Thomas W. Devine's Blog, page 24
August 2, 2014
Hamas Machinations
It isn’t easy to be unemotional about television pictures of the Gaza-Israel conflict. There are, however, two basic truths we should keep in mind.
One country doesn’t start firing rockets over the border into a neighbouring country unless the former wants to start a war. And if one country wants to start a war that it can’t win militarily then its motive must be the hope of provoking its neighbour to such a degree that it costs it support from its allies.
The radical element in Gaza could not have made its intentions clearer. And it is succeeding. Here, as evidence, is a headline from The Dominion Post, July 30, 2014: “US-Israeli vibe turning toxic”.
On the vital humanitarian aspect, I can say only one thing: neither side should be waging war.
And, while having compassion for the victims of war, let’s keep some for the saintly medical staff and missionaries who are caring for victims of the Ebola virus.
One country doesn’t start firing rockets over the border into a neighbouring country unless the former wants to start a war. And if one country wants to start a war that it can’t win militarily then its motive must be the hope of provoking its neighbour to such a degree that it costs it support from its allies.
The radical element in Gaza could not have made its intentions clearer. And it is succeeding. Here, as evidence, is a headline from The Dominion Post, July 30, 2014: “US-Israeli vibe turning toxic”.
On the vital humanitarian aspect, I can say only one thing: neither side should be waging war.
And, while having compassion for the victims of war, let’s keep some for the saintly medical staff and missionaries who are caring for victims of the Ebola virus.
July 26, 2014
Reflecting on What I Write
In a newspaper article (The Dominion Post, July 26, 2014) Robbie Collin, of the Telegraph Group, features “Fifty Shades of Grey” and writes that “the million strong book sales suggest it must be doing something for someone”.
What does that mean, for me, as “a novelist and a Christian”? In this post I give a very personal position, and one not intended in any way to express a view of any Christian faith. The question is deliberately phrased and should not be confused with “a Christian novelist”.
If I was “a Christian novelist” I would be writing Christian literature. My path as a writer has not, however, developed in that direction. Even in “A Halo of Strawberries” (written with a strong pro-life theme) my secular writing experience prevailed, determining the genre of the story.
Some readers might think that puts me in Satan’s sway or means that I’m abusing a talent God gave me. I hope they aren’t correct.
In my opinion, it’s not so much what you write about (within limits that erotica exceeds) but how you write it that matters.
So, I’m not going to avoid creating characters that are fully human (good or evil) or tell stories that don’t reflect the world at large, filled as it is with the godly and the un-godly.
What I am going to do, as a Christian and a novelist, is avoid jumping on the secular bandwagon in popular fiction.
I’m not going to bring out books with lurid covers, for one thing, or otherwise blatantly use sex to attract readers, as some writers do.
In a story, I’ll reflect the nature of sex, because that is part of the humanness of the characters, but I won’t make it graphic or gratuitous. In literature, I am old-school and think sex is best hinted at and largely un-described.
As a Christian and a novelist I’m also going to avoid giving the appearance of a society where there is a universal lack of morality over sexual relationships. I’m not, for example, going to give the impression in the book I’m writing that all young teenagers engage in sex. I’ll be quite clear, and quite accurate, in saying that some young teenagers do.
As in my last two novels (“Green Expectations” and “Green Machinations”) I may have characters to whom religion and morals matter – not common in secular literature. I’ll try and include at least one moral theme or subplot that stands up against immorality or argues for social justice in the modern world.
As a Christian and a novelist, I’ll try and avoid including extreme violence (as found for example in ”Game of Thrones”) and I’ll curtail graphic descriptions of violence. Nor will I concentrate on the seedy side of modern society.
There is some violence in my novels (“Relinquished” for example) because that reflects the world as it is, but I’ll try not to glorify it or use it gratuitously.
Now, all that does not come easily to a writer in the modern day. It goes against the prevailing flow in popular fiction. It is so easy to fall into the trap of having characters that seem to endorse self-indulgence and have no conscience.
Sometimes in my books (especially the first two) I could have done a better job of balancing good and evil. I’m not saying that any of my attempts are perfect.
My approach may lose me some readers, or fail to attract those who don’t see it my way, but at least I have tried to be true to myself and have sought to retain integrity as a novelist and a Christian.
www.thomaswdevine.com
What does that mean, for me, as “a novelist and a Christian”? In this post I give a very personal position, and one not intended in any way to express a view of any Christian faith. The question is deliberately phrased and should not be confused with “a Christian novelist”.
If I was “a Christian novelist” I would be writing Christian literature. My path as a writer has not, however, developed in that direction. Even in “A Halo of Strawberries” (written with a strong pro-life theme) my secular writing experience prevailed, determining the genre of the story.
Some readers might think that puts me in Satan’s sway or means that I’m abusing a talent God gave me. I hope they aren’t correct.
In my opinion, it’s not so much what you write about (within limits that erotica exceeds) but how you write it that matters.
So, I’m not going to avoid creating characters that are fully human (good or evil) or tell stories that don’t reflect the world at large, filled as it is with the godly and the un-godly.
What I am going to do, as a Christian and a novelist, is avoid jumping on the secular bandwagon in popular fiction.
I’m not going to bring out books with lurid covers, for one thing, or otherwise blatantly use sex to attract readers, as some writers do.
In a story, I’ll reflect the nature of sex, because that is part of the humanness of the characters, but I won’t make it graphic or gratuitous. In literature, I am old-school and think sex is best hinted at and largely un-described.
As a Christian and a novelist I’m also going to avoid giving the appearance of a society where there is a universal lack of morality over sexual relationships. I’m not, for example, going to give the impression in the book I’m writing that all young teenagers engage in sex. I’ll be quite clear, and quite accurate, in saying that some young teenagers do.
As in my last two novels (“Green Expectations” and “Green Machinations”) I may have characters to whom religion and morals matter – not common in secular literature. I’ll try and include at least one moral theme or subplot that stands up against immorality or argues for social justice in the modern world.
As a Christian and a novelist, I’ll try and avoid including extreme violence (as found for example in ”Game of Thrones”) and I’ll curtail graphic descriptions of violence. Nor will I concentrate on the seedy side of modern society.
There is some violence in my novels (“Relinquished” for example) because that reflects the world as it is, but I’ll try not to glorify it or use it gratuitously.
Now, all that does not come easily to a writer in the modern day. It goes against the prevailing flow in popular fiction. It is so easy to fall into the trap of having characters that seem to endorse self-indulgence and have no conscience.
Sometimes in my books (especially the first two) I could have done a better job of balancing good and evil. I’m not saying that any of my attempts are perfect.
My approach may lose me some readers, or fail to attract those who don’t see it my way, but at least I have tried to be true to myself and have sought to retain integrity as a novelist and a Christian.
www.thomaswdevine.com
July 21, 2014
Use of Toxin in Environmental Management
I was surprised to see a letter to the editor (The Dominion Post, July 19, 2014) from a correspondent in San Francisco about the proposed expansion of the aerial 1080 programme to kill rats and other introduced pests in New Zealand’s protected natural areas.
Maybe the correspondent is an expat New Zealander or maybe an American.
He calls the proposal “criminal” and likely to result “in an avalanche of disgust”.
Another correspondent (in the same edition) says that rats in a forest area he is familiar with are at a level 2 to 3 times higher than in previous years and that “1080 drops are essential back up” to trapping.
Sodium fluroroacetate is imported raw from the USA to make the biodegradable toxin 1080. New Zealand stands out for using about 80% of the world’s supply. Despite contention, it has been a mainstay of pest control since the 1950s.
Want to read more about why it’s used? Go to: http://www.1080facts.co.nz
Why do I take an interest? I used to work in the New Zealand Department of Conservation.
Maybe the correspondent is an expat New Zealander or maybe an American.
He calls the proposal “criminal” and likely to result “in an avalanche of disgust”.
Another correspondent (in the same edition) says that rats in a forest area he is familiar with are at a level 2 to 3 times higher than in previous years and that “1080 drops are essential back up” to trapping.
Sodium fluroroacetate is imported raw from the USA to make the biodegradable toxin 1080. New Zealand stands out for using about 80% of the world’s supply. Despite contention, it has been a mainstay of pest control since the 1950s.
Want to read more about why it’s used? Go to: http://www.1080facts.co.nz
Why do I take an interest? I used to work in the New Zealand Department of Conservation.
July 20, 2014
Plain English and Political Correctness
The phrase, “going forward”, seemed quite appealing when it first came into use in the English language but now it is so overused that I dislike hearing or reading it. Yesterday, I even came across it in a horoscope: “defining what you want going forward”.
Rebelling against the phrase, I thought to myself: What if I don’t want to go forward? What if I just want to stand still? Or go back?
For some reason, totally unrelated, I then asked myself, as a writer: will society, in the near future, be ready to accept (in literature) less politically correct positions about homosexuality?
In many countries, the homosexual community has achieved the legal equality they have campaigned for – the taking away of legal bars to their sexual activities and marriages. In those countries, I ask myself, should society now be ready to accept fictional protagonists and antagonists who are openly prejudiced against the gay community? (A purely hypothetical question since I’m not currently planning to create such characters.)
Is a stigma against being gay any different from the now current stigma against holding views that are intolerant of homosexuality? Neither appeal to me as appropriate responses if one prevails over the other. To become a truly tolerant society, we have to accept moral differences of opinion without stigmatising them.
Whatever the answer, I think political correctness over homosexuality is another attack on literary freedom of speech.
Rebelling against the phrase, I thought to myself: What if I don’t want to go forward? What if I just want to stand still? Or go back?
For some reason, totally unrelated, I then asked myself, as a writer: will society, in the near future, be ready to accept (in literature) less politically correct positions about homosexuality?
In many countries, the homosexual community has achieved the legal equality they have campaigned for – the taking away of legal bars to their sexual activities and marriages. In those countries, I ask myself, should society now be ready to accept fictional protagonists and antagonists who are openly prejudiced against the gay community? (A purely hypothetical question since I’m not currently planning to create such characters.)
Is a stigma against being gay any different from the now current stigma against holding views that are intolerant of homosexuality? Neither appeal to me as appropriate responses if one prevails over the other. To become a truly tolerant society, we have to accept moral differences of opinion without stigmatising them.
Whatever the answer, I think political correctness over homosexuality is another attack on literary freedom of speech.
July 15, 2014
A Work in Progress
I was predicting March next year as the date I would be in a position to bring out my next novel – “Hillsend” - but now it looks like it could be sooner.
A week or so ago I decided I’d already reached a stage where I could not take it any further without some external input.
I’ve asked a friend (and critic) to review the book as a work in progress. It’s a departure from what I’ve normally done, which is to wait until I have a final, fully edited manuscript.
I currently have three concerns about the manuscript:
1. Is it too short at 57,000 words?
2. Are the protagonists sufficiently likeable?
3. Is the devil inside a character a sufficient antagonist?
When I say “devil” I mean it in the secular sense of the weaknesses and foibles of human nature and the effects of life’s experiences.
Also, I’m waiting to hear if the manuscript assessor for my last few books (Tina Shaw) wants to take on that task again for “Hillsend”.
The next hurdle will be the question of whether or not my previous editor will need to be changed. Andrew Killick, the multi-talented editor/cover designer I’ve used previously, was freelance but is now in employment and has less time for freelance work.
I’m hoping that my business relationship with both those professionals will be able to continue through the process of publishing “Hillsend”.
A week or so ago I decided I’d already reached a stage where I could not take it any further without some external input.
I’ve asked a friend (and critic) to review the book as a work in progress. It’s a departure from what I’ve normally done, which is to wait until I have a final, fully edited manuscript.
I currently have three concerns about the manuscript:
1. Is it too short at 57,000 words?
2. Are the protagonists sufficiently likeable?
3. Is the devil inside a character a sufficient antagonist?
When I say “devil” I mean it in the secular sense of the weaknesses and foibles of human nature and the effects of life’s experiences.
Also, I’m waiting to hear if the manuscript assessor for my last few books (Tina Shaw) wants to take on that task again for “Hillsend”.
The next hurdle will be the question of whether or not my previous editor will need to be changed. Andrew Killick, the multi-talented editor/cover designer I’ve used previously, was freelance but is now in employment and has less time for freelance work.
I’m hoping that my business relationship with both those professionals will be able to continue through the process of publishing “Hillsend”.
July 9, 2014
Writing and Care-giving
Are we terrorised by ambiguity even more than we are by death?
Pauline Boss asks this question in her book “Loving Someone Who Has Dementia: How to Find Hope While Coping with Stress and Grief (2011) - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
She says: “In a culture of mastery, we need something we can control in order to balance what we cannot. If we don’t, we feel dangerously hopeless.”
As a caregiver, you have to make sure that your life is not always controlled by the dementia of the person you are caring for.
I find escape in writing and publishing novel-length stories. Not that the characters in a novel can be totally controlled; they take on a life of their own once created. In writing fiction, however, it is easier to find the balance Boss talks about.
She says: “Knowing how dangerous care-giving is to your health, take a chance and do something that would be relaxing and fun...”
I achieve that mainly by writing.
Pauline Boss asks this question in her book “Loving Someone Who Has Dementia: How to Find Hope While Coping with Stress and Grief (2011) - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
She says: “In a culture of mastery, we need something we can control in order to balance what we cannot. If we don’t, we feel dangerously hopeless.”
As a caregiver, you have to make sure that your life is not always controlled by the dementia of the person you are caring for.
I find escape in writing and publishing novel-length stories. Not that the characters in a novel can be totally controlled; they take on a life of their own once created. In writing fiction, however, it is easier to find the balance Boss talks about.
She says: “Knowing how dangerous care-giving is to your health, take a chance and do something that would be relaxing and fun...”
I achieve that mainly by writing.
June 30, 2014
The Prologue
In my last post I set out the blurb for my next novel “Hillsend” – a work in progress. In this post I’m sharing the prologue, which reads as follows:
As a matter of form, separated by the Atlantic Ocean from his sister, David Moore agreed that in the event of her death he would adopt her then six-year-old daughter, Amanda. David, an architect and immigrant to the United States, was living in Carmel, a town in Putnam County, New York, and Marilyn, his sister, in London. David did not know her state of mind at the time nor realise how quickly fatherhood would be thrust on him.
A single mother, Marilyn worked part time in a bookshop and, unable to afford anything better, rented a shabby flat in the East End. Lately she had started to neglect its housekeeping, though the rundown living conditions made no difference to her daughter, who delighted in having few chores and the freedom to be untidy.
Marilyn’s best friend in London was a stay-at-home mum who lived a few blocks away with her husband and two young daughters. On Friday morning, Marilyn telephoned her and asked as a favour if she could pick up Amanda after school and keep her for the weekend. She added, “If you wouldn’t mind, could you get her off to school on Monday morning then come round?”
“Do you have a hot date?” her friend asked.
“How did you guess?”
“That’s great,” her friend’s voice bubbled with enthusiasm. “You’ll have to tell me all about it on Monday.”
Marilyn’s heart flipped. “Mandy shouldn’t be any trouble.”
“No, she never is. She gets on better with my two than they do with each other.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t give you more notice.”
“It’s no trouble. We love having your daughter for sleep-overs.”
“Tell Mandy I love her.” Marilyn’s voice almost broke.
“Is something wrong?”
“No. I’m just going to miss her. I’m sorry for getting tearful.”
“You deserve a break. A hot date will do you good.”
Marilyn lied, “He’s a very nice guy – and single.”
“Good luck with him then.”
On Saturday, Marilyn wrapped an old chocolate box and placed it in clear sight on the kitchen table. She made a label, pasted it on the parcel, and addressed it to her elder brother, Andrew. On Sunday evening, she tidied the flat superficially. Then she wrote a short communication to her best friend and sealed it in a re-used envelope with a banknote. It was the last money she had in her purse apart from a few coins.
With a thumbtack, she pinned the envelope high on the outside of the entrance door to her flat before retiring to her bedroom.
The envelope was in plain sight when Marilyn’s best friend approached the flat on Monday morning. She saw her name on it as she lifted her hand to knock. Unpinning the envelope, she slit the top with a long fingernail and took out the contents. Though it was odd that Marilyn hadn’t phoned, her friend assumed she had had to go out unexpectedly.
The message did not, however, turn out to be that mundane.
Her friend read: ‘Sorry. Don’t go in yet. Call the police first so that you’ll have someone with you. You’ll have to let my brother know. Andrew lives in London. I’ve put his contact details below. The twenty pounds is to pay for the call and for looking after Amanda. Please keep her with you for a day or so until my brothers can make arrangements for her care. She’s not to know what I’ve done.’
It finished: ‘Sorry.’ The note was signed: ‘Your friend, Marilyn’.
As a matter of form, separated by the Atlantic Ocean from his sister, David Moore agreed that in the event of her death he would adopt her then six-year-old daughter, Amanda. David, an architect and immigrant to the United States, was living in Carmel, a town in Putnam County, New York, and Marilyn, his sister, in London. David did not know her state of mind at the time nor realise how quickly fatherhood would be thrust on him.
A single mother, Marilyn worked part time in a bookshop and, unable to afford anything better, rented a shabby flat in the East End. Lately she had started to neglect its housekeeping, though the rundown living conditions made no difference to her daughter, who delighted in having few chores and the freedom to be untidy.
Marilyn’s best friend in London was a stay-at-home mum who lived a few blocks away with her husband and two young daughters. On Friday morning, Marilyn telephoned her and asked as a favour if she could pick up Amanda after school and keep her for the weekend. She added, “If you wouldn’t mind, could you get her off to school on Monday morning then come round?”
“Do you have a hot date?” her friend asked.
“How did you guess?”
“That’s great,” her friend’s voice bubbled with enthusiasm. “You’ll have to tell me all about it on Monday.”
Marilyn’s heart flipped. “Mandy shouldn’t be any trouble.”
“No, she never is. She gets on better with my two than they do with each other.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t give you more notice.”
“It’s no trouble. We love having your daughter for sleep-overs.”
“Tell Mandy I love her.” Marilyn’s voice almost broke.
“Is something wrong?”
“No. I’m just going to miss her. I’m sorry for getting tearful.”
“You deserve a break. A hot date will do you good.”
Marilyn lied, “He’s a very nice guy – and single.”
“Good luck with him then.”
On Saturday, Marilyn wrapped an old chocolate box and placed it in clear sight on the kitchen table. She made a label, pasted it on the parcel, and addressed it to her elder brother, Andrew. On Sunday evening, she tidied the flat superficially. Then she wrote a short communication to her best friend and sealed it in a re-used envelope with a banknote. It was the last money she had in her purse apart from a few coins.
With a thumbtack, she pinned the envelope high on the outside of the entrance door to her flat before retiring to her bedroom.
The envelope was in plain sight when Marilyn’s best friend approached the flat on Monday morning. She saw her name on it as she lifted her hand to knock. Unpinning the envelope, she slit the top with a long fingernail and took out the contents. Though it was odd that Marilyn hadn’t phoned, her friend assumed she had had to go out unexpectedly.
The message did not, however, turn out to be that mundane.
Her friend read: ‘Sorry. Don’t go in yet. Call the police first so that you’ll have someone with you. You’ll have to let my brother know. Andrew lives in London. I’ve put his contact details below. The twenty pounds is to pay for the call and for looking after Amanda. Please keep her with you for a day or so until my brothers can make arrangements for her care. She’s not to know what I’ve done.’
It finished: ‘Sorry.’ The note was signed: ‘Your friend, Marilyn’.
June 24, 2014
Writing a Book Blurb
With my eighth novel as an advanced work in progress, I’m turning my mind to writing cover blurbs again. Here are some tips I’ve picked up on the subject:
1. The “shoutline” (if included) should, in one sentence, set the scene and provide intrigue;
2. Give an idea of the main characters, what sets the story off (the hook) and the main conflict (whet the appetite);
3. Avoid too much background information and include no spoilers;
4. Make your book stand out from others [women buy 68% of all books sold in the USA];
5. Use present tense;
6. Be appropriate to the genre (i.e. a thrilling blurb for a thriller);
7. Pare to the essentials; be concise & compelling – around 25 to100 words;
8. It doesn’t have to appeal to everyone – tweak & refine as you get to know what your readers expect;
9. Leave the reader wanting to find out the full story for themself.
My new novel is tentatively titled: “Hillsend”. It was originally “Vacation at Hillsend” but that did not appeal to one of my loyal shortlist of key readers who described it as sounding like “something a maiden aunt might have penned while on holiday at the British seaside”.
Point taken.
Anyhow, drawing on the above tips, here’s my current blurb for the "Hillsend" cover:
“A solo mother, living in London, entrusts her brothers with answers that her orphaned daughter will seek from an early age... Andrew Moore, a successful English photographer, attempts a lasting relationship but is still trying to get over his divorce... Nicole Finn, a New Zealand-born fashion model turned businesswoman, lives with emotional scars from her teenage experiences in Milan... and the Asian owner of a luxury holiday home in the Marlborough Sounds is looking for a quick sale. Everything comes together in an unforgettable Christmas vacation at Hillsend.”
In an earlier blog post I recorded the cover blurb from a novel that inspired me to write mine. I found the blurb for the other book enticing but rather lurid for my taste. My brand is a little more conservative, I think.
Since becoming a reviewer on “Goodreads” I take a lot more interest than I used to in the blurbs of the books I read. What now irritates me most, as a reader, is where the book does not live up to its blurb/praise.
Extrapolating that experience to a message for writers penning blurbs: Don’t promise more than you can deliver and don’t over-hype.
1. The “shoutline” (if included) should, in one sentence, set the scene and provide intrigue;
2. Give an idea of the main characters, what sets the story off (the hook) and the main conflict (whet the appetite);
3. Avoid too much background information and include no spoilers;
4. Make your book stand out from others [women buy 68% of all books sold in the USA];
5. Use present tense;
6. Be appropriate to the genre (i.e. a thrilling blurb for a thriller);
7. Pare to the essentials; be concise & compelling – around 25 to100 words;
8. It doesn’t have to appeal to everyone – tweak & refine as you get to know what your readers expect;
9. Leave the reader wanting to find out the full story for themself.
My new novel is tentatively titled: “Hillsend”. It was originally “Vacation at Hillsend” but that did not appeal to one of my loyal shortlist of key readers who described it as sounding like “something a maiden aunt might have penned while on holiday at the British seaside”.
Point taken.
Anyhow, drawing on the above tips, here’s my current blurb for the "Hillsend" cover:
“A solo mother, living in London, entrusts her brothers with answers that her orphaned daughter will seek from an early age... Andrew Moore, a successful English photographer, attempts a lasting relationship but is still trying to get over his divorce... Nicole Finn, a New Zealand-born fashion model turned businesswoman, lives with emotional scars from her teenage experiences in Milan... and the Asian owner of a luxury holiday home in the Marlborough Sounds is looking for a quick sale. Everything comes together in an unforgettable Christmas vacation at Hillsend.”
In an earlier blog post I recorded the cover blurb from a novel that inspired me to write mine. I found the blurb for the other book enticing but rather lurid for my taste. My brand is a little more conservative, I think.
Since becoming a reviewer on “Goodreads” I take a lot more interest than I used to in the blurbs of the books I read. What now irritates me most, as a reader, is where the book does not live up to its blurb/praise.
Extrapolating that experience to a message for writers penning blurbs: Don’t promise more than you can deliver and don’t over-hype.
June 16, 2014
An author to Watch Out For
It’s always informative for a writer to get an unsolicited review of a book and delightful when the reviewer likes what s/he’s read. “Goodreads.com” has turned out to be a great place for providing that opportunity.
So, I just want to share two recent reviews of my novel “Island of Regrets”. The first is from Adele and reads as follows:
“Island of Regrets is a fast-paced novel that emphasizes the darker undercurrents of society. When Alex begins reading ancient letters from Natalie’s ancestors (Natalie is his ex-girlfriend who he still unconditionally loves), he begins the race to find some long lost diamonds on the isolated Campbell Island. Featuring love, lust, aggression, pain, murder, and brimming with past secrets unveiled. Once you are hooked, you are in for the ride of your life. Leading us to question the tumult we leave unnoticed in society, and where a lust for riches takes us in the end.”
The second is by Cherie, who says:
“I enjoyed reading this book because I found that it had a really original storyline and I appreciate this in a book - it isn't just another run-of-the-mill cliché with different names. I got really excited at the end and I found I couldn't stop reading it, because I just had to know more.
“The main setting was in our very own New Zealand, which I thought was the bees knees; the place names and street names made me so excited because I was reading about a place that I was familiar with instead of somewhere overseas which has numbers for streets.
“The only thing that brought it down a bit was that the introduction and beginning of the book was a bit slow, which meant that I was not so keen on reading it. I am so glad in retrospect that I kept reading , because I can see that it was mostly necessary for the intricate build-up of plot that was yet to come, and the middle and end more than made up for the slow beginning.
“I liked how there was a mystery that the characters didn't know the answer to, and how the story integrated people from ages ago, and their story, and how it actually relates to the characters of the book. I really hate it in some books where there is some mystery that no-one can solve, then someone [a character] remembers that they knew the answer all along and it was sitting in the back of their wardrobe. But this [book] was one where there was no way they [the characters] could have pre-known the answer.
“I am really excited now to read other books in this genre, and this is an author to watch out for. Highly recommended!”
Thanks Adele and Cherie. You’ve made my day.
www.thomaswdevine.com
So, I just want to share two recent reviews of my novel “Island of Regrets”. The first is from Adele and reads as follows:
“Island of Regrets is a fast-paced novel that emphasizes the darker undercurrents of society. When Alex begins reading ancient letters from Natalie’s ancestors (Natalie is his ex-girlfriend who he still unconditionally loves), he begins the race to find some long lost diamonds on the isolated Campbell Island. Featuring love, lust, aggression, pain, murder, and brimming with past secrets unveiled. Once you are hooked, you are in for the ride of your life. Leading us to question the tumult we leave unnoticed in society, and where a lust for riches takes us in the end.”
The second is by Cherie, who says:
“I enjoyed reading this book because I found that it had a really original storyline and I appreciate this in a book - it isn't just another run-of-the-mill cliché with different names. I got really excited at the end and I found I couldn't stop reading it, because I just had to know more.
“The main setting was in our very own New Zealand, which I thought was the bees knees; the place names and street names made me so excited because I was reading about a place that I was familiar with instead of somewhere overseas which has numbers for streets.
“The only thing that brought it down a bit was that the introduction and beginning of the book was a bit slow, which meant that I was not so keen on reading it. I am so glad in retrospect that I kept reading , because I can see that it was mostly necessary for the intricate build-up of plot that was yet to come, and the middle and end more than made up for the slow beginning.
“I liked how there was a mystery that the characters didn't know the answer to, and how the story integrated people from ages ago, and their story, and how it actually relates to the characters of the book. I really hate it in some books where there is some mystery that no-one can solve, then someone [a character] remembers that they knew the answer all along and it was sitting in the back of their wardrobe. But this [book] was one where there was no way they [the characters] could have pre-known the answer.
“I am really excited now to read other books in this genre, and this is an author to watch out for. Highly recommended!”
Thanks Adele and Cherie. You’ve made my day.
www.thomaswdevine.com
June 9, 2014
Papal Pronouncements
I expected Pope Francis would cop some flak for urging couples to have babies instead of pets.
A letter to the editor (The Dominion Post, June 9, 2014) is one woman’s response.
To summarise it:
• the world is full of homeless animals that would make loving pets
• the world is over full of people
• women should not have to forsake careers and be tied down with several children
• and men should not have to sacrifice meaningful lives to support oversized families
• the Pope, she says, is being illogical and irresponsible.
I actually thought he was endearing. As a father of seven, I made sacrifices but my life became more meaningful and less focussed on ephemeral material possessions. I learnt that self-sacrifice is nobler than self-indulgence and that children are more rewarding than animals.
Finally, if couples averaged two children, with pets or otherwise, they would only be replacing themselves when they’re gone.
A letter to the editor (The Dominion Post, June 9, 2014) is one woman’s response.
To summarise it:
• the world is full of homeless animals that would make loving pets
• the world is over full of people
• women should not have to forsake careers and be tied down with several children
• and men should not have to sacrifice meaningful lives to support oversized families
• the Pope, she says, is being illogical and irresponsible.
I actually thought he was endearing. As a father of seven, I made sacrifices but my life became more meaningful and less focussed on ephemeral material possessions. I learnt that self-sacrifice is nobler than self-indulgence and that children are more rewarding than animals.
Finally, if couples averaged two children, with pets or otherwise, they would only be replacing themselves when they’re gone.
