Brothers Divided by P.C. Nottingham

Two young squirrel brothers have just buried their parents. On that same day, they encounter a knight who is seeking to warn the townsrodents that he believes their town is in danger from suspected nearby raiders. He has come to offer the villagers safety in shelter in the town of Olihort (still called ZelZaytum by those of the Grovekeeper faith), under the Sapling’s protection. But given that many of the families can remember when their grandparents who lived in the town were slaughtered by the army that invaded to claim the sacred Gnaverwood tree as their own, no one from the town will believe such an offer is meant in peace.

That same day, the army of Nasalid the Liberator sets a trap for the armies who claimed the lands as theirs. As the two forces meet, the brothers believe they each see the other killed, unaware that their family member still lives and has been rescued by the opposing army. In turn, the brothers decide to aid the side that rescued them, hoping to find a way to restore peace to their land. But where religious differences are involved, is such a thing actually possible? Can multiple religions actually coexist peacefully together?

I read a review copy of this book and found it entertaining and thought provoking. And for a short book that is quickly read, it did manage to contain quite a bit of story and action. In some ways, it made me think (very loosely) of some of William Shakespeare’s plotlines. Though not truly the same, I could see vague similarities in several places.

There were both heartwarming and heartbreaking moments in this book, as each brother truly believed the other was killed, and they must cope with a very trying time, with a religious war looming and them being unable to avoid it. Many involved do seem to want peace, but unfortunately, there are also those who are determined to continue to provoke the other side in an attempt to justify a complete destruction of their supposed enemies, including those who are innocents.

I believe this young adult novel would be a good fit for anyone interested in reading fantasy stories that involve religious differences and that attempt to show how often peaceful solutions and coexistence are possible, if only everyone involved is willing to talk out their issues and find a compromise. I enjoyed reading this book, and found the ending hopeful, though clearly the adventures of the two brothers, Jeb and Sanu, are not yet over, as peace between this land and opposing kingdoms cannot be assured unless everyone is willing to accept a peaceful solution. I will be looking forward to seeing what happens next in this series.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

GMC: Goal, Motivation, & Conflict by Debra Dixon

This book was required reading for a class that I am taking. And while parts of the topic seemed to be common sense to me, the book does have some very good ideas on how a writer can more easily not only discover their characters’ goals, motivations, and the conflicts they will face, but how to find ways to show each of those items to the readers as the story progresses.

If the writer doesn’t know what drives a character, or what lengths they are willing to go to in order to achieve those goals, how can they possibly express that to their readers? In order to help the writer with this concept, the author of this book has shown us some simple charts that will help to define both the internal and external things that drive a character, and make each of them unique.

I did appreciate these charts & the ideas behind each of them, as it makes the goals, motivations, and conflicts quite clear to the writer, and allows them to develop their plots accordingly. I also loved the  examples provided to us by Ms. Dixon. I may not have seen each of the movies that she used as an example, but even the ones I was unfamiliar with provided enough of a context for me to understand the intended story of those films.

In addition to these charts and examples, Ms. Dixon talks about the purposes of scenes, what makes for a good and useful scene, and what might be an unnecessary scene. Again, examples are provided for each. And there are exercises throughout the book that should be helpful for most any writer.

Another topic that is discussed involves query letters, and the recommended way to format one to encourage an agent or publisher to want more information about a story, thus decreasing the likelihood of a rejection. (This seems like a helpful topic for most writers.)

Overall, I believe this would be a very helpful book for writers, as well as editors (both copyeditors and developmental editors). The exercises can easily be applied to any book that has been written, whether it is one that has been published or one that is being edited prior to publication or submission for publication.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Corrupted Desires by Chelsea Burton Dunn

Ingrid was in an abusive relationship with a man who was using her to try and work his way up the ladder within the Irish Mafia. She was a “White Hat” computer hacker and very good at what she did. However, using her skills to support a crime family that was known for sex trafficking as well as other criminal activities was a step too far for her. So she plotted and executed an escape from that world, hoping to stay far away and live a normal, unassuming life raising her daughter, Nora. But in order to do that she needed to find a job where she could support herself and her child. She found such a job working in a coffee shop, not realizing that she was working for an Italian crime family, though not all of the family members were part of the mafia themselves at that point in time. But things soon escalated after the events of book one in this series, causing both Ingrid and Nora’s lives to get more interesting and less unassuming after meeting Enzo, the family’s computer specialist.

I read a review copy of this book and enjoyed it just as much as I did the previous book in this series. I do feel the need to mention that this series has themes of sex trafficking and violence, and this book also touches on themes of body dysmorphia, abuse (both mental and physical) and does include graphic sex. This book is not intended for younger readers, and for some people it may be triggering. But I will say that despite this book being about mafia families, the main characters in this book are actually the good guys, comparatively speaking. And the story is very well written and enjoyable.

It is a different type of series from many of the other books that I have read from this author, but like her other series, I did greatly enjoy reading this book/series, and am looking forward to reading the third book in this series to find out what happens next. (I have my suspicions on who will be the focus in that book, but like the rest of you, I will have to wait and see if I am correct.) This has been a fun series to read thus far, despite the necessary trigger warnings. And it is one that I would recommend, as it is a very enjoyable romance series.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell

This book was assigned reading for a class that I am taking. While it is a good book and I did find parts of it helpful, for me, this book seemed rather basic. I do a lot of reading (of both fiction and non-fiction) every single day, so I regularly notice many of the things that are talked about in this book. For me, I felt like the author was telling me things I already knew, though I do recognize that in general, that may not be the case for others who read this book.

That being said, for anyone who is new to writing fiction or who wants a little refresher to help with their plots and the structure of their story, I do believe that this book would be quite useful. It includes a large number of examples and explanations of the why and how behind what the author is attempting to explain. The book also includes a large number of exercises for those seeking to improve their skills when it comes to developing their plot and story structure.

The exercises are clearly well thought out, and the reasons for why each exercise should be helpful are well explained. So anyone who has questions about plot and story structure will likely benefit from reading this book and trying at least a few of the recommended exercises.

I do feel that this book is likely to be of more help to newer writers than to those who have been writing and have had several pieces of their work published. It may also be of help to beginning developmental editors. (This book does not deal with grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, or point of view, so is less likely to be of much help to copyeditors, though they might also find some of the subjects covered by this book useful.) But overall, I do feel it would be a helpful and useful book for any fiction writer.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

The Cartagena Cartel by T.C. Roberts

Archie Flynn has fled from the law, travelling to a country that does not have an extradition policy with his home country. He is struggling to mend his broken heart, as the woman he threw his life away for has chosen to remain with another man. So what else can he do but try to drown his sorrows and find other women to take his mind off of Jezebel, the woman he believes he still loves.

I am going to start off by saying that I do not believe that I was the intended audience for this novel. It is a book that can be classified as “lad-lit” and involves Archie seeking solace in drugs and the bed of women that he has only just met. This naturally gets him in trouble in Cartagena, when he runs afoul of the drug cartels and finds himself the victim of a “zombie drug” that causes him to wake up in an unknown area, wearing only his underwear, and uncertain how he got there. Everything that he had with him has been stolen, and the police seem unwilling to do anything to help him. 

I did have some issues with this book. It really could have used another round with an editor/proofreader, as while everything was spelled correctly, it wasn’t always the correct word used. I also ran across a couple of sections where the text appeared to have been repeated verbatim from partway through the previous chapter. I am uncertain if that was intentional or not as it happened more than once, but for me, it was confusing.

I also had a few instances where I found myself taking issue with actions that I could not see as being realistic given the circumstances, even for a fiction novel. Yes, I am sure that there are good people who are willing to help by loaning money to someone who has been drugged and robbed, but in a city where it sounds like it is a common occurrence and the local police are paid off by the drug cartels so are unwilling to help, it is a very real possibility that the person who has been robbed will never be able to repay a potentially significant amount loaned to them…  Well, I have  problems believing it. And given that the main character does not appear to have not learned from his misadventures, this book just was not meant for me.

While I am not the target audience for this book, those who enjoy reading about someone trying to bury his heartbreak over a woman he thought he loved by repeating the behavior that got him into trouble in the first place, or who enjoy reading books about someone’s misadventures with the law, with various women, with drugs and drug cartels, or who are simply looking for a book about someone’s misadventures in other countries, you might enjoy this book. The story itself wasn’t something I considered horrible, just highly unbelievable at times. Though I do have to say that I saw the likelihood of Archie getting “roofied” coming. That part was very believable.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Unspoken Devotion by Chelsea Burton Dunn

Carmen and Leo, the youngest children of members of the local mafia, grew up as neighbors. They were raised to be able to defend themselves as needed, and though they did have a good childhood, each sought a life that did not involve joining the mafia themselves. After Leo returned home having been honorably discharged by the military, he was able to once again spend time with the girl he had secretly loved for years, who also happens to be secretly in love with him. But when his father uses Carmen as a means to forge an alliance with the Irish Mafia, Leo and the rest of his family need to find a way to stop her unwanted marriage from happening without alerting his dad to their plans. But can they find a way to stop it from happening without starting an all-out mafia war?

I read a review copy of this book and really enjoyed it. But I do need to warn readers that it comes with a number of trigger warnings. This book contains themes of sex-trafficking, rape, violence, and abuse. It is is not suitable for younger readers as it does contain some graphic (consensual, not rape) sex scenes.

Despite the tough themes, this is primarily the story of two people who have fallen in love, and two families who want to allow them to be together, despite Leo's father’s plan for her. Overall, I believe that the story is very well-written and if the themes won’t trigger you, one that I believe a lot of readers will enjoy. We do not “see” a rape itself happen in this book, and though there is a great deal of violence that takes place, as well as an awareness of sex-trafficking, that seems to be a secondary part of the story, and not a primary focus of it. I believe these themes were delicately handled.

The characters are all strong and smart individuals, and while they may live morally-grey lives as part of a mafia family, they do come across as good people rather than villains to be hated. In most cases, their own lives were decided by factors other than what they may have wanted, though the decisions made were their own.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Deep Point of View by Marcy Kennedy.

This is a book in the Busy Writer’s Guide series that was required reading for a class I am taking. This book holds a lot of very useful and helpful information. It touches lightly on what the different options for point of view look like, and the differences between each of them. As this book is specifically about what a deep point of view is and what it is used for, the other point of view options are not described in great detail within this book. So if you are looking for a book that delves more deeply into each of the point of view options, you would be better off reading Ms. Kennedy's book on Point of View instead. (I have previously posted a review on that book as well.)

Deep Point of View involves experiencing things within the story from one character’s viewpoint, almost as if you were that character. This can sometimes be difficult to appropriately master as there are many pitfalls that a writer can too easily fall into. But when done correctly, it really brings a story to life.  This book offers tips and examples throughout to show us what works, what doesn’t, and why. For anyone looking to write using a deep point of view for one or more characters, this is a very good book to read.

I would recommend this book for anyone seeking to write using a deep point of view. It will help you know what to watch out for in order to spot areas where you might have accidentally slipped out of a deep point of view. It covers many issues, such as head hopping, “as you know” problems, transitions between the point of view characters, as well as other issues that may arise. It also offers potential ways to spot such problems and how they can be fixed once found.

The biggest issue I had with this book, is that like the other book in this series that was written  by Ms. Kennedy, much of the text appears to have been printed in gray ink rather than black. And that makes it difficult for me to read as it causes me some eye strain. But other than that, I feel it is a book that can be of great help to both fiction writers and editors.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.