Guest Post: JULI D. REVEZZO

I am Woman hear me… whimper?

Ask any Jane Austen fan and she’ll tell you her favorite character is Darcy. Ask me, I have to just shrug and I don’t care about him as much as say, Mr. Bingley.

[Mr. Bingley Image Credit: LunaNueva01]

Yeah, that’s right, you heard me. I find the whole Darcy-love phenomena leaves me scratching my head. Why? Well, just look at that character-type. It’s all over the darned place! From Austen to…ahem, Fifty Shades of Grey.

If you’ve read contemporary fiction for any amount of time recently, you’ve noticed a …shall we say lack of strong female characters?

Yes, I said it. A complete lack of strong female characters. Why? From women who owe something to the women’s movement — from everything to the ability to break the glass ceiling to now fighting in combat, why are we suddenly swooning over chest thumping Neanderthal men? (Apologies to the Neanderthals among my readers and characters ;)). Theoretically, it’s because of survival instincts, but I read an interesting article while writing this that said Alpha males tended to die out faster than betas. Why is that, I wonder? Could it be that the women in their tribes got tired of being told their only worth was in the kitchen and bedroom?

In these days, to say I don’t get the love of that type of character is an understatement. Where are the male leads who can lead others while saying “Sure honey, you don’t need to cook tonight. No problem. How’s takeout sound”?

So, when I sat down to write my new paranormal romance novel, PASSION’S SACRED DANCE, that’s exactly how my heroine, Stacy, turned out. She runs her own business and wrangles with bankers without a man’s assistance … However her bankers and rivals turn out to be a little different from the norm. So I had to introduce her to the strong, silent-like Aaron Fielding. While he might display some of those so-called Alpha characteristics he is also kind, thoughtful, a peacemaker, and will respectfully bow to a super — well, to say more will give you a spoiler for my book. ;)

Yes, he’s had experience dealing with odd types of foul fiends. He can, and will, lop off a head or two when necessary like a good warrior should. But when it comes to how he and heroine Stacy see one another, it’s eye-to-eye, thank you very much. He may be strong with a sword, but she can think her way out of a paper bag, and when I put them together, their chemistry went off the charts. She need not whimper, and he need not beat his chest. You see, to me, strong heroines and heroes complement each other very well especially when they can agree. Between them, they make for the perfect romance, I think. I hope you’ll give them a look and enjoy their chemistry.

Would you like to read a little bit more about Stacy and Aaron? Okay:

Battling mounting debt, Stacy Macken is determined not to lose her historic art gallery. When Aaron Fielding appears and offers to help, she fights to keep the attraction sizzling between them from clouding her judgment. He may be her savior in disguise -- but can she trust him?

Aaron intrigues her with tales of the Tuatha dé Danann, sworn warriors who protect humanity from the monsters seeking their destruction. If Aaron can prove what he claims, she would give up anything to help -- even the gallery he claims is sacred ground. But with her property set to stage the next epic battle, she needs answers. An old family diary will confirm the ancient legend is true, if only they can find it in time.

If the battle is lost, the enemy will take control of Earth for the next five hundred years. Stacy and Aaron's budding love might only complicate things.

PASSION’S SACRED DANCE can be purchased for Kindle from Amazon and coming soon to other venues. I hope you’ll check it out and enjoy the story I had to tell!

Thanks, Cherry for inviting me here today!

Passion's Sacred Dance by Juli D. Revezzo
Genre: paranormal romance

About Passion's Sacred Dance:

Battling mounting debt, Stacy Macken is determined not to lose her historic art gallery. When Aaron Fielding appears and offers to help, she fights to keep the attraction sizzling between them from clouding her judgment. He may be her savior in disguise--but can she trust him?

Aaron intrigues her with tales of the Tuatha dé Danann, sworn warriors who protect humanity from the monsters seeking their destruction. If Aaron can prove what he claims, she would give up anything to help--even the gallery he claims is sacred ground. But with her property set to stage the next epic battle, she needs answers. An old family diary will confirm the ancient legend is true, if only they can find it in time.

If the battle is lost, the enemy will take control of Earth for the next five hundred years. Stacy and Aaron's budding love might only complicate things.

Might this be something you think your readers would be interested in?

Source: Info in the About Passion's Sacred Dance was taken from the press kit from the publicity team.
Buy Link(s):


Book Trailer:

About Juli D. Revezzo:

Juli D. Revezzo has long been in love with writing, a love built by devouring everything from the Arthurian legends, to the works of Michael Moorcock, and the classics and has a soft spot for classic the “Goths” of the 19th century. Her short fiction has been published in Dark Things II: Cat Crimes, The Scribing Ibis, Eternal Haunted Summer, Twisted Dreams Magazine and Luna Station Quarterly. She also has an article and book review or two out there. But her heart lies in the storytelling. She is a member of Independent Authors Network and Magic Appreciation Tour. Passion’s Sacred Dance is her first romance novel.

Juli's Link(s):
julidrevezzo.com
blog at julidrevezzo.com/blog
https://www.facebook.com/julidrevezzo
google+
GoodReads
Shelfari
@julidrevezzo

Guest Post: Marissa Farrar & Giveaway

Reality in Fantasy

Even fantasy needs a healthy dose of reality.

Like most writers, I am a voracious reader. As a teenager, I grew up on a fictional diet of Stephen King, Anne Rice and James Herbert. As I entered my twenties, however, I moved onto a wide range of other authors such as Jodi Picoult and Khaled Hosseini. The things I loved about each of these authors’ books—however diverse the genres—was that for the most part the storylines were about normal people put in extraordinary circumstances. They were all people I could relate to, people I could meet walking down the street, and this made their stories all the more believable.

When I sat down to write ‘Alone’ (Book One in the ‘Serenity’ series), I knew I wanted to write a vampire romance. I’d just learned that Mills and Boon had recently brought out their paranormal imprint, ‘Nocturne’ and thought, ‘yeah, I can do that’. We were living in Spain, I had a small child at home, and I’d decided it was time I earned some money from the hundreds of hours I poured into my writing.

However, within a few pages, I knew there was no way Mills and Boon would be interested in this book. My love of all things dark quickly crept in and the result was a gritty story of a battered woman’s emotional journey, and she just happens to fall in love with a vampire!

You see, for me, although I love the paranormal, it’s real life that makes a book genuine. It’s things not always being as perfect as they seem on the outside. It’s people experiencing real trauma, but growing within themselves and overcoming whatever life has thrown in their path. The most important things in our lives are the simple ones; our relationships with other people. Without those relationships, we’d be nothing.

I want my books to be about real people, the battered woman you might pass in the street, the man struggling to balance bills with a sick child at home. Most of my characters are just like you and I. They don’t have any special powers. They’re just normal people, who, put in extreme (paranormal) situations, are able to achieve things they never thought possible.

I hope my readers believe in my characters as much as I do. Because after all, however fantastical a novel might be, the characters always have to feel real to the reader. The reader must experience every second of pain, every tear of joy, every heart-stopping moment of terror, as though it were their own. This is the most important part of reality in fantasy.

Luckily, my readers do seem to appreciate my combination of reality and fantasy. There are three books in the ‘Serenity’ series now, and when book three, ‘Captured’ released, all three books ended up in the top 100 for Contemporary Fantasy on Amazon. Book four, ‘Dominion’, is due to be released in October.

I’d like to give away a signed paperback copy of ‘Alone’, the first in my vampire ‘Serenity’ series, to one lucky commenter. Tell me what your favourite fantasy creature is and why, by leaving me a comment below.

And for those who can’t wait to see if they win the paperback, ‘Alone’ is now free to download from numerous sites including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple.
http://www.amazon.com/Alone-The-Serenity-Series-ebook/dp/B006YRN6NG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1337538455&sr=8-3
Thanks for hosting me, Cherry!

Alone by Marissa Farrar
Book 1 of the Serenity series
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy

About Alone:

Caught in a violent and abusive relationship, Serenity thinks there is no escape.

On the day she fears her life can get no worse, she meets a stranger, Sebastian, who shows her the possibility of a different future.

Only Sebastian has a dark secret; he is a vampire.

As Serenity’s life takes a terrifying turn, she finds herself drawn into a world she never knew existed; one of murder, love and immortality. She is forced to confront her own weaknesses to save both her own life and that of the vampire she has come to love. But in the end all that matters is; can she find the strength to be Alone?

Source: Info in the About Alone was from the media kit for this blog tour.
Buy Link(s):

Buried by Marissa Farrar
Book 2 of the Serenity series
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy

About Buried:

Four years after the horrific murder of her husband, Serenity is living a new life and finally putting the terrifying events behind her. Though now a stronger person, her heart craves the vampire who gave her the strength to change her life.

Desperate to forget Serenity, Sebastian hides away in the underground tunnels of Goreme, Turkey, and has thrown himself into an existence of darkness and blood.

But rumours are abound of something unnatural existing, something with the strength of a vampire but that can walk in the light.

And a murderer is on the loose in Angeles Forest, someone who is killing with the ferocity of a beast. The killer is moving closer and closer to the city, searching for something...

Serenity.

Source: Info in the About Buried was from the media kit for this blog tour.
Buy Link(s):

Captured by Marissa Farrar
Book 3 of the Serenity series
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy

About Captured:

Living in Jackson’s cold embrace, Serenity no longer remembers who she is. Repeat feedings have left her a mere shell of a person and she has no recollections of her past life, though the sense that she isn’t alone often haunts her.

Back in Los Angeles, Sebastian has never given up hope of finding her again. Their daughter, Elizabeth, experiences visions of Serenity’s new existence and together they track her across the country.

But finding Serenity might prove to be the least of their problems. When Sebastian seeks the help of an older vampire, Demitrios, the family find themselves in the fight of their lives.

Source: Info in the About Captured was from the media kit for this blog tour.
Buy Link(s):

About Marissa Farrar:

Marissa Farrar is a multi-published horror and fantasy author. She was born in Devon, England, loves to travel and has lived in both Australia and Spain. She now resides in the countryside with her husband, two children, a crazy Spanish dog, two rescue cats and six hens. She has a degree in Zoology, but her true love has always been writing.

Marissa is the author of four novels, including the dark vampire ‘Serenity’ series. Her fifth novel, Underlife, a dark fantasy set beneath the streets of London, will be published August 2012.

Her short stories have been accepted for a number of anthologies including, Their Dark Masters, Red Skies Press, Masters of Horror: Damned If You Don’t, Triskaideka Books; and 2013: The Aftermath, Pill Hill Press.

If you want to know more about Marissa, then please visit her website at www.marissa-farrar.blogspot.com. You can also find her at her facebook page, www.facebook.com/marissa.farrar.author or follow her on twitter @marissafarrar.

She loves to hear from readers and can be emailed at marissafarrar [at] hotmail .co .uk.

BOOK READING MOOD PHENOMENON (BRMP)

I noticed that it seems that my enjoyment of a book sometimes depends on my mood. There was a time when I was a teenager when I read a book and enjoyed it so much. Retrospectively, I could remember laughing every other page! I gave it high recommendations to all my book friends. I could still remember them looking at me strangely. I could not understand why they did not like it. What was there not to like? And I could also remember that was the time when I had like, awards for graduation, I passed the entrance exam and got accepted to the most prominent college in the country, had more than adequate money saved up for the first year in college, etc. In other words, I wasn't only happy... my world was not only rosy... I was on a high! Donkeys years later, I re-read the same book and I found the story telling quality so flat, the story boring and I was soooo surprised!! I could understand now what my friends were saying years ago about the book! Could my mood had affected my reading enjoyment of the book? A "book reading mood phenomenon" (BRMP)? I also noticed that sometimes my mood affects my choice of read... like I am feeling down and I wanted to read a kick-ass urban fantasy to pick me up. Or I'm feeling loved up and I want to read paranormal romance.... Have your mood ever affected your reading?

TSTL Characters

TSTL or Too Stupid To Live

I've read books in which the main protagonist(s) are too stupid to live (TSTL), i.e., Rachel Morgan series, Sookie Stackhouse series. I find that a hero or heroine who acts stupid in a book to be a really annoying read. It's a particular pet peeve of mine. It drives me up the wall! As a reader, I could put TSTL down to two major factors:

1. a character development flaw, or,
2. a weakness in the plot.

It could be due to a character development flaw. The hero could be either just developed as a stupid one. Or, was previously described to be badass, and then act out of character and does something stupid. I find that not only annoying, but also, I find it difficult to connect with that hero/heroine as well. I cannot root for him or her. I find myself sincerely wishing for the author to upgrade his/her character development skills... Or it could be due to a weakness in the plot. The character might be developed fine but all of a sudden the author made the hero act stupid in an effort to give the story a bit more drama. To fit the plot. Either way, it is majorly annoying to me... But what about you? As a reader, what is your view regarding TSTL characters? Are you tolerant or not so?

Top Ten Mistakes of New Fiction Writers

Top Ten Mistakes of New Fiction Writers

There are thousands, perhaps even millions of would-be writers of fiction the world over who find their stories and text coming back time and time again with those oh-so polite yet soul destroying rejection letters. Needless to say, writing has no set checklist to achieve perfection, but if everything really seems to be in order, it could be that one or more of the following top ten errors are all that stand in the way of unbridled success:

Insufficient Editing – Even the most seasoned veteran writers need to write, re-write and often re-write again. In the case of new writers across the board, there is a misconception that the editing process involves nothing more than a quick read-through for spelling mistakes and grammatical disasters. The best way to look at any writing project is to interpret what appears to be the final draft as nothing more than the first, going over even what appears to be perfect at least one last time with fresh eyes.

Restricted Writing – One of the biggest mistakes new fiction writers make is not allowing their imagination to run riot and instead remaining within the confines of what they think others would consider acceptable. This leads to homogenized story writing that has been done to death by millions of others – all looking to tick all the same boxes. On the other hand, draw up a new list of boxes to tick and standing out from the crowd comes as a certainty.

Irrelevance – It can be tempting to go massively into detail when building characters and back stories surrounding the main plot, but it has to be remembered that particularly in shorter works, it is essential not to take focus away from the main story. Of course, add all of the required detail and elements required, but opt for a subtle ‘drip-feeding’ approach rather than tangents with no relevance.

Language – Something of a balance must be struck here, as there are essentially two enormous mistakes just waiting to be made. On one hand, there are those who lose themselves in the plot and forget to push their vocabulary, while on the other hand there are those who use as many clever words as possible just for the sake of it. Needless to say, both can be fatal and should be avoided at all costs.

Clichés – Avoiding clichés when writing new works of fiction can be quite staggeringly difficult, as doing so not only involves the creation of original storylines, but also the attention required to make sure each and every encounter, scenario and even therein doesn’t simply scream ‘been there and done that’. Don’t rely on tired clichés or tricks to build the mood and environment, just rely on the core inspiration and say what really needs to be said.

Setting the Scene – The characters used in any work of fiction are never simply the result of breeding, but also the environment dreamed up to house them. Setting the scene can be as important to character development as anything else, therefore must be afforded due care and attention. Never be limited to simply describing how a place looks, but also include the smells, the sounds, the atmosphere, the objects around, the temperature, humidity and so on.

Structure – Something of a no-brainer but remarkably easy to stray away from, almost all short stories are most effective when concentrating on a single person in a single situation that spans a short period of time. It can be incredibly tempting to move away from the central plot and become sidetracked, which can be effective in epic novels, but in smaller works there is little to be gained from darting all over the place.

Dialogue – Remember that although the characters are not real, their dialogue must be as realistic as possible to maintain believability. At the same time, avoid fluff and nonsense used simply to increase the word count.
Technical Flaws – Brushing up on grammatical skills every now and then is a hugely important practice as it really does not take long for the odd mistake here and there to become a truly detrimental long term habit. Take a couple of online test or maybe consult a guide or two to see where the strengths and weaknesses lie.

Fresh Eyes – When it appears the story could not possibly be any better, leave it out of sight for a week or so without even going near it and re-read with a fresh pair of eyes – it never fails to be astonishing just how many little additions and tweaks become necessary this way.

"Article courtesy of Christine Connor, who frequently writes on behalf of moving services specialist Upack."

HIDDEN WORLDS by ALAYNA WILLIAMS

Hidden Worlds
by Alayna Williams

One of the tricky issues in writing urban fantasy is finding the appropriate balance between fantasy and reality. Urban fantasy, by definition, includes fantastical elements (including paranormal ideas or magic) in a mundane setting. Fantastic elements make a story interesting, and realistic elements make a story believable. Too much fantasy makes the magic less special, drowns it in a sea of fantastic characters and places. Too much realism makes the world too gritty or dull. But how much of each is too much?

Often, this takes a good deal of trial and error, depending upon the rules of the world. There are two types of general settings in urban fantasy: an open world in which the fantastic elements are known to all its inhabitants, and a hidden world in which the fantastic elements are unknown except to a select few.

Open worlds include worlds in which fantastic creatures roam the streets, have the right to vote, and are well-integrated into the fabric of society. An open world would be the kind of world in which my brother would bring a vampire home for dinner that he met on a paranormal dating site. I’d be glowering at his hickeys while I was spooning out the mashed potatoes. Open worlds allow for more elements of the fantastic, because they have become ordinary in that setting. People are accustomed to hair removal products for Weres being marketed on daytime television. The world is flexible and resilient, operating under a different set of rules than our own. The reader’s beliefs are effectively suspended at the outset, and the reader knows that anything is possible in this world – it’s wide open.

Hidden worlds require a lighter touch with the fantastic. Hidden worlds operate almost exactly the same as our own on the surface. It’s what’s beneath that’s cause for alarm. Too much magic roiling underneath the surface can make the fantastic elements seem less special and dull their impact. Too much magic can also strains the credibility of a secret world needs to remain secret. Ordinary humans may miss a few supernatural creatures or organizations operating in their midst, but ordinary people less likely to be able to ignore a zoo of things that go bump in the night living across the street.

The world of the oracles I created in ROGUE ORACLE is a hidden world. Tara Sheridan is a criminal profiler who uses Tarot cards to solve crimes. She's also a member of the Daughters of Delphi, an ancient society of oracles who trace their heritage back to the times of the Oracle of Delphi. They're a secret society with diverse talents: the women of Delphi's Daughters possess talents as diverse as pyromancy and geomancy. They can see the future in something as mundane as the yolk of an egg or as dramatic as a house fire.

But they hide their talents. They exist side by side with the rest of the world, blending seamlessly with the everyday. Sometimes, they use their powers for pure purposes, sometimes for political ones. But they always work behind the scenes, nudging the course of world events to suit the direction of their leader, the Pythia.

Tara hides the source of her power, as well. Paired with a skeptical partner, she's assigned to chase down a serial killer who's selling nuclear secrets on the world black market. She keeps her cards tucked in her pocket, consulting them surreptitiously for guidance.

Because her world is much like ours, she must fear discovery. What would her superiors think if the direction of a major investigation was guided by a deck of cards? What would her partner think? She stands to lose everything, all her professional credibility, love, and her mission, if she's found out.

I enjoy having that threat of discovery that a hidden world creates, an extra obstacle for my heroine to overcome.

I want her to be looking over her shoulder. I want her to wonder who's watching her, waiting for her to slip up and reveal her hand.

Alayna Williams (a.k.a. Laura Bickle) has worked in the unholy trinity of politics, criminology, and technology for several years. She lives in the Midwestern U.S. with her chief muse, owned by four mostly-reformed feral cats. Writing as Laura Bickle, she's the author of EMBERS and SPARKS for Pocket - Juno Books. Writing as Alayna Williams, she's the author of DARK ORACLE and ROGUE ORACLE. More info on her urban fantasy and general nerdiness is here: www.salamanderstales.com

About ROGUE ORACLE:

The more you know about the future, the more there may be to fear.

Tara Sheridan is the best criminal profiler around - and the most unconventional. Trained as a forensic psychologist, Tara also specializes in Tarot card reading. But she doesn't need her divination skills to realize that the new assignment from her friend and sometime lover, Agent Harry Li, is a dangerous proposition in every way.

Former Cold War operatives, all linked to a top-secret operation tracking the disposal of nuclear weapons in Russia, are disappearing. There are no bodies, and no clues to their whereabouts. Harry suspects a conspiracy to sell arms to the highest bidder. The cards - and Tara's increasingly ominous dreams - suggest something darker. Even as Tara sorts through her feelings for Harry and her fractured relationships with the mysterious order known as Delphi's Daughters, a killer is growing more ruthless by the day. And a nightmare that began decades ago in Chernobyl will reach a terrifying endgame that not even Tara could have foreseen…

Buy Links:

AUTHENTICITY FACTOR

AUTHENTICITY FACTOR. How authentic is the story line? The world building? As a reader, I find that I am more able to connect with a scene, character and/or a made-up world if it feels real to me. If it has a convincing semblance of reality in it. I call this the AUTHENTICITY FACTOR (AF). For a world, scene, plot, character or story to be authentic to me, it also has to make sense. The more it makes sense the more it's AF rating goes up. Take for example, let's take a scene off the book Sparks by Laura Bickle. This extremely long-lived character explained to this human about the idiosyncracy of his three-headed friend. He says:

"After a few centuries, they tend to develop a personality of their own."

Developing a personality after a long time is a logical possible next step to me in a magical entity. I can connect with that a whole lot more than just saying, "they are like that just because it's magic". Okey, that might be acceptable, but the AF rating would be a whole lot higher if it makes more sense than "just magic" and leave it at that. Those kind of books which leaves it to "just because it's magic" may catch my reader's attention but tends not to keep it. While the ones where it made more sense, not only catches my attention, but also has a higher likelyhood of keeping it.

The more authentic the world, the scene, the plot, the character is, the more I can easily suspend disbelief. Now a few concepts in the literary world here overlaps, like the concept of suspension of disbelief overlaps the authenticity factor. I guess it is sometimes inevitable that some concepts in the literary world would overlap as they play in the same field, so to speak. However, there is also a distinctness between the concepts of suspension of disbelief and authenticity factor. One is about suspending reality and the latter is about having as much reality in it as possible. And that is as far as I'm going with it's differences as this post is actually about the authenticity factor. There is a whole lot more to that "overlapping concepts" but that's also a discussion for another time.

So, to the book readers out there, what is your opinion about the authenticity factor of a story?

HEA: It is not so much the destination as it is the journey.

Okey, I'm one of those readers who likes my HEA or happily-ever-after. I'm an escapist reader, so I don't really want a lot of reality intruding into my fantasy. My ideal story therefore would have a very good semblance of reality but have an HEA in the end. And that is not real, that is fantasy. Because real life almost always dishes out a non-HEA. So a good author weaves me a realistic HEA. Sound simple? Probably. But not a lot of authors can pull that off. In fact, only a few can... "HEA", we know the ending anyway, so where is the thrill there? Aha! This is where the "good author" comes in. A very good tale spinner can make the story a very good journey, indeed! As Captain Jack says:

"It is not so much the destination, as it is the journey."

That is why I am always on the constant prowl for good authors. What is your take on HEA?

SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF

Suspension Of Disbelief - is described by Wikipedia as:

"...Samuel Taylor Coleridge, suggested that if a writer could infuse a "human interest and a semblance of truth" into a fantastic tale, the reader would suspend judgement concerning the implausibility of the narrative... It might be used to refer to the willingness of the audience to overlook the limitations of a medium, so that these do not interfere with the acceptance of those premises. These fictional premises may also lend to the engagement of the mind and perhaps proposition of thoughts, ideas, art and theories."

(Wikipedia, 2011: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_of_disbelief)

Another aspect that I look for in a book is "suspension of disbelief". Sometimes when an author is so talented, he can convince the reader so utterly of the world he has created that the reader is transported to another world entirely. That world is so convincingly real that it is so very easy to think that it could happen or "suspend disbelief". As far as I can see, there are two major factors that people in the literary industry attributes to "suspension of disbelief": One, the author factor. And two, the reader factor.

1. Author Factor
• Author's Convincing Talent: bryngreenwood's comment highlights the idea of "believability" of a story/scene/narrative and the author's convincing ability, in which he said that:
  

  "....last night I had to quit watching a movie because I just didn't believe in the characters. I said, "Look, I'm willing to believe that a neo-Nazi skinhead could fall in love with a black woman, but I don't believe that this skinhead is falling in love with this woman. Simple as that."

  (Isabel Roman, 2009: http://bit.ly/fefTZa)
• Author's Convincing Talent: Isabel Roman supports the "author's convincing ability" argument and states that "suspension of disbelief" requires a delicate balance of how the writer weaves his fiction. And I quote her:
  

  Ordinarily, you might not accept there are true, real Witch Hunters in the world, but presented as fact within a universe, it could be made believable. You can’t be tentative when creating a universe such as this. While dealing with magicks and so on, there’s still that careful line between what people will generally accept as “Well, that’s magick”, and what they’ll say as “That’s ridiculous.”

  (Isabel Roman, 2009: http://bit.ly/glOOxT).
• Consistency: Allison Pang further argues that the author's consistency with the world he has created plays a major role in the reader's "suspension of disbelief" (Allison Pang, 2011: http://bit.ly/h73e3M). An author is not allowed to break his own rules.
2. Reader Factor
• Another factor attributed to "suspension of disbelief" is the readers or audiences' frame of mind (Welkos, 1993: http://lat.ms/eAxY6M). How receptive is the audience to the world the author has created?

So, "suspension of disbelief" is influenced by the human interest and semblance of truth in the story, plus the author's covincing talents with consistency and the reader's receptiveness.

Whether it's 90% author's talent and 10% reader's receptiveness, is up for debate, because there is no solid evidence that I found to substantiate either way. However in my experience, when it comes to "suspension of disbelief", I find it important that it has to make sense, for me to be able to suspend disbelief. To me, "It happened like that just because it's magic" wouldn't cut it. It wouldn't convince me as a reader to suspend disbelief. Consequently, I would have the tendency to put that book down and pick up another. In which case, I probably would not buy another book by that author ever again. So I say, on top of Allison Pang's "consistency" argument and Isabel Roman's "delicate balance" theory, that the story also has to make sense for a reader to suspend disbelief. So in your experience as a reader, what do you find makes it difficult or easy for you to suspend disbelief?

"VOICE" - What Is It?

Voice - Most of us probably know what an "author's voice" is. However, there might just be a few out there who still doesn't know. I can still clearly remember the time when I first encountered the concept... Voice? Are they going to sing?! The utter cluelessness! Anyway, as far as I understand it, a "voice" is that distinct pattern that emerges when one writes. This pattern is particular to a person. It is as distinctive as a person's voice. That distinctness which allows us to identify that person even without seeing him/her, but by merely hearing that person's voice. A sort of similar distinctness emerges when one writes. This distinct writing style or pattern or whatever you want to call it, is what the term "author's voice" refers to. One does not have to write a book to have a "voice". If you've written or typed anything, i.e., blogged, then a distinct pattern or style of how you write things, emerges. I therefore must have a "voice", though I cannot see it. But I bet a lot of you can.

Here is a definition which might help us better understand what a "voice" is:

Writer's voice is an obsolete literary term used to describe the individual writing style of an author. Voice was generally considered to be a combination of a writer's use of syntax, diction, punctuation, character development, dialogue, etc., within a given body of text (or across several works).

Source: Above definition of "voice" was taken from GetGlue at http://getglue.com/topics/p/writers_voice?=g&source=http%3A%2F%2Fgetglue.com%2Ftopics%2Fp%2Fwriters_voice on 09/02/2011.

So, we now know what "voice" means... So what are the implications of this concept to the publishing industry? Are you a reader? A blogger? I bet you have an opinion... Please do share!

To start off with, I'll tell you mine from a reader's point of view and you can agree or disagree with me. In my years of reading I find that what "makes" or "breaks" a book is the story telling quality. And I believe that the "author's voice" is what comprises the story telling quality, or at least the major chunk of it. Of how well does an author tell the story? Some authors have a way of stringing words together and makes the story come alive. Some not only catch my interest, but draws me in so completely to what they are saying that the real world fades away. The authors I found who does this are Jim Butcher and Ilona Andrews. Some authors are able to paint a very vivid world with their words that it comes to life for me, I could almost taste it!  Anne Bishop is one such author. The genre therefore becomes a secondary choosing criteria. Genre only helps me narrow things down in a vast sea of books because if I don't narrow it down, it'll probably drown me. What I'm really looking for when I read a book therefore is how good the author's voice is. This, I believe takes talent. So I say:

Everybody has a voice, but not everybody can sing. Some people sing better than others, and then there are those who sing with undescribably good talent.

URBAN FANTASY

This post was inspired by a message I received in my Facebook inbox. I was asked exactly what an urban fantasy is and what makes a book, urban fantasy.

Ahh... I gotta tell you, I read loads of fantasy books but that does not mean I am an expert in all things urban fantasy. And please keep in mind that classification of books now-a-days into "genres" is no longer as straight forward as it used to be. Melissa Marr talks about genre classification or the difficulty of it in an aptly titled post, Genres in the Supernatural Underground (or “get into your box, woman!”). I think wiki's definition of urban fantasy at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_fantasy clarifies it a little bit more for us. Here is a little snippet of what it says:

...The prerequisite is that it must be primarily set in a city, rather than in a suburban or country setting...

However, wiki is not the "end-all-and-be-all" definition of urban fantasy. There is still a lot of argument pro and against issues in urban fantasy by authors, publishers and other experts. I even came across people in the publishing industry refusing to acknowledge the existence of such a genre! So I would not even attempt it. I am not suicidal so will not get into the fray :) I'll just watch the match from the sidelines...


I was also asked for... must read titles? Again, that denotes expertise which I do not have. What I can do, is share with you my favourites. My favs include the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher and Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. I could go on and on and on and that does not even include the future releases I'm dying to get my hands on... So, how would you define urban fantasy? And which titles would you recommend to fellow readers?

In-Between Good Books (IBGB) Period + DRAGONS OF WINTER NIGHT

I haven’t read any really really good books lately. This is what I call IBGB. Some people go through a period of in-between jobs. I am now in-between good books (IBGB). It’s times like this when one really appreciates having lots of good writers out there. That there is room for more really. Can’t wait for JR Ward’s Lover Enshrined and Kenyon’s Acheron to come out. In the mean time, it’s IBGB for me.

I am currently reading Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman’s second book in their DragonLance Chronicles series. It is good. But not riveting. I only finished the first book out of sheer boredom. There is simply nothing else to read. I bought Dragons of Autumn Twilight Book 1 and Dragons of Winter Night Book 2 of the DragonLance Chronicles just to try it out as I’ve never read anything by these authors before and the fact that it got the word “dragon” in it and it got a nice picture in the cover of dragons and people in armour. Only shows to prove that looks can be deceiving.

It follows the adventures of a group of heroes battling evil. However for a fantasy adventure books, it has the tendency to skip chunks of their adventure and just tells about it retrospectively. It confused me a couple of times when they talked about something that never happened yet and then a few pages later tells you that they’ve been on this adventure or that. I just felt that the book has defeated some of its purpose. A fantasy adventure book should tell the tale of the protagonists’ adventures and that is how the author spins the tale. Not tell the readers about it retrospectively in a reminiscent manner. It leaves the reader out of the adventure experience. Other than that this series would have been good. As it is I would give it a score of 5 in a scale of 0-10.

It is not a masterpiece and I would only recommend it to other readers who are bored to tears for the lack of nothing else to read.

Cherry