The End of Summer

photograph by me

 The leaves are tinged crimson and gold. The evenings are becoming crisp and autumnal. Everywhere the wind is whispering of apple cider, scarves, cinnamon & nutmeg, and football. This is the first week of autumn. I’m a bit reluctant to say goodbye to summer. But, hey— God created four seasons for a reason and Vivaldi didn’t do so shabby as a result.

 Before I admit how many books I managed to read this summer, I’d like to quickly explain why I fell off the face of blogosphere last week. Last Monday (the 14th) after I finished working, I came down with a bug and spent the next couple days in unpleasant misery until I settled into a cold. I still have the cold but I am definitely much more clear in my thoughts.

 Now, my fellow bibliophiles, to business.

 I started out my summer of with a list of thirty-one books/series I wanted to read. Needless to say, I didn’t stick to that list. One look at my Goodreads shelves would prove that. I ended up reading twenty-five books. Roughly, about eleven of them were actually on my list when I put it together in May.

 Instead of listing off the titles of all the books I read, I would like to focus in and mention several of the ones that really jumped out at me.

 Pied Piper by Nevil Shute. I love this book. Dearly. The characters, the setting, and the story are incredible. I wrote a review here.

 Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens. Oh, Dickens how I love you! I snagged an audiobook of this off Audible for my free trial and it was a masterpiece. Narrated by David Timson, this story came alive and I quickly found myself deeply invested in the characters and the story. It was a fantastic reminder as to why I love Dickens so much and I highly recommend it. By the way, his commentary on London society is brilliant.

 Cards On the Table by Agatha Christie. My favorite Hercule Poirot mystery to date, this one is very much worth reading. I would elaborate more but I'm afraid of giving out spoilers. I should hate to spoil it for you.

 The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff. I read this in August during a read along with Annie Hawthorne of Curious Wren. An excellent piece of historical fiction, Sutcliff's rich writing and historical detail in this is matchless. Britain during the Roman Empire truly comes alive under her pen.

 The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse. I set forth on a great hunt to find a copy of this book after Annie lauded its praises on Goodreads. It was hilarious, my dear fellow bibliophiles. Never has a cow creamer had so many intrigues and attempted robberies surrounding it.

 The Prince of Fishes by Suzannah Rowntree. I had the grand opportunity of reading this and writing a review of it for its release. People, buy it. It is gold. You can read my review here.

 Some Christmas Camouflage by Elisabeth Grace Foley. I picked up this gem while on a Kindle book shopping spree. It was utterly delightful and even topped O.Henry's famous Gift of the Magi in my personal rankings. And it's only 99 cents! You should definitely pick up a copy of this to read during the Christmas season.

What were your favorite reads of the summer?

Fred Astaire and Writers

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   Have you ever seen one of Fred Astaire’s films? The excellence he achieved with his dancing is unparalleled. I doubt you will ever find anyone willing to disagree with the point that he was, and still is, the best dancer that ever set foot in Hollywood. Gene Kelly can’t hold a candle to him— sorry, American In Paris and Singing In the Rain.

   Fred Astaire is known for his drive for a flawless performance. If he made a mistake, he would start over from the beginning. If one detail was wrong, he’d redo the entire dance. Maybe this was carrying perfectionism a little too far, but the result of that perfectionism we see in his films is marvelous to watch. No one can dance like Fred Astaire because he took the time to go back and correct his mistakes, rehearse the number repeatedly, and well, let’s face it, he had the talent. But here’s the thing about talent: you have to hone it, train it, and practice like mad to turn it into a skill and something beautiful. And that’s what Fred Astaire did.

   As writers we all strive to improve our writing. We read the great classics of literature, the ones that have stood the test of time, and we write. Writing is different than dance, true— writers create art with words, while dancers use their bodies. But some of the principles are the same. Dancers train and rehearse. Writers write multiple drafts, edit, and polish them until they are satisfied with the results. This writing process basically equates to the dancer’s training and rehearsals. We both keep at it until we’ve perfected our art to the high level we want it to be.

   So, what can Fred Astaire teach us left-footed writers? Don’t give up and keep writing until you get it write. Pun intended.

Curious Wren Blog Party Tag

 My Twitter writing friend Annie Hawthorne set up shop in the blogosphere the other week. Curious Wren, her blog, promises to be filled with reading and writing chats of epic proportions and I heartily recommend that you hop over there and get acquainted. She gave away stuff- sorry, this didn't go up soon enough to advertise the giveaway- and has created this wonderful book-themed blog tag.

1. What was the last book you read, and would you recommend it? The last book I finished was It Took a War by Emily Ann Putzke— a Civil War story of growing up and family relationships. I would heartily recommend it to people of all ages. It's a good one.

2. Describe the perfect reading spot. Well... it all depends on the weather and amount of insects infesting my backyard. When it's warm out, there is nothing quite like sprawling out on a quilt in the backyard and burying yourself in a good book. But if insect and weather forbids, I will read pretty much anywhere inside the house— at my desk, on the floor, on the sofa, on my bed, on my parent's bed, or sitting on the kitchen counter.

3. Favorite book beverage? Tea? Coffee? Hot chocolate? Tears of your readers? Again, it really depends on the weather. I have been known to drink all of those while reading and writing. Well, except for that last one. ;)

4. Share favorite quotes from four books.
   "Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing." - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

   "They were right upon him, a thunder of hooves that seemed to fill the universe; black manes streaming against the sky; the team that he had called his brothers, only two days ago. He hurled his shield clanging among them, and side-stepped, looking up into the grey face of Cradoc, the charioteer. For one splinter of a time their eyes met in something that was almost a salute, a parting salute between two who might have been friends; then Marcus leapt in under the spearman's descending thrust, upward and sideways across the chariot bow." - The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff

   "He floated out, and I leaped three feet. A dashed difficult thing to do, when you're sitting in an armchair, but I managed it.
   "'Jeeves!' I yelled.
   "But he had gone, leaving not a wrack behind." - The Code of the Woosters by P. G. Wodehouse

   "We make art because we like art. We're drawn to certain kinds of work because we're inspired by people doing that work. All fiction, in fact, is fan fiction." - Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon

5. What is your most loved fantasy read? Dystopia? Contemporary? Sci-fi? Classic? My favorite fantasy would definitely have to be The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis. I love that book. Dystopia? I don't think I've ever read anything that classifies in that genre. There are a few I am considering trying at some point, though. Contemporary? Excuse me, while I wrack my brain for a moment. Ummm... I don't think I have a favorite contemporary novel. I have only read a few and those didn't strike me well enough to become a favorite. Better read up on that genre too. Sic-fi? *raises hand* Does Freddy and the Flying Saucer Plans by Walter R. Brooks count? That is one of my favorites from the whole Freddy the Pig series. Classic? Dear me. There are too many to count. I recently finished Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens and that made my favorites list, so I'd like to mention it. I also have great affection for Goodbye, Mr. Chips by James Hilton, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis.

6. List three authors you’ve collected the most books from. First, without a shadow of doubt, is Agatha Christie. I have three volumes of five-in-one editions, a slew of old paperback editions, and a mix of reprints. Second, is Brock and Bodie Thoene. I own their WWII series and I'm missing only one book from their Zion Chronicles series. Third, would probably have to be Marguerite Henry.

7. What are your thoughts on magic in literature? I am still sorting my thoughts out on this. I was fine with the way C.S. Lewis handled magic in his Chronicles of Narnia. He was very definite about good and evil, and I like those lines to be very clear. Tolkien handled it pretty well, too. Overall, though, I don't run into magic a lot in literature because I mainly read historical fiction.

8. What types of book covers capture your imagination most strongly? Feel free to include images. Oh, I do love a good book cover! Anyone else go to Barnes & Noble to gape at the beautiful covers of the new releases? Or spend hours drooling on Goodreads? Well, I firmly believe a good cover is essential to any book's success. Let's face it, if you like the cover there is a higher chance you're going to pick it up and read the back cover blurb. I have enjoyed some of the newer covers I've spotted over the last year. There has been a trend towards minimalistic covers and I've loved a number of those. But, I'm usually pretty varied. I just cannot stand most book covers from the 1970s/80s/90s. Sorry. Just, no. Here are a few covers that have captured my attention. (Quick disclaimer: I haven't read two of these books and, therefore, can't say whether I would recommend or endorse them. If I've read it, I'll post the link to my review or Goodreads rating below.)

pictures via Goodreads

My review of The Prince of Fishes

My rating of The 39 Steps

9. Mention the first book character that comes to mind. Elaborate on this. Richard Hannay. I think this is heavily influenced by the fact that I just posted the cover of The 39 Steps above and my mother just finished reading the book. Anyhow, he was a good chap in that book and I am on the hunt for the second book in John Buchan's Richard Hannay Series.

10. Do you lend out your books? Or is that the equivalent to giving away your babies? I have only lent out a book to someone outside of my family once. Let's just say I anxiously awaited its safe return. Generally, I don't go around letting people borrow my books. Well, to be honest, I've only been asked if someone could borrow a book once. I prefer not to.

Neighbors | They Have A Story Link-Up

   Today I'm here to share my contribution to Emily Ann Putzke's monthly historical fiction link-up They Have A Story. It doesn't quite have an ending yet (I haven't fully decided how to end it) but here it is.

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via Pinterest

Neighbors

   Henrik’s stomach twisted. This wasn’t how he’d planned things. It wasn’t supposed to happen. Not like this.
     “Line them up!” His commanding officer barked out orders even as he climbed out of the wreckage that had been his newly issued Kübelwagen. His eyes bulged out. The fields flanking the frozen dirt road could have caught fire from the fury in them.
   Henrik kept his rifle trained on the four men, while Gerhardt prodded them into a line on the road with the barrel of his.
   Blue coat, black coat, grey wool suit, and dark thin plaid overcoat. Had his father sewn them? He had the black one. Henrik could remember his father, grey haired bending over the sewing machine in his tailor shop while he kept the seams tight and sturdy. His customers would always get their money’s worth. That had been in 1937. Before the war.
   The first truck in the caravan screeched to a stop next to the four prisoners and the driver leaned out his window. He spit at the nearest man and swore at them all. “Stupid Dutch!” He screamed. “You deserve to die!”
   Soldiers spilled out of the back of the transport and scrambled to drag those who hadn’t survived the land mines out of the wreckage- at least, what was left.
   Col. Schmidt strode down the road and glared at the captives. “Do you know the punishment for this?” He flailed his arm towards the wreckage. “Eh? Do you know what happens to men like you?” His voice dropped, making the word “you” hardly above a whisper.
   The black coat’s face drooped down, his double chin resting on the knotted scarf around his neck. Henrik stared at him. Hugo de Vries, the middle aged farmer with the booming voice and a reputation for fighting as long as the canals that divided Amsterdam, wouldn’t even raise his eyes to look at the German commander about to pass sentence on him or the truck driver cursing him and his countryman. It didn’t feel real.
   The young man in the grey suit to Hugo’s right wasn’t much better.
   Of the four only the two on the ends of the line looked straight back at the Germans who had captured them. Henrik recognized them both. Herr Vogel the schoolmaster in blue and Isaak Dekker the Jewish bookseller who had married Henrik’s cousin in plaid. The yellow star of David was missing from Isaak’s coat. It probably had never been sewn on. Margret would have thrown it back in the official’s face before she ever put it on her husband’s clothes.
     “Do you know what you’ve done?” Col. Schmidt started screaming again. He strode up and down the line glaring at them. He stopped in front of Herr Vogel. “What do think you’re fighting for?” His bristling face was barely five inches from the schoolmaster’s own.
   Herr Vogel never flinched. “For Her Majesty Queen Wilhelmina and the freedom of Holland.”
   He hadn’t finished as the handle of Col. Schmidt’s Luger pistol slammed against his face with a crack. Herr Vogel’s jaw tightened but his gaze did not waver, even as blood started to spill out of the gash on his face and stream down his neck, staining his coat collar.
   Col. Schmidt returned the Luger to its sheath and turned to the other three. Hugo’s gaze darted back to the ground but Isaak’s grew more intense.
   Henrik’s stomach twisted again. Look down you fool! Even that silent piece of advice would be useless. The punishment for members of the resistance was death. And ten fold if you had killed a prime specimen of the Aryan army in the process.
   Col. Schmidt sauntered in front of Isaak, a slanted, sickening grin breaking across his face. “And you? Do you fight for your dethroned Queen?”
   Isaak didn’t reply at once. He stood there, eyeing Col. Schmidt carefully. “I am fighting for the freedom and survival of my people, Herr Colonel.”
   Col. Schmidt’s smile thinned. “Survival? You are citizens of the Third Reich. You should be helping your countrymen survive by working to build arms and planes. You should be out on the work farms.” He folded his leather gloved hands together. “Jansen. Kaufmann. March these men back to head quarters and lock them up. I want to interrogate them.” He side-glanced at Isaak and Herr Vogel as he turned and started to order his men about cleaning up the road.

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We're Marching On

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 Updates are becoming much too far apart I'm afraid. Life has been busy per usual and my writing has been mainly confined to prep work for my next big project.

 Since late June, I have been slowly but surely working on developing characters/outlining for my new work in progress The Point of No Return. Roughly, the story is about an English suicide mission behind German lines during the First World War. I am feeling pretty good about this project so far. I made a breakthrough with the villain's motivations the other night and have most of the essentials down for the majority of the other characters. I just need to flesh out the backgrounds and personalities of some more minor characters before I get to writing the actual story.

 I'm also scouting around for books on or set during WWI to read while I write. That way I can be working on research and gathering inspiration simultaneously. I just started reading Spies of the First World War: Under Cover For King and Kaiser by James Morton. It is still too early to tell how I'm going to like the book as a whole, but so far so good.

 Later this week, I will be sharing my contribution to Emily Ann Putzke's new writing link-up They Have A Story. Keep an eye out for that!

So, what have all you wonderful people been up to? Do you have any WWI books to recommend? Have any wondrous new writing projects presented themselves to you? Or are you getting back to school?

Book Review: The Prince of Fishes

Available on Amazon

 "In Constantinople, the Queen of Cities, poverty-stricken Michael the Fisherman and his wife Eudokia dream of a better life for their family. When Michael catches a fish that is able to grant wishes, he and Eudokia finally get their chance to taste the wealth and power of their wildest dreams. But will their ambition destroy the city and cost them everything they hold dear?

 An epic clockpunk retelling of the Grimms' fairytale The Fisherman and His Wife, set against the theological turmoil and imperial grandeur of 700s Byzantium. Novella, approximately 33,000 words."

 Going into The Prince of Fishes I was unsure what to expect and completely unfamiliar with the fairytale it was retelling. By the time I finished reading I was eager to look up the original fairytale, learn more about Byzantium and the rich history mentioned in the story, and to get ahold of everything else that Suzannah Rowntree has written and published. It has been a while since a story has enthralled and gripped me, transporting me into its world so completely, like The Prince of Fishes.

 It was fascinating to read about Michael the fisherman and the consequences of his decisions. His imaginary conversations with people, especially his wife, were humorous to read. I also tend to have imaginary conversations with other people and I related to that aspect of his characterization. It was painful to watch his actions as the story progressed, but that is actually a good thing. You know he is making bad decisions but you keep hanging onto the hope that he will realize his mistakes and repent.

 Miss Rowntree knows her craft and this knowledge shines effortlessly in her writing. The story moves smoothly, her characters are vivid and real, and the story's theme is relentless but unobtrusive. Each is the piece of a magnificent whole. I have already bought her other fairytale retelling The Rakshasa's Bride and look forward to reading it in the near future. I highly recommend The Prince of Fishes to readers of all ages. It is a story that has made me excited for the future of Christian fiction.

 I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.