December Issue 4 Vol 1




Editor's Note:

Hello everyone,

Things have been a bit hectic lately, I've hardly got anything new written besides fanfic, the muse just isn't there but hopefully things will perk up soon.

I got the computer game The Sims2 and it is strangely addictive, LOL! I might try making a trailer movie for my books with it if I get the time :)

I got lots of books for my birthday so I've been reading quite a bit too. I go through trends, sometimes I feel more like reading than writing and vice versa and at the moment reading is winning hands down.


Have a lovely month.

Annette

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Contents
Book Reviews
Featured Article
Offers/Contests
Featured Books/Sites
Quote of the Month
Very Bad Joke of the Month

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Book Reviews:


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Passage
by Connie Willis
SF

Reviewed by Annette Gisby, author of Drowning Rapunzel and Shadows of the Rose
http://www.annettegisby.n3.net

Psychologist Dr. Joanna Lander has spent the last two years at Mercy Hospital studying those patients who have "died" and come back, those who have had a near death experience, or NDE.

She isn't the only one, the hospital corridors are also haunted by a spiritualist, and Joanna suspects, fraud. He is convinced that the NDE's are totally spiritual, is it coincidence that he also writes books with such titles as The Light at the End of the Tunnel?

Joanna thinks that NDE's might be caused by chemical reactions as the brain dies, or maybe it's some type of survivial mechanism, and when Dr. Richard Wright asks her to become part of his scientific study, where he can induce NDEs with chemicals, Joanna jumps at the chance.

Volunteers and funding soon dry up, and Joanna becomes the guinea pig herself, feeling a sense of wonder that she will get to experience what she's been hearing second-hand.

But although Joanna expereinces what most people have reported, the light, the tunnel, she discovers something else as well. A part of her knows why everything seems so familiar, and why she has every reason to be afraid...

Every so often a book a book comes along and just sweeps you up and you forget everything else in your quest to finish it. Passage is such a book, it is a fairly long book, but it only took me two days to finish it, I needed to see the next part.

Ms. Willis has the knack of leaving something hanging at the end of each chapter, and you have no option but to read on to discover what is going to happen next. You cared about the characters and needed to know what adventures they were going to get into next.

A book you may not want to put down.

Passage is available from amazon.com
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The Giver
by Loise Lowry
SF

Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of Rough Rider, Starship Castaways and other SF and mainstream novels
http://www.geocities.com/nina_osier

Jonas lives in a totally safe and predictable world. The Elders make all the community's decisions, and every aspect of life is governed by detailed rules. One of those rules says that when an Eleven becomes a Twelve, childhood ends. That's about to happen to Jonas. He is nervous, even apprehensive, but he is also eager because at the transition ceremony he will receive his lifetime assignment. More years of schooling lie ahead, and for now he'll continue to live with his family; but the day after the ceremony he will also begin training for his new role as a contributing adult member of the community. Will he become a Nurturer like his father? Will he be an attendant at the House of the Old? An instructor for Threes, who need to learn the precise use of language? He can't guess. But no one could have guessed the assignment that he actually gets.

Jonas will become the community's Receiver of Memories. He will carry what everyone else has forgotten long ago - the knowledge of what life was like before climate control, medicine to repress desire, and all the rest of the present world's safeguards were introduced. He alone will know what it's like to feel unrestrained emotions, and he alone will be capable of making genuine choices. He will have great honor, but he will bear a burden the rest of the community can't even imagine.

What is safety, and what does it really cost? This is a surprisingly original take on a familiar speculative fiction device, that of the future community in which every aspect of an individual's life is rigidly controlled. Lowry's young hero discovers his world's secrets gradually and believably, taking the reader with him on a journey that forces the boy raised without choices to make decisions almost beyond imagining.

The Giver is available from amazon.com


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Dayspring Dawning
by Jeanine Berry
SF

reviewed by Annette Gisby, author of Silent Screams and Drowning Rapunzel
http://www.annettegisby.n3.net

For as long as she can remember, Ellina has wanted to enter the House of Lohenrin, to become a Preceptor and healer, under the tutelage of the strange alien beings, the S'hazon. It was her mother's dream too, and after her death, Ellina is even more determined to enter the House, with or without her father's blessing.
There is growing discontent with the S'hazon, with new followers of the old Temple springing up every day and Ellina is shocked to discover that her friend, Hasmonea, who once promised to enter the House with her, is now an adherent of the ancient superstitions.

Hasmonea is convinced that the S'hazon are evil and only wants Ellina to find out the truth. The ruler's brother, Mesor is also concerned that the S'hazon are not all that they appear to be. Both of them want Ellina to try and discover what it is the S'hazon are hiding in the forbidden valley. Once she passes her training, Ellina is invited to go there for further tuition and takes the opportunity to find out.

What she discovers is only the first step on her adventure through betrayal, anguish and love and a truth so dark that she is not sure she can share it with anyone...

This book was brilliant, from the first page it never lets up, a roller coaster ride of intrigue and adventure, faith and belief. The descriptions are vivid, luring you into the world of Altua and its inhabitants. Ellina's despair at what she sees as the betrayal of her faith is extremely well written and very poignant.

There is a growing attraction between Ellina and Mesor, but Ellina has been hurt so much that she does not want comfort from anyone. Who can she trust when she was so badly betrayed before? She is a strong character, but gradually comes to realise that there is strength in numbers and the truth she finds so terrifying, is better shared.

A captivating tale.

Dayspring Dawning is available from amazon marketplace

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Where is Wonderland, Anyway?
by Karen Mueller Bryson
Humour

Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of Regs and Matushka.
http://www.geocities.com/nina_osier

“The story of how I got from the FloridaLand Trailer Park just outside of Brooksville, Florida to become a real live Hollywood celebrity began near the end of July,” narrator Alice Sparrow tells us as WHERE IS WONDERLAND ANYWAY opens. Author Bryson continues in Alice’s matter-of-fact, delightfully dry voice throughout the book, making it an easy read.

Part satire in the best Lewis Carroll tradition – part social commentary – and part character study, Alice’s story will pull you in and keep you reading. Despite the author’s use of stereotypes and dropping of slightly altered celebrity names (which she does slyly, for humorous effect; and with consistent success), even her minor characters take on independent existence because they don’t remain cliches. They stay that way just long enough for the reader to recognize and place them. After that they’re quickly fleshed out, and you care about them. Even the ones you want to smack!

What I like best about Alice Sparrow is how she turns one particular social and literary stereotype, Woman-as-Victim, on its head. I hate that stereotype. Therefore, I can’t help loving Alice (and Karen Mueller Bryson) for making me laugh at it so heartily.

Where is Wonderland, Anyway? is available from amazon.com


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Featured Article:


Ready to Write that Book, But Can’t Get Started? Why Your Top Ten Reasons for Being Stuck Are all Wrong
by Gail M Richards

Excuse #1: I don't have a place to write.

Really? No desk? No chair? No coffee shop nearby?

Or could it be that not finding “the spot” is an easy way to put off or avoid all together working on your book? You don’t need a PhD in psychology to see where this is going.

Publishing a book is a big deal. It can be exhilarating and overwhelming at the same time---especially if you aren’t familiar with the process. It’s no wonder you’re a bit hesitant to dive in.

Stop waiting to find the perfect place to write. Not going to happen. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about how to identify where you can write.

A writing space should provide you with: minimum potential for interruption, comfortable place to sit, writing surface and adequate lighting. Beyond that, it’s important that you are inspired in some way by the environs. Could be the library, a park bench, a coffee shop or a hidden corner of your basement.

Once you’ve found that, start working. You can enhance the experience of the space over with special trinkets, writing tools etc. You can even wear your bunny slippers. Whatever makes the time and space draw you in.

Excuse #2: I don't feel inspired.

You’ve been watching way too many movies. In the beginning, it’s not about inspiration. It’s about permission and persuasion—persuading yourself to show up at a designated spot at a designated time and do what you can.

In the beginning the process of creating your book is more about pushing. You will need to push yourself to keep at it. Some days that will be a gentle nudge, others a full force shove. Then, as the book moves from being random pieces of material to more of a cohesive whole, you’ll be pulled to work on it. Once the book compels you to work on it, you won’t be able to imagine ever having been stuck.

Excuse #3: Everyone tells me I won't get published anyway

Prone to exaggeration are you? Everyone? Now, for the remaining people in your sphere of influence who actually have the nerve to say that to your face…

• What makes them the experts?
• Did they try and fail to publish?
• What qualifies them to be your yardstick?

Excuse #4: I don't have time.

Like mom used to say, where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Renowned turn of the century author Kate Chopin wrote very rapidly and without much revision. She usually worked in her home surrounded by her six children.

Whatever obstacles to time management you’re facing, Kate’s got you beat. Deal with it.

Excuse #5: I don't have anything new to say.

It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. Visit a bookstore and spend some time looking at sections of books on one of your favorite subjects. Take note of the different approaches authors have taken. Then, look on the shelf where your book would be and do the same thing.

Excuse #6: I'm afraid I will say everything in a book and then people won't need me to provide a service, or my competitors will take all my ideas.

Either you are comfortable putting your ideas out into the world, or not. That’s something you need to decide. However, at the risk of oversimplifying, may I say: paranoia just never ends well.

Theft of proprietary ideas is another thing. However, if someone uses or adapts your great ideas, well, you’ve just raised the bar for everyone. Your competition may or may not execute those ideas as well as you do. They may do it better and raise the bar for you. That’s life. Get over it.

As far as making yourself obsolete? Not likely. A book can layout the basics, it can’t connect the dots. Most of your clients love you and continue to pay you because you help them connect the dots.

Excuse #7: I’m too scared to start.

What’s the worst thing that could happen if you start? In my world view, that would be something on the order of causing the earth to fly off its axis of rotation. So, unless something of that caliber is likely to be set in motion by putting your toe in the water, go for it.

Excuse #8: I have so many ideas and I don't know which one is the best. I don't want to start work on any of them until I do.

There’s a distinct difference between creating your book and writing your manuscript. The creative endeavor doesn’t have limitations and how much you can explore. Catalog all of your ideas, then create outlines and concept maps. You’ll begin to see which ideas are most viable and compelling to you. You’re going to spend a lot of time on this material; it helps if there’s chemistry between the two of you.

Excuse #9: I don't know if I have enough to say to make a whole book.

Maybe you really don’t have enough material for a book. Maybe what you’ve got is an essay, an article, or a class. Until you start writing the manuscript it’s all intellectual capital there for you to shape into the appropriate form and structure.

And once that idea is out of your head, who knows what will take its place?

Excuse #10: I want to write a book but my husband / wife / mother / father / kids / sister / brother / friends / co-workers says it’s a waste of time.

Of course they think it’s a waste of your time; it’s time that won’t be spent with them; time that won’t be spent doing things they value; and time that won’t be spent on something they even have a context for. Jealous. Jealous. Jealous.

Take it as a (backward) compliment, not a discouragement, thank them for their input and move on.

About the Author

Gail Richards is the Founder of http://AuthorSmart.com, a clearinghouse of information, education and resources for authors seeking navigational assistance on their publishing journey. As a life long writer, she is passionate about helping authors share their wisdom and intellectual capital with the world by helping them find a path from idea to successfully published book.

For over 20 years she has created marketing messages and visual concepts that demand and capture attention for hundreds of companies. She now focuses her energy on authors.

She is a graduate of Dartmouth College, mother of two teen-age sons, Red Sox fan and aspiring seamstress.

©2006 Gail M Richards




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Offers/Contests:

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Silent Voices
Short Story Contest
Fee: $12
Deadline: December 10, 2006
Prize: $300 plus publication


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Crazyhorse
Crazyhorse Fiction Prize/ Lynda Hull Memorial Poetry Prize
Deadline: December 16, 2006
Fee: $12 for previous entrants, $15 for new entrants
Prize: $2000 each and publication

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Meet the Author
Enter the literary lottery to win signed copies of books including Beth Webb's Sar Dancer, Brian Keaney's The Hollow People and more
http://www.meettheauthor.co.uk/prizes/
Free entry.
Deadlines: from 5th December 2006 to March 2007

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Featured Books/Sites

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http://www.scriptmag.com/

Has magazines, articles, forums, contests etc. for the screenwriter and aspiring screenwriter. Some free content, some subsciber only.


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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling

It is the middle of the summer, but there is an unseasonal mist pressing against the windowpanes. Harry Potter is waiting nervously in his bedroom at the Dursley's house in Privet Drive for a visit from Professor Dumbledore himself. One of the last times he saw the headmaster was in a fierce one-to-one duel with Lord Voldemort, and Harry can't quite believe that Professor Dumbledore will actually appear at the Dursley's of all places. Why is the Professor coming to visit him now? What is it that cannot wait until Harry returns to Hogwarts in a few weeks' time? Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts has already got off to an unusual start, as the worlds of Muggle and magic start to intertwine…

J.K. Rowling charts Harry Potter's latest adventures in his sixth year at Hogwarts with consummate skill and in breathtaking fashion.

The book is available from bn.com


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http://dramatica.stores.yahoo.net/freesoftware.html
Free software and trial downloads for writers including software for novels and screenplays.

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New Zealand with a Hobbit Botherer by John Gisby with Annette Gisby as THB (The Hobbit Botherer)

What should you do if your spouse becomes addicted to the Lord of the Rings movies and swoons at the very mention of Orlando Bloom's name? (Thud. Quick, fetch the smelling salts.) How about taking the advice of a strange apparition that reveals itself in a dream? An apparition that looks remarkably like the director of the movies, Peter Jackson, but not quite remarkably enough to prompt legal action. An apparition that recommends touring New Zealand in an effort to prove that its sheep pastures aren't really filled by frolicking Hobbits. Just sheep and the occasional zorbing local. This is the hilarious tale of such a tour, featuring snow capped mountains and turquoise lakes, flightless birds and flying cattle, bungy jumping grannies and the carrot mafia, strange yellow eyes peering up from a road map and hotel receptionists always desperate to know win you are living.

New Zealand with a Hobbit Botherer is available from Bn.com

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A Christmas Dream by Janet Elaine Smith

Susan Quincey has declared Christmas as “off limits.” The loss of her husband in Desert Storm has definitely caused a “bah humbug” attitude, despite her 3-year-old son Jeremy's needs. Just when she thinks it can't get any worse, it does. Her car won't start, but Kevin Dockter, her boss (who has admired her since the day she applied for work) offers to “jump” her, then hooks his car battery to hers. Susan is afraid of Jeremy getting hurt, but Kevin wins Jeremy's heart and they both go to work on Susan. A Christmas Dream is a heart-warming Christmas tale, where even Santa gets a Christmas present. You will fall in love with the characters, from little Jeremy to Kevin's mother and even Buford, the lopsided reindeer. And yes, Kevin proves that miracles truly do happen at Christmas time, and in the most unexpected places.

bn.com

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Waking God by Brian Doe and Philip Harris

""Waking God has many good qualities that make it worth reading; you can expect a good story surrounded by an interesting philosophical paradigm that ventures into supernatural action and adventure. And this book also reminds us that there are other ways of looking at the world, and that perhaps we should take a moment and consider the alternatives." - Christopher Friesen, Book Pleasures.com

Waking God is available from Bn.com

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Quote of the Month

"If I don't write to empty my mind, I go mad." ~Lord Byron


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Bad Joke of the Month


One elf said to another elf, "We had Grandma for Christmas dinner."

And the other elf said, "Really? We had turkey!"


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