Steven E. Wedel's Blog, page 34
May 19, 2012
Werewolves have new den
Yesterday on Oklahoma Live, broadcast by KSBI TV, I announced who will take on publication of The Werewolf Saga. I’m very proud to say that the Saga’s new home is with Graveside Tales, and I’d like to thank Dale Murphy for adding my books to his excellent line-up.
Some details are still being firmed up, but I can say that Dale plans a revamping of the company and The Werewolf Saga will figure prominently in that. The plan at the moment is to re-introduce Shara and Ulrik first in serialized nov...
May 13, 2012
Review: Catching Fire
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Overall a fantastic continuation of The Hunger Games. The method used to get Katniss and Peeta back into the arena was plausible enough, and we meet some interesting new characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it to the point I had a hard time putting it down. I can’t remember the last time I got through a book so quickly.
That said, by the end of this one, Katniss’s blockheadedness was beginning to wear on me. Her persistent pessimism and sus...
May 8, 2012
News on 3 fronts
I finally have some new publication news. I guess I’ll list it chronologically, beginning with the one coming first.
Little Graveyard on the Prairie will be available by May 31 as an audiobook, narrated by Ted Brooks, published through Audible.com’s ACX program. This will be my first audiobook, which would be exciting enough since I’ve become so addicted to audio, but when I heard Ted’s sample reading I was simply blown away. It’s going to be fantastic!
The Werewolf Saga books have been picked...
May 4, 2012
Review: Poison Study
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The biggest problem with this book was the lack of copy editing. There were a lot of punctuation errors, but more irritating was the fact the wooden staff used in martial arts is spelled “bo”, not “bow” like on a birthday gift. That aside, it was a pretty decent story, though fairly predictable. Things came too easily for Yelena, our trusty food taster turned warrior magician. Any time she needs something, there it is, whether accidenta...
April 16, 2012
Audible.com’s ACX program
I became hooked on audio books a few years ago because there just isn’t enough time in the day to read everything I want to read. There is, however, a lot of time spent doing pretty mindless, mechanical tasks, like mowing the lawn, washing dishes, driving, etc. That’s when I first signed up with Audible.com. Since then, I’ve greatly increased my “reading” intake of new books and old favorites. My recent review of The Hunger Games, for instance, was based on the audio book.
With this new love f...
April 14, 2012
Review: The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Most of the students had read this one, and several of my co-workers, and the premise sounded interesting, so I decided to give it a try. I’m very glad I did! This is the best book I’ve read so far this year. It wasn’t perfect; a few things seemed to come a little too easily for Katniss, but overall it was a really fun read and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
One thing I have to comment on was the grosling Katniss k...
March 31, 2012
Review: Anita
Anita by Keith Roberts
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Not what I was expecting. I thought I was in for a novel, but what I got instead was a chronological series of stories about the young witch Anita and her cranky old granny. Some of the stories were better than others, so it was a bit uneven. It was an enjoyable read, but not one I plan to revisit. If you like modern teen stories about witches etc., this will show you how it was done old-school.
Advice for Young Writers
Some of the authors who'll be with me on the tour of Pioneer Library System's libraries this summer have experienced the dream for writers: Write your first book, have it accepted quickly by a major publisher and earn critical acclaim and commercial success instantly. I was asked to join in part because that is NOT my story. I've been doing it the hard way, with lots of dead ends that had to be retraced.
I decided I wanted a career as a writer during my senior year of high school, 1983-84. At ...
March 18, 2012
Review: Riders of the Purple Sage
Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz If you come to this book hoping for a rip-snortin' classic Western, pass it by. What you're in for is pages and pages of repetitive description and second-hand action. The action sequences was the most frustrating part of the read. Gray would build up to them, then wouldn't show the action. Instead, he'd have the person who did the action (or sometimes just saw it) come back and tell...
March 15, 2012
Summer Library Tour
It's shaping up to be a fun and busy summer. I've just signed on to do seven stops on a tour of the Pioneer Library System here in Central Oklahoma. Here's a summary of what's going on:
Shapeshifters, Sorcerers, and Spirits, Oh MY! Delve into the mysteries of paranormal and fantasy fiction with popular young adult authors: Sonia Gensler (The Revenant), Tessa Gratton (Blood Magic), Tara Hudson (Hereafter), Sharon Sala (My Lunatic Life), and Steven E. Wedel (After Obsession, and Murdered by...
