Deborah J. Ross's Blog, page 10

Book Review: A Child Kidnapping in 1920s Hollywood

 SavingSusy Sweetchild,by Barbara Hambly (Severn House)

Barbara Hambly is one of my all-time favorite authors. Iwill follow her across genres, from science fiction to fantasy to historicalfiction to murder mysteries. And what better combination than a mystery set in1920s Hollywood, filled with glamour, Prohibition, drugs, silent film stars…andthe occasional crime? I fell in love with Hambly’s take on this era with hericonic Bride of the Rat God (not kidding!) and eagerly dived into hercurrent series of “Silver Screen Historical Mysteries.”

The protagonist is Emma Blackstone, widowed daughter of anEnglish don (professor, in this case of Antiquities—Emma regularly quotesAncient Greek and Latin), now earning her keep as companion and helper to herbeautiful silent-movie star sister-in-law, Kitty. Among Emma’s duties arecatering to Kitty’s three “celestial cream cakes,” aka Pekinese dogs, modeledafter Hambly’s own pups. In her spare time, Emma edits film scenarios forKitty’s producer, romances a cinematographer, and solves mysteries.

This third mystery in the series takes place in 1924, a timerampant with child kidnappings. Infant Blakely Coughlin (abducted in 1920),5-year-old Giuseppi Verotta (1921), 14-year-old Robert “Bobby” Franks (killedby Leopold and Loeb in 1924), Marion Parker (1927), Grace Budd (1928), and GillJamieson (1929) were among those never returned to their parents. In Hambly’smystery, the victim is Susy Sweetchild, an immensely talented child actor. Fromthe time Emma first sees Susy, she realizes the child is in danger, from thedrunken horse wrangler in the Western in which Susy stars to the mother who isonly interested in Susy’s earnings, the drunken/absent father (lots of boozeduring Prohibition) to the grasping aunt and grandfather to the producer whosimply doesn’t care so long as Susy’s films make money. So when Susy and hermother both disappear and the studio receives a ransom note ending “Do not callthe cops,” it’s up to Emma, her sweetheart, and the Pekinese to unravel themystery before it’s too late.

As with all Hambly’s work, Saving Susy Sweetchildbalances page-turner tension, wonderful characters (including the dogs!), twists-upon-plot-twists,and heart-stopping moments. From start to finish, it’s a treat.

I received a review copy of this book through NetGalley. The book will be released on September 3rd, 2024.

 

[Guest Post] Lara Ferrari on Building Authentic Relationships With Readers

Lara Ferrari (of Lemon Friday) has marvelous, insightful suggestions for how writers can create and nourish connections with our readers. Actually, many of these apply to other relationships, too! The following are from a recent article by Lara:

Here are 12 ways you can build personal connections and authentic relationships with readers (in a way AI could never):

Relatable, real-life struggles

1. Readers don't want 'perfect'; they want 'real'. So don't be scared to open up about something you're currently finding hard.
2. If you've overcome something difficult and emerged on the other side – good for you! – celebrate and share your inspirational story with your followers.

Community-centered conversations

3. Readers (like everyone else) love to feel included – so involve your community in the creation of your book. Use your captions to share exclusive tidbits and then ask for input, ideas and feedback.
4. Who doesn't like giving their opinion?! Prove to your readers that you genuinely care what they think by asking for their takes on a book or life-related topic.

Honest insights into your writing process

5. Getting a glimpse into an author's writing process is like sneaking a peek behind the curtains of a magic show. Every writer is different (and most readers are nosy!) so open up about how your magic is made. 
6. Don't be afraid to talk about the good, fun, exciting stuff and the challenging, frustrating, heartbreaking stuff. It's a great way to build human connections – and intrigue for your book.



"On a mission to simplify book marketing for writers who’d rather be writing, Lemon Friday founder Lara Ferrari has personally helped over 100 authors and aspiring authors grow engaged communities of readers online. Her handy tips, tools and templates are designed to streamline your marketing so you can build a legion of super-fans… before your book is even written."
The link to get the full download is: https://lemonfriday.myflodesk.com/future-proof

Here's a reel of Lara talking about AI and writers. I hope you find her as delightful as I do!

Short Book Reviews: Felicia's Intrepid Personality Shines Through

The Serpent in Heaven, by Charlaine Harris (Saga)

Here’s the setup for the fourth “Gunnie Rose” novel: Magicand alternate history have transformed the America we know into a handful ofnations, the West Coast being dominated by the Holy Russian Empire, its capitalbeing San Diego. Felicia (half-sister to Lizbeth Rose, the hero of the firstthree) is a granddaughter of Rasputin and one of the few people alive whoseblood can keep Tsar Alexei alive. This has earned her a place at an exclusiveschool for magically talented kids, although she’s treated as a nonentity and acharity case. Felicia, who grew up in extreme poverty in Mexico, neverthelessthinks of the school as heaven…until she’s the target of a kidnapping attempt.With Spanish influenza raging through the school, she’s got to escape and thenfigure out who’s after her and why.

Told in first person, Felicia’s intrepid personality shinesthrough and makes the book a joy to read. That’s apart from the dramatic actionand hints of romance.

Take this to the beach and you’ll end up with a sunburn fromreading too long.

 

Retirement Dream, a poem by Nancy Jane Moore

 RETIREMENT DREAM

By NANCY JANE MOORE

I’m told the Moon’s gravity is
one-sixth of that here on Earth.
Imagine time spent in a place
where there’s so little resistance.

I could do a grand-jeté there
even though I flunked out of ballet.
Or maybe a jump kick to the head
since I prefer fighting to dance.

Wouldn’t matter that the cartilage is gone.
My knees wouldn’t hurt on the Moon.
And falls wouldn’t do any damage
if my bones grow brittle and thin.

No one yet lives on the Moon.
Scientists are focused on Mars.
They’re looking to make great discoveries.
I’m seeking full life to the end.

This poem first appeared in the January 4, 2024 issue of Strange Horizons

 

Publication of this poem was made possible by a gift from Space Cowboy Books/Jean-Paul L. Garnier.

Book Review: A Wild and Weird Game-Based Novel from Scotto Moore

Wild Massive, by Scotto Moore (Tordotcom)

In the center of the multiverse, the Building reaches towarda brilliant orange sky. It’s so vast and so tall that no one can count all itsfloors. In fact, there is a guild devoted to mapping and exploring them and thediverse, often weird and deadly cultures that have evolved. Some of these giverise to beings, human and otherwise, possessing combinations of technology and arcanemagical or psychic powers. A large portion of the known Building falls underthe malign auspices of the Association, which has already wiped out one race ofmagic-users and seems bent on destroying a second. The present action beginswhen a shapershifter renegade from the second psychic race lands on top of the semi-sentientelevator inhabited by the sole survivor of the first. From there, the tale rangesfrom supernatural politics, power struggles between uber-cyborg warriors andnear-divine incarnations of creativity, outlaws armed with Plot Twists andCoincidences, vials containing consciousness-altering memories, a writer whocan change the course of history through a screenplay, and so forth, not tomention the bizarre Disney-esque theme park chain, the eponymous Wild Massive.To say the book is chock full of enough creativity to fill an entire shelf ofordinary tomes is an understatement. Therein lies both the strength and theshortcomings of Wild Massive.

First of all, the book is very long. This can be a goodthing or a bad thing, but in this case, the length feels as if it is driven bya need to include an enormous amount of backstory and number of characters. Inthe afterword, the author relates how the story began as a game, morphed into severalplays, and finally settled into a single narrative. As a result, if I wereasked whose story it is and what the central conflict and turning points are, I’dbe hard-pressed. The two characters I described above are nominally theprotagonists, but there are so many point-of-view shifts, each one having to dowith a different character and goal/obstacle, that the center of thebook becomes—and remains--unclear. I would very much have preferred the book bebroken into shorter novels set in the same world but each one centering on adifferent character with their own history, goals, and sorrows.

The complexity of the world of the Building, its history,and its inhabitants is wonderful. It’s full of people, events, and concepts orincarnations, each one of which offers the occasion for stopping the action fordetailed exposition. At the beginning of a long book, a certain amount oforientation is not a bad thing, although perhaps best done by choice of detail,revelation of character, action, and tension. However, Wild Massive isriddled with long explanations, even toward the very end. The effect is apatchwork of ideas and setting, action and character, in which the forwardmomentum gets set aside all too often. A second consequence of the dizzyingshifts and halts is, for me, a loss of connection with the principal characters.I cheered on our protagonists in the battle sequence at Wild Massive Prime(which reminded me of Peter Jackson’s 45-minute tour de force Battle ofHelm’s Deep) but I never felt as if I knew them more than superficially or caredwhether they (or anyone) got together in the end.

Scotto Moore is a writer of immense creativity, well worthchecking out. Some readers will love this book for the same reasons I haddifficulty with it. I look forward to seeing his next, and I hope you will,too.

Baycon Schedule

I'll be at Baycon this year, hooray! This will be my first in-person convention since the pandemic and I'm super excited to see you. Please find me and say hello!

My preliminary panel schedule with some of my favorite co-panelists (I am told I may be added to other events, like autographing and a reading...stay tuned!)

Writing Beyond Trauma

5 Jul 2024, Friday 10:30 - 11:45, Writer's Workshop (Santa Clara Marriott)

These are perilous times for many of us. As survivors or the loved ones of survivors, how has our experience affected us as writers? How do our stories transcend and heal? Escape? Educate our audience? Are there times when the pain is so great, the words simply will not come--what do we do when we have lost our voice and how do we use writing to regain it? In this panel, we will strive to listen respectfully and to leave time between each speaker to absorb more deeply what they have said.

Deborah Ross with L.M. Kate, Gregg Castro (Association of Ramaytush Ohlone),  Maya Bohnhoff ,Sumiko Saulson (Iconoclast Productions) 

Creating Original Worlds Format: Panel

5 Jul 2024, Friday 14:45 - 16:00, Monterey (Santa Clara Marriott)

When creating environments for speculative genres such as fantasy, science fiction, magical realism or alternate history, what are some essential questions one needs to ask themselves about their world? How can a writer make their worlds as original as possible. We will also discuss how to research, plot, and develop a setting whether you’re creating it out of spare parts or building on an alternate reality.

Deborah Ross and Maya Bohnhoff 

TTRPG Mechanics for Writers

5 Jul 2024, Friday 17:45 - 19:00, Monterey (Santa Clara Marriott)

In 2023, Thirsty Sword Lesbians became the first TTRPG to ever win a Nebula Award. TTRPGs are only growing in popularity, attracting interest from many writers and storytellers interested in adaptation or creating their own TTRPG or storygame. However, we often approach mechanics only as game and not as narrative. This panel aims to correct that and discuss how mechanics can shape and create narrative at the table.

Emily L. Flummox, Maya Bohnhoff, Deborah Ross 

Arilinn pre-order links

 

Arilinn, the newest Darkover novel, is now available for ebook pre-orders! (Hardcovers will go on sale on release day, November 12, 2024.

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D67HTQW9
ePub: https://books2read.com/u/311eV7

Music to Words: Two Audiobook Reviews:

Making It So: A Memoir, written and narrated byPatrick Stewart (Audiobooks.com)

Be still, my heart. Sir Patrick Stewart’s life in his ownwords, in his own voice.

I put a hold on this audiobook months before it becameavailable. My library purchased extra copies to accommodate all the requests.To say the wait was worth it is an understatement. The memoir details afascinating life and an exciting, varied, and long career, much of which I wasalready familiar with. Sure, I knew Stewart from Star Trek: TNG and itsmovies, X-Men, I, Claudius, and other films. But I also had apassing familiarity with his charismatic presence on the stage. My daughter andI attended his one-man performance of A Christmas Carol by CharlesDickens, in which Stewart filled the auditorium with his vitality,story-telling genius, and ability to make the text come alive as we’d never beforeknown it. That’s one of the things that stood out for me in his memoir: how hetakes a text and makes it emotionally and intellectually accessible, to takethe sense of the words and bring them alive. (Highlight: Stewart reciting severalof Shakespeare’s Sonnets. This is, of course, to be expected from ahighly experienced veteran of the Royal Shakespeare Theater.

And his voice! We all know that rich, supple voice, althoughsince Stewart is now in his 80s, it has acquired “age gravel.” But what thedecades have diminished, skill, life experience, and understanding haveenhanced even more. He recounts events with intimacy and meaning, as if he hadbeen there, which he had.

I also knew that he came from a working-class family, thathis strong stance against domestic violence arose from watching his father’sbrutality, that he had been a stage actor long before he ventured into film andtelevision, and that he is so secure in his sexuality that he is comfortablebeing demonstrably affectionate with a close gay friend (Ian McKellen). Which,needless to say, other straight men ought to emulate. There was much I didn’tknow, and discovering it in the course of listening became a delight, one Iwill not spoil for you. Just download a copy or put yourself on the wait listat your library, and enjoy.

 

SomeoneYou Can Build a Nest In,by John Wiswell, narrated by Carmen Rose (Tantor Audio); print and ebookpublished by DAW.

I’d heard of John Wiswell, one of the new generation ofsplendid young authors, so I grabbed a review copy of the audiobook version ofhis debut novel, SomeoneYou Can Build a Nest In.Narrator Carmen Rose did a splendid job bringing this unusualmonster/horror/romance to life. On a panel at the recent Nebula Awards weekend,a speaker referenced this book as a fresh take on the theme of monster asprotagonist, in this case monster as heroic, romantic protagonist. Suchcharacters hold a mirror to our deepest fears, offering shared humanity as apath to laying our nightmares to rest. While Wiswell’s book is not an entirelynew approach to the point of view of a monster/villain, he brings a wonderfulcombination of grit, darkness, and lyricism to the story.

MonsterShesheshen, a formless, pluripotent jelly, is rudely awoken from hersleep in the bowels of a ruined manor by human hunters. Quickly assembling hardmaterials to construct human-like body parts (a metal chain for a backbone, oldbones for limbs, and so forth), she disguises herself as a refugee. The ruseworks for only a short tome. The hunters are relentless, driven by theobsessive local nobility who, as it turns out, have their own share of horrendoussecrets. Badly injured during a chase, Shesheshen experiences her first tasteof kindness when a rejected daughter of the noble house rescues her. Bit bybit, step by step, they each heal one another. The monster’s quest eventuallybecomes how to build a life with, rather than inside of, the love of her life.And to survive her murderous in-laws.

It's a gorgeous, inventive, intoxicating love story, filledwith heart-rending truths, self-sacrifice, and gradual unfolding of character.We should all have such a monster in our lives.

Highly recommended.

Where’s Deborah?

You may have noticed that I’ve been posting less frequently,especially my book reviews. Fear not, I have not departed for illiterateclimes. I value our community. And I do have things to say about the books I’vebeen enjoying. I just have been reading and writing much less.

In mid-May, I experienced a sudden, severe decrease in thevisual acuity of my dominant eye. I’ve been to three doctors so far, includinga retinal specialist, and they can’t find the cause. The good news is thatthey’ve been able to rule out the Big Bads, which is reassuring butfrustrating. I’ve tried wearing an eye patch, which gives me better visionthrough my non-dominant eye, but the loss of depth perception drives me crazy.(Who knew how much depth perception matters when reaching for a mouse?)Meanwhile, my time at the computer is limited (ditto piano, unless I’m playingfrom memory). Eyestrain headaches set in after only a short time. Hence…

Audiobooks to the rescue!

I discovered the delights of recorded books when they cameon reel-to-reel and then cassettes. And then CDs. I still have a collection ofmy favorite novels and classes. Fast forward a number of years to oh joy! I cannot only check out physical audiobooks from my local library, I can borrowdigital editions, too! I got into borrowing through the discovery of manypodcasts featuring stories read aloud (my favorite was “Phoebe Reads AMystery”). Alas, these were usually one chapter per episode, liberally lacedwith ads. Not so the library editions (which also pay royalties to the authorand narrator through the price the library pays for its copies).

I’ve worked my way through most of Alexander McCall Smith’sbooks (especially the “Lady Detective Agency” series), Tony Hillerman’smysteries, and Anne Perry’s Thomas and Charlotte Pitt mysteries.

What have I been listening to recently? Read my most recentaudiobook reviews this Friday for the scoop!

The Seven-Petaled Shield: I haz author happy smile!

Barb Caffrey of Shiny Book Reviews had glowing praise for The Seven-Petaled Shield.


THE SEVEN-PETALED SHIELD is spiritually deep in a way I rarely see in fantasy. Ms. Ross did an outstanding job in rendering a strong and quiet woman who takes comfort in books, and shows just how relevant such a heroine can be. (I could live without Zevaron, quite frankly, but I know he’s needed for the sequels.)

Bottom line? THE SEVEN-PETALED SHIELD is an exceptional epic fantasy, one that’s deep and broad in ways that I’ve rarely seen. More epic fantasy should be like this. Highly recommended!

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powells, or your local bookseller.