Book Banter -- Ghost Story

Title: Ghost Story (Dresden Files bk. 13)
Author: Jim Butcher
Genre: urban fantasy
Length: 477 pages
Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library
Plot Basics: Chicago's only professional wizard, Harry Dresden, can't even die right. After a bullet sends him, dying, into the frigid waters of Lake Michigan, Chicago and the rest of the worlds start to experience a huge power vacuum after the destruction of the Red Court Vampires. Instead of finally getting to rest, Harry is sent back to solve his own murder. But being a ghost, Harry doesn't have access to his magic that he's used for so many years to protect those he cares about and defend his city. And Harry quickly learns that he's not the only ghost on the prowl in the Chicago, meaning that he's got to stay alive (so to speak) one last time to avert disaster for his friends.


Banter Points: I didn't love this book until page 444. Seriously. That's when I sat up, gasping aloud, scaring my cats who'd been snoozing as I read the second half of the book. And suddenly the whole book got oodles better. I didn't not like Ghost Story until then, but I think I'd set the bar impossibly high for Butcher to meet my expectations. And on page 444, he delivered, and then the next 30 pages kept me reading on the edge of my seat.

The whole novel felt a lot more like the early Dresden files, the constant barrage of fight scenes (or maybe that's because I've been working through the early stories again). But, of course, being book 13, it also tied into a lot of the early stories. (Which, to my chagrin, I couldn't remember all the details of....)


It was also nice to see the other characters react to Harry's death. They were drastically affected by the lack of his presence in good and bad ways.

Bummer Points: I think Butcher is close to the line of being self-indulgent with all the sci-fi and comic book references. Harry's a smart mouth -- somethings don't change when he's dead -- but this Ghost Story had too many, especially since the plot sort of hangs on one of them.

The lack of Thomas was also a big bummer. The little chapter with him felt like Butcher was forced to put that in there to satisfy an editor (or his fans), but it's didn't really do it for me. I think I would have rather left Thomas and seen another short Thomas novella like "Backup" about what he's been up to lately.


Word Nerd Recommendation: If you haven't read Dresden Files, what are you waiting for? Everyone I've recommended this series has liked it. You will too.

The Quiet

There are times when nothing but quiet will do.

And while this particular post was written by a mom, I think that anyone in search of quiet will understand:

And I was like, The Quiet? Who is this band, and why have I not heard of them?

Someone has got to make this happen. Someone has got to put a band together that just stands still on stage, their guitars hanging languidly around their necks, the keyboard and drum set untouched. And in order to buy a ticket you have to be a parent. And you can't bring your kids. And you just sit there in the theater with all these other parents basking in the exhilarating silence of it all.

.....

"What'd you do last night?"

"My husband and I went downtown to see The Quiet."

"Oh yeah? I've heard they're pretty good live."

"You've no idea. The track I downloaded from iTunes doesn't do them justice."

.....

Are you a writer who needs quiet? I am. I cannot listen to music without falling into the lyrics. I'm easily distracted too.

Until I hit my stride. And then I fall into the story, the words, the characters that are swirling in my brain.

Mostly, it's about knowing what you need.

Every so often, it's a band called The Quiet.

via dooce.com

Collapsing Borders

The news broke last week that Borders is closing for good.

Shuttering 400-odd stores this spring (including several here in the Circle City) wasn't enough to keep them afloat. And with no other buyer willing to step up and take over the book chain, the only course of action for the company at this time to close.

Greater Indianapolis is going to lose at least three more stores, in addition to the three or four closed a few months ago. Just like that, six or seven book stores gone.

I don't want to get all doom-and-gloom about the future of reading, literacy and the printed word. It does make a self-proclaimed bibliophile's heart hurt though. I wrote about my feelings about the closings this spring and the concern I had/have about what this means for literacy.


I don't know what long-term effects closing Borders could have on the book world. I also don't want to decry e-readers or the Internet for the lack of people reading books. I'm thinking Borders probably made some bad business decisions -- opening too many stores (there were four on the general north side of Indy/Carmel). That kind of thing gets any business in trouble, whether they are selling shoes or washing machines or books.

Here's what I do know. Even when we're decrying the loss of bookstores, the permanence of well-written words remains. I had someone tell me the other day that they were really impressed with a letter I wrote. That's right -- in the mail, on paper, with a stamp.

My mentee for Starfish told me she wanted to work on her writing skills and so we're tackling some of that together. Right now, we're working on description. When she said that, I was so excited because she realizes that her writing skills are important. (We'll just let her figure out on her own that that key in description will help with more than just her attempts at fiction...)

If e-books take over and printed books become more and extinct, it's going to be the well-written e-books that rise to the surface. People still gravitate to words that move them or that they find fascinating.

The sad part is that with Borders closing, it might be harder to access them. But the sphere of needing well-honed writing will never disappear be it in books or life.

Breaking Rules

Are you a rule follower or a rule breaker?

Me, I'm a rule breaker. I know, I know, I really do seem like a rule follower to those who know me. But those who REALLY know me, understand the game.

The Game is to know the rules, then bend, twist and break away. Those that play The Game know that rules are really an arbitrary means of placing structure around life.

Okay, structure keeps us safe. After all, speed limits are supposed to keep us safe from those that aren't good at driving at Nascar-like speeds. Rules about penicillin prevent more super germs from forming.

But when it comes to writing, rule breaking is good. Encouraged even. But in order to effectively break the rules, one must first know the rules.

What is your favorite rule to break? Or, what author or writing device never fails to please when it is broken effectively?

Book Banter -- The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes

Title: The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes
Author: Marcus Sakey
Genre: mystery/thriller
Length: ~400 pages
Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library
Plot Basics: A man wakes up on a deserted New England beach. He doesn't remember who he is,  but it's clear that he's barely survived a suicide attempt. He tries to piece his life back together, wondering what would have compelled him to such ends. His search takes him cross-country, searching after a woman he sees on TV and straight into running for his life and stumbling into truths that he once knew but now, can't remember.

Banter Points: When I saw the premise of this book, I thought, "Marcus is a brave man" trying the whole amnesia thing. After Robert Ludlum had Jason Bourne getting amnesia and forgetting he was a trained government agent with such success, it felt like one of those plot devices that could never really be wielded by anyone else without coming across as a lame copy.

Leave it to Marcus Sakey to make it work. Daniel's amnesia works to drive the plot but doesn't become just a trite device. The twists never stop coming in another fast-paced thriller from a writer who's carved himself a great niche of putting normal people characters through their nightmares.

Bummer Points: This isn't about the writing, really, but I wish I'd been able to read the book in one sitting. Picking it up and putting it down made the action feel jerky instead of the smooth flow that it really is.

Word Nerd Recommendation: If you like those of "what if" something happened to a character kind of like me, Sakey's books should definitely be on your shelves.

Retrieval versus Storage of memories

Here's an interesting concept that I think would be interesting to build into a story.

Computers have two ways of accessing memory. One laser writes the original memory. The other laser reads it. Two separate lasers performing different functions.

When a brain writes memory, it uses the same bits and pieces as it uses when accessing the memory later. Because of this, just by accessing a memory, it changes.

There's quite a lot of science behind this and the implications are extraordinary.

Christopher Priest wrote a novel called "The Extremes" where something like this occurs, only it is based in virtual reality, not someone's memories.

The concept is fascinating to me. A villian could do some serious damage if he knew how to access the memories of others and modify them. So could a well-intentioned protagonist. Or meddling parent. The possibilities are endless.

End of an Era - or not?

Harry Potter, the final movie, came out on Friday. Were you one of the masses that stood in line for it? I was not.

For me, Harry Potter ended when the final book came out in 2007. I watched the first two movies and decided that they were not for me. Mainly because they ruined the pictures in my head, which was more thrilling than anything I saw on the big screen.

For many, the movies marked the end of the Potter Era. A Google search turns up all sorts of interesting things like the etymology of some words by WordNik or a seven minute movie to catch you up on the previous movies. (I cheated. Both of those links courtesy of Kottke.org)

I have to wonder if Harry is done for the author, though. Having invested such a large amount of time and effort in the world and characters, is Rowling done? Or, now that Potter is officially over, will she reveal another set of challenges and characters in the same world?

I have no official rumors, other than an early promise she made that Harry would never appear with a mid-life crisis.

I don't think that the Potter world is over. Call it a hunch, but now that the last movie is out, I think we'll be hearing from Rowling. Soon.

Mid-Point

For one of the grant applications I regularly write, the grantors ask a great question about what the marks of success will be halfway through the project.

Since more than half of 2011 is done, I thought now would be a good time to assess where I am with the reading goals I set for myself back in January and check on my current successes.

• Read a total of 85 books in 2011. Currently, I'm at 44. I feel kind of behind because June was sparse and July may be even more so, but I think I can catch up.
• Read one book by a Russian master. I will gladly take recommendations. I finished Anna Karenina in May. Phew.
• Read the remaining 6 of Michael Connelly's back list (and the new one coming out in April) to be totally caught up with everything he's written. So I really can't count because there were seven more to go (not counting the next new one due in November 2011. So, I've read four and have three to go.
• Re-read either Lord of the Rings or C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy. It was a decade ago that I last read them both. If I get through both, I'm awarding myself bonus points. I'm 2/3 done with the Space Trilogy and have to get myself to read That Hideous Strength now. It's my least favorite of the three.
• Read at least one book a month that comes from my bookshelf instead of the library to get caught up on things I've borrowed or purchased. I have completely fallen off this bandwagon. Here's hoping maybe I can get back on at the end of this month.
• Read at least 3 books considered to be "important" books that I've never read. Despite taking advanced or AP English through all of high school and two lit classes in college there's an alarming number of really famous books I've never read (for example, Catcher in the Rye.) I think it's high time that I tackle of a few of these classics. Just don't make me read Jane Austen unless it also involves zombies or sea monsters, OK? After slogging through AK this spring, I haven't been real gung-ho to get going on this goal, but it's time for sure. I've got a copy of Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried that I think I'm going to tackle soon. It's not exactly a classic, but I think it is important because of the subject matter. Still undecided about the other two. 

For the mid-point of the year, I think I'm doing pretty well. I'm going to have to pick up the pace a little bit which may mean turning off the TV a little more. With all the summer yardwork, when I come in tired, the tube has been preferable over reading because it's so passive. And it's been a lot of Matt Smith as the Doctor, which will be hard because I find his tawdry quirks rather endearing... cough...Gratuitous Dr. Who picture here----->;

Right. I think I'm on track.

Defining Success

Last weekend, I got into a conversation about how to define success.

It was a tricky area to navigate through because the person on the other side of the conversation defined success by money, while I tend to define success in other ways. To make it worse, the person is consistently measuring up their life and deciding it comes up short while my life is measured as decent, maybe even good.

It was a struggle to get them to see that money didn't need to define success. That if they stopped using money as the definition, their life may not be lacking.

I failed.

But I walked away with a great lesson, for my life and my writing.

The writing lesson: Great convictions lead people to actions that they must follow. Because of a world view, every interaction for this person is view against a measuring stick that will make them view life as miserable. Creating a character like this is critical in order to drive the story. It doesn't have to be just misery either. If a different measuring stick than money had been chosen, life might have taken a very different turn.

The life lesson: Some people are stuck in their ways no matter what. It can be easier to walk away than bang your head against a brick wall.

I realize I left out my own definition of success. That's for another day.

Book Banter -- Centuries of June

Title: Centuries of June
Author: Keith Donohue
Genre: literary fiction
Length: 342 pages
Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library
Plot Basics: In the middle of the night in June, a man takes a tumble on his way to the bathroom, gashing open a hole in his head. Thus the reader in thrust into his imagination/memory/dreams as he tries to explain what he was dreaming about when he awoke and how he got the hole in his head. He is repeatedly interrupted by women from the past -- all who make an attempt on his life with such murderous implements as frying pans and baseballs -- and then upstage him to tell tall tales of love gone wrong (The Woman Who Married a Bear for example). Each interruption brings him closer to his own present and truth of his injury.

Banter Points: I realize that the plot sounds odd, but in Donohue's lyrical and magical voice, the stories all hang together into a compelling narrative. Each of the women's stories is like its own novella, unique in voice and perspective and with moving story arc. The stories feel like stories you know to be almost true, drawn from history and mythology and something close to common experience.

Bummer Points: Given that each of the women's stories is unique, I didn't like them all equally. Also, once the reader figures out what the pattern of each interruption is, the technique gets a little old by stories six through eight.

Word Nerd Recommendation: If you haven't read Donohue, I'd suggest starting with his debut novel, The Stolen Child, but Centuries of June is definitely worth picking up.

Backless Books

No, I'm not talking about stripped books where the covers have been removed.

I'm talking about these books.

 

Maybe it's just me, but I'm feeling somewhat self-conscious about carrying these two books around, to read say, at work, over lunch. I took Centuries of June home with me for 4th of July weekend and when my mom arched her eyebrow at it, I find myself protesting, "It's not that kind of book!" (All those middle school and high school years of sneaking books past my mom that I knew she would object to me reading is a hard habit to break....) 

"Then why's that on the cover?" Mom asks. 

"It's a metaphor." It's a poor fumble for a reason, but it's something and it sounds literary and important. (On the upside, having finished the book, it was a metaphor of sorts so my flimsy excuse was studier than I imagined.)

As for Naamah's Blessing, which I'm less than 100 pages into, I know from past Jacqueline Carey titles that it is, sort of, that kind of book.

And I think the covers -- though both of women who are naked or mostly that way -- show that difference. Centuries of June (which will likely get it's own Book Banter post) is beautiful and lyrical. The nude on the cover is like art, a statue of a Venus. The woman on Naamah's Blessing gives off a far more sensual aura. Maybe because her face is visible, or all the jewelry, questions immediately come to a potential reader's mind -- is she dancing? For whom? Does she love him? Is it all show? Yes, there will be sex in this book, but there's a whole heck of a lot of political intrigue too. Still, I sort of want to make one of those brown paper bag covers like in grade school.

Has this happened to any of you? Any book covers that have made you embarrassed to be caught reading them?

Scottish Historical Exam

There's probably one out there for every imaginable genre, but this one makes me laugh. Hugely. Especially as I am re-reading Diana Galbaldon's "Outlander" series (watch out - those June stats are going to be awesome, given the fatness of her books.)

1. The hero is always depicted as Highland chief (complete with kilt and basket hilt sword usually - and wrongly - called claymore), even if he lives in the Lowlands.
2. The heroine is always English.
3. She’s described as feisty; often red haired.
4. The bad guy is her father/brother/betrothed.
5. The heroine, in most cases abducted by the hero, first hates him and sees him a savage but soon can’t resist his alpha maleness (her betrothed is a whimp, after all) and falls in lurve. Of course, she goes over to the Scottish side at that point. A bit angsting is ok, but not too much. This is a romance, not a psychological portrait of a woman torn by opposite allegiances.
6. The hero is in lurve with the English girl since he met her at a ball he attended in disguise to spy on the English.
7. If the English characters (except the heroine) are keen on getting more money, it’s always greed.
8. If the Scottish hero is keen on getting money, it’s to help his clansmen to buy cattle, or sometimes to restore his ancient seat which the English destroyed.
9. The hero says “Ye ken, lassie,” a lot.
10. If the hero drinks a lot of whisky, it’s alpha male-y, if the English do it, it’s depraved and a sign of inherent weakness.
11. The Campbells are the only Scottish clan that is bad.
12. There can be a clan feud, but it has to be ended in order to fight the English. Except if it involves the Campbells because those are bad (see 11).
13. The Scots win the decisive battle despite the fact that they’re outnumbered five to one and fight with swords against muskets. This is achieved by the famous downhill charge.
14. There must be at least one scene where the hero shows the heroine the beauty of his country by dragging her along over mountains and stones, though heather and moor, until he finds a river where he can catch some salmon with his bare hands. Romantic dinner ensues.
15. Never bother about the differences between pre- and post-Culloden Scotland, even if you mention Culloden as example for the badness of the English.

16. The hero must at some point deliver a speech stuffed with platitudes about the greatness and braveness of the Scots from the times of their mysterious selkie ancestor onwards (and never mention Normans or Vikings in the family trees), and list a number of vile English kings that tried to unjustly suppress the Scots.

    Bonus points if you can manage that speech while the hero stands in chains in front of his English captors. He will of course get insult, and the heroine has a chance to escape with him.

17. The hero has a trusted sidekick who hates the Sassenach girl until she manages to save his life.
18. The heroine can ride in a man’s saddle. She also has a favourite horse, preferably some breed that would never be able to find footing on highland mountains if this were not a romance.
19. The hero is able to swim across any loch in the depth of winter without getting a cold. While escaping several salvos of arrows or bullets.

Book Banter -- Tiassa

Title: Tiassa (Vlad Taltos #13)
Author: Steven Brust
Length: 319 pages
Genre: fantasy
Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library
Plot Basics: Assassin Vlad Taltos returns in the latest volume from Brust, as does Khaavren, the hero of the Khaavren romances in a story about uncovering conspiracies and covering up things that would be embarrassing to the Empire. Central to the whole thing is a figurine of a silver tiassa that will either help bring Vlad back into society or could keep him as an outcast forever.

Banter Points: This was an interesting novel, spanning three different times in Vlad's life. I have to admit, I liked the first part of the book the best, when he was back in his days with the Jhereg Organization, thieving and doing work (code for assassinations) and feeling much more light-hearted and less philosophical. It's also interesting how Brust completely shifts voice in the book as Vlad in section 1 and Khaavren in section 3 could not sound more difficult. Brust also brought back a secondary character from one of the other earlier books (Ensign Timmer from the book where he joins the army... sheesh, why can't I remember which one that was?)

Bummer Points: I haven't read the Khaavren Romances, so I felt a little bit lost as to who this character was and what I was supposed to think about him. As with many of the later Vlad novels, I feel like I missed something that was really important and I need to read the book a second time. I also sort of feel like I got it, about the scheme that Vlad really put in motion years before it fully played out.

Word Nerd Recommendation: I would still highly recommend the whole series, but with the caveat that the books get stranger as the series goes on.

Research

One of the writing lists I subscribe to has had a plethora of postings asking for assistance with research help. Topics have ranged from cruise ships to tenure at colleges to potential careers for someone living in the 16th century.

It's a rather diverse set of topics. Some can be answered by simple Google searches. Others are answered with personal experience of others on the list.

Research is one of those black holes or detours that writers can fall into. It's tempting to check just "one more source" only to find that hours or days have disappeared. Using a writing list to point you in the right direction and target that research might be the way to go.

What's your favorite research method?

May Bibliometer

I realize it's almost the end of June, but I never posted reading stats for May.

May Bibliometer 2011
8 books
1716 pages
avg 55 pages/day

YTD
37 books
11,048 pages total

Fantasy Exam

Fellow Word Nerd Bethany and I are big fantasy readers. Hopefully you are too and will find the following a fun diversion to end the week on: The Fantasy Exam. The idea is that every fantasy novel is a rip-off of some earlier, better version. And new writers should immediately trash can any novel that has these tried and true plot devises.

Follow the link to get to the whole thing, then c'mon back to post your favorite in the comments.

Here's the first seven:

1. Does nothing happen in the first fifty pages?
2. Is your main character a young farmhand with mysterious parentage?
3. Is your main character the heir to the throne but doesn't know it?
4. Is your story about a young character who comes of age, gains great power, and defeats the supreme badguy?
5. Is your story about a quest for a magical artifact that will save the world?
6. How about one that will destroy it?
7. Does your story revolve around an ancient prophecy about "The One" who will save the world and everybody and all the forces of good?

Hmm...time to clean out the WIP.

Favorite Mystery Convention

What is your favorite mystery convention?

Is it red herrings? Stereotype detectives? Damsels in distress?

For me, it's the unreliable narrator. It doesn't matter who uses it, I fall for it every time. I love it.

And I just got took by it.

Even as the narrator was confronted and forced into honesty, I couldn't believe it. I was in complete denial until all of the facts were laid out, end to end, and I was forced to face the truth.

Even as it stared me in the face, I wondered, how in the heck did I get sucked in? It was subtle, with dribbles of hints that led me down a predetermined path.

It was a very enjoyable ride.

What is your favorite mystery convention? Or, if mysteries aren't your thing, leave a comment with the genre and convention.

Book Banter -- The Scarecrow

Title: The Scarecrow
Author: Michael Connelly
Length: 419 pages
Genre: mystery
Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library
Plot Basics: LA Times reporter Jack McEvoy is on his way out from the profession he loves, cut in a staff reduction. With two weeks left in his career, he starts to pursue a story that will end his career with a blaze of glory -- proving a murder suspect innocent of the crime. But as Jack works to prove one young man's innocence, he finds himself investigating a far bigger crime, a serial killer who uses the power of the Internet to lure his victims. Jack teams up again with FBI agent Rachel Walling to find a killer, to save his career and hopefully prevent more killings.

Banter Points: It's been great to see Connelly evolve his plots as the times have moved forward. Thinking back to the early Bosch books, Bosch typed his reports up on a typewriter. The crime in The Scarecrow involves Internet security and websites and IP addresses. It's nice to see that Connelly has continued to learn and evolve with modern crimes instead of staying in a groove of mysteries set in the late 90s (which he could have done just as easily.)

Bummer Points: Normally, I'm pretty good at suspending disbelief -- especially around amateur sleuths -- who just happen to be there when the body drops, or the one who can figure out the crime. For some reason, I had a real hard time with this story feeling contrived that Jack was suddenly able to find a murderer, and a serial killer at that, just as his career was going down the tubes.

Word Nerd Recommendation: Even with the trouble hanging up my disbelief, it was still a great read from a mystery master.

Five Things

Here's the five things I'm recommending you do this weekend:

Read a book (I'm re-reading the Dragonfly in Amber)
Enjoy the outdoors (A couple of runs and some boat time are in order)
Ignore something that you should do for something you want to do (You have my permission to goof off)
Relax with your favorite drink (I have a couple of favorites; it will be tough to pick)
Try a new food (Lots of summer fruits out there)

This is a surefire way to make next week great.

Building a Reader

I have two boys who enjoy reading.

I can't say that they love it like I do. They have a few things that beat reading when it comes to picking an activity. Video games, playing outside and watching a movie are on the short list too.

Being readers though is important to me. Being able to get lost in a story keeps them coming back. The trick is to find stories that do this.

Here's the top five series that are sure to satisfy my 7 and 11 year old:

• Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (whole series)
• Amulet
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid
• Little Critter
• Almost anything published by DK Publishing

There's a common theme here. Did you spot it?

All of the books let the boys understand the world through someone else. Simple really. They found a way to identify with the characters and are willing to suspend their disbelief so that they can experience the story.

Getting them to read something new is a challenge. They aren't confident that the next book will satisfy them so they keep reading favorites. And reading those builds their confidence.

What books have you found success with for your kids to read?

Chapter 6

Ever since attending the Midwest Writers Workshop a few weeks ago, I've been hard at work, revising the work-in-progress, paying attention to issues that were raised there.

Things were clicking right along until chapter 6. Chapter 6 just wasn't working. Something was off about it.

Enter my writers' group yesterday. First comment out of the box: great tone, voice, etc that fits with the rest, but if you cut out this chapter from the book, what would you lose?

*Blink. Blink*

As soon as he said it, I knew that was the answer. Chapter 6 is getting cut. One smidgeon of the scene is important, but the rest is mostly just talking. Boring talking.

This is a good reminder of why I'm part of a writers' group. I was so close to my own story, that I couldn't see the very obvious solution. Take out what's not working. I was focused on on rewriting and had gotten so myopic about this chapter, I couldn't see the advantage of deleting it.

There are about three pages that I need to keep, tacking them on to the end of chapter 5 or the start of what once was chapter 7 and is now chapter 6. I think it's a great exercise and will make the book tighter in the end.

Delete key, get ready for a work out.

Agatha Christie Update 2

I got the notice that the next Agatha Christie novel is waiting for me to download from the local library's electronic collection.

I'm kind of excited for a couple of reasons:

• This was Agatha Christie's breakthrough novel: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
• So far Poirot, the Belgian detective, is the only series.

Others have made their first appearance, but only Poirot has been a repeat character. This is Christie's seventh novel. I can see why she becomes a famous author. She captures Poirot in all of his irritating mannerisms, but makes you laugh at him at the same time.

Some of the classic detective elements are used in her novels, such as Hastings playing Watson to Poirot's Holmes. Mistaken identities, clues that are clues, clues that are red herrings - it's all there. And while I shouldn't be surprised, I am. I thought that the writing would be dated, and not so clever.

Christie has a way of drawing a reader in. Her characters make a great primary source for anyone that wants to know what England was like during the 1940s. There are enough differences in the various lifestyles and habits that one really gets a sense of what life was like.

I'm enjoying the books so far and am anxious to see what it was about this book that propelled Christie into a writing career that spans decades.

Book Banter -- The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook

Title: The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook
Author: Matt Dunn
Genre: romantic comedy
Length: 354 pages
Plot Basics: When Eddie's long-term girlfriend, Jane, leaves him, the reason is that it's really him, not her. Eddie's forced to asses his life and realize the ruts he's gotten stuck in -- from bad fashion, bad teeth, an old clunker car, a less-than-satisfying job and his overall poor physique. Determined not to lose Jane for good, Eddie starts in a on a major plan to revamp his life. With guidance (or maybe not) from his local TV-celebrity friend Dan, the local barmaid Wendy and his new personal trainer, Sam, Eddie takes control of his life back and learns great lessons about friendship, love and self-confidence.

Banter Points: I found this book by searching the stacks at the library. I was looking for something a little less weighty or violent than the barrage of crime novels I've been reading lately. I'd never heard of Matt Dunn, but I'm glad I stumbled on this author. It was great to see this story told from a guy's perspective. The book was fun and if I could option it into a movie, I absolutely would. It would translate really well. The story was funny and sweet at the same time.

Bummer Points: The ending was not what I expected it to be. It's a strange bummer because I'm glad that Dunn didn't pick the cliche he could have, but I guess what I didn't like was how abruptly the story suddenly stopped.


Word Nerd Recommendation: If you're looking for something light and sweet, this is a great pick for something different in the romantic comedy genre.

Author Answers with Jennifer Wylie

Today's answers come to us from Jennifer Wylie. Jennifer writes short stories as part of Echelon Press' Shorts project. Jump in to find out more!

WN: What does a reader need to know about your series of short stories, Tales of Ever?
JW: Each story is between 13 and 15 thousand words, so as short stories go they are on the longer side. Part of Echelon Press' Electric Shorts project, they are geared toward 13-17yr olds. Each has been written to be fast paced and a fun read. The goal is to get more teens reading! Hopefully both the writing style and length will accomplish this and get at least a few more kids hooked. That said, Ever is certainly an interesting world, with a variety of characters even adults enjoy. For any lovers of paranormal or fantasy they will be a fun and exciting read!

WN: Let's dish: what character are you most like? Why?

Honestly none of the characters in my Tales of Ever series are very much like me. However Ever is a world where mostly evil people are banished LOL. If anyone I would say I'm closest to my main character Misha. Or maybe I was when I was sixteen. She deals with a lot of uncertainty and normal teenage feelings on top of everything else. Of course I'm not an orphan or a firestarter, though the later would certainly be cool!

WN: What's up next for you? More Tales of Ever?

JW:Yes! Tales of Ever will have six installments. One comes out each month, the 6th in August. I'll be busy writing and editing them up until then. This project has certainly kept me busy!
I also have my very first novel coming out in June, both in print and as an eBook. Sweet Light is an adult romantic fantasy and I'm super excited about its release.

WN: Short stories present a different challenge then novels. Tell us why you like the short story format.

JW:I've always loved short stories. When I was younger (back in public and high school) I wrote a few and then got sucked into novels. I actually didn't start writing short stories again until about a year ago. The main problem I have is ending them. I grew so used to writing and writing and writing it seems in no time at all I hit my word count for a short. I've had to teach myself to at least vaguely plan out a story line, or at least how the story will end, so I don't turn a short into a novel.
One of the main things I love about shorts is how quickly the whole process goes. It's very satisfying to complete a project and this happens much sooner with shorts, not only with the writing, but later the editing process as well.

WN: You are both author and acquisitions editor. What's it like playing the dual role?

JW:Very crazy, and hectic. I'll admit my writing time has been cut back a lot. I constantly wish for a clone, or a maid! As a stay at home on top of everything else I'm very rarely not busy with something or another.

WN: Any tips you'd like to share for authors who submit to you or Echelon Press?
JW: Do your homework. This applies to all aspects. Submit the correct genre to the right person. Follow the guidelines. Do some research on how to write a great query letter and synopsis. Most of all, make sure your book is ready to be read! Edit edit edit. If you can have someone else read or edit as well. You don't have to hire someone, even a friend or writing group can help. Do research on this as well. There are many articles online about editing do's and don'ts, things to watch out for etc.

WN: What question should the Word Nerds have asked, but didn't?

JW: How to find out more about me and my work of course! I'm all over the web and love to 'talk' with readers and fellow writers.
All of my published work is available in eBook formats at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords and OmniLit.

My website: www.jenniferwylie.ca

My blog: http://jlwylie.wordpress.com/

twitter: @jen_wylie

goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4499919.Jen_Wylie

facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennifer-Wylie/151266004895266

Bonus Author Bio:

Jennifer Wylie was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. In a cosmic twist of fate she dislikes the snow and cold.

Before settling down to raise a family, she attained a BA from Queens University and worked in retail and sales.

Thanks to her mother she acquired a love of books at an early age and began writing in public school. She constantly has stories floating around in her head, and finds it amazing most people don’t. Jennifer writes various forms of fantasy, both novels and short stories. Sweet light is her debut novel to be published in 2011.

Jennifer resides in rural Ontario, Canada with her husband, two boys, Australian shepherd a flock of birds and a disagreeable amount of wildlife.

Done!

The final was handed in over the weekend. Let me just say that taking a twice a week class is crazy. But it saved me a semester, so in the long run good.

Things will be normal - as the get - until the end of August, when school starts up again. I'm looking forward to reading this summer, along with running and some family activities.

What does your summer look like?

Contest Winners!

We've got three contest winners to announce! I love giving book away.

Going back a bit, we never announced the Laura Lippman contest winners.

@Keithr34 -- you've snagged a copy of "I'd Know You Anywhere."

RJ Hipling and @Lisa954 -- you've snagged copies of our mystery giveaway books. Won't you just be surprised when they show up in your mail.

All winners, please email me at bkwarner at gmail dot com with your names and postal addresses and we'll get the books out to you soon!

Thanks for playing!

It's Friday!

Stacie's busy writing final papers and exams; Bethany's got several projects that need completed.

But guess what? It's Friday. Give it up.

The Editing Team

It's been awhile since the editing team was featured here, so, I thought it time.

Co-editor Mina is now 9 months old and more than double the size she was when she first joined the team. She's now a full part of the editing/writing every morning. Most often, this means a few laps around the desk and then trying to chew on the pen I've got handy. Lately, she's also been batting at the moving cursor/mouse pointer on the screen which, while hilarious, makes it hard to see what I'm typing.

Ooooh, the camera...

Co-editor Gatsby is generally content to hang out and sit on whatever pages I've got nearby. He also gets annoyed with Mina, as any older brother should. They both regularly try to sit on the laptop (I get the confusion... lap, laptop... it all sounds the same to a cat, I'm sure.) Gat is still doing well for a cat of his age. That age is undetermined really, but he could be anywhere from about 12 to 15, most likely, and could be even older than that. Dubious past and all...

I'm just hoping that their "help" is really improving the book. Maybe all the teeth marks on my pens and chewed page corners will be a good reminder that an editor/agent could chew up the book the same way if I don't put the time and effort into first.

Giveaway Wednesday!

That's right. We here at Word Nerd have two books to give away.

Here's the catch -- we're not telling what the titles are. But, you could claim one of these books to add to your summer reading list just by commenting on this question:

What are you reading this summer? What do you wish you had time to read? Not hard, right?

If you tweet the contest or re-tweet the contest (from @BKWordNerd) or link to it on your blog, put that in the comments too, and you'll get extra entries.

Winners will be selected on June 6! Happy reading!

Lost for Words

Do you ever get to the point where you cannot think of anything to say?

It's not typical that I really get to the point where I cannot think of a single thing to say. Yet, I've been dangerously close the last couple of weeks.

I've read some okay, but not great, books. I like to do reviews when I have something to say about them, otherwise they feel like a book report. Work is off-limits, so no comment there. And this blog is about writing, not running. Running has really become a passion for me.

In fact, running is a passion in the way that writing never was. The cool thing about running is that you are always winning simply by being out there. Any runner will tell you that completing the long run is more in your head than in your body. I'm willing to get up at 4:30 two or three mornings a week and run before work. At 6 or so on a weekend to take a long run through one of the winding trails near the college. I can't imagine getting up at 4:30 to write.

But when I run, I compose some great passages. They are for the book I'm still thinking about, the one that I won't talk about for fear of scaring it away.

It's a book that wants to be written from 8-5, Monday through Friday. And that's really odd for me. I used to write, pre-MBA program, after hours, later the better.

For now, I'll keep running. Chasing after those ideas, random thoughts and passages that come to me. It's enough for now. The paper will be waiting when it is ready.

Happy Memorial Day

Remembering Memorial Day today.

Book Banter -- The Orchard

Title: The Orchard
Author: Theresa Weir
Genre: Memoir
Length: 227 pages (ARC)
Where Bethany's Copy Came From: Advanced Reader Copy from Theresa Weir (Sept. 2011 pub. date)
Plot Basics: In the heart of the Midwest, young Theresa meets Adrian Curtis, the heir to a prominent apple orchard-owning family. After a whirlwind romance, they are married and Theresa quickly learns how uneasy farming life. Considered an outsider by Adrian's family and haunted by her own past and failed family, she struggles to compete with farming for her young husband's love. As more and more chemicals are used to combat pests that would threaten to destroy the fragile orchard, Theresa and Adrian must make devastating choices about their family and their farm if they are keep their marriage in tact.

Banter Points: The Orchard is soberingly beautiful and an astounding feat of writing. Weir has written chilling thrillers under her Anne Frasier nom de plume, but none are as page-turning as her own story. While normally an orchard is thought of as peaceful and beautiful, Weir casts the trees and their common fruit into a villainous role, the force that could save or destroy her young family. The writing is finely tuned, not wasting any words to propel the reader through these years of her life.

Bummer Points: The book doesn't hit store shelves until September. It's a bummer for the rest of you that you'll have to wait till then to read this book.

Word Nerd Recommendation: Even if you don't read memoirs, you need to read this book. It will definitely place high on my top 10 books I read in 2011 list, a sure contender for the top spot.

Author Answers with Jennifer Nielsen

Today's answers come from Jennifer Nielsen, who writes two series for kids. Let's dive in.

WN: I love the first paragraph of your bio -- For as far back as Jennifer can remember, she has shared her brain with imaginary characters. She figures it’s okay if she talks to them as she’s working on her stories, as long as they don’t start talking back. -- Tell us more about your process though. Who's really in charge, you or the characters? (Personally, when I write, I feel like I am eavesdropping on someone else's conversation at times.)

JN: I come from a theater background, and one thing an actor learns very early is that acting is all about making choices, so that their character creates the events rather than simply responds to them. This isn’t so different from a writer’s job, only the writer is making these choices for all the characters of the story.

So as I’m writing, I spend a lot of time in my head stepping into the shoes of my various characters and interacting with them almost as if it’s the scene of a play. I might review the same scene over and over, each time through a different character’s eyes. By doing this, I often discover a lot of options that wouldn’t be clear to me otherwise. I can also feel their resistance when I try to take the plot in a direction that might be inconsistent with a character’s personality – because the scene just becomes too forced and unnatural.

It’s similar to what you say – that you feel like you’re eavesdropping. Only in my case, I prefer to sneak into the conversation and participate.

WN: What’s something readers or their parents should know about Elliot? And are the goblins friendly?

JN: My favorite thing about Elliot is that he’s just an ordinary kid – and like all ordinary kids, there is something extraordinary that he hasn’t yet discovered about himself. At its core, this is really what the series is about – Elliot is a boy who learns that everything he needs to be amazing is already within himself.

And no, the Goblins are definitely not friendly. In ELLIOT AND THE GOBLIN WAR, they’ll try every trick they have to officially get rid of Elliot, including blowing up his house. Unfortunately, as the series continues, he has even more unfriendly creatures yet to deal with, including troublesome Pixies, a vengeful Yeti, evil Shadow Men, and a large demon who really, really, really does not want to be woken up from his nap.

WN: Let’s dish: what character are you most like? Why?

JN: I think every author puts a little of herself into each character she creates. So maybe the easiest way to answer this is to say which characters I’m least like. Which are the Goblins, for the obvious reason that I love chocolate, and they don’t. Oh, I should probably also include that they’re really horrible, despicable creatures, whereas I have never, ever blown up anyone’s house.

WN: What's up next for Elliot?

JN: ELLIOT AND THE PIXIE PLOT will be released in August 2011 and I’m so excited for people to read it! In this story, the mischievous Pixies kidnap Elliot to the Underworld in a plot to ransom Grissel the Goblin from the Brownie prison. The Goblin War might have been bad, but if Elliot fails, he’ll launch a war that will brand him as the kid who got earth destroyed. Who’d want to be his friend after that?

WN: Elliot isn't the only series you write. Who is the false prince?

JN: THE FALSE PRINCE is a very different series than ELLIOT and will launch with Scholastic in April 2012. It’s the story of four orphans, including a defiant boy named Sage, who are forced into competition to become an imposter prince. Sage’s life balances on a sword’s point. If he is not chosen, then he will certainly be killed.

THE FALSE PRINCE is full of suspense, danger, swordfights, and a boy whose voice is fiercely compelling. I hope people will love this story as much as I do.

WN: Writing for kids must lead to some good stories about your fans? Will you share one with us?

JN: I do have one favorite – after a school visit last fall, a 1st grader came up to say hello to me. She was an adorable little girl who wanted so much to have a way to thank me for coming. She pulled from her pocket a pink plastic jewel, so small I had to hold it close to see it, and covered in lint. That was her gift to me, and I still treasure it.

WN: What question should the Word Nerds have asked, but didn't?

JN: The Word Nerds might have wondered what is my favorite kind of ice cream (chocolate with marshmallows). Or better yet, if someone wanted to invite me for some ice cream, you can reach me at my website, www.jennielsen.com, and learn more about my books while you’re there!

Mmmm...ice cream is always good. Thanks for the answers, Jen!

Escape

I'm in the middle of a three week, twice a night class, on Business Law, Regulations and Ethics. It would be a great class for any writer.

Basically, the course is teaching us to think through situations from an legal and ethical stance. It forces one to consider an alternate point of view, such as lying in order to achieve a greater good.

Is lying right or wrong? What if it creates a greater good? What is the greater good? How does it impact trust?

While we are thinking about it from a business point of view, my thoughts keep straying to some of my favorite villains and heroes, especially those found in Jim Butcher's Dresdyn Files.

Harry has a typically black and white stance on the world that is exaggerated by applying his own filter. He refuses, at times, to consider anyone else's point of view. But he tolerates one of the villains - Johnny Machone - who has a fair amount of good behind his bad behavior.

Putting characters into the morale dilemma works for Butcher. I love his books because of it, to see how Harry is challenged again and again.

The course is a required one for my program, as it is for many of the students in the class with me. Yet, I can't help but think that under different circumstances that this class would be fun. Instead, it's cramming as much information as possible into my head so that I can pass the test.

Which makes me wonder - is the college acting in an ethical manner by offering this course during interim, knowing that most students are going to cram and forget?

Of course, that idea potentially could be applied in a variety of ways. It's probably a slippery slope and one that I shouldn't start down.

But that's sort of the point too. Ethical violation usually start as a slippery slope that a small step leads to a big step (or several small ones that add up to a big one that cannot be recovered from.)

It's an interesting line of thinking.

What have you done to challenge your characters today?

Anna Karenina -- The Whole Thing

Last week, I finished Anna Karenina. I was going to put "finally finished" but I figured that would induce more wrath from people who really like this book.

I'm not going to write a review, per se, because that would just be a strange format for this classic that I've blogged about several times during the reading. Through the reading, I've learned a couple things and I'll get to those in a bit.

First, let me say, I'm proud of myself for sticking it out and finishing it like I said I would and on the schedule I said I'd use. There were many, many times when I contemplated stopping, but I soldiered on and I'm actually really glad that I read it.

Second, I've made this point before, but it's worth saying again: I don't hate the book. It's not my favorite; I doubt I'd ever read it a second time, but I don't hate it. I think it's all in the marketing -- the book's called "Anna Karenina" when, at least to me, the most important and interesting character was Levin. Anna was not a happy character and it was hard to feel any kind of sympathy for her in her choices.

One the writing fellows at the Midwest Writers Workshop Retreat described AK as a "page turner" and I have to admit, I just don't get that sentiment. I was turning pages to get done, not reading with much anticipation like when I read a mystery or a thriller. And maybe therein lies some of the problem -- I just don't read enough books like AK and don't know how to change my anticipation for a book like that.

Third, the next time I read a masive classic like this, I'm going to turn to a source like SparkNotes for some help in interpretation. I did pull up SparkNotes for part of Part VII, just to make sure that I'd read a section right and that I hadn't again missed a vital action in Tolstoy's very subtle style. I had interpreted a scene correctly, but reading the SparkNotes helped bring whole parts of the story into better focus. I want to keep reading "important" books that I feel like I've missed in school, but I think it's ok to turn to another source to make sure I'm appreciating them in all their fullness.

Fourth, I discovered that I'm actually kind of frustrated with many of the English teachers I had throughout school. They were great writing teachers, actually, but I think I was given a pass on reading a lot of great books. For my reading goal for this year, in addition to AK, I said I was going to read three more "important" books. I know the next one I'm tackling and while it's far, far newer than AK, I think it still counts. I've got a copy of Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" on my shelf. I read an excerpt of that in a lit class and liked it, so I'm going to read the whole work. I'm also eying Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" for another one. There may be a contest for the third, so keep your eyes open.

Now that I'm done, I'm expecting a promised rant from a writer friend of mine. I probably deserve it, but I'm sticking by the fact that I did what I said I was going to do. Read Anna Karenina over the space of 4 months and I'm happy that I did just that.

Writing for School

One of the odd things I've encountered during my MBA program is writing assignments. To be precise, it's not the assignment so much as it is the assessment of the assignment.

Every assessment has had one of two reactions: lacks detail and needs to be expanded; great explanation and understanding of the content.

To me, I write the same regardless of the content. How can I in one situation be lacking detail and in another explaining just fine?

If I apply a critical eye to it, I get this feedback when I am not as comfortable with a subject. Even though I feel like I am not adjusting my writing style, my lack of confidence in the subject matter is showing through.

Have you experienced this sort of dual-sided feedback? If so, leave a note in the comments. I wonder if others have found a similar reaction as I did: If you fake it, it shows.

Max and Lena

Meet Max and Lena.

This precious set of twins are going to become part of my best friend, Alex's, family. Right now, they live in an orphanage in Eastern Europe. They are HIV positive, which is all the more reason they need a great family to become theirs and love on them lots.

After some long months of paperwork and then waiting, it's time for Alex and her husband to travel to Eastern Europe and begin the next steps of bringing Max and Lena home. Alex has wonderfully chronicled much of the story here, and I'd encourage you to read. Won't take too long, but if you are easily emotional, you might want a tissue handy.

As you can imagine, the adoption process is costly.

To help raise some more fund toward bringing the twins home, they are holding a giveaway for an iPad. $5 gets one entry. Every $5 after that gets an additional entry, so generosity can increase your chances of winning. They have official rules and how to enter here. You can enter until May 21st.

IPads are cool. Alex's family is cool and I fully expect Max and Lena to be a cool addition. However, as a fundraiser, I have to say coercion to give is not cool. If this story doesn't move you, keep your $5 and find a charity/cause that speaks to your heart.

Laura Lippman Giveaway!

Want Laura Lippman's latest book? Or how about the one that kicked off her series, Baltimore Blues? This is your chance.

Word Nerd's got one copy of Baltimore Blues and two copies of her new one, I'd Know You Anywhere to give away today.

Rather than us going on about the new book, here's a video from Laura herself:

And for those of you reading at work or somewhere where watching a video doesn't work so well, here's some book jacket copy and reviews from others. 

There was your photo, in a magazine. Of course, you are older now. Still, I'd know you anywhere.

Suburban wife and mother Eliza Benedict's peaceful world falls off its axis when a letter arrives from Walter Bowman. In the summer of 1985, when Eliza was fifteen, she was kidnapped by this man and held hostage for almost six weeks. Now he's on death row in Virginia for the rape and murder of his final victim, and Eliza wants nothing to do with him. Walter, however, is unpredictable when ignored—as Eliza knows only too well—and to shelter her children from the nightmare of her past, she'll see him one last time.
But Walter is after something more than forgiveness: He wants Eliza to save his life . . . and he wants her to remember the truth about that long-ago summer and release the terrible secret she's keeping buried inside.

“Laura Lippman is among the select group of novelists who have invigorated the crime fiction arena with smart, innovative, and exciting work.” —George Pelecanos

“This is a story that grips you not with suspense but with its acute psychological autopsy of a survivor. Lippman’s knack for elucidating the horrors humans can inflict on one another through violence and manipulation — while telling a compelling story —is disarming and fascinating.” —USA Today

“Lippman’s taut, mesmerizing, and exceptionally smart drama of predator and prey is at once unusually sensitive and utterly compelling. —Booklist

“Lippman’s dedicated fans will find themselves well rewarded with I’D KNOW YOU ANYWHERE, an exceptional novel in every way, which is sure to gain her many new followers.” —San Diego Union-Tribune

How to win one of these books? 1. Live in the US or Canada. Sorry folks across the pond.... 2. Post a comment to enter about somebody you'd recognize anywhere, or wish you could run into again, or if all your loved ones are around you where you want them, just put your name in the hat. For extra emtries, post a link to this contest on FB or Twitter and copy it into the comments so we can track entries!

Three winners will be drawn next Monday, 5/23. The contest is open to everyone, even if you've won before.

Book Banter -- The Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life

Title: Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life: What 35 Years of Running Has Taught Me About Winning, Losing, Happiness, Humility, and the Human Heart
Author: Amby Burfoot
Genre: Non-fiction
Length: 150 pages
Where Stacie's Copy Came From: Personal Library
Plot Basics: Amby Burfoot has been running for 35 years. This book won't tell you about what stride to hit or breathing pattern to follow. Instead each chapter is designed to reignite the reader's passion for running.

Banter Points: I loved this book. Each chapter had some heartfelt lesson about the strength, grit, determination, it takes to get on the road every day. To log the miles, face the mental battles, to get through the hurdles.

Honestly, the book moved me to the point of tears at times.

I have fallen in love with running an away that I could not imagine a mere six months ago even. Amby captures that spirit I feel each day when I run. Whether the run is pure joy or pure punishment, the book gave me the "Me too!" feeling in every chapter.

As a Word Nerd, I feel like Amby also gets the joy and pain in writing. It's a long solitary activity that is as maddening as it is rewarding. As editor of Runner's World, Amby surely gets the parallels I saw between the two activities, even though he never mentions them.

The best part of the whole book is the passion that he captures. Running isn't so much about speed or beating the other guy. Running is overcoming the mental hurdles and knowing you can do it. During a tough day at work, I can think about the morning's run and know that if I can slog through 2-4 miles, the problem in front of me isn't going to get the best of me. If I can log 12-15 miles a week, the to-do list isn't going to beat me either. I'm not the fastest, longest or best runner. I'm never going to be. But I'm not stopping either.

That personal satisfication is the best feeling in the world.

Amby captures is perfectly.

Bummer Points: The book ended. No, seriously, I wasn't ready for it to stop.

Stacie's Recommendation: You don't have to be a runner to understand the passion of Amby's experience. You just need to be passionate about something to get why he is about running. Pick it up. (Or borrow from your fellow Nook reader.)

Fellowship

This past weekend, I was at a writing retreat for nine fellows selected by the Midwest Writers Workshop.

We spent all day Friday and most of Saturday at the Pokagon State Park in northern Indiana honing the opening chapters of our manuscripts, learning how to make pitches to agents and generally having a great time.

Part of what was so great is that, as fellows, we got to spend our time with other writers, people who also get this intrinsic drive to sit alone for long stretches, developing characters, situations and problems that we create in our heads and put down on paper.

This wasn't a convention where writers with book spend the whole time on panels telling us about how they do things. This retreat was focused on us as writers. Our work. Our problem areas. Our strengths. I needed to make a guy creepier and show the audience that instead of the classic telling. We were given time to do re-writes and bringing the scene back, it was better with some reworking.

I'm sure I'll post more things that come to mind from the two days as I keep applying them to my manuscript, but a few moments that really stuck out.

My small group -- in a moment of levity -- started doing mash-ups of mystery series. The best one? If Tony Hillerman and Sue Grafton wrote together, we'd get these titles: A is for Apache, B is for Brave, C is for Comanche.

Also -- the best quote of the weekend was from one of our very short round table sessions with all 9 writers together listening to the mentor-writers. "Novelists are the only artists who have to create their raw material," said novelist Terry Faherty.

Tuesday Fun

I couldn't resist. I'm a huge podcast fan, so I thought I'd throw out some of my favorites. Podcasts are the reason I listen to fewer audio books than I used to. If I could invent a formula that makes minutes into pages counts, my book count for the year would fly through the roof!

This American Life -- Every week Ira Glass and team take on a theme and challenge you think of ordinary people in a new way.

Radio Lab -- Jad Abrumrad and Robert Krulwich make me love science again, just like I did as a kid. The wonder and mystery are back. Think that you can't be a Christian and a scientist? Think again. Robert is.

Escape Pod -- Sci-fi short fiction. Usually about 2o minutes long, there's always a good story in here. Some are to die for. No, really, check out Episode 242 -- The Love Quest of Smidgen the Snack Cake. You'll never look at a Hostess product the same way again. Or any other form of marketing.

Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders -- Ever wonder what the Ivy Leagues are teaching? Here's your chance to listen to the guest speakers for one of the courses at Standford.

Knowledge@Wharton -- Wharton's out there too.

I am a firm believer in growth through learning. I stumble across loads of different and interesting things this way. It can make for some great conversation or stories.

Who is on your must listen to list?

Monday Fun

Trust me, as much as we're Word Nerds here, we do get captivated by other things than just books.

A few things that might liven up your Monday.

1. The Public Radio Name Generator. I'm a huge NPR listener. I can pick out which reporter is it just from voice alone most of the time. In a perfect world, Scott Simon would follow me around and narrate my life just so I could listen to him all the time. But, most of us don't just come with names that sound like they belong on public radio. Using some of the real reporters names, this generator will bestow on you a new name to launch your public broadcasting career.

2. Tonematrix (Don't try this if you are photo-sensitive. If you are not, make sure you have a good 20 minutes to kill right now, or try it later.) I found this over at Pbackwriter's blog, who got it somewhere else. Unlike them, I am not cool enough to figure out how to embed the flash app into this post. It's a nifty little sound application that lets you create some music -- no know-how needed.

3. The Daily. For you iPad users, this may be the best app that's not a game that I've found. I'm a news junkie at heart (what? really?) You can try The Daily for free for two weeks and then a year's subscription is $39.99. When you divide that out, that's $0.11 a day for news magazine quality journalism, photos, song of the day, crossword, sudoku, and more. While I love newspapers and always will, when this kind of creative journalism is out there, the writing's on the wall that they've got to deliver this kind of product or they are doomed (wow, so my Monday fun just turned into a soapbox... sorry about that).

Have a great Monday.

For NPR, this is Themba Murphy-Pahlavi, reporting from Indianapolis.

Where did you learn Grammar?

Think about it for a minute. Where did you learn grammar?

(pausing while you post your story in the comments.)

Me, I had a mother who corrected pretty much every sentence I ever uttered through grade 8. I also loved Mad Libs and parts of speech are pretty easy from there. In high school I had an English teacher who was a stickler for grammar as well. Diagramming sentences anyone? I have a love/hate relationship with them.

Now switch gears a bit. Where did you learn to write? Did those grammar lessons make you a good writer?

Good writing and good grammar are two different things. It's balance between the two that make it worthwhile. I can't ever read Angela's Ashes because of the complete lack of punctuation. It makes me want to pull out my red pen and edit away.

I like to think I'm a decent writer. But as far as a good grammarian? The jury is still out.

Top Suspense -- Take Two Review

Here's another Take Two Review. Stacie and I both lucked into ARCs of "Top Suspense." She read hers right off the bat and I left mine until the deadline (cough). Still, making good on the promise to review it, I read the collection of stories over the past few days and now have a review to post.

Top Suspense, ed. by Dave Zeltersman, Take Two
First Reviewed on Word Nerd: April 12, 2011
Bethany's Take: I liked many of the stories in this collection, but I got hung-up on the title -- I think it promises a different kind of story than what's actually in the book. I think "Top Noir" would have been better with all the dark turns that every story seemed to take. But suspense... I'm not so sure. Maybe my definition of suspense is just different.

Though it would give it away, a great title might be "Come Uppance" because that's a common theme among all the stories. Many of the protagonists are bad guys to start with, or people who think that they are somehow above the law or smarter than the cops. Of course, in the course of committing a crime (mostly murder) they make a fatal mistake and get their come-uppance for the wrongs they've done. This was so prevalent in the stories that about halfway through the book, I started looking for it and trying to figure out how that plot twist was going to work.

The best story in the collection was "Remaindered" by Lee Goldberg. Goldberg tells the story of a washed-up author who's desperate to create buzz about his latest book. I can't say more without giving away plot (heck, we're talking short story here) but I thoroughly enjoyed this one the most of the whole book.

The e-book is on sale for $.99 for the first two weeks of May. For less than a cup of Starbucks, you might as well pick up this read if you like mystery stories.

Author Answers with J.T. Ellison 2.0

Welcome thriller writer J.T. Ellison back to Word Nerd. She first appeared here in 2006 when she was a part of Killer Year and her first book was on its way to shelves.

Six books later, we're happy to have her back to talk about her latest, "So Close the Hand of Death."

WN: So Close the Hand of Death is the 6th Taylor Jackson book. What's it been like to push this character to this point?
J.T.:  It’s been rather amazing, actually. It’s hard to believe it’s been seven years already. She’s such a fun
character, almost a friend to me now. When she hurts, I hurt. When she bleeds, I bleed. When she’s happy,
I’m happy. I love how she’s changed over the course of the books – no longer living in a world that’s so
black and white, she’s learned how many shades of gray exist out there.

WN: To write thrillers, you have to come up with some pretty nasty killers. Is it hard to come up with "bad guys" like that, why or why not?
J.T.: Not really. I tap into my fears, and the fears of people around me, and magnify them into nearly grotesque proportions. I take solace in the fact that nothing I can create in my own mind is nearly as bad as reality.

WN: Of course in thrillers, you also have the "good guys." What was the thought process in strengthening your protagonist, Taylor Jackson, to go up against all these killers?
J.T.: Taylor is a rare beast in the crime fiction world – a cop without a nagging trauma in her past to drive her.
She’s strong because that’s who she is, and she commands the respect of her peers. I like that part of her;
it’s what gives her courage in the face of adversity. And of course, not all the books involve serial killers, so
she faces the same horrors our cops do on the streets every day.

WN: What's changed (or hasn't changed) about how you write since you first wrote "All the Pretty Girls" to now?
J.T.: I’m a little less organic, because I have to share with my agent and editor what I’m working on. I’m writing faster now too – no more leisurely pace. So it’s changed quite a bit, actually. But the essence remains the same – find a way to tell a great story that will keep the reader engaged and entertained.

WN: You're one of the many authors out there on Twitter (as @thrillerchick). How has being a part of that online community helped or hindered you as a writer?
J.T.: It’s so much fun. I didn’t start tweeting as part of a marketing platform, or to promote myself. Hence the
name – I chose something I hoped was discreet so I could be anonymous. I got outed after a few months
and had to own up to who I was, so it changed a bit. But that’s the one place I’m really myself. It’s great for
news, socializing – all the water cooler aspects of a job that we writers don’t experience because we’re off
on our lonesomes.

WN: What's next for you as a writer?
J.T.: Nirvana, actually - more writing. The 7th Taylor Jackson comes out September 20, WHERE ALL THE DEAD LIE. I have a multi-book contract that I’m working on right now, I just released a short story collection called SWEET LITTLE LIES, and I have two new shorts in anthologies this year. Life’s pretty sweet right now – and that’s not a lie!

Thanks so much for having me!

Reading Stats -- January through April

It's been some time since I posted stats.

For the year, I'm at 26 books. Not too shabby, considering I'm in school and regularly reading case studies and textbooks. Just under half were read in January (12).

Total page count: 8,931 pages.

It's a strong start to the year.

Shelf Space

Not my real bookshelf

I think it's the curse of all book-lovers that we're perpetually running out of bookshelf space.

A few months back, I reorganized my shelves to accommodate all the books I had at the time. Everything was alphabetized, double-depth shelved paperbacks, non-fiction elsewhere. For an organization nerd, it was something like nirvana.

Then -- then Saturday night I went to one of the Borders here that's going out of business. The fiction was all marked down to 50% off. I know that reduces what the authors get from the sales (if anything, seeing as how Borders owes so much). But for a girl on a budget, it made buying some books possible.

And lo and behold, there on the shelf in the sci-fi section, the first five books of the Cal Leandros series by Rob Thurman. I have read the first five and loved them -- Cal's snarkiness, Niko's cool brotherly protection, Robin Goodfellow's innuendo's -- and have thought long and hard about owning them.

But now, I have FIVE new paperbacks to add to my already overcrowded bookshelves. The dilemma...

Am I the only one who thinks too much about how to organize books? What system do you use?