It's Raining Men at Dark Valentine

Okay, people on the writers' lists I frequent often ask if freebies pay off. Well, they very well might for Joseph Robert Lewis and Tobias Buckell, if I have anything to do with it.

The freebies hurt me, and here's why:

Joseph Robert Lewis gave me a free Kindle copy of his science fiction novel HEIRS OF MARS and I couldn't stop reading and I couldn't blink and my eyes bled and my head and heart expanded from the sheer wonder of it all and I reviewed it here and now I want to read EVERYTHING HE EVER WRITES I AM GOING TO FIND WHERE HE LIVES AND DIG HIS GROCERY LISTS OUT OF HIS TRASH….

The doctor just called and told me to up my dosage.

Just in time, because now I'm telling you that I went to Context and was given a free copy of Tobias Buckell's Steampunk/Starpunk CRYSTAL RAIN and I just read it and I AM IN LOVE WITH A CHARACTER. The book was (ha-ha, a-ha-ha-ha) stellar. I reviewed it for Dark Valentine Magazine today, if you want to read about it. AND YOU DO.

Okay, doc, take another pill, I got it.

Seriously, two books, highly recommended.

WRITING PROMPT: I'm sure you have a book that you love–not for its associations (Mom read it to me, Belinda gave me a copy). Analyze why the book compels you. Write it down as an essay or a book review. Think about why you love that book as you write your own.

MA