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Review – Soultaker – Bryan Smith
Title: Soultaker
Author: Bryan Smith
Publisher: Leisure Books
Copyright: 2009
Summary:
Jake McAllister, an AA member author of horror fiction, returns to his hometown of Rockville to try to help his younger brother, Trey. It seems Trey’s new girlfriend, Myra, is a bad influence. What Jake doesn’t know is that she is evil incarnate. Myra has the men of town acting as her slaves while the women worship her–literally. There’s death and gore everywhere when Myra’s evil plan starts coming together.
Pros:
This is a good story. Bryan Smith revived an old mythology and modernized it. The prose is good and the characters are believable. It was definitely worth the money I spent on the book and the time I invested reading it.
Cons:
I don’t have any cons to mention. All I can say is, while it was a good book, it was not a great book. Unfortunately, I cannot express what makes the difference. If I were friends with Mr. Smith and he asked my opinion, I don’t know that I would have any constructive commentary other than the epilogue was a tad predictable.
Rating: 3 out of 4 haints
St. Patty’s Day Update
Happy St. Patty’s Day to all my fellow Irish (even if only for a day) kinsmen.
I just thought I would update where I am at so far this month.
I think I’ve decided on a title for my work in progress–The Revenant. That sums up the book perfectly. Although I started on Jan 25, I have 76,000 words so far. It has been a slow-go since I was editing while writing–something I don’t normally do.
I had joined the Amazon Breakthrough Novel (ABNA) Contest, using Something Evil as my submission, but was cut on the pitch (basically a query letter). On the bright side, since no one even looked at the first sentence of the novel, I don’t feel the angst I might if I were cut based on the prose/style. No worries, though. Before joining the contest, I sent a query package to Leisure Books. I’d rather Leisure publish it, since I had to cut the prologue into something I was not happy with for the contest.
An agent is still looking at a partial for Hotel Sangria, but I believe I will hedge my bets and send out a couple extra queries this week for that novel.
A picture is worth what?
Horror comes in all shapes and sizes. As the movie Ghostbusters demonstrated, even a giant marshmallow man can be terrifying to some people.
The exercise here is just to get you writing about something. Since a picture is worth 1,000 words, try to write that many words, whether characterization, storyline, or stream-of-conscious about the picture below. I found this picture years ago while working on my Masters degree. It remains one of the most poignant and haunting images I have ever seen.
World War I gas attack. The soldier on the left couldn't get his mask on in time.
Review – They Hunger – Scott Nicholson
Title: They Hunger
Author: Scott Nicholson
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Copyright: 2007
Summary:
An FBI duo, an abortion clinic bomber (Ace Goodal) and his companion, and six white water rafters are in the Appalachian Mountains along the Unegama River. An explosion unearths some monsters that come after the different groups.
Pros:
Scott Nicholson is definitely a talented writer. This is the first book I’ve read of his, but he is a true word-smith most of the time, with some great prose. I enjoyed many of his metaphors, similes, and descriptions.
Cons:
Despite how well Nicholson cobbled the sentences together, I couldn’t get into the novel. Let me rephrase that. The first two hundred and something pages were an extremely slow read. For me, the book didn’t start to get interesting until I was about 2/3 of the way through it.
Most of the characters were unidimensional. Take Ace Goodal for example. I have never seen a character quite like him. He is an anti-abortionist, racist, woman-beating, rapist, murderous, religious zealot without a single redeeming quality. In some respects, as I read the novel and scenes with Ace in them, I kept thinking NOW or Atheists-&-Abortionists-R-Us created the character for a propaganda poster.
Beyond that, there wasn’t much of a character arc for the people. I’m a fan of stories and believe novels should have plot and character arcs. Only one character–Ace’s abused companion–has any type of growth or change. Everyone else remains a cardboard cut out.
Along those lines, there were a couple of things that simply didn’t make sense for the characters. The one that comes to mind is a woman who is interested in one character (even sleeps with him) and apparently detests another. Before long, she’s screwing the man she can’t stand without any explanation of how they ended up humping.
And there were a couple of other things that didn’t make sense near the end. I actually went back and reread a chapter because I thought I missed something.
Could go either way:
This was something that bothered me, but it may not bug others as much. I felt cheated by a couple of Nicholson’s descriptions. His constant repeating of the phrase (or something similar to) “it was the monster under the bed” when in one character’s point-of-view, became annoying. I found myself setting the book down and mumbling (I actually did this) “I get it. It was the monster under the bed.” The same holds true for another description about “the thing in her belly” (or something like that referring to Ace’s pregnant girlfriend). I began to wonder if the publisher had asked Nicholson to add a few words to lengthen the novel.
SPOILER:
I’m not sure how much of a spoiler this is, but the creatures released from underground are supposed to be vampires. Unfortunately, we are never told how they ended up being trapped underground nor how they managed to survive–presumably for centuries–without feeding. Nicholson’s description of the vampires in interesting and could have made for a much more exciting read.
Special Note:
This probably sounds like an extremely harsh review, so I want to add a note. I did enjoy the book. I don’t think it was worth the money I spent on it, but I do think it was worth the time invested. Nicholson has a great voice. I just found myself disappointed by what could have been a fantastic story. I will definitely search out other works by Nicholson and try those.
Rating: 3 out of 4 haints
Review – Flesh Gothic – Edward Lee
Title: Flesh Gothic
Author: Edward Lee
Publisher: Leisure Books
Copyright: 2005
Summary:
After porn mogul Reginald Hildreth and a couple dozen people die in a bloody orgy at his mansion, his widow hires a team of psychics and an on-the-wagon newspaper man to find out what happened. She’s convinced that Reginald is not only alive, but has something sinister planned for the future.
Pros:
Edward Lee has a great voice. I loved his descriptions most of the time. The flow of his prose and the high energy of the storyline make it a difficult book to put down.
Lee did a wonderful job with the characters as well.
Cons:
There were only a couple of instances where I found myself losing the suspension of disbelief. At one point in the novel, there is a string of “saidisms” running for roughly two pages. I found myself trying to anticipate what the next one would be. When I got past them, I couldn’t help but go back and reread them.
The only other thing that yanked me from the story was a technical error. At some point, a character pulls a wallet from his pocket and sets it down. I don’t remember why. But shortly after walking away from his wallet and entering another room, he reaches into his pocket and retrieves his wallet. I had to go back and reread that passage, because I thought I missed something.
Could Go Either Way:
Some people will love this, others will hate it, so I set it here. There are a good deal of erotic, sexual scenes in the book. With Hildreth’s mansion being the place they made the pornos, it’s to be expected. Also, there are some gory scenes. Fans of splatter punk may wish there were more. People who prefer their horror a little less bloody may find it overbearing. I didn’t find either of them lacking or over the top. It was a good balance for me.
Rating: 3.5 out of 4 haints
No Word Choice
I’ve done it myself. I’ve sat in front of a blank sheet of paper or a screen trying to come up with something to write. So, if you are in that place and you need a little boost, try out this exercise to get your creative juices flowing.
We’ll start with the world’s worst beginning:
It was a dark and stormy night…
Using that as your first sentence, work the following words onto the first page of a story. If you can, work them into the first paragraph. (you can use plural forms or different tenses of the words)
- crepuscular
- shadow
- zip
- patchwork
- moist
- light
- sconce
- fly (verb)
- chatter (verb or noun)
- black
- wobble (verb or noun)
- hang
If you want to post your masterpiece in the comments, feel free to do so.
Review – Darkness, Tell Us – Richard Laymon
I don’t have a rubric in mind, but I thought I would start posting about books I read in the horror genre. I’ll start with the one I just finished.
Title: Darkness, Tell Us
Author: Richard Laymon
Publisher: Leisure Books
For the most part, I enjoyed this novel. It wasn’t a thrill a second or a “can’t-sleep-tonight” novel, but it was good.
Storyline:
When six college students play with a ouija board at their professor’s house, the spirit of the board, Butler, promises to lead them to a treasure if they will go to a place called Calamity Peak in the mountains. They steal the board and head out. When the professor discovers the kids stole her board, she and her lover set out after them. She’s seen firsthand how dangerous the board can be and fears Butler is leading them to their deaths.
Pros:
It’s a quick and engaging read. The sex scenes are often steamy and detailed. (Though that can be a drawback for those not interested in borderline erotica). There are plenty of plot twists and suspense.
Cons:
Some of the dialogue is flat and dated. There are phrases like “Eat shit and die” and “eat my shorts.” For me, these broke the suspension of disbelief because they made me think about the last time I heard these things…somewhere in the Eighties. Also, one of the main characters–while in college–appears to be not only a virgin, but a complete putz. In one scene, he almost prematurely looses it when touching a nipple. This pulled me from the story and made me think about my college days. I couldn’t imagine any male in college who hadn’t already touched at least one breast in his life. After reading the book, I discovered it was first published in 1991. So, that helps to explain these things–sort of. I was in college in ’91 and–while I didn’t know any virgins (other than a couple of girls claiming they were saving themselves for marriage)–I’m sure there were some 21 year-old guys who hadn’t had any. It just seems more unbelievable today.
SPOILER ALERT–
Also, I was a bit disappointed by the climax and end. It was good, mind you, but lacking. I felt cheated because I was led to believe there was a supernatural protagonist and there wasn’t. That thing going bump in the night was nothing to fear…kind of like an It-was-all-a-dream-ending leaves one feeling cheated.
Knowing what I know now, would I pick it up and read it? Yes.
Score: 3 out of 4 haints
What I’m Working on in February
It’s just Feb. 03, 2009, but here is what I’m working on for the moment:
I’m sending out a couple of agent queries for Hotel Sangria, a supernatural thriller about a skinhead and a black Vietnam vet who end up in a trap set by hell.
I shelved the novel I started in the middle of last month (I was calling it Something Wicked). Instead, I am working on another novel. It may end up being SW, but I’m not sure. It’s a quick-paced read, but a slow write. I have about 16,000 words written since I started it on Jan 25.
I will be looking for a home for my short story Uncollected.
I’m still on my first cup of coffee and it’s still early in the month. Many things can change, but that’s what I plan on working on February.
Why Writing is Sometimes Tough. . .
It’s the blasted waiting.
Writing is like a lesson in patience. First, you have some idea what you want to write and it takes you months or years to accomplish. Then you have to go through and edit it. I don’t know about other writers, but I read through my novels at least three or four times, each time anxious to get to the end to see how it sounds. Then I send it out to some select readers: My betas are printed authors, avid horror fans, and avid readers who don’t like horror. Then I go back through the novel with their comments and suggestions in mind, editing it a couple more times.
Then comes the really trying part…sending it out and waiting for responses. I try not to query more than a couple of agents at a time. They generally have response times in the 2-20 week range…and caveats like “If we don’t respond, just assume we didn’t like it.”
For me, the waiting is the toughest part of writing. I know I have a good product, but dag nab, I am ready to stop waiting. 
Chat with Jamie Brenner of Artists & Artisans
Last night I had the privilege of joining an online chat with Jamie Brenner from Artists & Artisans. She was very polite and full of useful information. Here are some of the key things I took away:
Always put your hook, genre, and wordcount up front when querying her. She said she likes to see that, then skims over the rest of the letter.
She doesn’t mind working with unpublished writers. She said many agents are looking for debut novelists (so don’t get discouraged).
Know exactly where your novel fits in. Genre benders (like supernatural thrillers or literary horror) are fine because those are accepted crossovers, but problems arise when a novel cannot or will not fit in a category. Perhaps I should dispense with that erotic-granny-lit novel I was working on.
It is good to make comparisons to other authors, but do so with care. Don’t simply choose the biggest name on the list. Many people will do that and agents/publishers will ignore it. If you’re going to compare your writing to someone else, find someone who does very well, but isn’t a Stephen King. As she says, the research will pay off.
First novels should be between 60k-100k words. Longer novels make agents wonder if the writer has plot-structure problems.
At the moment, that’s about all I recall. When the transcripts are available, I will look through them for any other useful information.