Erika Robuck's Blog, page 33

A Letter…

Dear Reader,

In case you've been wondering why it's been all review, review, review around here lately, it's because I'm in a transitional place and it's hard for me to articulate everything that's going on. It's difficult for me to talk about my personal life here (maybe I'll do that some day) but for now, I'll update you on what's going on with my book.

I felt really, really great for about two hours.

I completed the eighth draft of my novel, Hemingway's Girl, sent it out to my beta readers, critique book clubs, and finally, my editor. I became eager for others to read it and got excited for preliminary feedback.

But then, the sleeplessness started. The fear. The doubt. Obsession over word choice. Worry that I shouldn't have cut that character after all. Wondering if I was too subtle in my theme building, or worse, too overt.

This state of anxiety will be my existence for awhile, though, so I need to steel myself. Here's why:

First, imagine me, curled up at my cozy desk with classical music playing, hot coffee and dark chocolate within reach, and an Ernest Hemingway picture looking moodily past me. I'm probably wearing pjs since it's most likely approaching midnight, the house is quiet, my mini schnauzer is curled up nearby making little dog sleep noises. I'm making up stories and happily lost in a world of my own creation.

Well now, it's time to come out of that world and enter the bright, noisy, cold, coffeeless-pjless-schnauzerless world of publishing. I have to perfect my logline to have ready for the "elevator pitch," condense my 85,000 word novel into two pages, and try to make someone fall in love with Hemingway's Key West the way that I have. Once I get everyone's critiques around the third week in January, I'll have to dig into my final set of revisions before the querying process begins. Also around that time, I'll be heading off to another writing conference and pitching my book to agents. I'll get three minutes to pitch before moving onto the next line. It will be a bit like speed dating, and for a girl who married her high school sweetheart, quite daunting.

But let me be honest. I romanticized the writing process up there a bit. More than likely, I was staring at my screen, willing myself not to click over to Twitter or my blog roll, yelling at a boy-child to get himself a drink so I could finish a scene, and cursing through my poorly organized research folders, looking for an obscure street name, or date, or timeline. None of it's easy, but it's all necessary to the process.

Anyway, I want to thank you for sticking around with me on this journey. Your support has buoyed me more than you know. Your encouragement is my fuel. You make it seem much warmer and cozier in the world outside of my office, and you have my sincere gratitude for that.

I wish you all the best this holiday season.

Warm regards,

Erika

 

 

Book Review: Garden Spells

"[S]leepless as she often was, Claire had added flowers to the garden to give her something to do at night when she was so wound up that frustration singed the edge of her nightgown and she set tiny fires with her fingertips."

Garden Spells, Sarah Addison Allen

Yes, you read that correctly.

Garden Spells, by Sarah Addison Allen, was published in 2008 and is 320 pages.  It was recommended to me by literary agent Donald Maass at his Breakout Novel Intensive workshop.  It's a work of magical realism in the style of Practical Magic, and it is utterly charming.

Whether they have something for you that you didn't know you'd need or can cater a dinner party for you where the ingredients do more than satisfy physical hunger, the Waverly women are legendary around their small, North Carolina town for being a bit extraordinary.

Claire Waverly's magic lies in her cooking, but a difficult upbringing has left her fearful of getting personal with her catering clients and neighbors.  When her estranged sister, Sydney, and Sydney's daughter, Bay, return to town, however, Claire finds herself pulled from the comfort of routine and solitude into all the joys and uncertainties of new relationships.  When a piece of Sydney's dark past threatens to destroy all the women build anew, the talents of the townspeople and the legendary Waverly garden combine forces to restore hope and peace among them.

I loved this book.  I've always been partial to fiction that lifts the reader out of reality by either placing her in another time or in another version of the current place.  Garden Spells did just that and more.  If you like books with a healthy dose of magic and hope, you'll really enjoy this.

For more on the author, check out Sarah Addison Allen's website.

Book Review: Never Let Me Go

"There have been times over the years when I've tried to leave Hailsham behind, when I've told myself I shouldn't look back so much. But then there came a point when I just stopped resisting. It had to do with this particular donor I had once…He'd just come through his third donation, it hadn't gone well, and he must have known he wasn't going to make it. He could hardly breathe, but he looked towards me and said: 'Hailsham. I bet that was a beautiful place.'"

Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro

From critically acclaimed author, Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go was published in 2005 and is 304 pages. I read the book because I saw a lot of recent buzz about it on Twitter and various book blogs, probably due to the fact that a movie based on the book is soon to be released by Fox Searchlight, and is already nominated for six British Independent Film Awards. Time magazine also endorsed Never Let Me Go as the best book of the decade.

Based on all the praise, I expected a very, very big novel. Instead, I found something quite different. It was a quiet novel. It seemed almost simple. If I wasn't holding my breath the whole time I might have been perplexed about all the hoopla. The book revealed itself so subtly and so gradually, that when I reached the climax I was completely blown away.

Without revealing too much, Never Let Me Go is a dystopian novel about a woman reflecting on her childhood at a sheltered, highly regarded boarding school of sorts, called Hailsham, after she runs into her closest friends from that time, later in life. What the school and the societal roles the characters play is what is gradually revealed to the reader as it was made aware to the characters.

The quiet tone of the novel is like a sedative. It is told in the first person point of view of an emotionally immature woman in her early thirties. Her psychology becomes that of the reader in the telling, but when the truths are revealed in her voice, the instant separation of myself, as the reader, from what the protagonist said was quite jarring. It is a book that makes you remark out loud.

With each day that has passed since I finished the novel a new wave of Ishiguro's genius has hit me, and I can't wait to discuss it with others who have read it. There will be a Twitter book club chat about it on Wednesday, December 29th at 9 PM EST using the hashtag #NLMG. I'd love for you to read it and join in the discussion. If you've read it, I'd love to hear what you think.

 

Book Review: Dracula in Love

"The truth is deeper, darker, and stranger than you imagine….The truth is, we must fear monsters less and be warier of our own kind."

Dracula in Love, Karen Essex

Dracula in Love, by Karen Essex, was published in August of 2010 and is 384 pages.  I first heard about it on Twitter and bought it when it was billed as "Twilight for grown-ups." I think that was an accurate description, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Dracula in Love is a retelling of Bram Stoker's Dracula from the perspective of Mina Harker, and everything you think you know about the story is turned on its side.  The good characters are bad, the bad characters are good, and everything is more sinister than you remember.  There are some new characters, but most are characters from the original novel, reimagined.

I've always loved books in the style of Wuthering Heights or The Thirteenth Tale, and Dracula in Love has all of the elements of setting, character, and language to make it a great Gothic novel. It's full of foggy weather, dark castles, and misty graveyards, and every time I read it, I was completely immersed in the world Essex created.

I do recommend the book, but with some reservation.  It is very detailed in terms of violence and sex, and the two are often mingled.  In some cases when I think the reader is meant to say "Oooh," this reader was saying "Eww." Based on the popularity of shows like True Blood, however, I think there are a lot of people out there who are intrigued by the whole messy business.

That said, it didn't overpower the book.  The rich description, layered mystery, and highly original retelling of a classic far outweigh a few graphic scenes.  Dracula in Love is a fantastic read and I look forward to more of Karen Essex's novels.

So, do you like your novels rated PG or NC-17?  Have you read the book?  Do you think you'd want to read it?

Book Review: Tethered

[image error]

Tethered, by Amy MacKinnon, was published in 2008 and is 278 pages. It is the story of a female undertaker haunted by her past, the dead for whom she cares, and a ring of crime in her quiet town.

Clara Marsh's greatest need is to be left alone, but when an unsolved murder, visits from a strange little girl, and the attention of a lonely detective intersect, Clara is forced out of her comfort zone and into a world of instability and fear.

I found this book intensely readable and was drawn to Clara from the start. The care and respect she gives to the dead she embalms, the graveyard, and her adopted family, along with her self-destructive compulsions and vulnerability had me pulling for her throughout the novel.   MacKinnon is a master of creating questions in the mind of the reader, making for a book that's difficult to put down.

It is a very dark book.  The subject matter, detailed descriptions of the embalming process, and the nature of the crimes were hard to read at times. Also, Clara's extreme fragility was almost painful to imagine.  However, moments of hope along the way, a unique story line, and beautiful prose made it all worthwhile.

If you are interested in literary thrillers, I highly recommend Tethered.  If you've read it, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Nice Guy Johnny Review

"…[I]ndie films are made by dreamers and it is often the most financially irresponsible path you can take. But it has been my experience, that at the end of the day, if you go for it, the reward can be huge. And I don't mean monetarily. There is nothing greater than doing what you love. And that is its own reward."

Introduction, "Doing What You Love", Nice Guy Johnny, Edward Burns

I've been a fan of Edward Burns and his independent films since I saw The Brothers McMullen years ago.  I'm an Irish Catholic with a family from New York so his movies are dear to my heart.  I'm also partial to independent publishing endeavors and the spirit with which they are created, so when I heard that Burns made his new movie, Nice Guy Johnny, for a total budget of $25,000 I knew I wanted to see it. After reading the screenplay and watching the film, I was not disappointed.

The film was shot with five crew members, in ten days, on location, with first time actors who did their own hair and make up, and provided their own wardrobes.  Burns wrote, directed, and acted in it, playing the morally bankrupt, highly amusing Uncle Terry–the foil for his lead, the nice-to-a-fault Johnny.

In the beginning, Johnny (played by ) is in a job he loves, working the graveyard shift as a sports broadcaster on a local radio station.  He's about to give it all up for his fiancee, however, who he promised he'd get a "real" job in order to support them.  The movie follows him over the course of a weekend while he decides whether or not to stay true to himself or fulfill the roll his parents and fiancee want for him.

The movie has a very Graduate-esque feel, but with more innocence and charm.  PT Walkley's soundtrack is the perfect background for it, and I enjoyed the actors and the humor.  I especially enjoyed that it was an independent venture.

I recommend that you check it out.

Nice Guy Johnny Review and a Giveaway

"…[I]ndie films are made by dreamers and it is often the most financially irresponsible path you can take. But it has been my experience, that at the end of the day, if you go for it, the reward can be huge. And I don't mean monetarily. There is nothing greater than doing what you love. And that is its own reward."

Introduction, "Doing What You Love", Nice Guy Johnny, Edward Burns

I've been a fan of Edward Burns and his independent films since I saw The Brothers McMullen years ago.  I'm an Irish Catholic with a family from New York so his movies are dear to my heart.  I'm also partial to independent publishing endeavors and the spirit with which they are created, so when I heard that Burns made his new movie, Nice Guy Johnny, for a total budget of $25,000 I knew I wanted to see it. After reading the screenplay and watching the film, I was not disappointed.

The film was shot with five crew members, in ten days, on location, with first time actors who did their own hair and make up, and provided their own wardrobes.  Burns wrote, directed, and acted in it, playing the morally bankrupt, highly amusing Uncle Terry–the foil for his lead, the nice-to-a-fault Johnny.

In the beginning, Johnny (played by ) is in a job he loves, working the graveyard shift as a sports broadcaster on a local radio station.  He's about to give it all up for his fiancee, however, who he promised he'd get a "real" job in order to support them.  The movie follows him over the course of a weekend while he decides whether or not to stay true to himself or fulfill the roll his parents and fiancee want for him.

The movie has a very Graduate-esque feel, but with more innocence and charm.  PT Walkley's soundtrack is the perfect background for it, and I enjoyed the actors and the humor.  I especially enjoyed that it was an independent venture.

In the past, I tried to write my first book as a screenplay, but quickly discovered that it was not something for which I had the talent or patience. Because of that, I'm giving away a copy of a book that might be of more use to you screenwriters out there.  It's called Screen Plays: How 25 Scripts Made it to a Theater Near You–For Better or Worse, by David S. Cohen.

To win, please leave a comment about Edward Burns' films or your favorite independent films by Friday of this week.  As always, the winner will be chosen by the blindfolded, eeny-meeny-miny method.

Good luck!

Review: Sarah's Key

 

"There had been over four thousand Jewish children penned in the Vel' d'Hiv', aged between two and twelve. Most of the children were French, born in France. None of them came back from Auschwitz."

Sarah's Key, Tatiana De Rosnay

 

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay was published by St. Martin's Press in 2007, but has experienced a recent upsurge in popularity and is back at #10 on the New York Times Bestseller list.  It was recommended to me over and over again at book clubs I visited for my own book because it also takes place in two time periods and deals with modern women unearthing secrets of the past.

In the present day, forty-five year old Julia Jarmond is an American journalist living in Paris with her French husband and daughter.  In occupied France in 1942, ten year old Sarah Starzynski lives in Paris with her parents and younger brother.  On a terrible night in July, Sarah's family horror begins when the French police round up thousands of Jewish families for deportation to concentration camps.  Sarah's Key is the story of the Parisian apartment and terrible tragedy that link the families of Sarah and Julia and change their lives forever.

It always amazes me what I don't know about history.  As much as I've read and seen about the holocaust, I've never heard of the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup and what happened to those innocent French Jews.  Like all great historical fiction, Sarah's Key not only taught me something I didn't know, but it personalized it for me through the beautifully drawn characters and narrative. It was heartbreaking every step of the way, but well worth the journey.   I highly recommend Sarah's Key.

Below, I've included a link to an interview with Tatiana De Rosney.  If you've read the book or would like to read it, I'd love to hear what you think.

Journal Giveaway Winners…

And the winners are…

 

TRACI CURTIS

&

AMY LADDBUSH

 

****APPLAUSE***

 

Congratulations and thanks to all who participated.  Keep coming back because I've got some more giveaways coming up, along with a book review for a book I just LOVED!

Tracy and Amy, email me your addresses and I'll get those journals out ASAP.

 

Journal Giveaway Winners…

And the winners are…

 

TRACI CURTIS

&

AMY LADDBUSH

 

****APPLAUSE***

 

Congratulations and thanks to all who participated.  Keep coming back because I've got some more giveaways coming up, along with a book review for a book I just LOVED!

Tracy and Amy, email me your addresses and I'll get those journals out ASAP.