tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69376586851631193462024-03-13T14:35:46.664-06:00Obsidian Bookshelf blogAuthor blog of Val Kovalin.Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16732605505724248028noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-39418218782447526442015-02-05T14:39:00.000-07:002015-02-05T14:39:59.767-07:00How to Write an Accurate Fiction BlurbIf you are a fiction writer who hopes to get published, you need to know how to write a blurb. Your blurb sells your book to readers. When you approach an agent whom you hope will represent your manuscript, you put your blurb into your first email. Your agent repeats the same process with your blurb when he attempts to contact an editor. When your manuscript becomes a book, the blurb is printed on the book jacket or the back cover to attract readers. Think of your blurb as a letter of introduction to your story. You want your blurb to make your story sound as good as possible, but you have only a limited word count in which to do it, plus you don't want to give away any plot spoilers. Check out my <a href="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art170680.asp">how-to article</a> on BellaOnline.com Fiction Writing site for blurb writing tips.
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<br />
Copyright © Obsidian Bookshelf.<span style="color: red;"> I don't allow my content to be copied and reposted in full.</span> You may use an excerpt (a few sentences) with a return link, but not the entire post. <br />
<b>Links:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>My fiction list at <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4121444.Val_Kovalin">Goodreads.com.</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://tinyurl.com/6o33m3f">Amazon.com author page</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com/p/all-articles-list.html">how-to-write articles</a>.</li>
<li>As always, thank you for reading!</li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-1429792382950145202014-10-26T09:00:00.000-06:002014-10-26T09:00:02.094-06:00Unforgiven is a New Western FilmLooking at movies might help clarify the difference between a Classic Western and a New Western. Open Range, which expresses heroism and optimism, is a Classic Western. Unforgiven, which exudes cynicism and pessimism, is a New Western. This article discusses Unforgiven with plot spoilers. Click this link to read more: <a href="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art179506.asp">Unforgiven is a New Western Film</a>.
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<br />
Copyright © Obsidian Bookshelf.<span style="color: red;"> I don't allow my content to be copied and reposted in full.</span> You may use an excerpt (a few sentences) with a return link, but not the entire post. <br />
<b>Links:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>My fiction list at <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4121444.Val_Kovalin">Goodreads.com.</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://tinyurl.com/6o33m3f">Amazon.com author page</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com/p/all-articles-list.html">how-to-write articles</a>.</li>
<li>As always, thank you for reading!</li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-47108587412658635172014-10-19T09:00:00.000-06:002014-10-19T09:00:02.721-06:00Bald Guy Writing PromptHere is an unusual picture writing prompt that has an air of mystery about it. The man has his back to us and not much can be inferred from his appearance. He is almost claustrophobically hemmed in by his surroundings, which seem to be mere texture in the background. Click this link to read more: <a href="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art175599.asp">Bald Guy Writing Prompt</a>.<br />
<br />
Copyright © Obsidian Bookshelf.<span style="color: red;"> I don't allow my content to be copied and reposted in full.</span> You may use an excerpt (a few sentences) with a return link, but not the entire post. <br />
<b>Links:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>My fiction list at <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4121444.Val_Kovalin">Goodreads.com.</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://tinyurl.com/6o33m3f">Amazon.com author page</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com/p/all-articles-list.html">how-to-write articles</a>.</li>
<li>As always, thank you for reading!</li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-36489166343280734922014-10-12T09:00:00.000-06:002014-10-12T09:00:00.228-06:00Red Ball in the Window Writing PromptHere is another example of how a landscape photo can be just as effective as a people photo in suggesting a story. Feast your eyes on this bizarre image. What is going on in that upper window? What will happen to the people in the apartment below? You be the judge. Click this link to read more: <a href="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art56520.asp">Red Ball in the Window Writing Prompt</a>.<br />
<br />
Copyright © Obsidian Bookshelf.<span style="color: red;"> I don't allow my content to be copied and reposted in full.</span> You may use an excerpt (a few sentences) with a return link, but not the entire post. <br />
<b>Links:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>My fiction list at <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4121444.Val_Kovalin">Goodreads.com.</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://tinyurl.com/6o33m3f">Amazon.com author page</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com/p/all-articles-list.html">how-to-write articles</a>.</li>
<li>As always, thank you for reading!</li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-26603240948624762042014-10-05T09:00:00.000-06:002014-10-05T09:00:00.434-06:00What is a Modern WesternTo understand what a Modern Western is, you must first realize what it is not. It is not historical. Gone is the setting that forms such a powerful foundation for both the Classic Western and the New Western novels. Click this link to read more: <a href="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art177447.asp">What is a Modern Western</a>?<br />
<br />
Copyright © Obsidian Bookshelf.<span style="color: red;"> I don't allow my content to be copied and reposted in full.</span> You may use an excerpt (a few sentences) with a return link, but not the entire post. <br />
<b>Links:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>My fiction list at <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4121444.Val_Kovalin">Goodreads.com.</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://tinyurl.com/6o33m3f">Amazon.com author page</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com/p/all-articles-list.html">how-to-write articles</a>.</li>
<li>As always, thank you for reading!</li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-23083441066038809542014-09-28T09:00:00.000-06:002014-09-28T09:00:03.597-06:00House of Sleds Photo Writing PromptIt isn't just people photos that can suggest a story. Often a landscape can suggest a mood or tug at a writer's childhood memories. Look at this house of sleds and see what you think. Click this link to read more: <a href="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art56191.asp">House of Sleds Photo Writing Prompt</a><br />
<br />
Copyright © Obsidian Bookshelf.<span style="color: red;"> I don't allow my content to be copied and reposted in full.</span> You may use an excerpt (a few sentences) with a return link, but not the entire post. <br />
<b>Links:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>My fiction list at <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4121444.Val_Kovalin">Goodreads.com.</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://tinyurl.com/6o33m3f">Amazon.com author page</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com/p/all-articles-list.html">how-to-write articles</a>.</li>
<li>As always, thank you for reading!</li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-30823276322757065772014-09-21T09:00:00.000-06:002014-09-21T09:00:01.208-06:00What is a New WesternA New Western shares the same setting and themes as a Classic Western, but is likely to be more introspective, downbeat, anti-heroic, and morally ambiguous. Click this link to read more: <a href="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art176034.asp">What is a New Western?</a><br />
<br />
Copyright © Obsidian Bookshelf.<span style="color: red;"> I don't allow my content to be copied and reposted in full.</span> You may use an excerpt (a few sentences) with a return link, but not the entire post. <br />
<b>Links:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>My fiction list at <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4121444.Val_Kovalin">Goodreads.com.</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://tinyurl.com/6o33m3f">Amazon.com author page</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com/p/all-articles-list.html">how-to-write articles</a>.</li>
<li>As always, thank you for reading!</li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-89201279498234035272014-09-14T09:00:00.000-06:002014-09-14T09:00:01.441-06:00Man With Phone Photo Writing PromptThe man in this photo writing prompt looks a bit like a fish out of water. He should spark some creative ideas as to how he, dressed as he is, got to where he is. Talk about a mismatch between snappy attire and bucolic surroundings! Click this link to read more: <a href="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art174001.asp">Man with Phone Photo Writing Prompt</a>.
<br />
<br />
Copyright © Obsidian Bookshelf.<span style="color: red;"> I don't allow my content to be copied and reposted in full.</span> You may use an excerpt (a few sentences) with a return link, but not the entire post. <br />
<b>Links:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>My fiction list at <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4121444.Val_Kovalin">Goodreads.com.</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://tinyurl.com/6o33m3f">Amazon.com author page</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com/p/all-articles-list.html">how-to-write articles</a>.</li>
<li>As always, thank you for reading!</li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-32787069688114567342014-09-07T09:00:00.000-06:002014-09-07T09:00:01.432-06:00What is a Classic WesternThere are three types of story in the western fiction genre – what I call Classic, New, and Modern. "Classic" means a Wild West story with heroism. Click this link to read more: <a href="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art173566.asp">What is a Classic Western?</a>
<br />
<br />
Copyright © Obsidian Bookshelf.<span style="color: red;"> I don't allow my content to be copied and reposted in full.</span> You may use an excerpt (a few sentences) with a return link, but not the entire post. <br />
<b>Links:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>My fiction list at <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4121444.Val_Kovalin">Goodreads.com.</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://tinyurl.com/6o33m3f">Amazon.com author page</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com/p/all-articles-list.html">how-to-write articles</a>.</li>
<li>As always, thank you for reading!</li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-43427854565296972422014-08-31T09:00:00.000-06:002014-08-31T09:00:02.104-06:00Writing Prompt - Describe a Character Struggling Back from DefeatHere is a text writing prompt for you. Describe a character struggling back from defeat. You never know who has the right stuff to overcome adversity. Click this link to read more: <a href="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art175652.asp">Writing Prompt - Describe a Character Struggling Back from Defeat</a>.
<br />
<br />
Copyright © Obsidian Bookshelf.<span style="color: red;"> I don't allow my content to be copied and reposted in full.</span> You may use an excerpt (a few sentences) with a return link, but not the entire post. <br />
<b>Links:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>My fiction list at <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4121444.Val_Kovalin">Goodreads.com.</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://tinyurl.com/6o33m3f">Amazon.com author page</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com/p/all-articles-list.html">how-to-write articles</a>.</li>
<li>As always, thank you for reading!</li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-69112747193039948142014-08-24T09:00:00.000-06:002014-08-24T09:00:04.224-06:00The Near Death Experience of the Classic Western NovelThere are three types of story in the western fiction genre. They are Classic, New, and Modern. Here is the near-death experience of the Classic Western at the hands of the Big Five Publishers of New York City, and its miraculous recovery. Click this link to read more: <a href="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art179001.asp">The Near Death Experience of the Classic Western</a>.<br />
<br />
Copyright © Obsidian Bookshelf.<span style="color: red;"> I don't allow my content to be copied and reposted in full.</span> You may use an excerpt (a few sentences) with a return link, but not the entire post. <br />
<b>Links:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>My fiction list at <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4121444.Val_Kovalin">Goodreads.com.</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://tinyurl.com/6o33m3f">Amazon.com author page</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com/p/all-articles-list.html">how-to-write articles</a>.</li>
<li>As always, thank you for reading!</li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-67970750148667030472014-08-21T14:57:00.001-06:002014-08-21T15:21:57.945-06:00Man Lost in Thought Photo Writing PromptHere is another photo writing prompt for you, which illustrates the power of an ambiguous expression. What is this young man thinking? What emotion is he feeling? You could interpret his story a million different ways to fit several different genres. Click this link to read more: <a href="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art180438.asp">Man Lost in Thought Photo Writing Prompt</a>.<br />
<br />
Copyright © Obsidian Bookshelf.<span style="color: red;"> I don't allow my content to be copied and reposted in full.</span> You may use an excerpt (a few sentences) with a return link, but not the entire post. <br />
<b>Links:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>My fiction list at <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4121444.Val_Kovalin">Goodreads.com.</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com/p/all-articles-list.html">how-to-write articles</a>.</li>
<li>As always, thank you for reading!</li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-28918751554270366142014-08-03T09:35:00.000-06:002014-08-03T09:35:00.591-06:00Word Count and Fiction LengthsWhy worry about word count? After you finish writing your fiction project to whatever length it needs to be, you must know its approximate length category to market it. <a href="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art179813.asp">Word Count and Fiction Lengths</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-52645801968709217402014-07-27T09:43:00.000-06:002014-07-27T09:43:00.529-06:00Communicating with Your Beta ReaderYour working relationship with your beta reader is based on trust. That starts with understanding each other’s expectations and communication style. Please read on for <a href="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art68653.asp">Communicating with Your Beta Reader</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-848345033511873082014-07-20T22:21:00.000-06:002014-07-20T22:21:00.065-06:00Do You Care When Trends Corrupt Language?Language changes all the time because every subculture needs a trendy way to express itself. This leads to linguistic trends that sweep the population, enter the mainstream, and establish themselves as acceptable over time though they break the rules of grammar and use words in unusual new ways. Please read on for <a href="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art179535.asp">Do You Care When Trends Corrupt Language?</a>Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16732605505724248028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-77111703982233814072014-07-13T09:38:00.000-06:002014-07-13T09:38:00.584-06:00What Does This Couple Want?Here is a picture writing prompt for you. What is this cute young couple up to? Clearly they are sharing a moment of intense communication over some issue or question. <a href="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art176290.asp">What Does This Couple Want?</a>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-84429886145731398562014-07-08T11:16:00.000-06:002014-07-08T11:16:00.281-06:00Pickup Men ReviewPickup Men by L.C. Chase is an LGBT gay romance with very strong plotting and likable characters set in the dangerous world of rodeo. Please click <a href="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art40397.asp">here to read more</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-44937649082280732222014-07-07T21:40:00.003-06:002014-07-07T21:44:37.035-06:00Shirley a Novel - ReviewShirley: a Novel by Susan Scarf Merrell
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GENRE – Literary Fiction, Fictionalized Biography
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It is 1964 in Vermont. A (fictional) young couple moves into the spooky country house with real life literary giants Stanley Edgar Hyman and Shirley Jackson. For one year, the youngsters stay as house guests with young Rose acting as sort of a servant and lady’s companion to Jackson, and Fred functioning as a protégé to Hyman.
First-person narrator Rose is a sensitive 19 year-old from poor beginnings whose hard-scrabble parents were criminals. Somehow she lucked into marriage with Fred, a sweet graduate student in literary criticism. Now Rose is pregnant for the first time. Her innately imaginative personality is heightened by hormones, and she becomes increasingly obsessed with making the volatile and witchy Jackson her mentor and mother-figure. In addition, Rose can’t stop thinking of a Bennington co-ed that went missing in the 1940s who has surfaced in various guises in Jackson’s fiction as a character. Could Jackson or Hyman have had something to do with the girl’s disappearance, perhaps due to an adulterous affair with Hyman? <br />
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Meanwhile, family tensions increase as Rose jealously attempts to freeze out the four Hyman kids (who are about her age) so she can have Jackson to herself. Though Jackson and Hyman (both in their mid-forties) are overweight, in poor health, and unattractive, they have an open marriage and a liberal attitude toward popping pills and drinking to excess. But Jackson, who writes feverishly to stave off financial ruin, understandably resents Hyman’s nonstop womanizing with his adoring students. All this creates a malign influence that starts to affect Rose and Fred’s marriage. <br />
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I’ve read most of Shirley Jackson’s fiction plus her biography (by Oppenheimer), and this novel accurately reflects Jackson’s writing style, themes, and personality. It’s moody, atmospheric, intense, and compulsively readable. However, I’m not comfortable with the author’s decision to make the three younger Hyman kids characters in her novel, complete with imagined behavior and dialog. These individuals are real people now in their seventies. Unlike their parents, they are not celebrities nor are they removed by death beyond the creepiness of having their privacy invaded. The story probably should have kept their appearance only to a brief mention. Look on Amazon.com for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JJXV5EE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00JJXV5EE&linkCode=as2&tag=k471203615-20&linkId=WRABSLZRJVTH2TUO">Shirley: A Novel</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=k471203615-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00JJXV5EE" height="1" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<br />
Copyright © Obsidian Bookshelf.<span style="color: red;"> I don't allow my content to be copied and reposted in full.</span> You may use an excerpt (a few sentences) with a return link, but not the entire post. <br />
<b>Links:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>My fiction list at <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4121444.Val_Kovalin">Goodreads.com.</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com/p/my-fiction-upcoming.html">upcoming fiction</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com/p/my-fiction.html">published fiction</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com/p/all-articles-list.html">how-to-write articles</a>.</li>
<li>As always, thank you for reading!</li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-66562113562204909982014-07-06T11:30:00.000-06:002014-07-06T11:30:00.543-06:00Unsmiling Young Man Photo Writing PromptThis photo writing prompt features a young man with an unsmiling gaze who should pique your imagination. What kind of person is he? What thoughts are running through his mind? From what action has the photographer just distracted him? <a href="hhttp://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art172713.asp">Unsmiling Young Man Photo Writing Prompt</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-67049424008122495722014-06-30T13:24:00.005-06:002014-06-30T13:24:54.608-06:00The Lemon Grove ReviewThe Lemon Grove by Helen Walsh is not a romance but could be classified as literary fiction or women’s fiction. It is succinct and emotionally powerful at only 166 pages and takes place in the third-person viewpoint of Jenn, the fortyish wife of Greg, an older and slightly pompous professor of English literature. They are a well-to-do couple because Jenn also makes good money managing a nursing home, but they still butt heads over Greg’s insistence on giving his headstrong fifteen-year-old daughter Emma the best of everything that their combined money can buy, including a hideously expensive private school education. Emma is Greg’s daughter from a previous marriage and is a good kid with an unconscious tendency to swan through life, expecting adulation for her youth and beauty. However, she isn’t above trying to manipulate most situations to ensure that she remains the center of attention. <br />
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Jenn, who worked her way up for a modest background, increasingly resents having to fund Emma’s private school tuition and the tension has been growing between stepmother and daughter because Emma senses this.
Jenn is somewhat jaded and self-absorbed – just feeling the first touches of insecurity about her fading beauty and diminishing sexual appeal. But at heart she loves her husband and stepdaughter. You get the feeling that Jenn has been so busy working and living her day-to-day life that she has lost touch with the bigger picture of her destiny. Now she is caught flatfooted, wondering how she has arrived at this stage of her life with a husband she may have settled for while never having experienced a grand passion with him. And she’s never had her own child. How does she feel about that? She’s never had time to think about it before. <br />
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Every summer the family manages to break away from their high-powered lives to spend a few summer weeks on the Spanish island of Majorca where they rent a villa from a sly local man. This family tradition has deep emotional significance for them. But this year, after having spent one week at the villa alone together – feeling like young lovers once again – Jenn and Greg are about to welcome Emma and her startlingly pretty new boyfriend Nathan into the villa for the second week. This will upset their sense of themselves as an attractive couple and introduce an unsettling new power dynamic into the situation as Emma and Nathan become the gloriously youthful immortals, preening in their skimpy swimwear and unwilling to hang out with the “oldies.” And yet Nathan shows a secret interest in Jenn, and Jenn is shocked by her own intense attraction to him.
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I found <i>The Lemon Grove</i> to be an intense read, beautifully written, and rich with emotional suspense. It’s not a romance, but more like literary fiction. The luscious descriptions of Majorca are woven into the fast-paced narrative like bursts of tropical flavor, adding three-dimensional vividness while never slowing down the sense of impending disaster. I really felt for Jenn whose selfish, destructive choices seemed to have understandable motives. In Majorca, removed from every day England, she is blindsided by a sudden midlife glimpse of the course of her entire life after having spent her youth working too hard to see where she was going. And I felt even more sorry for poor little Emma, as exasperating as she could be. Nathan, what was he? A cypher? A psychopath? His opacity fit the story. And the last page gave me a total chill.
Copyright © Obsidian Bookshelf.<span style="color: red;"> I don't allow my content to be copied and reposted in full.</span> You may use an excerpt (a few sentences) with a return link, but not the entire post. <br />
<b>Links:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>My fiction list at <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4121444.Val_Kovalin">Goodreads.com.</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com/p/my-fiction-upcoming.html">upcoming fiction</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com/p/my-fiction.html">published fiction</a>.</li>
<li>My <a href="http://obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com/p/all-articles-list.html">how-to-write articles</a>.</li>
<li>As always, thank you for reading!</li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-19353336785134174342014-06-29T09:32:00.000-06:002014-06-29T09:32:00.262-06:00Six Tips for Working with Beta ReadersBeta readers test-drive your fiction before it gets published and they give you valuable feedback while you can still make improvements. If you are lucky enough to have one or more beta readers, here are some tips on creating the best possible working relationship with them. Please read on for <a href="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art180885.asp">Six Tips for Working with Beta Readers</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-19939081140837908102014-06-24T14:56:00.000-06:002014-06-24T14:56:00.019-06:00Knock Out ReviewKnock Out by Mallery Malone is a traditional (male + female) romance. This short erotic fiction about a woman boxer and her long-lost love and trainer delivers on its sexual promise with a satisfying undercurrent of emotional closeness achieved by the two romantic leads. Please read more at <a href="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art27633.asp">Review of Knock Out by Mallery Malone</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-42692871209947314822014-06-22T09:30:00.000-06:002014-06-22T09:30:01.314-06:00What is with All the Pillows?What on earth is going on in this photo writing prompt? Where are these people? What’s with all the pillows? Please read on for <a href=" http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art176225.asp">What is with All the Pillows?</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-31777933576030585202014-06-16T13:46:00.000-06:002014-06-20T10:51:36.835-06:00No Angel Review No Angel by Clare London is a lively LGBT gay romance set in London UK where an overworked hospital orderly and his handsome new boyfriend try to find a missing person with the help of a mischievous ghost. Please read more at <a href="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art22089.asp">Review of No Angel by Clare London</a>.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937658685163119346.post-14427550535876322272014-06-15T09:26:00.000-06:002014-06-15T09:26:00.073-06:00Show Characterization Without Slowing the PaceThe last thing a writer wants is to slow the pacing of the story with a lot of descriptive freight. So how do you show characterization and keep the story moving? You do it in strategic glimpses, woven into the action. You can do it with dialog, thoughts, decisions, and actions. Please read on for <a href="http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art176534.asp">Show Characterization Without Slowing the Pace</a>.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10175001333653409734noreply@blogger.com0