I am getting deeper and deeper into the suspense elements in my stories. And because I am going so deep, I want to make certain that I am doing the best possible research.
Enter Sisters in Crime…
Sisters in Crime is a national organization designed to promote women in writing–specifically in suspense and mystery areas. I’ve been a member of the national organization for a while now, but, recently, some writing buddies and I decided that we should form a local chapter in Mobile, Alabama. We want to bring experts in to talk with us, we walk to take exciting “field” trips that will give us hands’-on experience. We’re ready for some up-close and personal research.
So, with the soon-to-be formation of this group, I should (hopefully) have some fun videos and photos to share with you in my research posts. Stay tuned for those!
This weekend, I am heading off for another tour of the haunted lighthouse in Pensacola, Florida. The camera is ready, and I’ve warned my companions that I’ll be filming. Check back next week for the photos!
Those are my weekend plans…what are yours? Share!
Cynthia Eden
www.cynthiaeden.com
DEADLY FEAR–Available now from Grand Central Publishing (Forever)
BELONG TO THE NIGHT–Available 9/7/10 from Kensington Brava (mass market re-release)
Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category
My journey into audio books has, for the most part, been a really good one. However, one thing I learned with my recent audio book purchase is that mistakes seem to stand out more. This book that I am listening to now is written by a big name, well paid author, and I am just shocked at the blatant issues going on with this book. One of the things I love about audio books is I don’t usually think about the writing or craft. I just escape and enjoy, especially with a great audio reader who keeps me entertained. So for this book to jerk me out of the story so many times, is surprising. It’s a first. And it’s not just that the hero smokes, which is a problem for me. And it’s not even the plot issues that make the heroine look silly for putting herself in danger over and over. What is getting to me with this story are the little things so easily fixed with an editorial pen. Repeat words, phrases, descriptions that go on and on as do internal thoughts. Did I mention little things easily caught and fixed that weren’t? An example: He undressed her– she was asleep after being at the hospital and pretty much a zombie. Okay fine. She didn’t wake up. She had on white pants and light yellow shirt. This is the problem. He notes that she has on RED panties and a red bra. I don’t know any woman who would wear RED panties under white jeans!
Another example: The hero talks about being thinner now than he used to be because of a trauma he experienced but then comments about how he eats this big breakfast every morning since moving to this small town and he use to just have coffee. And he’s always eating. ALWAYS. But he has lost lots of weight. Again, not a grand hero trait either.
These are things that I cannot imagine any of the fabulous editors I have worked with ever letting me get away with and listing to this book, I wanted to send them all a ‘thank you’ for that. Oddly, I’ve read this author, and loved this author’s story, many times. So that makes me ask –what is the difference in this book and the other books? A new editor? No editor? At what point, does an editor stop feeling they can edit an authors books? Is there a dollar figure or a personality of an established author?
It gives me some added appreciation for the little fixes I am always amazed an editor sees that we authors miss because we have become too close to the project. Because we have read and read the project, and even our critique buds, have read and read, to the point none of us can SEE the issues. No one is above needing that nurturing editorial hand, that when done right, develops rather than suppresses, talent. After all, the idea is to put out the best book possible for our readers.
All this said, I listen on to this book….I’ll report back on the end of the book next week. I have several other audio book I’ve purchased on my I-pod, waiting for a listen. Acheron and the first book of the new Fallen Angels series by JR WARD. If anyone recommends one over the other, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Lisa
Happy Tuesday everyone. And Happy Birthday to my DH! We woke up to open windows and chattering teeth. The high today is supposed to be 68 and we are LOVING it. Just loving it. Of course, its going to get hot again but its a nice taste of fall and its giving me holiday fever! I love the holidays and this year, with the gorgeous mountains nearby I am going to love them all the more.
But I’m suppose to be blogging books — audio books — and I’ve been on a big Romantic Suspense kick. I just listened to two Karen Robards books in a row. The first one was my favorite and I can highly recommend it both for the audio performance and the storyline.
From the publisher:
Publisher’s Summary
(P)2004 Brilliance Audio, Inc.
http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B002V1OJTY&qid=1282671583&sr=1-1
Joyce Bean is the narrator and she is really well liked and I see why. She does voices well and she has a really nice tone to her voice. I LOVED the chemistry between the characters, the light comedy moments, and the tight suspense. I thought the love scene was a tad cheesy but its a suspense novel — still after all that build up it was my one complaint.
I guessed the bad guy but not until the last 4th of the book so I kept going and going, eager to find out what came next.
I highly recommend this one!
Yes, I’m interrupting my regularly scheduled research segment to talk about DEADLY FEAR. The folks at GCP have designed a great interactive site to promote the book. Once you enter the site, you can read a prequel to the book, learn more about upcoming cases, and get agent profiles.
So if you have a chance, please explore! And enjoy your day!
Ah…isn’t she cute?!
But what if she was a Werewolf? And cute? Is that possible? Well, in the Kitty Norville books, the answer is yes. NO, Kitty Norville is not a cat. She’s a werewolf. Named Kitty for real by her parents who had no idea she would be attacked by a werewolf and be Kitty with really big fangs and a coat of fur. Sometimes the world plays a cruel joke on you, doesn’t it?
I’m two books into the Kitty audible series. I quite like it. Book 1 was better than book 2 for me because we really get to see Kitty struggle with her identity in the human and werewolf worlds. Kitty is a DJ who starts talking about paranormal creatures and ends up with those creatures call into the show, some eager to talk about their struggles with their paranormal life. Others- fearful and anger -she is exposing them. Humans think its a joke but they are still glued to the show, much like we are horror movies even though we know we will be scared.
I loved the very personal struggles and character growth Kitty has in book 1. Book 2 is more about the world accepting paranormal beings she’s exposed. I liked it too but I am eager for book 3 where I understand we get more of Kitty’s own struggles. Still really liked both books.
I enjoy the narrator for the series. My only complaint is that she doesn’t really do character voices.. After listening to the narrator of the Patricia Briggs Mercy series who does them so well, I miss that extra perk to the character development. But that said, the narrator is quite good and she gets me by the absence of character voices very well when I think another narrator would not.
I had the pleasure of meeting Carrie Vaughn, the author at RomCon, and while it was a fast visit, I found her very friendly and humble about her success. Somehow, that only makes me more excited to share the greatness of the character of Kitty, and her writer, Carrie Vaughn. Give Kitty a listen. You won’t be sorry!
The audio books are here…..
http://www.audible.com/search/ref=sr_asrch_lnk_8?searchAuthor=Carrie%20Vaughn&qid=1281460991&sr=1-8
Audible Editor Reviews
Kitty Norville is just your average, everyday Disc Jockey, except for the fact that she turns into a werewolf every full moon. But that werewolf bit is a secret, at least until one night she starts taking calls about the paranormal and stumbles into hosting a popular, syndicated advice show for the supernaturally gifted (or afflicted). Things are going great with the new show — at least until a hitman tries to kill her on the air. But after talking her way out of being murdered, and charming the hitman to her side in the process, Kitty has to find out who’s really behind the hit…while at the same time unwillingly assisting the police in an investigation of suspicious deaths which look like the work of a werewolf. Untangling these two mysteries would be complicated for anyone, let alone a DJ out of her depth, and it’s all made even more complex by werewolf clan dynmaics, the vampire clan eager to get the werewolves away from their turf, and a preacher who claims he can cure supernatural afflictions.
To pull off the first-person narration of a talk show DJ in an audiobook, it’s essential to capture the feel and sound of the talk show host just right. If that was a challenge for narrator Marguerite Gavin, you’d never know it; she sounds so authentic as DJ Kitty Norville, you’d think she was a DJ herself. This is partly due to Vaughn’s witty dialogue and strong authorial voice, but Gavin brings a little something extra to the role that you wouldn’t necessarily get when reading it off the page. The several “Midnight Hour” talk show bits in the book sound pitch-perfect in depicting both Kitty’s hosting persona and the callers’ personalities and neuroses, thanks in large part to Gavin’s excellent pacing and injection of attitude and sultriness into the role.
For fans of Sookie Stackhouse’s adventures or contemporary urban fantasies, this one is a no-brainer. But even if you don’t normally go for that kind of thing, Kitty and the Midnight Hour deserves a spot in your listening queue. It’s just plain fun, and Gavin’s talents shine throughout the narrative, making it one of those audiobooks that’ll have you wishing your commute was a little bit longer so you’ll have the excuse to keep listening. —John Joseph Adams
First let me say I typed this really late, with a fuzzy brain, so no telling how many typing errors there are! Please forgive any errors:)
Okay so WINE and BOOKS — sounds pretty good to me!Not that I am a big drinker, but I think that is what I like about wine. I can have a glass and savor nice and slow. Like a good book. So how does wine relate to audio books? Compliments of my DH this week — very well! He just listened to an audio book with a premise linked to wine tasting.
So here is a quick review of the book — SIDEWAYS:
From the publisher:
Sideways is the story of two friends, Miles and Jack, going away together for
the last time to steep themselves in everything that makes it good to be young and single: pinot, putting, and prowling bars. In the week before Jack plans to marry, the pair heads out from Los Angeles to the Santa Ynez wine country. For Jack, the tasting tour is Seven Days to D-Day, his final stretch of freedom. For Miles, who has divorced his wife, is facing an uncertain career, and has lost his passion for living, the trip is a week-long opportunity to evaluate his past, his future, and himself.
A raucous and surprising novel filled with wonderful details about wine, Sideways is also a thought-provoking and funny book about men, women, and human relationships. The audio link is here.
http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_2?asin=B002UZL4XU&qid=1280819702&sr=1-2
So, as mentioned, DH recently listened to the audio of SIDEWAYS. It is read by his favorite audio reader Scott Brick. Scott Brick has a huge fan base. He is like THE audio book reader. Many buyers buy based on what books he reads. Of course, DH thinks Scott Brick walks on water so he loved the book from that standpoint. But he also just plain loved the book period.
His comments :
–Miles made you want to drink wine. He described it in ways that made it a living thing that tied to every aspect of life.
–Miles best friend was a ladies man who was the opposite of Miles
Each was living a bit of a crisis in their own ways but together so their contrasting personalities really were perfect in the book.
Right after DH finished the book we just happened to be going to a wine festival and had a fabulous time. I’d post the picture but they weren’t overly exciting. We never remember to take good pictures! At least we actually remember the camera this time. But I did put the pictures we managed to snap up on my facebook page if you are curious about what a wine festival looks like. The vendors all setup side by side and you walk from booth to booth and sample. You can buy or just sample. There is food to sample and food to buy. It’s a fun day and a great way to find out what wines you like so you don’t order them at a restaurant, or buy them for home, and wish you’d made another choice. All wines, even the same kind of wine, are not the same.
TAKE a designated driver though if you do a festival or tasting. It’s easy to drink too much. Or find a festival in a small town with a Bed and Breakfast or close hotel. There are many festivals in small cute towns where you can get a Bed and breakfast to stay at and then walk or cab it to the event. Google WINE TASTING TEXAS or WINE TASTING COLORADO or Wine tasting and YOUR CITY/ STATE and you will find what your area has to offer.
Okay so the night of the wine festival we went home and DH had bought the movie SIDEWAYS because he thought it would end our night perfectly. Well — it wasn’t a great movie. DH said THANK GOODNESS he’d read(listened to) the book before he saw the movie or he’d never have bought the book.
So in this case — books rule over movies! If you saw the movie, it doesn’t compare to the book. Not in storyline or the way the book makes you see the characters. In fact, many of the characters in the movie are NOTHING like the ones in the book. Not in looks, personality, and so on.
So today’s recommendation — skip the movie, grab a book and a glass of wine, and enjoy!
Lisa
Normally I talk about Audio books on Tuesdays but today is my birthday so I want to take a moment to say thanks to:
–All my readers who spend time with my books. I am honored.
–All my future readers– the joy of thinking of you finding me on a shelf and enjoying my books keeps me writing.
–Reviewers– even if you didn’t love my book you took the time to read it and thank you!
–To the editors I’ve worked with. I’ve had the opportunity to work with many great editors and I’ve learned from each. Thank you for allowing me to do what I love.
–Agents — I’ve had several and while they weren’t all great marriages I value what each did for my career and respect each. I was fortunate to learn and grow thanks to their talents and contributions to my career.
-Friends and family who have supported me and held my hand during to emotional rollercoaster than can be this business. For believing in me when I didn’t believe in me THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!
–For the authors I don’t know who inspire and motivate me with their greatness. many who share expertise and support. new authors. I want to be like you. I want to be someone who helps others weather the storm and find the joy of success.
–For the authors I know who support. inspire. and motivate. Words are never enough to say how much a good friend in a competitive business who sees beyond that competition and never judges based on their success or yours. is.
It’s hard to believe I went from corporate executive to writing but many of us did. When I sold my business I was offered big bucks to stay in five years.Stay in until I was in my 40’s. I walked away. Many people think I was crazy. Some think I still am. But I worked night and day in that world and always felt I was trying to reach some secret place I could never get to. And that was because that place was nowhere in that world. It was in this one. When I am old and gray I don’t want to look back and say ‘what if?’ and ‘why didn’t I?’
Today I am blessed. I have two healthy beautiful boys, a man who loves and supports me, and a job I can call my dream job.
Love to all and thank you!
Lisa
First, let me apologize for posting this blog so late. All day…I thought it was Wednesday! Gah!
When it comes to research, I like the hand’s on work the best. When I researched fire-fighting, I was able to visit a fire house. I got to talk with firefighters, see the actual environment of the house, and even use the equipment. There are just certain details that I was able to get from this visit that I never would have gotten just from my Internet and book research.
Being in the setting made a huge difference for me.
Whenever I have the chance to do hand’s on research, I’m excited. I try to record every detail of the experience. And, if I’m talking with experts, I bug them with dozens of questions.
I like to make sure my information is accurate. 
For my next big research adventure, I’d love to tour an FBI office. Or maybe go to a firing range. I think I’d be pretty dangerous with a gun.
Got any particular areas you think I should research?
Froggy is my winner. Froggy I’ll email you your ebooks and send you me your address for your copy of HOT TARGET:)
So — if you don’t know SPIKE — James Marsters– is the voice of HARRY DRESDEN for the entire audio book series. The link to the books
I loved this show! It was canceled far too soon and the actor who played HARRY was just perfect. James is a great SPIKE but he does breath a lot on the audio. I have done this series in paperback and enjoyed it. DH is doing it on audio and he says you get use to the breathing and he likes James Marsters reading it. At first, the breathing is a problem. I’ve noticed in the audio reviews a lot of people comment on the breathing. But that said, once a voice is the voice of a character that voice BECOMES the character. James IS Harry as surely as he was SPIKE.
If you haven’t tried Harry, he is a character who is quirky and fun, and the stories are inventive, the writing sharp. It’s a great series that appeals to both male and female readers/listeners.
You won’t be sorry. Oh and DH has watched the entire television series all over again because the books got him so excited again. So sad it was canceled!
Sorry to be late today! I scheduled this to post and it didn’t post. Operator error I am sure. I am SO not good with technology… but onward to the ‘better late than never post!’
I’m talking audio books and the person reading, or rather acting out, the book. I have a favorite reader and so does my DH. DH loves Scott Brick and he is one of many readers who pick their books based on Scott being the reader. I love Lorelei King. She reads the Patricia Briggs Mercy series which is a rocking awesome series. What is amazing to me about Lorelei is her voices. She does the characters voices so that we never have to use our imagination for a different voice and after 5 books, she ALWAYS gets those voices exactly the same. A character can be gone for an entire book and that character comes back with the voice they had two books back. LOVE it. Love her. And love Patricia Brigg’s Mercy series. Next week I’ll talk more about this series but this week, I invite you to explore the talents of two really great narrators.You can go to Audible and actually listen to clips of their reading. You can click on the sample box for each of these books to get a good feel for the reader. If you are going to invest in an audible book, these two readers will make that investment a great experience! And they will sure help you get through a boring line, a painful cardio workout! Enjoy!
My favorite:
HERE:
DH’s Favorite:
HERE:
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