Christine Amsden's Blog: Christine Amsden Author Blog, page 58

Hi, who are you?

I'm not exactly Ms. Manners, but come on, folks, a little common sense goes a long way. I answer the phone with a basic, "Hello?" At that point, I have one simple expectation: Identify yourself, and the person to whom you wish to speak.

There are a few ways we can go about this basic introduction. You can ask for your intended audience first, and then identify yourself once you confirm that you have reached the right party. (This is usually how I go about it.) You can state your name and business up front. Either way, at the beginning of a phone conversation, the burden of introductions is on you, the caller.

I do not expect you to respond to my greeting by asking who I am, as an anonymous caller did last week. This is creepy, and I will hang up on you. (Hey, I said I wasn't Ms. Manners.) Probably, you had the wrong number, and were confused when you didn't recognize my voice, but that didn't give you the right to start asking for my personal information like some kind of phone predator. If you realize you have the wrong number without even needing to ask for a name, you may simply say so. "I'm sorry, I think I have the wrong number" is a wonderful way to do this. I will casually tell you, "No problem," and go about my day.

Unless you are my husband or parents, I also do not expect you to assume I know who you are, and skip the introductions. I do recognize the voices of many friends and family members, but not with 100% accuracy, and it takes all of five seconds to say, "Hey, it's ____." This is particularly useful for those of us who have several family members with similar voices. There's no reason I should have to use context clues to figure out who you are, or spend the first few minutes of a conversation trying to sort it out.

I do not expect my phone to ring after nine o'clock at night, or before seven o'clock in the morning, unless there is a dire emergency. Calls in the middle of the night give me a moment of panic, wondering if someone has died. Please don't do that to me without a very, very good reason.

Share and Enjoy:

The Immortality Virus Blurbs

This week's mission, if I choose to accept it: Sell The Immortality Virus in 50 words, 150 words, and 250 words. The 150-word version will probably be the back of the book blurb. So, here goes (these are by no means final):

50 words:

When Jordan Lacklin finds a way to stop the human aging process, the world rejoices, but before long, the masses suffer. Four centuries later, Grace Harper, a blacklisted P.I., agrees to find Jordan and help undo The Change, but not everyone is willing to give up their shot at immortality.

150 words:

In the mid-21st century, the human race stopped aging. Those who know why aren't talking, and the few who are brave enough to ask questions tend to disappear. To an elite few, The Change means long life and health, but to the increasing masses, it means starvation, desperation, and violence.

Four centuries after The Change, Grace Harper, a blacklisted P.I., sets off on a mission to find the man responsible for it all and solicit his help to undo The Change, if he's still alive. To complicate matters, Grace's employer is suspected of murdering his father, and when the police learn of their connection, they give her a choice – help them find the evidence they need to convict Matthew Stanton and have her named cleared, or die. But if they discover Grace's true mission, they won't hesitate to kill her in order to protect their shot at immortality.

250 words:

In the mid-21st century, the human race stopped aging. Those who know why aren't talking, and the few who are brave enough to ask questions tend to disappear. To an elite few, The Change means long life and health, but to the increasing masses, it means starvation, desperation, and violence.

Four centuries after The Change, Grace Harper, a blacklisted P.I., sets off on a mission to find Jordan Lacklin, the man who might be responsible for it all. She and her employer, Matthew Stanton, want to enlist his help to restore the natural aging process, but there's no guarantee Jordan is alive after all this time. To make matters worse, Matthew Stanton is suspected of murdering his father, and when the police find out she's working for him they give her a choice – help them find the evidence they need to convict Matthew and have her named cleared, or die. But if they find out what Matthew has hired her to do, they'll probably kill her anyway.

Grace has to duck warring factions in her search for the truth, ending up imprisoned as a slave on a farm while powerful enemies clash all around her. There she finds a new ally, Jordan's grandson, Alex, and a shot at finding love again. At least, if the two of them survive.

Share and Enjoy:

Writing Workshops

This month, I have been teaching a workshop on beginnings through an on-line chapter of the RWA. I teach workshops from time to time, usually at www.savvyauthors.com (in fact, I'm teaching Beginnings there in July, and a Scifi/Fantasy World Building workshop early next year), and I find I quite enjoy it. The young writers who take my workshops are usually more talented than they think, and they are taking fate in hand by learning and practicing their craft. One of the nice things about workshops (or at least the ones I teach), is that I provide opportunities to receive feedback. When it comes down to it, there are hundreds of perfectly good books on writing out there, and I'm not going to add significantly to that — but reading books on writing doesn't necessarily help you figure out which bits of advice apply to you. Only feedback can do that. As I've said before, if you're serious about being a writer, sooner or later you have to get up the nerve to show your work to others, and find a way to use what they have to say about it. A workshop is only one of many possible choices, but they can be good tools for focusing energy and creativity.

Book Review: Middlesex

Wow.

I cannot remember the last time I read such a wonderful, moving, challenging, and well-told story. This wasn't light entertainment, and I didn't read it quickly — I wouldn't have wanted to. This it the type of book that needs to be digested. But most of all, it needs to be read. Whoever you are, and whatever you normally read, I recommend you read this book.

It wasn't perfect, but there was no chance of giving it fewer than 5 stars. In fact, I find myself wishing I could give those stars another dimension — 5 gold stars, for examples. I have given many deserving books 5 stars for pure entertainment value, but in this case, the meaning is different. This is one of those books that will change the way you look at the world.

Using a first-person narrator and the voice of a dramatic story-teller, Jeffrey Eugenedes traces the history of the 5-alpha-reductase gene as it traveled through three generations beginning with his grandparents, born in a small, inbred Greek town. This gene, lying dormant for generations, finally caught up with Cal (born Calliope) in 1960, when he was born with indistinct gender characteristics that led him to be raised as a girl.

Going back to 1922, however, his grandparents have other concerns as they flee their native country due to a Turkish invasion. They go to America, have children, and eventually grandchildren. All the while, as the author brings the story and the history to life in stunning, vivid detail, we consider such issues as race relations, the American dream, incest, and ethnic identity. Then, in 1960, when Calliope is born, we are also forced to consider the basis of gender identity, and nature vs. nurture. Calliope holds nothing back as we live his transformation into Cal — from his early sexual play to his lingering feelings of femininity.

My only complaint, and I sensed this coming a long way off, was that I thought it ended too soon. I have heard some complaints that the book's focus was split, trying to work the immigrant story in with the hermaphrodism. I disagree. I found the history both deeply compelling in and of itself, as well as perfectly relevant. To begin and end with the hermaphrodism would have been to make this character one-dimensional, defined only by the oddity that most of us struggle to understand. But if you only get one thing out of this book (and I would be surprised if that were the case), then you should come to understand that a person is more than a gender, more than an ethnicity, more than the product of his upbringing, and far, far more than a single abnormality caused by a chain of ill-luck.

No, I thought all of that needed to be there, and yet, only a few months after Cal is reborn, the story ends. I won't give details, because I don't want to spoil the ending, but I did want to get a sense for what life was like as he truly began to live with and adjust to his new gender role. It felt like a missing piece of the puzzle, and yes, even though the book was already long, I would have enjoyed more.

Or maybe that would have been too much. I don't know. All I know is that I'm glad I chose this for my book club, and I can't wait to discuss it.

Title: Middlesex

Author: Jeffrey Eugenides

Rating: 5/5 stars

Recommended to: Everyone

Wow.

I cannot remember the last time I read such a wonderful, moving, challenging, and well-told story. This wasn't light entertainment, and I didn't read it quickly — I wouldn't have wanted to. This it the type of book that needs to be digested. But most of all, it needs to be read. Whoever you are, and whatever you normally read, I recommend you read this book.

It wasn't perfect, but there was no chance of giving it fewer than 5 stars. In fact, I find myself wishing I could give those stars another dimension — 5 gold stars, for examples. I have given many deserving books 5 stars for pure entertainment value, but in this case, the meaning is different. This is one of those books that will change the way you look at the world.

Using a first-person narrator and the voice of a dramatic story-teller, Jeffrey Eugenedes traces the history of the 5-alpha-reductase gene as it traveled through three generations beginning with his grandparents, born in a small, inbred Greek town. This gene, lying dormant for generations, finally caught up with Cal (born Calliope) in 1960, when he was born with indistinct gender characteristics that led him to be raised as a girl.

Going back to 1922, however, his grandparents have other concerns as they flee their native country due to a Turkish invasion. They go to America, have children, and eventually grandchildren. All the while, as the author brings the story and the history to life in stunning, vivid detail, we consider such issues as race relations, the American dream, incest, and ethnic identity. Then, in 1960, when Calliope is born, we are also forced to consider the basis of gender identity, and nature vs. nurture. Calliope holds nothing back as we live his transformation into Cal — from his early sexual play to his lingering feelings of femininity.

My only complaint, and I sensed this coming a long way off, was that I thought it ended too soon. I have heard some complaints that the book's focus was split, trying to work the immigrant story in with the hermaphrodism. I disagree. I found the history both deeply compelling in and of itself, as well as perfectly relevant. To begin and end with the hermaphrodism would have been to make this character one-dimensional, defined only by the oddity that most of us struggle to understand. But if you only get one thing out of this book (and I would be surprised if that were the case), then you should come to understand that a person is more than a gender, more than an ethnicity, more than the product of his upbringing, and far, far more than a single abnormality caused by a chain of ill-luck.

No, I thought all of that needed to be there, and yet, only a few months after Cal is reborn, the story ends. I won't give details, because I don't want to spoil the ending, but I did want to get a sense for what life was like as he truly began to live with and adjust to his new gender role. It felt like a missing piece of the puzzle, and yes, even though the book was already long, I would have enjoyed more.

Or maybe that would have been too much. I don't know. All I know is that I'm glad I chose this for my book club, and I can't wait to discuss it.

Title: Middlesex

Author: Jeffrey Eugenides

Rating: 5/5 stars

Recommended to: Everyone

Building Tension Through Knowledge

Many beginning writers mistakenly believe they are creating tension when they withhold certain pieces of information, and that the reader's desire to know more — to fill in those blanks — will keep us going. This is, quite simply, not true. Withheld information is far more likely to create within us feelings of great annoyance that the author is trying, with heavy-handed tactics, to manipulate us. Worse, much of the time the missing details keep us from becoming fully invested in a character's well being.

Don't misunderstand me. If you're writing a mystery novel, where the point is to figure out whodunit, then you shouldn't tell us who the villain is. What you should tell us, however, is *anything the viewpoint character knows*. In effect, we're solving the mystery with the hero, following leads with him, uncovering clues with him, and falling into traps with him. It is fair game to withhold any information your point of view character doesn't know. This is how you create mystery. But holding back information your POV character knows isn't a puzzle for us to solve, it's an obstacle to enjoying the story.

True tension comes from knowing exactly what is going on, and caring very deeply about the outcome.

Usually, the more we know, the more we care. Obviously, there are limits, but these limits are best defined by structure rather than a deliberate attempt to hide facts. If you don't want us to know who the killer is, then put is in the head of someone who doesn't know, and keep us away from the heads of people who do know.

Otherwise, give us details, and don't hold back. I don't want to guess that the reason your hero hates women is that his mother abandoned him as a child. Guessing makes me annoyed at best, hate him at worst. Knowing for sure makes me sympathize, and hope he will find a way to overcome his issues.

Multiple viewpoints, each providing new knowledge, can also increase tension in dramatic ways. If you have two characters with compelling but diametrically opposite goals, knowing the details of each will make my heart ache to see them find a way to each get what they want.

On the other hand, sharing the perspective of the villain, such as in the suspense novel, can increase my fear for the safety of the hero. If I know the villain is insane, and that he plans to stop at nothing to kill the hero, I will be on the edge of my seat to find out if he survives.

So fill our minds with knowledge, and trust that we will care about compelling characters going through interesting or tragic situations.

Many beginning writers mistakenly believe they are creating tension when they withhold certain pieces of information, and that the reader's desire to know more — to fill in those blanks — will keep us going. This is, quite simply, not true. Withheld information is far more likely to create within us feelings of great annoyance that the author is trying, with heavy-handed tactics, to manipulate us. Worse, much of the time the missing details keep us from becoming fully invested in a character's well being.

Don't misunderstand me. If you're writing a mystery novel, where the point is to figure out whodunit, then you shouldn't tell us who the villain is. What you should tell us, however, is *anything the viewpoint character knows*. In effect, we're solving the mystery with the hero, following leads with him, uncovering clues with him, and falling into traps with him. It is fair game to withhold any information your point of view character doesn't know. This is how you create mystery. But holding back information your POV character knows isn't a puzzle for us to solve, it's an obstacle to enjoying the story.

True tension comes from knowing exactly what is going on, and caring very deeply about the outcome.

Usually, the more we know, the more we care. Obviously, there are limits, but these limits are best defined by structure rather than a deliberate attempt to hide facts. If you don't want us to know who the killer is, then put is in the head of someone who doesn't know, and keep us away from the heads of people who do know.

Otherwise, give us details, and don't hold back. I don't want to guess that the reason your hero hates women is that his mother abandoned him as a child. Guessing makes me annoyed at best, hate him at worst. Knowing for sure makes me sympathize, and hope he will find a way to overcome his issues.

Multiple viewpoints, each providing new knowledge, can also increase tension in dramatic ways. If you have two characters with compelling but diametrically opposite goals, knowing the details of each will make my heart ache to see them find a way to each get what they want.

On the other hand, sharing the perspective of the villain, such as in the suspense novel, can increase my fear for the safety of the hero. If I know the villain is insane, and that he plans to stop at nothing to kill the hero, I will be on the edge of my seat to find out if he survives.

So fill our minds with knowledge, and trust that we will care about compelling characters going through interesting or tragic situations.

Web Site Updates

Just a quick note to let you know I'll be doing some updates to the site this week, hopefully making it easier to find the information you need. In the meantime, you may come across a few blank pages or broken links.

Series Review: Sookie Stackhouse

A few weeks ago, I shared my impressions of Dead Until Dark, the first volume in the Sookie Stackhouse series, which instantly drew me in with a terrific narrative voice and compelling main character. Since then, I have read through to the latest book in the series, book ten, and while I continue to recommend the books, the experience was not without hiccups.

After a strong beginning, Sookie came close to losing me around books 4-6, when I felt the series was losing focus. I no longer knew what it was about, with her love life floundering, and the plots of the books beginning to seem more like a series of unfortunate events than a cohesive story. Worse, Sookie didn't grow or change from her experiences, and even after I started enjoying the books again (roundabout book seven), I never felt like she had any particular goals or motivations save to exist and survive. In book ten, Sookie is more or less then person she was in book one, perhaps with a harder edge.

The books continue to be fast paced and well written throughout, and it continues to be a testament to the author's skill that I am hooked on a series featuring vampire romance. The world is fun and inventive, and the stories are full of energy and drama.

At this point, I do feel that the series is outliving its charm, but that's because the longer a series, the more I expect from it in terms of depth, growth, and change. I'm ready for some closure here, but I'm not ready to put it down.

Overall, I would give the series 3.5 stars, and recommend it to anyone who is looking for a fun magical soap opera.

I'm Back

My blog is up and operational once more, thanks to my husband, who has been working hard on it for days.

Romance, Straight Up

I read for an escape. I love fantasy, and even when I read non-paranormal romance, I am looking for a certain degree of  magic. Some sense of being somewhere else or doing extraordinary things.Regency romance, no matter how poorly written, is somewhere else, sometime else. Stories (set past, present, or future) with a bit of suspense or a paranormal element, allow me to follow the characters on an adventure.I don't like to pick on genres or even sub-genres, but far too often, straight-up contemporary romance doesn't give me anything. It's not deep, it's not magical, it's not exciting, and it doesn't even give me a glimpse into a different time or place.

Except, every once in a while, it does.

I've reviewed one of Catherine Anderson's contemporaries, which takes me out west to Oregon (with wonderful details that bring the place to life, even though I've never been there), and into the lives of cowboys (again, with wonderful details, especially about caring for horses). She gives me wounded people who(almost magically), find healing through love. I bring her up first because more than anything else, great characters bring stories to life and overcome any genre bias.

Jennifer Cruisie, on the other hand, gets me with humor. She goes for outlandish situations, even taking ordinary situations and making them outrageous. I don't get lost in her stories the same way I do with Anderson's, but when I'm in the mood for a laugh, she fits the bill.

The point is, if I'm giving a positive review of a straight-up contemporary romance, then it's well above average. I'm soft on paranormal, allowing the magic to obscure my view of any real flaws, but I don't have that problem with contemporaries.

Book Review: Deadly Night

Title: Deadly Night

Author: Heather Graham

Genre: Paranormal Mystery

Deadly Night is a paranormal mystery set in post-Katrina New Orleans when Aidan Flynn finds two human bones. The authorities are initially uninterested, because graves have been disturbed in the flooding and finding a bone isn't as unusual as it once was, but Aidan, a private investigator from Florida there to claim an inheritance, won't let it go. During the course of his investigation, he'll uncover some interesting family history and the truth behind the ghost stories surrounding his ancestral home. He'll also get involved with Kendall Montgomery, who is in danger of becoming a serial killer's next victim.

This was a captivating story from start to finish, one that kept me guessing until the end. I have to admit that the romantic subplot failed for me, but I forgave it on the strength of the mystery. The paranormal element in this book, which largely involved ghosts, was subtle and well done. I recommend this book to those who enjoy mysteries and ghost stories.

Overall Rating: 4/5