M.H. David's Blog, page 5

Book Review: History Is A Lie, By: Morton R Leader

This past month has been extremely busy for me, and writing this review has been on the back burner for far too long.   

Buckle up for a twisted historical fiction sci-fi thriller.  A vampire like being, one of many throughout history, tells his story in a kind of Forrest Gump fashion, of how his kind has played a hand in major events throughout time—or have they?  As the story continues, a wider cast of characters is introduced each with their own complexities and resolve to add to the mix.  With each introduction comes another layer to the story—another narrative.   This was a good quality, yet unusual story.  It has a lot of unexpected twists, and surprise actions—anything can happen.  I’m not a history buff by any means, but I do love to read about it and imagine the possibilities that there may be more to the story than what we’re taught—even something that may be completely irrational and, well, just nuts!  History is a Lie has some out-there ideas of some historical events that are entertaining, and somewhat eye opening.  Certainly a fun read if you like action, thrills and bizarre circumstances.   

As per usual, I picked up the paperback copy of this book, but it is also available on the Kindle platform and enrolled in the Kindle Unlimited program which means you can read it for free if you have a membership.  You can find it right HERE!  

Keep Reading!

Don't Think, Just Write!

Disclaimer first—I do not consider myself a professional anything, so my suggestions and tips should be taken as just one more person on the internet sharing his personal opinion based on his own experiences.  These tips and ideas may work for you too, but they may not.  Just saying.  

Writing Tip #010

Don’t write, just think.  No, that’s not it.  Don’t think, just write.  

Get the story out of your mind an onto the page.  Don’t worry about finding the most unique word for your character’s action, you can always put the fancy words in during the editing process.  That’s what the editing process is for!  

I’ve been reminding myself to take this course of action more often these past few weeks, and I believe it’s been the reason for my substantial progress on my upcoming book.  I’m trying not to worry much about the actions of the characters, or why they are doing what they’re doing—I’m focusing on getting the story on the page.  Beginning, middle, end.  Just put it out there.  Sometimes that consists of just writing short chapters and filling in afterwards.  

I get it, this might sound a little reckless, and no doubt a good way to create a bunch of unwanted plot holes in your story.  You probably already know this, but the plot holes are most likely already there.  That was the case when I finished the first draft of The Gouge.  I just hadn’t noticed the problem yet.  It was only after I had the plot of the story written out in full that I could see them clearly.  Lucky for me, the plot holes were easy enough to fill, and I attribute that to the fact I already had the grunt work of the book finished.  

Just a thought.  Maybe give it a try.  It might not be for everyone.  Keep writing!

Book Review: Nevada Noir By: David Arrowsmith

For such a short book, Nevada Noir took me on an extensive journey into some dark places that some people may try to pretend don’t exist.  The author’s determination to put me into the minds of the characters—their plans, their choices, their addictions, and their pains that they were experiencing—it did not go unnoticed.  To say that I enjoyed this book for all of its grit and drama might sound a bit disturbing, but that is exactly why I enjoyed it.  The characters became real people in mind.  Plus, I like when a plot comes full circle with a character’s story.  If you’re looking for a short read that has characters with raw depth, Nevada Noir should be on reading list.  I read this book in one sitting.  I just couldn’t put it down. 

Nevada Noir is available on Amazon Here.  As per my preferences, I picked up a paperback copy, but of course there is an ebook option.  You'll probably also be happy to find that Nevada Noir is enrolled in the Kindle Unlimited program, so subscribers can read for free!     

Book Review: Everlong By: R. Raeta

Full disclosure: I am not a big romance reader.  I picked this book up based on the recommendations of many friends on social media who promised I would enjoy it.  They were not wrong.  Everlong is not the book I thought it would be.  Do not judge this book by it's cover.  Yes, it is a “slow- burn” romance, but it is so much more!  My experience with this book started off a misled state of mind of what I assumed this book would be like.  So, as I began reading it, I would have told you that it was nicely written, but off to a slow start.  I got a little lost in the first couple of chapters as I tired to figure out who Lily really was.  When I finally caught up, I couldn’t stop reading this book.  Lily’s story is exceptionally well written, with wonderful descriptive texts.  The dialogue is believable and easy to read—I could easily hear the characters speaking the words in my mind.  The chemistry between Sam and Lily was fun, and sad (yes, keep those tissue boxes close) but their time together seemed authentic and satisfying.   

As I said, I’m not a big romance reader.  In fact, I don’t think I have ever actively gone looking for a romance book to read.  Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate romantic elements in paranormal story or a mystery story, etc.  Everlong is definitely a romance with a paranormal element, and it works!  If romance is your thing, you are going to love Everlong.  If romance isn’t your thing, I recommend you give this one a try anyway.  As for me, I’ll be watching for the next book from R. Raeta! 

I ordered a paperback copy of this book because that is my preference, but Everlong is available for your kindle, and is also enrolled in the Kindle Unlimited program if you are a member.  You can find the book HERE on Amazon.

Coming To Life...

I’ve been working on my next book for several months now.  I’ll be honest, it’s been a daunting task and for one reason alone:  My characters—though I know what I want them to look like, and how I want them to act—they haven’t really come all the way to life yet.  My mind knows who they are, but the page has yet to really recognize their greatness.  To be clear, I don’t usually just throw a character together and make them up as I go.  Okay, maybe I do for some characters that have a minimal part in to play in the story, but I put a lot of thought into my main characters.  They have extensive back stories, even if their entire story doesn’t get told in my book, (or at least in the book I’m working on) they come from somewhere and had a life before I began writing them.  There is a point in my writing process—and it is usually about the half-way to two-thirds point into the book—when the character begins to take on, not just the life that I had envisioned for them, but they actually take on a life of their own.  They begin to have feelings and wants and needs that I didn’t even realize that they had.  This is the turning point of the writing process for me.  This is when my flame for the story is reignited, and everything begins to pull together.  Writing the book is no longer a discouraging task that I need to push myself to complete and force into existence—it’s something I can barely pull myself away from because the words are falling off my fingertips onto the page.  It’s as if the lives of the characters are going to keep moving forward—the story is going continue to be told even if I step away from the laptop for a few hours.  They’ve become real and believable.  This is the reason that I write.  To create the life on the page; to let other people experience that life and to question that life.  To be honest, I get a rush from it.  Really… I will get up and pace around the room just to calm down sometimes.  Today is the day that I’ve reached that point.  It’s all downhill from here.  If you’re writing a story, I hope all of your characters make you feel this way—I know I can’t be the only one.  I’ll see you all on the other side!  Keep reading!  

Book Review: Stalin's Door By: John St. Clair

My experience with historical fiction books is that it can either tell a great character driven story paralleling actual historical events, or it can be a fun history retelling with the author taking liberties that bend historical events to something almost completely unrecognizable.  In my opinion, Stalin’s Door wasn’t just a wonderful middle ground, it was perfect.  I’m not fully versed on much of Russia’s history, but the author obviously put an immense amount of effort into research for this book—I couldn’t say with absolute certainty if the author took any liberties with the history, and that may be one of the most chilling aspects of this book.  The way it’s written—the author put me in the room with the characters.  The paranoia style suspense kept me on edge as the main character’s circumstances progressed and intertwined.  I could feel the cold fear that they were facing, as well as the warmth that the characters would show toward one another.  I felt as if I had a clear glimpse of what life may have been like under Stalin’s regime.  Well done!  I also appreciated the subtle supernatural elements—a little unexpected but it worked well.  If you’re not into historical fiction, I’ll admit, this book may seem a little overwhelming to pick up, but I promise you, it is worth every word.

Stalin's Door is available for purchase in print and digital on Amazon HERE.  If you have a Kindle Unlimited membership, you're in luck as you can download a copy for Free!

So, This is a Little Annoying...

Well, it actually happened.  I’m somewhere between halfway and two thirds complete with the first draft of my WIP.  Suddenly, out of nowhere—I wasn’t even trying to drop this wrench into my mind gears—I have come up with a great idea!  Why don’t I change everything I thought I was doing with this book, and make it end completely different from what I had planned?  What an amazing ending I’d discovered for this story!  It’s going to blow people’s minds!

Oh, but wait, but that means this needs to change—that whole chapter doesn’t need to be there—there needs to be a lot of extra back story here—this character needs to be included in that scene.  Uh oh.  What have I done?

The original ending that I had in mind for the book is great.  It works with what I’ve written.  It closes the story, and it certainly makes my life a little bit easier.  But why not a little shock and awe?  

Something similar to his happened when I was writing, The Gouge, but not so much to this extent.  In all honesty, in order to pull off this new ending, it may be easier to just re-write everything I have from scratch just to make sure I don’t create a plot hole something.

I’m going to need to put some thought into this.  I will figure it out.  Yes, it is a little annoying, but I’m going to turn this around and make it exciting too.  I’m not sure which way I’m going with this now, but one thing is for sure, I can’t wait to share it with both of you!

Book Review: Backstage, A Novel of Secret Agendas, Slow Burn Romance, and Imaginary Cats By: Joan Wendland

Backstage was an enjoyable take on the: “there’s secret organization running the world” angle. CC, the main character, embellishes her curiosity of this strange organization which she has stumbled into. As she gets closer, she realizes that the organization appears to be pulling the strings of the world. Using her special skillset, she finds herself solving problems for this organization, and wondering just how deep the rabbit hole goes. The diverse cast of quirky characters, though at times did seem a little full of themselves (but aren’t we all sometimes,) were engaging and fun to read. The ending felt a little bit rushed, or maybe incomplete—there are a few unanswered questions. However, I understand that there is a second book to this strange world, so happy reading! If you like secret society, behind the curtain stories like “Adjustment Bureau,” Backstage is probably right up your alley!

You can purchase Backstage HERE on Amazon!

Book Review: Choose Me By: Tess Gerritsen & Gary Braver

What a suspenseful read!  I enjoyed reading this book.  The authors did a good job of keeping me on my toes about what really brought Taryn Moore to meet her ultimate demise on the pavement five stories below her apartment.  Did she kill herself, or was she murdered?  Maybe it was an accident?  Maybe not.  The story flashes back and forth to before her fall and after, which may sound like it could make the read confusing, but it’s not.  The authors mastered these transitions perfectly.  Knowing Taryn’s ultimate fate at the beginning of the book made this book all that more suspenseful and cringe worthy—and there are plenty of cringe worthy moments.  It should be clear that none of the characters are perfect—but who is really?  The issues that are covered in this book are not popular in the eyes of the world today, but they are real.  Readers that may be sensitive to these topics may want to steer clear of this book.  With every decision that the cast made, knowing where the main character would end up, was like watching a train wreck slowly happening if front of you and not being able to do anything about it.  Yet it was somehow satisfying in the final pages the book.  If you’re ready to sit at the edge of your seat with every turn of the page and scream at the characters in your head about the decisions they make, Choose Me is probably for you!  Just my opinion.

This book came across my kindle as an Amazon First Read (which is a pretty cool deal included with a prime membership btw), but you can purchase the book HERE.  Keep Reading!

It's The Great GOUGE Paperback Book Giveaway!

Who wants a FREE Paperback copy of THE GOUGE?

So here is what happened:  

Several weeks ago I had placed an order for ten copies of The Gouge from Amazon in order to have copies on hand for any in-person sales that might arise.  Well, a funny and very strange thing happened.  The books did not arrive on time.  In fact, they were a week late.  Yeah, that's not very funny or very strange, right?  Well, how about this?  Believe it or not, Amazon decided to refund the full price of the order to me, including the shipping cost!  Pretty Awesome, right? 

When I first started writing and getting involved in writer's groups on social media, I had decided that I wanted to eventually be able to do a book giveaway like this.  Not just an ebook giveaway, but something tangible!  Unfortunately, I quickly realized that the cost was going to get up there.  But now, with these ten copies, I have a perfect opportunity to significantly cut the cost of the giveaway.  

So here's what I'm doing.  On July 10th, I am going to draw five names from a hat to determine five lucky winners to ship a FREE copy of The Gouge to.  

How do you get your name in the hat?  It's simple!  Check out my pinned tweet on Twitter, and post a comment.  That's all you need to do!  Not on twitter?  Post a comment here on my blog then.  It's that simple.  No need to follow (though I would appreciate it if you did) or make a purchase.  Just say "hi" if you want.     

On July 10th, I will reach out to the 5 lucky winners to get shipping details.  I will cover the cost of the shipping, so don't worry about that either!  I will ship the books to the winners asap. 

You might be asking, "But Mike, What about the other 5 books that you got free of charge from Amazon?"   Good question!  I have a "special" giveaway idea for those books as well.  More on that later.

Okay!  So what are you waiting for!  Post a comment and secure your chance for a free Paperback copy of my new thriller, THE GOUGE!