Man Who Came and Went. Joe Stillman explores philosophical concepts of reincarnation (rather than the more widely known religious concepts of reincarnation) whilst bluntly, and hilariously, looking at mundane and banal aspects of day-to-day life. Stillman unpicks the seams of a mediocre existence, cutting into the flesh of what one might dub an ordinary or maybe even uninspired life, with little or no aspiration and expectation. His characters have managed to drag themselves through their prosaic existence, heaved themselves onto Stillman’s page where they languish until he is ready to wake them up. A story that begins in a fizzled out, ‘coffin-sized’ town called ‘Hadley,’ which could be one of any typical small, American, desert-type towns, Stillman build’s a narrative with delicate nuance and a intricacy that goes beyond what one might expect from the creator of the lovable sassy green ogre we grew up with (or at least, I grew up with). “Eggs are change. “Change is everything. “Where we come from, everything is. “Here, on a planet, everything changes into something else. “you never really know what will happen before an egg hits the grill.” Belutha Mariah, our story-teller, is Fifteen-years old. Stillman has written her to be fairly likeable, dripping with teenage angst and frustration, with a faint whiff of something slightly annoying, something that one might notice of a younger somewhat irritating cousin or sibling. Belutha is obsessed with her mother Maybell. Obsessed with her sexual history, how she dresses and shoves her (what Belutha describes as) large assets into teeny tiny tops to get the attention of men, and she is obsessed with preventing Maybell from getting pregnant again. They live in a trailer that sounds like it is held together with duct tape, along with Belutha’s two siblings (different dads of course) and she is always ready with a shot gun on the porch ready to scare off the next potential sperm doner. Nicknamed as such because the men in Maybell’s life never seem to keep her bed warm for very long. ‘A dog will eventually give you love or loyalty. Maybe fetch a stick. Every guy Maybell brought home would take his sex and go’ Belutha is angry with her lot in life, she never wanted to live this way and feel’s trapped by Maybell and her vast variety of sexual decisions (when I say she is obsessed with Maybell, I mean it). Although she feels trapped, she also seems isolated and states repeatedly that she does not belong, existing only as an insipid wall-flower, never able to escape from her precarious upbringing and boring life. ‘In school, and I guess in life, there are two kinds of people. Those who belong with other people. And those who don’t’ For the entire novel, Belutha desperately avoids men and sex. She makes some hilariously poignant statements about some of the men she has met and their attitudes towards sex and each other, adding the humour to Stillman’s novel that makes it such a relatable and enjoying piece: ‘The problem with men isn’t their natural stupidity. It’s the added stupidity they voluntarily impose on themselves to get along with other men. It starts when they’re boys. I know, I’ve seen It happen. They believe they need to act dumb in order to get along with the other boys. Through their lives, they learn to cut off their own intelligence, the way a doctor cuts off a baby’s foreskin. And like foreskin, that intelligence doesn’t grow back.’ Maybell runs the town’s only diner, which is described as a typical greasy spoon, with bar stools, dirty cutlery and a crappy breakfast cook. One day, a mysterious drifter called Bill comes to the diner. After the crappy cook walks out, he begins cooking eggs for the locals, and weirdly he get’s every order correct – without asking anyone. Bill knows what breakfast the customers want before anyone even orders, and so he begins to work the grill. The aesthetic of this novel is overpowering to say the least. For anyone who might have happened upon TV show’s like ‘My Name is Earl,’ ‘True Blood,’ or ‘It’s Always Sunny,’ will know the rustic, trailer-park, southern aesthetic I mean. There is something aggressive about these types of settings and topography, but overpoweringly familiar and comforting, with a sense of community and belonging that you rarely find in your own home-towns. Whilst everyone knows each other, everyone knows each other’s business and drama. Leading to many yelling matches and unnecessary shenanigans. “What the hell is this?” He held up my book: Lesbian Thought. […] “You’re too young to be a lesbo!” I’ve noticed that some men fear lesbianism the way doctors fear Ebola, as if one case could lead to a global outbreak. “I’m studying to be one so’s I won’t ever be sexually dependent on men scum like you.” But I love it. I feed off these types of narratives. There is nothing too phantasmagorical. No amorphous or slimy alien blobs of ominous origins. Just people, dealing with people problems. From trying to run a crappy diner, to getting boys to pay attention to you, to going to visit a fry cook who can read minds because you are trying to figure out what happens after you die…. You know, normal people problems. “I am this body, this body is me” Stillman handles existential dread by making it a bodily issue, which is a pretty interesting way to think about things. Rather than a build up fear concerning the mind or the soul, the focus is on the body. Moving away from our internal psychic systems into something more physical as what defines who you currently are, but not who you have always been, is genius. From Shrek to The Man Who Came and Went. Stillman’s first novel is something unexpected, powerful and leaves you weirdly wanting to go and get a fry up. I look forward to what Stillman will do next. “As a boy, he had hundred of them lining the walls of his room. Each book contained world the Martin preferred to his own. It’s not that he had a particularly bad childhood. In fact, he remembered almost nothing of it. But, like Sonny Boy, he found solace in escape.” The Man Who Came And Went is available now from: Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble | Booksamillion | Bookshop.org | Indie Bound The post THE MAN WHO CAME AND WENT by Joe Stillman (BOOK REVIEW) appeared first on The Fantasy Hive. View the full article -
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Fiction Writing Contests Worth Your Time in Fall 2022
This contest submissions season covers deadlines from September 1, 2022 through November 30, 2022. Thanks to Literistic, Poets & Writers, Submittable Discover, and New Pages for many of these contests. Much like editors are looking for reasons to reject work, I want to focus on opportunities worth my time. Thus, my list of writing contests below includes reasons to submit to that particular writing contest. May you find a promising opportunity among this list and spend less time searching for where to send your exceptional work. September 2022 American-Scandinavian Foundation – ASF Translation Awards – $0 fee Deadline: September 1, 2022 11:59pm EDT “The American-Scandinavian Foundation annually awards three translation prizes for outstanding translations of poetry, fiction, drama, or literary prose written by a 20th or 21st-century Nordic author…” Awards $2,000+ and include publication in Scandinavian Review. Reasons to submit: Blind submissions are fine submissions! Flag-bearer—open to international submissions Oh, wordy!—generous word count limit Regional restriction—less competition Black Warrior Review – 2022 fiction contest – $6 fee (flash) and $15 fee (fiction) Deadline: September 1, 2022 Annual contest in fiction (up to 7,000 words) or flash (up to 3 pieces). “Fiction winner “receive[s] $1000 and publication in BWR … The first runner-up … receive[s] monetary compensation, acknowledgment in the print issue, and online publication (if desired). We may consider any submission for general publication.” Reasons to submit: Blind submissions are fine submissions! Oh, wordy!—generous word count limit Prestige—#88 in Pushcart ranking Share the wealth—multiple prizes Fractured Lit – Micro Fiction Prize – $20 fee Deadline: September 19, 2022 “Guest judge Grant Faulkner will choose three stories from a shortlist. We’re excited to offer the winner of this prize $2500 and publication, while the 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive publication and $600 and $400, respectively. … Fractured Lit is looking for flash fiction that lingers long past the first reading. We’re searching for flash that investigates the mysteries of being human, the sorrow, and the joy of connecting to the diverse population around us. We want the stories that explode vertically, the flash that leaves the conventional and the clichéd far behind. Fractured Lit is a flash fiction–centered place for all writers of any background and experience. … [Submit] 4 stories of 400 words or fewer each per entry.” Reasons to submit: Friendly to emerging writers Prestigious judge Share the wealth—multiple prizes JuxtaProse Literary Magazine – JuxtaProse Fiction Prize – $18 fee Deadline: September 25, 2022 “$1,000 and publication in JuxtaProse Literary Magazine will be awarded to the winning piece. Up to three additional pieces, each by a different author, may be awarded “Honorable Mention” status, for which they will receive $100 and publication. All entries will be considered for publication, regardless of whether they receive honorable mention status. … Entries should contain a single story that is between 500 and 7,000 words.” Reasons to submit: No hunting for winners—can read past winners online Oh, wordy!—generous word count limit Share the wealth—multiple prizes University of Iowa Press – Iowa Short Fiction Award – $0 fee Deadline: September 30, 2022 “Any writer who has not previously published a volume of prose fiction is eligible to enter the competition. … The manuscript must be a collection of short stories in English of at least 150 word-processed, double-spaced pages. … Stories previously published in periodicals are eligible for inclusion. There is no reading fee … Award-winning manuscripts will be published by the University of Iowa Press under the Press’s standard contract.” Reasons to submit: Flag-bearer—open to international submissions Friendly to emerging writers Oh, wordy!—generous word count limit Rebirth—accepts published work Sunspot Literary Journal – 2022 Inception Contest – $9 fee Deadline: September 30, 2022 “Inception contest, send your best opening. There are no restrictions on theme, category, or the length of the piece or collection from which the beginning comes. Word limit is 250 for prose … Prize: $250 cash plus publication for the winner. … Publication will be offered to runners-up and finalists.” Reasons to submit: Eligibility restriction—less competition Friendly to emerging writers Friendly to novelists No hunting for winners—can read past winners online Ghost Story – Supernatural Fiction Award – $20 fee Deadline: September 30, 2022 11:59pm EDT Fun fact: A previous winner of this contest is a Writer Unboxed reader who found it in this very roundup! “Twice each year TGS awards $1,500 and both online and print publication to the winner of our short story competition. Two other writers receive Honorable Mention awards that include publication and cash prizes of $300. … Ghost stories are welcome, of course—but your submission may involve any paranormal or supernatural theme, as well as magic realism. What we’re looking for is fine writing, fresh perspectives, and maybe a few surprises in the field of supernatural fiction. Story length should run between 1,500 and 10,000 words.” Reasons to submit: Flag-bearer—open to international submissions Friendly to emerging writers Friendly to novelists No hunting for winners—can read past winners online Oh, wordy!—generous word count limit Share the wealth—multiple prizes October 2022 The Missouri Review – Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ Prize – $25 fee Deadline: October 1, 2022 $5000 prize. “Winners receive publication, invitation to a reception and reading in their honor, and a cash prize. … up to 8,500 words … Each entrant receives a one-year subscription to the Missouri Review in digital format (normal price $24).” Reasons to submit: No hunting for winners—can read past winners online Oh, wordy!—generous word count limit Prestige—#10 in Pushcart ranking Read on—entry fee includes one-year subscription Zoetrope: All-Story – Short Fiction Competition – $30 fee Deadline: October 3, 2022 11:59pm PDT “First prize: $1,000 / Second prize: $500 / Third prize: $250 … The three prizewinners and seven honorable mentions will be considered for representation … We accept all genres of literary fiction. Entries must be: unpublished at the time of submission; strictly 5,000 words or fewer; … We welcome multiple entries ($30/story), simultaneous submissions, and entrants from outside the United States. We will email contest updates and results to anyone who provides an active email address.” Reasons to submit: Blind submissions are fine submissions! Flag-bearer—open to international submissions Prestige—#6 in Pushcart ranking Share the wealth—multiple prizes No hunting for winners—can read 2021 winner online New Letters – Editor’s Choice Award – $20 fee Deadline: October 18, 2022 “We’re looking for work that experiments, that crosses the traditional boundaries of genre and form. … Max word count is 8,000. … Entries must cross the traditional boundaries of genre and form. … The winner will be published in New Letters and receive a $1,000 cash prize.” Reasons to submit: Eligibility restriction—less competition Flag-bearer—open to international submissions Oh, wordy!—generous word count limit Prestige—#42 in Pushcart ranking Read on—entry fee includes one-year subscription University of Louisville – The Calvino Prize – $25 fee Deadline: October 15, 2022 “The Calvino Prize is an annual fiction competition sponsored by the Creative Writing Program in the English Department of the University of Louisville. They will be awarded to outstanding pieces of fiction in the fabulist experimentalist style of Italo Calvino. … The first place entry will be published in Miracle Monocle journal at the University of Louisville. Further, the winner will be invited to read the winning entry, all expenses paid (within the continental US), at the Louisville Conference on Literature and Culture Since 1900 held at the University of Louisville every February. The 10 finalists will be posted on the website. … First Place: $2000 and Publication; Second Place: $300.” Submit up to 25 pages. Reasons to submit: Blind submissions are fine submissions! Eligibility restriction—less competition Friendly to emerging writers Oh, wordy!—generous word count limit Rebirth—accepts published work Share the wealth—multiple prizes Wanderluster—prize includes lodging or travel Uncharted Magazine – Novel Excerpt Contest – $20 fee Deadline: October 31, 2022 “We’re looking for the best 5,000 words or less of your novel in progress! Have a favorite chapter? An exciting and noteworthy prologue? A section where the dialogue crackles and the characters loom larger than life on the page? Give us a chance to read that section of your novel that captivates your audience enough to make them want to keep reading! Guest judge Literary Agent Naomi Davis will choose three winning stories from a shortlist. … We’re excited to offer the winner of this prize $3000 and publication, while the 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive publication and $300 and $200, respectively along with publication.” Reasons to submit: Friendly to emerging writers Friendly to novelists Share the wealth—multiple prizes November 2022 Fiction Collective 2 – Catherine Doctorow Innovative Fiction Prize – $25 fee Deadline: November 1, 2022 “The FC2 Catherine Doctorow Innovative Fiction Prize is open to writers of, from, or in the US writing in English with at least three books of fiction published. Submissions may include a collection of short stories, one or more novellas, or a novel of any length. There is no length requirement. Works that have previously appeared in magazines or in anthologies may be included. … The Prize includes $15,000 and publication by FC2, an imprint of the University of Alabama Press. … Submit a previously unpublished manuscript of any length through our electronic submissions manager. … The manuscript must be anonymous.” Reasons to submit: Blind submissions are fine submissions! Eligibility restriction—less competition Flag-bearer—open to international submissions Friendly to novelists Rebirth—accepts published work PEN America – 2023 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers – $0 fee Deadline: November 1, 2022 “The PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers recognizes twelve emerging writers each year for their debut short story published in a literary magazine, journal, or cultural website, and aims to support the launch of their careers as fiction writers. Each of the twelve winning writers receives a cash prize of $2,000 and the independent book publisher Catapult will publish the twelve winning stories in an annual anthology entitled Best Debut Short Stories: The PEN America Dau Prize, which will acknowledge the literary magazines and websites where the stories were originally published.” Reasons to submit: Eligibility restriction—less competition Flag-bearer—open to international submissions Friendly to emerging writers Oh, wordy!—generous word count limit Rebirth—accepts published work Share the wealth—multiple prizes The Writer’s Center — Compass Fellowship — $0 Deadline: November 1, 2022 “If you’re a writer or an aspiring writer looking for where to go next, The Writer’s Center Compass Fellowship is a great place to start! Our renewed fellowship program will introduce a new writer each year to our writing family, to help guide them along the next steps on their path, with $1000 in credits toward any TWC workshops within a two-year period, a $300 cash stipend, and opportunities to be published in The Writer’s Center Magazine and featured in TWC events. … No previous publication experience is necessary. Applicants must be local in the DMV area and be able to travel to Bethesda[, Maryland].” Reasons to submit: Friendly to emerging writers Read on—entry fee includes one-year subscriptions to Poet Lore and Barrelhouse Regional restriction—less competition Share the wealth—multiple prizes Have I missed a great writing contest? Please leave a comment and let me know where you found it. Happy submitting! Wish you could buy this author a cup of joe? Now, thanks to tinyCoffee and PayPal, you can! About Arthur KlepchukovArthur Klepchukov was born between Black Seas, Virginian Beaches, and San Franciscan waves. He adores trains, swing sets, and music that tears him outta time. Read Art’s words in Glimmer Train, The Best American Mystery Stories 2019, The Common, Necessary Fiction, and more at ArsenalOfWords.com Web | Twitter | Facebook | More Posts [url={url}]View the full article[/url] -
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10 New Books Coming Out This Week
Another week, another batch of books for your TBR pile. Happy reading, folks. * Kathleen Hale, Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls (Grove) “Searing . . . As the first researcher into the case to draw extensively from transcripts of vital records, Hale has produced what stands as the most accurate account to date of this horrifying episode. This is a must for true crime fans.” –Publishers Weekly Catherine Ryan Howard, Run Time (Blackstone) “Howard makes her lead’s experiences feel fresh and immediate as she breathes new life into tired horror tropes. Riley Sager fans will be riveted.” –Publishers Weekly Winnie M. Li, Complicit (Atria/Emily Bestler Books) “A masterful example of the slow burn thriller, highlighting the still all-too-true fact that often the real terror for women is simply existing in a man’s world. Also an ode to the power and beauty of story-telling. I loved it.” –Araminta Hall Joy Fielding, The Housekeeper (Ballantine Books) “We can always count on Joy Fielding to turn out a well-dressed, well-developed psychological suspense novel.” –The Globe and Mail Michael J. Seidlinger, Anybody Home? (Clash Books) “Michael J. Seidlinger is a true innovator. The narrative shards of Anybody Home? cascade over the reader in a collage of troubling, sometimes half-seen images, and the wicked, insinuating, deeply unsettling voice weaves through the back of your mind and crouches in your dreams. A chilling and unforgettable book.” –Dan Chaon Mark Pryor, Die Around Sundown (Minotaur) “Pryor has constructed a compelling wartime mystery, and he’s made 1940 Paris a vividly real place.” –Booklist Olaf Olafsson, Touch (Ecco) “Olafsson’s treatment of the vast cultural chasm between Icelander Kristófer, and Miko…brings suspense and heartache to the reader.” –Library Journal Ashley Flowers, All Good People Here (Bantam) “This intricate, intriguing puzzler should surprise even those readers certain they know where the plot’s heading. Flowers is off to a promising start.” –Publishers Weekly Ryan la Sala, The Honeys (PUSH) “La Sala gives real-life fears a supernatural twist, cleverly using folk horror and psychological-thriller elements to heighten Mars’ understandable tension and infuse this idyllic location with dread….The eerily ambivalent conclusion is pure horror gold.” –Booklist Ashley Winstead, The Last Housewife (Sourcebooks Landmark) “A story that needs to be told―about misogyny, sexual violence, and human trafficking, and how innocent trust can lead to abusive seduction…This explosive cautionary tale of a ‘podcast meets sex cult meets murder’ will captivate fans of twisted psychological suspense.” –Library Journal View the full article -
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Color Her Orange: Talking with Grace Ellis About Her New Graphic Novel Featuring Patricia Highsmith
Usually if I get a book way out of the perimeter of my admittedly scattered interests, I put it in the Little Free Library pile. But Flung Out of Space was such a cool idea: a graphic (as in with pictures, not with smut) biography of Patricia Highsmith focused on the time when she sold Strangers on a Train and felt like she could quit her day job working in comics and become a legitimate writer. Thus the story of Highsmith’s quest for legitimacy is not just about her sex life, it’s also about her career; not a word applied to women in her time, but the right word nevertheless). There is also a same-sex love story evocative of Highsmith’s The Price of Salt, a romance between an older married woman and a shopgirl Highsmith published under a pseudonym. I read Grace Ellis and Hannah Templer’s clever slice of Highsmith—a book that came at an opportune time for me—and set up a chat with Ellis. Lisa Levy: Congratulations on the book. I don’t read a lot of graphic novels, but I read this with a lot of curiosity. Grace Ellis: I was so surprised when CrimeReads popped up! That’s great. Lisa: I’m thinking through Highsmith in another way so it felt fortuitous when this showed up. So how did you come to work on Highsmith? How did we get here? Grace: Well, my introduction to Highsmith was watching Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley. I had a vague memory of reading Highsmith had written comics at one point, just like one line on her Wikipedia. So it’s time to bust out the biographies. And the more reading you do, the more clear it becomes that it’s a hidden history on purpose. The tension is just so interesting. I couldn’t not dig into it. She’s a fascinating figure Lisa: I came to her through the movies, but more through Hitchcock than Ripley. And her books about suburban malaise are just incredible. I’m doing a project and part of it is about noir versus Gothic. And Highsmith is right in the middle, which is interesting because in general noir codes male and gothic codes female. What happens to you in the world is noir. Gothic is what happens to you at home. Grace: She would be so excited to hear you describe it in that way. I’m sure she would just be besides herself. Lisa: You do have to wonder. I like the Todd Haynes movie (Carol, an adaptation of Highsmith’s lesbian romance slash road trip The Price of Salt), but it’s obviously so stylized cause it’s a Todd Haynes movie. I haven’t read the big biographies. Grace: Well, now you could just go straight to the source because the diaries are published. Lisa: I have the diaries and a new biography of Edgar Allan Poe. Both came out around the same time and I’m like, why don’t people want me to finish my project? Grace: That’s just cruel. Lisa: So how long have you been doing comics? Grace: About ten years. Before this I’ve written a lot for a YA audience. I’ve written some stuff for DC comics. But I felt like this was a story that only I could tell. I felt very attached to it almost immediately. In Highsmith’s book about writing, she calls it like the germ, the germ of an idea. I was infected by this germ. Lisa: It takes confidence to know that that is actually all you need. The grad student in me has to make sure nobody’s written this before. Yet unless you plagiarize, nobody writes about the same thing in exactly the same words at exactly the same time. Grace: That’s a great point. I’m going to trot that out for myself. Lisa: Well, it’s not a real problem. It’s a way to psych yourself out. Grace: I love this pep talk. Are you ready to take on all my projects? Lisa: I work with writers one-on-one, and in every case, it is true that other people’s problems are much easier to solve than yours. Grace: Oh, of course. Yes. Lisa: Did you and Hannah Templer pitch this together or did you get matched up? Grace: I pitched it on my own. I didn’t have an artist, but I knew that I wanted to work with Hannah and thank God she had an opening in her schedule and made it happen because her art is so out outrageously good. And she has an incredible understanding of comics as a medium. The book is what it is because of Hannah. Lisa: In the beginning I felt like this color scheme is period. But then after a while it becomes more mood than period. Those bursts of orange every once in a while, into her black and white world—it’s so effective. Grace: In the beginning we knew that it was going to be one color, and we couldn’t figure out what that color was gonna be. Now it feels obvious. I couldn’t have ever picked any other color. I happened to go to this vintage store near my house and I picked up this drawn handbook which is from that time period. And they used this orange. Lisa: Oh, that’s great. Grace: I sent Hannah these pictures and she was like, oh my God, it has to be that. It can’t be anything else. Lisa: I think part of what’s what really works is the way you put together the story of how she sold Strangers on a Train, and her writing comics and finally dealing with her sexuality. It’s all happening at the same time, but it, it doesn’t feel forced. Grace: That’s kind of what I was thinking when I was working on this book. This is not the world’s only comic biography. But a lot of comic biographies try really hard to be the definitive biography of a person. It’s a terrible medium for that. Comics is a storytelling medium. I want you to tell me a story—tell me a story about the person and make it as true as possible. I read all of the comic biographies I could get my hands on, and there were only a couple like it. And they were such a treat. I knew that that was what this had to be. A story. Lisa: It’s true when you write nonfiction people are like, Well, I’m writing the truth and I’m like, Well, you’re writing a story. How true it is we’ll never know. People like plots, like there’s a reason why we have beginning, middle and end. it’s because there’s something satisfying in that. Grace: As a writer who like really loves mysteries, I’ll happily dive into that. Lisa: I think that’s what we all want: to read something and make some connection that nobody else has made before. That’s certainly what I strive to do. Grace: That connection between noir and Gothic. That’s a good one. View the full article -
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The Best Underrated Mystery Series Streaming Now
My writer’s group gets together weekly at a local winery. There’s as much drinking and catching up as there is putting words on the page, but we’ve convinced it’s productive since it “sustains our art”. A frequent topic of conversation is the crime fiction TV series each of us is streaming, where mysteries take center stage. Recently, I noticed that as different as our styles of writing are, we seem to be watching the same shows, including Mare of Easttown and Only Murders in the Building, and when we go old-school, Midsummer Murders and Miss Marple. I thought it would be fun to check out what we might be missing. After viewing a dozen streaming mystery series, below are my top four “underrated” shows, with the criteria being that I find them every bit as good as current darlings of the genre, despite being far less celebrated. Note: I write mysteries and thrillers with no harm to children, and that is also a requirement in the entertainment I read/view, which disqualified many series from consideration, including the excellent Japanese show Miss Sherlock on Netflix and the new Perry Mason on HBOMax. Whitstable Pearl A gruff, city cop relocating to a small town where they clash with one or more local investigators is a tried and true premise for a mystery series, the success of which turns on sufficiently twisty plot lines, compelling and likable characters, or both. In Whitstable Pearl, set in the charming seaside town of Whitstable in the UK, it is unquestionably the latter. Kerry Godliman plays Pearl Nolan, who owns a seafood restaurant and uses her former police training to offer private detective services on the side. Howard Charles fills the role of former London cop, Mike McGuire, who tells Pearl he doesn’t like small towns because he “has to talk to people”. The two actors complement each other and are gently and softly magnetic each time they fill the screen. The dialogue is straightforward and delivered without the actors overplaying their hands. I was surprised to learn Godliman is an award-winning stand-up comic, because she plays Pearl in an understated, serious manner, though with the occasional wry smile. I also didn’t expect the images I’ve now seen of Godliman as traditionally “Hollywood”, since while Godliman as Pearl is beautiful—truly beautiful—it is in a low-key way, with the lived-in face and body of a woman approaching 50. Based on the popular novels by Julie Wassmer, Whitstable Pearl provides a new case for private investigator Pearl and Detective Mike to solve each episode, while the question of a relationship between them hovers nicely in the air. If the ratings track with the quality, I expect this series to be long-lived. My main complaint for now is that there’s so little of it (six episodes) that I had to ration my viewing since I didn’t want it to be over. Inspector Koo Actor Lee Young Ae brings to life Inspector Koo Kyung-yi in a series of the same name. Koo is a former police officer who, having left the force under murky circumstances related to the death of her husband, is enticed from a reclusive existence as a hygienically-challenged 24/7 online gamer to assist an insurance fraud team in what becomes a battle of wits with a serial killer. Inspired by the British series Killing Eve, this South Korean series is visually arresting and creative to its core. Though I found the plot at times confusing and wasn’t sure who to root for, the complex storyline that propels the action forward is worth puzzling through. Themes of loneliness and the desire to connect at a deep level with another human, even if by violence, are strengthened with each episode. Note that deaths of sweet domestic animals are featured, and scuttling cockroaches and vomit are at times on display. A mystery that unfolds via a dark and desperate thriller with comedic elements, Inspector Koo is best suited for those who aren’t squeamish and can keep fiction in its place, firmly aware of the unreality of it all. In Korean with English subtitles might be one reason it has been slow catching on in the U.S. The other is its being viewed as a derivative of Killing Eve, a shame since the Inspector Koo series has a great deal that is innovative and creative to offer on its own. McDonald & Dodds Here’s that premise again: a big city homicide investigator moves to a small town and is a poor fit for the partner they are assigned. This time, the marvelous Tala Gouveia as London transplant DCI Lauren McDonald is less grumpy than she is ambitious. Her sidekick and foil, Jason Watkins as DS Dodds, has been away from the field work for 11 years, and is out of practice and out-of-date. None-the-less, he’s an investigative wolf in sheep’s clothing—think Columbo, but sweeter and quieter. Since one sure way to kill an entertainment experience is to have absurdly high expectations. I hesitate to do this but I feel I have to say it since it is so seldom true: There is nothing I don’t love about this series. That includes the setting in Bath, England, which glows in warm hues and rural English beauty, the casting, which fits at every level, the stellar acting, the deftly-constructed dialogue that provides the characters the range of moods and expressions required to let us get to know each one of them, the evocative original musical score, and the clever mystery at the heart of each episode. The only award this amazing series has been nominated for that I could find is the International Music and Sound Awards for TV for original score. But while the solutions to some of the crimes feel a little out there—with more coordination and coincidence than is likely to occur in real life—it’s all tremendously good fun. Note: each episode is nearly 1.5 hours long so have your popcorn ready. Mr. and Mrs. North This mid-century mystery series began as a radio show in which Pam North, an enthusiastic amateur sleuth, pulls her good-natured husband, Jerry, along with her to solve the crimes that come their way each episode. Streamed in the original black and white with at times fuzzy resolution, the simple wit and charm of this couple’s escapades more than make up for its dated production value. Barbara Britton brings a fearless and bright curiosity to the character of Pam North, an upper-class 1950’s housewife. The fact that she is head and shoulders above the men in the story in both brains and courage make comical the penchant of those men—her husband, Jerry, and police lieutenant Bill Weignad (played by Francisc De Sales)—for calling her “little girl” and the presence of other sexist tropes. Plot-wise, there are few real surprises. Whenever there’s a door—to a basement, a closet, a hope chest or the trunk of a car—you can be sure there’s a body inside.. But the writing is crisp and the acting, while accompanied by broad gestures and knowing looks that are more appropriate for the stage, is strong. Mr. and Mrs. North provides a glimpse into how our parents or grandparents might have spent an evening entertained at home. It’s best not to compare it to modern-day shows; bring a historian’s perspective and enjoy! I think it would make a great series to watch with a middle schooler—yes, for the fun of it—but also to discuss gender roles of that time, and how much (or how little) they’ve changed. *** View the full article -
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Moral Fibre by Helena P. Schrader: Blog Tour & Giveaway
I'm excited to announce the launch of Helena P. Schrader's blog tour of Moral Fibre. Continue on to read more about this exciting historical fiction novel, read an interview with the author, and win a copy of the book. This book is perfect for people who are interested in an authentic portrayal of life in wartime Britain combined with high-tension action and moving romance. First, a bit about Moral Fibre: Riding the icy, moonlit sky— They took the war to Hitler. Their chances of survival were less than fifty percent. Their average age was 21. This is the story of just one bomber pilot, his crew, and the woman he loved. It is intended as a tribute to them all. Flying Officer Kit Moran has earned his pilot’s wings, but the greatest challenges still lie ahead: crewing up and returning to operations. Things aren’t made easier by the fact that while still a flight engineer, he was posted LMF (Lacking in Moral Fibre) for refusing to fly after a raid on Berlin that killed his best friend and skipper. Nor does it help that he is in love with his dead friend’s fiancé, but she is not yet ready to become romantically involved again. Publisher: Cross Sea PressISBN-10: 1735313993ISBN-13: 978-1735313993Print Length: 436 pages Purchase a copy of Moral Fibre on Amazon, Bookshop.org, and Barnes and Noble. You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list. About the Author, Helena P. Schrader Helena P. Schrader is an established aviation author and expert on the Second World War. She earned a PhD in History (cum Laude) from the University of Hamburg with a ground-breaking dissertation on a leading member of the German Resistance to Hitler. Her non-fiction publications include Sisters in Arms: The Women who Flew in WWII, The Blockade Breakers: The Berlin Airlift, and Codename Valkyrie: General Friederich Olbricht and the Plot against Hitler. In addition, Helena has published eighteen historical novels and won numerous literary awards. Her novel on the Battle of Britain, Where Eagles Never Flew won the Hemingway Award for 20th Century Wartime Fiction and a Maincrest Media Award for Historical Fiction. RAF Battle of Britain ace Wing Commander Bob Doe called it "the best book" he had ever seen about the battle. Traitors for the Sake of Humanity is a finalist for the Foreword INDIES awards. Grounded Eagles and Moral Fibre have both garnered excellent reviews from acclaimed review sites such as Kirkus, Blue Ink, Foreword Clarion, Feathered Quill, and Chantileer Books. You can follow her author web site for updates and her aviation history blog. --- Interview by Nicole WOW: You have such an incredible and interesting background. How do you pull from your own past experiences and knowledge to write such realistic historical fiction? Helena: It is undoubtedly true that I draw upon knowledge I have gained from life, particularly about human nature and behaviour, when writing my novels. On the one hand, anyone who has lived a few decades accumulates a great deal of experience with human beings that can be exploited when writing. On the other hand, living overseas and working as a diplomat brought me in contact with different cultures and customs and also gave me deeper insight into the workings of political and economic systems because I was tasked with analysing the later and had exceptional access to information. For example, while I was in Ethiopia there were a number of ethnically motivated attacks on factories. It was my job to visit the factories and interview the owners, staff, and leaders in the nearby communities. It rapidly became evident that far from being exploitive and dangerous, these factories were providing employment and in some cases model working conditions for the very ethnic group that was now smashing things up. In short, a small group of radicals were destroying the livelihood and economic future of the majority in the name of “liberating” them. That theme of self-serving political radicalism undermining economic development has become a recurring theme in my novels. Without that first-hand experience talking to the victims, I doubt I would be able to bring the issue across so vividly. WOW: That first-hand experience is so valuable! You have written an impressive 18 novels! What advice do you have for people interested in writing historical fiction? Helena: The most important thing to remember — speaking as someone who has published both non-fiction history books and historical fiction — is that research for historical fiction is much more demanding and comprehensive than for non-fiction. In non-fiction it is enough to get “the facts” right, lined up correctly, and then write in an engaging style. Significantly, non-fiction can be written in modern language using the author’s voice. By contrast, when writing historical fiction, the “facts” are not enough. Facts don’t tell you how people felt, why they did the things they did, what they believed in, hoped for and feared. Let me give you an example. I wrote a successful non-fiction book about women pilots in WWII. I researched and wrote detail about the recruitment, training, employment conditions, and achievements of these women pilots. And that was it. A novel about the same subject, on the other hand, would need to make the women come to life by talking about the political issues that might agitate or divide them. It would have to take into account and depict the social conditions that confronted them and created tensions between them. It would have to describe contemporary fashion (i.e. what they were wearing off duty), what music was popular at the time, the foods the women were likely to eat and the kind of entertainment they would have enjoyed. Challengingly, the characters would also need to use the language — jargon and expressions, and syntax — of the period. In other words, a novel needs to be more than accurate. It needs to feel authentic as well. WOW: I love how you describe that contrast. What was your process to develop characters? Helena: Well, to be honest, I don’t so much develop my characters as work with them as they gradually reveal themselves to me. I’ve found the best thing to do is to take a stab at describing them and what they are doing/thinking/feeling etc. and wait for a reaction. If I’ve misunderstood something, the character will usually tell me off (often in the middle of the night) and I’ll go back and rework the scene based on what they revealed to me. (FYI: I have never seen nor a character with my senses, rather I have flashes of understanding communicated directly as thought.) I rewrite a scene until the character is satisfied with it. As a rule, the deeper I am into a novel, the easier it is for me to understand the character and so the easier it is to anticipate their reactions to events (the plot) and also to describe them and their actions/thoughts/feelings via the written word. WOW: I think that is the best type of characterization method! How did this novel change from first draft to final draft? Helena: This is an excellent example of the above phenomenon. Initially the hero of Moral Fibre, Kit Moran, contacted me and insisted that I write his story. He was very convincing. I interrupted the project I was then working on, undertook a massive amount of research to be able to put his story into context, and wrote a novella depicting, mostly through flashbacks, the events that resulted in him being thrown off his squadron for “lacking moral fibre” (i.e. for cowardice). No sooner was the novella published, however, than Kit pointed out that the novella was only the “teaser;” the real story was what came afterwards. Again, all other projects were put on hold as I set about writing Moral Fibre. By then I knew Kit well and writing his story was not difficult, but, you see, the period of his life that I was writing about in Moral Fibre was when he fell in love with Georgina. Georgina, however, was a modest and shy girl, who initially felt the book ought to be all about Kit, so she didn’t communicate with me directly. I only knew her through Kit’s eyes. The first draft was, therefore, almost entirely seen from Kit’s perspective. Yet it was really just half the story. I needed more from Georgina. As I started on the second of six re-writes (I always write about seven drafts), Georgina finally started to communicate with me, and I began to both understand her better and see the world through her eyes. The book expanded by 40% as it grew to encompass both storylines, Kit’s and Georgina’s. It is a much stronger novel as a result. WOW: What do you hope readers take away from reading your story? Helena: My motto as a novelist is: “Understanding ourselves by understanding the past.” The point is that my novels are always as much about today as they are about the past. While Kit and Georgina are depicted living in specific historical circumstances, the challenges they face and the choices they have to make are ones we could confront in different forms and guises today. This book is not so much a “war story” or a “love story” (although it is both) as a book about the many faces of courage and grief — and about the price of survival. I hope the novel will remind each of us to recognize the debts we owe to others — most especially to the dead. WOW: I hope so too! What are you currently working on that you can tell us about? Helena: I’ve returned to the project that I postponed twice in order to tell Kit’s story. It is the first of what I believe will be three novels set against the backdrop of the Berlin Airlift. This was when the Russians abruptly cut off all food, electricity, medicine and other necessities to the two million people living in the western sectors of Berlin. The Russians expected an easy victory, with the Berliners embracing Communism to end the blockade while the Western Powers withdrew from Berlin in disgrace. Instead, the Western powers launched a massive airlift, while the Berliners defiantly demonstrated their willingness to endure powdered food, bitter cold, sporadic electricity and other forms of hardship rather than accept a Communist take-over. The Airlift turned into a Western triumph, the first clear victory of the Cold War, but that outcome was neither inevitable nor obvious at the start. The intrigues and tensions between former allies and the development of trust between former enemies are the perfect ingredients for many great historical novels. I hope mine will awake interest for this remarkable historical drama. WOW: That sounds incredible and I can't wait to see it come out! Best of luck with your book and thank you for your time today! --- Blog Tour Calendar August 15th @ The MuffinJoin us as we celebrate the launch of Moral Fibre by Helena P. Schrader. Read more about this fascinating historical fiction novel and learn more about the author. You can also enter to win a copy of the book too!https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com August 17th @ Deborah Adams' BlogDeborah Adams features Helena P. Schrader's guest post about dissecting a novel.http://www.deborah-adams.com/blog/ August 19th @ Life According to JamieJoin Jamie as she reviews Moral Fibre by Helena P. Schrader.https://lifeaccordingtojamie.com/ August 21st @ What Is That Book About?Join Michelle as she features Moral Fibre by Helena P. Schrader. https://www.whatisthatbookabout.com/ August 22nd @ Mindy McGinnis' BlogJoin Mindy as she features a guest post by Helena P. Schrader about how editors are not optional.https://www.mindymcginnis.com/blog August 23rd @ Lisa Haselton's Book Reviews and InterviewsDon't miss an interview with author Helena P. Schrader about her book Moral Fibre.https://lisahaselton.com/blog/ August 24th @ A Writer of HistoryRead Helena P. Schrader's guest post about the challenges of designing book covers for historical fiction.https://awriterofhistory.com/ August 25th @ Bring on LemonsJoin Crystal as she reviews Moral Fibre by Helena P. Schrader.http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/ August 26th @ Bookshelf JourneysRead Terri's review of Moral Fibre by Helena P. Schrader.https://bookshelfjourneys.com/ August 27th @ Mercedes Rochelle's BlogRead Helena P. Schrader's guest post featuring her book Moral Fibre.https://mercedesrochelle.com/wordpress/ August 30th @ World of My ImaginationJoin Nicole as she reviews Moral Fibre by Helena P. Schrader.https://worldofmyimagination.com September 1st @ The Faerie ReviewCheck out a spotlight of Moral Fibre by Helena P. Schrader.https://www.thefaeriereview.com/ September 2nd @ Author Anthony AvinaAnthony reviews Moral Fibre by Helena P. Schrader.https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/category/reviews/ September 5th @ ChoicesJoin Madeline as she features a guest post by Helena P. Schrader about the author and the seven drafts.http://madelinesharples.com September 10th @ A Storybook WorldJoin Deirdre as she features Moral Fibre by Helena P. Schrader.https://www.astorybookworld.com/ September 12th @ Word MagicFiona shares a guest post by author Helena P. Schrader about the lack of moral fibre.https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com/ September 17th @ Jill Sheets' BlogVisit Jill's blog today where she interviews author Helena P. Schrader.http://jillsheets.blogspot.com/ September 18th @ Wildwood ReadsJoin Megan as she reviews Moral Fibre by Helena P. Schrader.https://wildwoodreads.com/ ***** BOOK GIVEAWAY ***** Enter to win a copy of Moral Fibre by Helena P. Schrader by filling out the Rafflecopter form below. The giveaway ends August 28th at 11:59 CT. We will announce the winner the next day in the widget and follow up by email. Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway(C) Copyright wow-womenonwriting.com Visit WOW! Women On Writing for lively interviews and how-tos. Check out WOW!'s Classroom and learn something new. Enter the Quarterly Writing Contests. Open Now![url={url}]View the full article[/url] -
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August 2022 New Releases, Part Two
http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/WP/wp-content/themes/smartbitches/images/posts/hide-your-wallet.jpg If you’re new to Hide Your Wallet, this is where we list new releases we’re pretty excited for in the coming month. Each reviewer has a book maximum (five per person), and we’ve separated HYW into two parts. The first HYW of the month will cover books that release from the 1st to the 14th. The second HYW will cover books released from the 15th to the end of the month. We also think this will help us feature books from smaller publishers who don’t have buy links up as early as the bigger trade houses. As always, if we missed any books that you’re particularly looking forward to, tell us all about them in the comments. The Close-Up Author: Kennedy Ryan Released: August 16, 2022 by 1001 Dark Nights Press Genre: Contemporary Romance, Novella, Romance Series: Hollywood Renaissance #1.5 Set in the dynamic worlds of professional basketball and entertainment, two of Kennedy Ryan’s most critically-acclaimed series—HOOPs and Hollywood Renaissance—collide in this tale of forbidden romance. I met Nazareth Armstrong when I was eighteen years old. From the beginning, my brother warned me to stay away from him. Told Naz to stay away from me. Our hearts didn’t listen. I shared one magical night under the stars with my brother’s rival, thinking it was the start of a once-in-a-lifetime something. But one awful moment ended it all. Years later when we meet again, we’ve both pursued our dreams, lived a little, found success…but never found love. What began as a tiny flame when we were young now threatens to consume us. I’m more drawn to Naz than ever, but his complicated history with my brother makes whatever this could be…nearly impossible. But Naz accepts impossible as a dare. Through his clever maneuvering and dogged determination, I find myself on a yacht with him and his friends cruising through the Mediterranean. It’s a whirlwind set ablaze. Away from reality, surrendering to the tender heat of his touch, I forget that everything could burn. This is the love story of Takira, who first appears in Reel, book 1 of the Hollywood Renaissance series. Characters from the HOOPS series also make appearances, but you do not have to read any of those books to enjoy this one. Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do. Aarya: Loved Reel and am super psyched for this crossover! Add to Goodreads To-Read List → Want this book? Here are helpful buy links.. Love in the Time of Serial Killers Author: Alicia Thompson Released: August 16, 2022 by Berkley Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance Turns out that reading nothing but true crime isn’t exactly conducive to modern dating—and one woman is going to have to learn how to give love a chance when she’s used to suspecting the worst. PhD candidate Phoebe Walsh has always been obsessed with true crime. She’s even analyzing the genre in her dissertation—if she can manage to finish writing it. It’s hard to find the time while she spends the summer in Florida, cleaning out her childhood home, dealing with her obnoxiously good-natured younger brother, and grappling with the complicated feelings of mourning a father she hadn’t had a relationship with for years. It doesn’t help that she’s low-key convinced that her new neighbor, Sam Dennings, is a serial killer (he may dress business casual by day, but at night he’s clearly up to something). But it’s not long before Phoebe realizes that Sam might be something much scarier—a genuinely nice guy who can pierce her armor to reach her vulnerable heart. Amanda: This is giving me Finlay Donovan murder mystery vibes but with more romance and a Florida setting. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → Want this book? Here are helpful buy links.. A Duel with the Vampire Lord Author: Elise Kova Released: August 18, 2022 by Silver Wing Press Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Series: Married to Magic #3 On the night of the blood moon, the Vampire Lord must die. Floriane’s position as the forge maiden of Hunter’s Hamlet is one of reverence, for it is her skill that arms and protects the vampire hunters. She knows her place and is a faithful servant to the Master Hunter and her community… until the night of the blood moon. Until her brother is dying at the hands of the Vampire Lord Ruvan. Wanting to defend her home at all costs, Floriane fights the vampire lord, ready to give her life if it means taking his. But Ruvan doesn’t want to take her life… he wants her. Kidnapped and brought to the vampire castle, Floriane is now blood sworn to the vampire lord. She is bound in mind and body to her worst enemy. But Ruvan isn’t the fiend she thought he was. She learns the truth of the vampires: They are not mindless monsters, but a proud people, twisted and tortured by an ancient curse. Ruvan believes that Floriane might be the key to ending his people’s suffering. All Floriane wants is to defend her home. Loyalties are tested and the lines between truth and lie, hate and passion, are blurred. When her dagger is at his chest, will she be able to take the heart of the man who has claimed hers? A darkly-reimagined Snow White meets inspiration from Beauty and the Beast in an epic fantasy world of hunters, vampires, and curses that run deeper than blood. This stand alone is complete with a “happily ever after” ending. It’s perfect for fantasy romance fans looking for just the right amount of steam and their next slow-burn and swoon worthy, enemies to lovers story. While it is set in the Married to Magic universe, readers can start with this book. Elyse’s pick! Add to Goodreads To-Read List → Want to order this one? We’ve got the links you need!. The Hellion and the Hero Author: Emily Sullivan Released: August 23, 2022 by Forever Genre: Historical: European, Romance Series: League of Scoundrels #3 Society darling Lady Georgiana Arlington spent years crafting her image as the ideal wife, but since her husband’s unexpected death, she has lived mostly for herself while making desperately needed improvements to the businesses she inherited––and gaining a mysterious enemy in the process. With few people she can trust, Georgiana must rely on Captain Henry Harris, a former fortune-hunter turned private investigator who once claimed to love the woman beneath her carefully polished veneer. Time and experience have left a heavy mark on the dashing young officer she used to know, but she finds herself even more drawn to the dark and complicated man he has become. When Captain Harris left London eight years ago, he was heartbroken and nearly penniless. Now he has returned as a decorated naval hero with everything he could ever want. Everything except Lady Georgiana… As a careless young woman, she once shredded his heart when she married another man. But now she is as alluring as ever, with a newfound tenacity he can’t help but admire. And the more he uncovers, the more nothing is as it seems, especially the woman he once swore to hate forever. Claudia: Second-chance romance by an author I’ve very much enjoyed in the past. Nuff said. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → Want to order this one? We’ve got the links you need!. Reluctant Immortals Author: Gwendolyn Kiste Released: August 23, 2022 by Gallery/Saga Press Genre: Gothic, Horror, Science Fiction/Fantasy For fans of Mexican Gothic, from three-time Bram Stoker Award–winning author Gwendolyn Kiste comes a novel inspired by the untold stories of forgotten women in classic literature–from Lucy Westenra, a victim of Stoker’s Dracula, and Bertha Mason, from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre–as they band together to combat the toxic men bent on destroying their lives, set against the backdrop of the Summer of Love, Haight-Ashbury, 1967. Reluctant Immortals is a historical horror novel that looks at two men of classic literature, Dracula and Mr. Rochester, and the two women who survived them, Bertha and Lucy, who are now undead immortals residing in Los Angeles in 1967 when Dracula and Rochester make a shocking return in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco. Combining elements of historical and gothic fiction with a modern perspective, in a tale of love and betrayal and coercion, Reluctant Immortals is the lyrical and harrowing journey of two women from classic literature as they bravely claim their own destiny in a man’s world. Amanda: A revenge story set in the 60s with classic lit characters! Hello! Add to Goodreads To-Read List → Want this book? Here are helpful buy links.. Ruby Fever Author: Ilona Andrews Released: August 23, 2022 by Avon Genre: Romance, Urban Fantasy Series: Hidden Legacy #6 #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews is back with the newest book in the exciting Hidden Legacy series—the thrilling conclusion to her trilogy featuring fierce and beautiful Prime magic user Catalina Baylor. An escaped spider, the unexpected arrival of an Imperial Russian Prince, the senseless assassination of a powerful figure, a shocking attack on the supposedly invincible Warden of Texas, Catalina’s boss… And it’s only Monday. Within hours, the fate of Houston—not to mention the House of Baylor—now rests on Catalina, who will have to harness her powers as never before. But even with her fellow Prime and fiancé Alessandro Sagredo by her side, she may not be able to expose who’s responsible before all hell really breaks loose. Aarya: Surprising no one, my #1 anticipated read of 2022. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → Want this book? We can help: buy links ahoy!. The Scoundrel Falls Hard Author: Sophie Jordan Released: August 23, 2022 by Avon Genre: Historical: European, Romance Series: The Duke Hunt #3 A devil’s bargain burns the hottest…. For years, fiercely independent Gwen Cully has worked as the village blacksmith, keeping her family’s business going. But when a local rival threatens her livelihood, Gwen has nowhere to turn … until a devastatingly handsome fugitive takes shelter in her shop and sparks fly. Unrepentant rogue Kellan Fox’s entire existence has been a dangerous game of deception that leads him into a fight for survival–and straight into the arms of a tall, fiery beauty. When Gwen protects him from an angry mob of villagers, Kellan sees the perfect solution to both their troubles. A marriage–in name only–that will last a single year. Only a marriage of convenience can’t hide their searing attraction. It glows hotter than Gwen’s forge and reaches deep below the tempting mask Kellan wears for the world. With every sizzling glance and scorching kiss, Gwen surrenders more of herself to the molten passion she finds in Kellan’s strong embrace. But can she ever truly trust her heart to a scoundrel? Elyse: The heroine of this book is a blacksmith! Add to Goodreads To-Read List → Want this book? We can help: buy links ahoy!. Small Town, Big Magic Author: Hazel Beck Released: August 23, 2022 by Graydon House Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Series: Witchlore #1 For fans of THE EX HEX and PAYBACK’S A WITCH, a fun, witchy rom-com in which a bookstore owner who is fighting to revitalize a small midwestern town clashes with her rival, the mayor, and uncovers not only a clandestine group that wields a dark magic to control the idyllic river hamlet, but hidden powers she never knew she possessed. Witches aren’t real. Right? No one has civic pride quite like Emerson Wilde. As a local indie bookstore owner and youngest-ever Chamber of Commerce president, she’d do anything for her hometown of St. Cyprian, Missouri. After all, Midwest is best! She may be descended from a witch who was hanged in 1692 during the Salem Witch Trials, but there’s no sorcery in doing your best for the town you love. Or is there? As she preps Main Street for an annual festival, Emerson notices strange things happening around St. Cyprian. Strange things that culminate in a showdown with her lifelong arch-rival, Mayor Skip Simon. He seems to have sent impossible, paranormal creatures after her. Creatures that Emerson dispatches with ease, though she has no idea how she’s done it. Is Skip Simon…a witch? Is Emerson? It turns out witches are real, and Emerson is one of them. She failed a coming-of-age test at age eighteen—the only test she’s ever failed!—and now, as an adult, her powers have come roaring back. But she has little time to explore those powers, or her blossoming relationship with her childhood friend, cranky-yet-gorgeous local farmer Jacob North: an ancient evil has awakened in St. Cyprian, and it’s up to Emerson and her friends—maybe even Emerson herself—to save everything she loves. Sarah: Bookstores + witches + small midwestern town = curious me! Add to Goodreads To-Read List → Find buy links for this book here.. To Catch a Raven Author: Beverly Jenkins Released: August 23, 2022 by Avon Genre: Historical: European, Romance Series: Women Who Dare #3 The newest novel in USA Today bestselling author Beverly Jenkins’s compelling Women Who Dare series features a fearless grifter who goes undercover to reclaim the stolen Declaration of Independence. Lying and cheating may be sins to some people, but for Raven Moreaux, it is a way of life. She comes from a long line of grifters and couldn’t be prouder…Until she’s forced to help the government. A former Confederate official is suspected of stealing the Declaration of Independence, and Raven, posing as his housekeeper, is tasked with getting it back. Her partner is the too handsome Braxton Steel. Masquerading as a valet/driver, Brax is also supposed to be her “husband.” He has his own reasons for doing this job, but when their pretend marriage ignites into fiery passion, they’ll have to put everything—including their hearts—on the line. Aarya: HISTORICAL HEIST! Add to Goodreads To-Read List → Find buy links for this book here.. The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy Author: Megan Bannen Released: August 23, 2022 by Orbit Genre: Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Hart Ralston is a demigod and a marshal, tasked with patrolling the wasteland of Tanria. The realm the exiled old gods once called home is now a forsaken place where humans with no better options or no better sense come seeking adventure or spoils, but more often end up as drudges: reanimated corpses inhabited by the souls of those who’ve died in Tanria before. Hart tells himself that his job is simple: neutralize the drudges with a quick zap to the appendix and deliver them back to polite society at the nearest undertaker’s, leaving the whys and hows of the drudge problem for men without the complexities of a god in their family tree. But working alone, Hart’s got nothing but time to ponder exactly those questions he’d most like to avoid. Too much time alone is the opposite of Mercy Birdsall’s problem. Since her father’s decline, she’s been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son undertakers afloat in small-town Eternity—despite definitely not being a son, and in defiance of sullen jerks like Hart Ralston, who seems to have a gift for showing up right when her patience is thinnest. The work’s not the problem—Mercy’s good at it, better than any other Birdsall—but keeping all her family’s plates spinning singlehandedly, forever, isn’t how Mercy envisioned her future. After yet another run-in with the sharp-tongued Mercy, Hart considers she might have a point about his utter loneliness being a bit of a liability. In a moment of sentimentality, he pens a letter addressed simply to “A Friend,” and entrusts it to a nimkilim, an anthropomorphic animal messenger with an uncanny connection to the gods, (and in Hart’s case, a bit of a drinking problem). Much to his surprise, an anonymous letter comes back in return, and a tentative friendship is born. If only Hart knew he’s been baring his soul to the person who infuriates him most–Mercy. As the two unlikely pen pals grow closer, the truth about Hart’s parentage and the nature of the drudges creeps in. And suddenly their old animosity seems so small in comparison to what they might be able to do: end the drudges forever. But at what cost? Amanda: A romance with letter-writing and grumpy undertaker heroines! Sign me up. Sarah: Epistolary romance and grumpiness, co-sign. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → Want to order this one? We’ve got the links you need!. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches Author: Sangu Mandanna Released: August 23, 2022 by Berkley Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family—and a new love—changes the course of her life. As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she’s used to being alone and she follows the rules…with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos “pretending” to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously. But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and…Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he’s concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat. As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn’t the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for…. Sarah: I love every word of the title and am very excited to read this. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → Want to order this one? We’ve got the links you need!. A Taste of Gold and Iron Author: Alexandra Rowland Released: August 30, 2022 by Tor.com Genre: LGBTQIA, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy The Goblin Emperor meets “Magnificent Century” in Alexandra Rowland’s A Taste of Gold and Iron, where a queer central romance unfolds in a fantasy world reminiscent of the Ottoman Empire. Kadou, the shy prince of Arasht, finds himself at odds with one of the most powerful ambassadors at court—the body-father of the queen’s new child—in an altercation which results in his humiliation. To prove his loyalty to the queen, his sister, Kadou takes responsibility for the investigation of a break-in at one of their guilds, with the help of his newly appointed bodyguard, the coldly handsome Evemer, who seems to tolerate him at best. In Arasht, where princes can touch-taste precious metals with their fingers and myth runs side by side with history, counterfeiting is heresy, and the conspiracy they discover could cripple the kingdom’s financial standing and bring about its ruin. Susan: Came for the gorgeous cover, staying for icy bodyguard and anxious prince falling in love and solving crime. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → Want this book? We can help: buy links ahoy!. In the Event of Love Author: Courtney Kae Released: August 30, 2022 by Kensington Books Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, Romance Series: Fern Falls #1 Fans of Casey McQuiston and Alexandria Bellefleur will adore this queer romcom that combines everything people love about Hallmark-style holiday romances with laugh-out-loud humor and a sweet and steamy love story between two women. With her career as a Los Angeles event planner imploding after a tabloid blowup, Morgan Ross isn’t headed home for the holidays so much as in strategic retreat. Breathtaking mountain vistas, quirky townsfolk, and charming small businesses aside, her hometown of Fern Falls is built of one heartbreak on top of another . . . Take her one-time best friend turned crush, Rachel Reed. The memory of their perfect, doomed first kiss is still fresh as new-fallen snow. Way fresher than the freezing mud Morgan ends up sprawled in on her very first day back, only to be hauled out via Rachel’s sexy new lumberjane muscles acquired from running her family tree farm. When Morgan discovers that the Reeds’ struggling tree farm is the only thing standing between Fern Falls and corporate greed destroying the whole town’s livelihood, she decides she can put heartbreak aside to save the farm by planning her best fundraiser yet. She has all the inspiration for a spectacular event: delicious vanilla lattes, acoustic guitars under majestic pines, a cozy barn surrounded by brilliant stars. But she and Rachel will ABSOLUTELY NOT have a heartwarming holiday happy ending. That would be as unprofessional as it is unlikely. Right? Aarya: Sapphic Christmas romance! Add to Goodreads To-Read List → Find buy links for this book here.. Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service: Book Five Omnibus Author: Eiji Otsuka Released: August 30, 2022 by Dark Horse Manga Genre: Horror, Manga Five students at a Buddhist college in Japan find there’s little call for their job skills…among the living, that is! But their unique talents allow them to work with the dead…carrying out the last wishes of those whose spirits are still trapped in their corpses, and can’t move on to the next life! Book Five has the Kurosagi gang running into ever more bizarre incidents of modern horror, from mind-control mouse hats, to taxpayer-supported torture museums, to the most feared calamity of all…jury duty! Meanwhile, it seems a gang of corpse-clearing impostors is out to take away their meager business–and in America, someone’s made a cartoon series based off them…?! Plus, three previously unpublished stories: a client whose psychological syndrome makes her believe she’s dead; the mad robot scientist trio invents a zombie biker gang, and fugitives from a deadly cult hide out in the radioactive ruins of Fukushima! Collects The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service volumes 13 and 14, plus the previously unpublished volume 15. Susan: I have been waiting for this book since 2015. Kurosagi is my favourite anthology horror series, and its English publication has been a rollercoaster. It’s lost publishing quality, it’s been cancelled, it’s been reissued in omnibus form, and after all that! *We’re finally getting volume 15!* Add to Goodreads To-Read List → Find buy links for this book here.. Other Birds Author: Sarah Addison Allen Released: August 30, 2022 by St. Martin's Press Genre: Literary Fiction, Science Fiction/Fantasy From the New York Times bestselling author of Garden Spells comes an enchanting tale filled with magical realism and moments of pure love that won’t let you go. Between the real and the imaginary, there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways. Right off the coast of South Carolina, on Mallow Island, The Dellawisp sits—a stunning old cobblestone building shaped like a horseshoe, and named after the tiny turquoise birds who, alongside its human tenants, inhabit an air of magical secrecy. When Zoey comes to claim her deceased mother’s apartment on an island outside of Charleston she meets her quirky and secretive neighbors, including a girl on the run, two estranged middle-aged sisters, a lonely chef, a legendary writer, and three ghosts. Each with their own story. Each with their own longings. Each whose ending isn’t yet written. Amanda: Sarah Addison Allen is an auto-buy for me. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → Want to order this one? We’ve got the links you need!. Pack of Lies Author: Charlie Adhara Released: August 30, 2022 by Carina Adores Genre: LGBTQIA, Paranormal, Romance Series: Monster Hunt #1 Werewolf meets human. Werewolf snubs human. Werewolf loves human? Julien Doran arrived in sleepy Maudit Falls, North Carolina, with a heart full of hurt and a head full of questions. The key to his brother’s mysterious last days might be found in this tiny mysterious town, and now Julien’s amateur investigation is starting to unearth things the locals would rather keep buried. Perhaps most especially the strange, magnetic manager of a deserted retreat that’s nearly as odd as its staff. Eli Smith is a lot of things: thief, werewolf, glamour-puss, liar. And now the manager of a haven for rebel pack runaways. He’s spent years cultivating the persona of a flippant sophisticate to disguise his origins, but for the first time ever he’s been entrusted with a real responsibility—and he plans to take that seriously. Even if the handsome tourist who claims to be in town for some R & R is clearly on a hunt for all things paranormal. And hasn’t taken his brooding gaze off Eli since he’s arrived. When an old skeleton and a fresh corpse turn a grief errand into a murder investigation, the unlikely Eli is the only person Julien can turn to. Trust is hard to come by in a town known for its monsters, but so is time. As they’re trapped together in a crumbling mountain lookout, their secrets will have to come out…or both of them may end up buried. Aarya: Sad that Cooper and Park’s arc have come to an end, but happy that the author is continuing the story with Eli. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → Find buy links for this book here.. Suburban Hell Author: Maureen Kilmer Released: August 30, 2022 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Genre: Horror, Humor Bad Moms meets My Best Friend’s Exorcism in this lite-horror-comedy about a group of women in the Chicago ‘burbs, whose cul-de-sac gets a new neighbor: a demon. Amy Foster considers herself lucky. After she left the city and went full minivan, she found her place quickly with neighbors Liz, Jess, and Melissa, together snarking the “Mom Mafia” from the outskirts of the PTA mom crowd. So, one night during their monthly wine get-together, the newfound crew concoct a plan for a clubhouse She Shed in Liz’s backyard – the perfect space for just them, no spouses or kids allowed. But the night after they christen the space with a ceremonial drink, things start to feel…off. What they didn’t expect was for Liz’s little home improvement project to release a demonic force that turns their quiet suburban enclave into something out of a nightmare. And that’s before the Homeowners’ Association gets wind of it. Just as Liz is turned into a creepy doll face overnight, cases of haunting activity around the neighborhood intensify, and even the calmest moms can’t justify the strange burn marks, self-moving dolls, and horrible smells surrounding their possessed friend, Liz. Together, Amy, Jess, and Melissa must fight back the evil spirit to save Liz and the neighborhood…before the suburbs go completely to hell. But at least they don’t have to deal with the PTA, right? Amanda: The tone is giving me Grady Hendrix vibes. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → Want to order this one? We’ve got the links you need!. View the full article -
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Today’s Non-Fiction Kindle Daily Deals
How the Word is Passed How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith is $2.99! This was mentioned either on Hide Your Wallet or Whatcha Reading. I believe this one is still in hardcover, so less than $3 for an ebook isn’t a bad option. Poet and contributor to The Atlantic Clint Smith’s revealing, contemporary portrait of America as a slave owning nation Beginning in his own hometown of New Orleans, Clint Smith leads the reader through an unforgettable tour of monuments and landmarks-those that are honest about the past and those that are not-that offer an intergenerational story of how slavery has been central in shaping our nation’s collective history, and ourselves. It is the story of the Monticello Plantation in Virginia, the estate where Thomas Jefferson wrote letters espousing the urgent need for liberty while enslaving over 400 people on the premises. It is the story of the Whitney Plantation, one of the only former plantations devoted to preserving the experience of the enslaved people whose lives and work sustained it. It is the story of Angola Prison in Louisiana, a former plantation named for the country from which most of its enslaved people arrived and which has since become one of the most gruesome maximum-security prisons in the world. And it is the story of Blandford Cemetery, the final resting place of tens of thousands of Confederate soldiers. In a deeply researched and transporting exploration of the legacy of slavery and its imprint on centuries of American history, How the Word Is Passed illustrates how some of our country’s most essential stories are hidden in plain view-whether in places we might drive by on our way to work, holidays such as Juneteenth, or entire neighborhoods—like downtown Manhattan—on which the brutal history of the trade in enslaved men, women and children has been deeply imprinted. Informed by scholarship and brought alive by the story of people living today, Clint Smith’s debut work of nonfiction is a landmark work of reflection and insight that offers a new understanding of the hopeful role that memory and history can play in understanding our country. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → You can find ordering info for this book here. Know My Name Know My Name by Chanel Miller is $1.99! This is a power memoir and Miller was the “Emily Doe” in the Brock Turner sexual assault case. This one is not an easy ready, though it’s a very powerful one. The riveting, powerful memoir of the woman whose statement to Brock Turner gave voice to millions of survivors She was known to the world as Emily Doe when she stunned millions with a letter. Brock Turner had been sentenced to just six months in county jail after he was found sexually assaulting her on Stanford’s campus. Her victim impact statement was posted on BuzzFeed, where it instantly went viral–viewed by eleven million people within four days, it was translated globally and read on the floor of Congress; it inspired changes in California law and the recall of the judge in the case. Thousands wrote to say that she had given them the courage to share their own experiences of assault for the first time. Now she reclaims her identity to tell her story of trauma, transcendence, and the power of words. It was the perfect case, in many ways–there were eyewitnesses, Turner ran away, physical evidence was immediately secured. But her struggles with isolation and shame during the aftermath and the trial reveal the oppression victims face in even the best-case scenarios. Her story illuminates a culture biased to protect perpetrators, indicts a criminal justice system designed to fail the most vulnerable, and, ultimately, shines with the courage required to move through suffering and live a full and beautiful life. Know My Name will forever transform the way we think about sexual assault, challenging our beliefs about what is acceptable and speaking truth to the tumultuous reality of healing. It also introduces readers to an extraordinary writer, one whose words have already changed our world. Entwining pain, resilience, and humor, this memoir will stand as a modern classic. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → You can find ordering info for this book here. What If? What If? by Randall Munroe is $1.99! Munroe is the creator of the popular webcomic xkcd. I also spent a very interesting New Year’s Eve hanging out with Randall and his wife and friends. Anyway, this, as the subtitle says, is Munroe’s attempt to realistically answer some wild hypothetical questions. However, I’ve seen this book in person and that might be a better format than digitally. From the creator of the wildly popular webcomic xkcd, hilarious and informative answers to important questions you probably never thought to ask. Millions of people visit xkcd.com each week to read Randall Munroe’s iconic webcomic. His stick-figure drawings about science, technology, language, and love have a large and passionate following. Fans of xkcd ask Munroe a lot of strange questions. What if you tried to hit a baseball pitched at 90 percent the speed of light? How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live? If there was a robot apocalypse, how long would humanity last? In pursuit of answers, Munroe runs computer simulations, pores over stacks of declassified military research memos, solves differential equations, and consults with nuclear reactor operators. His responses are masterpieces of clarity and hilarity, complemented by signature xkcd comics. They often predict the complete annihilation of humankind, or at least a really big explosion. The book features new and never-before-answered questions, along with updated and expanded versions of the most popular answers from the xkcd website. What If? will be required reading for xkcd fans and anyone who loves to ponder the hypothetical. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → You can find ordering info for this book here. In the Dream House In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado is $3.99! I’ve loved Machado’s fiction and while the writing is just as compelling in this memoir, it’s heavy and traumatic. Machado’s memoir focuses on her experience with intimate partner violence and is very detailed. A revolutionary memoir about domestic abuse by the award-winning author of Her Body and Other Parties In the Dream House is Carmen Maria Machado’s engrossing and wildly innovative account of a relationship gone bad, and a bold dissection of the mechanisms and cultural representations of psychological abuse. Tracing the full arc of a harrowing relationship with a charismatic but volatile woman, Machado struggles to make sense of how what happened to her shaped the person she was becoming. And it’s that struggle that gives the book its original structure: each chapter is driven by its own narrative trope—the haunted house, erotica, the bildungsroman—through which Machado holds the events up to the light and examines them from different angles. She looks back at her religious adolescence, unpacks the stereotype of lesbian relationships as safe and utopian, and widens the view with essayistic explorations of the history and reality of abuse in queer relationships. Machado’s dire narrative is leavened with her characteristic wit, playfulness, and openness to inquiry. She casts a critical eye over legal proceedings, fairy tales, Star Trek, and Disney villains, as well as iconic works of film and fiction. The result is a wrenching, riveting book that explodes our ideas about what a memoir can do and be. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → You can find ordering info for this book here. View the full article -
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Get Rec’d with Amanda – Volume 23
Hey all! It’s a very sleepy edition of Get Rec’d, as in I’m very sleepy while writing this list. For those who don’t know, I talk about books a lot in my daily life outside of SBTB. I work at a bookstore and give professional book recs through Book Riot’s TBR subscription. I personally love playing book matchmaker, and I love it when people give me recs as well! Get any good recommendations lately? Tell me all about them! I Dream of Dinner (So You Don’t Have To) Sarah recommended this one to me on a recent podcast episode! I pulled it off the shelf at the bookstore to peruse and a coworker also said it’s a great cookbook. 150 essential recipes for dinner on the fly, from New York Times contributor Ali Slagle With minimal ingredients and maximum joy in mind, Ali Slagle’s no-nonsense, completely delicious recipes are ideal for dinner tonight–and every single night. Like she does with her instantly beloved recipes in the New York Times, Ali combines readily available, inexpensive ingredients in clever, uncomplicated ways for meals that spark everyday magic. Maybe it’s Fish & Chips Tacos tonight, a bowl of Olive Oil-Braised Chickpeas tomorrow, and Farro Carbonara forever and ever. All come together with fewer than eight ingredients and forty-five minutes, using one or two pots and pans. Half the recipes are plant-based, too. Organized by main ingredients like eggs, noodles, beans, and chicken, chapters include quick tricks for riffable cooking methods and flavor combinations so that dinner bends to your life, not the other way around (no meal-planning required!). Whether in need of comfort and calm, fire and fun–directions to cling to, or the inspiration to wing it–Dinnertime is the only phone-a-friend you need. That’s because Ali, a home cook turned recipe developer, guides with a reassuring calm, puckish curiosity, and desire for everyone, everywhere, to make great food–and fast. (Phew!) Add to Goodreads To-Read List → You can find ordering info for this book here. Inventing the It Girl This one was another recommendation from someone else. SBTB reader Susan sent this to my inbox and felt it would be of interest in the Bitchery, and I definitely agree. The modern romance novel is elevated to a subject of serious study in this addictive biography of pioneering celebrity author Elinor Glyn. Unlike typical romances, which end with wedding bells, Elinor Glyn’s story really began after her marriage up the social ladder and into the English gentry class in 1892. Born in the Channel Islands, Elinor Sutherland, like most Victorian women, aspired only to a good match. But when her husband, Clayton Glyn, gambled their fortune away, she turned to her pen and boldly challenged the era’s sexually straightjacketed literary code with her notorious succes de scandale, Three Weeks. An intensely erotic tale about an unhappily married woman’s sexual education of her young lover, the novel got Glyn banished from high society but went on to sell millions, revealing a deep yearning for a fuller account of sexual passion than permitted by the British aristocracy or the Anglo-American literary establishment. In elegant prose, Hilary A. Hallett traces Glyn’s meteoric rise from a depressed society darling to a world-renowned celebrity author who consorted with world leaders from St. Petersburg to Cairo to New York. After reporting from the trenches during World War I, the author was lured by American movie producers from Paris to Los Angeles for her remarkable third act. Weaving together years of deep archival research, Hallett movingly conveys how Glyn, more than any other individual during the Roaring Twenties, crafted early Hollywood’s glamorous romantic aesthetic. She taught the screen’s greatest leading men to make love in ways that set audiences aflame, and coined the term It Girl, which turned actress Clara Bow into the symbol of the first sexual revolution. With Inventing the It Girl, Hallett has done nothing less than elevate the origins of the modern romance genre to a subject of serious study. In doing so, she has also reclaimed the enormous influence of one of Anglo-America’s most significant cultural tastemakers while revealing Glyn’s life to have been as sensational as any of the characters she created on the page or screen. The result is a groundbreaking portrait of a courageous icon of independence who encouraged future generations to chase their desires wherever they might lead. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → You can find ordering info for this book here. Nobody Hugs a Cactus I love a grumpy character in my reading, no matter the genre. So a grumpy cactus who secretly wants all the love and affection was just too cute. Celebrated artist and lead character designer of Brave, Ratatouille, and Despicable Me, Carter Goodrich, shows that sometimes, even the prickliest people—or the crankiest cacti—need a little love. Hank is the prickliest cactus in the entire world. He sits in a pot in a window that faces the empty desert, which is just how he likes it. So, when all manner of creatures—from tumbleweed to lizard to owl—come to disturb his peace, Hank is annoyed. He doesn’t like noise, he doesn’t like rowdiness, and definitely does not like hugs. But the thing is, no one is offering one. Who would want to hug a plant so mean? Hank is beginning to discover that being alone can be, well, lonely. So he comes up with a plan to get the one thing he thought he would never need: a hug from a friend. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → You can find ordering info for this book here. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes Caitlin Doughty is one of my favorite non-fiction authors to recommend, especially for people who have enjoyed Mary Roach and don’t mind more macabre topics. A young mortician goes behind the scenes, unafraid of the gruesome (and fascinating) details of her curious profession. Most people want to avoid thinking about death, but Caitlin Doughty—a twenty-something with a degree in medieval history and a flair for the macabre—took a job at a crematory, turning morbid curiosity into her life’s work. With an original voice that combines fearless curiosity and mordant wit, Caitlin tells an unusual coming-of-age story full of bizarre encounters, gallows humor, and vivid characters (both living and very dead). Describing how she swept ashes from the machines (and sometimes onto her clothes), and cared for bodies of all shapes and sizes, Caitlin becomes an intrepid explorer in the world of the deceased. Her eye-opening memoir shows how our fear of dying warps our culture and society, and she calls for better ways of dealing with death (and our dead). In the spirit of her popular Web series, “Ask a Mortician,” Caitlin’s engaging narrative style makes this otherwise scary topic both approachable and profound. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → You can find ordering info for this book here. View the full article -
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Interview with Natalie Fynn: Q3 2022 Creative Nonfiction Third Place Winner
Natalie’s Bio: Natalie is from England but has lived in France for the last eight years. She discovered her passion for writing whilst living in Paris where she began exploring her experiences in the city of love through creative nonfiction. She spends much of her free time salsa dancing around her living room with her charming French husband and cuddling their “baby”—an adorable Maltese dog called Buddy. She is currently working on a series of children’s books but her ultimate goal is to write a memoir based on her Parisian adventures. This is the first time Natalie has shared her work with a wider audience. If you haven't already done so, check out Natalie's award-winning story "How Did We End Up Here?" and then return here for a chat with the author. WOW: Congratulations on placing third in the Q3 2022 Creative Nonfiction Contest! How did you begin writing your essay and how did it and your writing processes evolve as you wrote? Natalie: Before I started writing anything down, I spent a few days conjuring up ideas for how I wanted to tell the story and mapped it all out in my head. When I finally came to writing the essay, I just let the words and emotions that I'd been contemplating pour out onto the page in no particular order or structure. I knew I wanted to relate my personal experience to that of the bird but I wasn't exactly sure how that would work at first. Eventually, the essay just organically turned into a braided narrative where I was comparing both of our situations and it started feeling natural to use second person to address the bird. WOW: What did you learn about yourself or your writing by creating this essay? Natalie: I learnt just how challenging yet empowering it is to bare your soul through the written word. I find that my essays generally tend to be quite "safe" or they don't leave much of an impact. But this is the first time I've written something where I didn't hold anything back. Whilst editing this essay, I even questioned certain parts as perhaps being a little too honest or personal and very nearly removed them. But I now realise that having that feeling of discomfort is a pretty good indicator that you're writing something meaningful. WOW: Some discomfort equals something meaningful: that is a powerful lesson. Have you begun writing a memoir based on your Parisian adventures? What excites you most about writing about those experiences? Natalie: When I lived in Paris a few years ago, I was part of a writing group where we would share our nonfiction vignettes with each other each week. My vignettes were often about my adventures (or misadventures!) in the city. Our wonderfully encouraging teacher told me I could put all of my vignettes together and turn them into a book. So, in the sense that I have this collection of essays telling the story of my time in Paris, I have already begun writing my memoir. On the other hand, I feel like I'm always evolving as a writer so I'm sure I will feel inspired to look back at these stories with a fresh perspective and want to depict them in new ways. I'm also looking forward to revisiting this particular time in my life and creating more of a narrative from my vignettes. WOW: What a fun and engaging project! I hope you enjoy revisiting the vignettes and finding new and meaningful ways to put the pieces together. Which creative nonfiction essays or writers have inspired you most, and in what ways did they inspire you? Natalie: I'm inspired by adventurous and courageous writers like Cheryl Strayed and Elizabeth Gilbert. I've always been drawn to nonfiction works relating to journeys of self-discovery. I admire the bravery involved in stepping out of your comfort zone to explore unfamiliar places in the hopes of finding yourself and tackling obstacles in your personal life. WOW: Two excellent examples of authors on journeys of self-discovery. If you could tell your younger self anything about writing, what would it be? Natalie: I would tell her to be bold and brave. Writing nonfiction takes courage and sharing your work with others is even more daring. Don't be afraid to delve deep within yourself to find your truth and tell your stories in the most honest possible way. Keep searching till you find your voice, tell your stories authentically and write from your soul. WOW: Excellent advice! Anything else you’d like to add? Natalie: I would just like to say how grateful I am to have placed third in your creative nonfiction contest – I still can't quite believe it! It's such an honour to know that my essay is being shared amongst the work of so many other talented writers. Thank you for this wonderful recognition and the encouragement and confidence to keep writing and sharing my work. WOW: Thank you for trusting us with your writing and we're glad to have you as part of our community. Happy writing! Interviewed by Anne Greenawalt, founder and editor-in-chief of Sport Stories Press, which publishes sports books by, for, and about sportswomen and amateur athletes and offers developmental editing and ghostwriting services to partially fund the press. Engage on Twitter or Instagram @GreenMachine459. (C) Copyright wow-womenonwriting.com Visit WOW! Women On Writing for lively interviews and how-tos. Check out WOW!'s Classroom and learn something new. Enter the Quarterly Writing Contests. Open Now![url={url}]View the full article[/url] -
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Erotic Romance, Scoundrels, & More
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon RECOMMENDED: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming is 99c at Amazon! Carrie recently reviewed this one and gave it a B: This book was perfect entertainment for my stressed out brain, and I was definitely rooting for those two wacky kids to have their HEA. All I wanted to do was live my life in peace. Maybe get a cat, expand my spice farm. Really anything that doesn’t involve going on a quest where an orc might rip my face off. But they say the Goddess has favorites. If so, I’m clearly not one of them. After saving the demon Fallon in a wine-drunk stupor, all he wanted to do was kill an evil witch enslaving his people. I mean, I get it. Don’t get me wrong. But he’s dragging me along for the ride, and I’m kind of peeved about it. On the bright side, he keeps burning off his shirt. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → You can find ordering info for this book here. Never Seduce a Scoundrel Never Seduce a Scoundrel by Sabrina Jeffries is $1.99! This is book one in the School for Heiresses! I love how historical romances are just chock full of schools. (I know nothing about historical accuracy, but how prevalent were these things? Would love to know more!) “Be careful, Amelia — you know how reckless you can be!” — Mrs. Charlotte Harris, headmistress Lady Amelia Plume has many admirers — it’s too bad they’re all fortune hunters and fops who can’t provide the exotic adventures she seeks. But the ballrooms of Mayfair have become much more appealing since the arrival of Major Lucas Winter, an American with a dark past and a dangerous air. Lucas is brash, arrogant — and scandalously tempting. Every thrilling kiss sparks hotter desire, yet Amelia suspects that Lucas has a hidden motive in wooing her. And she intends to discover it, by any means necessary. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → You can find ordering info for this book here. For 100 Days For 100 Days by Lara Adrian is $2.49! This is a contemporary erotic romance and the first in a trilogy, so there MAY be some cliffhanger action going on, but I didn’t see anything about that in any reviews. Readers also recommend this book for fans of alpha heroes, so if that isn’t you bag, you may want to reconsider! Struggling artist Avery Ross is barely scraping by. Bartending at a trendy New York City restaurant for an overbearing boss and two weeks away from losing her apartment to a condo developer, she’s desperate for a break. So when she’s offered a temporary housesitting job, she takes it. Living at one of the poshest addresses in Manhattan is like entering a new world–one that catapults her into the orbit of billionaire Dominic Baine, the darkly handsome, arrogantly alpha resident of the building’s penthouse. What begins as a powerful attraction soon explodes into a white-hot passion neither can deny. Yet as scorching as their need for each other is, Avery doesn’t expect Nick’s interest in her to last. Nor does she dare to dream that the desire she feels for this scarred, emotionally remote man could deepen into something real. For Avery has secrets of her own–and a past that could destroy her . . . and shatter everything she and Nick share. FOR 100 DAYS is the first novel in a passionate new contemporary romance trilogy from New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Lara Adrian. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → You can find ordering info for this book here. The Vanished Days The Vanished Days by Susanna Kearsley is $4.03 at Amazon! What a weird price. I also know it’s a little higher than most of the books on sale we feature. However, it is her most recent release and I’m not sure if it’s been on sale in the last year. From international bestselling author Susanna Kearsley comes a historical tale of intrigue and revolution in Scotland, where the exile of King James brought plots, machinations, suspicion and untold bravery to light. An investigation of a young widow’s secrets by a man who’s far from objective, leads to a multi-layered tale of adventure, endurance, romance…and the courage to hope. In the autumn of 1707, old enemies from the Highlands to the Borders are finding common ground as they join to protest the new Union with England. At the same time, the French are preparing to launch an invasion to bring the young exiled Jacobite king back to Scotland to reclaim his throne, and in Edinburgh the streets are filled with discontent and danger. Queen Anne’s commissioners, seeking to calm the situation, have begun paying out money sent up from London to settle the losses and wages owed to those Scots who took part in the disastrous Darien expedition eight years earlier—an ill-fated venture that left Scotland all but bankrupt. When the young widow of a Darien sailor comes forward to collect her husband’s wages, her claim is challenged. One of the men assigned to investigate has only days to decide if she’s honest, or if his own feelings are blinding him to the truth. The Vanished Days is a prequel and companion novel to The Winter Sea, with action that overlaps some of the action in that book. The Vanished Days goes back in time to the 1680s and introduces the reader to the Moray and Graeme families. Add to Goodreads To-Read List → You can find ordering info for this book here. View the full article -
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The Fuzzy Secrets to Writing a Decent Novel
As I dig back into writing another novel, and as I wonder (again) if I can pull off this project that I’ve been trying to complete for… a long time, I wanted to document what I think it takes to write a decent novel. I’m not specifically talking about the craft of writing a novel (even though that’s plenty important), but more about the general traits that allow me to complete any big crazy project like a novel. I came up with three specific things that are necessary (for me) to write and complete a book. For good or for bad, these are fuzzy things, definitely not in the realm of WRITE 7.25 MILLION WORDS A DAY! or WRITE EVERY DAY AT 4:15AM! or FOLLOW THE HERO’S JOURNEY PERFECTLY OR ELSE! Rather than spoil it, I’ll let the video speak for itself, because I think it works better if you see how I approached this exercise, rather than list those items here. If you were to come up with your own fuzzy secrets (or skills or traits or qualities or whatever!) to write and finish a book, what would be on your list? About Yuvi ZalkowYuvi Zalkow's first novel was reluctantly published in 2012 by MP Publishing. His forthcoming novel (I Only Cry with Emoticons) will be published by Red Hen Press in June of 2022. His stories and essays have been published in Glimmer Train, Narrative Magazine, Carve Magazine, The Daily Dot, Rosebud, The Poop Report, and others. He occasionally makes YouTube videos and apps for iPhones. Check out his website if you actually want to find out more. Web | More Posts [url={url}]View the full article[/url] -
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An Editor’s Confession by Chelsey Clammer
As an editor, it’s a little absurd that I fear revising words. Not all words. Just mine. I can edit the hell out of your words and bask in the task but sit me down in front of my work and I cringe. It’s about trusting myself. Or something of that sort. Something about how I fear that I won’t like a single letter of what I’ve written. That while I’m writing, it feels powerful and meaningful and makes sense and has a solid rhythm to it. And then I re-read it. Usually I’m right on that rhythm part because I can get that beat down, but making that beat say something is a different sort of story. It’s a revising story and sometimes when I go to revise, I feel like I’ve shifted genres because when I read it, I’m suddenly in a horror story of words. I almost wrote “shifted genders,” not “genres,” in that previous sentence because I’ve been thinking a lot about genders lately. And how they shift. How I haven’t spent much time considering that gender is also a process of revision. Then I started dating a trans man. Now, I see the way that gender is a narrative we create for ourselves. Even if we don’t physically shift dichotomous genders, we revise the way our gender feels to us throughout our lives. The “tomboy” phase, the full-blown butch phase, then to the powerful femme feeling, then in between the two has been my gender trajectory. When we first started dating, my boyfriend told me about how his first top surgery got botched, so he had to go in for a revision. Those words—that one word—struck me. I know what revision is. That editor profession—take something that’s not working and mess around with it until sings in both sound and meaning. I considered my own revision process. “Were you scared to get top surgery?” “Oh hell no!” my boyfriend replied, pausing in his constant stroking of his glorious, testosterone-induced tuft of a beard to gesticulate with his hands. “I was so excited! I was getting the body I wanted.” I considered this the next day as I faced my own revisions. Not on my body, but my body of work. It felt just as personal, and I sensed my perspective shift. I don’t have to fear this work. Even if I hate every word I wrote, that’s okay. It’s almost the point. I’m here to revise—to get the body of work I want. To make myself, my words sink into my skin and that narrative space I initially envisioned. If not yearned for. After this conversation with my boyfriend, I started not to fear the revisions as much. Writing, like gender, shifts. It’s why we show up to the page—to ourselves. To bring our art, our bodies, ourselves, and our lives into the space in which we want to exist. And that’s something to get excited about. * Chelsey Clammer is the author of BodyHome (Hopewell Publications, 2015) and Circadian (Red Hen Press, 2017), which was the winner of the Red Hen Press Nonfiction Manuscript Award. Her work has appeared in The Normal School, Black Warrior Review, The Rumpus, McSweeney’s, Hobart, Essay Daily, and The Water~Stone Review, among more than one hundred other publications. She is an online creative writing instructor for WOW! Women On Writing. Chelsey received her MFA in Creative Writing from Rainier Writing Workshop. Her next collection of essays, Human Heartbeat Detected, which looks at the ways in which we are "human" to one another, is forthcoming from Red Hen Press (August 30, 2022). Chelsey is currently working on a new collection about the empowering women in her life. Visit her website at www.chelseyclammer.com. (C) Copyright wow-womenonwriting.com Visit WOW! Women On Writing for lively interviews and how-tos. Check out WOW!'s Classroom and learn something new. Enter the Quarterly Writing Contests. Open Now![url={url}]View the full article[/url]
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