S.R. Karfelt's Blog, page 27

The Dirty Parts

S. R. Karfelt The Glitter Globe



So who remembers Ma’s advice from the Little House books? “Lest said, soonest mended.” I shall not be following that advice today.

Nope. I have my can of worms. I have my opener. Here we go.

Whether you’re a reader or a writer, this concerns you. If you’re not a reader or a writer, why the heck are you here? Get back to whatever people who don’t read or write do. I heard a rumor that you kind of people have lives. Get on with it. Although today I’m talking about sex and swearing in novels. If you have an opinion about that, by all means join the fray.

Here are some questions to get the wormy ball rolling.Do you think that books should reflect real life?Do you swear? Ever?Have you ever heard someone swear in real life?I’m so not going to ask you about your sex life. #IDon’tCareAlthough I will ask if you are aware that some humans engage in sex?


Let’s address the first question. Do you think that books should reflect real life? It Jeltovskidepends on the book, right? There are piles of them. It’s like that so you can pick and choose what you like. I like real life story lines to an extent. If I wanted my books to be purely factual, I’d be writing Non-Fiction. So now we get into that whole messy opinion section of life choices. Personal preferences. A personal preference in reading material is probably as varied as personal preferences in writing books.

Good thing there are so many choices out there!

It’s weird to write a fiction book because it is mandatory to get your facts straight, even when you’re writing a story about people who are completely fictional. Characters in books might have abilities human beings don’t really even have, but many basic facts are still important to get right. For example when I put a fictional character in the Marine Corps, I want my readers to fall into the story and believe this story could feasibly happen. That means when I write I apply somewhat believable scenarios and dialogue to the best of my ability.

JPPINow whether you swear or not, would you believe me if I told you that some Marines do swear? Sure I could have still chosen not to put swearing in my book about a female marine in the corp. I know other writers who do that well; I could have gone with they swore or some such roundabout way. The fact is, in my opinion, the dialogue needed some cussing. I work hard on dialogue. Yes, I sit in my office and read every word out loud again and again. In some books it is easily avoided, but after about six months of stressing over it, and knowing in my writerly heart that swearing belonged in the book I was writing, I decided to go there.

Sex. It’s another big ole can of worms in writing, isn’t it? Let’s open it, shall we? Does it belong in novels? Well, that’s debatable isn’t it? And it depends on the type of book doesn’t it?

S. R. KarfeltI’ve been asked since the release of my second book, BLANK A Shieldmaiden’s Voice, what my criteria for putting sex into that book was. In Warrior of the Ages it was kept from the audience as quietly as it was in the book Gone with the Wind. You could almost hear the curtain drop in scenes from Gone with the Wind. Rhett carries Scarlett up the spiral staircase and....stuff happens behind the curtain. Readers know when stuff happens behind the curtain, but they don’t always need to see it. Sometimes less is more.


And sometimes sex is crucial to the story line. It was for my second book. It’s about a marriage, a long marriage. I did not have to go far for my research into a long marriage. I’ve lived it. I know where the bumps and twists in the road are. It was just a matter of amping it up a bit for fiction-size pain. In order to pry open this story about a marriage it was necessary to delve into what held this couple together and what tore them apart. That involved sex. And that was my criteria for putting sex into my book. It was relevant to forwarding the plot of the story.

Was it a risk to put sex into my books? Sure, but writing is a risk. When you do anything in life you might incite mob mentality and get yourself into trouble. If you’re a writer you have to decide whether you will hide your light from the mob, or whether you’ll wave it and let the mob have at you. Those are your choices once you step into the arena with a book you wrote. Welcome, fellow Gladiators, put your neck right here…your neck being a metaphor for your book of course.

But don’t you just love people who wave their light at the pitchfork wielding mob and shout, “Bite me!” You know you love them, even if you’re carrying a torch for the mob, even if you just love to hate them, you love them. Now I’m not yelling bite me, but I am owning my work. I consciously write my stories, and I live with the consequences. When I am asked by other writers about how much swearing or sex is too much to put into writing, I recommend writing as you’re so inspired, but editing with your conscience. If you don’t agree with that, well, you can just bite me.


S. R. KarfeltWhere do you draw the line in your writing/reading material? Do you dare write outside your comfort zone? Why or why not? How far into the arena will you go? And if you're going to tell me that you can't write about sex because it is against your religion, please fill me in on what religions involve people who don't have sex. I want to know. 

Uber Cool

S. R. Karfelt


On a recent trip to Nashville I just couldn’t bring myself to rent a car with the over $1,000 price tag attached to it. Car rental prices fluctuate wildly, but that was just a bit too wild for me. I’ve actually purchased vehicles for half that price. That grand wasn’t for a cool car either, that price was for a Matchbox sized vehicle for nine days.


More often than not I don’t even bother renting a car unless it’s a driving city like Orlando, or if I have to drive from San Francisco to L.A., or cruise through the desert in a convertible. (Okay, I did that once, but I’m still living off that high.) A lot of cities have good public transportation (Portland, OR—you rock) or are excellent walking cities (Santa Fe, NM) at least if you’re attending a conference they are. Because then you don’t have much time to explore outside the city anyway.


But sometimes you simply need a car that doesn't cost $1,000!


After examining maps of Nashville I determined that I could get around via shuttle and taxi, or occasionally bumming a ride with friends. Then in the first five days my schedule required me to change hotels four times. (You do not want to do that unless you want to spend a good portion of your sleeping time repacking everything.) I was quickly regretting the lack of a vehicle. Only one of my hotels offered shuttle service, and getting a taxi was a bit of a challenge when I stayed with a friend in the suburbs.


This Uber driver is a writer too!
Um, and a musician, it was Nashville!Someone recommended I try Uber. “What is Uber?” I cluelessly asked. Please keep in mind I don’t get out much. Seriously, I’m a writer. Most of my time is spent drinking iced tea and writing in an alternate universe (my head). Somehow I’d managed to bounce around the conference circuit without hearing of them. But here’s the low down on Uber, it’s a transportation company and my dream come true. You install an app on your Smartphone, plug in your personal information, and when you need a ride you click the app. Using GPS capability a car appears for you.

Voilà


The longest I had to wait for an Uber was five minutes.


After you click the app for a car, you see a map of the area on your phone and the location of the inbound vehicle. You want to be in the elevator leaving the hotel when you click for a car, usually it took two minutes. A picture of your driver appears with her name, and the license plate of the vehicle. You can insert your picture in there too, to help them locate you. My drivers called my cell about the time I could see their car, so they could find me easier.

It was magic.


The cost? The first ride is free. Really. They know you’ll soon be hooked. I had some rides that were $5-$7. The most expensive one was $45, it was a long haul out to the airport from my last hotel. Grand total for my entire trip? About $150, way less than the $1,000 rental car. The charge goes automatically to your credit card too, so you don’t have to worry about keeping cash on hand like you do for taxis. Oh, and don’t call Ubers taxis. My first driver corrected me on that.


Mary took me to the airportThere’s another company called Lyft that offers the same type of service. They’re the ones with the pink moustaches on the cars. I didn’t have a chance to try them. The Uber vehicles were very nice, spotlessly clean, and the drivers were extremely helpful. I highly recommend them. Of all the apps that I have on my phone, hands down this is the only one that has actually simplified my life.


What do you think? Are you into it? Going to try them? And more importantly, do you have an app that has simplified your life? Because it couldn't possibly be cooler than Uber. 

Cover Reveal—The Angel Of Elydria by A.R. Meyering

Blue Harvest Creative is pleased to present our cover design for The Angel of Elydria, the first book in the Dawn Mirror Chronicles by BHC author A.R. Meyering. The Dawn Mirror Chronicles is a series that has action, adventure, fantasy as well as elements of steampunk.

Ashamed of My Generation

Pedrojperez

Since I’m a novelist and Dear Hubby has his own small business, our free time would fit into the period at the end of this sentence. In other words, there is no spare time. We steal time away from our epic to-do lists and occasionally sleep, go to a late movie, or see whatever concert comes within driving distance. Last year we saw both Motley Crew and Herman’s Hermits just because they were nearby. I’m totally a Herman’s Hermits fan now.

You do know what happens to people who don’t get out much, right? It’s like when I’m eating vegan and I happen to be traveling somewhere and my only food option isn’t vegan. After every bite I bellow, “OH MY GOD! THIS IS FANTASTIC!” Dear Hubby just shakes his head, “Yeah, real food tastes good.”  And I’m all, “SERIOUSLY! This is soooo good! Taste this!”* It’s sorta the same thing when we finally get to go out. You know, a little Thelma and Louise, a little tween without adult supervision, a little someone left the gate open all mixed together.

In other words we stand up at rock concerts. Kinda wild, right? Apparently it is. Somewhere between birthing our first child and when we could afford to go to concerts again, everyone else got tired and sat down. What's that about?

PedrojperezIf the people behind me fuss, I will sit down. Sometimes people can’t stand up, but that certainly isn’t usually the case. It’s mostly that they’re just not into interactive fun. They’re just digging Bat out of Hell from their lawn chair. Is this what television has done to us? Turned us into passive voyeurs? Entertain me but I cannot move…

Dear Hubby tries to reform rock concert sitters. “The Beach Boys are older than my Grandparents! They’re standing! Get up! Show some respect!” “Come on! It’s Bob Dylan! Stand for the legends!” “Joe Cocker is dancing! This isn’t your living room! Stand up!” Of course this means that I occasionally feel the necessity to apologize after the concert. “Sorry, we don’t get out much.” Dear Hubby fusses all the way home. “What’s wrong with these people? Did you see the guy with the walker? He was standing up!”

After a particularly colorful Boston concert—during which I kid you not, a woman who looked like Mrs. Brady sat in her seat picking things out of her pocketbook to whip at those people standing up in the rows in front of her**—I pointed out to Dear Hubby that maybe we could go see some newer music once in a while. I’m a huge Alternative Rock fan, I appreciate Classic Rock, but I like to hear new stuff. I’m dying to see Muse, Vampire Weekend, and Imagine Dragons in concert—even Blue October, The Black Keys, or Mumford and Sons! But we can’t afford Lollapalooza in Brazil. Like ever. I so hate the reality of mathematics.

But the Goo Goo Dollscame within driving distance, with Plain White T’s! Goo Goo Dolls aren’t exactly new, but still, I haven’t heard all of their songs a bazillion times! Dear Hubby cracked me up too. At the concert he was all, “They’ve been around twenty years? I guess I’ve been really busy.” But from the second the first band walked onto the stage everyone STOOD UP and they remained standing the entire concert. This was epic for us and sort of payback for me—since I have wicked shin splints right now, but I stood despite it!

Dear Hubby bellowed at some point, “I’m ashamed of my generation! People still stand up at concerts! Just not my generation!” We debated it later, why life loses its thrill or why we forget to have fun. For some reason it reminds me of that Dumbledore quote.

Pyglori CafeYouth cannot know how age thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young…

No matter what your age, have you forgotten how to have fun? Are you a concert sitter? Physical limitations aside, give me one good reason why?




***
*Vegan food is quite tasty, except if you’re me and soon deteriorate into Crispin Apples and natural peanut butter for dinner every night. So don’t send me vegan hate mail. Do feel free to cook me a delicious vegan meal if you are so inclined.

**The rock concert standing rule everywhere we’ve gone is that you can stand in front of your own chair the entire time if you like. Security had to drag away the lady whipping the contents of her purse at people. She was awesome at it. Whenever people looked, she’d put on a totally innocent face. It was like middle school study hall. 

Glittercaso - Insomnia Art

Brainado. Brainados often hit at night.



On my phone. That ought to be quick. Excellent idea!



Plenty more coming tonight.



Eye Know Left. It's funny at 3:00 a.m.



One Thousand Seven Word Scene.



Good thing Dear Hubby can sleep through anything.
I'm too tired to remember about that mute button thingy.



Elf rum anapping grasses? Looks like a bestseller!
Sometimes things look different in the light, surely not this time though.



Suck it, Autocorrect.



Jurassic Snoring


Seriously? No wonder I don't sleep at night! Dream Talk is an excellent
app for snorers who don't believe they do it. I shall prove it this time!


So jealous! I want to be the annoying snorer!



My insomnia is pretty much all Neil Gaiman's fault. Afraid to sleep.
Last night I dreamed about melting Golden Retrievers. Totally his fault.



If I can't sleep, I will continue to write. Forever. There will never be any
melting dogs in my work. Ever. 


I'm in desperate need of an unmelted dog. He would need to be a
night owl. We could keep each other company.

Fifty Shades of Baaaaaaaa

Photo Credit: Artist wishes to remain anonymous for some reason



Admittedly my first reaction to Fifty Shades of Grey was humor—replacing the vampire from Twilight with a kinky megalomaniac billionaire dude hardly affected the storyline. It cracked me up. I laughed off and on which I’m sure wasn’t how most readers read the book, but I just couldn’t get past the Twilightsimilarities.

When I finished the book I literally threw it across the room in anger. As a mother with daughters I wasn’t so enamored with Christian Grey. I thought he needed fifty shades of angry Mama smack down.

Was I shocked by the BDSM? No. Appalled? No. Titillated? Nope. (I'm more of an Outlander or even Lady Chatterly's Lover fan.) Did I think Ana Steele was the stupidest woman in fiction? Yes. So why did I pick up the next two books to read? I wanted to see how it ended! I knew Ana Steele was going to be stupid enough to go back to him, and I was hoping that Christian Grey would get what was coming to him. It was a futile hope. But after I read the second book explaining the background of Christian Grey I began to like the books, and was able to separate it from Twilight and get into the story more. I love perspective and how if you see something from other people’s perspectives it affects yours.

When you see why Christian Grey is like he is, his predilections begin to make sense. He’s damaged. Ana Steele is stupid in love. Actually what I meant is Ana Steele is stupid. But it’s just a story. What bothers me about Fifty Shades of Grey seems to be far removed from what I see other people blogging about. What bothers me is our SHEEPle reaction to it.

Has anyone else ever noticed that a lot of the material goods we tout as the best things to have, or the pricier foods we sometimes enjoy, and even most of the popular places in the world to visit, were all things, food, or places referred to by James Bond in the Bond movies? I wonder, was James Bond living the fantasy of his time or did he sell us the fantasy?

Doesn’t really matter I suppose because we bought it hook line and sinker, or should I say diamonds, Aston-Martins, and Monte Carlo? You have none of the above? How about a mobile phone, some Bollinger champagne, or an Omega watch? There’s actually a book called Selling James Bond by Tanya Nitins, and it is staggering how much shtuff those movies sold us on over the decades. What bothers me about Fifty Shades isn’t the lusting that goes on between Ana and Christian—they’re consensual adults. As a matter of fact Ana is by today’s standards a good girl. (She only went with one man and she married him.) What bothers me about Fifty Shades is that it further perpetuates discontent about what we want and need to be happy.

Plus I know the marketing tie-ins will be painful. (Har, get it?)


Photo Credit: Another anonymous and painful bit of artwork





















It’s not the shtuff that really bothers me though. So Jimmy Choo, Louboutin away if you like. We’re all free to waste our money how we please. What bothers me is the bill of goods selling perfect-looking, filthy rich, megalomaniac billionaires as an ideal. What guy can compete with that? Let's hope they don't try. And what about flawless women so devoted to her man’s dark desires that he can beat her. I’ve never had a megalomaniac billionaire who beats me so I’m hypothesizing here, but I’m guessing the real thing would be horribly high-maintenance. And I’m not a flawless woman devoted to my guy’s dark desires, and if anyone hits me the fur is gonna fly, so once again this is conjecture but I have a feeling that a woman like that would be a tad needy. And any real woman who twists her true self into knots to act like Ana Steele for someone—well, I’m sorry for her. I predict the pain would be legion, but the regret would be larger.
When we get too caught up in anyone else’s love life—whether it be the Fifty Shades of Grey idea of romance, Twilight, or the latest couple’s gossip from Hollywood—we’re missing out on all the real loving that could be going on in our own lives.

To me that’s the problem, and that’s not any book’s fault. And the sad thing is all of those things—junk from the mall or fantasy relationships—is really just snake oil. Nobody else should tell you what you need to be happy. You have to figure that out for yourself. Don’t let anybody sell you your fantasy. Make your own. 

Why I Joined A Cartel – A Conversation with my Muse

Photo Credit: HotBlack




SRK: You know what the toughest most frustrating part of writing is?
MUSE: Is it the years you spent drafting, writing and rewriting that six book series that spans worlds? Remember how every time you thought it was finished I’d come up with an even better idea that affected every single book in the series, and you’d have to chop and change every book over and over again? That was so much fun. I know that wasn’t the frustrating part.
SRK: Yeah, that was a blast. I wasn’t thinking of that part.
MUSE: If you roll your eyes at me again I’ll come up with a story thread that will require you to pull and edit the published books.
SRK: That was just a tick.
MUSE: Was it the two years you spent trying to get that series published in the CBA? Because when I want steamy scenes in novels, you will do what I want, or I’ll put them in your head when you’re kissing your husband—and I know he knows when you’re thinking about racy scenes with Kahtar.
SRK: Hey, that could have worked out with the CBA! Those books tackle good and evil, light and darkness, and Kahtar was even at the crucifixion! You have clans of people who follow the exact same ten laws and some are utopian and some are dystopian! That series is a perfect parable for religion in the real world!
MUSE: And Kahtar is totally hot. I mean an ancient-immortal, totally buff virgin bachelor…did you really think churches everywhere would clamor to put that on their shelves?
SRK: Yeah. Well…whatever. It was only two years wasted. Not even quite two.
MUSE: You’re going to say the most frustrating part of writing is editing, aren’t you? Editing is so boring. You can’t blame editing on your muse. Plus I always try to give you really good story ideas for other books while you and your editor are working, so you don’t get bored.
SRK: Yeah, it’s not editing, but thanks a lot for that. It’s only completely distracting when you do that, I want you to know. Editing requires focus.
MUSE: Whatever. Like being a muse doesn’t. I give up, and you’re starting to bore me with this. What’s the most frustrating part of writing?
SRK: The most frustrating part of writing is after all the work that goes into a book, that so few readers leave a book review. Without book reviews you sell less books. When you sell less books, it’s kinda hard to get the next book published.
MUSE: Writing book reviews is boring. Readers don’t like homework. They bought your book; they read it, why do you have to be so needy?
SRK: I understand that, but they’d like to have the next book in the series and a review makes that happen. Besides, a review doesn’t need to be a book report. One or two lines are plenty. But even getting a reader to do that is ridiculous. Once a friend of a friend asked me to bring them a candy bar from another country and I said I’d bring it if they’d put up a review of my book up on Amazon. (I knew they’d read it! They were pestering me via the friend of a friend about when the next book was coming out.)
MUSE: Did they do it?
SRK: Yeah, and that was the most reliable approach I found to getting reviews. But you can’t bribe people. It’s not ethical. Besides when you give your friend a candy bar to give to their other friend, your friend eats it.
MUSE: Are you telling me we’re not writing the next book in the series together? Is that what this is all about?
SRK: No. I’m telling you why I joined a cartel. It’s a place called Story Cartel, and they have readers who like to write reviews! I made a deal with Story Cartel that they can share my newest book with their readers—and in exchange for that, every one of those readers will write a review of BLANK: A Shieldmaiden’s Voice.
MUSE: How did Story Cartel find readers who like to write reviews? S. R. Karfelt
SRK: Actually anybody can join Story Cartel. Readers can download brand new books and books that haven’t even been published yet for free, and all they have to do is promise to read it and write a review within a month.
MUSE: What if they don’t do it? What if they just take the free book and never write a review? What happens then?
SRK: It’s a cartel. What do you think happens?
MUES: Oooo! I like Story Cartel.

SRK: Me too. 

Defending the Caveman

Photo Credit: DMedina



If I were to boil down my long marriage in search of the glue that keeps it together, I think in the bottom of the pot I’d find some remnants of a one man show called Defending the Caveman. The first time Dear Hubby and I saw the show was in the first decade of marriage. We’ve seen it countless times at this point. It traveled the country, and right now it’s in Vegas on a regular basis. We took a grown daughter to see it recently. She loved it.


Back when I spotted an advertisement for it in The Dallas Morning News. It caught my eye because it was touted as the equivalent to years of marriage counseling. Why is it that women are so often interested in going to marriage counseling but men back off with that Don’t Stir the Pot look of terror in their eyes? Dear Hubby only agreed to see the show because it was at a Comedy Club. I was jazzed because I knew it would be the closest I’d get to counseling and I was enthusiastic, hoping that he’d realize what a savage he was and stop it.




The show started out with a short video showing a married couple in the throes of the usual situations—namely messy barbarian versus civilized female. You know the drill. One scene that particularly stuck in my head involved a woman trying on outfit after outfit to go out, and the guy digging through the hamper and sniffing his shirts. The women in the audience were in hysterics. Most of the men were nodding somewhat abashed. Of course mine whispered, “Oh come on! You never do that?” No, hon, never. The video culminated with woman after woman espousing for the camera, “He’s such an asshole!” And the screen showed shots of plenty of back-up evidence to the statement. It brought the house down to thunderous applause—all the women were now on board.



At that point Rob Becker, the creator of the show would come out and talk. The first thing I remember him saying—after he could speak over the cheering and laughter—was, “If that had said all women are bitches, this place would be on fire right now.” Um, how true is that? The gist of the show is simple. In the beginning men were cavemen, hunters of the tribe. The women were cavewomen, the gatherers of the tribe. We’re still hardwired for these tasks, and as Rob Becker presented his evidence for the case it rang true.


One example was shopping, and I’ll paraphrase and add some glitter here. You might have a situation where a man goes to the grocery store for bread. An hour later he returns with bread, possibly frustrated and disappointed to discover there is nothing to put on it at home. “But you were at the grocery store,” you say. “But you told me to get bread,” he says.

Hunter. Mission Accomplished. 


You didn’t tell him to bring meat. Grunt. Now the woman goes to the grocery store for bread. An hour and $200 later she returns home. She needs help unloading the haul. “Why did you buy Easter candy? It's July,” Husband says. She responds, “I got that entire bag for $4. I’ll freeze it. Easter will come again, someday.” Husband grunts, and carries in the bags of groceries, Easter candy, and one bag full of knitted wool hats. He didn’t even know they sold wool hats at the grocery store. Especially in July! 


Gatherer. Mission Accomplished.

Another huge difference between the Hunter and Gatherer is communication. The hunters negotiate. Who will chase the mammoth? Who will spear the mammoth? You can’t all spear it, and if you got to do it last time, forget it. There is arguing. Someone wins, someone loses. It’s different with the gatherers. They cooperate. Who feels like going into the swamps to gather herbs? It will be wet, cold, and miserable. Perhaps they should all go together and share the burden. It would be fair, and faster. This worked for the entire clan. But over time the hunters and gatherers began to work together. This is when problems came in.



My favorite example directly from the show happens at a party. It’s crowded and busy and took a lot of effort to prepare for, but everyone is having fun. The chip bowl is empty. The husband is heading for the kitchen to get something. The wife whispers, “The chip bowl is empty.” The husband glances at it and responds, “I filled it last time.” I think we can guess what seven letter name the wife is thinking about calling him then.


The thing is if it were all guys the situation is likely to go as follows. The chip bowl is empty. Everyone waits for someone else to fill it. Finally the dip is turning. Al says to Bob, “Go get more chips.” Bob says, “I got the beer.” Carl chimes in, “I boughtthe beer.” Dave says, “I bought the chips.” Eric says, “I pay the cable bill, and this is my house you’re trashing.” Everyone looks at Frank, who’s got nothing, and stands up to go get the chips. 


Life is good. Negotiation complete. All is fair.

Now let’s say it’s a party of all women. The chip bowl is almost empty. Alice says, “We need more chips!” and rises. Betty says, “No, I’ll get them!” Cindy hops up, “Let me!” Dina grabs the bowl. Emily wipes chip crumbs off the table into her hand. Francesca leads the way, and they all go into the kitchen together. 


Life is good. Cooperation accomplished. All is fair.

After Dear Hubby and I saw Defending the Caveman the first time I remember my face hurt from smiling and laughing so much. Over the years and now decades we’ve seen ourselves and each other in the hunter-gatherer and negotiator-cooperator roles quite often. We’ve seen the show many times with friends and family. There was a rumor that Rob Becker had offers to sell the show to HBO or a movie or something. The rumor went that he never did because everyone wanted to take out or change the ending, which is serious. It’s a charge to respect the differences in your mate, and basically to be mindful of their ways when you’re negotiating the world together.


It’s a proclamation that men are notassholes. After many years with mine, I concur. They are not. They’re some kind of wonderful.


If you ever have the opportunity, I can’t recommend seeing this show enough. I wanted my husband to realize he’s a savage and stop it and left Defending the Caveman realizing we’re both savages in our own ways. It’s like getting a user manual for the opposite sex. Interested?

Green Green Green

Check it Out!



For those of you into quantum leaps and deadly missions and revealing the saboteur in a matrix of homicidal genius, I might have your favorite summer book LINK HERE.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Photo Credit: HotBlack




Outlander is a novel by Diana Gabaldon. It’s about a WWII nurse on a second honeymoon in Scotland who travels through a henge (think Stonehenge) and arrives in the 1700’s. This book has a rabid following, and is actually a series of full length novels. Outlander is difficult to quantify because it is so many things. It’s Action Adventure and Historical and has one of the best romances ever penned. It’s also going to be a Starz series later this summer, so hurry up and read it because once you see a book in film—with actors—you might lose that objectivity that really connects you to the characters in a story.

Someone asked me recently why I liked this book. I’m not a big fan of romance per se. Actually, I love romance, but a book has to have more—like some Tarzan action adventure for instance. Outlander does that for me, and it’s one of those rare novels that really transport you. You will experience the book, and not all the experiences are pleasant, but it is that total immersion into story that really sells me on a novel. The first time I read the book was in the late 90’s. The second time—well over a decade later—I enjoyed it every bit as much.

What really grabs me about Outlander is that the characters come alive. Writing dialogue with accent is considered a fiction no-no because it is the very rare author who can do it well. Diana Gabaldon nails it. You will hear every word spoken in this book, and you will see every action clearly. You will feel what Claire feels, not to mention the frustration she inspires in those around her, and you will be in 17th Century Scotland.


Occasionally some of the actions in the book raise protest from readers—spanking children, spanking wives, and various other abuses. The reason for the protests is that the perpetrators of these actions are not always the bad guys. The good guys do plenty of barbaric things that would get them in a heap of trouble in the 21st Century. The thing is, this story is in the 17thCentury, and that world is not our world. Truth in fiction is not politically correct, but it strikes me as incredibly important. Always pretending that the whole world is Disney perfect serves no one, and seems far more dangerous than the truth is.

Today most current fiction is written to engage and hook the reader in the first paragraph. It’s written that way for our impatient and instant gratification world. Outlander has a bit of a slow start by the latest standards, but you won’t want to have missed a word of it as the story begins to unfold. There are no wasted details in this epic tale. If you enjoy reading, this is one you do not want to miss. It’s for adults, both male and female, and if you’ve already read it, please leave your thoughts in the comments below.