My guest review is up!

This is my first guest review on 'Z-Strain' by Rutger Klamor over at The Zed Word

Release: November 2011

Twitter Summary: “Ancient demon mythology meets zombie survivalist romantic urban warfare”

Genre: action zombie apocalypse

Intended audience: Adults that like something a little different and enjoys a twisted sense of humor

Violence: Yes

Sex: Yes

Swearing: Yes

Gore: Yes

Fun: Yes

Pro's:
Damien Specter was well realised, his back story was written nicely, moments of brilliance, urban warfare, counter-ordinance to artillery was masterful!, quotable quotes (‘God’s Gestapo force’, ‘Hell was paradise’, ‘She was a devil creeping under a halo’s shadow’), story picks up well as it progresses, the watcher is cool.

Cons:
Inconsistent tone (gore/humour/humanity/romance), Chains is one-dimensional, misspelling SOCOM (really?), muddy beginning, the Strix is not scary if it only has a 15-foot wingspan, ‘comic book’ sound effects ruin the tone (bang, puff, brrrrr, thump), spelling/grammar-check is missing at points.

"I began this novel with no preconceived notion of what to expect. Of course I expected zombies, but not the introduction I got. I was ‘welcomed’ instead by a fellow traveler that introduced me to a tale that would pass the time while I drank his ale. This was not the opening I expected, but served as a warning that this story was going to be a little different!"

Read the rest here.

Kony 2012 ...and that uneasy feeling

The power of social media has sent the following video viral and finally there are more virtues to it than simply a cat playing a piano.

The gist of the video's sole purpose is to make the general public aware of Joseph Kony, the leader of The Lord's Resistance Army, that uses child soldiers as part of his army. All quite virtuous, except I couldn't help feeling uneasy about the presenter (Jason Russell). He had a strange way of acting and presenting and then he donned some hipster glasses for when he meets US politicians that just rings as weird. This was all confirmed when he took a public walk down the street, acting like a crazy man while not wearing a stitch of clothing. Whether it was all part of some sort of conspiracy to direct disrepute on him by spiking his wheat grass shot is anyone's guess.

My personal assessment is he is a whack-job, except he's a good-willed one with an admirable goal. Everyone should be made aware of the cause even if the 'esteemed leader' is a little crazy.

The definition of Sex Appeal

Ooh yes; a taboo subject: Sex. Yes, I said it. Anywho, it seems like an under-represented topic so I'll put this question to you:

What is Sex Appeal?

Now the typical girl might say they like a clean-shaven guy with long-haired golden locks sprouting poetry, but I know that isn't the real definition. Women are silly because in reality they know they don't want some pansy-ass metro-sexual (unless they are bi). There are studies that have proven that women want the rebel without a cause that hasn't showered for days and has a three-day-old stubble vs the namby pamby weakling that wants to talk about their feelings and the latest Grey's Anatomy.

You might disagree, but if you had some dorky Hugh Grant vs some stubble-face-rubbing rendition of Jason Statham, I know which one you would choose - and it ain't Mr Blithering Englishman (although Jason's also English, but 'ard).

To me, it makes perfect sense. She would want a guy that was distinctly masculine. She would not want a guy that would be able to (accurately) critique and build a matching ensemble to accompany your outfit. She would not want a guy that is in touch with their feelings (outside of the four-letter word). Although she would want a guy that protects her and makes her feel like a million dollars ... and that is it. Correct me if I am wrong. I get more interest if I am unkempt than if I am clean-shaven. It seems ludicrous, but true. I think it's just that women like a guy that they can fix up:

"He would be perfect if he just shaved and wore better shoes and ..."

Sad but true. If they are too perfect (not that I am), they'll not be interested. They will always want something that they can mould and something that they can show off to their friends (post make-over) and state, 'You should have seen him before I met him.' Men are like classic cars in need of restoration and women are the mechanics.

Not being pigeon-holed

As part of my 'master plan,' I have decided to write a book that isn't zombie-related. It might have similar themes or concepts, but it won't be about zombies. There is nothing worse than being pigeon-holed now is there?

Yes, this was an image I discovered when searching for pigeon-holed.
Fitting isn't it?

My next novel will be humorous (hopefully) and will still have a strong message that should make it an enjoyable read for those that decide to read it. I will leave this post with a twitter summary of what I aspire to write, although I am still in the process of establishing the set pieces. It's best to prepare, wouldn't you think? :)

"Manic-obsessive fish-out-of-water in the slums of a third-world country"

I think this story has legs. Apologies if the description is a little cryptic - I can't give too much away before the story has even been written!

Guest post on YA Bound :)

This is exciting. I am 'internet famous' ... well, maybe not. But I did do a guest post on popular blog called YA Bound.

Excerpt:

"It’s big bad world out there but I’m ready for it. I have my game face on and I am going to control my destiny … but only if you allow me.


An independent author is a misnomer. I think that no matter how independent you believe you are, there is always someone that you need to rely on. People might see an independent author’s life as glamorous, considering that they make their own hours and report to no one but themselves. But they wouldn’t be an author if they didn’t have readers that agreed with their career decision."

Read the full post here

Review: Waiting To Forget

Today I am reviewing a novel called Waiting To Forget by Sheila Kelly Welch.

In a Nutshell
Twitter summary: "Prognosis: reflective of troubled childhood"
Length: just shy of novel-length
Target Audience: 10-14 years old
Genre: Fictional drama
Swearing: Mild
Violence: Mild
Reflection on past: High

Plot

The story follows the reflections of a teenage boy named T.J. (Timothy James) as he waits for news of his sister's emergency surgery in the hospital. Through a life book he created during his time in foster care, he reflects on the experiences that he and his sister went through leading to this present moment.

Initially I thought the writing was simplistic, but this was because it was written from the perspective of TJ. The opening paragraph didn't exactly sell me.  As I summarised: 'gritty kitty sand in the eyes.' Not exactly the greatest of hooks :) The story is written consistently, although I think the characters were a little flat. The mother was a complete waste of space, Billy was evil, Ray was good, the sister was cute and the protagonist was not particularly insightful. The author used a few good ploys to keep the story interesting: How did Angela get injured? How did their mother die? Who is the protagonist? It worked for the most part and kept me reading through the less-compelling points.

Quality versus quantity

It took almost three times as much time to edit my novel than it did to write it. Admittedly, the whole process only took four months but I resolved to write my next story with a greater focus on quality than simply words per day.

Although

Does that mean my final story will be less interesting? Will it have lost some of the magic by having a more quality-assured approach to my writing? Will the flow of the novel be lost in the process? I am unsure, since this will only be my second novel. I am weary of devoting all my efforts into writing it correctly the first time.

Whether I focus on quality or quantity, I know that I will have to put my novel through multiple iterations once the final draft has been completed. I think, whether you lean more towards a certain doctrine, you will always pay the ferryman during the editing process. 

...well here's to a less harrowing editing process :)