What Are You Reading Between the Covers? - #18

Well, this post is long overdue. With all the pet emergencies and then me going on vacation, I haven't had time to blog about my latest reads. My humble apologies to my readers. You can flog me with a thousand wet pages of type, if you'd like. I have four selections for you today.

The first is Andersonville by MacKinlay Kantor. This story is thick enough to use as a doorstop and thoroughly researched. For those of you who don't know the horrors of Andersonville, it was the Confederate prison where many Union soldiers suffered and died needlessly due to lack of food, medical care, and basic shelter, etc. The stories from this prison camp are infamous and will make your stomach turn. This tale does a fine job detailing the atrocities of Andersonville and follows a few families in Georgia as they struggle to live in the war-torn state. It is highly moving and emotional, but at times, a tad long. I do recommend it, though.

I switched gears then and read my first book from Permuted Press, a collection of four zombie novellas. The Undead: Headshot Quartet rocked! From H.P. Lovecraft and zombies to a boy who can imagine anything he wants into existence -- phenomenal. Highly recommend it to anyone who likes a good zombie story. I couldn't put this one down. It even inspired me to dust off and spruce up my own zombie novella. I will be reading more from Permuted Press in the future.

If you aren't a fan of zombies, then maybe, you've heard of a very popular book by Emma Donoghue, Room.  This book dealt with dark subject matter, but I didn't find it to be as dark as many of my friends suggested it was. It is great writing, though. The story is told by Jack, a child born of rape. His mother is held captive in one room and this is the only reality he has known until she decides they need to escape. The novel follows them out into the world where Jack learns that there is more to life than the one room he lived in. The author gives us a unique perspective on what we perceive as reality vs. what others see. How Jack and his mother cope is quite interesting. This book was a quick read. I almost finished it in a day. I recommend this one as well.

The next book I finished on vacation this week. It is Urban Gothic by Brian Keene. This book is so sick; it's beautiful. It's Texas Chainsaw Massacre meets The Hills Have Eyes meets the raw grittiness of Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door. If you're faint of stomach, leave your lunch at the door. This story is why I love to write. A must read for any serious horror enthusiast.  You'll find yourself asking why people are disappearing in the rundown house. Will your favorite characters get out alive or become the next meal for the cannibals? Can't miss this one!

Hope you enjoyed my picks. Check back soon for more reviews.

As always, happy writing and happy reading to all!   

What Are You Reading Between the Covers? - #17

Another week or so of late night reading for me. And I have three books to share with you. The first two are installments in Richelle Mead's succubus series featuring Georgia Kincaid and the last one is a historical novel about Mary Queen of Scots.

I enjoy Richelle Mead's Georgia Kincaid series. I recommend it to anyone who hasn't read them. The third book, Succubus Dreams, has a delicious plot and a shocker I could not believe. I won't give anything away. Georgia is being preyed upon by a supernatural creature that steals her energy in her dreams. This being masks itself by fulfilling Georgina's deepest wish to have a child, sending her the most beautiful dreams of a family she knows she can never have. It's a good one.

But the fourth book in the series, Succubus Heat, is my favorite story so far. In Succubus Heat, Georgia is sent by Jerome, her demon manager, to discourage a group of satanic misfits from giving Satan bad press. Their antics in the book made me chuckle. Jerome is kidnapped and all the immortals lose their powers, which causes Georgina to contemplate life without her succubus powers. Georgina scrambles to find Jerome before another demon can be appointed to her district. Mead is just as snarky and witty in this novel as all the previous ones. There's a plot twist that's quite juicy as well, but I won't give anything away. It ties in with what happened previously in Succubus Dreams. And an old character reappears.  Highly entertaining. I would not miss reading this one!

After two succubus stories in a row, I switched to historical novels for a bit of a change. I read The Queen's Own Fool, written by Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris, the story of Mary Queen of Scots told from her Fool, Nicola's, perspective. Nicola is a well-written character with a loyal heart. The politics in this story are intriguing, as history usually is. This was a quick read and I recommend it.

As always, happy writing and happy reading to all!

What Are You Reading Between the Covers? - #16

This review is long overdue. I always thought I could work through anything, but a death in the family has taken a toll on me in the past week. Three books to discuss today -- Richelle Mead's Succubus on Top, A Line of Cutting Women edited by Beverly Mcfarland, Margarita Donnelly, Micki Reaman, Teri Mae Rutledge, et al., and The Queen's Governess by Karen Harper.

I reread Richelle Mead's second book in the Georgia Kincaid series. It'd been awhile since I read the first one. Like many series, I waited for the new books to come out and then got distracted, but was pleased that there are a bunch of books for me to catch up on. The second book was just as entertaining as I remembered it. Georgia Kincaid is a succubus with a romantic dilemma; she's in love with a human and can't be intimate with him for fear of killing him. In this story, Georgia sets out to discover the source of a new drug her friend and coworker, Doug is hooked on. She gets more than she bargained for and that's all I will say. I'm not a book spoiler! Mead also created a misfit bunch of angels and other characters in the series, which are highly entertaining. I recommend this book and the rest of the series, if you like paranormal romances.

I switched gears drastically after the paranormal romance and dove into A Line of Cutting Women, a collection of short stories written by women that greatly moved me. The short stories cover all topics of womanhood, including the harsh ones like rape. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Woman's Studies. It is a gem.

There were a few stories that stuck with me after I finished the collection. One was Linda Hogan's Crow, which deals with the topic of aging and being alone. That story was followed by Sandra Scofield's Loving Leo, a tale of an elderly woman still holding on to her indepence. Shirley Sikes also contributed a memorable story, Falling off the Matterhorn, about a woman coming to terms with terminal breast cancer. It touched me because my mother is a 24-year survivor of breast cancer. It brought back painful memories for me of being thirteen and wondering if my mother was going to die - very good writing. There really were too many good stories in this collection to mention them all here, so I will leave you with one more -- Nighthawks by Carolyn Barbier. The woman in the story is a survivor of a terrible boating accident and makes the difficult decision to terminate her life support. I cried. This book is full of strong women and strong voices. I loved it!

After reading some shorts, I tuned into a historical novel, The Queen's Governness by Karen Harper. I've been on a Queen Elizabeth I kick since I watched a documentary about her a few months ago on cable. Karen Harper put many hours of research into this novel to make it as historically accurate as possible. I was surprised to learn of the discrepancies in some of the names/events that have been recorded in history. Her Author's Notes section was quite informative about her research. She did a wonderful job of detailing Queen Elizabeth's tumultuous childhood and her fight for the throne of England. This book was a wonderful read.

That's all for today.

Happy writing and happy reading to all!

Interview with Historical Mystery and Horror Writer, Charley Appenzellar

Charley Appenzellar is passionate about historical mysteries and thought provoking horror. She has written two novels, two screenplays, a whole batch of short stories, and has a blog entitled 365 Things That I Love About France. Charley has recently finished translating a French historical manuscript that will be published in the spring and is putting the finishing touches on a haunted guide to France. When Charley is not pounding away at the keyboard, she adores exploring France with her two children.

Which came first for you, your love of history or your love of storytelling?

Oh, that's a tough one. I would have to say my love of storytelling, as I was a voracious reader before I even knew what history was.

In your story, The Modern Cathar, you discuss this form of Christianity. The Cathar community was quite large in France. Did you develop a fascination with this religion after you moved to France or before?

After I moved here. There are a series of Cathar castles in the Languedoc region of France, haunting ruins perched on rocky precipices, which utterly fascinated me when I saw them. The more I learned about Cathar culture and beliefs, the more I was convinced I had to write about them.

Their religion is fascinating; there are many similarities between Catharism and Buddhism—amazing for the Dark Ages. But what is thoroughly intriguing to me is their story: how they were utterly wiped out by an early form of the Inquisition, and how it is said that they were the keepers of a great treasure. Mystery ….

Do you think that your blog, 356 Things I Love about France, helped prepare you for your recent work, A Sumptuous Guide to Haunted France?

My blog helps me prepare for everything! It is an excellent disciplinary tool, being obliged to sit down and do a certain amount of research and text each and every day. Along the way of researching interesting persons, places, food, and events in France, I have stumbled across more haunted venues than I anticipated.

I am planning to stick with the theme, and will have a new 365-day blog coming out in the late spring.

You’ve lived and traveled in a lot of places around the world. How do foreign libraries compare to the U.S. library system for writing research materials, etc.?

As I am primarily a fiction author, I don't visit a whole lot of libraries, what I need I find on the Internet, or the Internet leads me to specific books. My spoken French is completely fluent and I am lucky to be very immersed in the French culture; people recounting oral traditions tell many tales to me.

I am translating a French non-fiction historical manuscript at the moment, and the French author spends hours and hours in the municipal library here in Lyon. I know he has dug up some fascinating stuff in medieval texts. When my medieval French is better, I look forward to joining him.

What do you see as future challenges for authors with the increased popularity in electronic media? Do you think paper books will go the way of the dinosaurs?

The future challenge in electronic media is not to get lost in the massive shuffle. To have a voice will become more and more difficult.

I certainly hope that paper books don't go the way of the dinosaur. There is nothing like the sweet smell of a book or a bookstore. I can't wrap my brain around cozying up with a cold, electronic gadget to read. I need to open my book and have that smell waft up to greet me.

Since you designed your own author site, what advice do you have for other authors looking to do the same?

Be professional. Take your time. Do it right. Your website represents you, is the image you present to agents and editors. Make sure it is honest and symbiotic with your work and your essence.

You’re currently looking for an agent. What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in this process?

Oh, boy! Do you have a couple of hours, days? laughs Have faith in yourself and don't give up. Listen to your inner voice, not the voices of others.

Do you have any other future works in progress?

Bien sur! laughs There is always something brewing on the back burner. I have been writing a lot of short horror stories lately, and am wondering if I might turn a few into full-length manuscripts. I am also working with another author on a fiction story filled with many historical facts on the Knights Templar.

If you could only write one more story, what would it be?

The history of the world. I believe that all the answers to so many of our questions are right in front of our noses.