Jennifer Vandenberg's Blog, page 2

A Guising We Will Go

Have you ever heard of guising? I was researching some Halloween history as part of my October challenge and learned about the history of trick or treating. The History Channel has a great video (see it here) that explains lots of  Halloween traditions, including guising.

Long before kids walked from door to door dressed as stormtroopers, Elsa, or Donald Trump hoping for full-sized candy bars, adults walked door to door and entertained people with songs, poetry, and jokes hoping for fine wine and good cheese. This was called “guising”.

I like the idea of guising. What if instead of saying “Trick or Treat!” we had to tell a joke in order to get candy. I think Halloween would be much more fun with a little more give and take. A child would only need to know one joke so it wouldn’t be hard, even for young children.

As an example, my darling nephew, who is three, told me this joke that he learned from his Leapfrog tablet.

Knock Knock

Who’s there?

Cow go.

Cow go who?

No. Cow go moo!

I’d give any child a full-sized candy bar if they told me that joke. Too funny! The internet is full of good jokes, bad jokes, Halloween jokes, and classic jokes. Here’s another example.

Q. Why do demons and ghouls hang out together?

A. Because demons are a ghouls best friend! (I got that great joke from a great Halloween website. They had dozens for Halloween jokes.)

Let’s go guising this Halloween. Laughter is the best treat there is.

Usually I put a quote here, but I am supposed to do a call to action for my platform challenge that I mentioned in the last post. So I’m calling you to act. Leave a comment explaining which Halloween traditions you like, or wish would be brought back. Or why not guise me with a great joke.

It’s October – time for challenges and streaks. Spooky!

I love October. It contains both my birthday and Halloween. It’s also a beautiful time of year when fall arrives, but you can still enjoy being outside and seeing nature’s splendor (unless you are dealing with tropical storms.) And did I mention it has by favorite holiday in it? (No, I don’t mean my birthday.) I love Halloween. It is a spooky holiday that anyone can celebrate because it can be as scary as you want it to be. I like my spooky on the light side, but filled with pumpkins, ghosts, and flying witches. Plus it has a fun history (but that’s another post.)

Since it is my birthday month I always feel the need to improve myself, so I have started a few challenges.

I am do a mini running streak. In 2012, I did a year-long running streak, meaning I ran everyday for 366 days. I like the idea of streaking, but I find I run more when the streak is shorter. I was afraid of hurting myself during my year-long streak so I only did a mile most days. I decided to earn the Run the Edge 50 mile buckle, so I am running at least 2 miles every day in October. I am eager to run each day because I know that I can stop on November 1. If Runner’s World does their winter streak challenge again from Thanksgiving to New Year’s I’ll probably do that, too. For now my challenge is at least two miles every day in October.
I like doing online challenges and Robert Lee Brewer, who writes for Writer’s Digest, is organizing a month-long Platform Challenge that I have joined. I have learned a lot and it is only day four. Day three’s challenge was to create a blog. I already have a blog, but I have not added any posts recently so this is my post for day three of the challenge. I did a Robert’s social media challenge several years ago and found it helped a lot, so I look forward to completing this challenge.
I have started a fun story project. I don’t want to say to much about it here since I am not releasing it into the world until December, but I am writing a lot and bringing it to one of my critique groups.  However, I want to keep track of how much I write and when I write. I’d like to write every day but I don’t seem to do that, so I want to have a weekly goal. My goal would be five thousand words a week. So far I am on track.
My last challenge is a Halloween challenge. I made a list of thirty-one fun Halloween and autumn things to do. Some of them are short,  like read a Halloween poem. Others are longer, like create a new costume. I tried to do something like this before because I like Halloween, but I forgot about my list. This time I added it to the charts I created to keep track of my challenges so I won’t forget.

So there are my challenges for October. As I said above, I have created a spreadsheet to record my daily progress. I think these challenges will make my favorite month that much more memorable. November is Nanowrimo, so I need to get all the fun I can get in October before I sink into a new writing project.

May Jack-o-lanterns burning bright

Of soft and golden hue

Pierce through the future’s veil and show

What fate now holds for you.

~Author Unknown

The Continuing Saga of Camp Nano

April is Camp Nanowrimo month (July is too.) I have been looking forward to this event for a while. At first I was going to edit my story about Wally and Ashna, but on a random writing day I came up with a fantasy series that follows the Marvel Avengers formula. I was really excited about this idea, but I knew it was a just-for-fun project so I set it aside until Camp Nano. Every once in a while this project would tap me on the shoulder and see if I wanted to play. I really did, but I told it we had to wait for April. And now April is here.

Camp Nano differs from Nanowrimo in November because you can pick the type of project you want to work on and how many words you plan to complete. Since I am working on several non-Camp Nano writing projects I decided I could finish 30,000 words. This does not mean I am writing 30,000 words in April. I am probably writing about 70,000 words in April. But 30,000 of them will be for my Camp Nano project.

I’m not worried about not winning (sometimes I get nervous about this in November.) Camp Nano simply gives me permission to write something that makes me happy, but may never become the epic story I think it could be. I don’t normally write pure fantasy (by fantasy I mean a story set in a fictional medieval world with magic, dragons, and anything else I can think up) but this story seems to call for it. And I am having a grand time creating my world and characters.

I hope everyone has a great April. I’ll post in a week or two and let you know how this project is going. I’m so glad Nano happens more than once a year. I’d hate to have to wait until November to play with this project.

Oh little playmate,

Come out and play with me,

And bring your dollies three,

Climb up my apple tree,

Slide down my rainbow,

Into my cellar door,

And we’ll be jolly friends,

Forever more, more, more!

My Interview on SFWG

Last month the Short Fiction Writer’s Guild (SFWG) posted a review on their website of my story that won their 2014 flash fiction contest. You can find my winning entry on my website if you would like to read it. Today they posted the interview they did with me. I am honored to be asked about my writing viewpoints and I hope that my answers will help any writers needing encouragement with their own flash fiction.

I learned a lot about myself while answering these questions. I never once considered writing a horror story even though the theme was evil Christmas. It seems that many other writers took that route and that made me question why I don’t equate evil with horror. When I think of evil I think of Voldemort from Harry Potter, The Emperor from Star Wars, and Hydra from the Marvel universe.  None of these books and movies are horror stories but yet they prove that evil lurks everywhere, from children’s books to comics.

The one thing I tried and failed to do was write about an evil Santa. And I really tried. No matter what story I started I could not make him evil and have him still be Santa. If he acted evil then he wasn’t acting like Santa so he wasn’t actually Santa. I only had a thousand words and could not really create a believable story about an imposter Santa. But it led me to a new question, do I stereotype my characters?

If I can’t make Santa evil can I make my detective a regular guy with a loving family? Can I make my bad guy so sympathetic that the reader forgives him of his crimes? Can I take any character and make them the opposite of what people expect? I don’t know. I like to think that my characters are original but that is probably not true. There are few truly original characters. All of our favorite fictional people are modeled after someone else, either consciously or unconsciously.

I am plotting out a multi-book series that takes the Avengers and sets them in a King Arthur-like world. They will each have roles fitting for that time but I am not going to hide the plagiarism. What I hope is that even if the similarities are there that the characters will be original for the story and the setting. So in the end it is okay if I can’t make Santa evil. What is important is that I make my characters believable and so intriguing that the reader will have no choice but to keep reading.

“Inside each of us, there is the seed of both good and evil. It’s a constant struggle as to which one will win. And one cannot exist without the other.” Eric Burdon

 

Why I Did Not Love My Reviews

Well. It today is February 10 and I have written ten book reviews. I don’t think I can do anymore, at least not in the format I have chosen. I love all the books I have reviewed but all my reviews say the same thing. “This is a great mystery.” “You should read this.” “It has charming characters, an intriguing plot, and a setting that makes it special.” I am boring myself.

I think if I do this again I will not make it about me. I don’t think anyone really cares what I think about a book. Would you really read a book because I told you it was good? I doubt it. I need a different way to convince people how good these books are.

Right now I have no idea what that is and I have many writing projects that I want to finish before Left Coast Crime in March. I think I will switch my focus from book reviews to short fiction, something that I enjoy much more.

I know ten reviews is far short of the original twenty-eight I planned to write but when I started this I had no idea how much I would dislike writing the same fluff over and over. I don’t need to do another eighteen to learn what I already know.

So back to the world of fiction. I am already more excited about writing so I don’t regret quitting. Stephen Dubner from Freakanomics says that quitting can be the most important thing a person does. I guess we’ll find out.

To help us understand quitting, we look at a couple of key economic concepts in this episode: sunk cost and opportunity cost. Sunk cost is about the past – it’s the time or money or sweat equity you’ve put into a job or relationship or a project, and which makes quitting hard. Opportunity cost is about the future. It means that for every hour or dollar you spend on one thing, you’re giving up the opportunity to spend that hour or dollar on something else – something that might make your life better. If only you weren’t so worried about the sunk cost. If only you could …. quit. Stephen Dubner Freakanomics, Season 1 Episode 5

I Love The Omega Network by Thomas Locke

One of my favorite things to do is wander the library shelves looking for new authors to read. Unlike bookstores that only keep the newest books on their shelves libraries have books that are dozens of years old. These are good books but once I move I often can’t find them anymore. This happened with the Thomas Locke mysteries. I kept looking for them but thought I was out of luck. Then one day I noticed they were in eBook form. I immediately ordered them and they are as good as I remember.

Who is Thomas Locke?

Well, he is not a 19th century politician and he not an epic fantasy author. Those Thomas Locke’s I can find information on. The Thomas Locke who wrote The Omega Network is a little more mysterious. In fact I know nothing about him except that he wrote a couple of wonderful books. I guess that is enough.

Why do I love this book?

I love characters who do the right thing even when it is hard to do so. I also love slimy politicians that I can enjoy hating. The Omega Network has both. The good guy has to make hard decisions but he does the right thing. In the process he is almost killed which is a good reason to stop doing the right thing. While I would call this book a Christian mystery I would say that is more about morals than religion. It is also about how people with lots of money can roll over the little guy, a great premise for a book.

No book is perfect. This is what bugs me…

In this case what bugs me is that no one knows about The Thomas Locke mysteries. They are really good, but when I used to borrow them from the library it seemed like I was the only one who ever checked them out. They were always on the shelf when I wanted to read them. That seemed a shame. I know there are a ton of books to read in the world but I wish more people would add The Omega Network and The Delta Factor  to their reading list.

Why should you read this book?

This is an intelligent, moral mystery filled with danger, and a little romance, set in the swamps and cities of Florida, both places where slimy creatures dwell. That must be why I picked it up all those years ago. I never regretted it and neither will you.

A Quote Worth Quoting

Rico took another step toward the desk, let the guy stare down into the barrel, the biggest blackest hole he would ever see. And the last one.

But still there was no fear. Thomas Locke The Omega Network

I Love the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys Super Mysteries

Okay, here is another chance for me to go to Mystery Reader Hell – I am not a fan of the original Nancy Drew mysteries. They are obviously popular based on how many are sold each year but I found them old-fashioned and out-of-date. The Hardy Boys were a little better, but not much. That being said, I love the Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys characters. I enjoyed the TV shows and the movies. I just wished I could get through the books.

One day while browsing the library I found the newest Nancy Drew series and to my complete joy she works with the Hardy Boys. The series is called the Nancy Drew: Girl Detective and Hardy Boys: Undercover Brothers Super Mystery. They used modern gadgets and cell phones and travel all over the world solving crime. Awesome.

Who are Carolyn Keene and Frank Dixon?

Carolyn Keene is a pseudonym used by anyone who writes the Nancy Drew books. The original series was created by Edward Stratemeyer. He created over 150 book series including Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, the Bobbsey Twins, and many others. Even though he thought up all these characters he did not write the books. He hired ghost writers to write the books under pen names. Over ten authors have written Nancy Drew novels under the name of Carolyn Keene.

The Hardy Boys stories are also written under a pseudonym. Several people have written under the name Franklin W. Dixon through the years.

I think this is an amazing concept. Imagine never getting credit for writing one of the most popular series of all times. They must really love writing for the sake of writing.

I do not know who actually writes this new Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys series but I bet it is just one author working on each book. That means that person is both Carolyn Keene and Franklin W. Dixon. Too bad they can’t put it on their resume.

Why do I love this book?

I love middle grade mysteries. They focus on the story and leave out all the character angst. Despite my dislike of the original books I really do like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. Now that there is a series featuring them all set in the twenty-first century I am willing to read these books. They do not disappoint. The writing is not amazing but the characters are true to their origins and the mysteries are both intriguing and exciting. The sleuths find themselves in hot water time and time again. These books made me like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys even more.

No book is perfect. This is what bugs me…

The only thing that bugs me is that the books are so hard to find in online catalogs. The reason for this is that there are a ton of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy mysteries and they all have similar names. There is a super mystery set that was written in the 1991 and some of the titles are almost identical. I wanted to read all the books in the series written in 2010 and had a hard time doing so. I wish someone would write a new Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys series and call it something besides “Super”. How about “Ultimate”, or “Mega”, or “All New”? I know they are super-sleuths but the word super has been overused.

Why should you read this book?

If you liked Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys as a kid these you’ll enjoy spending more time with these super sleuths. If like me, you thought the original Nancy Drew books were old-fashioned you’ll love the new updated version of these wonderful characters, complete with cell phones. If you are looking for a kid-friendly mystery for the middle grader in your life this series would be a great choice.

A Quote worth Quoting

“Canya dew any bett’r?” said Frank. Listening to him, I had to admit I was impressed. His Irish accent was impossible to understand. That afternoon we spent watching and rewatching the Commitments had paid off. Franklin W. Dixon Stage Fright

I Love the Chicago Way by Michael Harvey

I found The Fifth Floor by Michael Harvey while shelving books at Borders. I like P.I. stories so I tried it out. Jackpot. It was the second book in the series so of course I had to read the first book immediately. The Chicago Way was so good I bought a copy for myself and one for my mother. I hoped there would be more and was not disappointed. Four books are out now and each is more complex than the previous.

Who is Michael Harvey?

Before writing The Chicago Way Michael Harvey had a lot of experience writing about crime. He helped create, write, and produce the TV show, Cold Case Files. He has also made various documentaries that have won several awards. He lives in Chicago, which might explain how he can describe it so accurately. He has a law degree from Duke University and a masters in journalism from Northwestern University. I wonder how he has any time to write such great books.

Why do I love this book?

Chicago. Except for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off I have never given Chicago much thought. And then I read The Chicago Way and the city came alive. The way Michael Harvey describes Chicago makes it seem like one of the most interesting places on Earth. His descriptions of the weather, the lake, the bars, the trains, the sidewalks, the food, and the politics all added up to one of the best settings for a mystery ever. Move over New York City, move over Los Angeles and San Francisco. I want to explore Chicago, Michael Harvey’s Chicago.

Not only did Michael Harvey bring the setting to life he also brought us P.I. Michael Kelly, one of the good guys who can’t catch a break for anything. In a world of corruption he fights for truth and of course that means everyone wants to kill him. Maybe not everyone but enough that I wondered how he was going to survive the book. Luckily he did and continued to so for three more books.

These books have plots that keep you turning the page consisting of complicated crimes and lots of political intrigue. In Michael Kelly’s world no one should be trusted. It is impossible to know who is telling the truth and who is lying. It has the feel of a Sam Spade novel. You know everyone is lying but they are so convincing and charismatic you just want to believe them. I was duped time and time again. That is how good of an author Michael Harvey is.

No book is perfect. This is what bugs me…

This book may not be perfect but I enjoyed it too much to find anything to complain about. It is a winner.

Why should you read this book?

You should read this book because it is an awesome mystery novel, set in a corrupt, fascinating city, starring a tough, compassionate, P.I. That’s why.

A Quote Worth Quoting

“I was on the second floor of a three-story walk-up on Chicago’s North Side. Outside the Hawk blew hard off the lake and flattened itself against the bay windows. I didn’t care. I had my feet up, a cup of Earl Grey, and my own list of the ten greatest moments in Cubs history.” Michael Harvey The Chicago Way

I Love the White Magic Five & Dime by Steve Hockensmith

I have read many books by Steve Hockensmith and enjoyed them all. The Holmes on the Range series is a great mash-up of mystery and western. Cadaver in Chief: A Special Report from the Dawn of the Zombie Apocalypse was the funniest zombie book I ever read, which is probably why I liked it. (I normally do not like zombies.) So when the The White Magic Five & Dime came out I couldn’t wait to read it and I was not disappointed. The only way I could be disappointed is if this is the only one in the series.

Who is Steve Hockensmith?

Steve has the best author website. Period. You need to check it out. His tongue-in-cheek writing style grabs me every time. He started in journalism and moved to writing novels. Since his first book, Holmes on the Range, was a finalist for several prestigious writing awards I would say that was a good move. Besides writing adult mystery novels, he writes short stories, romzomcoms, (I had never heard this term but it is basically Jane Austin with zombies) and kid’s books. His series, starting with Nick and Tesla’s High-Voltage Danger Lab, and co-written with “Science Bob” Pflugfelder, are very popular with middle grade readers. I just finished the first one and loved it.

All in all I would say Steve is a writer with a capital W. He does what I think all authors need to do more of, write and publish fun books.

Why do I love this book?

The White Magic Five & Dime is a clever, slightly snarky, fun, twisty mystery. The main character thinks she is normal but she can’t escape her crazy childhood although she does a good job of trying. I liked how she struggled with who she thought she should be and who she really was. Plus her inner dialogue is pithy and cynical which is so fun to read.

All good mysteries have a hobby, or a profession to wrap the story around. This one used tarot cards. Steve didn’t know much about tarot so he co-wrote the books with a tarot expert, Lisa Falco. They did a great job incorporating tarot into the story. Different cards are explained throughout the book and they help illuminate or confuse the plot. I like tarot cards the for the same reason I like horoscopes, it is amazing how accurate they can be while being so vague. Using them in a mystery helps make the story more mysterious. Very cool.

Sticking a die-hard skeptic in a new-age town is a great way to add natural conflict to a story. Since I am a bit of a skeptic myself I loved her opinion of the people who visited vortexes and psychics. The setting of the town added to the story and to her fish-out-of-water mentality. This is a mystery I would gladly read again and again.

No book is perfect. This is what bugs me…

The only thing that bugs me is that the second one isn’t out yet. Write faster!

Why should you read this book?

If you like light mysteries that are really funny, well-written, clever, and edu-taining then this is the book for you. The best part is, even though there isn’t a second tarot card mystery out yet, you can read Steve’s other books like Holmes on the Range or Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls and enjoy more funny, clever stories.

A Quote worth Quoting

“A blind lady swinging a sword big enough for Conan the Barbarian seems like a bad idea. But look: this Justice has the traditional sword and scales but no blindfold. (her muumuu’s a lot spiffier than the usual toga, too, but that’s beside the point.) The implication: screw impartiality. If things are to work out as they should (and that’s what justice is really all about), the important thing is to look at the situation – and yourself – and truly see. Miss Chance Infinite Roads of Knowing” Steve Hockensmith, White Magic Five and Dime

I Love the Whipping Boy by Katherine Thomlinson

I read a lot of eBooks. When I moved to a small town with a really small library I started reading eBooks because a lot of them are free or almost free. I wish I could say you get what you pay for but for ninety-nine cents I might get the next great American novel or drivel so bad it wasn’t worth reading if they paid me. But I keep reading eBooks because nothing is more fun than finding a great book among all the rejects. Whipping Boy is one of the great ones. I took a chance since it was on sale and I loved it to pieces. It is a little rough around the edges, but the characters are fun, the mystery is intriguing, and the Hollywood name-dropping makes for a sassy story.

Who is KatherineThomlison?

I have no idea. She has no Amazon author page and there is nothing about her on Google except the titles of her books. She is published by Dark Valentine Press and they have no information about her either. I don’t mind, I enjoy a book whether or not I know anything about the author, but I find it interesting that in a world where an author platform is considered necessary that she has nothing.

Why do I love this book?

I enjoy mysteries but hate it when the characters are depressing or are dealing with problems that have nothing to do with the plot. In Whipping Boy the cast of characters are interesting, varied, and a little weird. Just what I like. The setting is in Los Angeles but the talk is all about the Oscars. The combination of hard-hitting police work and Hollywood gossip worked perfectly. There is a little romance, but it doesn’t overpower the story, it just provides a shiny ending.

No book is perfect. This is what bugs me…

The world of self-publishing has come a long way in a short time. When I worked at Borders six years ago I wouldn’t touch a self-published book and I didn’t recommend them to anyone either. Now I consider myself a self-published author and hope that I provide a quality story to my readers. But no matter how good of an editor an author uses the finished product is still going to feel like it was self-published or published at a small press.

I read tons of books. I read self-published eBooks because the price is right and I enjoy them a lot. I might read ten self-published books and then one traditionally published book. When I read the traditional book I feel like a weight has been lifted off my chest and I can breathe again. The writing is just that much better. Don’t get me wrong. I think self-published authors can write a great book. But they never seem to have the polish of a traditionally published book.

What I can’t figure out is why. Is there really something in the water of New York City that causes the editors of the big publishers to put out a better book? Is it because the big publishers have more money to spend on editors and cover art? I love the plots of a lot of the eBooks I read and I think the quality is fine. I just wish I could figure out what they are missing that makes them feel slightly different than a traditionally published book. Perhaps someday the difference could be erased and a utopian book world would emerge, benefiting both the reader and the writer. Or perhaps a self-published book is supposed to feel different. What do you think?

Why should you read this book?

If you like to read mysteries and want to get them for a bargain than I suggest you try eBooks. If you want a mystery that is has quirky characters and a fast-moving plot then check out Whipping Boy. I am waiting for the next one in the series and wish it would come out sooner. You will, too.

A Quote Worth Quoting

“One of the things that was spelled out right in the job description of an LAPD criminalist was the warning that you’d often work under “unpleasant conditions.” That was an understatement. I once took a pair of dress slacks to the dry cleaners to have a stain removed. “What exactly is that?” the woman processing the clothes asked. Brain matter and bile, most likely. “Not sure,” I said. “Something organic.” Katherine Tomlinson Whipping Boy