Books

A welcoming bunch of ladies

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*there is a list of books at the bottom of every post*

Several more finished books to tell you about, finished reading that is, as opposed to writing – not that you were getting the wrong idea here, but you never know. Lots of books started, for one reason or another, but still unfinished as there were too many distracting things happening over the last couple of weeks. I’m not complaining, mind you, it is a treat to have a bit of a life again for a change.

I was invited to the regular meeting of the Winnipeg chapter of Manitoba Christian Writers Association on Saturday. It was a worthwhile and interesting time, I am glad I went and I plan to go again, on a regular basis if I can. The ladies were friendly and welcoming, to both of us newbies, which made the afternoon that much more of a treat.  It was also an unexpected and pleasant surprise not to be the only new one.

The meeting was held in a heritage house built in 1875, now used primarily for seniors activities. The house looks to have been left pretty much the way it was originally, which is good to see, it’s nice to try to visualize what life looked like for people back then. There wasn’t much time to look around, because of all the time spent visiting, but I’m hoping  there will be a chance to take a better look next time. It appears to have been one of the nicer homes back in 1875 so it will be fun to check it out a bit more.

 The main part of the meeting was spent listening to, and then critiquing, either poems or stories. They were very interesting, there are some good writers in this group. I am hoping a couple of them will post their readings on their blogs so I could have the chance to share them here too, I think you would enjoy them as much as I did. A couple of them were pretty funny. I’ll ask about it at the next meeting, if I remember.

So… here are the books referred to at the beginning of this piece….

Remembering Dresden (Jack Turner Suspense Series Book 2) – Dan Walsh …. Dresden was heavily bombed during World War 2, with 3,900 tons of high explosive bombs and incendiary devices, delivered by 722 British heavy bombers and 527 US bombers.

Following a local family’s struggle through the middle of the heavy bombing sets the stage for the move into present day with the lone survivor, looking for revenge.        There is much controversy around the justification of such heavy bombing on a non military city and this story  takes the perspective that it was a war crime. I found it interesting (aside from the fact it was well written)  because I wasn’t aware of this tragedy. How many other tragic things are out there that most of us don’t know about? This story tells me we should never take anything for granted.

Lion 0f Babylon (a Marc Royce mystery/thriller) – Davis Bunn ….       one of my favorite authors, his books are always good.                           

Strait of Hormuz  (a Marc Royce mystery/thriller) – Davis Bunn …. Marc is no longer an agent, having been fired for taking personal time for a sick and dying wife, but is pressed back into service for under desperate circumstances.

Happy reading!!.. and maybe a little writing too!!

Is this really such an important question? – “Why do you want to write?”

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*there is a list of books at the bottom of every post*

I have been chewing on this question all week, trying to figure out why it seems to be so important.

There was a one day writer’s seminar here in town last weekend. I was there at the urging of a writer friend who knew I would find it helpful. I’ve attended seminars before but never one with writing as the purpose. I admit to feeling a little out of place, especially identifying more as a reader than a writer. I say a little bit, rather than a big bit, because they gave me a warm welcome and didn’t seem to be too bothered by my rather minor writing aspirations or the fact that I was a stranger to them all.

The topic of the keynote address was authentic writing. I was looking forward to this  because it was lining up with my thoughts about the style of writing I should be using and I was sure it would be helpful, which it was.  Meeting with this group of ladies was a positive experience I hope to repeat in the future.

My chewing on the question of motive came after the fact, you know how it goes, it’s all over and now you go back and take more time to think about those things that stood out through the course of the day.

This question – why do you want to write? –  was asked at the beginning and the end of the day. And, to make matters worse, it was asked again on the first page of the book I won as a door prize. On reading this page, suddenly, all my deliberations were coloured by  the appearance of my many insecurities.

Several days ago, looking for resolution to all this negative self talk, I decided to reread the first page of the book, to see if maybe I had gotten off track somewhere. This time I read it with a more positive, open frame of mind and found, I was off track. Now I am looking at this question in a more positive light and  want to read the whole book to see what all he has to say after asking such a question.  The book, in case you are interested, is  – Unleash the Writer Within by Cecil Murphey.

I’m sure there are times when speakers and other writers ask this question with the wrong motive in their mind, we are all human after all. I think, in this case though, rather than trying to discourage us from writing, the question was meant to encourage us to take a more realistic look at our motives and expectations. I can see that it would be difficult to do a good job of writing if our reasons for writing spent more time in the clouds that they did on the ground.

Maybe a good analogy, from another part of life, would be, the view people have of love and marriage – some people love the idea of marriage, some people love the person they are about to marry. Successful marriages are those where the person, not the idea, is loved.

Maybe it needs to be the same way with writing. We need to love being a writer, rather than loving the idea of being a writer, because, like marriage, writing is a lot of hard work and just loving an idea won’t work out all the well for us.

My mind is still going round and round about all this and the subject has not been exhausted yet. That’s okay, there is still lots to learn.

Maybe I am so worked up about this subject because I know everyone has a story that needs to be told, even if they are not writers by the normal definition of the word. The writer benefits by telling her/his story, and even if there is only one, or maybe no, other person in this world who reads their story and benefits, then the writing has still been worth it.

OK, time to quit because my day job is calling, loudly, and this subject is not finished by any means. I feel like I am just getting started! 🙂

I will only mention one book this time since I am out of time

The Elusive Miss Ellison (Regency Brides: A Legacy of Grace) – Carolyn Miller…. this book is written in a similar style to Pride and Prejudice. I quite enjoyed it.

Happy reading!…… and think about writing your story! Someone in your family may thank you one day, even if you are not around to hear them say it.

 

 

 

Have your ever tried to figure out why you didn’t like that book?

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*there is a list of books at the bottom of every post*   

I have been thinking about this subject a lot over the last few days and have come to the conclusion that; even if I were to think about why, there is much that I don’t know and would need to learn first, in order to figure things out.

Every week I attempt to read a few books I thought I would like but didn’t. I close the book, or remove it from my e-reader, mid stream, with superficial consideration, and move on to the next book to catch my eye.

Sometimes, as I think about it, I have a general idea about why I am abandoning a book,  too much over the top detail, too much re-sharing of background details, a weak plot with a predictable end, and a few other reasons.  Rarely have I looked deeper before moving on.

A comment in a review recently is what started me thinking about some of the deeper issues.   One of the reasons given for not liking the particular book under discussion was weak character development. I’ve never really thought about character development all that much. However, now I’m thinking, maybe I should be, thinking about such things, it could be a good thing, to be able to verbalize my reasons for not liking a book, right?

It may have even helped with one of the books on my list this week. The book had an interesting story line but the reading of it was frustrating and I had no real idea why.  Looks like there is some digging and learning to be done to answer that question.

I consider myself to be a reader not a writer, since I don’t have any stories floating around in my mind just itching to get out, but I’m thinking that even a reader could benefit by knowing what makes a good story a good story. It might even relieve a little of the frustration if the reasons for the frustration could be identified……hmmmmm…………or then again, maybe not. Maybe knowing more things could make the frustration worse instead of better? I’ll keep an open mind, dig a little, and see what happens.

Do you think about any of these kinds of things when you read a book you don’t like much? Do you abandon books you don’t really like all that much? I hope you do, abandon them I mean. I’ve heard it said that there is no law that says you must finish a book once you start it. I have to say, it feels good to close a book I don’t enjoy and try another one. If you haven’t tried it, I hope you will.

A few more books to mention…. read and enjoyed….

When Crickets Cry – Charles Martin …. Emma and Reese, elementary school best friends, he is her protector as she deals with a major heart defect and a need for a transplant.    Also…. previously read by this author but not yet mentioned here, Water From My Heart and Down Where My Love Lives. Reading these books is to experience the rawness of life in a way that changes your heart. 5 stars

Write Me Home  (Home in You book 1) – Crystal Walton …….. He comes back to town to help his grandmother…she comes back to sell her inheritance (youth camp), and get back to her job in the city.  Two people thrown together by circumstances. Not everyone in town is happy to have one of them back. A good book.

Healer (The Brides of Alba Series)  – Linda Winsor …. historical romance set in the time of King Arthur, a family feud sees parents murdered and a child in hiding. Will the feud ever be settled? Can the daughter safely come out of hiding?

For Love Alone (Secrets of Savannah book 4) – Belle Calhoune …. Six best friends have inherited a large historical bed and breakfast and have come back together to manage it. Each book in the series is from the perspective of one of the girls

From Russia with Love (The Heirs of Anton Book 1) – Susan May Warren and Susan K Downs …..  Contemporary Inspirational Romantic Adventure set in Russia. Interesting  novel with historical considerations. Lots of danger as she tries to find her roots.

Lulu’s Café – T I Lowe ……. Gabrielle is running for her life, Lulu sees a hurting heart, stopping in town for a night, and decides to help. Small towns can be suspicious but supportive too. A good book

At Bluebonnet Lake (Texas Crossroads book 1) – Amanda Cabot …… a nostalgic trip with her grandmother to a resort from life years gone by, a bucket list wish; a nostalgic getaway for him alone as he contemplates his future after selling his successful software company.

Where Love Begins (Where there is Love Book 1) – Donna Fletcher Crow ….. a historical novel set in the time of Charles Wesley. An eye opener about those who paved the way for all of us.

Murder at The Courthouse ( The Hidden Springs Mystery book 1) – A H Gabhart ….. A body mysteriously appears one morning on the courthouse steps, everyone knows everyone in town and no one knows who this is.  A cozy mystery.

Happy reading.

 

The real reason for three books at once

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*there is a list of books at the bottom of every post*

On Sunday I visited a church library, one of my favorite places in all the world, and came home with a nice bag of books. I wanted to change things up a bit and read series, complete series, instead of just one-of like I have been doing for the last four years.

As soon as I got home I sorted the books into authors, then into series and decided to start with these two that seemed to be singles. I found myself going back and forth between them for awhile hoping to feel more than slightly attracted to one of them. It really wasn’t happening for me so I started an e-book on my Kindle (it adapts better to certain situations-like reading in bed) and it worked, I soon found myself immersed in a new story. So that’s how three happens……..  and in the end one always wins out!

Eventually I did keep trying on one of the real books, made it to page 70 and gave it up. It was written well enough and the story line was appealing, but the emotions expressed by some of the characters acted as negative triggers for me and I think that’s what made me put it down.

The second book caught my interest on the next attempt and I read it right through. It seems that sometimes a story just doesn’t appeal, ever, and at other times the appeal is dependent on mood. I think that was the case with this second book, different mood different level of interest. Despite first impressions to the contrary this book seems to be the first in a series judging by the way it ended so I’ll look for the rest of the set on my next visit to the library.

Here’s a question for you, off the topic but one I have been thinking about for a while. Out of the many favorite authors you probably have, if you could name just one of your favorite authors who would it be and why? This looks like a question I can ask more than once and probably will 🙂

Looking forward to hearing who you like!

currently reading The Shekinah Legacy ( A Charlotte Ansari Thriller) – Gary Lindberg …. Intriguing. So far, the CIA, a news organization, middle eastern terrorists, the Mossad, an assassin who is part of a 2000 year old organization, a priest in the Vatican, and some of Charlotte’s relatives who are connected to all of this somehow, are all part of the story. The assassin is out to kill Charlotte and take possession of the ancient relic. Lots of major secrets to be discovered. Liking it.

Trading Secrets – Melody Carson …….. a different and enjoyable slant on a familiar theme. Amish meets English. Pen pals with a misunderstanding, he thinks she is a boy because of her boy name. This one looks like book 1 in a series…. needs investigating.

Red Rose Bouquet (Grace Revealed book 2)  – Jennifer Rodewald ……… This book is about a woman with deeply buried hurts whose life intersects with a man who has a gift for recognizing and helping children with difficult lives. A very touching and inspiring story.

The Quilt – T Davis Bunn  …… I had read this book years ago and never forgotten it, apparently I didn’t remember much more than the title! I’ll have to read it again soon. It’s about a grandmother at the end of her days making a way to pass a legacy on to her family.

O N C E : Ask Me Anything, Not Love – Mian Mohsin Zia ……… This one was interesting because the style of writing is very different. The author is writing in the voice of a culture and a language not his own and that puts a different spin on things. That and his goal of a much different ending than we usually see.

Kept – Sally Bradley………..  This one was interesting because of the depth of the friendships and the complexity of the challenges faced by the characters.

Leaving (Bailey Flannigan Series)  – Karen Kingsbury ….. A popular author I’ve read a lot of over the years.

Having trouble deciding how to name these ongoing lists of books…. here’s a few more for you for this month

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currently reading Leaving (Bailey Flanigan series) – Karen Kingsbury…… romance/relational.  There are always a lot of deep things going on in Karen Kingsbury’s writing.

I started reading  Allerednic: A Regency  Cinderella Tale – in Reverse  by Chautona Havig ….  a little like Pride and Prejudice in style, the timing wasn’t great and I  couldn’t really get into it but will try again another time maybe. I have read some of Chautona’s many other stories in the past though (particularly Past Forward)  and really enjoyed them. She had a very different take on life in the Past Forward series and it was very enticing. Well worth checking out if you haven’t read any of her books.

Contingency (Covenant of Trust Book 1) – Paula Wiseman…. a story of betrayal and reconciliation. This story is well written and deeply moving. There is a study guide at the end so this would be a good choice as a resource in a group setting.

Leaving Serenity – Alle Wells ….. set in the 1960’s a young girl faces adversity growing up and leaves home with a boy who does not turn out to be a good choice as a husband and provider. This is a story of the empowering choices she was able to make.

The Amun Chamber (the 1st adventure of Professor David Manning) – Daniel Leston . …. ancient treasures, black market sales, enemies attempting to steal at any cost, exotic locations.  Ponderous at times but still interesting.

Before He Sees (A MacKenzie White Mystery Book 2) – Blake Pierce …. an FBI agent in training is assigned to a serial killer case because of her previous experience as a police officer. Things never go as easily as they could and trouble plagues the case and her possible standing in the FBI.

The Brickmaker’s Bride (Refined by Love Book 1) – Judith Miller….. romance/relational set in the 1800’s