Recently I was beta-reading a book for a friend. He had told me before I began reading that it was a “new-age thriller.” I wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but it sounded intriguing, so I was all in. As I read, though, and the story unfolded, I kept looking for those thriller sequences but they were nowhere to be found. I found myself getting frustrated, wanting to get into the meat of the genre, but the narrative was taking its sweet time. Finally it became clear to me that this book was not a thriller. It had a very few thriller elements, but they actually only occurred in the last 10% of the book and they were not anywhere near the fast-paced, clock-ticking, heart-pounding sequences I was used to (and expected). While the book was good as far as it went, and well-written, it was decidedly miscategorized, and I told him so. Continue reading “Book Descriptions and Broken Promises”
Day: February 17, 2015
Book Brief: Zero Anaphora
Zero Anaphora
by Luke Brimblecombe
Genres: Psychological Thriller
Word Count: 143,015
Anna is a professional escort with a disturbing and supernatural secret – something she is scarcely able to understand herself, let alone explain to others…
Despite her adoring clientele, she leaves her career behind when given the opportunity to take control of an underground circle of fetishistic materialists, who provide her with an unprecedented source of money and power. While others are oblivious to her past, a former client is slowly piecing together the clues, but becomes dangerously infatuated with her in the process. Will his obsession lead him to inadvertently discover the truth that lies behind her many methods of disguise?
Meanwhile, a new lover is slowly drawn into Anna’s inner social circle, placing yet more pressure upon her to find a way to preserve her true identity. But not every secret can be kept forever…
Zero Anaphora is available from Amazon.com and Amazon UK. Continue reading “Book Brief: Zero Anaphora”
Use Short Fiction to Help Your Novel Writing
I don’t know about other novel writers, but something happens to my brain between drafts. It’s tired, but it’s too revved up to stop. The state reminds me of my brief long-distance running career. After a major race, lying around “resting” was anything but restful. My body preferred short jogs for a few days, to recover and refresh for the next goal. So when I was going a little stir-crazy waiting to begin the second draft of one of my novels, a friend suggested I try writing a few short stories to keep myself out of trouble. I’ve always found the form intimidating—novel writing gives me the luxury to delve deep into characters and story, and many of my attempts earned me the same response from critique groups: “That sounds like the beginning of a novel.” Sigh. Also, when the subject comes up among writers, you always hear examples of such-and-such author who is better at one length than another. Continue reading “Use Short Fiction to Help Your Novel Writing”