Under the Amoral Bridge, by Gary A. Ballard
I received Under the Amoral Bridge, by Gary A. Ballard, as a Review Copy from the author.
Description: Set in a futuristic California, this novel depicts the life of Artemis Bridge. He’s the “go-to” guy when you want something…anything. He doesn’t get it himself; he just “knows a guy”. This keeps him out of trouble, or, rather, it’s supposed to keep him out of trouble.
Overall: 4 3/4 Stars
Plot/Storyline: 4 3/4 Stars
I found the plot to be surprisingly unique, along with its interesting setting of our future earth. The future in the novel is scarily realistic. I could actually see the U.S. turning into this world.
From the first paragraph, I was pulled into the story. The depiction of the very different futuristic society was seamlessly interwoven into the story. The cover states that this is a “Cyberpunk Novel.” To be perfectly honest, I’m not really into all that new genre classification. I preferred to think of it as a science fiction novel, and a very good one at that.
Yes, there are a lot of references to computers and new technology. However, there was really only one scene that required any computer knowledge. Although, I didn’t think that scene was done as well as the rest of the book. It was a bit convoluted with all of the “rules” not explained very well. The rest of the book is set outside of any “cyberspace” areas.
While I am not into political type books, this one had an entirely different take on politics and government. It was not an especially new concept, but it was introduced in an awesome way that kept me guessing until the very end.
Character Development: 4 1/2 Stars
Artemis, the main character, was really fun to read about. I loved his style. While I couldn’t agree with his politics, or lack thereof, or his moral reasonings, he still remained sympathetic in my eyes. He wasn’t particularly likable, yet I still found myself cheering him on.
Artemis’ lady love was far less developed. She could have used qutie a bit more “page time.”
The bodyguard was just a side character, yet he was my favorite by far.
Writing Style: 5 Stars
I really enjoyed the writing style of Mr. Ballard. The smooth sentence structure gave the story a good flow. The descriptions were excellent, with just enough detail. The dialogue was very realistic.
*************************************************************************
Here are some comments from the author, Gary A. Ballard:
Where did you get the idea for the novel?
I had been attempting to publish a series of science-fiction novels for a few years without success. Having written for a few online gaming sites, I decided that I would write a novel based in the same universe as that original series and serialize it on a blog as a way to garner some attention. This series, which has come to be known as The Bridge Chronicles, would take place before the events of the other novels I’d written, and serve as a bridge between the main recent historical event, the Los Angeles Riots of 2027, and the events written in the original novel. I wanted the main character to be a fixer, the kind of guy who knows a guy that can get you whatever you want, no questions asked. Thus, he was a Bridge, and very amoral – Under the Amoral Bridge.
How long have you been writing?
I started writing when I was 11, finished a couple of really bad novels in my teens, and have been writing ever since. It wasn’t until my early 20’s that I got the bug to write cyberpunk, though.
What authors have inspired you?
Jack Kerouac, William Burroughs, Leo Tolstoy, and of course the holy trinity of cyberpunk authors, William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, and Neal Stephenson. Some of the better comic book writers like Frank Miller and Alan Moore are big influences as well.
Who is your favorite character?
Most definitely Artemis Bridge, the main character of the series. He’s such a bastard, but he’s so intriguing. I’m always finding new insights into his psyche.
Biographical Information
Born and raised in Mississippi, I’ve been writing most of my life, thanks to the inspiration provided by comic books, science-fiction novels and parents who instilled in me the idea that learning is not only important, it can be entertaining as well. I’ve worked in Internet Marketing for almost 15 years, developing web sites, learning social media and building communities online.
Under the Amoral Bridge, by Gary A. Ballard
Which Came First? (Part Nine)
Today is my son’s 21st birthday, so I’m putting a pic of him and our dog, Scooby, on here in his honor. Yes, we took him out for his first drink tonight. 
*****************************************
For this article series, I asked authors:
Which came first, the character or the plot?
Was your plot inspired by a character you dreamed up or did you design a plot/storyline, then people it with characters that fit?
If you started with a character, did that character change in unplanned ways as you put them into the story?
If you started with a plot, was it difficult to make up a character that fit the story?
*********************************************************
Donna Callea, author of New Coastal Times:
The plot came first when I began New Coastal Times. The old adage “write about what you know” was in my head. And I know about living in a hurricane-prone place, working for a newspaper, dealing with lots of quirky folks, and longing for home. I decided to put all those elements together and imagine what would happen if the worst hurricane ever recorded began swallowing the Florida coast, followed by cataclysmic natural disasters everywhere, spurred by global warming.
The central character, Mia, just naturally began narrating. I guess Mia has a lot of me in her. But the novel, obviously, is purely fiction.
**********************************************************
Robert Marston Fanney, author of Luthiel’s Song:
Luthiel’s Song started out with character — one inspired in some ways by those strong women I admired in fantasy stories but also by what I thought were the heroic women around me.
My mother, who was probably my first inspiration, was born with spina bifida. At that time, most babies with this condition didn’t survive. My grandmother was told her daughter ‘was ugly and would die.’ But she didn’t give up in trying to help my mother. So she searched and searched and, fortunately, found a doctor working on an experimental surgery for spina bifida babies.
My mother received the surgery and is alive to this day.
My grandparents were told she’d be brain damaged. She wasn’t. They were told she probably wouldn’t have kids. Well, here I am and my sister too. She, my grandmother, and many others had a strength that seemed heroic. So, I believe, my idea for Luthiel sprang up out of my love and admiration for them all.
The story itself took years to form. Out of five thousand written pages and numerous plots and story-lines, I settled on one three hundred page tale for the first book. It was the story that seemed to best fit the character of Luthiel and, to me, she, and the others who became her companions, were the constants in my imaginary process.
**********************************************************************
Jenna Elizabeth Johnson, author of The Finding:
Which came first, the character or the plot?
Good question. For my fantasy series, The Legend of Oescienne, the plot built itself up before I had any solid characters. I knew I wanted to create a world where readers could get lost in, so I focused on world building in the beginning. When I had a pretty solid idea of what my setting was going to be, I started adding characters. Some of the characters were merely stand-ins, there to give my world life until the right protagonist or antagonist made himself or herself clear. Many times I had to scrap a character, a scene or a bit of the plot, but eventually it all started coming together, like a jigsaw puzzle without a picture of the finished product to aid me. By the time I had a clear vision of my plot, I started to develop my characters. It took me a while to come up with the right name for my main protagonist, but I kept at it until something fit.
**********************************************************************
Tonya Plank, author of Swallow:
My novel, “Swallow,” which is at times comical but also very serious, is about a young female Manhattan attorney who’s just landed her first job and received a marriage proposal from her longtime boyfriend when she’s suddenly stricken with the psychosomatic disorder, Globus Hystericus, which is the feeling of a ball lodged in the throat that makes it difficult to eat, speak, and sometimes even breathe.
I definitely began with the character. I wanted to write about a young woman who’s really very accomplished but also very insecure, for reasons mainly to do with class background and family upbringing. I knew basically what I wanted to happen, but I really had to develop the plot as I went along. I realized at a certain point that in order for her to really seek change, to really confront her problem head-on, some of the conflicts had to be bigger and they had to lead up to something much more serious and threatening to her future than what I’d originally planned.
She did change in unplanned ways as I developed new plot turns. She ended up standing up to people more than I expected her to (or, more than I would have!), and taking things into her own hands rather than just waiting for them to happen. She ended up taking a real part in shaping her own destiny, whereas originally she just kind of let things happen to her and reacted.
I suffered from this disorder and am an attorney, and in ways the protagonist was originally based on myself (though the character is more accomplished than I am 
). But then as I wrote, it just wasn’t very interesting – she was actually kind of boring! I found that most novels that may start out autobiographically end up not being so much so, because I’ve heard others say similar things. The more I distanced myself from the main character, and the more I gave her her own personality and her own thoughts and feelings and ways of reacting to things, the more whole she became and the more dramatic her story grew.
********************************************************************************
D.A. Boulter, author of Courtesan:
Mostly, for me, a trace of plot comes first. ”What would happen if?”
For my novel, Courtesan, the character came first. ’Courtesan’ began as a ‘prequel’ short story. In ‘Pelgraff’ [coming soon] the character is mentioned in passing as the person who discovered the ‘j-channel’ in hyperspace. In other words, she was just a name.
I started wondering who this Jaswinder Saroya was and how she did it. I decided she needed her own story. Eventually I wrote a short story, “Courtesan” in which my character has a (relatively) happy ending a few thousand words in. But Jaswinder kept bugging me, saying her story wasn’t finished. And KEPT bugging me. So, eventually, I killed the happy ending and made it one filled with suspicion and trepidation and went on from there. Although I figured I knew where the story was going — and going to end — it became more one of how this particular character would react to situations and her reactions would drive the story onwards. [How does a hyperspace physicist disguised as a courtesan act, what drives her and how will she face adversity?] It didn’t end quite how I thought it would end, whereas my other novels pretty much ended exactly where I knew they would end before I started writing them. It those cases, it was the journey I didn’t know, though I knew the destination.
Jaswinder definitely drove ‘Courtesan’, the plot taking twists and turns I hadn’t considered because she came first.
*********************************************************
In case you missed:
Which Came First? (Part Three)
Tina: The Stranger Within Me, by Doug Needham
I purchased Tina: The Stranger Within Me, by Doug Needham, during a random Amazon surf.
I bought this book quite awhile ago, so I can’t swear to it, but I thought there was a cover picture at the time. However, the image to the right is all that is on the Amazon book page at the moment.
Description: Tina finds out that she is the daughter of Ted Bundy.
Overall: 1 Star
Plot/Storyline: 1 1/2 Stars
While the premise was intriguing at first blush, the storyline was a huge failure.
The book opened with Tina getting raped. Apparently, the author of this novel seemed to feel that a rapist would enjoy the act with a willing partner. That’s how Tina traps her rapist, by pretending to be willing. Supposedly, she is even better at “it” than the rapist’s girlfriend; this thrills him to no end. Now, I’m no expert, but from reading I have done, rape is about “power” and “violence”, not about getting “good sex”.
The book then proceeds to shift to some different viewpoints like a police officer and an FBI agent. Then, Tina starts remembering the first time she had to burn a car. She flashes back to her preteen years and tells her life story from there for the entire first half of the book. However, there is no portion where she burned a car or killed anyone, at least in that first half. Then, the story switches to some guy in a Special Ops division of the military. It rambled on about this other guy for so long without linking him to Tina in any way that I finally gave up.
There was another switch in point of view to Tina’s mother at one point. This switch was made solely to throw a sex scene into the book.
Character Development: 1 Star
Tina was so one-dimensional that it was laughable. The book put her thoughts in italics, and they read like a very badly scripted movie, almost “Dick and Jane” style.
The other characters, such as the rapist mentioned above, were just as ridiculous and not worth describing.
Writing Style: 1 Star
The writing style was decent in some areas and very juvenile in others. There were run-on sentences, bad metaphors, and sentence fragments. The dialogue was as bad as Tina’s italicized thoughts mentioned above.
**************************************************************
As a general rule, I do not write reviews unless I have read at least one half of a book. I had to really push myself to get that far in this one. I read about 70% of the book, though. Then, I just couldn’t force myself to pick it up again.
After I wrote my review, I read the existing reviews for the book on Amazon. While I agree with most of what one reviewer said, I do not agree with the other one who basically felt there was unnecessary “pedophilia” in the book. There is one unnecessary scene with Tina’s mother and a teenage boy, but the boy is just shy of eighteen, so even if it is illegal and immoral, I wouldn’t really call it pedophilia; I would just call it “gross”.
The other underage sex scenes are pedophilia, but they were necessary to the storyline as far as I could tell. The author was using them to develop Tina’s character.
I did attempt to contact this author, but I couldn’t find any contact information for him online.
Tina: The Stranger Within Me, by Doug Needham
Free (or Cheap) Pre-Orders & Purchases
I don’t know if these will last, but they were up today. Also, they may very well be only some sort of sampling thing, as opposed to full books. It does seem too good to be true, but I had to check it out!.
*******************************************************************************
Beautiful Lies, by Lisa Unger
I found this on sale today at Amazon for only $.79!
Description: After an act of heroism garners instant fame for 30-something New York freelancer Ridley Jones, she receives a faded photo of a man, a familiar-looking woman and a little girl along with a note asking, “Are you my daughter?” Shaken, she confronts her parents, who affirm she is theirs by birth; that same day, however, hot new neighbor Jake enters her life, and he’s less sure. With breathless speed, Unger is off on an action-packed journey of treachery and intrigue—and sex and romance. Jake turns out to have just as much at stake in discovering Ridley’s past as she, but in the way are Ridley’s controlling parents; her drug-addicted brother, Ace; her intrusive former boyfriend, pediatrician Zack; and the people protecting the legacy of her Uncle Max, a real estate mogul who used his influence to fund rescue houses for abused women and children. Following leads garnered from scrutinizing the operations of places Max’s foundation supports, Ridley and Jake uncover a chilling scheme for taking infants and toddlers from violent homes; their relationship heats up, and Ridley’s family gets very edgy. The premise—that there is a dark side to the safe haven law—is deep as well as clever, and Unger plays it out thrillingly.
********************************************************************
And Thereby Hangs a Tale - Free Short Story, by Jeffrey Archer
I was able to pre-order this for free. It will be released on August 31st. From the title, I am guessing this is a free short story from the book of a collection of shorts. Whether one story or the entire book, I will be happy as I am a fan of Jeffrey Archer.
The description does pertain to the entire book: Bestseller Archer assembles 15 more of the clever stories for which he is known. They are split between tales of trickery, as with “Stuck on You,” where an eager young man is played by a diamond thief, and decidedly sentimental stories, such as “Members Only,” about a man who wants nothing more than to join a private country club. Archer marks with an asterisk stories that are based on true incidents (10 in this collection), and whether it is the weight of credibility these stories’ genesis lends or if the author works better with some starting material, the entirely imagined stories are also the weakest. “Politically Correct” never gets out of the shallows in its attempt to be provocative, and “Better the Devil You Know,” with its evil executive making a deal with the devil (aka Mr. De Ath), is silly even for this author, who usually writes with a winningly light touch. Still, Archer’s writing exudes a certain charm and is mostly satisfying. His trademark twists–sometimes a surprise to the reader, sometimes not–and genial tone will endear these mostly cozy stories to his many fans.
*********************************************************************************
The Girl on the Beach, by Charles Todd
I was able to pre-order this for free. It will be released on August 31st.
The description is not yet published on Amazon, but, hey, free is good, right?
****************************************************************************************
Hour of the Hunter, by J.A. Jance
I was able to purchase this for free today from Amazon.
I have downloaded it to my Kindle, and it does appear to be the entire book. Yay!
This one also has a description yet to be published.
******************************************************************************************
I was able to purchase this for free today from Amazon.
I love word games, so I’ve already tried this out. This is an actual game, not just some paper/pencil thing stuck on the Kindle. It keeps score, etc. I played a version of this game online previously, so it is nice to have it on my Kindle to play anytime I want!
Description:
Can you keep up with Shuffled Row? See how many words you can make from 60 lettered tiles.
The tiles are added to your row one at a time so you’ll constantly be working with a new set of letters. After you submit a word, the letters you used will be removed and new ones will be added. Increase your score by using less common letters. Create longer words and increase your score even more.
If you don’t use the letters fast enough, they’ll disappear and new ones will take their place, so you’ll have to decide if you want to play it safe and use short words or try to wait for more letters to form longer words.
Test your vocabulary and how well you can think on your feet with Shuffled Row – try it today!
Which Came First? (Part Eight)
For this article series, I asked authors:
Which came first, the character or the plot?
Was your plot inspired by a character you dreamed up or did you design a plot/storyline, then people it with characters that fit?
If you started with a character, did that character change in unplanned ways as you put them into the story?
If you started with a plot, was it difficult to make up a character that fit the story?
*********************************************************
Edward C. Patterson, author of over 10 novels on Amazon:
Anyone who knows me, knows that I am anti-plot. Stories grow organically from characters reacting or not reacting to their enviroment, an environment that I create. Plotting is a death knell to any success in a novel as it outlining. Character driven novels capture the reader’s imagination — get inside their soul and move them forward. The only plot I want to know about is the one that I’m buried in, and even then I intend that the hereafter is character driven.
*********************************************************
Bridget Stegman, author of Summer Resolutions:
For Summer Resolutions, the character definitely came first. Once I had my character established, I worked on the short stories. However, it wasn’t until I was finished writing the entire collection of short stories before she finally had a name I liked. It was like picking a name for one of my children. It had to be perfect!
**********************************************************
Kea Cheatham, author of Blood and Bond:
For my contemporary Novel of the West, Blood and Bond
I almost never have a “plot,” but find a circumstance to which the protagonist acts/reacts. The story grows from that.
My characters usually end up a bit different from what I imagined. As they develop and become more real to me, I recognize things that could make them more complete and interesting. I also have a supporting cast of characters, and their development interacts with the protagonist, and makes for more changes — sort of like real life. (I hope 
)
**********************************************************
Gabriela Popa, author of Kafka’s House:
For “Kafka’s House” http://www.amazon.com/Kafkas-House-ebook/dp/B003NNV10O/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_3, the character came first, but in a subliminal way: it came as the image of a child trapped in a world that felt small and oppressive. The “House” in the novel’s title is the metaphor for that world. The next layer of the story goes deeper into the fabric of that society, and brings in parents, friends, school teachers, along with fairy tales characters that entertain, warn of dangers – or simply keep the dreams alive.
***********************************************************
In case you missed:
Authors Behaving Well
I previously did a post regarding “Authors Behaving Badly” in which I discussed some of the unprofessional reactions to reviews. I feel that it is only fair to point out that there are plenty of authors out there who are professionals and can take criticism regardless of whether they agree. Also, these authors understand completely that a review is just one person’s opinion.
I reviewed The Book, by M. Clifford, with 2 1/4 Stars. Because he was unable to respond to my query for comments in time for publication, my post went up without information from the author. Mr. Clifford’s response? He sent me comments to add into my review post, which I have inserted today, and offered me a review copy of another of his novels, The Muse of Edouard Manet, which I will gladly accept.
I reviewed Sole Survivors’ Club, by Zoe E. Whitten, with 2 1/4 Stars. Ms. Whitten’s response? She e-mailed me to thank me for taking the time to review her book, which she had sent as a review copy, and said that she hoped I enjoyed her next book.
Mark Nykanen, author of Primitive, wrote to me after receiving a 3 1/4 Star review to say that he understood my viewpoint, appreciated the review, and wanted to send me a review copy of his next commercially published book when it is released.
Charles Shea, author of Defending Evil, wrote to me after receiving a 3 Star review. He thanked me for the review and offered to send a review copy of his next novel when it is completed.
These are just a few of the examples of authors, both Indie and Commercial, behaving in a professional manner. For every “author behaving badly,” there are many, many more who make it worthwhile to do what I do: offer ONE opinion.
Thank you, authors and readers!
With a Jester of Kindness, by K. C. Herbel
I received With a Jester of Kindness, by K.C. Herbel, as a review copy from the author.
Description: Billy thought he was just the son of an innkeeper. When a debutante takes him under her wing, he is pulled into castle intrigue.
Overall: 3 1/4 Stars
Plot/Storyline: 4 Stars
The opening scene really pulled me into this story. It was a really fun read finding out what happens to Billy, a young peasant son of an innkeeper. After the first chapter, the story did drag a little for a few pages, but then the pace really picked up.
There were a couple of action scenes where I questioned the authenticity. One in particular was where Billy and his friends are waylaid by thieves on the road. There were knights that were sorely outnumbered, yet they managed to hold off so many that it delved into the ridiculous.
The book did leave me hanging at the end, in preparation for the sequel. There were a few too many threads left hanging. However, I felt it was a good, satisfying read as a stand-alone.
Character Development: 2 1/4 Stars
I found Billy to be a little shallow. Although most of the story was told from his viewpoint, no real emotions were conveyed. Also, I had a big problem with his age. He is supposed to be fourteen in the novel. However, he behave quite often, and is treated, as though he is much, much younger. For instance, he runs up and hugs a noblewoman several times. I just can’t imagine an almost fifteen year old boy treating an adult woman, especially a woman not of his class in such a manner. Also, he often did it in front of others. Not only did he show no embarrassment, but no one seemed to think it odd.
Writing Style: 3 1/4 Stars
The writing style was of the level of a Young Adult genre novel. However, the subject matter seemed to be more for adults, at least most of the time. So, I felt the style did not really match the story.
There were many, many viewpoint problems. When the story is told from one viewpoint, the character had too much knowledge of what others were thinking.
The descriptions were concise and well done.
********************************************************
Well, I am betting a thousand this week when it comes to author comments. I thought I had the comments for this one, but it appears that I am mistaken as I cannot find them anywhere. 
The Book, by M. Clifford
I purchased The Book, by M. Clifford, after reading a forum post by the author.
Description: In the future, everyone owns an electronic book. However, not everyone knows how much The Book is controlled by the publisher.
Overall: 2 1/4 Stars
Plot/Storyline: 2 1/2 Stars
I bought this book because the description was so enticing. The plot was pretty unique, even with overtones of 1984. With such a great plot idea, it was surprising at how much the author failed in the execution.
It’s not what was in the story that failed, but what was missing. For one thing, television was rarely mentioned at all. There was no explanation for why television had gone by the wayside. It would have been more understandable had “The Book” been more like an I-pad, with people watching a lot of videos, newscasts, etc. Instead, it appeared that people of all ages were voraciously reading.
Another missing item was a full explanation of the basic premise of the novel. The Book is supposedly being changed by the publishers in order to sway and control the public. That part makes sense. However, what didn’t make sense was some of the random deletions and changes. Even the main character could not seem to find a point to many of the changes made. They appeared to have just been made because they could.
Readers were not given the back story of The Book until the very end. And, it is issued in such a way as to make you wonder why we weren’t informed sooner. The story would have had a lot more credibility had the information been given earlier.
Character Development: 1 Star
Holden Clifford was an unlikeable character from the start, making him a very poor ‘hero.’ He is divorced with a young daughter. However, he doesn’t take advantage of his visitation most of the time. This is not because he is too busy or has to work. He simply forgets to pick up his kid. I do admit to having a personal dislike for this sort of thing; however, the author could easily have made him a more sympathetic character by making him unable to see his daughter due to work or illness or anything other than “he forgot he had a kid.” He could even have grown into a more likable character by seeing the ‘error of his ways’. Instead, he just manages to become an even worse father than he was at the beginning.
Also, Holden is portrayed as being uneducated. However, he reads constantly. Yet, he seems to still put forth the idea that he isn’t very bright. Suddenly, though, near the end, he makes a speech a professor would be proud of, with correct grammar, proper enunciation, and information that the reader has no idea where he obtained it.
He is supposed to be the ‘hero’ and ‘leader’ throughout the novel. However, he was not the first to discover the discrepancies in the published books. Also, he meets another man who actually owns a collection of printed books. His friends bring more people into the fold than he does. He really doesn’t do much at all until the end to forward the cause.
Writing Style: 3 Stars
The writing style was so pretentious as to be laughable. The reader is treated to detailed descriptions of streets and buildings that were so unnecessary to the story as to cause snoring, especially since these areas are not much different, if at all, from the present.
The dialogue suffered greatly as the author tended to mix up who was speaking. The “uneducated” (which were most of them, even though they all loved to read) spoke with grammatical errors and lots of contractions. The educated spoke formally. But, at times, it was reversed, so the ‘accents’ did not always match who was speaking.
There were also some point of view issues, which is my personal pet peeve.
*******************************************************
I was so excited by the description of this book that I started reading it almost immediately after purchase. I was very disappointed in the execution, though. I am looking forward to more books of this subject matter being pulished. I am certain that similar ideas have occurred to other authors, so be on the lookout.
*******************************************************
Here are some comments from the author, M. Clifford:
I started college when teachers were just beginning to allow the internet to be used for research papers. Naturally, a slew of incorrect information wound its way into our assignments and teachers were outraged. Information WE all thought was correct. Later I saw a friend reading a book from the tiny screen of his palm pilot (does this date me, or what?) and I wondered what would happen if that was how we all read one day. If paper books were recycled and there was a dedicated electronic reader for all books. And what if that device edited my favorite novels, like The Catcher in the Rye, to subtly tame mankind. I never thought that, on the very day I finished THE BOOK, the iPad would be announced and J.D. Salinger would pass away. What are the odds?
Freebies!
Mourn the Living, by Henry Perez
Amazon Description: Veteran Chicago Record reporter Alex Chapa is looking forward to a much needed vacation and time with his 10-year-old daughter, Nikki, whom he barely sees now that his ex has moved to Boston. Then his boss calls him back to cover for Jim Chakowski, killed in a mysterious explosion. As Alex digs into Chakowski’s notes linking a string of murders to prominent city council members, he and Nikki come under fire. Short, choppy chapters move the action along at a measured clip, and detailed descriptions infuse the text with atmosphere and suspense, especially during flashbacks to Alex’s childhood in Cuba and the murderer’s dark and traumatic upbringing. The killer’s identity is no surprise, but the final showdown keeps the adrenaline pumping right through the ending, which Perez (Killing Red) leaves wide open for possible sequels.
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
************************************************************
From a Distance, by Tamera Alexander
Amazon Description:
What happens when the realization of a dream isn’t what you imagined… and the secret you’ve spent a lifetime guarding is finally laid bare?
Determined to become one of the country’s premier newspaper photographers, Elizabeth Westbrook travels to the Colorado Territory to capture the grandeur of the mountains surrounding the remote town of Timber Ridge. She hopes, too, that the cool, dry air of Colorado, and its renowned hot springs, will cure the mysterious illness that threatens her career, and her life. Daniel Ranslett is a man shackled by his Confederate past, and he’ll do anything to protect his land, and his solitude. When an outspoken Yankee photographer captures an image that appears key to solving a murder, putting herself in danger, Daniel is called upon to repay a debt. He’s a man of his word, but repaying that debt could reveal secrets from his past he would prefer remain buried.
Forced on a perilous journey together, Daniel and Elizabeth’s lives intertwine in ways neither could have imagined when first they met from a distance.
Genre: Religious Fiction, Drama
****************************************************
Disclaimer: I do not promise that any of the books listed below will be free at the time of my post or for any particular time period afterward. My posts are prepared at least one day in advance, so it is possible for a book to no longer be free at the time of the post.
Which Came First? (Part Seven)
For this article series, I asked authors:
Which came first, the character or the plot?
Was your plot inspired by a character you dreamed up or did you design a plot/storyline, then people it with characters that fit?
If you started with a character, did that character change in unplanned ways as you put them into the story?
If you started with a plot, was it difficult to make up a character that fit the story?
**************************************************
Ellen O’Connell, author of Rottweiler Rescue:
For me the story comes first, but not by much because as soon as you have a vague idea about the story, only certain kinds of characters fit. Both characters and story change in the writing and editing, although not by much. For instance, as to story, after it’s all drafted out, I may have an idea that makes motive more clear or that ties into another element better and incorporate that. As to characters, my idea of female leads are strong, strong women, and in both the books I have out now, the test readers all came back telling me my female leads were b!tches. Obviously they were too strong for the average reader. So in both cases I toned them down a lot from where they started, and I still get quite a few reviews describing my female protagonists as strong, independent, feisty, etc.
I am not a seat of the pants writer; I outline the whole book before starting to write. For me it’s the only way to come up with a story where things revealed in Chapter 1 tie into things that happen in Chapter 20 and end up with a cohesive whole.
***************************************************
Scott Nicholson, author of Speed Dating with the Dead:
I might get the mist of an idea, but until I see the person in the milieu, the whole thing stays in the mist. Once that person’s voice jumps into my head, the thing becomes more clear. Still, I never know where a story is going until the characters start taking on lives of their own, which is why I don’t work well with outlines. If I already knew the ending, there would be no point in taking the journey.
***************************************************
Eric Christopherson, author of The Prophet Motive:
Which came first, the character or the plot?
Plot always comes first for me; more accurately, it’s a premise that comes first, usually an interesting “what if” question. (I’ve read that’s how it works for Stephen King too.) For example, the what if question for my psychological thriller, Crack-Up, was: “What if a paranoid schizophrenic gets charged for a murder he allegedly committed while in a state of psychosis and doesn’t know himself whether he’s guilty?”
If you started with a plot, was it difficult to make up a character that fit the story?
Sometimes the perfect character springs to life fully formed the moment I start tapping the keys. (This is a rare experience but happened recently with my current work in progress, an historical thriller I expect to title “Fortress of Ephemera” and release early next year.) Other times it takes a complete first draft to get to know the character sufficiently. (This happened with Will Pruett, the journalist who frames himself for murder in Frame-Up, which is a crime thriller I co-wrote with Brad Schoenfeld.) It’s fairly unpredictable how the character development will proceed.
********************************************************************
William Campbell, author of Dead Forever: Awakening:
In writing Dead Forever, the story began with the main character. Even though the premise for the story had been on my mind for some years, the specifics we would call ‘plot’ hadn’t emerged yet. But I knew the character I wanted to take on this journey, knew the direction I wanted the journey to take, and where it should ultimately lead. However, as your next question poses (did the character change in unplanned ways), indeed the character took over and became a force that drove the plot as he changed in ways I could never have expected. But as well, the plot had a life of its own, fed by me the author in my attempt to make barriers for the main character. In some sense, the plot itself is a character without identity (as lively as the characters), putting up roadblocks that impede the hero. Early on I settled for the amnesia idea as my device to open the tale, and ran with it, allowing both the hero and plot to blossom in parallel as the two go to battle (really, author versus hero). The result is perhaps interesting, but few readers react to it with neutrality–they either love the approach or hate it. Since the character begins clueless, some readers feel the same. That was my intention, and risk taken knowingly since it really annoys some people. Those who pick up on the intended effect seem to enjoy the story. In any case, the character arc is huge. The hero starts as an apathetic loser and ends as a rebel leader ready to take on the universe (which calls for more plot to knock him down in the next book). I feel this result stems from starting with character rather than plot, though either are valid approaches to any story. It’s all about the desired effect, and for me, in creating a story that takes place inside the mind of a single character, I wanted a huge character arc conveyed via his introversion.
***************************************************************
In case you missed:
-
Subscribe on Your Kindle!
Custom SearchDonate To Support This Site
Don't have PayPal? You can donate with an Amazon Gift Certificate to Lynn8888@yahoo.com
Donations go toward purchasing more books for review on this site.
---------------------------------------------
***Giving a donation does not entitle authors to leniency on reviews. Please do not attempt to use this to 'reimburse' me for money spent on a book purchase.***