Friday, October 31, 2008

What do I call it?

I just added a new author and character to my list of favorites, which includes Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake and gang and Merry Gentry and her men of fae, Jim Butcher and the Dresden Files, Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire series, and Kim Harrison and her witch, Rachel Morgan. To the list I now add Carrie Vaughn and her creation, Kitty Norville. Kitty is a reluctant werewolf and a radio D.J..

I started to wonder how to classify these new stories. Paranormal romances? No. Mysteries? No. Science Fiction? No. Fantasy? Maybe, but not really. Perhaps we need a new name, a new sub-genre.

The first Anita Blake stories by Laurell K. Hamilton were originally sold as romances. But from the very beginning, they didn’t quite fit. I seem to remember that Laurell K. Hamilton belonged to a writers’ group called The Alternate Historians or something like that. Could Anita Blake fall into the Science Fiction sub-genre Alternate History, where an event changes history? In this case, the event was vampires coming out of the closet. Her books were also mysteries. Anita Blake is often referred to as a paranormal investigator. When you look Laurell K. Hamilton up, she is classified as a Science Fiction/Fantasy author.

So what do Anita Blake, Merry Gentry, Harry Dresden, Sookie Stackhouse, Rachel Morgan all have in common? They have to do with the paranormal.

Dark fantasy is another term I’ve heard used, since they are fantasy, but with the dark side of vampires, werewolves, and other creatures of the night. But Dark Fantasy has been linked with horror, and usually these books tend to be on the light, often humorous side.

Paranormal romances have become extremely popular with ghosts, vampires, werewolves, witches, even angels. People can’t seem to get enough of them. But although each of the above mentioned series have romantic elements, even erotica, they don’t really fit into the classic romance. Or even paranormal romance.

They also had mystery elements, but as the stories progressed, the relationships and the world became more important and often overshadowed the mystery. So they really don’t fit the term mystery, or even paranormal mystery.

I came across another term, Magic Realism. That certainly sounded like a possibility. But I did some research. It is narrowly defined, to represent first a style of art and later a particular kind of literature, in Latin America in the 1940's. While in most ways, these books don’t match the criteria for Magic Realism, they do in one area, that the supernatural is considered real by the characters.

Bruce Holland Rogers says, “If a magazine editor these days asks for contributions that are magical realism, what she's really saying is that she wants contemporary fantasy written to a high literary standard.” It is a marketing term.

There is one other term that I have heard used to describe them -- Urban Fantasy. Laurell K. Hamilton’s Merry Gentry series is referred to as an urban fantasy on her website.

According to Wikipedia, Urban Fantasy is a subset of contemporary fantasy, consisting of magical novels and stories set in contemporary, real-world, urban settings. Either in what is called open, where the magic and paranormal events are accepted to exist or closed, where they exist, but remain hidden. It has also become a term used in films, which include movies and TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, and the Dresden Files, a show based on Jim Butcher’s books.

So I guess Urban Fantasy is best fit.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

NaNoWriMo

What is that? National Novel Writing Month begins November 1st, and challenges over 110,000 authors to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.

I have accepted the challenge. So I've posted reviews ahead for the next 4 weeks, so that I can focus on my writing. I'll check back in December.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Tell Me, Pretty Maiden

by Rhys Bowen

We readers have been following the adventures of Molly Murphy, an extraordinary Irish immigrant to New York City in the early 1900's. Forced to flee Ireland, she arrives penniless. Unwilling to succumb to the drudgery of being a maid, or working in the sweat shops, definitely not interested in being kept in a brothel, she happens upon a job with a private detective. When he dies tragically, she just keeps on as a detective. Her Irish luck brings continuing success to her career.

This time she is dealing with multiple cases. A malignant ghost haunting a theater, a background check of a prospective groom, and an investigation of a robbery. In the robbery, the evidence is overwhelming against a young man, a nephew of a friend, who is missing. Can she find him and prove his innocence? Not to mention it, Molly found a young girl lying in the snow, catatonic. Molly takes her in, determined to discover what terrible trauma has robbed her of speech. Then there is Molly’s boyfriend, Daniel Sullivan, who continues to brood over his unjust dismissal from the police force and keeps treating her without respect for her independent nature. For Molly won’t be shoved into the prison of being what society expects women of that era to be.

My major complaint about this story is the author attempted to keep the reader in the dark, by keeping Molly clueless on things she should have questioned or figured out. Unfortunately, it wasn’t much a mystery to me what had happened and I found it irritating that Molly wasn’t smart enough to have a clue. Despite that weakness, I enjoyed the characters and the setting very much. This time we get to see backstage at the theater and the insides of the horrid insane asylum and meet the famous Nelly Bly. Hopefully next time out, the author will allow Molly to show her native brilliance. And please get Daniel over his depression, he broods way too much, not to mention his male chauvinistic behavior is really irritating. He either needs to grow up or Molly needs to kick him out.

Reviewed by Linda Suzane

TELL ME, PRETTY MAIDEN, A Molly Murphy Mystery
Rhys Bowen
St. Martin’s Minotaur 2008
ISBN 13: 978-0-312-34943-1

Thursday, October 23, 2008

What is ISBN?

ISBN, what is it? When I noticed a book listing an ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 number, I found myself asking what was going on.

So I did a little investigation. In 2007, they switched from an ISBN-10 to an ISBN-13, but recommended that books published in the transition period carry both.

But what is an ISBN? It stands for International Standard Book Number. Supposedly every book, professionally published, has been given a unique 10 digit ISBN, since the system started in 1970. Now that has been changed to 13 digits. Why? To better conform with the 13 digit EAN code, which is a bar code for all products.

So what does the code mean?
For example: ISBN# 978-81-7525766-0
978 - Is the EAN code for books.
81 - Is group code, such as identifying it as an English speaking country.
7525 - Identifies the publisher. A publisher may have more than one code.
766- Product number.
0 - Check sum. This number is arrived at by following a complex mathematical formula. You multiply all the numbers by a predetermined amount, add together the totals, and divide them by 11 or 10 depending if it is 10 or 13 ISBN. The number that remains is then added to the check sum number to equal 11 or 10. This is supposed to assure that there are no errors when typing numbers so that no invalid ISBN are issued.

So now you and I know a little bit more.

Monday, October 20, 2008

The Right Hand of Amon

by Lauren Haney

From the time I was a teenager, I have been fascinated by ancient Egypt. One of my all time favorite series is Amelia Peabody by Elizabeth Peter. I was very pleased when I found the Lord Meron series by Lynda S. Robinson and sorely disappointed when it ended after six books. Now I have found Lauren Haney series about Lieutenant Bak, commander of the Medjay police during reign of Queen Maatkare Hatshepsut.

THE RIGHT HAND OF AMON is a beautiful mystery, the kind where the characters and clues are unfolded slowly and with exquisite precision against a backdrop that is at both exotic and yet realistically familiar. She has brought ancient Egypt alive with great skill.

My only regret is that there are only eight books in the series. From what I read, her publisher dropped the series and she hasn’t found a new publisher. One can only hope she does, for if the rest are as good as THE RIGHT HAND OF AMON, it is a series worth owning, one that shouldn’t be dropped because it is midlist. I better stop before I start a rant. If you enjoy mysteries and Egypt, this is definitely a book you want to read.

THE RIGHT HAND OF AMON
By Lauren Haney
Avon Books Inc
1997

Reviewed by Linda Suzane October 18, 2008

Monday, October 13, 2008

Savannah's Secret


By Marie Held

SAVANNAH'S SECRET is a romantic spy thriller. And thrilling it is. Reporter Serena Watson begins researching the mysterious destruction of an old mansion, the Peck House, in Savannah, Georgia. Curious about the strange lack of information about the explosion, she initiates a title search. Suddenly someone breaks in to her apartment, then a stranger bumps into her, someone who claims to know her, yet won't explain how. Brent warms her that she must stop her investigation. When it seems that there are men watching her, she reluctantly agrees. For Brent makes her feel safe and protected, and she finds herself definitely drawn to him. Then Brent steals all her notes and disappears without telling her what is going on. Angry, she goes on with her investigation and into life-threatening-danger.

This is a better spy thriller than a romance, if only because the romance follows my least favorite plotline. The conflict results from neither party bothering to communicate, when one simple question or an honest answer would have resolved the issues. Brent thinks he is protecting Serena by not telling her what is going on. Wrong! Serena assumes that Missy is Brent's girlfriend. Wrong! Brent assumes Serena is still in love with her ex-boyfriend, Randall. Wrong! Neither one will let the other know that they love one another and so suffer. While there are many fans who enjoy this romantic formula, I find myself frustrated at the characters for not speaking out.

I also found Serena a little too weak for a reporter. She let her father and Brent keep her in the dark too much. I know this is what I would classify as a sweet romance, with a very young heroine, but again I would prefer a stronger heroine.

Those of you who are fond of the old fashioned, sweet romance will love SAVANNAH'S SECRET. Marie Held has turned her first novel into a wonderful blend of romance and spy thriller. She has made a good beginning.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Offshore Threat




by Nancy A. Lindley-Gauthier

Happy, an odd child, often misunderstood, in love with the sea.

Ollie, standing at the moment where one life must end and another begin.

Corwin, a Coast Guard Commander, charged with homeland security, whose biggest problem isn’t foreign terrorists but among his own ranks.

When the body of a young girl bound in chains is discovered stuffed in a culvert, the “chain” of events entangles the lives of these three.

This is old fashioned suspense at its very best.

Whether well researched or personal experience, the author brings a strong sense of reality to this complex tale. The work of the Coast Guard, which deals with national security, checking incoming shipping, and protecting the safety of boaters makes an interesting background. But it was the richness of details, such as the thrill of sailing through a raging storm, the smell of the sea, the waves brushing against the sand, and a child’s joy of simple things like a gull on the wing, that makes this book special.

OFFSHORE THREAT
by Nancy A. Lindley-Gauthier
Wings ePress Inc.
ISBN 978-1-59705-352-5 eBook

Available from Wings ePress http://www.wings-press.com

Learn more about Nancy at her website www.amomentincrime.com

Reviewed by Linda Suzane August 15, 2008