Are you a real writer?

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I just purchased a Kindle book by bestselling author and writing coach James Scott Bell called Self Publishing Attack! . I've always gotten something from every Bell book I've read, and this one was no exception. But this time, what I took away surprised me.

I just wrote this blurb on Goodreads:

An informative primer for any author who's head is spinning from the ebook revolution and needs some concrete advice for how to take advantage of this landmark time in history. Bell's book is easy to understand, straightforward, and encouraging. Mostly aimed for those wanting to epublish, it does include some insights for self publishing in print form too. I'll be reading it again!

However, it was on the very last page where something hit me hard. Bell's last words in the book are these:

Are you a real writer?

Then keep writing.

And don't stop.

Ever.

I'm not sure exactly why, maybe it's just where I am in my writing journey, but these words hit me hard. Am I a real writer? I want to be. I feel called to be. These words remind me how important it is that I need to make it my constant goal to get the words down on the page. Not talk about doing it, but actually do it. Thanks, Jim, for inspiring me yet again to never give up.

New from James Scott Bell

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One of my favorite authors has just released his first (and definitely not last) e-book exclusively for Nook & Kindle. Watch Your Back is a collection made up of a novella and three short stories, all for only $2.99! I had the chance to read the novella pre-publication and Jim is on top of his game. It's a cross between his last full length novel Deceived and his popular Ty Buchanan series.

Even if you don't have an e-reader, there are apps you can download for free that will enable you to read right off your computer screen, or even print the book out if you prefer reading off of good ol' paper.

But here's something else Mr. Bell has cooking: a weekend seminar series for writers! As a popular conference teacher and bestselling author of multiple how-to books you'll be sure to get the best of the best instruction one-on-one with James Scott Bell. For more info on that, click here.

The Art of War for Writers by James Scott Bell

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I've read countless books on the craft, but James Scott Bell's are permanently a part of my library. Writers, you need to get your hands on this book! Here's my official review:

The thing I love most about The Art of War for Writers is that every writer, from newbie to seasoned professional, can glean from its pages. You can pick it up at different stops on your journey and learn something new. It inspires even as it spurs you on in your writing career. And that’s really the focus of this book—how to develop a career in writing. Says Bell, “The writer must understand the essentials of success for a long-term writing career, and count the cost accordingly.” What does that take? How do you overcome the obstacles along the way? The book’s short, meaty chapters share real answers to these questions and more. And while there’s certainly some how-to advice on the craft within its pages, Bell has already covered craft techniques in his two noteworthy books Plot & Structure and Revision & Self Editing. The Art of War for Writers is more a battle plan on how to beat the enemies we all face in our writing pursuits. Let’s face it—writing is a fight. But in The Art of War we’re shown that with the proper attitude and tactics we can be victorious. That’s something every writer needs to hear.

You can pick up a copy at Amazon.com here. It'll be a ten spot well spent!

The Comparison Trap

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The first time it happened was after reading a book that was everything I wanted my novels to be. The plot moved me, the characters were real, and the message was powerful. You’d think I would’ve been inspired to head to my keyboard, but instead I felt like throwing in the towel. Every time I sat down to write my own fiction I would think about this other author. There was no way I could write like her. My characters were cardboard. My plots lame. What was the point? How could I possibly write that well?

I didn’t realize I’d fallen into the comparison trap. All I knew was that I was miserable and ready to quit. In desperation I asked for advice from novelist James Scott Bell. He’s been my writing mentor for almost ten years, and as usual, his words hit home. He assured me I wasn’t alone in feeling this way. All serious writers and artists have been in my shoes, he said. What I needed to understand was that no two writers are the same. I had my story that no one could ever write like me.

Doubts come to all of us. Even best-selling, award-winning authors like Francine Rivers or Frank Peretti. It helped me to realize that others who are much further along on this journey still struggle at times. It showed me feelings of inadequacy are just that—feelings. They often have no bearing whatsoever on the real quality of what I write. We’ll always need to improve in our craft, but there are times when we must forget about what we lack and ignore the negative thoughts swirling in our heads.

As Jim Bell said, we all have a story to tell from our own unique perspective. Several years ago a bunch of CBA novelists got together to prove it. They decided to each write short pieces of fiction based on the same strict guidelines. All the stories had to include the same first and last lines. They had to include a case of mistaken identity, pursuit at a noted landmark, and an unusual form of transportation. Do you think these stories ended up sounding similar? Hardly. The authors wrote an amazing variety of tales (one even wrote in the point of view of a dog). Why were none of them the same? Because all the authors came to the challenge with their own toolbox of life experiences, and they wrote from their one-of-a-kind view of the world. (Those stories were published in book form, by the way. Check out What the Wind Picked Up.)

Jim shared something else with me. He compared writing to what God does with spiritual gifts. Not everyone has the same gift, but when we develop what God has given us, it contributes to the whole tapestry of the body of Christ in the world. He told me I needed to be the best C.J. I could be. And if I gave my full attention to my own writing, not comparing myself to anyone but just digging deeper into my story, the doubts would go away.

What would happen if we stopped looking to others for validation? My writing is never going to be like Karen Kingsbury’s. But on the other hand, Karen’s writing is never going to be like mine. Or yours. That’s the way God designed it. We’re all different, to reach different people. Someone who will snatch up the latest Ted Dekker might never crack open a Janette Oke.

In his latest writing how-to book The Art of War for Writers Jim says: “One of the biggest obstacles of all comes from comparison with other writers and worrying about your status in the publishing world. This is the way to ultimate madness. The writing life is crazy enough without you making it worse on yourself.”

Escaping the comparison trap is not only vital to your mental health as a writer, it’s also biblical. “Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else . . .” Galatians 6:4. So dive into your writing without distraction. There are readers out there God is preparing right now to read the stories only you can write.

[Originally posted on Rachelle Gardner's CBA Ramblings blog]

Writing Update

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A couple updates:

• The release date for Thicker Than Blood is January 2010!
  
• I should begin the official editing process with Tyndale for Thicker soon.
  
• I am almost finished with my final edit (I think!) of the sequel, tentatively titled Innocent Blood. This novel has not yet been contracted, but we can hope, right? :)
• Still in the beginning stages of my third novel, tentatively titled Flesh & Blood. It's been challenging discovering the story I want to tell, but I'm honing in on it!
• My sister, Tracy Darlington, has done a series of interviews with me over at her new blog. It's in four parts. Start at Part 1 and there are links to the others. She asked fun, and hard!, questions about my writing and Thicker Than Blood!
  
  

In other news, TitleTrakk.com has just posted an interview I did with one of my favorite authors, Sibella Giorello. Click here to read it. Sibella is the author of the Christy Award winning novel The Stones Cry Out, and now its sequel The Rivers Run Dry. She had so many great insights to share, but here's one question and answer to wet your whistle:

Me: How was the process of writing The Rivers Run Dry different from writing your first novel The Stones Cry Out?

Sibella: Picture a Volvo station wagon. Now picture a Maseratti. The first book, like many first novels, was written in safe secrecy. Very few people knew I was writing a novel, and those that did would still love me if I quit. To keep the car analogy going, whenever I felt like a nap, I'd just pull that Volvo over to the side of the road and close my eyes. It was a luxury of time and it made the journey longer, but it felt safe. The second book was like somebody tossed me the keys to a Maseratti, then said I was competing in a road race, beginning right now. Although I was thrilled to get a contract with Thomas Nelson, I was terrified when they said, "And we'd like four books in four years." Pedal to metal, people! I wrote "Rivers" so quickly that when I sat down to work on the second draft of the manuscript, I didn't remember writing some of the scenes. No joke -- it was a literal blur. But now that I've crossed the finish line twice (the third book in the series is finished), I can say that it's possible to write novels fast. Even more importantly, it's possible to write something enjoyable. Read the full interview here.

Also, my latest book review for Deceived by James Scott Bell is online! Click here to read it. Bell has been another of my favorite authors for years. He writes the snappiest dialogue and comes up with such amazing twists in his novels. It's always fun to see what comes out of his keyboard next!

6 Novels I Can't Wait to Read!

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Try Fear
by James Scott Bell
(July, Center Street)

Bell grabbed my attention with Book #1 in this series (Try Dying) and held it through Book #2 (Try Darkness). Can't wait to see what lawyer Ty Buchanan is up to in this next installment. I'm sure of one thing--it'll be a ride!




Intervention
by Terri Blackstock
(October, Zondervan)

As a fan of the TV show, I'm intrigued right off the bat with this one. Here's the publisher's description: Barbara Covington has one more chance to save her daughter from a devastating addiction: staging an intervention. But when eighteen-year-old Emily disappears on the way to drug treatment—and her interventionist is found dead at the airport—Barbara enters her darkest nightmare of all.


Ends of the Earth
by Tim Downs
(September, Thomas Nelson)

I've been a fan of Tim Downs ever since his first novel, Shoofly Pie. This next book is another Bugman novel, and I can't wait! Publisher's description says: Dr. Nick Polchak is called to a farm community in eastern North Carolina to investigate a murder. The victim is the owner of a failing organic farm who had developed a drug problem, and the police think his murder is drug-related.


The Justice Game
by Randy Singer
(July, Tyndale)

Singer wowed me with his last novel By Reason of Insanity, and I'm guessing it's more of the same great stuff here! Plus there was a very interesting marketing plan for this one---fans got to vote on the final outcome. Looking forward to seeing if my vote was the majority. :)



Offworld
by Robin Parrish
(July, Bethany House)

The high-concept of this novel has totally grabbed me. Check it out: The return of NASA's first manned mission to Mars was supposed to be a momentous day. But when the crew loses touch with ground control before entry, things look bleak. Safe after a treacherous landing, the crew emerges to discover the unthinkable--every man, woman, child, and animal has vanished without a trace. Alone now on their home planet, the crew sets out to discover where everyone has gone--and how to get them back--only to discover they may not be as alone as they thought.

Double Cross
by James David Jordan
(October, B&H)

I read Jordan's novel Forsaken and became an immediate fan. Publisher summary: Raised by a father who was a former Special Forces officer, Taylor is beautiful and brilliant and knows how to take care of herself. But she is haunted by her past and the sacrifice her father made to save her from a brutal rape when she was seventeen. After a controversial stint in the Secret Service, she has become the most prominent private security specialist in America. When she discovers the body of a former client’s top assistant, all the evidence points to embezzlement and suicide. But Taylor has no way of knowing that her mother, who ran out when Taylor was nine, is about to reappear and lead her down a twisting path of danger and deceit. It’s a road that won’t end until they reach the spot where Taylor’s father died—where Taylor learns some sacrifices can never be earned.

What are some novels you're looking forward to reading? Let me know in the comments!

Stretching the Tension by James Scott Bell (Part 4)

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And the conclusion of our Stretching the Tension series...

James Scott Bell has been a writing mentor to me. His novels, as well as his writing how-to articles and books, have taught me so many aspects of writing fiction.

Of those articles, "Stretching The Tension", is one I've turned to again and again as I write action scenes or scenes that really need to carry emotional depth. It first appeared in Writer's Digest magazine (and later was featured as a chapter in his book Plot & Structure). Jim has graciously given me permission to reprint that article here in four parts.

Stretching the Tension
by James Scott Bell
Part 4

Stretch the big and small

Think of tension stretching as an elongation of bad times. This can be on a large scale, as in Jeffery Deaver's A Maiden's Grave (Signet), a novel about a one-day hostage crisis. Each chapter is marked by a clock reading, such as 11:02 a.m. The chapters then give the full range of dramatic beats.

Tension also can be stretched on a microlevel. Usually these can be added when you're revising. You come across beats that pass a little too quickly for the rhythm you're trying to create.

In my one of my novels featuring an early 1900s Los Angeles lawyer, Kit Shannon, Kit shares a meal with the temperance champion, Carry Nation. The first draft of the scene read like this:

Their laughter was interrupted by the figure of the chief of police, Horace Allen. He stood at their table with one of his uniformed officers. Kit knew immediately this was not a social call.
"Kathleen Shannon." The chief's voice was thunderous.
"Good evening, Chief."

I felt the moment, for dramatic purposes, needed a little more time. I rewrote it adding more beats, such as the chief's voice causing all conversation to cease within the place:

Kit felt the silence, sensed the social opprobrium flowing her way from the gentile patrons. A pleasant evening was being rudely interrupted, and that was not why people came to the Imperial.

The best way to get the right amount of tension into your novel is to stretch it as much as possible in your first draft and then look at what you've got.

Go for it, and don't worry about overdoing it or wearing out the reader. You have that wonderful thing called revision to save you. If you write hot, packing scenes with physical and emotional tension, you always can revise cool, and scale back on rewrite. That's much easier to do than trying to heat things up the second time around.

Of course not every scene should be a big, suspenseful set piece. A novel can only sustain a few of those and you want them to stand out. But any scene can be stretched beyond its natural comfort zone. Get in the habit of finding the cracks and crevices where troubles lay and burrowing in to see what's there. You may strike gold. And your Readers will be thankful for the effort.

Read Part 1
Read Part 2 on Stretching the Physical
Read Part 3 on Stretching the Emotional

Find out more about James Scott Bell at his website, http://www.jamesscottbell.com

His novels include the Ty Buchanan mystery series, Presumed Guilty, The Whole Truth, No Legal Grounds, among others. His writing how-to books Plot & Structure as well as Revision and Self-Editing are invaluable resources.

Read my interviews with Jim: Interview #1, Interview #2 as well as reviews of: Presumed Guilty, No Legal Grounds, The Whole Truth, Try Dying, Try Darkness, and Revision & Self-Editing.

Stretching the Tension by James Scott Bell (Part 3)

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Another episode in The Stretching the Tension special...

James Scott Bell has been one of my writing mentors. His novels, as well as his writing how-to articles and books have taught me so many aspects of writing fiction.

Of those articles, "Stretching The Tension", is one I've turned to again and again as I write action scenes or scenes that really need to carry emotional depth. It first appeared in Writer's Digest magazine (and later was featured as a chapter in his book Plot & Structure). Jim has graciously given me permission to reprint that article here in four parts.

Stretching the Tension
by James Scott Bell
Part 3

Stretch the emotional

A scene does not have to involve physical peril to have tension worth stretching. Trouble can be emotional as well.

When a character is in the throes of emotional turmoil, don't make things easy on her. We humans are a circus of doubts and anxieties. Play them up! Give us the whole show.

In the first chapter of The Deep End of the Ocean (Penguin) by Jacquelyn Mitchard, protagonist Beth's young son, Ben, disappears in a crowded hotel. The next 40 pages cover hours, not days. Emotional beat upon emotional beat is rendered as Beth experiences the various manifestations of shock, fear, grief and guilt.

For example, when the detective, Candy Bliss, suggests Beth lie down, Mitchard gives us this paragraph:

Beth supposed she should lie down; her throat kept filling with nastiness and her stomach roiled. But if she lay down, she wanted to explain to Candy Bliss, who was holding out her hand, it would be deserting Ben. Did Detective Bliss think Ben was lying down? If Beth ate, would he eat? She should not do anything Ben couldn't do or was being prevented from doing. Was he crying? Or wedged in a dangerous and airless place? If she lay down, if she rested, wouldn't Ben feel her relaxing, think she had decided to suspend her scramble toward him, the concentrated thrust of everything in her that she held out to him like a life preserver? Would he relax then, turn in sorrow toward a bad face, because his mama had let him down?

Notice how Mitchard uses physical descriptions that show rather than tell: "throat kept filling with nastiness"; "stomach roiled."

She places us in Beth's mind as her thoughts come one after another. Then Mitchard returns to the action of the scene. And so the beats continue.

To stretch inner tension, ask these questions to get your raw material:

*What is the worst thing from the inside that can happen to my character? This encompasses a whole universe of mental stakes. Hint: Look to the character's fears.

*What is the worst information my character can receive? Some secret from the past or fact that rocks her world can be stalking her through the scene.

*Have I sufficiently set up the depth of emotion for the readers before the scene? We need to care about your lead characters before we care about their problems.

Read Part 1
Read Part 2 on Stretching the Physical
Part 4: Stretch the Big & Small


Find out more about James Scott Bell at his website, http://www.jamesscottbell.com

His novels include the Ty Buchanan mystery series, Presumed Guilty, The Whole Truth, No Legal Grounds, among others. His writing how-to books Plot & Structure as well as Revision and Self-Editing are invaluable resources.

Read my interviews with Jim: Interview #1, Interview #2 as well as reviews of: Presumed Guilty, No Legal Grounds, The Whole Truth, Try Dying, Try Darkness, and Revision & Self-Editing.

Stretching the Tension by James Scott Bell (Part 2)

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The Stretching the Tension special continues...

James Scott Bell has been one of my writing mentors. His novels, as well as his writing how-to articles and books have taught me so many aspects of writing fiction.

Of those articles, "Stretching The Tension", is one I've turned to again and again as I write action scenes or scenes that really need to carry emotional depth. It first appeared in Writer's Digest magazine (and later was featured as a chapter in his book Plot & Structure). Jim has graciously given me permission to reprint that article here in four parts.

Stretching the Tension
by James Scott Bell
Part 2

Stretch the physical

Physical peril or uncertainty is perfect material for the big stretch. The way to do it is simple--slow down. Go through the scene beat by beat in your imagination, as if you are watching a movie scene in slow motion.

Then, as you write the scene, alternate between action, thoughts, dialogue and description. Take your time with each one. Milk them.

Let's say you have a woman being stalked by a man with assault on his mind. It could start this way:

Mary took a step back. [action]
"Don't be afraid," the man said. [dialogue]
How did he get in here? she wondered. The doors are all locked. [thought]
He swayed where he stood [action], and she could smell the beer on his breath. [description]
"Get out," she said. [dialogue]
He laughed and slid toward her. [action]

Want to stretch even more? Good. Do it. Each item--action, thoughts, dialogue, description--can be extended:

Mary took a step back, bumping the end table. A vase crashed to the floor. [action]
"Don't be afraid," the man said. "I don't want to hurt you, Mary. I want to be your friend." [dialogue]
How did he get in here? she wondered. The doors are all locked. And then she remembered she'd left the garage door open for Johnny. Stupid, stupid. You deserve this, you always deserve what you get. [thoughts]

Extending beats can even stretch tension when a character is alone. The secret, once again, is in the set-up material.

In One Door Away From Heaven (Bantam), Dean Koontz writes a scene early in the book where Leilani, a 9-year-old girl, walks through a trailer home to find her drugged out mother. Koontz sets the scene up with this:

Saturated by silence, the house brimmed also with an unnerving expectancy, as though some bulwark were about to crack, permitting a violent flood to sweep everything away.

From there, for seven pages, Leilani continues, step by step. The suspense builds until the revelation at the end of the scene. This section, which many writers would have dealt with in a paragraph, adds enormously to the tension of the whole book.

Your ability to orchestrate beats so they conform to the tone and feel of the story you're telling is one of the most important skills you can develop. Ask yourself these three key questions before you write a tense scene involving physical action:

1. What is the worst thing from the outside that can happen to my character? This may be in the form of another person, a physical object or a circumstance outside the character's control.

2. What is the worst trouble my character can get into in this scene? You may come up with an instant answer. Don't stop there--raise the stakes a notch. This may suggest further possibilities.

3. Have I sufficiently set up the danger for the readers before the scene begins? Remember, they need to know what's at stake for your characters before they start worrying.

Part 1
Part 3 : Stretching the Emotional
Part 4: Stretch the Big & Small


Find out more about James Scott Bell at his website, http://www.jamesscottbell.com

His novels include the Ty Buchanan mystery series, Presumed Guilty, The Whole Truth, No Legal Grounds, among others. His writing how-to books Plot & Structure as well as Revision and Self-Editing are invaluable resources.

Read my interviews with Jim: Interview #1, Interview #2 as well as reviews of: Presumed Guilty, No Legal Grounds, The Whole Truth, Try Dying, Try Darkness, and Revision & Self-Editing.

Stretching the Tension by James Scott Bell (Part 1)

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James Scott Bell has been a writing mentor to me. His novels, as well as his writing how-to articles and books, have taught me so many aspects of writing fiction.

Of those articles, "Stretching The Tension", is one I've turned to again and again as I write action scenes or scenes that really need to carry emotional depth. It first appeared in Writer's Digest magazine (and later was featured as a chapter in his book Plot & Structure). Jim has graciously given me permission to reprint that article here in four parts.

Stretching the Tension
by James Scott Bell
Part 1

One of my great movie-going experiences was watching Psycho in high school in an auditorium during a storm. The place was packed. The mood was right. And from the shower scene on, people were screaming their heads off.

I'm glad my first exposure to the movie was not on television. I got to see it uncut, which is more than we can say for Janet Leigh after the shower scene. But more important, I got the full effect of the suspense without interruption.

The anticipation was unbearable. The surprise-twist-climax actually changed my body chemistry. I didn't sleep for a week.

Which demonstrates why Alfred Hitchcock was called the master of suspense. What he did better than any other director was stretch the tension. He never let a thrilling moment escape with a mere whimper. He played it for all it was worth.

And so should fiction writers. Learning how to stretch tension is one of the best ways to keep your readers flipping pages, losing sleep and buying your books.

Set up the tension

Before you can stretch anything, of course, you need raw material. You don't fashion a clay pot without clay. The clay for a novelist is trouble. The question you have to keep asking is this: What problem has the potential to lay some serious hurt on my character?

If your lead character has misplaced his pajamas, you could write several pages about it, throwing obstacle after obstacle in his path (a roller skate, a phone call, the postman ringing twice). But the hunt is unlikely to engage your readers. There isn't enough trouble at stake at the end of the line (unless, of course, your hero has hidden the mafia's money in the pajama bottoms and has five minutes to find it).

So the first rule is simple: Always make sure scenes of tension provide something to be tense about.

When you've got a handle on the trouble for your character in a given scene, you're ready to stretch it. You can do that with two aspects of your fiction---the physical and the emotional. Each presents an opportunity to transform your story from the mundane to the thrilling.

Part 2 on Stretching the Physical
Part 3 : Stretching the Emotional
Part 4: Stretch the Big & Small


Find out more about James Scott Bell at his website, http://www.jamesscottbell.com

His novels include the Ty Buchanan mystery series, Presumed Guilty, The Whole Truth, No Legal Grounds, among others. His writing how-to books Plot & Structure as well as Revision and Self-Editing are invaluable resources.

Read my interviews with Jim: Interview #1, Interview #2 as well as reviews of: Presumed Guilty, No Legal Grounds, The Whole Truth, Try Dying, Try Darkness, and Revision & Self-Editing.

Four Novels I Can't Wait to Read

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My to-be-read pile can sometimes overwhelm me. And then I take a step back and realize how blessed I am to even have these books! What a wonderful place to be, having so many books you don't know which one to start. That's heaven for a reader.

I am a reader before I'm a writer. I guess that's why I became a writer. I remember one of my favorite things to do as a kid was visit the library. I came home with literally bags of books I planned to read. I never got to them all, but having so many to choose from was part of the joy. Having so much good material right at my fingertips was probably what it was like for some kids in a candy store.

I still love to read. I don't have the same time available for reading like I did as a kid, but you can never stop a reader from reading... even if it's the back of the cereal box!

Four novels I'm particularly excited to read and can't wait until they arrive on my doorstep are as follows.

The Rivers Run Dry
by Sibella Giorello

Sibella wowed me with her first novel The Stones Cry Out, and I can't wait to see what her character Raleigh Harmon gets into this time. Apparently the locale is now the Pacific Northwest rather than Richmond, and I'm intrigued.

Summary:

When Raleigh Harmon, geologist and special agent for the FBI, is suddenly transferred from the Richmond field office to Seattle, she finds herself in strange territory. The Pacific Northwest has a whole different pace than the South does, her new boss seems determined to prove she can't handle the work, and she's desperately trying to keep her mother's sanity from crumbling altogether. But a missing hiker, a ransom note, an underground card game, and a "friend" with deadly intentions all ensure that there's no time for an easy transition. Raleigh will need all her skills and a little help-to keep the missing girl and herself alive.


Deceived
by James Scott Bell

Jim always creates a great page-turner, and this one grabs me right from the get-go. There's probably going to be a ton of twists and turns, like almost every Bell novel. Great stuff.

Summary:

Two bodies in an isolated canyon on the edge of L.A. One with saddlebags filled with diamonds. That's how it begins for Liz Towne, a stunning blonde with a devout husband who has given up a prime job for reasons Liz cannot understand-for "Mac" MacDonald, a Gulf War vet who's done time in prison and is just now finding his way back to normal life-and for Roxanne "Rocky" Towne, Liz's sister-in-law, who suspects things she cannot prove. All three are thrown together after a tragedy in Pack Canyon. After stumbling upon the stolen diamonds, Liz is faced with an escalating set of choices: Truth or lies? Love or money? Saint or sinner? Liz thinks she knows who she is and what she wants, but when the web gets terribly tangled, is her game of deception a clever lie or a deadly trap?


According to Their Deeds
by Paul Robertson

This will be my first Robertson novel, but the rare books in the premise certainly have my interest! Wonder how it will compare to Matt Bronleewe's novels...

Summary:

Charles Beale lives happily in the shadows of Washington, D.C., as a respectable rare-books dealer. Or mostly respectable. He has a streak of the gambler in him and when a devoted client dies-a man deeply connected to the Justice Department-Beale eagerly regains the man's book collection.and soon finds himself with more than he bid on. In one volume, Beale discovers documents incriminating a host of major political figures-blackmail material that might have led to murder. Weighing questions of justice and mercy-and with a bull's-eye on his back-Beale must untangle a complicated knot of deadly lies and dangerous secrets.


The Face
by Angela Hunt

Ms. Hunt's novels are always solid, and we can count on her coming up with a unique premise. This one has my attention! It's just too interesting to pass up. And I truly am a sucker for a great thriller.

Summary:

Born to parents who died shortly after her birth, twenty-year-old genius Sarah Sims has been hidden in a secure CIA facility where she works to help her handlers achieve their goals. Yet her days of anonymity are limited because her aunt has discovered her existence and is determined to lead Sarah out of exile. But before she can leave the only world she's ever known, Sarah needs what most people take for granted . . . a functioning face and the skills to use it. Will she remain in her secluded fortress or summon the courage to follow her heart?

Try Darkness by James Scott Bell

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I've been a James Scott Bell fan for years. His novels always interest me, and I enjoy his fast-paced style. Recently he began his new Ty Buchanan mystery/suspense series. The first novel, Try Dying was released last year. (Read my review here.)

The latest in the series, Try Darkness, has just hit shelves, and it's even better than the first. I've also written a review for this book. Here's how my review begins:

Ever since his first novel came out in 1995, James Scott Bell’s been an author to watch. The Darwin Conspiracy, a sometimes tongue-in-cheek look at the evolution debate, put him on our radar. Two years later his legal thriller Circumstantial Evidence debuted, and since then Jim hasn’t strayed too far from his suspense groove. In fact, when you pick up a Bell novel you can count on his trademark tag-line “The Suspense Never Rests” to be true.

That’s certainly the case for his new Ty Buchanan crime/mystery series. In Try Dying (Book 1), Ty’s character was established. He’s a fighter, an attorney you don’t want to push too hard. Yet we always suspected he had a softer side. Now in Try Darkness (Book 2), a little girl’s mother is murdered and Ty becomes her impromptu guardian. Fatherly instincts Ty didn’t even know he had bubble to the surface. He’ll do anything to defend the young life under his care. Why was her mother murdered? What connection does the crime have with charges the mother was about to bring to the motel ready to evict them? As usual, there’s much more going on than first meets the eye, and it’s up to Ty to unravel the mystery and keep himself and his friends alive in the process.

Read the rest of the review here.

I've also done an interview with Jim for TitleTrakk.com, and he talks a lot about the series.

Revision & Self-Editing by James Scott Bell

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I'd been looking forward to reading Revision & Self-Editing by James Scott Bell for quite some time. Like he did in his previous how-to book, Plot & Structure, Jim has crafted a solid entry in the Write Great Fiction series from Writer's Digest Books.

My review has just been posted on TitleTrakk.com. Here's an excerpt:

Speaking of writing conferences, that’s what reading this book felt like—attending a break-out session presented by a skilled wordsmith who knows of what he speaks. Like a caring English Professor, Jim hovers over your shoulder pointing out the problems and dishing out the fixes. He pulls no punches, and you can tell he wants those who read this book to succeed. With lots of sweat, burning desire, and these techniques in your back pocket, you truly can.

Read the whole review here.

Guess what? I have an extra copy of this book to give away! And I do mean extra. There's no way I'd give up my own personal copy! :)

So leave me a comment, and I'll draw a name from everyone who does to win a free copy of this great how-to book. Deadline will be next Monday, the 14th of July.

James Scott Bell (Advice for Novelists, Part 4)

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And we continue the series ...

"If you could say one thing to aspiring novelists, what would you say?"

Arnold Palmer said golf came down basically to this: hit it, find it,

then hit it again. Well, writing is sort of like that, too. Write it, edit it, then write it again. When you write, don't be hung up on making it perfect. Don't be bollixed up on writing techniques. The golfer who thinks of 22 different things as he swings always muffs it. Write hot, revise cool. When you edit your work, get feedback: from readers, from a group, or just by reading a writing book and seeing how the techniques apply to you. Then, with what you learn, write it again. Or start a new project. Each time you do this, you get a little better. Keep after it.

--James Scott Bell, author of the novels The Whole Truth, Try Dying, Breach of Promise, and many others, as well as the writing how-to book Plot & Structure.

Try Dying by James Scott Bell

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I've been a big fan of James Scott Bell for years now. His latest offering, Try Dying, is the first in a series featuring lawyer Ty Buchanan.

In a recent interview over at Brandilyn Collins' blog Forensics and Faith, Jim said: “I haven’t been happy about some of the trends in contemporary, secular suspense. And I think the audience out there is getting tired of the gratuitous elements. I believe you can write page-turning suspense without that, like some of the great crime novels of the 40s and 50s. I wanted to offer that, because I see the need for it.”

My review of the book can be read here at TitleTrakk.com.

"...a no-nonsense crime novel ... Try Dying is a dynamic start to a new series, filled with colorful characters and elaborate plots."

You can also check out my reviews of Jim's last two novels:

Presumed Guilty
No Legal Grounds

You also might enjoy an interview I conducted with Jim about a year ago here.

James Scott Bell Try Dying trailer

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I've been a big James Scott Bell fan for many years. His next novel (due in October from Center Street) is called Try Dying and marks Jim's first book to feature Ty Buchanan. It's Book #1 in the series and marks Jim's first foray with a recurring character. The trailer appears below. I'm intrigued!

No Legal Grounds by James Scott Bell review

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James Scott Bell's latest novel, No Legal Grounds, has just released from Zondervan.

My review of the novel is up today on TitleTrakk.com.

"James Scott Bell is an expert wordsmith, artfully placing us in the scene. We’re not just observing his characters, we’re involved with them."

Lawyer Sam Trask’s life is finally in order. His old drinking and success-at-any-cost ways have been replaced with embracing his family and his faith. Then Nicky Oberlin, an old college classmate, shows up. His first contact with Sam is an innocent enough e-mail. No big deal. Sam deletes the message. After all, he barely remembers the guy, and distractions in his already hectic schedule are not on the agenda. But there’s something about the tone of the message that makes Sam uneasy.

And rightfully so. Nicky Oberlin doesn’t take “no” for an answer, and soon his behavior escalates into harassment. Sam has sworn to uphold the law and defend the innocent as an attorney. But can the law protect him and his family from someone like Nicky Oberlin? Not when no law has been broken. Which is why Sam is forced to do something he never dreamed he’d do---take the law into his own hands.

Read the full review here.