Review: Bill Warrington's Last Chance

Read 11/12/11 - 11/16/11
4 Stars - Strongly Recommended
Pgs:291

Timing is everything.

The week that my grandfather passed away is the week that I decided to start Bill Warrington's Last Chance. My grandfather lost his battle with cancer as Bill started losing his grip on his sanity, slowing sinking into the chaotic and confusing grip of Alzheimer's.

There were so many similarities within the dynamics of Bill and his family when compared to my grandfather and our family that I found this book to be extremely comforting during a very difficult time.

The book centers around Bill, a crotchety old war vet who managed, many years ago, to successfully alienated himself from his children and grandchildren. Now, as he becomes aware of an encroaching, persistent forgetfulness and finds himself lost for increasing periods of time in memories of his long deceased wife, he is nearly suffocated with the need to see his kids together before it's too late.

When the family get-together looks like an impossibility - Marcy, Mike, and Nick have not only stopped talking to their father, they have stopped talking to one another as well - Bill does something drastic, something that he hopes will catch all of their attention. He kidnaps his 15 year old granddaughter April and goes on a road trip. But it's a race against time and memory - will his children decode his clues and meet Bill and April in the designated rendezvous before he loses his mind altogether?

Ok, so I confess, my grandfather never kidnapped any of us. And his memory was never a threat to us either (unless you count the fact that he was sharp as a tack and remembered every single thing we'd ever said or done that pissed him off). But he was a crotchety old war vet - he served his time on the USS Slater in World War II - and he was always threatening to do some kind of bodily harm to us if we didn't sit still and quit opening and closing the damn doors! He had his good - if not entirely inappropriate - moments too. There were the jokes that he would tell us, the can of beer held in one hand, the italian cigar in the other, rocking back and forth in his worn out Lazy-boy. He was a tough guy to love, but he was proud of his family, and though it was hard to tell, he showed adoration of the grandkids by picking on them something fierce.

Bill Warrington was a hard man to love too, yet James King managed to make him an incredibly easy guy to like. I didn't share the same things with my grandfather that April did with hers - he taught her to drive, and stand up for herself, and go after the things she wanted most in life - but that didn't diminish my ability to relate to their relationship.

As the book unfolds, we begin to discover that all of the players have secrets they don't want the others to know - typical family drama sort of issues - an arc that really pulls the reader into the fold. So many of the personality traits and hidden 'skeletons in the closet' will remind you of someone you know, or worse.. they'll remind you of yourself.

It's a multi-generational, semi-humorous look at a serious subject matter that affects more families than we dare to realize. I can only imagine the pain of losing someone you know and love to a disease as lonely as Alzheimer's. And I am not sure I can ever be convinced of which is worse... being conscious of the fact that you are losing your mind, or the blissful ignorance of it as it takes you over.

Which brings me back to my own grandfather and the last few weeks of his life as he struggled with cancer. As a granddaughter, it's extremely hard to see someone who was once so strong and full of zest reduced to a voiceless, evaporating shadow of what they once were. I can only imagine what it was like for my grandfather, a man of very little outward affection, aware of his own mortality, as we all made our way to his bedside in those final days. I have to think that, though he couldn't say it, he was hoping one of us would just get him a beer and a cigar, and stop opening and closing the damn door for crissake!!!

One Indie Author Gives Back...

So unless you live under a rock... or worse.. don't have a Twitter account (gasp!)... you've already heard about the 5500 books that were loaded into the back of a dump truck and forcibly removed from Zuccotti Park. Sure, those books weren't destroyed, as originally assumed, but they were taken... and it caused quite the stir.

One author in particular, M. Clifford, has chosen to express his disgust in a positive way - by offering up free e-copies of his novel The Book  for the rest of the year. And can I say just how fitting a book it is for times like these?

With the author's permission, let me share his reasoning with you:

"Very early this morning, as most of you know, the NYC protesters in Zuccotti Park were booted out.  Those that stood their ground were arrested and much of what was in the park was confiscated.  By confiscated...I mean that it was thrown into dump trucks.

What is most disturbing to me as an author is knowing that the 5,500 books from The People's Library that had been donated to the protesters were tossed into the back of those trucks!.... Dump trucks filled with books were hauled away from a peaceful protest by a dominating government agency without warning and under the cover of darkness in the middle of a media blackout...

So what then?

On my website - www.m-clifford.com - I am posting a complete PDF file of my novel.  The book is about a future where all information is digital and controlled through a government issued reading device known as The Book. Everything you read is manipulated.  The story surrounds one man's discovery of this manipulation in his favorite novel and the journey a small band of believers take to regain control of their freedom and the freedom of the world.

Indie authors like me have the ability to do what they want with their books.  So give them away for a short while.  Maybe just until the end of the year.

The government took their books.  Let's give some back."

To see his original post, click here. And then do yourself a favor and download The Book for free.

Support an indie author's choice to give back what was taken. Support your peaceful protestors. And get your hands on this exceptional novel. It's frighteningly timely. It's an amazing story. And if you trust my taste in books, you won't be sorry - it got the TNBBC "Next Best Book"  5 star rating in 2010.

How many other indie authors can he count on for support?
Will you give back what was taken?

The IndieReader on "Being Indie"

On "Being Indie" is a monthly feature that will be hosted here on TNBBC. We will meet a wide variety of independent authors, publishers, and booksellers as they discuss what being indie means to them.

Meet Amy Edelmen. She is a publicist, author, and founder and editor of IndieReader.com. She self published her first book "The Fashion Resource Directory" back in the 80's, and has also authored two traditionally published books - "The Little Black Dress" and "Manless in Montclair". 

She understands how difficult it is for all authors to get exposure. Her website was born out a need to create a more level playing field for authors who choose to go it on their own and to give book-lovers the opportunity to discover great works that they might not have otherwise have found. And today, she shared with us how she defines the term "Indie".

What does “Being Indie” mean to me?  

The term “indie”, to me, has always been an indicator that something (and until recently that “something” was usually a movie or a band) was the product of a person with a singular vision.  Not something spit out by a corporation wanting merely to make a buck, but something that speaks of its creator’s blood and sweat and talent.  And while the end-result of such visions sometimes felt a bit “rough around the edges”, the absence of a certain “slickness” tended to make the final results—two hours in the dark or a four minute snippet of music—completely and totally worthwhile.  

The term “indie” has come late to books.  I chose the name IndieReader for my website, way back in ’09, in the hopes of creating an alternative name for “self-publishing”, a term—to most people—that suggested a last-ditch option for authors without any talent.  We stole IR’s goal from Sundance: to promote, brand and legitimize Independent books and authors. 

The reasoning?  As an avid reader, author (both self and trad pubbed) and long-time publicist, I believed that there were a great many books not making it into the traditional publishing system.  Not because they were bad, but because their authors didn’t have a good enough "platform," or the subjects of their books didn’t have enough mass appeal.  Especially these days, when traditional publishing is all about dollars and cents, an author’s inability to get a deal is less about their talent and more about the trad publisher’s inability to showcase that talent.  And when you think about it, that’s really a crappy way to decide which books are “worthwhile” and which aren’t. 


So, now the door has been opened so that thousands of authors can get their works out there, which is really great news for authors.  But for the book-buying consumer it’s tough because—especially with the advent of the ereader—the world of indie books—while beginning to look inviting—has all of the sudden become overwhelming. 


How does one sort the good books from the not-so-good?  What are the bestsellers?   IndieReader was created to be the “essential guide to self-pubbed books and the people who write them”, offering discriminating consumers a place to discover the world of indie books, along with professional reviews, author interviews and more. 


So what does “being indie” (and “reading indie”) mean to me?  It means that you’re taking a chance.  You’re stepping out of the mainstream into a world where anything is possible.  True, you may sometimes end up being disappointed.  But the rewards when you experience something special and unexpected are totally magic.  

Death in Literature (In Memoriam)

(In memory of my "Poppy", who passed away yesterday. Hope heaven handed you a cigar and a can of beer when you arrived! )


Losing a loved one is never an easy thing. No matter how long their life, no matter how full, no matter how much time you had with them ... dealing with death is an extremely painful and private thing. Yet the grieving process tends to be an incredibly public event.

As I sit here, dealing with my own emotions today, I started thinking back on all of the books I have read over the years that dealt with death, in one form or another. The different point of views, the different questions they posed, the different takes on what happens afterwards... The personal pain and suffering made public by the authors who have experienced it. Whether they envelope it in fiction or bare it all in memoir, their books not only helped them deal with death, but have also created an outlet by which others can deal with their own.

And so my Death in Literature list was born:

In Which the Character(s) Start to Lose It

Postcards From a Dead Girl - His dead mother speaks to him from a 1967 bottle of wine and his dead girlfriend is sending him postcards from exotic locations. Yeaaaah.. he's losing it!

Drinking Closer to Home - Dealing with a dying parent can sometimes bring out the worst in people. A dysfunctional family who share hilariously twisted memories while dealing with the pain of watching their mother pass.


Getting Over It - A young twenty-something initially thinks nothing of the death of her father, but slowly, steadily finds herself losing it as everything around her begins to fall apart.

The Death Bed Vigil

I Curse the River of Time - An amazing novel about a son's struggle to deal with the feelings of frustration and helplessness as his mother announces she has terminal cancer.

Tinkers - Aware that people are visiting him but unable to recall their names, this is the story of one man's journey into his own memories as he lies on his death bed.

Us - A husband's bedside vigil as he begs for more time with his wife. A heartbreaking look at saying goodbye that reminds you to appreciate those you have, because you never do know how long they will be around.

My Father's House - His father is dying of cancer and he is out banging old high school girlfriends, hanging at the bar, and killing time with the old man. Only it's much sadder and incredibly more raw than that.

Death Knocked and Left Me Here 

The Dead Father's Club - Narrated by an eleven year old boy whose father's ghost is haunting him, begging him to revenge his murder. A modern spin on the classic Hamlet that tugs at your heart strings.


Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Prepare for some seriously heavy boots. Narrated by a young boy who lost his father during 911, this incredible book follows Oskar as he travels all over NYC trying to uncover the truth about his father and find the lock that his father's mysterious key must open.


As I Lay Dying -  The story of a family, told by multiple members, as they prepare for their mother's death and burial. 

The Great Unknown

Death of an Ordinary Man - A man awakens only to realize that he is dead. Convinced he was murdered, he struggles to find his way back to his family in an attempt to remember what happened. A really interesting take on what happens to our souls once we die.


The Brief History of the Dead - A pretty cool idea if you ask me - a city inhabited by dead souls who are remembered by the living. But once the last living person with their memory dies, poof, the dead soul disappears, cautioning us to always remember those who passed before us.


Being Dead - At times quite graphic, this is the story of an older married couple who were murdered and left on the beach to rot. With the aid of flashbacks, we are slowly brought up to speed on how these two ended up in this horrible predicament, while also describing the things that are happening to their current bodies.



What death-related books have you read that left a lasting impression on you? Which novels have helped you deal with the passing of a loved one? Feel free to share here, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on any of the books I have listed above. Thanks for humoring me. (I promise we will return to our normally much-less-mopey and introverted selves tomorrow!)

Audioreview: Disgrace

Listened 11/3/11 - 11/10/11
2 Stars - Too aggravated to properly recommend
6 CD's, approx 6 hrs

Folks, this may be the first time I am at a loss for words when composing a review. There is so much that I want to say that I can't quite put it all into words. There was just so much wrong with this novel... on so many different levels...

Let's start here: I own this book. Have for quite some time. Really had no interest in reading it anytime soon. But while browsing the audiobooks at the library last week, I decided to pick it up and listen to it. I admit to being curious about the whole "love him or hate him" effect JM Coetzee has on his readers. I mean, he's a Nobel Prize winner for crissake! I couldn't help but wonder Would I love him or hate him? Admit it. You wonder too, don't you? Oh shove it, don't lie to me!!

Wanna know when I decided whether I loved him or hated him? I decided while I was listening to the last disc on my way home from work tonight. Because before this disc, I was feeling pretty humdrum about the whole thing. I mean, I wasn't feeling much of anything for any of the characters. Sure, I disliked them all, because, you know, they are all incredibly ugly, disgusting people, really.  But I wasn't really feeling anything. I figured this was going to be one of those books that disappeared from my memory banks shortly after it ended because of the incredible lack of feeling I had towards it. Then the last disc had to go and piss me off. I mean REALLY piss me off. Like "had I not borrowed the audiobook from the library, I would have whipped the fucking disc right out of the car window" pissed off. Like "had I been reading the book (instead of listening to the audiobook), I would have ripped the fucking thing in half with my bare hands as I screamed for it to Go To Hell" pissed off.

For starters, David Lurie is a letch. He's a 50-something year old man who cannot keep his eyes, hands, or thoughts off of women. All kinds of women. Street whores, college students, professional escorts, married frumpy old ladies. He believes that he doesn't deserve the frumps though, he thinks that he can still get the young ones, is deserving of the young ones, and that, my friends, is what gets his horny old ass in trouble. Though, he's steadfast in his belief that there is nothing wrong with doing these things, behaving in such a way. Dipping his old man stick into women like it's no big thing. Oh, did I happen to mention that he's a teacher? His speciality? ... Wait for it... He teaches the Romantic Arts. (Le Sigh, of course he does.) And he's fucking obsessed with Bryon. So obsessed, in fact, that he decides to compose an opera about Byron during his Italy years with some chick named Teresa (Oh, don't get me started. The parts of the book that deal with his wanna-be-novel-that's-suddenly-an-opera were awful). A real 'don juan' that one was. Methinks Lurie had a bit of a man crush on Byron and was in awe of his apparently insatiable sex drive, and perhaps a wee bit jealous, hence his own sick, sad infatuation with women and sex.

So Lurie takes things a bit too far and gets freakishly stalkish with a student of his. They indulge in this awkward, one side (his sided) love affair, he gets in over his head, her parents find out, they rat him out to the school board, he refuses to read the charges but admits to whatever they are, gets told to hit the road, and takes his sorry ass out to South Africa to sulk and lick his wounds, hiding from his disgrace, mooching off Lucy, his lesbian farmer daughter, for awhile.

Lucy is naive, or perhaps just your typical headstrong woman who refuses to let a man define her or point out the obvious to her. I haven't quite figured that out yet. But she is in for a rude awakening, let me tell you!

I take it you are all familiar with karma, yes? What goes around comes around? Well... letchy David Lurie and his miserable, bossy, man hating daughter are about to get one big ass helping of karma served to them, hot and steaming on the plate, so open up and say aaahhhh...

**beware... spoilers be here**

Karma comes to Lucy in the form of three black men who trick her into her house and three-way her while her father is locked in the bathroom and set on fire. He sticks his head in the toilet to put the flames out and waits for Lucy to let him out, which she does, after the men leave in her father's car. It's a hate rape, a power thing, and she refuses to speak of it. She lies about it and ignores it, and choosing to live in silence with her disgrace, while Lurie, understandably, works up a froth over it. See, that's his karma biting him in the ass. The disgrace is his daughter's, yet he can't escape it. Not like how he escaped his own...

So sure, I get it, it's political. Her hired help, Petrus, is showing her who's boss. He sends some men around to show her what he's capable of, what he can do to her. He's connected, cannot be touched. So she cowers behind a false sense of faith and trust and lies to herself. The more David pushes her, the more she pushes back against what he wants her to do - report it to the police, see those men placed behind bars. She withdraws inside herself. She lets the "act", her disgrace, defeat her.

But that's not what pissed me off. Not by a long shot. The thing that pissed me off was her decision to keep the baby - the baby that will be a constant reminder of the "act", a constant reminder of her disgrace. What woman in her right mind would do such a thing?! It makes no sense to me. Furthermore, why would she consider an offer to marry Petrus as a means of "protection", give up her farm to him as a means of "protection"? Marry the very man who did this to her? (well, not directly, he didn't rape her, but he was behind all of it!) It pissed me off that Lurie tucked tail and accepted these things. That he didn't run out there and fuck Petrus up, show him who's boss!

This book made me sick. It put me in a foul mood. JM Coetzee just pushed things way too far in the end. The fact that Lucy would just give up and give in to such demands, that her father would sit idly beside her was unreal to me. Lucy, agreeing to marry Petrus for protection, as a way to raise this baby that was created through such an act of disgrace, was absolutely ridiculous to me.

**end spoilers...**

And let's not get me started on the god-damned dogs. All those kennel dogs. And the bulldog bitch Katie (Coetzee's words, not mine) who reflected what Lucy was to become, and that deformed little music-loving dog who reflected what David had become. Let's just forget the dogs.

And really, honestly, I'd like to forget the entire fucking book. Can I do that? Can I just forget the fucking book? And its disgusting, ugly characters? And its horrid acts of disgrace? Can I do that? God... I hope I can do that.

2012 Golden Goose Awards

A few weeks ago, Rachel Thompson (better known as Rachel in the OC) reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in volunteering as a guest judge for an upcoming fiction contest. Are you kidding me?  Pass on an opportunity to critique manuscripts? Turn down the chance to be a part (no matter how small a part) of one lucky person's journey from unknown writer to published author? I mean, seriously... are you kidding me?! 

I am honored that Rachel even thought to ask! And I am humbled to be co-guest judging Winter Goose Publishing's First Annual 2012 Golden Goose Awards with her, L.M. Stull, Drew Kimble, and Jessica Kristie. 

The 2012 Golden Goose Award opened for submissions on November 1st. They are accepting submissions for fiction manuscripts within most genres.. so what are you waiting for? Submissions end February 29th, 2012, so plenty of time to get those NaNoWriMo novels cleaned up and thrown into the pile!!

To get you better acquainted with Winter Goose Publishing and their First Annual Golden Goose Award, here's what Jessica Kristie has to say:

___________________________________________________________________

Out of a need, Winter Goose Publishing (WGP) was born. Between Jordan Adams and James Logan, they have over thirty years of business and industry experience.  With a boom in electronic books and self-publishing, WGP wanted to offer a caring and in-tune way to reach out to authors that wanted a quality book published traditionally, and without the big corporate feel.

I was lucky enough to be brought on before this great new publishing house was brought to life. I was able to see it transform with its ideas, values and sincere love for books, into a reality.  I have personally worked with several publishers and authors with marketing, website design, graphics, book covers, and social marketing. Being an author myself, I had an insight with what I knew I wanted (or would have wanted), and worked closely with the staff to create an environment for authors that feels like more of a collaboration then and contract.  This is an important core value to WGP.  There is a great group of staff, vendors and volunteers who create a smooth and welcoming process for all involved.

We are very excited this month to bring out the Golden Goose Award.  One lucky writer will get $1000 and a publishing contract with Winter Goose.  We are gearing this contest towards fiction writers and allowing most genres within that category.  We hope to make this award a huge success, and to continue annually awarding this fantastic prize. Submissions are open now!

Winter Goose has a goal of 15 new titles for 2012.  I think that will be surpassed, but it has to be monitored for quality and time constraint.  We are still a new company but growing at an exponential rate. We are flooded with submissions and are doing our best to get through them as thoroughly, but quickly, as possible. WGP is picky in their process, as we really want not only great books but great authors to represent us. Since we consider each book a collaboration, we want the journey to be a joyful one.  We have many great authors and books already and many more lined up for 2012. Will you join us?

Please sign up for our newsletter on our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Bio:

Jessica Kristie is the Writing Curator for ArtPlatform and the Co-Creator and contributor for the ArtPlatform book Inspiration Speaks. 

Dreaming in Darkness is her first volume of poetry that has gained her many 5/5 star reviews. Jessica’s second book Threads of Life will be released March 2012 through Winter Goose Publishing.

Jessica has been published in several online and print magazines such as Zouch, Muse, A Writer’s Point of View and TwitArt Magazines.  You can find all of Jessica’s appearances under her Press Page at JessicaKristie.com. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter 

Indie Spotlight: Terra Harmony

Like most reviewers, I get pitched a lot of books. In most cases, they are books that are a poor match for my blog (and my tastes) that were emailed to me with a request that bordered on desperation. The thing I enjoy most about getting pitched, though, is searching through the slush and finding the one or two gems that really stand out and summon a second look.


Terra Harmony, and her debut novel Water, did just that. While it's not typical of the sort of book I would review, I felt there was much more to Terra and her novel than initially meets the eye. 


She joins us today not to merely plug her novel (though, truly folks, we wouldn't be blogging if it were not for plugging and promoting novels, am I right?), but to also raise awareness of this new breed of genre called Eco-Fantasy - which has it's roots in the promotion of all things "Green". 

__________________________________________________

Despite the meaning of my name "Peace on Earth", and the fact that I am almost always barefoot, I am not a hippie.  I can definitely be classified as weird, and have been labeled as 'granola', but my days of long armpit hair and marijuana smoking are not just long gone – they never were (although the same cannot be said about my parents).

But I have a monumental task in front of me; gain the support of a legion of those slightly more crunchy than myself in order to increase interest in the up and coming genre; Eco-Fantasy:

I admit that I have two motives here.  The first is to promote my debut novel, Water, which falls under this very genre.  To some, this motive might be selfish; some would call it good marketing. I prefer the term self-marketing, or maybe good-ish.

The second motive is to, here it comes, my tree bark eating friends...help the planet.  Actually, conserving our natural resources or 'going green' has become a big topic of discussion within politics, our schools, and even the entertainment community. 

But what does this mean for the reading/writing community?  Have an e-reader?  That's a start.  Watercan be found on both the Kindle and the Nook (there I go with the good-ish again).  But studies have found e-readers to be more environmentally friendly than paper books.  This, of course, depends upon factors like how voracious of a reader you are, if you're buying used or new books, etc.  But as a general rule, yes, that e-reader you have is kinder to the planet than that stack of tree corpses you have on the bookshelf.

What else can you do to help kick-start this patchouli oil soaked, literary revolution?  Well there's this:

• Join the Goodreads Eco-Fiction group.  It's lonely in there.  I don't think e-overpopulation is a bad thing.
•  Follow #eco and #ecofantasy on twitter; tweet using these hashtags every time you read a good Eco-Fantasy book.
•  Help support this genre by contacting Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, Shelfari, Smashwords etc. about adding Eco-Fantasy to their genre lists.
• Support the Green Press Initiative (http://greenpressinitiative.org)
• Know Leonardo Dicaprio, Gwyneth Paltrow, or Brad Pitt personally?  Probably not, that one is a long shot.  But if you do, get them involved.  They are considered to be among the top 'Green Celebrities'.  Besides, I want their autograph! 
• Finally, help me start a movement.  I want a web-based community that supports green publishing, promotes Eco-Fantasy, and that will eventually make monetary donations to eco-friendly causes.  

More to come on this, but my time is limited and my technological know-how is worse.  I need help! Comment on this post with ideas.  The publishing industry is about to go #eco on y'all! 

  

Drop me a line on Facebook or Goodreads and ask to be included in future giveaways and promotions.  In the meantime – stay green!

Indie Authors can connect with me at:

www.twainwannabe.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/harmonygirlit

Hippies can connect with me at:

www.thecornerofHaightandAshbury.com – Just kidding.  No hippies there anymore, just scary drug addicts.

Review; The Graveyard Book

Read 10/22/11 - 10/29/11
4 Stars - Strongly Recommended
Pgs: 307

My 20-something year old self was madly in love with Neil Gaiman's writing. Upon discovering him through Neverwhere - which I bought at a grocery store on a whim while running some errands - I constantly found myself returning back to him. He was broody and british, and wrote magical stories that made the impossible seem real... if only for a moment.

As time wore on, though, I feared I was losing my taste of the fantastical. I had loved Good Omens and was intrigued by American Gods. Then, to my surprise, I was left wanting with Stardust (though I loved the premise, I couldn't quite finish it), and was not sure how I felt about Coraline (though that should not surprise most of you as you know my feelings about YA). I surprised myself even more when TNBBC chose Neverwhere as its first group read back in 2008, and I re-read along with them... only to discover I liked it less the second time around.

Yet, no matter how I've felt about the previous books, when the next one came out, I had to have it.

The Graveyard Book was no exception. I talked myself out of buying it when it first hit the shelves, though I desperately wanted to read it. It sounded amazing. A little boy, raised by ghosts in a graveyard... and the opening line was perfect - "There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife." But a little voice inside of me unreasonably whispered for me to leave it alone. And so I did. For many years.

A few weeks ago, however, while I was browsing the books at a local library sale, I stumbled across the hardcover. There was no evil, unreasonable voice whispering to me that day, and into my bag it went! Not only did it go into my bag, but it moved quite quickly to the top of my TBR pile, nearly jumping over every review copy I had queued up. Since I haven't read a book that wasn't for review in forever, my excuse was timing... it was nearly October, and I couldn't let another Halloween go by without reading it. And so read it I did.

This is quite an impressive little book, isn't it? I am actually rather upset with myself for not having read it sooner. The mood and atmosphere are perfect for this time of year, though, so I'm kinda glad I waited.

It's the story of little orphaned Nobody "Bod" Owens - the sole survivor of a heartless, gruesome triple murder - who has been raised by the graveyard ghosts for most of his life. He's been given the gift of the Freedom of the Graveyard and schooled by the specters on ghostly skills like Fading. As he ages, like any normal curious child, Bod begins to pine for life beyond the graveyard gates and grows more and more determined to find out about his life before the cemetery. Where there's a will, there's a way, and our defiant yet extremely naive Bod brings nothing but trouble to himself, his guardian Silas, and the graveyard in his search for answers.

Cleverly written, it reads like a YA novel for adults. Neil accomplishes near perfection with this novel. I say near because he had me completed invested in the book until the end. That second to last chapter felt like a cop-out. There was this incredible build up and then... a cheesy climax. I felt cheated. You have no idea how badly I wish I could convince Neil to go back and rewrite that chapter.

((sigh))

All in all, a kind of creepy, slightly comical, entertaining read from cover to cover. It reminded me of why I've always been partial to Neil and his storytelling.

I also love that he spent time with Audrey Niffenegger at the High Gate Cemetery during the writing of this book, and that those moments influenced its final few chapters.

Have you heard Neil reading from The Graveyard Book? Check it out here.


See the book trailer here:

Indie Spotlight: Pavarti K. Tyler

Yesterday marked a new first for Pavarti K. Tyler. She released her debut novel Two Moons of Sera, which she markets as "all the fun of YA written for Adults".


Pavarti and I met for the first time at the Indie Book Event in NYC back in July, where she hosted a panel discussing the business side of self-publishing. In the guest post below, Pavarti takes us through the unique and necessary phases of her life, the journey that got her here.

From Theatre to Taxes to Text

The journey of the self-defined individual isn't an easy one. 


Every day we are told the rules we are supposed to follow.  We are pounded with the reasons we must stay in line.  Across the street, which we are never to cross, is another set of expectations.  Follow your dream, you can achieve anything, you can be anything.


What we are never told is how to follow our dreams and stay in line.  Eventually, one or the other will be disappointed.  Eventually we are destined to fail.


For whatever reason, I was never really expected to stay in line.  My father is a dreamer born into a world where achievement means everything and my mother is a free spirit, an adventurer, only allowed the path of nurse, secretary or wife.  They had me later than most of their generation had their first child and for whatever reason they were always delighted to see me step slightly to the left of single file.


But the open road ahead is daunting and takes an incredible amount of work to survive on.  I learned after college that for some it’s a road never destined to be taken.  I would have been saved many a heartbreak had I learned it earlier.  I was fortunate to find a job on Broadway.  I had a theatre degree in dramaturgy (theatre theorist/historian) and to work on shows like Phantom of the Opera and Fosse was the pinnacle of success.


Even now when I tell people about working there it sounds so glamorous.  Like another life.  But the reality is I was miserable.  Art is a business and commercial theatre is no different from any other profit-focused endeavor.  I worked so hard I made myself sick.  I cried and I crumbled. 


Leaving theatre was one of the best decisions I made.  Where it led me though was unexpected.  After years of various jobs and training I am now an accountant.  I have two small children and I work from home giving financial advice to small businesses and preparing tax returns.  Who'd have thought?  From the outside it seems so much less exciting.  I'm no longer out till all hours or working with stars or opening to full houses.  Now I am a rule follower and I really like staying in line.
But the dreamer my parents raised is still within me.  And so as an adult I faced the same dilemma children must grapple with.  Do I stay in this line or do I achieve a dream?  My children are old enough they go to school.  I love my work and don't want to stop.  But I have a story to tell and it sings in my head, distracting me and pulling me out of sync.


Returning to art was difficult, it took a leap, a self-confidence I wasn't sure I had.  But in the end these stories in my mind, this part of me that needs to skip instead of march, took over and demanded to be allowed to roam free.


Perhaps this basic dichotomy in my personality is why Indie Publishing appeals to me so much.  I've stepped out of line; I don't want to just wait in another one.


Being involved in the Indie Community has been one of the best experiences of my life.  I have reclaimed the artist and dreamer within me. I have made my own rules and am free to skip or run or twirl as I see fit.  There are no hard and fast rules and each of us does what we can.  If you need help, there are communities and groups and even some companies that will guide you, but no one can tell you the right way to do this.


For me the artist and the business woman are finally at peace, each finding the fulfillment they want.  Lines and order and structure hold me in, but the creation of a new world, a new reality sets me free. 


Information about Two Moons of Sera  (Goodreads.com): 

In a world where water and earth teem with life, Serafay is an anomaly. The result of genetic experiments on her mother's water-borne line Serafay will have to face the very people responsible to discover who she really is. But is she the only one?

Two Moons of Sera is a Fantasy/Romance and will be released in a serial format. The first volume is just shy of 20,000 words and will be priced at $0.99. Anyone who purchases it will receive all future volumes for free. However if you wait to get it until later, the price will go up with each addition.

Bio: Pavarti K Tyler is an artist, wife, mother and number-cruncher and has been committed to causing trouble since her first moment on this Earth. Her eclectic career has flirted with Broadway, Teaching, Law Firms and the IRS. She is currently consulting with Novel Publicity while hard at work establishing her Indie Publishing Company Fighting Monkey Press.

Pavarti's debut novel, Two Moons of Sera is a Fantasy/Romance and will be released in serial format beginning November 2011. Her next novel, Shadow on the Wall, is a work of literary fiction and is scheduled for release in Early 2012.

You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter or her website.

Tell Me a Story - Rachel in the OC

Welcome to another addition of TNBBC's Tell Me A Story. 

Tell Me a Story is a monthly series that features previously unpublished short stories from debut and Indie authors. The request was simple: Stories can be any format, any genre, and any length. And many amazing writers signed up for the challenge.

This month's story comes to us from Rachel Thompson (aka Rachel in the OC), author of the 2011 release A Walk in the Snark, which hit #1 on the Amazon Motherhood Kindle list in September and October. Her latest non-fiction endeavor, “Dollars and Sense: The Definitive Guide to Self-publishing Success” (co-authored with Carolyn McCray and Amber Scott) debuted at #1 on Amazon’s “Authorship” bestselling list in June, 2011. Rachel is also one of the cofounders of the Indie Book Collective, an organization with over 8,000 members dedicated to helping authors utilize social media to the fullest to sell their books. I had the pleasure of meeting Rachel this summer during the NYC Indie Book Event, and am thrilled to be sharing the following short story from her.

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IF I HAD A HAMMER

I often find myself pondering, and observing, the different ways men and women go about fixing stuff.

Emotional stuff, in this case.

Men are fixers. They see women crying, they bring in their toolbox and follow Steps 1, 2, 3, and 4 to make it better. Yet, they can’t understand why there are no directions on the Internet for Dealing With a Crying Female and even if there were, why they’re not working, dammit! And finally, why scratching their balls while staring at us helplessly isn’t helping matters.

I mean, it seems to work for them, right?

Our moodiness, crying, and shooting them looks that kill don’t help much, admittedly. Normally females are quite verbal. Except, ya know, when we’re not.

I’ve suggested before that men should always come to any situation armed with chocolate, no matter what. My guy, even after nineteen years, is still somewhat inconsistent with that one.

He’s got two females in the house, and one is a tween girl raging with hormones.

Sigh. When will the man learn?

Men love their females. They want us to be happy. If we’re happy, life is simple. The brain shelf is full: food, sex, sports. If their females are content, their brain remains uncrowded with any extraneous stuff they probably wouldn’t remember anyway. They can trot off blithely to their offices (or take three steps into their home office, as is our case) and do their manly business stuff all day without any emotional worries.

Ya know, those things that happen in foreign countries. #eyeroll

Actually, I’m being slightly bitchy. My guy gets himself worked up a bit when his ducks, I mean chicks, are not all in a row (what is this, an episode of Friends?)

Chicks are moody. Hormones, weather, bad hair days. It all takes a toll. Smart men know this and deliver soothing words, kisses, and chocolate as needed. This is important, fellas. Stop scratching and take note: These are the tools needed in your handy Female Fix-It Box.

But too many guys expect us to “man up.” Uh-uh. Big mistake, fellas. Last we checked, we don’t have penises.

Thank the Lord.

Here’s how we work: we react to something. Let’s say a mean comment, a zit (gasp!), or a bad hair day. We must suffer for this transgression. Even if we didn’t do it or if it’s not our fault. Even if we’re Jewish.

We feel sad. Ugly. Lonely. (Stop trying to understand it. Just go with it. It’s what we do.)

We eat ice cream. None of that soymilk, fat-free crap we pretend to like when we’re on a diet. We’re talking the good stuff. Godiva or Haagen-Dazs.

We get in our jammies. The ones with the feeties. We grab our cozy pillow and plush blankie that we never let you use. We watch trash TV and tweet about it with our friends. 

And have a martini. Or gummi bears. Well, okay…both.

We ignore you. We don’t want you anywhere near us. Have you seen this zit?

Go away. When Mount Vesuvius finally blows, you may come back. Bearing, well, ya know…starts with a c?

When we finally feel better (read: no longer have a pimple the size of Texas on our darling button nose), we’ll go out in public again – go for a run or a walk on the beach, wear pants. Allow you to look at us. Eat fat-free ice cream again. And like it.

What I’m saying is this: no matter how much you want to fix us, we need to fix ourselves. Our way. No one-size-fits-all toolbox needed. Well, okay. Soothing words and kisses help a little.

You might think our way is wrenching, but the worst thing you can do is try to wrench us out of our funk.

It just might take us a hammer to get you to understand it. 

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I want to thank Rachel for participating in TNBBC's Tell Me a Story. If you like what you've read, please support Rachel by checking out her book and website. She can also be found on Goodreads and Facebook. Help spread the word by sharing this post through your blog, tumblr page, twitter and facebook accounts. Every link counts! And be sure to check back with us next month for the next installment....

Book Giveaway: Bill Warrington's Last Chance

It's time again for our monthly Author/Reader Discussion giveaway!

We are pleased to be hosting James King in December to discuss his novel

Bill Warrington's Last Chance

In order to stimulate discussion, 

we are offering 10 copies to US and Canada residents

Update:
James will also mail the winners a signed bookplate!

Here's the Goodreads description: 

A magnificent debut about a man's odyssey toward family redemption- with his granddaughter along for the ride Bill Warrington realizes he has Alzheimer's and his lucid days are numbered. Determined to repair a lifetime of damage to his estranged adult children, Bill takes off with his fifteen-year-old granddaughter April on a cross-country drive, bound for San Francisco, where she dreams of becoming a rock star. As the unlikely pair heads west, Bill leaves clues intended to force his three children-including April's frantic mother-to overcome their mutual distrust and long-held grievances to work together to find them. In this dazzling road trip novel, James King masterfully explores themes of aging, sibling rivalry, family dysfunction, and coming of age, against a backdrop of the American heartland. Unflinching, funny, and poignant, Bill Warrington's Last Chance speaks to that universal longing for familial reconciliation, love, and forgiveness.

The contest will run through November 9th 

 Here's how to enter:

 1 - Comment here stating that you would like to receive a copy of the book. 

 2 - You must leave me a way to contact you (email is preferred). 

 3- Agree to participate in a group read book discussion that will run during the entire month of December over at TNBBC on Goodreads. James King has agreed to participate in the discussion and will be available to answer any questions you may have for him. 

 *If you are chosen as a winner, by accepting the copy you are agreeing to read the book and join the group discussion at TNBBC on Goodreads (the thread for the discussion will be emailed to you before December 1st). 

 Winners are chosen randomly and will be announced here and via email on November 9th. 

 Good luck!