Happy Friday the 13th, everyone! Such an odd month to have it in, December. It’s not as though we associate winter with Friday the 13th–that’s more of a fall and Halloween thing. Of course, writers live for unusual combinations. What better way to exercise our writing muscles than to try and make two seemingly mismatched elements fit together cohesively?
That brings us to today’s writing prompt. As always, the prompt itself is fairly straightforward. All you have to do is write a horror short story that takes place in the winter. If you can tie in Christmas or some other winter holiday, even better! In fact, for maximum benefit, I highly recommend incorporating any festive elements that you can and try to twist them to enhance the horror in your story. You could even write it in the form of a rhyming children’s story or Christmas poem, like “A Visit from St. Nicholas”.
Get as disturbed and deranged as you want. Turn white winter snow red, explore the darkest thoughts that arise around this time of year, do whatever you feel it takes to make the most wonderful time of year frightening. You can follow Krampus on his annual journey to beat naughty children, turn Santa into a psychopathic stalker that sees you when you’re sleeping–the only limit is your imagination!
There are several examples of winter horror stories in movie form: Krampus (2015), Elves (1989), even The Abominable Snowman (1957). My personal recommendation for inspiration, though, is this reading of “The Night Before”, a zombie twist on “A Visit from St. Nicholas”, by paranormal investigator John L. Tenney: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjXQe0fWrRM.
Feel free to share your experiences with this exercise and the resulting short story in the comments. Now, merry writing to all, and to all a good Friday the 13th!
Happy December, readers and writers! It is now officially time for you to put up your Christmas—or Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Yule, Saturnalia, or other winter holiday—decorations without drawing ire and nasty looks from your neighbors. It’s also just thirty-one days until we enter 2020. What better way to celebrate the first day of the last month of the year than with a new book review? Today, I am reviewing Love is Orange: Stoking the Fire by F.C. Neil.
Jonathan
Harris has spent his summer break trying to get over a really bad breakup. In
an attempt to stave off his depression, he heads to one of his and his ex’s
favorite spots: the beach. A Nicholas Sparks book in one hand and James Taylor
filling his ears, Jonathan only expects to take a walk down memory lane. Then
he meets HER. A mysterious teenaged girl with her own Nicholas Sparks novel and
James Taylor as her music of choice. It’s love at first sight—until Jonathan
says exactly the wrong thing and ruins their moment of basking in orange. Now
he would do anything for another chance, a chance he might just get when school
starts again.
Melissa Berry is not your average high school senior. She is literary and highly moral, her father died of alcoholism, and this will be her first year attending a real high school. Previously crippled by her social anxiety, Melissa is finally ready to leave homeschool and be a normal teenager. Anything to get away from her mother’s indecent and drunk boy-toy. On the first day of school, she is met with the most unexpected surprise: Jonathan, the boy from the beach she had connected with over the summer before his unfortunate verbal fumble killed the mood. Could this be fate giving them a second chance at love? Or is it just an incredible coincidence? And if lightning really can strike twice, what happens in the aftermath?
Love
is Orange is not your average book. (I’m not just saying that
because it managed to mention Redding, a city only fifteen minutes away from
where I live that is almost never even named in passing in most books that take
place in California.) At only 49 pages long in the Kindle version, it packs a
lot of punch in a short amount of space. This is, in part, due to the method of
writing that Neil has used, a mix of show and tell that relies heavy on tell
with well-placed moments of captivating and vivid imagery, reminiscent of old-fashioned
oral storytelling put to paper. The story begins with an enticing newspaper
clipping followed by a unique and expertly crafted image of Jonathan and Melissa’s
first meeting, exploring emotion through color as it takes over their world and
then quickly recedes. From there, it’s a quick read—maybe one sitting—through the
emotional rollercoaster of the main characters realizing their love for each
other and the consequences it brings for them at school and at home. It all
culminates in a surprise ending that one would never expect and the promise of
more to come.
I
must confess, I am usually very good at predicting plot twists in both books
and movies. Sometimes my mom, who is also great at predicting plot twists, and
I will share theories while we’re watching movies just to see which one of us
will end up being right. However, I did not expect the ending to this book at
all. I won’t say too much to avoid possible spoilers, but Neil did a great job
of turning the story they were writing into an entirely new premise that
promises to make the sequel as unique and exciting as the first. Neil even
manages to genre-bend the work a bit, setting it up to be purely romance and
then seamlessly transitioning into a hybrid of romance and the supernatural
that you will not expect and yet will leave you pining for more.
Of
course, this book isn’t for everyone. While it does genre-bend by the end, this
story is most certainly in the romance genre. There are multiple romance clichés,
including a bit of over-the-top declarations of love, and soap opera-like coincidences.
Still, for those that don’t like steamy romance works, there’s not too much to
worry about here. Sex is mentioned, sometimes as a mere hormonal act and other
times as an act of passionate love, but never in much detail. There is some
drunkenness, depression, tragic loss, and one passing mention of contemplating
suicide, but it’s all handled in little enough detail that it should not offend
most people. However, if you are triggered by such subjects or wish to avoid
them, you might want to pass on this work just in case.
I
personally would have preferred a little more exploration of the characters and
their relationship before the twist ending came. This lacking is, in part, due
to the storytelling writing style used here, so it might just be based on
personal preferences there. Nevertheless, more exploration of the characters
both in and out of their relationship would have made the read much more satisfying,
allowing the reader to fully connect with the characters and all their
emotional strife. Unfortunately, due to the heavy reliance on telling in this
work, there is a lot of emotion present but without the more extended journey into
the characters’ lives and minds, the reader will not feel the emotions as
strongly as they could. If this could be fixed, this work would be incredibly
powerful from an emotional perspective.
Overall,
Love is Orange: Stoking the Fire by F.C. Neil is a fun and quick read
for romance fans. If you want a drawn-out emotional journey, this book is
probably not for you. However, if you want an emotional rollercoaster with an unusual
ending that you can finish in one sitting, you’ll definitely want to snag a
copy. With the promise of another—and possibly even more unique—book to come
after this one, you’ll be dying to find out what happens next in the increasingly
bizarre and ever-connected lives of Jonathan Harris and Melissa Berry.
You can buy or borrow a Kindle edition of Love is Orange: Stoking the Fire by F.C. Neil on Amazon. To keep up with more works from MaxEQ and await word on the next installment of Love is Orange, be sure to sign up for the MaxEQ mailing list here.
Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers! It’s certainly been a busy few weeks. I went on vacation the week of Halloween, and almost as soon as I got back, I fell really ill. I was definitely not a happy camper for a while there. Fortunately, I’m doing much better. Busy as always, but not feeling like I’m going to die from being sick anymore. I also have some pretty exciting news: one of my short stories, “Patient Zero”, was published in the Darkness Wired Anthology from Notch Publishing House.
For this anthology, writers were given the pick of several prompts involving a mixture of modern technology, old gods, and Lovecraftian mythos. With each story covering a different year, Darkness Wired spans fifty years from 2020 to 2070–a future that’s just around the corner. The result: a collection of ten dark science fiction/horror stories that will entertain you and make you think.
In “Patient Zero”, the first known sufferer of a new disease called Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Agressiva, Maria Labeouf-Garcia, is slowly driven mad by hallucinations. At least, she thinks they are hallucinations. The truth is far beyond her comprehension, but will Maria discover it before it’s too late?
“Patient Zero” is my first short story to be published–“Postmortem” was long-listed for a contest but never published–so this is both an exciting and nerve-racking development for me. Hopefully, though, it will not be my last.
For more information on the Darkness Wired Anthology and to look out for future anthologies and contests, be sure to check out Notch Publishing House’s website. If you want to support some fellow writers and read the anthology for yourself, you can borrow it on Kindle Unlimited or buy it for $4.99 on Amazon.
Update 12/18/2019: At the time that I was working on this announcement/review for Hidden from Our Eyes by James Fisher, the book’s Amazon page said it was 370 pages long. However, it now shows 272 pages, so that is the correct length.
Happy Friday, readers and writers! Today I want to bring you a combination book announcement and review for a unique kind of speculative fiction—or at least one that we don’t hear about very often anymore. Instead of taking its readers far into a dystopian future or back into a foreign-yet-somehow-familiar past, this book journeys into an almost unrecognizable alternate timeline, one in which Native Americans still control North America, English as we know it never came to exist, and by the 1970s, cars just barely exist in Europe and planes are but a madman’s dream. For this post, I want to talk about Hidden from Our Eyes by James Fisher.
June
21, 1976 – Tom Winchester is a student pilot living with his widowed mother in
Virginia Beach. On the summer solstice, as he is leaving for his flying
lessons, a voice calls out to him from near a hickory tree in his front yard.
Convinced it’s one of his old track-and-field buddies playing a prank on him,
Tom investigates. Instead of finding a mischievous friend—or any other source
for the voice—he stumbles through a mysterious and mystical stone arch into a
world plucked straight out of the history books: Vinlandia, a North America
void of all Europeans but for a few Christian priests and Vikings.
No English. No America. No family or friends or any connection to those around him. Abandoned by a trickster voice in a land that is so familiar and yet so incredibly strange, Tom must learn and adapt if he is to survive long enough to find his way home. From wartime scouting missions and brushes with pirates to landmark inventions and an unlikely romance, this Virginian is in for the adventure of a lifetime. With the source and purpose behind his journey still a mystery, the real adventure has only just begun.
Now,
I want to be upfront about my history with this book. I actually started off
beta reading it for Fisher as part of a Fiverr gig, and I have seen in it
through many iterations of thorough and honest feedback. Most recently, I
served as the work’s editor, making sure to polish the writing as best as I can
while still maintaining Fisher’s unique voice. I felt it only fair to disclose
this to you, my readers, so you will have it in mind as you read through my
review.
However,
remember this: I always speak my mind. I’m nice about it, but I still do it. If
I don’t like something, I will be honest and say so. Fortunately, that’s not
the case here. I have seen Hidden from Our Eyes grow from a strong
concept into a captivating story, and fans of alternate universes/timelines,
historical fiction, and supernatural fiction are in for an exciting ride.
Hidden
from Our Eyes by
James Fisher is a quick and engaging read despite being 370 pages long. In
part, this is due to Fisher’s straightforward, easy-to-follow writing style
coupled with carefully selected descriptions. For me, though, it’s more due to
the multiple layers of mystery driving the novel. Where exactly has Tom landed?
Who called him through the archway, and why? Why is this timeline so different
from ours? Will Tom ever be able to get home? With these just being some of the
more major questions this book generates, the reader will keep going until the
very end just to get them answered—and then impatiently wait for the sequel as
more questions are raised in the last few pages.
As
with most speculative fiction, the most compelling aspect of this novel is the
world-building. Fisher has clearly put a lot of thought, historical research,
and imaginative energy into constructing an alternative timeline that could
have realistically branched from a minor divergence in the path to our reality.
While it seems on the surface to be absurd or outlandish, thinking it through,
much like Tom himself does, reveals just how much sense Fisher’s alternate
timeline/universe makes. For a nerd like me—one who is both a history nerd and
loves to contemplate what would have happened if just one thing had happened
differently—this is as exhilarating as a well-defined magic system in epic
fantasy or accurate technological leaps in science fiction.
Hidden from Our Eyes also contains a diverse cast of characters in which readers are bound to find someone that they can at least become attached to if not feel an affinity for. Each character has their own unique personality and history, even if the latter is never really explored or hinted at. Some are likeable, others are not, and still others manage to be both at the same time. (Womocco made me both smirk in amusement and groan in frustration, sometimes within the same scene.) Fisher has even developed the most minor characters well enough to make them stick in the reader’s mind for the rest of the novel. The characters of Aethelstan and Valgard, while very minor, made a particular strong impression with me, and Valgard ended up being one of my favorite characters. When minor characters turn out to be so well developed, the author has clearly put a lot of time and effort into making all of them.
Of
course, this novel isn’t for everyone. The plot isn’t the same sort of on-the-edge,
character’s-world-is-about-to-end kind of plot that many fantasy, science
fiction, and other speculative fiction novels we have become accustomed to. The
main antagonist is not some wicked ruler utilizing black magic or an evil corporation
and/or alien race controlling our every move but a mysterious force akin to
fate keeping Tom trapped in this new world. There is action involved in the scouting
and ship scenes as well as plenty of emotional tension, but the story isn’t for
action-lovers. Instead, it’s speculative fiction more aimed at thinkers and
those focused on character and world development. It’s not a flaw in the work;
it’s just not every reader’s cup of tea.
Overall,
Hidden from Our Eyes by James Fisher is great for anyone who has ever
wondered what it would have been like if Europeans hadn’t established colonies
in America. It explores not only how that would have changed the socio-politico-cultural
landscape of America itself but of the world at large, looking for the most
likely event that would have prevented it and following the ripples that it
would have sent throughout all of Europe and the Americas. On that front, the
only way it could have been better is if we could have seen how it affected
more of Asia, the Middle East, and that part of the world. However, the book is
more than just an exploration of what if. It’s a journey into something that is
both a secret fear and desire shared among most, if not all, humans: being
given a completely new start, all by ourselves, with no connection to our pasts
whatsoever to mold our destinies into whatever we want. This book invites the
reader’s intellectual engagement, and for those who prefer more action, the
potential for plenty of that in the second book is teased at by the end of this
one. I personally can’t wait to see what becomes of Tom in both of the lives he
has made for himself.
You can buy Hidden from Our Eyes by James Fisher as a Kindle book on Amazon.
Happy October, readers and writers. It has been quite a long time since I’ve updated this blog. I’ve been neck-deep in work, including a few projects that I can’t talk about just yet. Rest assured, though, that they are fairly interesting, two of them being editing jobs for other writers and one involving some writing of my own. (I know, it’s hard to believe!) Unfortunately, it’s not just been good news that’s kept me out of commission since I last posted here. Heck, it’s not even the biggest reason. Rather, the most prominent reason for my absence is something I’ve discussed many times before: depression and anxiety.
I almost didn’t put this post up. For more than a week, I constantly came to it, wrote it, rewrote it, edited it, and left it, wondering if I should just ditch it for one of my typical “mea culpa” kind of updates. I kept asking myself if anyone would really care to hear about my depression and anxiety, if it’s something I should really discuss in this depth. Why drive it into the ground when I’ve talked about it before?
I know, though, that there are people who read this blog who do not feel that they can talk to anyone about their mental illness. They worry that they’ll be seen as incompetent, lazy, less of a person, even crazy. If anyone connected to work found out, they could miss out on promotions, much-needed overtime, new gigs or contracts, or lose their job altogether. Worse yet, what if people thought they were lying to get out of something or for the attention?
These are the people who need to see someone else talk openly about depression, anxiety, and other mental illness. Someone like me. They might be a regular reader or they might have just come across this one post by random, but if I can help someone else start to talk by discussing my own problems, then it’s worth whatever other people will think of me. Considering last week was #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek, it seems appropriate that I finally get around to letting you all know more of what’s going on with me.
I’ve made it no secret that I suffer from depression and anxiety. Why hide it? Like I’ve said in previous posts, depression and other mental illness are not uncommon among writers and other artists. It almost seems to be a prerequisite. That’s why it makes no sense for us to suffer through it alone. We already expect it of each other, why don’t we just own up to it and work through it together?
It’s not always so obvious to tell when someone’s struggling because mental illness doesn’t manifest in everyone the same way nor is it present 24/7. There are times when I am happy, when I can laugh, when I can feel, when I am just like everybody else, but there are also many, many times when thoughts creep in, especially when I’m alone, that other people would be disturbed by. I know I get disturbed by them if I look back on them in my better moments.
These thoughts are self-deprecating, needlessly guilt-ridden, and make me feel down, hopeless, and, often, worthless. I have to force myself to do even the things I enjoy and normally want to do. My fear of not completing projects sustains me through my work, and my fear of falling short of my own standards maintains the quality. Regardless, every little thing feels like dragging myself through quicksand while carrying fifty-pound weights. I have panic attacks, cry for no reason, and want crawl into a dark hole and never come out. No matter how often people praise me, something tells me that I’m no good. If I’m proud of myself for something, it usually doesn’t take long for that part of me to start saying that it doesn’t matter, that no one cares, that I need to stop because I’ll get a big head and get sloppy.
Suffice to say, it has gotten worse lately, to the point that I’ve had to admit it to my mother, the one person who knows when something’s going on with me. Of course, she could already tell that something was up. I’ve talked about it with my doctor, and we are adjusting my medication while I also look into a counselor.
While I’m doing better now, each day is still a struggle. Hopefully you’ll be hearing from me more often. There will be at least one more post this week about a recent release from a new author. I also have some articles and books that I’d love to share with you, so watch for more updates! I might even be able to share that news about one of my own short stories soon.
And please, if you’re wrestling with any issues from depression or other mental illnesses, seek help. I know how hard it is. For all that I say about mental illness, it took me a while to reveal how bad things had gotten. I was embarrassed and afraid and didn’t want anyone to worry about me. Trust me, I know how hard it is to work up the nerve, but please do. That is the only way you will get better.
And if you suspect that someone you know is going through a hard time, don’t wait for them to reach out first; check in on them. If nothing else, they will want to see that you care enough to ask if they are OK.
For a thorough list of mental health resources, including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Crisis Text Line, please go to the National Institute of Mental Health.
Long time, no read, loyal followers! Things have certainly picked up over here, even more so than usual. That’s why I wanted to take today to provide you with three key updates about what’s been happening over here in The Bin.
First of all, I’m happy to say that my beta reading gig on Fiverr has been booming since the website made beta reading its own category under “Writing & Translation”. In fact, that gig is currently a Fiverr’s Choice gig, meaning that it is recommended as a highly rated service, trusted for quality work and delivery. It’s been a lot of work, but it’s also been a labor of love as I help aspiring writers to make their works the best that they can be.
The second of these updates involves one of my editing clients, James Starvoice. For those of you who have been following this blog for a while, you probably know James Starvoice as Ameel Koro, whose Sister of Echobooks I reviewed on here before being hired as his editor. This past week, Starvoice released a new novel, Natir Whitebridge: Dog Cage, and the first book in the series, Natir Whitebridge: A Grain of Respect, is now free on Kindle.
Last but not least, I have some news regarding my master’s program. I submitted my dissertation in June, and we received our grades in July. At the end of July, we finally received the results of our progress. I DID IT! I graduated with merit and will be receiving my MSc in Creative Writing. It’s been a particularly challenging road, especially the past two years as my freelance work started picking up, but definitely worth it. I don’t know right now if I’ll be able to fly out to Scotland to actually walk the stage in November, but I am getting my degree regardless.
The official notice of my progression
While there is much more going on over here–including a possible addition to this blog–these are the three most major updates I can comment on with any sort of certainty at the moment. As more develop, I will make sure to let you know. Hopefully, I will soon be able to return to this blog with more posts from the exciting world of writing, editing, and trying to not lose your sanity. Until then, keep writing, my friends!
Happy Saturday, everyone! As my regular readers know, I started this blog as a way to provide support to fellow writers, whether they are aspiring or well established, and build a community of writers that build each other up, not tear each other down. I’ve just never understood why we can’t help each other. We all have our own genres, styles, and niches, so why can’t we share readers and rejoice in each other’s success? Unfortunately, not all writers think that way, and not just in modern times. We’ve been jerks to each other for quite a while. The proof is in Pushcart’s Complete Rotten Reviews & Rejections.
I’ve discussed this book once before. Essentially, it’s a collection of famous writers’ worst–and most hilarious–reviews and rejections. It’s meant to show writers that even the best in our trade get rejected and reviewed poorly so that they don’t get discouraged. To me, it’s actually quite an entertaining read. Among the reviews from famous publications and rejections from well-known publishers are remarks on certain works and their authors from an unexpected source: fellow writers. Whether in letters, diary entries, or published reviews, it seems that writers have always loved to take the opportunity to tear each other down. A few stuck out to me strongly, and you’d be surprised as to the perpetrators of these rather scathing comments:
A cliché anthologist…and maker of ragamuffin manikins.
Aristophanes on Euripides in The Thesmophoriazusae, circa 411 B.C.E.
First, I want to point out the date of that quote: 411 B.C.E. Yes, writers were ripping into each other even in Classical Greece. In this case, it was a younger playwright accusing one of his older contemporaries of being a “maker of ragamuffin manikins.” (That’s too funny, I just can’t get past it.) But where did such critiques get Aristophanes? Well, both are arguably still well known with Aristophanes called “The Father of Comedy” and “The Ancient Prince of Comedy” and Euripides considered one of the most prominent Ancient Greek tragedians who influenced the likes of William Shakespeare and George Bernard Shaw. Still, it’s worth noting that I had at least heard of Euripides before reading this book.
Whitman, like a large shaggy dog, just unchained, scouring the beaches of the world and baying at the moon.
Robert Louis Stevenson on Walt Whitman in Familiar Studies, 1882
Walt Whitman certainly took it in the shorts, even from fellow writers. Frankly, I’m not sure what to make of him being compared to an unleashed dog gone wild. Personally, I would take it as a compliment considering dogs are among some of the best animals in the world, but I severely doubt that Robert Louis Stevenson meant it like that. In case you don’t recognize the name, Robert Louis Stevenson was the author of both Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde–an odd combination if I’ve ever seen one. He was also a poet with one of his most favorite collections being A Children’s Garden of Verses. Still, odds are that more people have heard of Whitman’s poetry than Stevenson’s.
It’s a shame you never knew her before she went to pot. You know a funny thing, she never could write dialogue. It was terrible. She learned how to do it from my stuff…She could never forgive learning that and she was afraid people would notice it, where she’d learned it, so she had to attack me. It’s a funny racket, really. But I swear she was damned nice before she got ambitions.
Ernest Hemingway on Gertrude Stein in Green Hills of Africa, 1935
Ernest Hemingway, he was…quite the character. I won’t lie, my feelings about him are mixed at best. Was he a great writer? Absolutely. His mastery of minimalism and subtext is beyond compare. In fact, he’s my go-to for examples on how to utilize subtext in dialogue. He was also courageous and a real man’s man. Still, there is a strong argument–accompanied by a strong counterargument–that he was misogynistic. There’s no clear-cut answer to that, especially when you look at both his works and his personal life. His remarks on Gertrude Stein here really do not help the argument against him being misogynistic. To me, it seems like the knee-jerk reaction of someone who was butt-hurt that someone–a woman, no less–dared to criticize him. Writers aren’t the best when it comes to handling criticism, so it’s not surprising–it’s just rather unprofessional to attack another writer personally and in their art as a result.
It is of course a commonplace that Hemingway lacks the serene confidence that he is a full-sized man.
Max Eastman on Ernest Hemingway in New Republic, 1933
For all that Hemingway dished out, he took more than a few gut-punches himself. Even when it’s not about a legendary “macho” man like Hemingway, comments like this one are both hilarious and incredibly cringe-worthy. Max Eastman was a lot of things–prominent political activist, poet, writer on literature, philosophy, and society–but he’s nowhere near as well known today as Ernest Hemingway. Still, such a personal attack on a fellow writer seems rather unnecessary. Of course, Eastman was also a staunch supporter of the Women’s Rights Movement and a founding member of Men’s League for Women’s Suffrage, so perhaps Hemingway’s possible-but-not-proven misogyny caused some tension between them.
It’s a sad truth: writers have always attacked each other, and it will continue for the foreseeable future. Sometimes, the cause will be a dislike or disapproval of each other’s work. Other times, it’ll result from political, theological, philosophical, social, or economic disagreements. Real and imagined slights, jealousy, misunderstandings–a lot of things, both major and minor, could make writers lash out at each other. Then there are those jerks that just can’t keep their opinions to themselves when they hate each other.
Whatever the reason, tearing each other down does not help anyone. At best, you’ll go down in history as one of the literary world’s biggest a-holes. At worst, it could destroy your own career. As funny as many of these rotten reviews from rotten writers are, they are still toxic. Read them, laugh at them, but also learn from them. Do you want to be featured in one of Pushcart’s future editions of this book as the rotten reviewer? Or would you rather build up fellow writers and, maybe, grow your friend circle and fan base along the way?
What have your experiences been with fellow writers? Supportive? Destructive? A little bit of each? Leave your stories in the comments below!
Update 11/25/2022: This article and other pieces of my writing, from The Writer’s Scrap Bin articles to original stories and poetry, can be found on Vocal.
WARNING: The Professor by T.A. Evans contains some scenes of a sexual nature and accidental overdose. If you are under 18 years of age, do not continue reading. If you are triggered by accidental overdose or sex scenes or otherwise wish to avoid such depictions, proceed with caution.
Happy Manic Monday, everyone! It’s been quite a busy few weeks for me, but what else is new? (Organized chaos works with writing, but not so much with freelance work.) Anyway, to kick off July, I have decided to bring you another book review. This time, I’m going to be talking about a slightly steamier work: The Professor by T.A. Evans.
Clare
Brenton is a fresh-faced college student. After a life of emotional abuse from
a narcissistic mother and constant fighting between her now-divorced parents,
she is ready to dip her toes into the outside world. Independence.
Self-reliance. Freedom from a dark, twisted past. Clare wants it all. When she
meets the charming and devilishly handsome Andrew, she also becomes ready to
nurture a couple other neglected parts of her life: love and sex. However, love
and sex are rarely ever so simple as meeting that special someone—especially
when that special someone is your professor and twice your age.
As she and Andrew grow closer and their fling is taken to the next level, Clare must face the inevitable and introduce her lover to her family. Old wounds are opened, manipulation tears into relationships, and long-buried secrets threaten to rock Clare’s entire world. With mommy dearest right there to pick up the pieces of her crumbling life, Clare has to wonder, who is really pulling these strings? From dodging creepy coworkers and selfish mothers to the tangling of hers and Andrew’s shady pasts, this beautiful and intelligent college freshman has her work cut out for her. Can her relationship with Andrew survive?
I
found Evans’s work to be engaging and entertaining. The plot is not unusual for
contemporary romance novels, but Evans manages to add enough twists from the
typical “difficult” relationship as depicted in this genre that it kept me on
my toes. Clare’s unhappy childhood and family life along with Andrew’s life
before meeting her provide a variety of bonding moments and tension for them,
some bringing them together and others nearly ripping them apart. I even found
plot elements that could be pursued further and complicate characters’ lives in
the future, should the author choose to make this novel into a series. In fact,
I would highly recommend it. Some of these elements leave a tantalizing thread
that any writer should follow, lest they do themselves and their readers a
disservice.
However,
what really hooked me in this story were the characters. While there are a
couple characters that I dislike all the time, there are none that I like all
the time, and to me, that’s a good thing. Even the protagonists have flaws that
complicate my feelings for them as I hope that everything will turn out well
for them. Clare is not exactly my favorite (that is reserved for her best
friend and coworker, Evan Reed), but she is a character that I can relate to,
empathize for, and judge all at once. I do not approve of all of her choices,
but I also feel for her when it comes to some of the more unsavory parts of her
life. (I can definitely relate to the fights between her parents—albeit on a
slightly less violent level—and the discomfort caused by her creepy, perverted
coworker, Collin.) Andrew sometimes borders on the stereotypical “Mr. Right”,
but Evans manages to right that with revelations about Andrew’s past and rumors
about his present.
Now,
as the work is contemporary romance, there are some scenes that are not
appropriate for younger readers. However, they are neither crude nor overly
explicit. Rather, they are sensual and passionate with just enough details to
ensure that the reader can picture what is occurring. In a way, there is more
of a thrill from this underdeveloped imagery that would be missing if the
reader were told exactly what is going on. If you dislike such moments in
novels period, you’ll probably want to avoid this book. Those who appreciate
tasteful, subtle lovemaking scenes, though, will certainly appreciate it.
Of
course, as with most works, this book isn’t perfect. The plot itself and the
characters, even with the occasional slip into the stereotypical, are solid.
The writing, on the other hand, could use a little work. On a superficial
level, some additional editing and proofreading would help the work
tremendously. In particular, the narration sometimes switches between past and
present tense without any clear reason for it, even midsentence. While a minor
fluke, these switches can be distracting and cause some confusion in the
timeline. There is also some confusion in the timeline that does not have to do
with the shifts in tense, but this becomes less frequent after the first
chapter.
The
pacing is also uneven at times. The narrative is a relatively quick read
overall, but the problem more arises with scenes such as Clare and Andrew’s
first night together, which gets into the passion too immediately for my
liking. Sometimes slow pacing bogs down the story as well. The first few pages,
for example, presents too much backstory for Clare too soon, which delays the real
start to the story, i.e. when Clare first sees Andrew. Nevertheless, these
scenes are typically easy to overcome, and the plot and characters are enough
to want to read the book from start to finish.
Overall,
The Professor by T.A. Evans is an enjoyable read. The story is
compelling, the characters are realistically flawed but relatable, and family
drama and plot twists keep readers on their toes. While around 250 pages long,
the novel goes by relatively quickly. The writing could be improved, but those
just looking for a good, sensual story will want to give this book a try.
You can buy an eBook or print copy of The Professor by T.A. Evans on Amazon. Also make sure to check out the author’s website at www.taevansauthor.com.
As promised, here is the second review in honor of the summer solstice and my birthday. This one is for Emaddin Adventures: A Sequel to the 1001 Arabian Nights, Book Two by Omar Pasha, the second novella in the series following the one I reviewed in my previous post.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD FOR EMADDIN ADVENTURES: A SEQUEL TO THE 1001 ARABIAN NIGHTS, BOOK ONE
Aqrab
had big ambitions: overthrow Sultan Omran, assume control of Baghdad and the
rest of the kingdom, and marry Omran’s intelligent and beautiful wife, Bedor.
Yet in his arrogance and confidence in his own cunning, Aqrab grew sloppy and
his tongue loose. His plans were halted by the Sultan’s hoopoe—Masroor—and the
philosopher Zeriab, and Aqrab was thrown into a prison tower to rot as a
traitor. However, there is no keeping a villain down when those loyal to him
walk free.
With the help of his men and the evil crow Nozar, Aqrab escapes to the Hemrin Mountains and takes up with the Jabaleen, a race of wicked dwarves who have joined Aqrab’s attempts to overthrow the Sultan. Now, the treacherous army is prepared to unleash every monster they have at their disposal upon Omran and his beloved Baghdad, from the blood-thirsty Batars to the fire-breathing dragon Tardan. With Omran’s most trusted general, Khaled, and his soldiers flying the Jamjals against the Mongols in India, is there any hope for the City of Peace? Or will the streets be bathed in ash and blood?
Emaddin Adventures, Book Two is a worthy successor to Book One. In fact, I would argue that it is even better. Much of what I liked in the previous installment, such as the storytelling feel, still continue into this book. More than that, they are actually improved upon. The magic and intrigue that filled the first novella are taken to greater heights with the introduction of new magical beings, more in-depth exploration of magical beings from the first book, and deeper development of already wonderful characters like Emaddin and Lamar. Pasha has clearly put more thought and creative energy into this installment of Emaddin Adventures, and this effort pays off.
The plot, while still recognizable as a continuation of Book One, drifts further away from the cookie-cutter plot in which this story originated. Although only twenty pages longer, it is more complex and less predictable. More action has been added, and more of it left me wondering what Aqrab could possibly try and do next. (It also managed to make me hate Aqrab more, too, and that is something that I had not thought would be possible.) The ending in particular has me wanting to continue with the next book, hoping to see how everything will continue. I do wish that more attention had been given to building up the tension in these battle scenes and that the readers could feel more of the anxiety associated with the situations—although one scene involving Emaddin and his mother escaping a fire does pretty well with that—but I suppose that is to be expected with the storytelling motif. Even so, this book does better in playing on the action and tension than its predecessor.
While
the story still focuses more on the Sultan, Aqrab, and efforts to stop Aqrab’s schemes,
Emaddin and Lamar—the daughter of the Sultan—both start to come into their own
in this work. They contribute in surprising ways to the fight against Aqrab,
and their bond with each other and Emaddin’s bond with their teacher, the
philosopher Zeriab, take on greater depths that are also heartwarming. I would
have expected both this book and the first one to be more about Emaddin based
on the title and the descriptions on Amazon, but it’s enough for me that
Emaddin and Lamar are maturing and growing stronger before the readers’ eyes.
Even
with these improvements, some of the faults from the first work still exist.
Namely, the writing still needs polishing and editing. Emaddin Adventures,
Book Two is written a bit better than Book One, including putting
more emphasis on action and tension. However, these problems have not fully
been eradicated. Many potentially exciting scenes are still rushed and/or fall
flat, and some of the dialogue confuses me as to whom is speaking when. The
major issue still involves numerous grammatical errors that can bog down the
narrative. As with the first work, though, this could easily be fixed with another
round or two of editing.
Overall, I think that Emaddin Adventures, Book Two by Omar Pasha is more thoroughly developed and better written than Book One. I loved seeing more of the magic and magical beings of this world as well as the exploration of characters and their relationships. I hope that the third installment will prove to be even more fleshed-out than this one. However, the issues with the writing still persist, and I think that working out these issues would take these stories to the next level.
You can buy Emaddin Adventures, Book Two by Omar Pasha as a Kindle book on Amazon.
Do you know of a book you think I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and let me know!
Greetings,
readers and writers! I hope that everyone had a great summer solstice. In honor
of the longest day of the year—which also happens to be my birthday—I am bringing
you two book reviews for a novella series titled Emaddin Adventures: A Sequel
to the 1001 Arabian Nights by Omar Pasha. This post covers the first novella,
simply titled Emaddin Adventures: A Sequel to the 1001 Arabian Nights, Book
One.
Sultan
Omran is a kind, selfless leader who always looks out for his people. Everyone
in his kingdom, especially the capital city of Baghdad, loves him—everyone,
that is, except for his most trusted advisor, Aqrab. The advisor, though well
compensated and held in his esteem by the Sultan, has a twisted heart filled
with greed, jealousy, and unrequited love for Omran’s wife, Bedor. He and his army
of assassins, deceivers, and magical beings will stop at nothing to overthrow
the Sultan and take both his kingdom and his wife. Yet for every traitor in
their midst are many who will lay down their lives for the beloved Sultan
Omran, and they are not about to let Aqrab win without a fight.
Will truth and justice prevail? Or is Sultan Omran too far gone to be saved from Aqrab’s spell?
The
timing of me learning about this book could not be any better. I just recently
saw the new version of Aladdin in theaters (I loved it, by the way), and
it reminded me of how much I miss retellings and reimaginings of fairy tales
and folklore. To find something that is a bit of a retelling of “Aladdin and
the Magic Lamp” but mostly just a revamping of One Thousand and One Arabian
Nights seemed perfect after that. This story has certainly helped to fuel
the fire that the new Aladdin reignited.
The
plot is nothing spectacular for the genre: a kind ruler is being threatened by
an underhanded advisor and someone outside of that relationship will have to
save him. It is based in one of the world’s oldest written collections of fairy
tales and folklore, after all, so one could expect it to use one of the
cookie-cutter plots that comes from said collection. However, I am happy to say
that how the Sultan is saved is not what I would have expected—a pleasant
surprise that I will leave up to you to discover yourself by reading it. Furthermore,
the ending leaves the book open for a continuation, even without the use of a
frame narrative as in the original One Thousand and One Arabian Nights.
Pasha
also does well in mimicking the oral storytelling of the original tales. The
simple language, incorporation of Emaddin’s poetry, and quick pace all lend to
the feeling of being told the story by the author himself. While it used to be
our only way of conveying stories, this continuation of oral traditions onto
paper do not always transfer so well, especially given the modern literary
world’s tendency to prefer show over tell or, conversely, writers’ tendency to
strictly tell without many—if any—descriptions when attempting to copy old
storytelling. Pasha, however, manages to balance this aspect to closely imitate
the feel of such stories.
However,
there are ways in which this work could improve. The most important, though, is
the writing itself. While the storytelling feel is engaging, is can also be the
book’s greatest pitfall. There is so much potential for tension and action in
this narrative, even when using the oral storytelling approach, and yet Pasha
fails to follow through on them. Instead, the story rushes through these parts,
recounting them very matter-of-factly and causing these crucial scenes to fall
flat. The story also goes off on many tangents. Some of these relate some critical
cultural and/or historical context for the reader, but other times they do not
seem to relate quite as directly to the plot. In going on these tangents, Pasha
takes his readers away from the heart of the story, and I’m afraid to admit that
sometimes I had to reread portions in order to regain the thread of the chapter
I was on.
More
importantly, though, the book needs to be editing more. I noticed multiple
grammatical errors through its fifty-six pages, including missing or misplaced
punctuation. These mistakes became distracting, and there were even times when I
was a little confused as to whom was speaking because the dialogue was not
formatted entirely correctly. I think that even if the book went through just one
more round of editing, it would improve greatly and make the story even more
compelling.
Overall,
I think that Emaddin Adventures: A Sequel to 1001 Arabian Nights, Book One by
Omar Pasha is an entertaining read with a lot of creative energy put into it. It
really reminds me of the stories I read from One Thousand and One Arabian Nights
as an undergrad, and I think that the plot, characters, and setting are a
worthy continuation of the collection. However, the writing could do with
polishing and editing. Only then will it reach its full potential.
You can buy Emaddin Aventures: A Sequel to 1001 Arabian Nights, Book One by Omar Pasha as a Kindle book on Amazon.
Do you know of a book I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and let me know!
