4T Olio--a Book I've Enjoyed

I have to admit, between deadlines and practicing flute and trying to keep up with all the other various things that life demands between, I get very little time to read for pleasure any more. But I thought I'd share a few of those books I have read, and why I enjoyed them.

The Annihilation Score by Charles Stross.

I love the Laundry Files. Why?

• Stross plays with the English language in new and brilliant ways.
• Bob, the lead character is a geek!
• Computer geek turned occult master, what's not to love?
• Who else can make such pithy observations about bureaucracy?
• Did I mention how funny Stross is?

This one's different. Why?

• The lead character is Mo, Bob's wife.
• She's a musician
• The series story arc has taken a dark turn.

There are many, many people who have not connected with Mo. It took me a while to work through my own feelings during and after reading the story. But I think this book was amazing. Why?

• Stross shows Mo as being numb emotionally because of what's happened instead of telling the reader flat-out. (I think that's why the bad reviews. Some readers have to be told, not shown.)
• Despite a darker story, Stross is still amazing with his on-point, brilliant writing.

I am afraid the series story arc will go to a place I can't follow. But I still think this author is amazing.

The Annihilation Score is available for Kindle and Nook as well as in print where good books are sold.

Frankly, I disliked doing book reports as a child. I just wanted to read the story, experience the adventure and the emotion. But I do want to share my favorites with you. Hope you enjoyed this glimpse into a book I've enjoyed!

3T Writing Tidbit

Today I need to write a story.

Well, actually, I'm struggling with the plot for my 2016 April Fools For Love story. I'm struggling toward a goal, which is actually the first thing all the writing texts say you need--

A protagonist with a strong need or want. A goal.

But here's the thing, I'm toying with the idea of a Cinderella story, and trying to fit my heroine to that story's plot and I discovered--

Cinderella doesn't have a goal.

Think about it. She's got a terrible situation, stuck in a no-pay dead-end family/job with stepsisters/coworkers who trash talk her and dump on her and a stepmother/boss who despises her. But who gets her out of that situation?

The fairy godmother, then the prince. She's rescued, the exact thing all the writing books tell us not to do!! (and !!)

Don't get me wrong. I think a woman with a goal is more interesting--for example, the woman with the tattoos and no memory abandoned naked in New York (television show Blindspot) became a lot more interesting to me when she (*spoiler*) revealed she knew how to fight.

But that's not the Cinderella story. Nor is it the Sleeping Beauty story or many other princess tales. So what are those and how the heck did the writing teachers miss the fact that they're super popular?!?

I think (shh) they're morality tales. Stories that tell us the good gals get rewarded in the end and the bad guys get punished. That give hope to the downtrodden, that tell us sometimes things change without us doing anything but being ourselves and eventually win us through all the trials and tribulations.

That if we stick to being good, we'll be rewarded.

So now I have a choice. Which would you do? Do I tell an active story with a striving protagonist or an April Fools morality tale?

Published since 2009, over the years I've accumulated various items of writing wisdom. The Third Tuesday Writing Tidbit showcases these items in no particular order. Click here to see all 3T Tidbits.

2T Repeat Performance

January 2015 at Lust With a Laugh--Happy New Year!

• Being "One of the Girls"
• A New Year...A New Goal...A New Book!
• It's research. No, really. I swear.
• Have a Mashup New Year!

January 1T Status Update

photo credit: Happy New Year via photopin (license)

Happy 2016 everyone!!

Have you seen the new Star Wars movie? I hope to have by the time this publishes. The original actors have aged--well, we ALL have, and aging sure beats the alternative--but it's as good a reminder as any that time marches on.

Passion Bites was released last month, and we had a blow-out bash celebrating, Alexis's sister's book at 99c for two weeks (um, actually a little more at some vendors ;) ). But now it's January and I have some new releases coming.

• January 18, He's the Boss from Crimson Romance releases. If you haven't read Edie and the CEO, now's your chance to get it packaged with 9 other great romances.
• February will see the release of my first menage under a pen name. SL Carpenter also has a release fpr our Leap Year theme duo.
• March will be another April Fools for Love! Mine is a contemporary Cinderella-based tale, working title Glass Slipper Inc.
• August is the big month with Mind Mates, the second book in the Pull of the Moon trilogy, scheduled from Samhain Publishing.