Tag: Murder Mysteries

And We Begin Again….

On By rosereadsIn Life & other interesting questionsLeave a comment

This month begins National Novel Writing month and I know that many folks are already feverish writing working on their novels.  I still have some minor things to finish up with Blood Child and she should be out by the end of the month, but while I am waiting I am going to be writing and joining the madness.

This blog was started on the advice of a dear friend as a way to introduce myself to the world as a writer and build an audience for my first novel, My Dragon Friday, which remains unfinished. Blood Child took over my brain and my life. Now it is time to return to Raelin Lewis and her world.  In keeping with the rules and guidelines, I will only count the words that I write this month.

Raelin’s story needed sometime to mature. When she was first conceived, my life was in chaos and her story took on some of that insanity. She was too much of me and not enough her own creature. I hope in the coming month to change that and allow her to tell her story, instead of one where my heart is breaking and writing is the only way to keep myself from crying. Raelin deserves more of my attention.

Word Count as of 11/02/14 ~ 1,686

Book Review: My Psychic Eye Addiction

On By rosereadsIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

lethaloutlook

Lethal Outlook by Victoria Laurie

Available in paperback and Kindle Formats on Amazon.

I love brain candy, but before you begin to think that Lethal Outlook by Victoria Laurie is a piece of fluff, let me give you my definition of brain candy.   My kind of brain candy is rich like Godiva chocolate.  Intense and absolutely delicious, something that keeps me coming back. A book where I am going along for the adventure and I don’t want it to end.

A book that keeps me up late into the night.

Lethal Outlook was as predicted an absolutely fabulous piece of brain candy. I didn’t want to put it down last night.  My brain wanted to continue, but my eyes finally closed on about 4 am.

After her last adventure, Abby aka Edgar, is slowly recovering from her injuries, a fracture pelvis.  She is determined to walk down the aisle without her cane.  Between physical therapy, running her business, dodging phone calls from sister who is obsessed with planning Abby the perfect wedding and her contractor, Dave,  she is in over her head as the book begins then she gets the case of a missing woman handed to her by a mystery woman.   A woman who is clearly in danger if anyone knew that she had come to happy for help.

Kendra Moreno, a young mother, has gone missing and investigators have no leads and suspect  her husband, Tristan, of doing away for his wife.  Abby and her partner Candice know they have  a case when Abby sees a picture of the missing woman and knows the she is dead. The only problem is that they don’t have a client.  When meetings with both the parents of the missing woman and her husband go wrong it doesn’t look like will be getting paid for their investigation.   The two persist and the action of books picks up and takes you in.

One of the best things about a Victorie Laurie mystery is that she weaves it so well that you won’t guess who the killer is until the end of the book. Her heroine is realistic and the rest of the cast of characters are genuine and lovable.

Lethal Outlook is the 10th book in the series.  Book 11 – Deadly Forecast is already out and I am happy to say downloaded onto my kindle.  The only reason that I am tearing into today is that I have work to do and I know if I get started I won’t stop.

 

 

Letting Go..

On By rosereadsIn Book Reviews, Life & other interesting questionsLeave a comment

deadeverafterRecently, I discovered that one of my favorite authors was ending a series that I have been reading for the better part of ten years.  It saddens me, but I get it. She needs to me move on and it is time for us to let go Sookie Stackhouse and her fangy friends. Charlaine Harris‘s series has been going strong since 2001.  There have been bums along the way, but fans have been eating the books up.

So much so that some fans have threatened to kill themselves if she goes ahead with her plans.If you are one of these fans please seek help immediately.  Serious, do not stop on go just get help now.

As readers we get attached to characters and tend to forget that there are living breathing people behind them.  I haven’t always agreed with what characters in my favorite books have done.  (Richard in the Anita Blake series is lucky I couldn’t bitch slap him.) The people behind the keys giving life to our favorite stories are the ones that create the worlds we love. The worlds I aspire as a writer to make. And since my style of writing is akin to Ms. Harris, I feel sympathy for her situation.

It may be easy to say to an author that they should continue to write because they are making money, but writers like teachers don’t do it for the money. We do it because we are can’t help ourselves. And yes, I said we, because regardless of whether or not I reach the level of success as Ms. Harris has I will continue to write.  It is our passion and when the passion begins to fade for a storyline it is time to move on. Maybe we will come back to it in time.

Mercedes Lackey said this about her long running series “Hey, everybody needs a vacation, even from the best job. So, until I come up with a story set in Velgarth that is as compelling as the ones you’ve enjoyed in the past, I’m taking a break. The last thing I want is for my own favorite series to start limping along and go out with a whimper.”

Authors need breaks to recharge their creative juices and while I will miss the Stackhouse Series I understand.

Fellow readers I know that you are upset, but give Ms. Harris some room. She has been writing this series for over ten years.  She wanted to end it years ago, but kept going when the HBO series took off. She has already gone on after she wanted to quit for you,me, and the almighty dollar so let her be. The quality of the books have suffered.  As much as I loved them somewhere after book four, I got lost. She tried it your way and she still wants to go. Let her.

And while you are at it pick up some of her other great series.  Lily Bard, Aurora Teagarden and the Harper Connelly series are all excellent. (My personal favorite is the Aurora Teagarden series.)

Stalking and taunting your favorite author into producing something won’t work the way you want it, too. Trust me, when people have gotten unpleasantly freaky with me I back off.  So let us take a moment, be thankful and let Sookie go.

Thank you, Ms. Harris, I look forward to your next series or book and I am so very grateful for your stories.

Love, Hugs and Moo’s,

Lu