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Readalong And Q&A with Magnus Stanke - Falling In Love And Death
Hello everybody, and Happy New Year!Thank you kindly for doing this readalong of my retro-thriller 'Falling in Death and Love' (FDL). The timing is very fortunate for me as the friendly folk at www.undergroundbooksreviews.org have shortlisted my book as one of the 'best novels of the year'. Please join us, download your free copy next weekend from amazon and vote on above site - hopefully for 'FDL'...;)
Escaping, a least temporarily, into the recent past - in this case to 1977 to the Spanish island Mallorca (or Majorca) - might come at an opurtune time as we're about to reach the height of bleak midwinter in January, with the world changing around us as we speak.
The first (of two) FDL Spotify playlists can be found here http://tinyurl.com/z9dzldn
It's fun and it sets the tone for the narrative. All the tracks are either referenced directly or indirectly in the text and form the soundscape of the world the characters are moving in. All of the music would have been released by summer of 1977 when the bulk of the action takes place.
Enough from me. Hope to catch you soon and many thanks for joing. I'm very much looking forward to this experience :)
Magnus wrote: "Hello everybody, and Happy New Year!Thank you kindly for doing this readalong of my retro-thriller 'Falling in Death and Love' (FDL). The timing is very fortunate for me as the friendly folk at ww..."
I am always too late to get the free copy for the group read since I usually look on here after the month has started. For once I can join in. Thank you. Looking forward to it.
Karen wrote: "...Looking forward to it."That's swell. Me too :)
It's part of the Kindle Unlimited store and is only $2.99 if you're not on KU.
Kirsten *Brrrr.... It's WAY Too Cold Outside!" wrote: "It's part of the Kindle Unlimited store and is only $2.99 if you're not on KU."correct - and it's free on Friday, January 6 and the weekend 7 & 8!
It's started - get your free copy of 'Falling in Death and Love', my Mallorca-set Retro thriller and take a trip back in time to 1977.Free today, tomorrow and Sunday
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
I won't be able to start for another week, but since I'm a pretty fast reader I should still finish the book on time :-)BTW: I like the new cover much more than the previous one.
Agnieszka wrote: "I won't be able to start for another week, but since I'm a pretty fast reader I should still finish the book on time :-)BTW: I like the new cover much more than the previous one."
Dzieki, Agnieska! (and please excuse my horrible pronounciation ;)
I changed the cover not only for esthetic reasons, but also to create a visual connection to my new two books. While they're not direct sequels to 'Falling in Death and Love' they make up a loose cycle of 'retro-thrillers'.
Please feel free to dip into the first Spotify playlist I made for this book (there's a total of two). Since the book is set in the past (1977) it was great fun to come up with the list. The tracks are all popular songs that were around at the time. Some of them are referred to directly in the text, others help to create the soundscape the characters would have been exposed to. Either way, I enjoyed this a lot.
Here's the link http://tinyurl.com/z9dzldn
To get some idea of the physical setting of the book, the Sierra de Tramuntana in Mallorca, I've made a foto album on my facebook page. This is a link https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...
Okay, happy reading and don't hesistate if you have any questions or comments
Thanks for being here :)
Mod
good stuff, guys - many thanks :)
Downloaded it today and will dive in this afternoon
Linda wrote: "Downloaded it today and will dive in this afternoon"thank you!
I've been MIA. So happy to find such an interesting sounding book on my return. And it's free. Got it! Can't wait to dig in!
Brigitta wrote: "I've been MIA. So happy to find such an interesting sounding book on my return. And it's free. Got it! Can't wait to dig in!"glad you made it in time & hope you'll enjoy the book too :)
Just started, so far so good. Small question -in the prologue did you mean the Maitre d' sized her up?
Perri wrote: "Just started, so far so good. Small question -in the prologue did you mean the Maitre d' sized her up?"you mean as opposed to 'maitre d'? I sure did ;)
Just started reading today. Liking it so far.
Mod
Tonya wrote: "Just started reading today. Liking it so far.":) - glad to hear it and hope it won't disappoint...
here's a link to the second Spotify playlist. This one is slightly more funky than the first
FDL Vol. 2 - Party like it's 1977 http://tinyurl.com/hpk5urn
Enjoy
Sean wrote: "One more book to go and will then dive in."would that be Tony Thomas' Joel McCrea book? I've always wanted to read that and d'be curious to hear your opinion
I will be joining in this month as well. I do need to finish one and then will be starting this one. Am excited! Thanks for this, Magnus.
I enjoyed the way this book starts out. You know you're in the 1960s.
Mod
Just reading The Nicest Fella ..The Life of Ben Johnson (actor)
Vicki wrote: "I will be joining in this month as well. I do need to finish one and then will be starting this one. Am excited! Thanks for this, Magnus."no - thank You! :)
Brigitta wrote: "I enjoyed the way this book starts out. You know you're in the 1960s."Hi Brigitta. I probably shouldn't even say the following as I don't want to mess with your enthusiasm (and hopefully I won't), but I'm going to be slightly pedantic. Hope you don't mind. The book is actually set in the late-ish 70s. The reason it all sounds like the 1960s is because 40 years ago the world wasn't quite as 'globalised' as it is nowadays, and Spain, particularly under its last dictator Franco, was painfully backward. So in 1977, two years after Franco's death there was still a lot of catching up to do. Hence, 'what was good enough for Southern California in the summer of love was good enough for Mallorca ten years down the line' (not a verbatim quote but close enough).
Like I said, pedantic me.... ;)
Please don't let that stop you - on the contrary...
I'm much obliged
Sean wrote: "LOL Magnus. Read and finished Joel McCrea.Just reading The Nicest Fella ..The Life of Ben Johnson (actor)"
that sounds interesting too
For once the timing has fallen right for me to be able to take part in the group read.Good start, Magnus. I like the way backstory and setting is filtered into character action rather than as an info-dump. Having visited Majorca a few times, I can say you have the feel of the place coming through the text.
David wrote: "For once the timing has fallen right for me to be able to take part in the group read.Good start, Magnus. I like the way backstory and setting is filtered into character action rather than as an ..."
many thanks, David. And I'm glad you've joined us, too!
Magnus wrote: "Brigitta wrote: "I enjoyed the way this book starts out. You know you're in the 1960s."Hi Brigitta. I probably shouldn't even say the following as I don't want to mess with your enthusiasm (and h..."
So I see you're from Germany. How did you decide to set this in Mallorca? Have you been there? I must admit I had to look it up on a map. It sounds lovely
Perri wrote: "I see you're from Germany. How did you decide to set this in Mallorca? Have you been there? I must admit I had to look it up on a map. It sounds lovely."I'm indeed from Germany though I haven't lived there for nearly a quarter century, and the last few years I did live there I was away backpacking half the time. I guess that's what I have in common with David, the protagonist of FDL, the travel bug...
I've lived in Spain for over seven years now, though on the mainland, not the island. Mallorca is a a lovely place that I came to very late, too late maybe. It's now a hugely developed high class touristic destination, and I think I wanted to go back to a time when it wasn't quite like that. Mallorca's been a holiday restort since the 1950s when flights in Europe were still prohibitively expensive. Then, when Spain ceased to be a dictatorship and flying became more effordable, Western Europe's sun lovers took to it by the millions. I guess, in the States Cancun would be comparable... (?)
So, summing up, Mallorca is a lovely place but if you want peace and quiet I don't recommend going in high season
Magnus wrote: "Brigitta wrote: "I enjoyed the way this book starts out. You know you're in the 1960s."Hi Brigitta. I probably shouldn't even say the following as I don't want to mess with your enthusiasm (and h..."
I realized I wrote 1960s as I was driving to work this morning. I knew it was 1970s because it even says 1977. You're right , it does have a 1960's feel and maybe that's why I wrote 60's without thinking. I don't mind you pointing it out. I was going to point it out myself. :) Still reading!
Brigitta wrote: "I don't mind you pointing it out. I was going to point it out myself. :) Still reading! "glad to hear it :)
Tonya wrote: "Just finished. Really liked it."Hello Tonya - many thanks! That makes me happy. I see you've already left feedback here and on amazon - and I'm most obliged!!!
If I could ask you to do one more little thing, I'd really appreciate that too. The book's been shortlisted on Undergroundbookreviews.org (together with 10 other titles) as 'book of the year 2016'. If I could get you to vote for it there too, that would be smashing. Now, I understand that it's not the 'best book of 2016', but unless you've read and liked another book from their list even better, your vote would mean something like 'I think it deserves more attention'....
Anyway, you can vote on facebook without having to register. Here's a link https://poll.fbapp.io/2017-novel-of-t...
If you're not on f/b you can vote on the www.undergroundbookreviews.org directly, though I think there you will have to register (it's free and doesn't take long).
But whatever you decide - I thank you kindly :)))
Voted. Since I have only read your book, from that list. Yours was the one that I voted for. Good luck.
Tonya wrote: "Voted. Since I have only read your book, from that list. Yours was the one that I voted for. Good luck."once again - many thanks :)
Perri wrote: "Start of ch 2 [spoilers removed]"lol - Perri, of course you're right, but then there wouldn't be the book ;)
Mod
Magnus five stars from me.
Started your book last night. Start second chapter today.
Sean wrote: "Nicest Fella. Ben Johnson.Magnus five stars from me.
Started your book last night. Start second chapter today."
Sweet. I'll add 'Nicest Fella' to my reading list. Sounds good
Magnus, you speak German and English-Spanish I assume since you lived there for so long. And there's a fair amount of French in your story. Any others?
Perri wrote: "Magnus, you speak German and English-Spanish I assume since you lived there for so long. And there's a fair amount of French in your story. Any others?"I wish I spoke more... Long, long ago I lived in Israel for a while and had a bit more than a smattering of Hebrew, but that's gone now. At some point I was a couple of years into studying Japanese, with the plan of spending some time there. But then I ran out of time, alas. So, no, unfortunately there aren't any other languages I 'mastered', only those two that I failed at... (and my French has become rusty too...)
Mod
3.5-4.00 Stars from me.
Love hit when they met. Murder came later.
The year: 1977. No internet, no mobile phones; tablets cure headaches not boredom.
The place: Mallorca, Spain. The Dictator is Dead, Long Live Tourism
David falls hard for Aurora and vice versa, but the holiday is over. When she returns she isn’t alone, the deadly chase already underway. First the hitmen then the police.
‘Falling in Death and Love’ is a hard-boiled, heartfelt thriller, a breathless ride through times of change.
Love, guilt, paternity, murder - probably not in that order.
David is just off a boat, ready to settle down as a sushi chef in Mallorca, Spain. Aurora has won a week’s vacation there. It was love at first sight and they spent a magical and romantic week together only for Aurora to return to Spain..
What follows is a well constructed chase thriller, full of a range of characters some good some not so good, Magnus gives some characters some strong personalities.
I know Magnus personally and what does show is his love of films, with some references mentioned in the book. The atmosphere of Majorca and the new holiday destination and the tourist building in the late 70's is good, I went there in 1979-1980.
Well paced thriller, just sometimes a little heavy on certain characters that slows the pace down a little, and maybe just a few too many characters and their histories.
But a great start from this author.
Thank you to Magnus for making this book available to my group "A Good Thriller" and also doing a Q & A's for this book with my group.
Sean wrote: "Finished, review below, no spoilers3.5-4.00 Stars from me.
Love hit when they met. Murder came later.
The year: 1977. No internet, no mobile phones; tablets cure headaches not boredom.
The pl..."
Thanks, Sean
Sean, once more...your comments re. characters and pace -
I'm very interested in point-of-view and this being my first book, I experimented somewhat with either (ie. advancing the narrative through the point-of-view of secondary characters).
In my second book 'Time Lies' I've reduced this technique to four different characters/point-of-views, and in the book I'm working on now I've whittled this further down to a single p.o.v.
Thanks again :)
I'm nearly done. Got quite a bit read today. I'm really enjoying the different points of view and I love the setting both in place and time. There was a little awkwardness when you first started changing POVs. but I'm getting the hang of it.
The story is compelling and well structured. I love how people when they finally get rid of the dictator they want him back.
Good job!
Hope some of you will take the opportunity to download and join in with the discussions.
Happy reading!