Steven E. Wedel's Blog, page 28

Review: A Storm of Swords

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I can’t remember the last time I was so stunned by words on a page. I tell my high school students that literature is a conversation between the author and the reader, that each brings certain experiences and expectations to the conversation. George R.R. Martin insists on every once in a while standing up during the conversation and suddenly bitch-slapping the reader.

And as the sting fades, we forgive him and keep the conversati...

Revising Shara

When this head cold hasn’t made me too fuzzy to think straight I’ve been working on the new revision ofShara. The final revision ever. I think. Anyway, the recovered chapters are sure bringing back a lot of memories of the days when I wrote the first draft.

Just the formatting reminds me of how new the computer world was to me when I began this book.Shara was the first novel I wrote on a computer. My previous five had all been done on a typewriter or my Smith-Corona PWP-3 word processor, which...

Tails of the Pack Released

Sky Warrior Books has releasedTails of the Pack, my first (and so far only) attempt at being an anthology editor. This is the cover to the new e-book.

I’m very proud to have been able to include some great authors in this volume. Some names you may know, and others will likely be new to you. The stories range from humorous to mysterious to just plain gruesome. The only requirement was that the story have a shapeshifter in it. Most of those are wolves, but not all.

I posted the table of contest...

Final Word on Scrybe Press

This will be the last time I talk about the entity that was Scrybe Press in any way other than to categorize my books as “the old Scrybe Press editions.” After my earlier public complaints, I’d just like to say that my issues with the company and its owner have been resolved. I won’t go into details about it. I learned some things that were rather disturbing, but I was also reassured that for every less-than-upstanding person in the world there are others with a sense of decency and responsib...

Review: Romeo and Juliet: Shakespeare Appreciated: SmartPass Audio Education Study Guide

Romeo and Juliet: Shakespeare Appreciated: SmartPass Audio Education Study Guide by William Shakespeare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Yes, this was my first time to read Romeo and Juliet. What was the point? I knew the story. Well, that did make it a little hard to get into at first, but by the mid-point I was hooked and completely absorbed by the time we got to the tragic end.

As always, the Shakespeare Appreciated audio is fantastic. I couldn’t enjoy Shakespeare without this production company. I...

The Next Big Thing

I’ve been tagged to do this Next Big Thing blog several times and never bothered to do it. However, you just don’t say no to your long-time critique partner. So, when Gayleen Rabakukk asked me to participate, of course I had to do it. You should definitely check out Gayleen’s blog. She’s an author to watch in the near future.

What is the working title of your book?

This is sort of a tough one. I’m currently working on a new edition of my werewolf novelShara because it will be re-released along...

Review: Light in August

Light in August by William Faulkner

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is time I’d like to have back to read something else. As an author and English teacher I felt guilty because I’d never made myself sit through a William Faulkner novel. Sure, I like “A Rose for Emily” and teach it regularly, but every time I’ve tried to read one of his novels I put it down after a couple of chapters. This time I stuck with it to the end.

A few things happen in this book. I’m not sure you can say a story takes pl...

Review: The Return of the King

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It’s been close to 20 years since I last read The Lord of the Rings. Today I finished The Return of the King again … and am maybe more impressed now than all the times before. Okay, except the first.

The last time I read these books I was still working as a machinist, hiding the paperbacks in a drawer of my toolbox because reading while the machine ran was forbidden. Since then I have earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, h...

A Wedding and Reflections

My oldest son, Alex, got married to a wonderful young woman yesterday. There were many, many memorable moments during the ceremony and reception, not the least of which was the look in Mika’s eyes as she stood facing Alex before they said their vows. The love and happiness seemed to come off her in waves. It was an incredible sight. I don’t have a picture of that because it was during the ceremony, but this is the newlyweds listening to the toast from the best man.

This is another of the high...

Weird dream

I had a really weird dreams last night. I was trying to get to my childhood home, but there was a gorilla from Planet of the Apes at the corner and he wouldn’t let me pass. So I went a block north to the next street and started going that way, figuring I’d cut through yards when I got even with my old house. There was no wind or anything, but about halfway there I was bent forward fighting against something pushing me back, struggling to walk. Then I woke up.

I’m sure that means something. Pro...