Literary Marie

April 26, 2010

Quote of the Week

"When I got my library card, that was when my life began." -- Rita Mae Brown

April 19, 2010

How Do You End A Story That's Not Yours?

Saffron Dreams is a fiction novel written by Shaila Abdullah, a Pakistani-American author based in Texas. It is an emotional tale of lost love, unexpected twists of fate, and survival. In a span of 41 days, the main character, Arissa Illahi, went from a blissful married life to bleak widowhood, escaping an attack, ostracized by stereotypical people, and the realization of raising an unborn son alone.

Arissa lost her husband in the collapse of the Twin Towers on 9/11. After going through the Ground Zero rubble trying to find limbs that will identify her husband, she is forced to realize he is not coming back. He’s gone forever. In going through her husband’s belongings she finds a finished manuscript of 65,000 words. She knows it was his dream to be an author and have his book released. After careful thought, Arissa decides to finish it herself. But how do you end a story that’s not yours?

This book isn’t about how wonderful life is. She isn’t looking at the world through rose-colored shades. Instead, she shares her struggles and lets the readers know that life truly is full of surprises. I believe this story will help the lives of people who were directly affected by 9/11. It will let them know its okay to grieve for lost ones and they aren’t alone.

This is one of the few books that took me through many emotions while reading it. At moments I was elated, others I was just as confused as the main character. What new challenges would life bring as the days carry on? The author, Shaila Abdullah, writes such a descriptive depiction of Arissa's emotions that it translates to the reader. I highly recommend this book for people who have suffered from the loss of a loved one.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

April 18, 2010

Directory for Self-Publishers

The 2009 Writer Watchdog is a self-publishing directory with over 200 useful resources and helpful advice from publishing experts. If you are interested in knowing your options, comparing services, and having a directory of resources at your fingertips, the Writer Watchdog 2009 edition is a must.

What makes this directory different from other self-publishing guides? It not only provides essential resources, but it saves money. Most of the listings offer a discount for services and permission to contact directly. An example of the listings include resources for book design, book printing, book review, website hosting, and consultation. The 2009 edition has expert articles that explain ways to avoid self-publishing traps, how to prepare a manuscript for submission, and how to publish under your own imprint. As a bonus, the book includes a record keeping section in the back for notes and a log of your progress.

The most useful section is the articles that provide invaluable information. Please note this is not a manual or guide, but simply a directory that leads you to where information can be found and who to contact. It would have helped if the resources were in alphabetical order and an index for quick reference. Hopefully the 2010 edition has these updates.

Rating: ♥♥♥

I would suggest using the Writer Watchdog as a supplement to Dan Poynter’s Self-Publishing Manual. This is the Bible to all self-publishers. With both manuals, you will be on the right path to self-publishing your very own book. Good luck and check back soon for a review on a related book, Stephen King's On Writing.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Who Confesses?

James Patterson’s eighth installment of The Women’s Murder Club starts off with a bang. A school bus turns out to be a mobile meth lab and explodes. Before our favorite investigators Rich Conklin and Lindsay Boxer are on the scene, we are introduced to a new murder. Reporter Cindy Thomas discovers the death of “Bagman Jesus.” He appears to be a homeless saint brutally murdered. The police sweep under the rug due to yet another investigation of numerous killings of high-profile millionaires. Cindy takes it upon herself to look further into solving the murder of “Bagman Jesus” and discovers he isn’t a saint after all. Yuki, the Assistant D.A., is involved in a huge trial and love interest with a doctor. Claire is overloaded with autopsies and stumped with producing the reports.

There are a lot of storylines going on. Although, none of them are really intriguing or the usual suspense-filled plots that us James Patterson fans are accustomed to. This book falls short and just didn’t hold my interest. I found myself reading it just to finish and move on. Perhaps it was because of the multiple storylines, the ridiculous twists, or the romance portion. Either way, I hope the WMC series is better the ninth time around.

Rating: ♥♥

Don't forget to check out the FREE preview of The 9th Judgment below. Read the first 26 chapters!

Lives of Naughty Readers

Velvet does it again with another installment of The Black Door series. We meet four new women who come together for a book club. Each woman leads a different life, with different drama, and even different sexual preferences.

Naomi has the hots for her hubby. However since she gave birth to their son, their sex life is nonexistent. Her husband simply lost an attraction. Will he ever get it back? Kennedy meets Nigel in the sky, literally. She is a flight attendant and falls in love with a mysterious frequent flyer. But is Nigel who he really claims to be? Tyler just ended a relationship and needs a break from women. However an unsuspecting twist comes along and stirs up the love lives of these women.

While the women of the book club were interesting, I was disappointed. Naughty rarely focused on The Black Door. It should have written as a stand-alone novel. If you are looking forward to reading about the other Black Door characters or the adventures that go on beyond the doors of the Black Door, this is NOT the book.

Rating: ♥♥