What I Am Reading

I finished Infamous by Suzanne Brockmann. She manages to bring everything together in the thriller plot, paranormal plot, and romance plot for a satisfying and fun read.

I’m reading On the Edge by Ilona Andrews, another wonderful urban fantasy offering from this writing husband and wife team. This one focuses a little more on the romantic aspects than the early ones in the Magic series, but at the same time, it’s not the sum total of the book. There are many levels to the story, all of which I’m enjoying.

Grammar

A good list of many (but not all) the times it is appropriate to use commas, with a focus on the problem of comma overuse:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/commas.htm
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My mind is still over in Canada, and I haven’t gotten back into the swing of things, so the pickings are a bit sparse. That said, here’s some solid links for you, plus some compelling reading choices to try.

What I’m Reading:

An aftermath of my wonderful trip to Canada has been that I’m walking in the mornings again. However, unlike there, I lack a furry companion to keep me interested. I had put a number of audio short stories on my phone for a road trip where I wasn’t driving, but I didn’t have time to listen to most of them. Finally, I had the equivalent of a commute, and a short story is the perfect length. I’ve been enjoying a run of stories from Beneath Ceaseless Skies, though I’ve noticed other ezines are starting to offer audio versions as well.

The Manufactory by Dru Pagliassotti is one I didn’t expect to find in this magazine, and yet the feel of it denies its modern/futuristic elements. This is not a comfort story. It explores the choices that status brings and takes away in a creepy and powerful tale:
http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/story.php?s=64
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I am coming to understand just how much brain is involved in teaching my youngest son to drive, and it means I lose track of the simple things…like Friday. So here, better late than never, are this week’s links.

What I Am Reading:

My dear husband got me a copy of Dreamveil: A Novel of the Kyndred by Lynn Viehl for our anniversary, and I’ve been enjoying the read. It’s amazing how her style is the same and yet different for this new series in the Darkyn world.

Research

A musical look at library research
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_uzUh1VT98
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What I Am Reading

This has been a crazy week, so I didn’t get much reading time, but I have finished Steamed: A Steampunk Romance by Katie MacAlister and will be posting my review next week.

Submitting

While I’d be cautious about some of the style tips at the very end, this process for constructing a synopsis is similar to what I taught in my synopsis class and can be quite effective:
http://www.writing-world.com/publish/synopsis.shtml
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Sorry for the late post. This week has scrambled out from under me as I enjoy the rush of Forward Motion’s annual Story A Day challenge. I have 5 stories completed so far, and I’m quite happy with the lot of them.

What I’m Reading

This week I read Changeless by Gail Carriger. It lives up to the pure fun of Soulless while offering a tour of the British Isles (not really but some) and adding a number of new complications.

Life

Okay, this might be a little much, and I don’t usually post things like this, but my life has been a bit of a struggle and many of my friends have been going through very rough times. Nick Vujicic’s attitude just struck a nerve, a reminder of what’s important. Enjoy:
http://www.shrinkgeek.com/2010/04/30/inspiration-can-trump-perspiration/
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What I’m Reading

This week I finished Her Vampire Husband by Michele Hauf. This is not the first one of hers I’ve read, but this one surprised me on several levels. It was closer to an erotica than I’d expected, and was a little too detailed on vampire love making for my comfort, but what caught my attention the most was the overall story where two distinct culture groups with a lot of reasons to hate each other have to face up to their similarities and change. This is definitely worth a read.

I received an order I’ve been waiting on forever (stupidly put some prereleases in a B&N free shipping order) and have to make a tough decision as to what to read first. Changeless by Gail Carriger won and I’m devouring it already.

The Freedom by K.M. Lawrence is an odd story that doesn’t quite explain itself but at the same time gives enough to draw me in and keep me reading through to the end. I wonder if this is a glimpse at something bigger just because there’s so much not explained, but that’s not a problem for the story. It’s an amazing study in how to say almost nothing and yet reveal a whole lot. And besides, I enjoyed the story itself. http://www.strangehorizons.com/2010/20100426/freedom-f.shtml
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I don’t have much to offer you this week, and what I do is noticeably lacking in the writing and publishing area (though there are links for research and one lone writing resource). I’m not exactly sure why. Either not much is happening on the writing front, I’m focused on other things right now so am not capable of identifying which in the number I’m reading will be of interest, or I have come to the point where the information I’m reading feels too repetitious to…umm…repeat, which happens a time or two. What I hope is that in branching out, I’ll offer you some things you might not have tripped over on your own.

What I’m Reading

I know I said I would be reading Her Vampire Husband by Michele Hauf next, I ran into some difficulty getting the e-Arc, which though now resolved, left me bookless for too long .

I am in the middle of Dark of Night by Suzanne Brockmann, which is a later novel in her Troubleshooters series. I’ve enjoyed her military thriller/romance style since I won a couple of her novels in a blog contest, and this is no different. I do find it interesting how far she’s deviated from traditional romance at this point. She’s just so darn good that no one is willing to quibble, certainly not me. (more…)

What I’m Reading

I wish I could say I finished something, but things have been very chaotic and I’m loving this huge novel Holly Lisle’s making me read, Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. Not only is it a good, complicated story, but it’s a book I can share with my oldest son, who read it before me and wants the next couple of books.

I also started a second novel, The Rat Catcher by Kate Rothwell, because it was on my Sony eReader when I was off at an appointment. I’d requested the book when I had time to read it…then life happened, but better late than never. So far it’s a fun historical romance that edges on risque.

Science

Transforming human skin into the ultimate touchscreen: (more…)

What I’m Reading

This has been a crazy week on the home front, and I didn’t make any notes of short fiction I’ve read, but I have been reading. I am just over a third of the way through George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones. I’ve been intending to read this novel for a long time, and luckily I got assigned the read in Holly Lisle’s How to Revise a Novel class. My to-be-read pile has reached gargantuan proportions, so it takes outside influence to bump something to the top of the list. Have to say that I’m enjoying the story so far, and amazingly for me, I do not have trouble keeping track of the immense cast of characters. He does a wonderful job of triggering my memory so I don’t get lost.

Publishing

A clear accounting (all puns intended) of the economics of word count:
http://magicalwords.net/lucienne-diver/the-economics-of-word-count/
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What I’m Reading

I’m still enjoying The Windup Girl. It’s not a candy book and so I’m taking some time in the read, but I’d say it’s definitely worth the effort.

I haven’t had the chance to read any online short fiction this week. Have you read anything wonderful lately? Link it in the comments to share.

Writing

A good explanation of how to use setting description well:
http://gailcarsonlevine.blogspot.com/2010/02/setting-set-up.html
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