Review: How Sweet The Sound by Amy Sorrells

MY REVIEW
This is touted as a coming of age in the 1980s story. I remember that decade very well. I have lived in the South for my whole life. This must take place in a different South than I know. But then, the author is from Indiana, so we have to give her some leeway.

I found this book annoying for the most part. It is not even close to Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. Of course, not every coming of ag story that takes place in the South can come close this this classic, at least some could come close. Why do authors think that if they study a region deep enough, they can write about it and truly get the heart of it? It just doesn't happen.

 The story is written from several points of view that make it difficult to follow the story flow. You hardly have a chance to get to know one character before you are yanked into the head of another character. When the ***spoiler alert*** shooting/killing takes place, you are not sure who shot who and who the two are who died. I quit reading after that because I was aggravated at having to go back several pages to understand which was the brother and who the other guy was, the father of the girl? The boyfriend?

This book had the potential to be a truly great modern classic. It fell sadly short in that respect.

 I just could not get past the head jumping. There were no transition except for the name of the character talking at the beginning of the chapter. When will editors AND authors finally get it that to do this kind of writing you MUST have good transitions? You MUST give the reader a desire to get into the head of the character that you jump to. It is imperative in order to maintain that level of trust between author and reader. I don't think it is entirely Sorrells' fault. The editor of this book shares the blame, and should have caught this at the beginning of the editing process. One place it was well done. When the little girl put the basket of goodies at the door of the bereaved aunt, you really wanted to know why the aunt had locked herself into the guest house. Grief is one thing, but removing yourself completely from all society of family is something different, almost troubling.

I have to give it 1 star. It just wasn't good enough to hold my interest.



ABOUT THE BOOK
Amy K. Sorrells writes about broken places...and the hope of healing. Her debut novel is a Southern coming-of-age tale set in Alabama in the summer of 1980 - where three generations of the well-to-do Harlan family must finally face their dark secrets.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 Amy K. Sorrells writes words of hope for a hurting world. Winner of the 2012 Women of Faith Writing Contest, and two-time ACFW Genesis Award Semi-Finalist, Amy got her start in journalism writing for medical publications, and enjoyed a three year stint as a weekly op-ed columnist for her town newspaper. Her passion for healing is also reflected in her role as a registered nurse for a large hospital. When she's not writing or reading, she can be found bare-handed in garden dirt, or covered in paint while refurbishing antiques. A graduate of DePauw University, Amy lives with her husband, three sons, and a gaggle of golden retrievers in central Indiana.

Writing a powerful scene

You have seen several of Randy Ingermanson's newsletter articles on this blog. I have full permission to copy/paste them here, and I do so because he makes a whole lot of sense.

In the numerous books that I've read in my reading career since I learned to read, I see common mistakes that authors (and editors) make. My goal is to thwart those mistakes, and help you become a better writer if you so desire. One huge mistake I see all too often is the poor construction of scenes.


Randy talks about Dwight Swain’s book, Techniques of the Selling Writer.

image credit: centervillewebdesign.com

It makes so much sense, I wanted to share it here. This can be modified for non-fiction, but I'll get to that later. Here is what Ingermanson says:

Large-Scale Structure of a Scene

The large-scale structure of a scene is extremely simple. Actually, there are two possible choices you can make for your scene structure. Dwight Swain calls these two choices “scenes” and “sequels”. This is horrendously confusing, since both of these are what most ordinary people call scenes. In what follows, I’m going to capitalize these terms, calling them Scenes and Sequels. That is your signal that I’m using Swain’s language. When I use the word “scene” in the ordinary non-Swain sense, I’ll leave it uncapitalized. Since you are exceptionally brilliant and perceptive, you will not find this a problem. Let me give you the high points on Scenes and Sequels right up front.
A Scene has the following three-part pattern:

1. Goal
2. Conflict
3. Disaster

A Sequel has the following three-part pattern:

1. Reaction
2. Dilemma
3. Decision

You may think these patterns are too simple. You may think this is reducing writing to Paint-by-Numbers. Well, no. This is reducing fiction to the two patterns that have been proven by thousands of novelists to actually work. There are plenty of other patterns people use. They typically work less well. It may well be that there are other patterns that work better. If you can find one that works better, please tell me. But for now, let’s pretend that Dwight Swain is right. Let’s pretend these are absolutely the best possible patterns for writing fiction. Let’s pretend these are the keys to writing the perfect scene. Let’s move on and look at each of these in turn.
As we said, the Scene has the three parts Goal, Conflict, and Disaster. Each of these is supremely important. I am going to define each of these pieces and then explain why each is critical to the structure of the Scene. I assume that you have selected one character to be your Point Of View character. In what follows, I’ll refer to this character as your POV character. Your goal is to convincingly show your POV character experiencing the scene. You must do this so powerfully that your reader experiences the scene as if she were the POV character.

1. Goal: A Goal is what your POV character wants at the beginning of the Scene. The Goal must be specific and it must be clearly definable. The reason your POV character must have a Goal is that it makes your character proactive. Your character is not passively waiting for the universe to deal him Great Good. Your character is going after what he wants, just as your reader wishes he could do. It’s a simple fact that any character who wants something desperately is an interesting character. Even if he’s not nice, he’s interesting. And your reader will identify with him. That’s what you want as a writer.
2. Conflict: Conflict is the series of obstacles your POV character faces on the way to reaching his Goal. You must have Conflict in your Scene! If your POV character reaches his Goal with no Conflict, then the reader is bored. Your reader wants to struggle! No victory has any value if it comes too easy. So make your POV character struggle and your reader will live out that struggle too.
3. Disaster: A Disaster is a failure to let your POV character reach his Goal. Don’t give him the Goal! Winning is boring! When a Scene ends in victory, your reader feels no reason to turn the page. If things are going well, your reader might as well go to bed. No! Make something awful happen. Hang your POV character off a cliff and your reader will turn the page to see what happens next.

That’s all! There is literally nothing more you need to know about Scenes. Now let’s look at Sequels . . .
The Sequel has the three parts Reaction, Dilemma, and Decision. Again, each of these is critical to a successful Sequel. Remove any of them and the Sequel fails to work. Let me add one important point here. The purpose of a Sequel is to follow after a Scene. A Scene ends on a Disaster, and you can’t immediately follow that up with a new Scene, which begins with a Goal. Why? Because when you’ve just been slugged with a serious setback, you can’t just rush out and try something new. You’ve got to recover. That’s basic psychology.

1. Reaction: A Reaction is the emotional follow-through to a Disaster. When something awful happens, you’re staggering for awhile, off-balance, out of kilter. You can’t help it. So show your POV character reacting viscerally to his Disaster. Show him hurting. Give your reader a chance to hurt with your characters. You may need to show some passage of time. This is not a time for action, it’s a time for re-action. A time to weep. But you can’t stagger around in pain forever. In real life, if people do that they lose their friends. In fiction, if you do it, you lose your readers. Eventually, your POV character needs to get a grip. To take stock. To look for options. And the problem is that there aren’t any . . .
2. Dilemma: A Dilemma is a situation with no good options. If your Disaster was a real Disaster, there aren’t any good choices. Your POV character must have a real dilemma. This gives your reader a chance to worry, which is good. Your reader must be wondering what can possibly happen next. Let your POV character work through the choices. Let him sort things out. Eventually, let him come to the least-bad option . . .
3. Decision: A Decision is the act of making a choice among several options. This is important, because it lets your POV character become proactive again. People who never make decisions are boring people. They wait around for somebody else to decide. And nobody wants to read about somebody like that. So make your character decide, and make it a good decision. Make it one your reader can respect. Make it risky, but make it have a chance of working. Do that, and your reader will have to turn the page, because now your POV character has a new Goal.

And now you’ve come full circle. You’ve gone from Scene to Sequel and back to the Goal for a new Scene. This is why the Scene-Sequel pattern is so powerful. Read more here.

If you think this is too hard or doesn't make sense, then open your Bible to your favorite Bible story and compare this to how the story unfolds in the Bible. It is the same. No kidding.

Later we'll analyze a story using these "rules". Hopefully, you'll be able to see how it all packs together.

Review: Shadow Hand

Shadow Hand by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This is the first one in the series that I read. While I did not feel lost at the beginning of it, I began to feel like something was missing as I kept reading. I didn't know why the things that happened, happened. Without motivations, it is difficult to have empathy for any character. There was no clear villain or hero.

Character development must happen in previous books.

I think the book is very well written, and I'll certainly look for more by this author. But you really need to start from the beginning of the series because this is not a stand alone book. Too much happens before it to comfortably start here.

I received this book from the publisher at NetGalley for an honest review.



View all my reviews

Review: Caught in the Middle

Caught in the Middle by Regina Jennings

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Jennings has several novels under her belt. This is the first of hers I've read. I'd like to know why editors, publishers and authors think it is okay to put out historically incorrect novels?

If I may rant for a bit here. One reason I love the books better than the movies is because the books have, heretofore, been generally historically correct. Hollywood takes such liberties there is no reason to believe anything that comes out in movie form. They made Belle Starr a hero for crying out loud. There is no excuse, absolutely none for a novel to have inaccuracies these days. I spent hours and hours in the library researching my first novel about the Old South back in the 1980s. Nowadays one need only do an internet search. Why don't editors insist upon it? Powdered formula for babies was not introduced until 1915. This story takes place long before that, but after the railroad was finished. But let's set that aside for the moment.

The premise of this story is extremely good. Very much like the remake movie Bundle of Joy with Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. Single girl gets stuck with abandoned baby. While Bundle of Joy was a cute comedy, Caught in the Middle is not so much. For me, the premise does not match the writing/storyline. [shrug]

The question of what happened to Anne back east to make her hide as a buffalo hunter in the west drags out way to long to make me even care what happens to her. It's like playing "I've got a secret that is too secret to tell you right now. I'll tell you later, maybe." Why? Get on with the story already. But most importantly develop those characters to a fine point so they will interact with the reader not just with each other.

Flipping back and forth between two storylines makes for a piecemeal story with a jagged feeling. The different stories for Anne and Nick do not have transitions so moving from one to the other has a jerky stop-start feel, which is rather jolting.

Such a great premise that just didn't follow through. I have to give this one 2 stars.



View all my reviews

Review: A Cast of Stones

A Cast of Stones by Patrick W. Carr

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



There are some authors who can write gripping action/adventure, but cannot capture a real empathy for the main characters. And there there is Patrick Carr who goes far beyond great storytelling of action/adventure and fantasy into the realm of roller coaster emotional experience rarely offered to readers today.

Hooray! Finally, a single main character and the story is told in third person completely from the main character's point of view! No head hopping, no head jumping, no wondering how did he/she know that. Excellent storytelling and superb character development. The story actually goes somewhere with a satisfying ending even though there are more in this series to come. You do want more, but still the ending is satisfying.

Carr has mastered character development. He has done everything right in telling this story. He thanks Dave Long (editor) for helping him become a better writer. I've read several books edited by Dave, and I recognize the excellence of Dave's skill. However, an editor cannot make a bad story premise great, and cannot make a good writer better if the writer is unwilling to master the skills of writing. This is an excellent example of both author and editor in top form.

We first meet Errol Stone as a small, drunken lad who had the misfortune of being an orphan. He was taken in by a stone mason but that man was killed, and Errol couldn't face that horror so he drowned the memories. Ever mindful of a way to line up tankards of ale in front of him, he did odd jobs for the people of his tiny village. The people knew the cause of his problem so didn't think too ill of him. So when Errol offers to take a message to a hermit priest through the gorge, Cruk assures the messenger that the message will get to the priest. But, an assassin follows Errol shooting whining arrows at him. Thus begins Errol's epic journey to the Green Isle, the conclave, and King Rodran.

What I love so much about this novel, is that you can see Errol grow into a strapping young man, but his basic character is enhanced not transformed. The character development is along the same lines as Alexander Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo. If this book series does not become a classic, it should. It could proudly sit beside Lord of the Rings or The Three Musketeers.

Cruk calls Errol "a good lad", and this is echoed by the healing woman, and others. Anyone who has lost a loved one, or who has experienced some life changing catastrophe, or who has lived through some kind of bullying will identify with Errol's lot and empathize with him rooting him on cheering his successes. There are acute disappointments as well, which makes the story's roller coaster so effective. I especially appreciate how Errol's wisdom grows.

Well worth the money, and a keeper. This is a worthy book for anyone's library. It is excellent for adults and young adults.



View all my reviews

Mark of Evil Review

MY Review
I give this book 3 stars because it is well-written and it is centrally based on scripture.

However, I just could not get into the book or care about what happens to the characters because I did not read the first two in the series. This is not stand alone!!!! You cannot just step into the series because so much has happened before, and I guess character development had already been set.

From reading previous reviews, I can tell this book begins after the rapture. So I can imagine reading from the beginning would be fascinating. Sorry I can't be of more help with this book.

About the book
Economies have fallen, freedom has been suppressed, and peace is a distant memory. The world is falling apart. Joshua Jordan’s protégé Ethan March, along with Jimmy Louder and Rivka Reuban have been left behind in a world that is rapidly coming under the complete influence of the Antichrist.
Technology is growing by leaps and bounds, with BID-Tag implants, robotic police units, and drone-bots flying overhead . . . all designed to control and dominate those who resist the Antichrist’s reign of evil. As Biblical prophecy is fulfilled each new day, Ethan and the others in the Remnant struggle to eat, to procure necessary goods, and to avoid the Global Alliance---in short, to survive.
But when the forces of evil attempt to pervert the world’s most powerful information system to their own sinister ends, eliminating everyone who gets in their way, it’s up to Ethan and the Remnant to subvert their dark ambitions. From New York Times best-selling author Tim LaHaye, creator and co-author of the world-renowned Left Behind books, and Craig Parshall, Mark of Evil is the final thrilling chapter in The End series.
With high-tech thrills against a background of prophetic events that seem to leap from today’s news, this is the story of global tribulations bringing the world one step closer to the reign of the Antichrist and the return of Jesus Christ in glory.

To set the record straight

Here on this book review blog there is an exchange with Andi. (By the way, she has an excellent blog on divorce and healing). She has a very worthy point and I wanted to bring it out in the open.

Andi said...


Gina,
I find it interesting when you review a book that you have such negative things to say about the writing yet I don't see your book(s) being published and being toured. Maybe you need to tender your reviews with a little more grace. Just a thought.

~Andi

I take this criticism to heart. Andi is correct to chide me on the negative things I have to say about some Christian writings. However I am just one voice.


Gina Burgess said...

Just to set the record straight, Andi, I haven't really tried to get anything published. I have not had that 100th rejection, only 2.

However, I owned just less than 1,500 books and read twice as many more. I don't know any author as prolific a writer as I am a reader. I do know what works and what doesn't work. I do know what is good writing and what is poor editing. I have earned my Master's in Communication (Professional Writing and Education).

I realize I am very opinionated when it comes to Christian fiction and that is because a Christian author should strive harder, longer and deeper than any secular writer to get the message out in such a way that unbelievers would want to read said author's work because of the literary value of the work. If not, the readers are searching for something they do not have... and is rarely being offered these days.

Publishers crank out 10,000 titles a year, and each book is counted a success if it sells 15,000 copies! That barely pays for the printing costs with hardly anything for the author. My standards are not too high, they are too low, and that means the editors and publishers are pouring out crappy products.

I want something not only CLEAN to read but something that is really GOOD to read. I know there is a great deal of talent out there that hasn't had the chance to be published, and it is truly irksome that someone who is published several times over gets lazy in their work because they "have so much on their plate" they need to have someone help them write the book as in the case of Ms Walker. It is especially irksome when Ms Walker has written some excellent stories. I feel cheated, frankly.

Actually, to set the record even staighter, I have had more than 300 articles published on the internet (LiveAsIf.org and LivingBetter50.com), more than 100 features published in newspapers, and two articles picked up by Associated Press for national distribution. One article picked up by the National Social Workers Association and published on their website, and my blog was cited in a doctorate paper on Women's Issues. So, while I have not had a book published, my writings have had considerable local, national, and global recognition. Just setting the record straight.

(I need to comment that as of March 2014 I have two books published. I welcome any and all to review either one or both of them. I do require that the reviewer has a blog or Goodreads account to post the review, and will commit to posting the review on Amazon.com or other online retailer. Thanks for reading this blog!)

Jaspar's War by Cym Lowell

The premise of this novel is so very good. It reminds me a little bit of the movie Enough. However, there is no follow through.

The plot is quite involved and the character I like the most is Alice, the Dingo dog. She is quite the most super dog ever conjured by an author's mind. The other characters in the story are a bit jumbled, and not really developed well. That act off the charts rather than believable. Jaspar's husband is murdered in an airplane crash, and she is grieving. She realizes that for her to find out why, she has to disappear so she turns to her dear friend, a priest, for help. He introduces her to a man who trains her in the best special ops training.

Jaspar loves her husband, but she has special feelings for her trainer, the owner of Alice. This is why I really do not like to read books written by men who have a woman as the main character AND writing in first person. So many male authors imprint male characteristics on to their women characters. Here, Lowell has Jaspar have the feelings, but she is still grieving for her husband. It is such an oxymoron. Most women do not/would not act this way. Men might, but not women. I had to quit reading it because the motivations of each character became so fuzzy, and the storyline/plot bogged down to the point of stalling.

I give it one star of five stars.

Love Comes Calling by Siri Mitchell

MY REVIEW

Siri Mitchell  consistently and constantly provides a wonderful reading experience. There were times in this novel when I could not stop laughing, and other times when I wanted to just shake Ellis Eton.

The story is first person through the eyes of an ADHD young woman during Prohibition. An in depth look at how the Roarin' Twenties really was. Very, very true to life as well as very, very true to Mitchell form. Mitchell takes a time in history and eschews it in historical truth.

Extremely well developed characters who lived during a time when the all time question of whether or not morality can be legislated was answered... except it was originally answered during the Children of Israel's walk through the wilderness... and during the time of the Judges... and the whole of the Old and New Testaments.


ABOUT THE BOOK

A girl with the best of intentions.
A heart set on Hollywood.
An empty pocketbook.
That's all it takes for Ellis Eton to find herself working as a telephone operator for a look-alike friend. For Ellis, this job will provide not only acting practice but the funds to get her a start in the movies. She's tired of always being a disappointment to her traditional Boston family, and though she can't deny the way he makes her head spin, she knows she's not good enough for Griffin Phillips, either. It's simple: avoid Griff's attentions, work, and get paid. But in typical Ellis fashion, her simple plan spirals out of control when she overhears a menacing phone call...with her very own Griff as the target.

With an endearing heroine as her lead, Siri Mitchell takes readers on a madcap tale of love and discovering one's true desires!

Here and Now by Ann Brashares

MY REVIEW
First, this is not a Christian fiction book. However, it is a YA read, and quite possibly the best I've read in a very long time. Wr

itten perfectly in first person, you get inside the head of a seventeen year old girl who is not only struggling to find herself, but is struggling with rules and regulations from the future that, if violated, will kill her.

Fascinating story premise and execution. Original in depiction of 88 years into the future. The storyline is very well woven suspense and mystery. Believable characters, and Preanna is such a teenagery person, but wise beyond her years. But, it still works.

This is well worth the money and earns 5 of 5 stars.


ABOUT THE BOOK
An unforgettable epic romantic thriller about a girl from the future who might be able to save the world . . . if she lets go of the one thing she’s found to hold on to.
Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.

This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins.

Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth.

But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves.

From Ann Brashares, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, The Here and Now is thrilling, exhilarating, haunting, and heartbreaking—and a must-read novel of the year.

Tide and Tempest by Elizabeth Ludwig

MY REVIEW

I have always enjoyed novels by Ludwig. She is a fine author.
I am sorry I missed the first two in this series. While reading this novel, I feel like I had missed so much without reading them. Although this is a finely written novel in and of itself, I would have benefited greatly by some sore of synopsis of the first two.

I immediately fell for Captain Morgan. He is the kind of rugged character that finds a soft spot in my heart. I felt for Tillie McGrath and her misguided guilt. So many people think they have to do something or act better in order to live up to God.

Here is another author that is able to take real life Christian issues and illustration these struggles in a lifelike way in fiction. Just excellent.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Dreaming of a better life, Tillie McGrath leaves Ireland behind and, with her beloved fiance by her side, sets sail for America. But when illness robs her of the man she holds dear, she's left alone with only a handful of tattered memories. While forging on proves difficult, Tillie soon finds some new friends at her New York boardinghouse, and begins pursuing a new dream--to open a home for orphaned children.

Despite two years passing, Captain Keondric Morgan has never forgotten the lass who left his ship so heartbroken. When a crewman's deathbed confession reveals her fiance's demise was the result of murder, the captain knows he must try to contact her. But his attention draws the notice of others as well--dangerous men who believe Tillie has in her possession something that could expose their crimes. And to their way of thinking, the best way to prevent such an outcome is to seize the evidence and then hand Tillie the same fate as her naïve fiance.

Rapture and Revelation by Lynn Baber

I've known Lynn for several years now through my LinkedIn group called Christian Authors, Editors, Publishers, & Bloggers. She has added a great deal of wisdom to the

group through her comments, therefore I was not surprised at the wisdom I found in this book by her.

I like this so much we are going to use it in our Bible study group when we finish studying Domestic Diva: The Proverbs 31 Woman. 

Baber asks some truly tough questions of Christians today. Do you choose God or not choose God? Where does your fear come from? Is it because you doubt God can handle your problems, or do you doubt God will solve your problems the way you want then solved? She also asks where are your priorities?


Perhaps, the wisest part of this book is how she points out the greatest danger to Christians today is the false teachings based on false prophesy. False interpretation of actual scripture where the interpretation disregards the whole of scripture, and focuses upon one or two proof texts. Christians must draw closer to God, and filter everything through scripture just as the Bereans did.

Congratulations to Lynn as she highlights some truths that are crucial for Christians of today.

Five of five stars

ABOUT THE BOOK

Welcome to the End Time. Most scholars believe the next event prophesied in Scripture is the Rapture of the Church. Natural disasters, armed conflicts, economic and social upheavals, and civil disobedience have become the norm rather than the exception. 

Christian author Lynn Baber presents a practical and easy-to-read message challenging readers to examine the source of their beliefs at this critical moment in human history. The greatest danger to Christians today is false teaching based upon false prophecy. Familiar words like God, Jesus, Bible, and Christian don't mean what they used to. "Rapture and Revelation" provides a scriptural path permitting you to separate what is true from what is not. There is an absolute need for messages that offer simple truths about the times we live in. 

You will discover the link between science and God in these pages as well as meeting the "jesus" introduced in such popular books as "The Shack" and "The DaVinci Code." What does the Bible say about relationship with God? How is it possible to live in the world but not be of the world? Will all who confess Jesus Christ as Lord be raptured? These questions, and many more, are answered by the author based on the Word of God. Are you absolutely sure you're ready for the call of Jesus Christ? You may be surprised to discover that what you hoped was true is really a lie.