I was going to end the week with something thought provoking and profound.
I have a long weekend, to just enjoy quiet and rejuvenation. Then, possible, plot my next round of mayhem. Sometimes I just need a ‘time out’ before we begin again.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Filed under Leila Gaskin, Writing
There is nothing worse than coming to the end of a series of books and feeling like the author gave up. The first four books of the Connor Grey series by Mark del Franco were engaging and thrilling. While at the time, I didn’t realize the fifth book would be of the end of the series, I anxiously awaited the publication of ‘Undone Deeds’.
It pains me to say I was bitterly dissappointed with this book. Don’t get me wrong, I have no issue with a series ending. Everything must come to an end. I had a problem with the author seeming to give up.
I’m sorry that I’ve felt compelled to write such a review of an author whom I have admired. I would truly recommend the first 4 books of the series. I’m just going to have to pretend the last book never existed.
*****SPOILERS AHEAD *****
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One review called it a ‘Bobby Ewing ‘ ending and they weren’t kidding. I could have gotten past the past life regression. Or the fact that first four books were essentially made irrelevant by the last book. Or the fact that everyone knew what was going on but Connor himself. But having the survivors sail off into the mists of Avalon was too cliche for my tastes. Lastly, I was bothered by the black and white resolution of each character. The characters Connor cared for were resolved in a heroic way and the enemies were all destroyed. It was too pat.
I wasn’t the only one who felt the ending of the series was lacking. del Franco gave up on a great story line. It felt like his editor said ‘get it done ‘ and this was all he had left. I’m left with a deep sense of betrayal. I, as a reader, didn’t get the ending that I deserved.
I know that all writers have moments where they don’t shine. I wish he would have given us a more satisfying ending than ‘we all make choices and we’ll do it again and again, so no consequence is permanent.’
I know that I’ll more than likely get my own fair share of lumps in the future. All I can do is hope I never lay such a stinker, that I’ll end whatever series I’m working on with a satisfying conclusion.
I’m sorry Mr. del Franco. I hope your next book will restore my faith in you.
Filed under Book Review, Leila Gaskin, Writing
My father never really spoke of his experience in the Vietnam conflict. His responsibilities had him behind enemy lines in Laos, Cambodia and other places US military were not supposed to be. He would mention snippets here and there that would intrigue, only to refuse to tell more.
The only reason I knew my father was in Laos was due to a letter I received from him in response to a picture I had sent home when I lived in Portugal. I was standing by a Moorish shrine on the side of a country road in the Alentejo area of Portugal. It was one of those miraculous moments of light where the sun sat on the horizon and poppies bobbed in the breeze. My father wrote me a cryptic note back, ‘those poppies remind me of the flowers on the plain of jars in Laos.’
He meant to record his stories in one form or the other before his illness took its toll. That never happened. All I’ll ever know are the snippets he told.
A soldiers tale is a precious thing. Their experiences have carved a place deep into our cultural psyche. Take a moment to offer thanks to those who serve and have served. Honor those who have served by letting them tell their stories. We all have stories to tell. Sometimes that storytelling will soothe their souls and help them return whole to their loved ones. Keep them in your prayers and thoughts.
‘Let us pray for those who are called upon to bear arms by their respective governments and plead for the protection of heaven upon them that they may return to their loved ones in safety.’ – Gordon B Hinckley
Thank you to all who have served and lived to tell your tales.
Filed under Leila Gaskin, Writing
I seem to be getting over my punctuation brain farts.
Watch, the Universe is about to kick me in the rear end.
sigh.
Filed under Editing, Leila Gaskin, Writing
I was never a zombie fan when I was growing up. Maybe it was because I grew up on a small farm and I learned early on the life-death-compost cycle of life. Scary movies? Not a chance.
Then…
Then, I started reading Seanan McGuire. Her writing led me to her alter-ego Mira Grant and the Newsflesh trilogy (Feed, Deadline & Blackout). I just finished the last book in the trilogy – Blackout.
When will you rise?
AND I WANT MORE!
She has created a world where humanity struggles to survive in a world where the dead are walking. Human nature is revealed at its very best and worst, bringing the readers along for a tumultuous ride. Mira Grant never lets up on the throttle as she lead us on the merry chase through this new world.
Truth is a constant theme through the series. Mira Grant adeptly weaves a complicated pattern of personal truths. She never lets a thread go astray in this tapestry.
The story arc is completed, truths revealed and I’m left wanting more. At the end of the day, the question is – when will you rise?
Filed under Book Review, Leila Gaskin, Writing
After reading one of my stories – (eom), published in the April edition of eFiction magazine (check it out!), a good friend of mine told me the inner workings of my mind frightened him. Really? Just because the majority of my short stories deal in destruction and mayhem… mmmm, he may have a point.
I took it as a compliment. Apparently, I don’t look like an ‘end of the world’ girl.
In all writing, a certain amount of crazy happens. Honestly, there has to be. From concept to publication, there are moments of joy, heartbreak and psychosis. Most of this is kept behind closed doors with only the dog to witness it. Crazy is what gets us through the moments of ‘stuck’. Flinging that ‘what if’ question around with abandon can cause the forward momentum we need. So what if your historical western is suddenly besieged with aliens. Isn’t that what happened with ‘Cowboys and Aliens‘? Seriously, letting our crazy out to play can take us in unexpected directions. So, the aliens don’t work out. That’s okay, you took a break and can now settle back into your vibe.
To me, the best writers are the ones who take a step (or two) outside their comfort zone. I’ve found working with my crazy makes me a better writer.
Filed under Creative Writing, Leila Gaskin, Writing
Melinda Mae - Shel Silverstein
Have you heard of tiny Melinda Mae,
Who ate a monstrous whale?
She thought she could,
She said she would,
So she started in right at the tail.
And everyone said,”You’re much too small,”
But that didn’t bother Melinda at all,
She took little bites and she chewed very slow,
Just like a good girl should…
…and in eighty-nine years she ate that whale
Because she said she would!
Melinda Mae’s task is just as fearsome as the writing and editing process. We write one word, comma, period, or quotation mark at a time. I hope I’m not 89 by the time I finish this one project. My goals have to be realistic and I can’t let fear freeze my process.
I’m the only one who can tell my story, one word at a time.
Filed under Editing, Influence, Leila Gaskin, Writing
