Billy McCoy's Blog: Billy McCoy, page 5
March 28, 2015
Strange Fruit, Billy Mccoy
Strange Fruit
BySamon January 6, 2015
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Being an English teacher I’m always on the lookout for new books, especially shorter ones that I can finish during my “down time” (like I actually get any). I have read the classics so many times for my classes that I can recite many of them without the text in front of me. I came upon Strange Fruit by the recommended reading list given by Amazon because I enjoy reading new pieces and have enjoyed a number of women’s lit in the past (i.e. The secret Life of Bees). I think the McCoy does an amazing job in such a short amount of time. Between the pages he packs a lot of emotion and has great character development, especially in the protagonist Claudia. He has a real knack for letting the reader connect to his character as he delves into the mysterious and, at times controversial, relationships between cousins. The plot development in gripping and has the different perspectives intertwined, yet not confusing. Overall I really enjoyed the book and wished that it was a little bit longer.
http://www.amazon.com/Strange-Fruit-s...
BySamon January 6, 2015Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Being an English teacher I’m always on the lookout for new books, especially shorter ones that I can finish during my “down time” (like I actually get any). I have read the classics so many times for my classes that I can recite many of them without the text in front of me. I came upon Strange Fruit by the recommended reading list given by Amazon because I enjoy reading new pieces and have enjoyed a number of women’s lit in the past (i.e. The secret Life of Bees). I think the McCoy does an amazing job in such a short amount of time. Between the pages he packs a lot of emotion and has great character development, especially in the protagonist Claudia. He has a real knack for letting the reader connect to his character as he delves into the mysterious and, at times controversial, relationships between cousins. The plot development in gripping and has the different perspectives intertwined, yet not confusing. Overall I really enjoyed the book and wished that it was a little bit longer.
http://www.amazon.com/Strange-Fruit-s...
December 3, 2014
ELLIE DALTON--SAN FRANCISCO BOOK REVIEW
“This book requires a certain kind of reader, and those who do connect with it will likely love it. It shows women in tough situations bearing up despite their burdens and making the best of things, while mining the depths of the human heart. The scenarios are interesting and memorable, and the casual violence and suffering with themes of the divine are vaguely reminiscent of Flannery O’Connor’s southern gothic style. While these stories are unconnected, the author’s style remains consistent through them all, and readers of women’s fiction may find this to their liking.” SAN FRANCISCO BOOK REVIEW
"McCoy largely succeeds in delivering on his assumed premise: that love is an unpredictable and volatile force of nature..."--INDIE READER
"As with any solid short story collection, the protagonists are all different and settings vary widely; but kernels of truth are revealed that offer up compelling vignettes. Readers looking for short stories largely centered around powerful women and their perspectives will find Ellie Dalton: and Other Stories a fine read"--D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer Midwest Book Review
http://www.amazon.com/Ellie-Dalton-st...
"McCoy largely succeeds in delivering on his assumed premise: that love is an unpredictable and volatile force of nature..."--INDIE READER
"As with any solid short story collection, the protagonists are all different and settings vary widely; but kernels of truth are revealed that offer up compelling vignettes. Readers looking for short stories largely centered around powerful women and their perspectives will find Ellie Dalton: and Other Stories a fine read"--D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer Midwest Book Review
http://www.amazon.com/Ellie-Dalton-st...
November 26, 2014
Strange Fruit, Billy McCoy
"An attention-worthy collection of contemporary women's fiction. To be read not only for its insights, but also for the edgy, dramatic undertones. Very enjoyable." --Penn Book Review
"...after reading them you'll think more than once while making serious decisions. Not all people have a second chance." --Portland Review of Books
"The author of this book pulled off a difficult feat, he followed two characters story lines and put it into one book with great fluidity. At no point are you confused who is thinking this or who is doing what, which can be a very difficult task."--Matthew, Amazon Verified Review
"This was the first book I've read by McCoy and wow! He is an amazing author, and this story is fascinating." -Clay, Amazon Verified Review
"The book will explain in sophisticated detail how each character feels. It is very well written to the point that you can feel for the person's emotions and situations they are going after."--Drew, Amazon Review
"This book is a great read and is really interesting if you are out for a good read then you have looked in the right place wholeheartedly recommended it for everyone."--Michael, Amazon Verified Review
"It only took a few pages for the art to finally grow on me, but by the time I finished the book I loved it."--Niam, Amazon Verified Review
http://www.amazon.com/Strange-Fruit-s...
"...after reading them you'll think more than once while making serious decisions. Not all people have a second chance." --Portland Review of Books
"The author of this book pulled off a difficult feat, he followed two characters story lines and put it into one book with great fluidity. At no point are you confused who is thinking this or who is doing what, which can be a very difficult task."--Matthew, Amazon Verified Review
"This was the first book I've read by McCoy and wow! He is an amazing author, and this story is fascinating." -Clay, Amazon Verified Review
"The book will explain in sophisticated detail how each character feels. It is very well written to the point that you can feel for the person's emotions and situations they are going after."--Drew, Amazon Review
"This book is a great read and is really interesting if you are out for a good read then you have looked in the right place wholeheartedly recommended it for everyone."--Michael, Amazon Verified Review
"It only took a few pages for the art to finally grow on me, but by the time I finished the book I loved it."--Niam, Amazon Verified Review
http://www.amazon.com/Strange-Fruit-s...
the Book Slave
This is emotion-grabbing fiction at its best; The Book Slave is a literary piece you'll love."--Penn Book Review
"The Book Slave" is the kind of intensely emotion and drama rich collection of short stories that when you're finished makes you feel as if you've been on a wonderful journey of self-discovery, love and life."--L. Collins, Amazon Verified Review
"The Book Slave is a beautifully written novella containing a series of short stories on love and life."--A. Wallace, Amazon Verified Review
“This was one of those perfect sized books for when you are commuting or waiting at the doctor’s office. Inside I found a collection of three short stories. The author did a great job crafting the characters. In the first story I liked Skyler immediately and her strong will was accurately portrayed by the author. The other two stories were also good. All three stories were stories of people, of love, life, romance and learning life’s lessons. The stories kept me entertained and made the waiting time at the doctor’s office go by quickly.” –Diane, Amazon Verified Review
http://www.amazon.com/Book-Slave-Bill...
"The Book Slave" is the kind of intensely emotion and drama rich collection of short stories that when you're finished makes you feel as if you've been on a wonderful journey of self-discovery, love and life."--L. Collins, Amazon Verified Review
"The Book Slave is a beautifully written novella containing a series of short stories on love and life."--A. Wallace, Amazon Verified Review
“This was one of those perfect sized books for when you are commuting or waiting at the doctor’s office. Inside I found a collection of three short stories. The author did a great job crafting the characters. In the first story I liked Skyler immediately and her strong will was accurately portrayed by the author. The other two stories were also good. All three stories were stories of people, of love, life, romance and learning life’s lessons. The stories kept me entertained and made the waiting time at the doctor’s office go by quickly.” –Diane, Amazon Verified Review
http://www.amazon.com/Book-Slave-Bill...
November 12, 2014
10,000 Promises, a review from Midwest Book Review
"...McCoy is a master at creating romances that sparkle with passion as well as disappointment."--Diane Donovan, eBook Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
Marriage between a man and a woman typically translates to very different perceptions of how life will be shared: at least, it certainly is that way for Erica, who thinks her marriage to the older, wiser Mitch will lead to a passionate and lazy life.
How she could think that the quiet, intellectual Mitch will give her zestful love and an rich life is a puzzle; but when the inevitable disappointment happens, Erica is prompted to take a young lover - and when she does, life becomes even more riddled with questions, challenges, and conflict.
Billy McCoy is a master at creating romances that sparkle with passion as well as disappointment. The foundation premise is stated early on as Erica engages in an intellectual debate: "I think," said Erica, playing with the scarf she had taken off, "I think there so many kinds of love." and it's one that remains supported by events that play out from her decisions based on this ideal.
Another premise: something that is so prized and coveted can also become something one dares not dream of: "Love," she repeated slowly, in an inner voice, and suddenly, at the very instant she finished the buttoning her coat, she added, "Why I don't like the word is that it means too much to me, far more than you can imagine," and she glanced into his face."
Don't expect a linear read, here: from Marcel's descent into a dangerous world to Erica's amazing capacity to deny the impact of her choices until it's too late, and intellectual debates between key protagonists, 10,000 Promises assumes many guises and offers up many unexpected moments: "The slow drifting apart of her marriage, alarmed Erica; it was as though their once happy life had taken a route for which she didn’t understand, strange and dark, where she lost her bearing."
It's almost as if characters operate in two worlds: one of dreams, and one of uncertain realities; in the process finding that one world undermines the other and inflicts pain and illusion into the process of making life-changing choices.
And that's one of the strengths of 10,000 Promises: its ability to neatly wind up the worldviews of three very different protagonists who circle one another much like planets held in place by the sun's gravity.
Also intriguing is the process whereby characters build their illusions of character to justify their lives and choices: "For a long time, Erica told herself that she had tried being the good wife, pushing aside her life to satisfy Mitch; and feeling like a non-entity when she tried being fair by asserting her little hopes and dreams, and when Mitch balked she relinquished all her wants for his."
http://www.amazon.com/10-000-Promises...
Marriage between a man and a woman typically translates to very different perceptions of how life will be shared: at least, it certainly is that way for Erica, who thinks her marriage to the older, wiser Mitch will lead to a passionate and lazy life.
How she could think that the quiet, intellectual Mitch will give her zestful love and an rich life is a puzzle; but when the inevitable disappointment happens, Erica is prompted to take a young lover - and when she does, life becomes even more riddled with questions, challenges, and conflict.
Billy McCoy is a master at creating romances that sparkle with passion as well as disappointment. The foundation premise is stated early on as Erica engages in an intellectual debate: "I think," said Erica, playing with the scarf she had taken off, "I think there so many kinds of love." and it's one that remains supported by events that play out from her decisions based on this ideal.
Another premise: something that is so prized and coveted can also become something one dares not dream of: "Love," she repeated slowly, in an inner voice, and suddenly, at the very instant she finished the buttoning her coat, she added, "Why I don't like the word is that it means too much to me, far more than you can imagine," and she glanced into his face."
Don't expect a linear read, here: from Marcel's descent into a dangerous world to Erica's amazing capacity to deny the impact of her choices until it's too late, and intellectual debates between key protagonists, 10,000 Promises assumes many guises and offers up many unexpected moments: "The slow drifting apart of her marriage, alarmed Erica; it was as though their once happy life had taken a route for which she didn’t understand, strange and dark, where she lost her bearing."
It's almost as if characters operate in two worlds: one of dreams, and one of uncertain realities; in the process finding that one world undermines the other and inflicts pain and illusion into the process of making life-changing choices.
And that's one of the strengths of 10,000 Promises: its ability to neatly wind up the worldviews of three very different protagonists who circle one another much like planets held in place by the sun's gravity.
Also intriguing is the process whereby characters build their illusions of character to justify their lives and choices: "For a long time, Erica told herself that she had tried being the good wife, pushing aside her life to satisfy Mitch; and feeling like a non-entity when she tried being fair by asserting her little hopes and dreams, and when Mitch balked she relinquished all her wants for his."
http://www.amazon.com/10-000-Promises...
November 7, 2014
10,000 Promises: Debasing an Intellectual
*******FREE TODAY*********
“[McCoy’s] 10,000 Promises: Debasing an Intellectual is rich and consistently entertaining…immediately sustains attention…”
http://www.amazon.com/10-000-Promises...
“[McCoy’s] 10,000 Promises: Debasing an Intellectual is rich and consistently entertaining…immediately sustains attention…”
http://www.amazon.com/10-000-Promises...
November 5, 2014
ELLIE DALTON, INDIE BOOK REVIEW
“Love might be a many-splendored thing but the characters in author Billy McCoy’s short story collection are not spared its indignities. Often falling in love against their better judgment, the players find that life’s complexities can’t unfortunately be brushed away and that the giddiness and euphoria love can deliver can sometimes be brutally erased by routine everyday events.”—INDIE BOOK REVIEW
http://www.amazon.com/Ellie-Dalton-st...-
ebook/dp/B00NUE4T4G/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415192795&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=ellie+datlton
“As with any solid short story collection, the protagonists are all different and settings vary widely; but kernels of truth are revealed that offer up compelling vignettes. Readers looking for short stories largely centered around powerful women and their perspectives will find Ellie Dalton: and Other Stories a fine read"--D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer Midwest Book Review
http://www.amazon.com/Ellie-Dalton-st...-
ebook/dp/B00NUE4T4G/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415192795&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=ellie+datlton“As with any solid short story collection, the protagonists are all different and settings vary widely; but kernels of truth are revealed that offer up compelling vignettes. Readers looking for short stories largely centered around powerful women and their perspectives will find Ellie Dalton: and Other Stories a fine read"--D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer Midwest Book Review
October 17, 2014
D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer Midwest Book Review, Ellie Dalton
Ellie Dalton: and Other Stories
Billy McCoy
Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B00NUE4T4G $3.88
http://www.amazon.com/Ellie-Dalton-st...
Ellie is a passionate woman trapped in a marriage with a selfish, unfaithful husband; so when economics professor and cousin Carson and his wife offer her a lifeline of escape, she grabs it and moves in with them. There's only one problem: she's a sensual woman who soon tempts Carson beyond boundaries; and so she brings with her not only baggage but conflict.
Ellie Dalton: and Other Stories takes this central theme and develops a series of short stories based on various events stemming from the central theme of this affair. It examines acts of selfishness on many levels and how it affects and changes the lives of different protagonists.
"Is there something wrong with being happy?" the question is asked from the beginning. But in the end the very selfless act of sharing happiness becomes its own threat in a story of how different protagonists handle self-interests.
This is no instant torrid passion: the attraction between Ellie and her cousin begins slowly with a touch here and a look there. But as events inEllie Dalton: and Other Stories progress, Ellie finds herself connecting with Carson in ways she never has before: "She imagined there was a harmony of thought between her and Carson, a paralleling of souls. His absolute attention was centered on her and it acted like fuel on a smoldering flame, so long ignored."
McCoy's language makes it very apparent from the start the route Ellie and Carson will take: there are 'fogs of desire' and 'caressing seductive smiles'. Both protagonists find in each other what they have lacked: one completely, the other in exciting transgression from marital vows and moral fiber.
It's easy to see how Ellie falls in love with Carson, with his unselfish attention to her woes; but on Carson's side, events are more complex. He feels sorry for Ellie, but he craves novelty: something missing from his own marriage and life. His challenge and intention to "help Ellie see things differently" becomes something more, and the process of this journey will change all their lives.
Ellie Dalton: and Other Stories could easily have taken the form of a novel: the fact that it's presented as a short story and that Ellie serves as an introduction to a series of stories about other characters facing selfishness, life-changing moments, and angst makes it all the more powerful for its surprise conclusion and searchlight on everything in a marriage which brings love - and despair.
'In The Shadows of a Strong Woman' follows, telling of Rita, a competitive woman and scholarly bookworm and loner who now is a divorcee, veteran, and the mother of a lazy 22-year-old son. When a son's selfishness and proposed marriage emerge, Rita finds herself interfering in an affair that could change all their lives.
Like Ellie, Rita is headstrong - but in very different ways. Where Ellie is needy, Rita is controlling. Where Ellie immerses herself in love, Rita has never let herself be swept away by much in life. And as Rita makes decisions for herself and her son that will change all their lives, the contrast between her approach to romance and Ellie's is strikingly depicted.
"I didn't raise you to be self-centered!" Rita cries at her son. But, she did. And both of their selfish acts are what drives the story to a conclusion similar to Ellie's, but with a different twist.
As each story evolves, McCoy's focus is revealed in a precise series of explorations of fires of the heart: fires that ultimately consume passions and life itself.
Justice and injustice, crime and punishment, and the consequences of self-centered perspectives all come to life in a collection of interconnected jigsaw puzzle pieces that offer snippets of drama and analysis of good intentions gone awry.
As with any solid short story collection, the protagonists are all different and settings vary widely; but kernels of truth are revealed that offer up compelling vignettes. Readers looking for short stories largely centered around powerful women and their perspectives will find Ellie Dalton: and Other Stories a fine read.
The Ellie Dalton Affair
Billy McCoy
Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B00NUE4T4G $3.88
http://www.amazon.com/Ellie-Dalton-st...
Ellie is a passionate woman trapped in a marriage with a selfish, unfaithful husband; so when economics professor and cousin Carson and his wife offer her a lifeline of escape, she grabs it and moves in with them. There's only one problem: she's a sensual woman who soon tempts Carson beyond boundaries; and so she brings with her not only baggage but conflict.
Ellie Dalton: and Other Stories takes this central theme and develops a series of short stories based on various events stemming from the central theme of this affair. It examines acts of selfishness on many levels and how it affects and changes the lives of different protagonists.
"Is there something wrong with being happy?" the question is asked from the beginning. But in the end the very selfless act of sharing happiness becomes its own threat in a story of how different protagonists handle self-interests.
This is no instant torrid passion: the attraction between Ellie and her cousin begins slowly with a touch here and a look there. But as events inEllie Dalton: and Other Stories progress, Ellie finds herself connecting with Carson in ways she never has before: "She imagined there was a harmony of thought between her and Carson, a paralleling of souls. His absolute attention was centered on her and it acted like fuel on a smoldering flame, so long ignored."
McCoy's language makes it very apparent from the start the route Ellie and Carson will take: there are 'fogs of desire' and 'caressing seductive smiles'. Both protagonists find in each other what they have lacked: one completely, the other in exciting transgression from marital vows and moral fiber.
It's easy to see how Ellie falls in love with Carson, with his unselfish attention to her woes; but on Carson's side, events are more complex. He feels sorry for Ellie, but he craves novelty: something missing from his own marriage and life. His challenge and intention to "help Ellie see things differently" becomes something more, and the process of this journey will change all their lives.
Ellie Dalton: and Other Stories could easily have taken the form of a novel: the fact that it's presented as a short story and that Ellie serves as an introduction to a series of stories about other characters facing selfishness, life-changing moments, and angst makes it all the more powerful for its surprise conclusion and searchlight on everything in a marriage which brings love - and despair.
'In The Shadows of a Strong Woman' follows, telling of Rita, a competitive woman and scholarly bookworm and loner who now is a divorcee, veteran, and the mother of a lazy 22-year-old son. When a son's selfishness and proposed marriage emerge, Rita finds herself interfering in an affair that could change all their lives.
Like Ellie, Rita is headstrong - but in very different ways. Where Ellie is needy, Rita is controlling. Where Ellie immerses herself in love, Rita has never let herself be swept away by much in life. And as Rita makes decisions for herself and her son that will change all their lives, the contrast between her approach to romance and Ellie's is strikingly depicted.
"I didn't raise you to be self-centered!" Rita cries at her son. But, she did. And both of their selfish acts are what drives the story to a conclusion similar to Ellie's, but with a different twist.
As each story evolves, McCoy's focus is revealed in a precise series of explorations of fires of the heart: fires that ultimately consume passions and life itself.
Justice and injustice, crime and punishment, and the consequences of self-centered perspectives all come to life in a collection of interconnected jigsaw puzzle pieces that offer snippets of drama and analysis of good intentions gone awry.
As with any solid short story collection, the protagonists are all different and settings vary widely; but kernels of truth are revealed that offer up compelling vignettes. Readers looking for short stories largely centered around powerful women and their perspectives will find Ellie Dalton: and Other Stories a fine read.
The Ellie Dalton Affair
October 3, 2014
The Ellie Dalton Affair
The Ellie Dalton Affair is a gripping story of love, loss and betrayal.
The novel tells of the doomed love affair between the sensuous and sentimental Ellie and the intelligent, high-priest of morality, Carson. Tragedy unfolds as Ellie rejects her passionless marriage and moves in with Carson and his wife Kinsley. Set against a vast and highly textured canvas of hypocrisy, the novel's major characters create a dynamic imbalance, playing out as their private lives contrasts sharply with public persona.
Married to an unfaithful and selfish husband, Ellie decides to leave and live with happily married Carson and Kinsley, but her sensuous and sentimental desire for Carson’s attention leads to disaster.
The Ellie Dalton Affair illuminates the deepest questions about how to live a fulfilled life.
The Ellie Dalton Affair
The novel tells of the doomed love affair between the sensuous and sentimental Ellie and the intelligent, high-priest of morality, Carson. Tragedy unfolds as Ellie rejects her passionless marriage and moves in with Carson and his wife Kinsley. Set against a vast and highly textured canvas of hypocrisy, the novel's major characters create a dynamic imbalance, playing out as their private lives contrasts sharply with public persona.
Married to an unfaithful and selfish husband, Ellie decides to leave and live with happily married Carson and Kinsley, but her sensuous and sentimental desire for Carson’s attention leads to disaster.
The Ellie Dalton Affair illuminates the deepest questions about how to live a fulfilled life.
The Ellie Dalton Affair
September 6, 2014
5 Star Review for Strange Fruit: stories by Billy Mccoy
Strange Fruit
of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars So realistic August 29, 2014
By Jay
Format:Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Unlike many other stories that I have read, this novel actually digs deep into the characters' emotions, actions, and life. After Claudia begins to develop a crush for her younger cousin Jason, their stories begin to intertwine. Similar stories each, the reader is able to view the ups and downs of each cousins bumpy lives.
of 1 people found the following review helpful5.0 out of 5 stars So realistic August 29, 2014
By Jay
Format:Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Unlike many other stories that I have read, this novel actually digs deep into the characters' emotions, actions, and life. After Claudia begins to develop a crush for her younger cousin Jason, their stories begin to intertwine. Similar stories each, the reader is able to view the ups and downs of each cousins bumpy lives.
