Book Review: Closed Casket by Sophie Hannah

“The words, they are here and there! He does not recognize the illogic! To what dos one listen if not the words? If one matters, then so must the other!”

Hercule Poirot, CLOSED CASKET by Sophie Hannah

Closed Casket by Sophie Hannah is the second in the new Hercule Poirot mysteries based on the infamous sleuth created by the legendary Agatha Christie. As readers of my book reviews know, I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie and rate her as my all-time favorite author. And I always enjoy a good mystery. While there are definite differences in Ms. Hannah’s writing style as compared to Christie, I nevertheless found Closed Casket enjoyable and good read.

Closed Casket

Two of the main reasons I liked Closed Casket was its setting and the type of mystery — a murder mystery during an estate house party, complete with family drama, last-minute will/beneficiary changes, and the presence of the one and only Hercule Poirot.

The little Belgian detective and his friend Inspector Edward Catchpool have been invited by Lady Athelinda Playford to her mansion. At dinner on the evening of their arrival, Lady Playford makes the dramatic announcement that she’s changed her will, cutting off her children and instead leaving her fortune to her dying secretary Joseph Scotcher.

Before the end of the evening, Scotcher is dead, bludgeoned brutally and there’s even a witness. Alas, like any good Poirot mystery, things are seldom what they seem and author Sophie Hannah weaves a tale that kept me interested and even guessing to the end — I do love a good red herring or two.

Closed Casket was an enjoyable read and interesting mystery. I do recommend the book, and be sure to visit Sophie Hannah’s site to see her other novels.

Book Review: Passenger to Frankfurt by Agatha Christie

Passenger to Frankfurt by Agatha Christie has been in by TBR pile for a while, one of the few books by my favorite author that I had not read. Unfortunately, I found this to be a tedious read and not much mystery at all. When I read a Christie, I want a good, juicy mystery that keeps me guessing or at least keeps me engaged. This did not do it for me.

Passenger to Frankfurt

This is one of Christie’s books that does not feature one of her famous detectives. Personally, my favorites star Hercule Poirot, although there are several Miss Marple mysteries I enjoy as well. However, Passenger to Frankfurt fell flat for my tastes. It was repetitive and while I liked the main character Stafford Nye, after a while, I just didn’t care if he actually discovered why he was entangled in an international issue.

The story started just fine, Nye meets a mysterious woman during an airport layover and allows  himself to be convinced to give her his identity because she says her life is in danger. Upon returning home to England he reconnects with the mysterious passenger to Frankfurt — is she spy or what? And quickly, Nye is now involved with a global plot that includes Hitler-influenced youth, wealthy matriarchs, and even his great-aunt Matilda, who was one character I genuinely adored.

No regrets reading the Passenger to Frankfort, but definitely not a book I’ll pick up again. There are many really wonderful Agatha Christie mysteries out there to read. Back in November, I reviewed the Five Little Pigs and gave it 4 of 5 stars on Goodreads. You can check out my review here — definitely enjoyed it more than Passenger to Frankfort.

Other Christie favorites of mine include:

  • Death on the Nile (my number one favorite!)
  • Halloween Party
  • And Then There Were None
  • A Caribbean Mystery
  • Evil Under the Sun
  • Dead Man’s Folly
  • Murder on the Orient Express
  • The Seven Dials Mystery
  • Death in the Clouds

I do recommend heading over to the official Agatha Christie website for everything about the author and her books. You can check out news about the latest adaptations of her work, including the anticipated new movie of Murder on the Orient Express. Plus I highly recommend printing out the complete list of her novels (by publication year) if you’re like me and trying to complete your collection.

Happy reading!

Book Review: The Firstborn by Quenby Olson

Happy Release Day to author Quenby Olson and her newest book, The Firstborn!

I loved The Firstborn by Quenby Olson because as I read, I forgot I was reading. It’s that simple. When I can lose myself in a book like that, it’s a winner. I was looking for a book to distract me from the chaos of life and The Firstborn kept me captivated, giving me characters I wanted to spend time with in a setting that I’d like to visit if I could time travel.

The Firstborn

Set in Regency England, The Firstborn is Sophia’s story. She’s smart, loving, and loyal to her family — so much so that she’s sacrificed everything for her younger sister, Lucy and the girl’s illegitimate baby, George. Sophia has created a ruse, assuming the role of a young widow and pretending to be George’s mom. Now Lucy has run off and Lord Finnian Haughton appears on Sophia’s doorstep making inquiries about the child. It seems his younger brother is George’s father and Lord Haughton does not want a scandal.

The Firstborn is an engaging story and I enjoyed the back-and-forth between Sophia and Lord Haughton (Finn). From Sophia’s obvious dislike for him upon first meeting to their mutual desire to ensure little George is safe and cared for despite two very irresponsible birth parents. Author Olson also gives us some wonderful secondary characters. I particularly liked Lord Haughton’s sister and the elderly Lady Rutledge.

While I did receive my copy of The Firstborn as an ARC, but I’m looking forward to adding it to my paper book collection of Quenby Olson titles. If you’re looking for a charming, well-written romance, then grab a copy of The Firstborn as soon as you can.

Definitely check out author Quenby Olson’s other books at her website. And my review for her YA book Knotted.

Here’s the Amazon link for The Firstborn (don’t say I never gave you anything!)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07117P4BK

 

Book Review: The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro

Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes are back again in The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro, the second book in her Charlotte Holmes trilogy. Teens Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes are descendants of the infamous duo Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. While book one in the trilogy (A Study in Charlotte) takes place at their boarding school in the United States, book two has the duo in Europe during winter break. Of course because this is Holmes and Watson, a tangled web of mystery and intrigue abounds — a poisoning, a disappearing uncle, art forgery, and kidnappings are just the tip of the iceberg.

Last of August

While Holmes and Watson may have survived last fall with their lives (barely), this winter break will prove to be even more dangerous. Not only will they find themselves working alongside a Moriarty, but they’ll have to deal with their own complicated relationship and Charlotte’s dark past.

I enjoyed reading The Last of August quite a bit, for which I’m glad since I always hope that the second book of a trilogy doesn’t fall flat. This didn’t, not at all. It gave me everything I like in a mystery with the added bonus of characters I’m still learning about — Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson. I love that author Brittany Cavallaro has given the reader a slow reveal of these two. And there’s still plenty left to learn, which is why I’m now looking forward to book three.

The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro is a fast-paced YA mystery with plenty of action, suspense, and dialogue that pops. The European settings were a nice combination of gritty (perfect for the underworld of the art forgery) and fanciful when viewed through Jamie’s less jaded eyes. If you’ve already read A Study in Charlotte, definitely don’t miss out on book two!

You can check out author Brittany Cavallaro’s website here to see  more about her Charlotte Holmes trilogy as well as her other work.

#AmReading . . .Are you?

This weekend I began “The Last of August” by Brittany Cavallaro, the sequel to “A Study in Charlotte” that features Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson, teen descendants of the famous Holmes and Watson duo. If you haven’t read “A Study in Charlotte” and YA mystery is your thing — go grab a copy now and read it. You can read my review here. As for the second book, I’m about 100 pages in and it has my attention. Keep an eye for my review sometime later this week.

I also finished “The Firstborn” by Quenby Olson recently. My review is up on Goodreads and I’ll be posting it here on the blog as soon as the book officially releases. I had the awesome fortune to receive an ARC and thrilled that I was able to read it early. It’s releasing May 9, so if Regency romance makes your heart swoon, definitely mark your calendars and get a copy of “The Firstborn”. Visit author Quenby Olson at her website to see what else she’s been up to.

What else is on my #TBR list?

  • Star Wars AFTERMATH, Empire’s End by Chuck Wendig (bought and waiting for me to dive into)
  • The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg (the paperback has been on my shelf for too long!)
  • Closed Casket by Sophie Hannah (again, bought and need to read soon)
  • Imzadi (Star Trek: The Next Generation) by Pete David (okay, so I’ve actually read this book three times but I’ve never owned it until now, which is why it’s on my current to-read list)
  • Cloak of Shadows by C.K. Dawn (on my Kindle app)

Like many of you, I have a few dozen more on my e-reader, including a few books on the writing craft. I’m setting time aside daily to catch up and keep up with the books I want to read. How’s your TBR list for 2017 going? Doing the Goodreads challenge?

World Book and Copyright Day is Coming

World Book and Copyright Day — you may know it as World Book Day (although in the U.S. a World Book Day is celebrated in early March as well) or the International Day of the Book is April 23, 2017. Organized annually by UNESCO, this very special day celebrates books, reading, publishing, and the protection of the copyright.

World Book and Copyright Day

Why April 23 each year for this event?

From UNESCO, the 23rd of April is “a symbolic date in remembrance of the deaths of two major authors: William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes.”

World Book and Copyright Day is celebrated across the globe. In the U.K., there’s also World Book Night on April 23. It’s organized by The Reading Agency and is an evening set aside to enjoy and celebrate reading and books of all types.

There’s no reason why you can’t have your own World Book Night here in the U.S. — grab your kids, your honey, your BFFs, and even your pets for a fun night of reading and sharing your favorite books and stories.

5 Months to MONSTER by Michael Grant

One of my all-time favorite YA series is GONE by Michael Grant. I can’t actually remember when I read the first book, but it was before the second one came out, so fairly early after its release. It was the first book by Grant that I had read and after the first chapter, I was hooked. I had been looking for something different and GONE delivered.

Gone books

Since then, I’ve read and reread the full series about six or seven times because not only do I find the story interesting and yet disturbing — it’s all about the characters for me. Astrid, Sam, Edilio, Lana, Caine, Diana, little Pete, Orc, and the list goes on. While LIGHT concludes the series and ties up the story perfectly (if not bloodily) well, I was very excited to hear yesterday that MONSTER will release in October 2017, a book giving us GONE fans a bit more about what happens after LIGHT.

Below is the video of author Michael Grant reading from his soon-to-be-released book MONSTER. Please check it out and if you haven’t read the GONE series, now is the perfect time to start — you’ve plenty of time to get the series read before October.

 

 

So watch the video below and then go get GONE and read.

 

 

Here’s the link for the GONE series: http://www.michaelgrantbooks.co.uk/the-gone-series/gone/

Book Review: Silver Stars by Michael Grant

Author Michael Grant takes us back to the Front Lines with Silver Stars, the second novel in this gripping series. It’s the summer of 1943, World War II like you’ve never see it. Silver Stars, a Front Lines novel drops readers into an alternative reality where young women fight fiercely, side-by-side with men, on the front lines as foot soldiers, spies, and medics.

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From the inside flap of Silver Stars: “The women are not heroes for fighting alongside their brothers — they are soldiers.”

While Silver Stars is a book about war, including the gritty, bloody, and horrific scenes of battle and death. It’s really the story of three young women soldiers: Rio, Rainy, and Frangie. Somewhere about three-fourths of the way through book one, these women became real for me, I became invested in their stories. Silvers Stars gave me deeper insight into each of them and they continue to amaze me.

In brief, Rio is our soldier on the front lines of battles, fighting for her life and the lives of the men and women in her platoon. And she knows what it’s like to kill. Rio’s evolution from Front Lines into Silver Stars and through to the conclusion of Silver Stars is worth reading just on its own, but you’ll also want to get to know Rainy and Frangie more.

Rainy has brains and is tougher than even she knew she was. A Sergeant, Rainy has a gift for languages and a father who runs numbers for a crime boss. Her work in intelligence and her father’s association lands her an assignment that puts her behind enemy lines. Rainy’s story is compelling and terrifying — but as a reader, you always admire her resolve and courage.

From her first chapter, Frangie conquers her own demons to push through and do her job as a medic regardless of fears. She’s fierce, smart, and determined. And she’s compassionate. Silver Stars takes us in a bit closer to Frangie’s personal life with a look at her older brother and his politics, and how it affects her. This was maybe my favorite part of Frangie’s story.

All three women face prejudice for the simple fact that they are female, and Frangie must also deal with unrelenting racism because of the color of her skin. Their battles are so much more than just dodging enemy fire; their enemies often are the males wearing the same uniform they wear.

Silver Stars is one of those books that I can and will reread because there’s so much to absorb and it’s simply that well written. I highly recommend reading Front Lines and then grabbing a copy of Silver Stars. You won’t regret it. It’s not your average YA and it’s by far one of the best books I’ve read this year.

Find Silver Stars and other Michael Grant books here: http://www.michaelgrantbooks.co.uk/

Definitely check this out as well! There’s history, videos, maps, character bios, and all sorts of cool stuff. http://www.frontlinesbook.com/

Special Guest Post from Author B.K. Boes: Writing Process, Editing, & Finding an Illustrator

I’m very excited today to have author B.K. Boes guest posting. I had the privilege of meeting her last November at a writer’s conference and was blown away by her vision as an epic fantasy writer and her passion for writing. She agreed to sit down and share her process for writing, editing, and even how to find an illustrator. Regardless if you’re newer to this business of novel writing and publishing or more experienced, this post is chock full of great information!

Behind the Scenes of an Epic Fantasy  with B.K. Boes

In today’s world, especially in the independent publishing crowd, you’re going to hear a lot of advice about writing fast. And I mean super speed. I’ve met people who can crank out a romance novel or space opera first draft in three days. And that’s awesome. But it’s not me, and that’s okay.

Here’s the advice I’d give you: write the first draft as fast as you can. Take into account your life circumstances and priorities. I’m a homeschooling mom. I work part-time online. My husband is a minister in a local church, which means I host people in my home many evenings. I run a local writer’s group, and I teach a homeschool high school creative writing class. I’m also working on building my writing career.

I simply can’t pump out books like a full-time author. Or even a part-time author with no kids in the picture. And, again, that’s okay.

So, here I am, a busy woman with a full life trying to write an epic fantasy series. In the last five years, I’ve written the first drafts of five books in this series, plus a spin-off book or two. Currently, I’ve brought the first book in the series, Mother of Rebellion, almost to the end of its production.

My Process Start to Finish

Since I’m independently publishing my series (the benefits of which and my choice to do so could be another post all together), my process of bringing a book from conception to publication looks different than traditional publication. It will also look different from other indie publishers. It’s tailored to who I am. But, maybe you can find something helpful in it, so here it is:

  1. Idea forms. Write a few short stories with the main characters as protagonists. Do a crap ton of world-building. This step can take anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months.
  2. Plot out basic plot points, probably using The Hero’s Journey. This shouldn’t take more than a day or two. It’s not carved in stone. You can change it later.
  3. Write the first draft. This shouldn’t take forever. In fact, I suggest trying to get the first draft finished in less than two months. Why? 1) Your first draft will probably suck no matter how long it takes you to write it. 2) Your first draft will probably change. A lot. 3) Laboring over words/themes/pacing is better done in revision. So, give yourself permission to write a bad first draft. Just accept the fact that it won’t be close to perfect, turn off your internal editor, write the draft, and move on to revisions.
  4. If major changes took place between plotting out my book and finishing the first draft, sometimes I will take a day to replot my new story direction to make sure that I’m hitting all the correct markers.
  5. Write the second draft. For me, I have to fill out the story a lot. I write bare bones on first draft and then add in on revisions. Some writers overwrite on the first draft and have to cut a lot of material in revisions. This will just depend on who you are as a writer. It would be a good idea to start getting some feedback at this point via a writer’s group. Complete the second draft as fast as you
  6. Alpha readers. These are other writers or very critically thinking readers who can tear your story apart and help you put it back together in a better way. This will, of course, depend on how fast your alpha readers are. I have two, and it took them about a month. In the meantime, I took a step back from that story and wrote a first draft of another book.
  7. Third draft changes based on alpha reader comments. I look for consistency, pacing, world-building (enough/too little?), story timeline, character distinction, etc., and I bring the book up to the best quality I can on my own. The third draft for me might take a couple of passes. I might separate out the multiple point of view characters into their own word documents and edit one character at a time.
  8. At this point I would hire a developmental editor. More on that later.
  9. Fourth draft based on comments of developmental editor.
  10. Send off to a line editor. More on that later.
  11. Fifth draft based on comments by line editor.
  12. Send off to a proofreader.
  13. Sixth draft based off of proofreading.
  14. At this point, I’d send off to beta readers. These guys are going to read through your book and give you a reader’s perspective. They should be able to catch any last minute, smaller changes that need to be made.
  15. During the last few stages, I’d hire a cover designer and map illustrator. More on that later.
  16. Seventh draft based off of anything beta readers caught.
  17. Once I have my illustrations and cover, it’s time to send it off to a professional formatter for the print version of the book. You can also hire for the ebook version, but you can also do it yourself on Vellum (Mac) or Jutoh (PC).
  18. Finally! It’s time to publish!

Now let’s talk about some of the leg work involved in hiring professionals to help you make your book top notch.

How to Find an Editor

There are three types of editors I recommend.

  1. Developmental Editor. This is big picture editing. They’ll look at the structure of your book, plot holes, find inconsistencies or unbelievable moments, check for character development and consistency, comment on pacing, and look for overall themes. This is the most expensive type of editing. You can probably get away with not hiring a developmental editor if you absolutely cannot afford one. However, if you decide not to hire a developmental editor, make sure you have super smart and capable Alpha readers and get as many of them as you can.
  2. Line Editor. This is line by line editing. They’ll look for smaller scale craft of writing issues such as structure on a chapter, paragraph and/or sentence level. They will suggest better, smoother prose. They’ll help you make your voice consistent, and make sure that nothing is confusing for the reader.
  3. Proofreader. This is purely technical. Grammar, punctuation, spelling, mistyped words, missing words, and things like that.

Now, when I was looking for editors, I took it very, very seriously. I believe that if I am going to pay for these services, it better be worth it. The last thing I want is to get back my manuscript and find that I wasted my money.

Making a list of editors

  1. Word of mouth recommendations is very valuable. Network with other authors. Ask for their recommendations, and follow up if they give you an editor’s information. Begin forming a list of editors you wish to query.
  2. Research editors who specialize in your genre. Google is your friend. Legitimate editors normally have websites with testimonials, rates, guidelines, and lists of books they’ve edited. Add those that interest you to your list. Query them to ask for recommendations from past clients.
  3. Take a look at your favorite indie books in your genre. Often times they will credit their editor on the copyright page or in their acknowledgments. Add these names to your list and find their contact information.
  4. Gather a large list of editors. Really do your research. I had more than 3 dozen editors on my original list.

Whittle Down Your List

  1. Are they not affordable? Then mark them off the list.
  2. Do they offer a sample edit? If not, mark them off the list.
  3. When you look at the books they’ve edited on amazon/goodreads/etc, do you see a lot of comments in the lower rated reviews that specifically comment on editing? Mark them off the list. Don’t skip this step. This is how you confirm their track record.
  4. Send out samples for them to edit based on their individual guidelines. Are they unprofessional? Mark them off the list. Do they fail to respect you as the author in their edits? Mark them off the list. Do you have the feeling you won’t work well together as you communicate? Mark them off. Do they try to rewrite your story? Mark them off. Do they have hateful comments instead of constructive ones? Mark them off.
  5. Whittle your list down to less than 5 editors that you would be glad to work with and you think you can afford.

Which One to Hire?

This is something you’ll have to decide for yourself. I whittled my 36+ list of editors down to three or four, and I chose the cheapest one in the end. Your decision might be based off of something else, and that’s fine.

How to find an Illustrator

new leyumin-map-web-bw
Map design by NA Studios Designs, exclusively for author B.K. Boes.

There are two ways to get a cover. You can hire an artist to create original artwork (which is often times expensive), or you can hire a company like Deranged Doctor Designs to make you a cover out of stock photos. This is definitely the more affordable option.

But original art may still be needed for other things. I hired an artist to create my cover illustration, and I’ve hired NA Studio Designs to give me unique chapter headings for each of my point of view characters, create maps for my book, and create some promotional materials.

new patriphos-map-web-bw
Map Design by NA Studios Design, exclusively for author B.K. Boes.

The process of finding an illustrator is similar to finding an editor. The steps for making a list of illustrators or cover designers is the same, except you can add this: Search websites like DeviantArt and Carbon Made and even Fiverr. For maps, you can also check out The Cartographer’s Guild. These sites enable you to contact artists individually. You might have to query to find out if they even create artwork for book covers, but these are the places you can find some really great artists.

Tips for Working with Illustrators and Cover Designers

  1. If working with stock, it is VERY important that you make sure they have the licenses to use said stock photos. Also, I like to run a Google image search when considering buying a premade book cover to see if the image has already been used in my genre in a similar way on a book cover.
  2. If the artist isn’t professional and timely, don’t work with them. It’s a huge headache. And often times it falls through anyway. Your best bet is using someone with a track record and business already up and running.
  3. When hiring for map illustrations, you’ll have to give them a rough sketch up front. Research map making. Model your map after real world places so that the geography makes sense. Have a rough sketch ready to go before you query.
  4. Ask for recommendations from artists, just as you would for editors. Talk to previous clients about how smooth or not smooth the process was for them. You can find out a lot by just talking to people.

There is a lot to learn when planning to independently publish your book, but it is totally possible. And you can make your book indistinguishable from a traditionally published book. So, I encourage you to go. Write awesome stories. Produce top quality, professionally edited books. Put together beautiful eBooks and print books, and be proud of the product you’ve made.

Good luck, and remember, your process is yours. Not mine. Not anyone else’s. So find out what works for you and own it.

-B.K. Boes


B.K. Boes is an epic fantasy writer, working on publishing her first novel, Mother of Rebellion, the first book in the Leyumin Divided Saga. She is a wife, and mother of two. Writing has always been a part of her life, but within the last four to five years has she begun to take it more seriously. Since then, she’s written six books, and her first is nearly ready to publish.

You can find her:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/bkboes/

Twitter: @BKboes

Website (Still under construction): http://www.bkboes.com/

Instagram: bkboes

 

 

 

Guest Post from Author Sheri Williams

Excited and happy to announce I have an amazing author guest posting today! Please welcome Sheri Williams — author, voracious reader, amazing mom and wife, and someone I’m very privileged to call a friend. I’m going to launch into her post right away, but be sure to stick around because I’ve got all the links posted at the end for how you can find her and her books.

Sheri blog post pic
Photo by Sheri Williams

Don’t Piss Off the Author!

It is a well known fact that you don’t piss off an author. Because if you do such a thing, they will invariably kill you in horrible, terrible, no good ways. Possibly multiple times. I mean, they sell shirts and mugs and posters with this very fact on it. I mean in general, you shouldn’t go out of your way to piss off anyone. It’s just not good practice. I’m a firm believer in karma, and if you send out hate to the world, it’s going to multiply it x3 and you’re going to land smack on your ass wondering why the universe is out to get you.

But that is a whole other blog post. I’m going to talk today about how pissing off an author might lead them to a whole new story idea based on how they can kill you in fiction. No seriously. It’s going to happen.  Public death for the crime of ignorance. That’s how I decided to kill the person who pissed me off. And it sparked a whole new world that I’m working on building. A whole world where if you are willfully ignorant you could be sentenced to death. A world where knowledge is power and we all know power corrupts, but can knowledge? I can’t wait to find out as I delve more into the world building.

I’ve only dug a little bit into what I want for this new world, but I’m already fascinated. And I really hope that after I finish what I’m writing now, then finish the other half written book I’m sitting on, and then write a sequel to a short that I’ve been asked about twice then, and only then will I get to delve deeper into the new world. I’m interested to see what I might come up with. Right now I have one character. She is Honor, the nun. That’s it, but it’s a start. And I have worked with much less before.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Many, many thanks to Sheri for taking the time to share this today! I’m really intrigued with this idea — a  world where there’s public death for the crime of ignorance. This will be a fun if not disturbing read, and I love that! So, if you’re looking for Sheri you can find her here at: thesheriwilliams.com.

She also writes middle grade fiction as Sherilyn Putnam.

You also can check out my book review of her middle grade title: Alien Like Me.