J.B. Garner's Blog, page 14

Book News … AUDIObook News: Don’t Just Read The Opening Bell! Listen To It!

Reading books is grand, but listening to the action can be just as awesome!

So if you were curious about The Opening Bell but you didn’t have the time to read it, you can now listen to it!  Buy it now from the Audible store, and soon to be available from Amazon as well!

Starving Review: Hungry for You (Haven Book 1) by Michelle Kay

Hungry for You (Haven Book 1) by Michelle Kay (Amazon, Goodreads)

While the more erotic end of romance fiction is rare in my extensive pantry, it certainly isn’t non-existent!  Today, as part of the Local Author Assault, it’s time to serve up Hungry for You, a contemporary erotic LGBT fantasy romance (that’s a lot of words!) done in the yaoi style of Japanese gay romance.  Will Hungry crystallize the visual style of the manga and anime it is inspired from into a written form or will it fall short?

Before we cut the romance cake, let us recount the vows of the Starving Reviewer:

I attempt to rate every book from the perspective of a fan of the genre
I attempt to make every review as spoiler-free as possible

Hungry fulfills what I believe to be the most critical ingredient of romance, erotic or not, and that is, well, a real romance.  The truth is that just because there is a romantic relationship during a meal, it doesn’t have to a good one.  There is a great attention to detail here in terms of romantic chemistry and, in general, the bonds of friendship.  Hungry examines a variety of romantic entanglements and relationships over the courses of the meal, both good and bad, and it handles them all with surprising delicacy and feeling.

Another part of the meal that Hungry is the core plot itself.  Again, a misstep I see from time to time in the romance and erotica genres is a tendency to forgo an actual plot to focus entirely on the romance (or sex, as the case may be).  There is an ongoing plot and a bit of world-building going on, setting the table well and helping to properly pace out the erotic and romantic scenes.  There is even a bit of well-done action to spice the entire dish up.

Though this meal is certainly a meal for adults, with no sugar-coating of the various sex scenes that take place, it never puts these scenes in for mere shock value or titillation.  Each erotic scene has a place in the overall plot and story as well, making them matter all the more.

There’s really not much more I can say without breaking the taboo of SPOILERS, so let’s wrap this up.  Hungry for You tops the list of erotic romantic meals, with dashes of action, fantasy, and real plot to make it flavorful!  If you have any interest in the yaoi manga genre, LGBT erotic romance, or urban fantasy with an erotic side, this is an essential meal to add to your menu.  However, above all, it is very much a gay erotic romance, with all that entails, and if that doesn’t interest you, you should leave this one in the pantry.

FINAL VERDICT: ***** (Topping the list of erotic romantic meals, with dashes of action, fantasy, and real plot to make it flavorful!)

Starving Interview: Michelle Kay, author of Hungry for You (Haven Book 1)

It’s landmark day in the Starving Review kitchens, as we conduct our first live interview with chef Michelle Kay, a local Gulf Bay author and subject of this week’s Starving Review with Hungry for You.  Let’s take a listen!

Starving Interview: Kimberly Amato, author of Steele Resolve

Happy Thursday!  Today, we catch up with a Starving Review alumni who is finally getting a chance to visit the kitchen for a sit-down.  Say hello to Kimberly Amato, author of Steele Resolve!

Please introduce yourself to my literary foodies!

I’m Kimberly Amato, author, avid reader, wife, video gamer, computer geek and proud auntie. In other words, an everyday person doing the best she can every day.

 

Do you do any work outside of the writing kitchen?  Any non-work interests?

I actually work for Stiegelbauer Associates, Inc, the company behind the Saturday Night Live sets and many other television/film/theater projects. I work in the office, handle the website, promotional materials, etc.  I am a member of SAG-AFTRA so I still audition for various parts or voice over projects.

 

What is your latest dish to be served up?  Are there any past pieces of literary cuisine you think we should take a bite out of?

Steele Resolve & Melting Steele are the first two books in the Jasmine Steele Detective Series. I am currently working on book 3 Breaking Steele and have been tinkering with In the Shadow of the Needle on the side.

 

What made you want to put on the chef’s hat and whip up your own books?

I needed to get these stories out of my head. I have so many pieces of paper littered about with ideas, script/book titles – I needed to finally sit down and put it all to the page. It was either that or let the stories/voices just run rampant in my noggin.

 

Do you have a genre of specialty or do you dabble?  Why?

I prefer to be genre-less. I know that sounds silly, but if I have an idea in my head the genre it fits into is the last thing I think about. I have a tendency to lean more towards crime, thriller and horror. That being said, I know I could write in other fields – if the idea came to me.

 

Style!  Every literary chef aspires to have their own unique one!  What do you think sets yours apart and why?

I think the introspective into the mind of the main character sets me apart. I want you to feel what they feel. Breathe when they breathe. Walk when they walk. I try to let the dialogue, inner thinking wrap itself around you and bring a wholly immersive feel to the project.

 

Even the best of us find inspiration is the dishes of others.  Do you have any literary inspirations, heroes, and influences?

King, Koontz, Cornwell… those are some of the fiction writers I follow. I admit I am addicted to reading a lot of non-fiction about crimes, scientific research in the field, and mysteries that will never be solved. I love seeing how the writer attempts to bring a murderer to justice when they will never be caught. Jack the Ripper, the Black Dhalia and the Zodiac Killer are ones I tend to read about most.

 

Let’s get into the meat and potatoes: the art and craft of writing itself!  Do you have a preference of points-of-view when you write?

Truthfully, I love the first personal POV. I have a Master’s Degree in Forensic Psychology so I love to delve into the minds of the characters I write. I do enjoy third person as well, as I can showcase a wider spectrum of emotion. One day I will write one with both aspects. Chapters written in the POV of the antagonist and other chapter’s third person from the protagonists POV.

 

Sparse or wordy, how do you like your descriptions served up?  Are you a Hemmingway man or do you like some saucy adjectives with your nouns?

I like straight forward and to the point. Sometimes wordy is needed, other times it weighs my story down to a crawl.

 

Picking off the menu of base literary conflicts, what’s your favorite and why?

I do enjoy intrapersonal conflict. It is the most human aspect of all stories, in my humble opinion. I like to try and have a conflict with criminals be the outer story with the intrapersonal conflict being a sub-plot.

 

What do you think is more important to your recipes, plot or characterization?  Why?

To me the character is the most important. Like any good movie, television series or novel – if the main character is unbelievable the story will falter. A person is more likely to allow something to fall in the “realm of disbelief” if the character is real.

 

We all know that the first taste means the most!  What do you do to get that first bite hook with your readers?

I like to have a forward that showcases some of the things that happened in previous books, but also has a feeling of everyday life. In the case of the Steele Series, I like to bring a normal scenario one can come across (a car accident, people staring at their phones at a coffee shop) and write about how it is perceived from Detective Steele’s point of view.

 

The most important of questions: Cake or pie?

Truthfully? Neither. I’m more of a cookie and Starbucks kind of girl.

 

Finally, if you could give one piece of advice to aspiring literary chefs out there, what would it be?

My high school English teacher Mr. Kalinowski read anything I could dish up. I went from being made fun of by my fellow classmates to being supported and constructively corrected by someone I admired. He was the first to support any drivel I wrote. Between him and my aunt (a published novelist herself) I have this inner confidence that I can do this.

The point of the above is simple – never give up. Never allow others to knock you down. Never move away from the goal you set for yourself. There will always be someone to tell you that your project is horrible. There are those who will love your work as well. People are fickle. Find those you trust to be honest, and let them read your work. Find the confidence in yourself and use that to block out all the darkness. The sun is much more beautiful place to be.

Get an editor… from experience… get a good editor.

Monday Musings: Fish Or Cut Bait a.k.a. Deciding What I Want To Be

This past week, I had a bit of an emotional snap.  A crisis of faith, an overload of frustration, or the straw that broke the camel’s back, any and all of those might be apt descriptions for my state of being at the time.  They say, and I agree, that being an author is a battle of attrition and the greatest asset needed to fight that battle is an abundance of stubborn determination, and my own supply seemed close to spent.

My closest friends sought to console me, bolster my confidence, and provide their own advice as to the cause of my problems.  What they concluded on I then put forward in a more clinical fashion to some of my colleagues.  Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised when they all fell into agreement.  It seemed that the ultimate cause of my issues was that I spread myself too thin.

You see, my foodies, it came down to a choice, one that I will paraphrase here: Do I wish to be the guy who supports authors and does work for them who does some writing on the side or the full-time author who also happens to be very supportive to other authors?  My fellow book bloggers out there who are consistently active in supporting and reviewing will understand, but for others, you may not realize how much time, energy, and resources goes into a consistent schedule of reviews, interviews, and advice.  A lot can go on behind the scenes, especially follow-up to reviews if the author is looking for deeper insights to your critiques.

Not only that, but my advocacy was crowding out my own writing not only in the matter of time, but in the matter of what some would call ‘branding’.  My book reviews and writing articles were drawing far more attention than my own works, the thing that actually is my primary career.  Instead of seguing from reading reviews or articles to then go on to the books themselves, the average visitor halts there.  J. B. Garner, Author, is lost behind the guise of the Starving Reviewer.

Does this mean the reviews and articles are stopping to be replaced by daily book promotions?  No, I’m not that kind of guy.  I have supported authors to try to pay it forward for those few that have done the same for me, and my conscience would be ill at ease if I abruptly cut off all those who are still waiting in my TBR list.  All the same, expect more content here to be directed or to reference my own works.  The fact is that I am an AUTHOR first and I must act like one, instead of the nice guy who pats other authors on the back.

Review: The Opening Bell by J.B. Garner

Another interesting and insightful review for The Opening Bell! Enjoy!

A Stranger's Guide To Novels

Title: The Opening Bell

Author: J.B. Garner

My rating: 3.75/5

Goodreads rating: 4.29/5

Genre: Fiction, Sports

Summary(Goodreads):

Leilana Ito knew her family had a long history in the wrestling world, but she never knew how much had been kept secret from her. When Leilana wanted to follow in the family footsteps, she was shocked when her father adamantly refused to let her proceed with no reason why. Leilana couldn’t deny the fighting spirit in her heart. Refusing his prohibition, she had no idea what terrible events her defiance would set into motion! Now a rookie wrestler in the heart of Oklahoma, Leilana faces ring rivalries, impossible odds, corporate machinations, and threats she could never imagine as she struggles to prove herself. As the truth behind her family’s history becomes clear, the stakes continue to rise. Will Leilana rise to the challenge and win it all or…

View original post 803 more words

Convention News: We Have A Table! a.k.a. On To Mobicon!

It’s time to stop being an observer and wanderer, and time to enter the trenches!

With that said, my first time in those trenches will be at Mobicon, the Mobile Comic Con, in May!  I’ll be right there at Booth #63 alongside a fellow author friend, Will Raspberry, who will be getting his first book out at the con.  Fantastic!

More information will be forthcoming as our preparations crank up.  There will be books, posters, and more!  Stay tuned!

Starving Review: Double Life (Raiza Book 1) by S. Usher Evans

Double Life (Raiza Book 1) by S. Usher Evans (Amazon, Smashwords)

A good literary chef knows that it’s wise to sample the local cuisine, to learn the flavors of your home. Today, I’ll be dipping into that local cuisine as we tuck into Double Life, the start of a space opera feast that promises exploration, space pirates, and bounty hunting galore.  Throwing off the strict measurements of a hard sci-fi recipe is usually a treat.  So does does Double Life do the local foodies’ proud or is it not up to snuff?

We’ll find out!  First, however, let’s bring up the logs of the U.S.S. Starving Review for our mission parameters:

I attempt to rate every book from the perspective of a fan of the genre
I attempt to make every review as spoiler-free as possible

I think the first thing to note about the menu here is that Double is a bit different than what you might immediately expect from the term ‘space opera’.  What I mean by that is that this particular meal dives a bit deeper into the spice jar of character drama over the straight action-adventure flavoring one might apply to typical space opera.  That isn’t to mean there isn’t any of those things, not at all!  But there’s a deeper layer here, a flavor ripple between the cakes so to speak, and that leads to a different composition and pacing when compared to simple space opera.

Character, accordingly, is Double’s strongest point.  The protagonist is full-realized and she has both strong and weak points, virtues and vices, leading to a solid character arc with plenty of room to march in subsequent volumes.  Likewise, several of the secondary characters get some room to shine.  I especially respect and like that a romantic subplot is not front and center.  The strongest relationships that are explored are, in fact, familial, straying wisely away from the formula that female protagonists need their leading man.

There’s also a lot of intriguing world-building going on here.  The foundation layers are firm, not too spongy, and add a nice subtext to many of the events of the plot.  The exploration of the economic backbone that drives the main action, as well as taking time to consider religion’s place in the characters’ lives, shows a nice attention to detail that many space operas gloss over.

That being said, there were a few moments of confusion when it came to that world.  There was one particular question that I kept asking myself that was never answered (it wasn’t about the plot, but a particular world detail) and, with such an emphasis on the economic reasons behind pirating, bounty hunting, and policing in Double’s world, I found it strangely difficult to really figure the ‘worth’ of the money changing hands (as in how much a unit of money was really worth).  Still, none of this caused more than a momentary bit of puzzlement and I doubt a casual diner will even notice.

With a slower first course and more layers of cake than a typical space opera, in summation, Double Life is still a delightful romp that takes the time to look more closely at its ingredients than most!  I would strongly recommend this to space opera fans, lovers of character-driven drama, and those who enjoy fully realized, female protagonists.  If all you want in your space opera is a pure action run or you are searching for crunchy hard sci-fi, you might want to look elsewhere.

FINAL VERDICT: **** (A slow first course, but a delightful romp all the same that dares to look deeper! )

Starving Interview: S. Usher Evans, Author of Double Life (Raiza Book 1)

We start off our Local Authors Extravaganza by inviting S. Usher Evans, author of the Raiza series among others, into the kitchen for a talk.  There’s no need for further preamble, so let’s crack into it, shall we?

Please introduce yourself to my literary foodies!

 Hi There! I’m S. Usher Evans, author, blogger, and witty banter aficionado. I write books about space pirates, anxiety dragons, and angsty lovers.

Do you do any work outside of the writing kitchen?  Any non-work interests?

I do not! I’m a full-time writer and sometimes freelance editor. My life is a combination of writing, editing, walking my dogs, knitting, and sleeping. And during 10 months out of the year, going to the beach.

What is your latest dish to be served up?  Are there any past pieces of literary cuisine you think we should take a bite out of?

My latest release is called The Island, and it’s an angsty little ditty about a prince and a pilot from warring nations who crash on an island and must work together to survive. Basically, Romeo and Juliet meet Lost, but without the smoke monster.

What made you want to put on the chef’s hat and whip up your own books?

I went through a quarter life crisis about two years ago where I decided I hated everything about my life. To do something for myself, I published Double Life, my first novel. Then I realized I could actually do this as a career.

Do you have a genre of specialty or do you dabble?  Why?

My first series was sci-fi, but I actually don’t like that genre, reading-wise. My preference in both writing and reading is fantasy.

Style!  Every literary chef aspires to have their own unique one!  What do you think sets yours apart and why?

The interesting thing about my writing is that each book has it’s own style and flavor. Razia‘s got a certain easy-going nature to it, Empath is a lot more introspective, the Madion War Trilogy is dark and bitter. But they all have my odd sense of humor, I think.

Even the best of us find inspiration is the dishes of others.  Do you have any literary inspirations, heroes, and influences?

From ages 11-20, the only thing I read was Harry Potter, so Our Lady of Scotland is one of my top literary heroes.

Let’s get into the meat and potatoes: the art and craft of writing itself!  Do you have a preference of points-of-view when you write?

When I day-dream a book, I rarely make a “decision” about POV or style or any of that. The book comes to me how the book comes to me.

Sparse or wordy, how do you like your descriptions served up?  Are you a Hemmingway man or do you like some saucy adjectives with your nouns?

I’ve never really considered it, to be honest. In my view, a book is a good book because it’s a good book, not because of an expertly placed adjective or a great combination of words on page 45. I think writers, especially new writers, get caught up in the whole “must do X and mustn’t do Y” that they forget to actually write the story.

Picking off the menu of base literary conflicts, what’s your favorite and why?

A conflict must have adequate resolution to the build-up. So if you’ve spent 100 pages telling us that the guy’s gonna die, then resolve it in a sentence, it’s a cheap ending.

What do you think is more important to your recipes, plot or characterization?  Why?

That’s like asking which is more important to a PB&J sandwich, the PB or the J. You can have great characters and a terrible plot, and a gripping plot and terrible characters, and the book still won’t be as good as it could be. You must make your characters interesting (that is, people will want to root for them or want them to fail, depending on your desires) and the plot must be tempting enough to continue.

We all know that the first taste means the most!  What do you do to get that first bite hook with your readers?

Depends on the book (are you sensing a theme to my answers here? #writingissubjective). Double Life starts off with a prologue that sets the stage for the whole series. Empath is a one-liner that sets the mood for the opening scene, and the general idea for Lauren’s frustration. The Island (Madion Trilogy) starts with a day-in-the-life of Theo, to show the dark and nihilistic world she lives in.

  The most important of questions: Cake or pie?

 Cake

  Finally, if you could give one piece of advice to aspiring literary chefs out there, what would it be?

 First, lose the “aspiring.” If you write, you’re a writer. Own it. Second, learn to love your voice. It’s the only one you have and if you spend your whole life trying to “improve” it, you’ll never publish anything.

Book News: The First Cycle Ends a.k.a. Final Editions of Indefatigable and Incorruptible Live!

The first cycle of The Push Chronicles is finally complete in a form fitting of the ideas that had bounced inside my head.  You can now purchase (or update) the newly revised and re-edited editions of Indefatigable and Incorruptible from Amazon and Smashwords, with print editions updating as we speak.  The first volume, Indomitable, is  still free from Smashwords as well.

Just read to the Released Books page for purchase links!