C.M. Gray's Blog, page 6

Book Review: The Seekers (Order of the Lily) by Cait Ashwood

Audrey’s always felt there’s more to life than being stuck in the same old 9-5 routine. When a black-clad stranger says she meets the criteria for his recruitment program, she can’t help but be intrigued. The fact that he’s from nine hundred years in the future only adds to the appeal. Hound has been searching for ancestors of the Order his entire life. The power to heal the earth resides in their blood, and they are all that stands between humanity and starvation. But protecting Audrey isn’t an easy task, not when her uncontrollable talents only paint a target on their backs.

The Seekers (Order of the Lily) is the first book in Cait Ashwood’s fantasy series. The story takes the reader 900 years into the future to a destroyed earth reliant on plant healers from the past to save both the planet, and the human race.

The female protagonist, Audrey, is central to the whole story, introduced to the reader as a fresh-out-of-therapy young woman with a past as of yet unknown. While the story is very plot-heavy, Ashwood’s writing is strong, and she skillfully develops the main characters so that the reader becomes invested in what happens to them.

The premise of the book is introduced at the beginning, when the Seekers, a group of ‘recruiters’ from the future, find three young women, including Audrey, who are ancestors of the Order, and therefore have the power to heal the earth so that humanity doesn’t starve.

Many characters are initially introduced, but most are whittled away to bit-parts by the time the story has fully taken hold, leaving you with a non-typical love triangle between Audrey, Ace and Hound. Although a little uncomfortable at times, each character also has their own story outside of the triangle, making what happens to them individually of equal, or perhaps more importance than just matters of the heart.

If I was to find any fault with this debut novel it would be in the last few chapters. Personally, I felt the story could have ended sooner, and the last chapters were an unnecessary extension at this point.

With that said, however, I would thoroughly recommend The Seekers, now available at Amazon, and am looking forward to seeing how the story progresses in subsequent books.

 

 

Book Review: I’ve Never Smoked Pot D.J. Edmonds

Never smoked pot?

Get some lighthearted guidance as a woman who never thought she would smoke pot shares her journey and offers advice for newbies just like her. This is a fun and practical guide for those of us just venturing out into the brave new world of weed.

Perfect for people wanting to visit a pot shop but would like to know what to expect first, or for those who haven’t smoked in 30 years and want to know what has changed.

A book entitled ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Cannabis’ is not something you’d have seen in book stores 20 years ago, or even five years ago, but with so many states across the US now legalizing marijuana for personal use, it’s almost a must-have.

The book is written in part like a diary, detailing the author’s experience allowing curiosity to overcome ingrained beliefs to delve into the truth behind this now-legal substance. She asks all the serious questions anyone might want to know about buying and using cannabis, (How would I know what to order?) and some humorous gems you mightn’t think of (Do they have light versions for beginners?)

Mixed with the first person narrative is the more fact-based part of the book. All the questions the author asks, she researches and finds the answers to, and shares them with the reader.

With extra space to write your own notes, the end result is an easy-to-read, often funny, very informative book that I would have no hesitation in recommending to anyone who is considering the virtues of cannabis, whether for recreational or medicinal purposes, or for parents of teens and college students who just want to be knowledgeable about the topic for when they need to speak to their kids about it.

This book is part of The Cannabis Collection Series. The other title currently available is: “My Cannabis Collection: Strains Review Journal.”

I’ve Never Smoked Pot by D. J. Edmonds is available now at Amazon.

What’s that Accent?

I am hopeless at accents. I struggle even to say a word as simple as ‘mom’ without sounding like an Englishwoman failing terribly at putting on an American accent. It’s all to do with the way our mouths form vowels, and my ‘Os’ are more ‘O’ and less ‘Ah’.

I never considered myself to have an accent of my own until I moved to LA, and now not a day goes by without someone saying to me “I love your accent!” (even after more than ten years living Stateside).

However, no matter how bad my attempts at speaking accents are, my brain hears them quite clearly and perfectly. For writers, this is really good news, because as long as your reader knows a character’s accent, they’ll hear it authentically when they read it, even if their ability to fake accents is as abysmal as mine.

The chances are while you’re reading this, there’s an inner voice in your head speaking the words (unless you’re one of the 17.7 per cent of the population who doesn’t have this voice!) For the vast majority of us, the voice is our own, although the tone or inflections may be different to our normal speaking voice.

People use the same voice, with minimal tweaks, when they’re reading the dialogue of characters in a book. However, if a reader knows that a character has an accent, and the associated dialect reflects that speech, then the reader will apply that accent, almost perfectly, to the character’s dialogue.

Because the human brain is quite incredible!

So, if you’re writing an accent into one of your characters, there are a few things to consider.

Let your reader know – when you introduce a character, let your reader know where that character is from. It can be subtle, ‘Although she loved America, she missed the England she grew up in’, or it can be obvious, ‘He was a Londoner living in LA’. It doesn’t matter, as long as your reader knows.
Use dialect – as much as you can’t write accents, you can write dialect. For example, ‘you guys’ can generally be spoken by any number of dialects, but if you were to read ‘y’all’, you’d automatically think of the southern accent.
Consistency – if you’re throwing an accent in, remember that character will have to have that accent all the way through. Many TV series pilots have characters with accents, and by the time we’re a few episodes in, those accents have miraculously disappeared. TV gets away with it because there is at least a week between episodes, and because the consumer isn’t using their own mind to give a TV character an accent. A reader will work through a book in a shorter length of time, and a character’s voice is already in their head.
Don’t write the accent – no matter how tempting, don’t try to write the accent in. It’s nearly always wrong, and it’s incredibly difficult to read. An example would be a Southerner saying, ‘I have an eyelash in my eye’, and the author trying to write it in the southern accent, ‘Aah have an aah-lash in mah aah’.

 

Book Review: Soul Mark C.L Fennell

“Be the light in the darkness.”

Andi never wanted to be different. She didn’t want to feel other people’s emotions. She didn’t want to dream about serial killers. And she sure didn’t want to be in involved in some type of exorcism.

But…

Any chance she had at pretending to be normal vanished the moment she was forced to accept the truth about herself, her world and the people in it.

And when someone she loves is taken, she will have to come face to face with the original monsters- the Fallen.

Soul Mark is the first in the series of the same name, and introduces the reader to Andi, a protagonist with a past seeped in mystery, and a turbulent present.

Written for a young adult audience, the angst of the young characters is very real, and can, therefore, be uncomfortable at times, because we’ve all been there to some extent.

The plot follows Andi, accompanying her in the present, while alluding to her past, and hinting at her future. When the characters are introduced and developed, there’s a feel of a love triangle brewing, and as the book progresses, drawing you further into the mystery and intrigue of this paranormal world, I found my allegiances switching between the involved characters.

C. L Fennell’s writing style is young, modern, and at times emotionally raw, which allows her to effectively express her characters’ deeper emotions. She intersperses this with more factual writing, introducing the reader to the world of angels and demons, and while this information is essential for the progression of both this book, and the future storyline, I would have liked to have seen it broken up a bit more, as it is a lot of information for the reader to absorb.

Without giving away the plot or the ending, the book does leave you with more questions than it answers, and I’m looking forward to seeing them revisited in the next installment.

As the author of the Reborn Trilogy, a paranormal story about angels and demons, I was intrigued to see how C. L. Fennell approached this same genre, and was pleasantly surprised at her different approach to a phenomenon that’s as old as the stars themselves. More astute readers may notice a few editing typos, but these in no way detract from the story overall, and I’m looking forward to seeing where the author takes Andi, and her story.

 

Soul Mark by C.L.Fennell is available now on Amazon.

Just Because…

Today is national ‘Send a Card’ day, one of those obscure days that most people probably haven’t heard about, but it’s actually quite a nice idea.

The greeting card industry is massive, and there always seems to be some occasion or other where social etiquette requires the mass purchase and sending of cards, because it’s easier to use someone else’s words to say Happy Birthday/Christmas/Valentine’s etc. and, in this day and age of social media and technology, it’s often even easier to send an e-card.

But saying hi to someone who matters, just because, is priceless. There’s no pressure, no consumerism, and no mass marketing, simply an opportunity to be the reason someone smiles.

 

Dogs, Lies and Videotapes

When Mark Twain said this (borrowed from an old proverb) he would have had no idea just how relevant it would be in the 21st century age of social media. So relevant, in fact, that for a piece of news to spread through social media, it almost has to be a lie – or at the very least, an elaboration of the truth!

I took my daughter to see A Dog’s Purpose yesterday. It was her birthday and, having read the book, she really wanted to see the movie. And it was pretty good. Not Oscar-worthy good, but if you like a tear-jerking, feel-good moralistic story, with cute little dogs thrown in for good measure, it’s worth watching. Up until a week before its release, it was a highly anticipated movie, and then PETA released that video, apparently showing the abusive treatment of a German Shepherd during the filming.

And, without stopping long enough for wag of a tail, or a quick bark, social media went crazy, the video went viral, and there was outcry for a mass boycott of the film.

It didn’t matter that PETA had a history of heavily editing videos in their favor, it didn’t matter that the clip was released 15 months after the so-called abuse, and it didn’t matter that the industry has rigorous rules in place to ensure the humane treatment of any animals used in film.

It was just too juicy a story to not jump on the social media bandwagon.

This week, an independent investigation proved the original video had been heavily edited to tell a story that would not only negatively impact the film, but would get PETA a whole load of free publicity.  Because PETA believe it’s abusive to even own a pet. Yes, you read that correctly. Anyone who has a domesticated animal is considered an animal abuser by PETA.

Most people are unaware of the findings. Why? Because when they were released, social media gave a collective ‘Meh’. The truth is just too boring. In the dog-eat-dog world (pun intended) that we currently live in, both social and general media, promise to tell the whole truth…as long as it’s photoshopped first.

Writing through the Window

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of quotes about writing, but this is one of my favorites because I’m quite sure all writers can relate to it. I also think it’s a quote that teachers should pay attention to.

At school, staring out of the window is something of a ‘concern’ – it’s easy to label a child as ‘easily distracted’ or ‘not focused’. As writers, it’s not only normal to gaze through the panes, but it’s almost part of the job description.

For decades, kitchen sinks have been placed beneath a window, because before most households owned dishwashers, people would stand staring out the window while up to their elbows in a bowl of soapy water.

On long car rides, we watch the world passing by through the window. Even on aeroplanes, people choose to look out the tiny windows at the barely changing clouds below.

When my son was in 6th Grade, his teacher exasperatedly told me that she frequently had to draw his attention back to the lesson because he was always staring out of the window. He’s a straight-A student, he’s never been in trouble, and he’s polite and respectful.

So if a child is staring out the window, is it really a ‘focus’ problem, or is it just what we, as living humans with thinking brains, naturally do?

Top Five Words to Delete from your Manuscript

When editing a manuscript, or any piece of writing, one of the first thing most authors look for are those words. You know the ones. The comfortable, familiar, simple words that are overused, and usually not necessary.

Mark Twain suggests replacing the word ‘very’ with ‘damn’, because the latter was far more frowned upon at the end of the nineteenth century than it is now, but to be quite frank, you can replace any of these words with any word of your choosing, and the effect will be the same.

Banana, for example, would be an effective disruption in the flow of your writing if it replaced each ‘very’. She was so very angry would convert to She was so banana angry. Easy to spot, and easy to remove with a simple click of ‘delete all’. Unless you’re writing about fruit, or monkeys, chances are, ‘banana’ has no place in your manuscript.

With that in mind, here are the top five words you should consider deleting when you’re editing your work.

Very, Really

These are useless words that can easily be replaced with more expressive adjectives and adverbs. For example ran really fast could be sprinted, was very angry could be was furious.

Said

For the most part, dialogue tags in general are redundant once you’ve established who’s talking, and they make the flow of writing quite choppy. Your writing will read much easier when you allow a character’s actions to indicate who’s speaking.

Realize

This is my personal banana word. I know I use it far too much, and I try to be pretty ruthless when editing it out, especially when writing in the first person. Your reader wants to be close to the narrator, and using phrases like ‘I realized he was no longer here’ puts your reader outside the introspective. Simply saying ‘he was no longer’ here conveys the same situation, and lets the reader speculate with the narrator.

Some

One thing your reader doesn’t want is vagueness, unless it’s pertinent to the story, of course. ‘Some’ is, by definition, a vague word, so try to avoid it, and all its derivatives like sometimes, somewhere, someone.

-ly words

Also known as adverbs. Yes, you want your writing to be descriptive, you want to draw your reader in to feel the setting, not just to know it, but adverbs aren’t the way to do it. She spoke quietly allows your reader to know the character isn’t shouting, but Her soft words were barely audible in the bustling cafe offers far more insight into the setting.

 

 

It’s all Pants and Trousers

It’s a well-known – and often overused – quote, but since moving from England to Los Angeles over ten years ago, it’s one that has taken on a lot of meaning for not only me, but my children as well.

Much discussion is given to the differences between British and American English, but for the most part, pronunciation and typos apart (I’m talking to you, aluminum!) it’s the same language.

However, there is the occasional word that has completely different meanings depending on what side of the Pond you’re on, and as a writer, it’s always best to be aware of the differences if you don’t want to confuse, or even insult, readers on either side of the Atlantic.

Here are my top ten favorites.

Pants

Let’s start with the word in the title. Pants in the US are trousers, and in the UK are underwear. In England, it’s also an adjective to describe something that’s not quite up to par, as in ‘That movie was pants’.

Rubber

In the US, slang for condoms. In the UK, an everyday word for an eraser. When we first moved Stateside, my eldest was 11 years old, that awkward age where everything is an unwitting innuendo. On his very first day in an American school, he raised his hand and asked the teacher for a rubber. Even now, ten years later, his friends still laugh about it.

Fanny

In the US, a simple slang word for buttocks. In the UK (and every other English speaking country) it’s a somewhat vulgar word for female genitalia. Even after ten years, my instincts are still to cover my daughter’s ears when someone mentions a fanny-pack.

Fag

In the US, a derogatory word for a homosexual, in the UK, a completely innocuous slang term for a cigarette. This is one of those words that is commonly used in the UK, so much so that it’s easy to forget its meaning is so offensive here in the States.

Suspenders

In the US, these are pieces of elastic to hold up trousers (aka pants!) In the UK, they’re sexy pieces of lingerie to hold up stockings (known as garters in the States). The other day my friend texted me to ask if I had some suspenders her five year old son could borrow for a dress-up project at school. I’m all for open-mindedness, but admit I was shocked at the thought of kindergartners cross-dressing in sexy lingerie! She soon put me right!

Chips

In the US, packets of dried thin-sliced potatoes (called crisps in England), in the UK deep-fried potatoes (aka ‘fries’ Stateside). Even now, if I’m a little distracted in a restaurant, I’ll order chips with my steak without giving it a second thought. There is nothing more depressing than getting a juicy slab of meat with a side of crisps!

Lift

Quite simply, here in the US it’s a verb meaning to raise something. Although we use the same verb in the UK, as a noun, a lift is an elevator. And if a Brit really wants to confuse their American counterparts, ask someone to give you a lift (no, we’re not asking to be carried anywhere, it’s a common term for a car ride).

Jumper

Stateside, it’s someone (or something) that jumps. In the UK, a jumper is a cosy garment worn to stay warm (aka a sweater). And yes, I spelled ‘cosy’ with a ‘c’, and not the American ‘z’.

Flannel

How could we mix this one up? Well, a flannel in the USA is a tartan-style shirt. In the UK, it’s a cloth used to wash your face.

Football

Number ten has to be what is a major bone of contention between Americans and the Brits. American football is more akin to rugby, involving an egg-shaped ball primarily being carried in the arms. In the UK (and much of the rest of the world) it’s a game involving a ball that is kicked (with the foot) around a pitch.

Mondays are socks

Mondays get a bad rap, most of which, if we’re honest, is well deserved.

It starts some time during the afternoon on a Sunday, insipidly hanging around, hovering in the background, letting you know it’s there, and no matter how much you try to ignore it, it’s not going away.

And then it shouts its presence in the morning in the form of the harsh sound of the alarm clock.

Before I had children, Mondays were never a big deal. I worked as a registered nurse in a hospital, so a typical Monday to Friday, 9 – 5 working week was about as alien to me as, well, little green martians. But then the kids came along, and with them came a more routine Monday to Friday working week to fit in with their school days.

And suddenly, Mondays have become something to just…not…like. Almost everyone hates Mondays, and those who don’t are judged to be a little bit odd. Mondays are the socks of the ‘um, thanks’ gift world.

But are socks really that bad? Okay, so they’re not diamonds, or fancy electronics, or even a bouquet of flowers, but they do keep your feet toasty warm in the winter, and stop your shoes chafing the skin of your heels. And they go very well with coffee, a Monday morning staple.