New books and telly bits....

I'm in the middle of writing a new novel at the moment ~ nearly finished the first draft, 114k words long so far ~ and so I've been a bit slack on the blogging front!  Stuff keeps occurring to me that might evolve into a blog post, but none of it has yet (I really must do that one about internet dating, though), so I thought I'd stick it all together in one post ~ two book bits and two telly bits!

Edward of York meets Elizabeth Woodville ~ Elias and Lisa in my new novel!

The new novel 
I'm writing another one taken from a story from history, like Kings and Queens and Last Child; this time it's the Wars of the Roses.  It's a stand alone and not in any way connected to the Lanchester Family of the other two.  This time, it's only based on the story rather than retelling it.  I did start off with the total retell, but it was far too complicated, with too many elements of the original that wouldn't translate into 21st century life.  I got to 30K words in before I accepted that it wasn't working, and completely rewrote - not an easy thing to do!  The working title is The House of York; it concerns only one family.  It's much darker than the family drama/romantic suspense of Kings and Queens and Last Child, with a strain of psychopathic murderous intent (or two) running through it, and the suggestion of sinister happenings from early on!  I hope to publish it in October (though at the moment I am convinced it's a load of talentless garbage that should never see the light of day) (it's a writer thing.....).

 
Get in there quick!
I had a new review for Kings and Queens the other day from a lady called SuzM that amused me.  She said she'd had a similar idea; the reason it made me laugh was that she said "I turn my back for 30 years and someone else goes and writes it".  Nice one, SuzM!  I know what she means.  Three years ago I wrote a novel called The Other Side.  At first, it appears to be the stories of four different women, but gradually the reader becomes aware that the characters are all the same person, living the parallel lives possible if different decisions had been made.  A short while after I published it the wonderful Kate Atkinson brought out her excellent Life After Life, which made me want to shout, "but I did it first!".  Oddly enough, mine has not been so wildly successful as Ms Atkinson's ~ now, I wonder why that is??!!  I'm glad, however, that my paltry offering was published earlier, so I didn't look as though I was trying to emulate such a literary maestro.  And the moral of this story is - if you have a good idea, do it quickly before someone else does it first!

And now... 

Treme

I'm currently watching this excellent HBO show on Amazon Instant Video and highly recommend it!  It's about New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and is made by the same people who did The Wire; the Wikipedia link is HERE.  It's highly acclaimed by those who know their stuff about this tragic time, and the music is wonderful, of course.   Here's a link to the theme song/sequence ~ watch it HERE!

Fans of The Wire will enjoy seeing Lester Freamon and Bunk Moreland in starring roles, with appearances by Slim Charles, Prez, Ziggy and the bloke who played Bubble's anti-drug sponsor/buddy, Waylon!  You can also spot Michonne from The Walking Dead - and Elvis Costello!

Mad Men 

I meant to write a whole post about the final episodes of this prince amongst TV shows, but it never happened.  What did you think?  I loved it!  I found the gradual shift from the optimism of the 1960s to the attitudes of the 1970s so well portrayed, but also kind of sad; I felt nostalgic for the 1960s even as I was watching the way in which Don and Roger and co found the transition difficult as they grew older and less in tune with the popular culture of the time.  

Well done to Peggy for the nabbing the suddenly-sexy-again Stan Rizzo...

....but I couldn't bear what happened to Betty - I thought the makers of the show were saying 'don't smoke, kids, this is what will happen'.  Sooooo sad!  I hoped they'd give her and Don another scene, though perhaps they had their farewell in that secret interlude a series or so back....  Great idea to have Roger finally copping off properly with Megan's saucy mum, but I wished they'd given Joan more than a business to keep her warm at night.  Still, they had to echo the ideals of the time - the early 1970s was, after all, one of the golden ages of Women's Lib, and who better to be its poster girl for the series than the strong-and-independent-but-still-sexy Joan?  

Best of all, of course, was the way in which the psychological car crash that is Don Draper finally embraced the 1970s....  and yes, he cried and hugged too! 

His walking out in the middle of the stifling corporate meeting was one of his finest moments... but don't you want to know what happens next??!  Thanks, Emma, for reminding me about the old 1971 Coke advert being played at the end ~ a reflection of the zeitgeist for the purpose of something completely at odds with it, an inspired choice of ending!  Here's my favourite character top ten, in case you haven't already seen it.

Missing you already!

Would you BUY or PASS? (3)

My contribution to Rosie Amber's weekly Friday Five Challenge!

It's an interesting exercise for writers ~ it shows the little things that can put potential readers off that click-buy! 

Anyone with a blog can join in ~ here's what you do:

IN ONLY FIVE MINUTES….

1) Go to any online book supplier

2) Randomly choose a category

3) Speed through the book covers, choose one which instantly appeals

4) Read the book bio/description, and any other details

5) If there are reviews, check out a couple

6) Make an instant decision: would you BUY or PASS?

 
You can check out others' contributions on the #FridayFiveChallenge (click to see them!) hashtag on Twitter

This week, I put the words 'Chicago Romance' (a random choice!) into the Amazon search.  The cover that attracted my eye was COULSON'S WIFE by Anna J MacIntyre (click title for link)




Analysis

Cover
The cover attracted me in a kind of tongue in cheek way ~ it looks like a 1980s blockbuster (even down to the hair) and is more than a little cheesy, but I used to love those books in the late 1970s and 1980s: Lace, Kane and Abel, Jackie Collins' Chances, etc etc.  I thought if it was well written it might be worth the odd bit of bath-time escapism (yes, I'm brave: I dare to read my Kindle in the bath!).

Blurb
The beginning of the Coulson Empire, 1918:  Mary Ellen’s father didn’t trade her for a house–exactly. Marrying the wealthy and handsome Randall Coulson is not something Mary Ellen wants to do, but being the obedient daughter she agrees to the marriage.
Randall Coulson wants Mary Ellen for one reason–to give him sons. He has no desire to form a bond of love or friendship with his young bride. His own heart is already taken.
A bittersweet story of love, lies and family secrets, taking place during a turbulent period of American history, when the perception of women and their role in society changed in one woman’s lifetime.

It's the first in a series of 5, and states that all books are stand alone - blurb is well written, brief and to the point, and interests me: American history and family intrigue - all good so far!

Price
It's free!  What's not to like?  I didn't actually notice it was free until I clicked on it, by the way.

Reviews
An average of 4.1* over 31 ratings.  Several say that it has not been proofread properly, even down to characters' names changing.  One of the most intelligently written reviews is 1*, and says that the plot is a bit thin, the characters one dimensional, etc.  I looked at the profiles of 10 out of 16 reviewers who'd given it 5*.  They were a little odd - in all cases but one it was the only book or one of just two books they'd reviewed, or the only book amongst a selection of reviews for other products.  (One person had actually reviewed 176 books on 11 December 2014, given them all 5* and described them as either 'interesting' or 'good story' - bizarre!).  Too many of the other reviews were less than complimentary.

*I just looked again and it had another 5* review saying just 'brillent'.  The reviewer has posted about 50 other books today, all of which are also 'brillent'.  Curiouser and curiouser...*

Conclusion
Would I buy or pass?  Title, cover, blurb, price ~ all good until the reviews, but having read them I wouldn't even bother to download for nothing, I'm afraid.  It's a shame, but I have to give this one a PASS. 


 

Rosie Amber's Beach Reads Tour

Back home and shaking the sand out of your shoes...

Book blogger Rosie Amber has just finished her great feature, the Beach Reads tour.  It lasted for a fortnight, June 1st - June 14th.  Each day a guest blogger gave their five suggested 'beach reads', along with the holiday destination of their choice.

The guest list is made up of book bloggers, writers, editors, proofreaders and general bookworms!  I particularly liked the Day 3 selection by writer and editor Alison Williams; it's HERE.
I also found book blogger Diane Coto's Day 6 selection most interesting; it's so very American and, for me, really highlighted some of the differences between the US and UK.  And we all want to read Shady Cross now! It's HERE

 
My proofreading sister, Julia, is HERE on Day 10, and .... here's ME on the last day, June 14th.  Links to all days and a list of the guests can be found on Rosie's blog HERE

My Top Twenty Favourite Characters in THE WIRE

... I'm currently watching all five series all over again, and seeing so much more in it than the first time round ~ all the parallels between the streets and the corruption in politics/the upper echelons of the police force, and how there are good people the wrong side of the law, and evil people the right side, etc etc etc!  I'd recommend watching it again if you loved it as much as I did.  I tried to start making my list for a top ten, like I've done before with Boardwalk Empire, The Walking Dead and Mad Men, but soon realised I needed a whole twenty, like I did with 24.

Here goes (and I've put my most hated at the end!):

20.  Dispensing words of wisdom to Omar at number 20 ~ there was something about the relationship between Mr 'Rip and Run' and 'mostly blind' Butchie, played by S. Robert Morgan, that was kind of touching, wasn't there?  Butchie's death was soooo sad, especially when Omar left his happy life in rural simplicity with Renaldo, to avenge it.

19.  At number 19 is Bow Tie himself ~ Michael Potts as the ice cool man from New York, Brother Mouzone.  I admire anyone who can stay that unruffled, even at the moment of possible death.  Loved his and Omar's mutual respect, and the sight of them teaming up against the charismatic but detestable Stringer Bell.

18.  I had a certain amount of time for Aiden Gillen as Mayor Thomas Carcetti.  Sometimes totally self-serving, as is par for the course, but the only politician in the whole show who had something genuine going on as well.  Or perhaps he was just not quite as awful as the rest of them!  Quite liked the scene in series 3 which caught him naked at the sink with a random female, too...

17.  Hanging around on the corner at number 17 is poor Dukie, played by Jermaine Crawford.  Didn't you just want to take him home and look after him?  If only Mr Prezbo had....  

16.  Doing that secondary-character-who-grows-on-you thing at number 16 - Corey Parker Robinson's Leander Sydnor, for no other reason than he's a sound guy.  

15.  I kind of liked Nick Sobotka.  Played by Pablo Schrieber, he was about the only one who gave his appalling cousin Ziggy any time, and although his choices were way off beam he saw the error of his ways in the end (albeit too late for the unfortunate Frank).  Nice cameo appearance heckling Carcetti in Series 5, but I liked him best when he pointed out to Frog, who talked more extravagant Baltimore street drug talk than Bodie, Poot and Snoop put together, that he was actually white.... 

14.  Mending a toaster at number 14, I present Proposition Joe.  One of the many smart criminals of Baltimore who would probably have excelled in a legitimate way if the stork had dropped them elsewhere.  Pretty reasonable chap, mostly.  For a drug baron.  Loved his quiet way of making a point.  Played by Robert F Chew.

13.  A late favourite.  Made me want to work on a newspaper with him.  Gus Haynes, editor of the ever failing Baltimore Sun, played by Clark Johnson.  Ethical dude, high fives to him for slamming down the awful Templeton, who tried to build a journalistic career for himself based on lies.  For we ladies of a certain age, he's got it going on, too.

12.  Look, I know he killed Wallace, but he so didn't want to, and it wasn't easy for him.  I grew fonder of Bodie, played by JD Williams, as the series went on - and I think the Western District cops did too.  I enjoyed his banter with Carver and McNulty.  I won't talk about his end...  sooooo sad.

11.  Pushing along a supermarket trolley full of whiteys at number 12, one of the most tragic characters in the show.  Everyone loved Bubbles, played by Andre Royo.  Weren't you just rooting for him to find a way to turn his life around, all the way through it?  Of course he wasn't without chances, but the pull of the smack was always too strong.  So glad the writers resisted what must have been a temptation to make his end sad, too.  And remember the hat game?  Genius!

10.  Into my top ten - you've gotta love Bunk Moreland!  Wendell Pierce did a marvellous job with him.  The ultimate fat drunk guy who still thinks he's a bit of a catch, but does it with such charm, and I did like the drunken conversations with Jimmy, at night by the railway line.  And their ploys for pulling women.

9.  Talking sense at number 9, another one of those who stayed in the background at first but I got to really like - Slim Charles, played by Anwan Glover.  Earned a place in the top ten for dealing with the detestable Cheese, right at the end ~ "That was for Joe".  He was sharp enough to change allegiances when the time was right, mild mannered, reasonable, and someone who, like Prop Joe, might have been a thoroughly decent guy if he'd been born elsewhere.  I loved the dressing down he gave the two who shot Omar's grandmother's 'crown'.  Not on a Sunday, right?!

8.  At number 8, Sonja Sohn as Kima Greggs.  Kind to Bubbles, dedicated to the job, not afraid to say what she thinks, a match for any man and bored shitless by all that baby stuff - that's my girl!

7.  At number 7 the often fiery and impulsive but thoroughly decent Carver, played by Seth Gilliam; he climbed the ladder in my estimation when he tried to help poor Randi Wagstaff.  So many great scenes with Hauk, too; a real straight man and buffon comedy double act.  Excellent.  I won't mention the fact that he's quite cute, of course.

6.  This is in the top five most tragic, too - D'Angelo Barksdale, played by Lawrence Gillard Jnr.  Yes, he'd just killed some poor guy in the opening episode, but he soon showed his truer and much more deep thinking colours ~ he tried to make the luckless Wallace go back to school, and seriously wanted out by the end.  If only he'd been born into another family; his speech when he described to McNulty why he wanted a different life was one of the most moving scenes in the show.  And didn't you love his demonstration to Wallace and Poot about how the game of chess was just like the Barksdale organisation?  Mos' def. 

5.  Ah, dear Prez - Roland Pryzbylewski, played by Jim True-Frost.  Started off as Valchek's cocky son-in-law, blinding a relatively innocent bystander in episode one, then turned his wordsearch puzzle aptitude into genius with the 'paper trail' - and he earned a place in my top five when he became the best sort of teacher any disadvantaged kid could hope for.  

4.  At four, the lovely Bunny Colvin.  Yes, Hamsterdam could have worked, it really could!  His experiences typified one of the main themes of the show - that those who tried to do good were thwarted at every turn by politics and the self-serving theories of those in charge.  Liked him most when he tried to get through to the hopeless kids in Series 4.  If only he could have taken on Randi, Dukie and Michael, as well as Namond...  played by Robert Wisdom.

3.   I dunno, I didn't like Dominic West's Jimmy McNulty so much when he went all straight in Series 4 - I wanted to see him waking up in his bedroom that looked as if he'd only just moved in, coming to work with a hangover, drinking with Bunk.  Though I felt so sorry for Beadie in Series 5 when he started being an arse again - and was in two minds over the mock serial killer thing - but there's something so engaging about someone who does and says what he wants without fearing the consequences, is there not?  Maybe we all wish there was a bit of McNulty in us...  (I have already anticipated the answer to that!)

2.  Carefully painting his dolls house miniatures in second place, the wonderful Lester Freamon, alias Clark Peters.  The voice of reason, always with something intelligent and wise to say, quietly singled minded and focused throughout.  Don't think he said one dumb thing in the whole five series.  One of his most hilarious moments was in Series 5 when, much to Bunks's surprise, he started to advise McNulty on how to do the serial killer scam to greater effect.  Just loved him.  Lucky old Shardene, I say!

1.  Who else could be Number One but the sensational Omar?   Michael K Williams has created one of the best fictional characters ever, I reckon.  So many snippets of TV heaven - the trip out for the honey nut cheerios, the court scene when he testified against Bird, his 'high noon' thing with Brother Mouzone.  Stroke of brilliance on behalf of the writers to make him gay, too.  Indeed.  And he never shot no citizens.

I found a wonderful video on Youtube of all his finest moments, but you can only watch it on that site, so if you'd like to see it, it's HERE.
The first bit is not very good quality, but don't be put off, the rest is fine.


Want to see my most hated, too?
Here they are, in no particular order, though the last three pictures definitely show the most evil...

Lying journalist twat

I don't care how old he is - he KILLED OMAR

Bell and Barksdale ~ they may have been clever, charismatic and both kinda hot, but still a pair of evil bastards!

Nasty piece of work or what!
  

Loved seeing his downfall..

The woman who saw drug dealing as the best career move for her son

I can't forgive him for the duck...

The shot in the head - served him right for robbing nice Dennis Wise

Omar got his shotgun, Levy got his briefcase...

Sheeeee-it!

They'll pop you off if Marlo doesn't like your face ~ it's all in a days' work

True evil, with no saving grace at all

It did occur to me that I've hardly mentioned two of the main characters, Stringer Bell and Avon Barksdale, but I imagine much has been written about them elsewhere, and they didn't quite fit into my 'most detestable'.  

 ....and, lastly, the prize for most ludicrous hairdo goes to....

Would you BUY or PASS? (2)

My contribution to Rosie Amber's weekly Friday Five Challenge!

It's an interesting exercise for writers ~ it shows the little things that can put potential readers off that click-buy! 

Anyone with a blog can join in ~ here's what you do:

IN ONLY FIVE MINUTES….

1) Go to any online book supplier

2) Randomly choose a category

3) Speed through the book covers, choose one which instantly appeals

4) Read the book bio/description, and any other details

5) If there are reviews, check out a couple

6) Make an instant decision: would you BUY or PASS?

 
You can check out others' contributions on the #FridayFiveChallenge hashtag on Twitter (click link!)  This week I chose the subject 'rock humour' (and was, ahem, delighted to discover my book FULL CIRCLE on the second page!!).  I had a five minute browse up and down, and was eventually attracted by this cover and title.

Dispatches from a Dilettante by Paul Rowson (links to book)

Analysis

I loved the cover - it makes me think of a much travelled journalist drinking a cool beer outside a rundown bar in Cuba, or similar!

Here's the blurb:

‘Dispatches from a Dilettante’ is a rampage through a chaotic career, encompassing rock music, religion, royalty and renegade kids - stretching from the Caribbean to Cambodia.
It’s a memoir on the absurdity of endeavour and a restless lifestyle spent working exceptionally hard trying to avoid it.
There are close encounters with Jimi Hendrix, the Prince of Wales, ex footballers and the current Head of the Catholic Church in England, together with bar room brawls and board room bitterness.
Whether it’s the drugs and desperation of life on a Welsh housing estate or discussions in the Gardens of Highgrove it’s a life lived whimsically, from the higher echelons of business to the gutters of Phonm Penh.
It’s about a music-loving meanderer who has never quite got over being at Woodstock.

~~~~

Hmmm.... reading between the lines I suspect that the close encounters with people like Hendrix were but fleeting, and the 'gardens of Highgrove', etc, is careful name-dropping, added to impress the potential reader.  Cynical, moi?  It all sounds a bit smug and 'oh, I'm such a hilarious and fascinating maverick'.  I have an inkling it might be much made of nothing much all the way through; the reference to 'the gutters of Phnom Penh' doesn't mean he was actually in them - and it's spelt wrong!  Actually, the more I read the blurb the more I find it a tad nauseating.  

Reviews:  Six, all glowing five stars, five of them written shortly after publication.  I got the impression (by looking at what else they've reviewed) that at least four of the reviewers are friends of the author.  I'm the first one to say that there is nothing wrong with real life friends reviewing your book if they've genuinely enjoyed it, but six five stars and nothing else at all means that either he's rubbish at marketing (fair enough), or nobody else considered it worthy of review.

Price: £5.10 ~ you're having a laugh!  At that price, perhaps it didn't sell well enough for anyone else to know if it was any good or not.

So would I buy or pass?  Pass, for sure!  Memoirs by unknown writers are all over Kindle, for a couple of our English pounds or less, and many of them are about stuff you really want to read about, not just some bloke telling you how wacky he is.

Now, I must go to #FridayFiveChallenge and read everyone else's... 

 

Would you BUY or PASS?

.... with Rosie Amber's Friday Five Challenge!

Rosie's post from last week HERE 

and Barb Taub's HERE 

You can look on the hashtag #FridayFiveChallenge for more!  And anyone can take part.

 

Rosie's Friday Five Challenge is this:

 

IN ONLY FIVE MINUTES….

1) Go to any online book supplier,

2) Randomly choose a category,

3) Speed through the book covers, choose one which has instantly appealed to your eye,

4) Read the book Bio/ Description for this book, and any other details.

5) If there are reviews, check out a couple,

6) Make an instant decision, would you BUY or PASS?

I chose 'Satire' category on Amazon... the first book that caught my eye was LEFT ON PARADISE by Kirk Adams.

Here's the blurb:

Despondent over George W. Bush’s theft of the 2000 U.S. Presidential election, Hollywood luminary Ryan Godson embarks on a journey that will do what could not be done in a country founded by Puritan fanatics, Yankee traders, and Southern slavers: he will show what it means to be … Left on Paradise.

Along with his beautiful wife, Kit Fairchild, and 100 fellow travellers, Ryan leads a coalition of environmentalists, feminists, pacifists, and progressive multiculturalists of every hue to a pristine tropical island—where they establish a State of Paradise, harvest the bounties of nature, and enjoy a tranquil repose from the strictures of life in America.

Now, the secular pilgrims of New Plymouth must strive to implement their ideals. Will their New World prove an island paradise or an unattainable pipe dream? Will progressive principles flourish or collapse in the face of internal dissent and external threats? Will their colony survive its first summer? 102 idealists must answer these questions even as they face obstacles and terrors that none of them could have imagined when they sailed west from San Francisco Bay.

Well, that REALLY appeals to me!  I am not quite sure why it's in the 'satire' category, but the subject matter is right up my street (shades of The Beach by Alex Garner, one of my favourite books, and I've read a couple of things about that particular election rig, too), and the blurb is well written and well thought out.  

Reviews?  None, but it's an American book that's only just been published, so that's not much of a surprise.  

The Price?  £3.23 which is a bit much for a Kindle book by a writer I've never heard of (I hesitate at more than £2.50, having wasted money in the past), but not excessive, especially considering the length of the book - this one is going to take some serious commitment!  I looked to see if he'd written any more to find out if they'd been well received, but the only other books by anyone called Kirk Adams are 'Top Boobs Vol 1' and 'Top Boobs Vol 2'.  I do not know if it's the same Kirk Adams, but I shall presume it isn't!  Even if it is, I shall not hold it against him (unless he looks like actor Josh Holloway).

Buy or pass?  Yes, I'd buy.  I haven't, because I have at least 20 books to read before I allow myself to get any more, but if I was browsing looking to buy, I'd give this a punt!  

Summing up: I've actually written it on my to-read list - which shows that people CAN discover your book via an Amazon browse.  The cover made me take a look, but after that it was all down to the blurb.  If the subject matter hadn't appealed, it would have been a pass.  If it had been badly written (sloppy, badly punctuated, etc), it would have been a definite pass.  Over 4 quid might have made me think twice, too.

Actor Josh Holloway.  Wouldn't mind being 'left on Paradise' with him, hur hur hur!