Sarah Scheele's Blog, page 35
June 26, 2015
BOOK REVIEW: GREYSON GRAY: DEADFALL (GREYSON GRAY #3)
In Greyson Gray: Deadfall, the third installment in the Greyson Gray young adult thriller series, B. C. Tweedt scores a winner. When young Greyson’s friends, including love interest Sydney, are sent aboard a cruise ship to the Caribbean for safety from the new terrorist-driven nation of Pluribus, Greyson is left to fend for himself. On the run from his nemesis, the sinister Orion and battling ever-growing worries about his missing father, Greyson plunges into a world of tragedy, courage, and friendship as he races through battle lines and wild forests in an effort to reunite with those dear to him. Meanwhile, bound for the Bahamas, Sam, Jarryd, Nick, and Sydney, accompanied by their new Australian friend Avery, uncover a sinister plot and find themselves stranded with only their wits to save them. Greyson Gray; Deadfall is exciting, gritty action at its best. The cast of Greyson’s friends form a realistic, often comedic backdrop to ease tension from the intense moments in Greyson’s adventures. The writing is supple and thought-provoking, well-crafted story-telling that draws readers in with edge-of –your-seat thrills and a romance that lends sweet touches to the harsh and often poignant backdrop. The action is punctuated with deeper messages and questions about society’s most vulnerable members-its children. B. C. Tweedt is a talented writer at the top of his game. Ambiance, exotic sets, sinking ships, loyal dogs, and even a hurricane thrown in—Tweedt pulls out all the stops. A chilling read likely to please fans of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D or Tomorrowland.
Reviewed by Sarah Scheele for Reader's Favorite. Reader's Favorite offers editorial and professional reviews for authors and publishers.
June 22, 2015
Book review: Lost in Boston
Lost in Boston by Jane R. Wood was an enjoyable read, deftly disguising educational curriculum in a fictional format to interest young readers. Book 5 of the Johnson family series, it takes the likable brothers Joey and Bobby and their little sister on a tour of Boston. Their enthusiastic mother Jennifer guides them through numerous important landmarks of Boston, while the author blends in a light romantic subplot involving Joey and a Boston girl, as well as a brief crime episode to keep the history from taking over. A visit to relatives in Boston, culminating in a wedding, grounded the trip realistically in the daily lives of children. Jane Wood's writing showed comfort both with children and with the topics the book covered. Joey, Bobby, and Katy had cute little personalities and were respectful and attentive to their mother.
Jane R. Wood has an approachable style that keeps the history light enough for the audience while retaining solid details. I personally have never been to Boston and learned a lot about the city from this book. I had not been aware before that there was a free African-American community in Boston beginning in the 1600s, even though slavery was still legal there until the 1780s. Freedom in this city has a long history. The numerous references to foreign immigrants and Italian food gave a good insight into Boston's immense diversity. I want to try cannoli after reading this! Sites visited included the USS Constitution, Paul Revere's home, the Old North Church, a historic graveyard, and of course wonderful Fenway Park. Lost in Boston really did get me lost in the past of this city.
Reviewed by Sarah Scheele for Reader's Favorite. Reader's Favorite offers professional, editorial reviews for authors.
April 30, 2015
5 Years of Finding Your Feet
The last five years have seen a subtle, but firm explosion of vintage styles in the fashion market. With the 20th century finally, truly gone, no one knows what the new century is going to "look" like. People are having fun. It's a brave new world and everyone is scrambling to find their place. It's exciting. Lots of older styles are hodgepodged together for people to choose whatever strikes their eyes. Here's a list of some things I've seen:
Scarves, scarves, scarves
Big floppy bathing beauty hats
Ankle-length sundresses
Ballet flats
Lace sleeves, lace inserts, and lace decor on shoes
Aztec and geometric prints
Boxy flounced "50s" dresses
Brilliant crimson or red-orange lipstick
Feather earrings and short-shorts
Tall, puffed 60s hair
prominent "80s" curls
But why should you care? Most of us don't have the income or the inclination to follow fashion trends. However, the same syndrome has affected the fiction world. Nobody knows what they want anymore. Loads of formerly successful genres and topics are up for grabs. Talented writers try story after story, but never seem to find their footing. Everyone is trying to land somewhere they want to be--and with everyone else moving constantly around, it's hard to know where exactly they do want to be. Here's a list of genres that I've seen shifting:
Mystery/Crime
Science Fiction
Urban Fantasy
Ancient World/Bibilical/Greek and Roman
Medieval
19th century historical romance
Contemporary "women's"
That's quite a list! What genres (or clothing fashions) most interest you?
Scarves, scarves, scarves
Big floppy bathing beauty hats
Ankle-length sundresses
Ballet flats
Lace sleeves, lace inserts, and lace decor on shoes
Aztec and geometric prints
Boxy flounced "50s" dresses
Brilliant crimson or red-orange lipstick
Feather earrings and short-shorts
Tall, puffed 60s hair
prominent "80s" curls
But why should you care? Most of us don't have the income or the inclination to follow fashion trends. However, the same syndrome has affected the fiction world. Nobody knows what they want anymore. Loads of formerly successful genres and topics are up for grabs. Talented writers try story after story, but never seem to find their footing. Everyone is trying to land somewhere they want to be--and with everyone else moving constantly around, it's hard to know where exactly they do want to be. Here's a list of genres that I've seen shifting:
Mystery/Crime
Science Fiction
Urban Fantasy
Ancient World/Bibilical/Greek and Roman
Medieval
19th century historical romance
Contemporary "women's"
That's quite a list! What genres (or clothing fashions) most interest you?
April 23, 2015
under the radar: those classist book girls
In North and South, the heroine Margaret enters with a lot of assumptions about the hero, Mr. Thornton, a cotton mill owner from the north of England. She assumes him to be ignorant, propped and heartless, purely because he is wealthy and she has seen him punish an employee. She impudently attacks him without real information about him and is humiliated when he explains how incorrect she has been about his supposed background.
Mr. Thornton had not always been rich. In fact, Margaret was the propped one prone to stereotypes and demeaning behavior based on income. Mr. Thornton's past was not what she had assumed. So why did she assume it?
As in Margaret's day, classism is real and it's stinky. And nowhere is this more the case than in white-collar jobs like fiction writing. There is an underlying assumption that writers cannot be poor. This is because wealthy middle-class people control fiction writing. They establish what "good writing" is, which is invariably characters and situations that appeal to them exclusively. Lazy, spoiled, and self-dramatizing (with delirious dreams of lording it over some penniless prairie people and picturesquely hunting in rags) has been the order of the day for decades. Wealthy authors get mysterious "awards" for their mediocre manuscripts while poorer ones are shunted into endless manuscript assistance--essentially make-up aids for the starlets. And goodness do these "award-winning authors" need a lot of makeup.
There is a basic assumption that rich people want to write and poor people don't. Hence poorer writers are instantly identified by their signature tell-tale--their characters actually work and view themselves as the ones who work while the others are favored. That is not bad writing. That is not "unrelatable" or "boring" characters. That is an expression of these people's lives. Entering with an assumption they are trying to write the story of the wealthy is like assuming Mr. Thornton was always rich. They are not failed rich people or failed writers. They are successfully telling the story of their class, for readers who want it told.
Because America was built on independence and hard work, these snobs would rather die than admit they don't relate to characters who work. So they show it in secretive, deeply-felt snubs. I have so many friends, wonderful writers and all more talented than many bestsellers, who experience years of sorrowful writing failures: book signings to which no one shows up (mysteriously); interviews and tours with almost no attention (despite paid promotion and careful planning) and tiny sales for well-crafted solid manuscripts. This is not a result of the book market. This is a result of cowardly backstabbing from people who don't want to admit why they didn't "connect with" the books or found them "confusing."
But this is America. Never give up writing. All my friends out there deserve to be read and they can get read too. Because this is a land of opportunities, not of Tsars and serfs. At least, not yet.
Mr. Thornton had not always been rich. In fact, Margaret was the propped one prone to stereotypes and demeaning behavior based on income. Mr. Thornton's past was not what she had assumed. So why did she assume it?
As in Margaret's day, classism is real and it's stinky. And nowhere is this more the case than in white-collar jobs like fiction writing. There is an underlying assumption that writers cannot be poor. This is because wealthy middle-class people control fiction writing. They establish what "good writing" is, which is invariably characters and situations that appeal to them exclusively. Lazy, spoiled, and self-dramatizing (with delirious dreams of lording it over some penniless prairie people and picturesquely hunting in rags) has been the order of the day for decades. Wealthy authors get mysterious "awards" for their mediocre manuscripts while poorer ones are shunted into endless manuscript assistance--essentially make-up aids for the starlets. And goodness do these "award-winning authors" need a lot of makeup.
There is a basic assumption that rich people want to write and poor people don't. Hence poorer writers are instantly identified by their signature tell-tale--their characters actually work and view themselves as the ones who work while the others are favored. That is not bad writing. That is not "unrelatable" or "boring" characters. That is an expression of these people's lives. Entering with an assumption they are trying to write the story of the wealthy is like assuming Mr. Thornton was always rich. They are not failed rich people or failed writers. They are successfully telling the story of their class, for readers who want it told.
Because America was built on independence and hard work, these snobs would rather die than admit they don't relate to characters who work. So they show it in secretive, deeply-felt snubs. I have so many friends, wonderful writers and all more talented than many bestsellers, who experience years of sorrowful writing failures: book signings to which no one shows up (mysteriously); interviews and tours with almost no attention (despite paid promotion and careful planning) and tiny sales for well-crafted solid manuscripts. This is not a result of the book market. This is a result of cowardly backstabbing from people who don't want to admit why they didn't "connect with" the books or found them "confusing."
But this is America. Never give up writing. All my friends out there deserve to be read and they can get read too. Because this is a land of opportunities, not of Tsars and serfs. At least, not yet.
April 17, 2015
when humans are bad moms
This week I've spent watching videos of remarkable animals. Remarkable mothers, in particular. Cats who soothe their kitten's nightmares; a dog who rescued a human baby from the trash where his teen mom dumped him; and elephant mothers who work together to rescue a drowning baby elephant.
The key in all of these is the selflessness and (frequently) the teamwork with other females that these female animals exhibit. In our society, far too many women are selfish. To them, they are the center of life, the Great Eve who can reproduce. Children are secondary, uninteresting dependents who serve only to prove that their mom was deemed attractive enough to have sex. Women fight and squabble bitterly among themselves, clawing selfishly over men and prestige. They don't care one bit what happens to their own kids, let alone other people's kids. Their kids are isolated in times of need, frequently pushed around as pawns in woman-drama, and often end up miserable or dead.
I was once a kid. And on behalf of all those many human beings out there who were once children, I can promise you, there's much more to being a mother than the physical fact the kid exists. If you don't care if your kids are lonely, emotionally suffering, or scared--if you wouldn't help another person's kid because, well, it's not yours--and if you can't overcome your beauty angst issues enough to collaborate socially with other women--you are a Bad Mom.
DOGS are better moms than this kind of woman. DOGS. Not to mention cats and elephants. CATS and ELEPHANTS. These are not cognitive human beings, people. They are animals. Their minds are not as complex as ours. How braindead and stunted are these people that they don't have the mothering instincts of a beast?
It's always embarrassing when a human being realizes he's inferior to an animal.
The key in all of these is the selflessness and (frequently) the teamwork with other females that these female animals exhibit. In our society, far too many women are selfish. To them, they are the center of life, the Great Eve who can reproduce. Children are secondary, uninteresting dependents who serve only to prove that their mom was deemed attractive enough to have sex. Women fight and squabble bitterly among themselves, clawing selfishly over men and prestige. They don't care one bit what happens to their own kids, let alone other people's kids. Their kids are isolated in times of need, frequently pushed around as pawns in woman-drama, and often end up miserable or dead.
I was once a kid. And on behalf of all those many human beings out there who were once children, I can promise you, there's much more to being a mother than the physical fact the kid exists. If you don't care if your kids are lonely, emotionally suffering, or scared--if you wouldn't help another person's kid because, well, it's not yours--and if you can't overcome your beauty angst issues enough to collaborate socially with other women--you are a Bad Mom.
DOGS are better moms than this kind of woman. DOGS. Not to mention cats and elephants. CATS and ELEPHANTS. These are not cognitive human beings, people. They are animals. Their minds are not as complex as ours. How braindead and stunted are these people that they don't have the mothering instincts of a beast?
It's always embarrassing when a human being realizes he's inferior to an animal.
April 13, 2015
Giveaway, Street Team, and News
There's been lots of activity on Sarah Scheele.com over the last few weeks. Here's a low-down on what's new for you!
The lovely romance and suspense writer Emily Ann Benedict is interviewing me on April 13. We discuss all aspects of the indie publishing business. And for those who don't care much about publishing ins and outs, there's a giveaway of a $5 Amazon gift card as well as two ecopies of Facets of Fantasy! So hop right on over to www.emilyannbenedict.com to enter.
Facets of Fantasy and The Valley Stories Omnibus are now available on Nook and Google Play as well as Kindle. In celebration, for the next two weeks, both will be priced at $.99. So for those of you who don't get lucky in the giveaway, now is a good time to buy.
Want in on the street team? Head over to the street team page to sign up for promotions, free books for review, cover reveals, and the general inside scoop before anyone else gets it. You don't want to be left out!
Do you have email subscription to the blog yet? Get email subscription at www.sarahscheele.com/blog. Check out the latest post, "Victoria Cast." Be sure to drop by and share your thoughts about the Victoria characters!
Subscribe to as many of these as you wish--or only one or two. It's up to you!
The lovely romance and suspense writer Emily Ann Benedict is interviewing me on April 13. We discuss all aspects of the indie publishing business. And for those who don't care much about publishing ins and outs, there's a giveaway of a $5 Amazon gift card as well as two ecopies of Facets of Fantasy! So hop right on over to www.emilyannbenedict.com to enter.
Facets of Fantasy and The Valley Stories Omnibus are now available on Nook and Google Play as well as Kindle. In celebration, for the next two weeks, both will be priced at $.99. So for those of you who don't get lucky in the giveaway, now is a good time to buy.
Want in on the street team? Head over to the street team page to sign up for promotions, free books for review, cover reveals, and the general inside scoop before anyone else gets it. You don't want to be left out!
Do you have email subscription to the blog yet? Get email subscription at www.sarahscheele.com/blog. Check out the latest post, "Victoria Cast." Be sure to drop by and share your thoughts about the Victoria characters!
Subscribe to as many of these as you wish--or only one or two. It's up to you!
April 3, 2015
Victoria cast
I visited Spain a few years ago, but it wasn't until last year, as I wrote Victoria, that I had an opportunity to think about the mysterious quality that hangs over this country.
Spain captivates people, but good works about this country's culture are rare. There's something complex at the core of Spain that is difficult for people to quite grasp and take hold of. Perhaps the secret is Spain's violent past, uniquely laced with nasty religious wars. At any rate, Victoria turned into a much scarier story of murder and lies than I had planned when I started it as the sequel to light-hearted Consuela. It became . . . well . . . Spanish!
Though "Curblint" is imaginary, it draws heavily from the culture and architecture of this real country. Here are two real buildings that served as inspiration for the places in Victoria, followed by a few cast members from the story.
The Alcazar in Segovia, Spain--a medieval castle that became the basis for "Alanzivar." Segovia, the town immediately outside The Alcazar, is one of the oldest in Spain, with a Roman aqueduct. It became "Balondema." 
Selena Gomez is a little young, but her self-confidence and great beauty make her ideal for Victoria. 
This man, who has played policemen, has a tough-guy look essential for Elvaran. 
Cate Blanchett seems created to play the vixenish older woman, Mrs. Codge. 
And lastly, Hayden Christensen, who I promised would reappear in Victoria--and in a big way. 
The cathedral in Salamanca--the huge interior is spooky when empty. Salamanca is a university town, the basis for "Salene." Just imagine the Hirado running on the rooftop of this cathedral in pursuit of Victoria! 
This girl captures perfectly Bella's wistful ambiance. 
Joaquin Phoenix's mysterious demeanor is perfect for the nameless killer, The Hirado. 
Tom Hiddleston, who specializes in playing weirdos, would have his work cut out for him as the indomitably foolish Webster. 
This actress has the striking appearance and eerie haunted eyes that I'd like to see in Ianthe, one of the sisters who save Victoria's life. Victoria is available as part of The Valley Omnibus on Amazon Kindle, Google Play, and Nook. Or you can subscribe to my newsletter and get it for free!
Spain captivates people, but good works about this country's culture are rare. There's something complex at the core of Spain that is difficult for people to quite grasp and take hold of. Perhaps the secret is Spain's violent past, uniquely laced with nasty religious wars. At any rate, Victoria turned into a much scarier story of murder and lies than I had planned when I started it as the sequel to light-hearted Consuela. It became . . . well . . . Spanish!
Though "Curblint" is imaginary, it draws heavily from the culture and architecture of this real country. Here are two real buildings that served as inspiration for the places in Victoria, followed by a few cast members from the story.
The Alcazar in Segovia, Spain--a medieval castle that became the basis for "Alanzivar." Segovia, the town immediately outside The Alcazar, is one of the oldest in Spain, with a Roman aqueduct. It became "Balondema." Selena Gomez is a little young, but her self-confidence and great beauty make her ideal for Victoria. This man, who has played policemen, has a tough-guy look essential for Elvaran. Cate Blanchett seems created to play the vixenish older woman, Mrs. Codge. And lastly, Hayden Christensen, who I promised would reappear in Victoria--and in a big way. The cathedral in Salamanca--the huge interior is spooky when empty. Salamanca is a university town, the basis for "Salene." Just imagine the Hirado running on the rooftop of this cathedral in pursuit of Victoria! This girl captures perfectly Bella's wistful ambiance. Joaquin Phoenix's mysterious demeanor is perfect for the nameless killer, The Hirado. Tom Hiddleston, who specializes in playing weirdos, would have his work cut out for him as the indomitably foolish Webster. This actress has the striking appearance and eerie haunted eyes that I'd like to see in Ianthe, one of the sisters who save Victoria's life. Victoria is available as part of The Valley Omnibus on Amazon Kindle, Google Play, and Nook. Or you can subscribe to my newsletter and get it for free! March 13, 2015
Victoria, Omnibus Edition, Website, and News
I've been pretty busy since I last posted here. So a number of announcements are needed. No chatting, just the facts.
1: Sarah Scheele.com is now up and running. It has a blog, so this will be the last time I post here. I'll leave this open for awhile so late-coming traffic can redirect.
2: On the website, you'll see I have a newsletter. If you subscribe, you'll get a free copy of The Valley Stories Omnibus (containing the third valley story, Victoria.) Full info on the sign-up form.
3: Since...
1: Sarah Scheele.com is now up and running. It has a blog, so this will be the last time I post here. I'll leave this open for awhile so late-coming traffic can redirect.
2: On the website, you'll see I have a newsletter. If you subscribe, you'll get a free copy of The Valley Stories Omnibus (containing the third valley story, Victoria.) Full info on the sign-up form.
3: Since...
Welcome
Hello to migrants from the Stardust and Gravel blog on Blogger. This is Sarah Scheele.com.
If you haven't subscribed to the newsletter yet, there's another opportunity in the sidebar--or, if you're on mobile, somewhere around this post. Subscribers will receive both Kindle and PDF copies of the Valley Stories book.
More about Victoria: I merged Snow White with the 12 Dancing Princesses, because Snow White is a little thin on characters. The resulting story is about twice as long as Alyce and concerns the family of Princess Julia, the royals of Curblint. Curblint is essentially Spain and the culture of Spain really found its way into this work. It is a country with a violent and unusual history (the only major European power that was also somewhat Middle Eastern because of such long Muslim rule) and suited to the rather scary content that underlies Snow White.
In a land embedded in tradition . . . and threatened from within . . .
Two sisters. One man. A kingdom in peril.
And only the fairest will rule.
Speaking of colors--the red in Victoria's dress really blends in with the scheme for this website. Quite by accident.
The 30s and 40s have been for the fashion-forward trendsetters for awhile now, so I chose a black-white-red combination because I felt it really echoed the chic of the vintage period. But it ended up blending pretty well with my latest release, which makes for a smooth visual transition from the old blog. Just another tiny thing to be very happy about.
If you haven't subscribed to the newsletter yet, there's another opportunity in the sidebar--or, if you're on mobile, somewhere around this post. Subscribers will receive both Kindle and PDF copies of the Valley Stories book.
More about Victoria: I merged Snow White with the 12 Dancing Princesses, because Snow White is a little thin on characters. The resulting story is about twice as long as Alyce and concerns the family of Princess Julia, the royals of Curblint. Curblint is essentially Spain and the culture of Spain really found its way into this work. It is a country with a violent and unusual history (the only major European power that was also somewhat Middle Eastern because of such long Muslim rule) and suited to the rather scary content that underlies Snow White.
In a land embedded in tradition . . . and threatened from within . . .
Two sisters. One man. A kingdom in peril.
And only the fairest will rule.
Speaking of colors--the red in Victoria's dress really blends in with the scheme for this website. Quite by accident.
The 30s and 40s have been for the fashion-forward trendsetters for awhile now, so I chose a black-white-red combination because I felt it really echoed the chic of the vintage period. But it ended up blending pretty well with my latest release, which makes for a smooth visual transition from the old blog. Just another tiny thing to be very happy about.
January 9, 2015
The PANTS Factor: Re-examining Your MC
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