The Secret Life of Writing

If I ever felt entrapped by a book, Berlin Syndrome by Melanie Joosten made sure it made the top of the list. I was drawn to this novel after watching the film version on Netflix and reading about the reviews. I found that every single book review on Berlin Syndrome noted how the two were completely different stories in a way (especially in regard to the ending), but NO ONE told me how! Curiosity got the best of me, and I am extremely glad it did. However, for those who also watched the film, be prepared to feel tortured as well for I refuse to be the first reviewer to give away spoilers on this novel. At the beginning, and based off the synopsis, I immediately connected Joosten's work to Stolen by Lucy Christopher. While the basis is similar, the overall story was told in two completely different styles which is very impressive to someone who has read very few kidnapping (I use the term lightly) pieces. Joosten's novel tells the story through both Clare and Andi's per

If you also feel like music is the soul of the people who wrote and/or play it, Tess Gerritsen's Playing with Fire might captivate you like it did me. Similar to my last few book reviews, this review will not include any spoilers. However, unlike the others, I was drawn to this book as an impulse buy during a chocolate-and-soda run. Paired side-by-side with the present and past, the reader is viewing two separate thrillers that cause a wide range of emotions. While my interest stayed mainly with the past (I am a huge history buff and WWII-impact stories always keep me enthralled), the constant question of what the possible connection outside of the music could be between the two stories had me reading the novel in one sitting. I can honestly say I was not disappointed in how it turned out. I admit that I enjoyed reading the past part of the novel the most and could have read it as a stand-alone; however, there is the beautiful tie-up at the end that I honestly feel makes the w

These are just a few of my favorite things, thanks to Coulhurst's descriptive imagery. One thing that I know is not a favorite of others though would be spoilers, so don't worry about them being included in this review. Similar to RoseBlood , I came across this novel in an OwlCrate. Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst follows the stories of Denna and Mare as they intertwine by a fast-approaching arranged marriage. I knew immediately that this book would be one of a kind when not even twenty-four full pages in, she addresses a same-sex couple with ease. Via Mare's eyes, we see that she "bumped into a pair of men dancing" who gave her a dirty look for the bump, but otherwise continued dancing as so does she. I am well aware this shouldn't be as groundbreaking as it is, but I believe in stating the truth. It is too rare to read anything with an LGBT+ character in it, let alone state it so casually and move on. The way that Coulthurst addresses same-sex re

I hope I will be forgiven for the obvious pun-inspired title for this review of a Phantom of the Opera -inspired retelling, but I like to imagine I am not the first reader to smile at the thought. No major plot-spoilers will be used in this review, and I hope it inspires at least one reader to pick up RoseBlood by A.G. Howard and enter the fantasy. I was fated to find the book, one brought to me via an OwlCrate subscription awhile back, and have found a writer who will fit beautifully next to my pieces by Gregory Maguire ( specifically Mirror, Mirror ). Research on Howard had me not surprised to find she had a series inspired by Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland  ( The Splintered series ) as I felt several connections within this novel as well. The idea of white roses dripping with blood, nods at Through the Looking Glass , and the addition of the Ghost Kitty are just a few items that had me visualizing the web of connections. Outside of the connections to other stories, th

Exactly like the title says: Facts can make or break you. My focus on writing the past couple nights has been to confirm that biologically, what I am saying is consistent and grounded in facts. Now, I am not saying that everything we write in the sci-fi or fantasy genre is always going to have a factual basis, but it does tend to make a story stronger. A reader doesn't like the answer "because I said so" when questioning how one man could populate an entire coven without their knowledge and no inbreeding occurring. This has occurred in my current story, and I am basing it on facts (facts in the human world that can be manipulated by the supernatural). I believe this makes the story more interesting and takes the reader on a real journey to where they can actually visualize it and understand how it can happen. Now, I am not saying we can't leave questions for our readers. I am all for those twists and what-ifs (hell, I've even killed off a first-person presen

To hit today's word count, I had a little bit of liquid courage. I think this is one of the hardest parts of writing, fearing that you have to be out of your normal state of mind in order to write something you feel comfortable with. I felt I was really understanding my characters today, and to stay in her mindset, I took drink tit for tat with her as she explored who was sent to kill her. While I probably wouldn't suggest this practice for anyone else, I was happy with the decisions she made because they made sense (whether that's the whiskey talking or the actual writing, I won't find out until the "Now What" portion of NaNoWriMo when I read back through it). What this exercise did remind me though, is that sometimes we have our characters take actions that don't complement the situation. We should always be able to back up why our characters reacted however they did, even if it is as simple as "they were drunk." A friend of mine is writi