Month: July 2017

Book Reviews: Of Cats and Sea Monsters by Wren Cavanagh

Trigger Warning: The book reviewed mentions, although does not directly depict, abusive relationships for one of its female characters. While only the most basic and necessary images are very briefly painted to show readers the nature of these relationships, survivors of such situations should proceed with caution.

For this post, I’m going to review Of Cats and Sea Monsters, book two of the Cat Daddies Mysteries by Wren Cavanagh. This novella, brought to us by the author of “Goblin’s Amends”, consists of magic, mystery, and traces of gruesome monster action. Cavanagh graciously sent me an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review and, as with Summer of Magic, I was more than happy to read it.

At 162 pages, this story carries quite the eclectic symphony of plot threads. To give you a proper idea, here’s a rough recipe for Of Cats and Sea Monsters:

  1. Start with one cup of That Darn Cat
  2. Add a pound of Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island and All Dogs Go to Heaven
  3. Sprinkle a pinch of reverse- Dolittle
  4. Finally, stir in sea monsters, demonic creatures, and human greed until your heart pounds.
Image retrieved from Amazon

The book starts by introducing readers to Pekkala “Pekkie” Kobold, a worker from Urchin Cove’s local library, as she prepares to take pictures of two merman-like sea monsters at Green Waters Marina. Instead of capturing images that would’ve made Ripley jealous, Pekkie finds herself documenting one man murdering another in cold blood on a nearby boat. Fast forward two weeks and her beloved cat, Macaroni, is brought into Dr. All L. Medley by the chief of police. With the cat starved and injured and the Kobold home thrashed, one question is on everyone’s minds: where are Pekkie Kobold and her husband?

What ensues is a tangled web of mystery, crime, red herrings, and one cat determined to solve it all: Jericho, Dr. All’s cat sent by the Almighty to protect the residents, both human and animal, of Urchin Cove.

Cavanagh skillfully releases hints throughout the novella that let the reader determine who is responsible for Pekkie’s disappearance, but you won’t be entirely sure until close to the end. I thought I knew about halfway through but I still questioned myself until a couple chapters before the epilogue.

This story contains more mystery than this one disappearance. Added to the mix are a third missing person, a priceless watch that’s nowhere to be found, and the sea monsters Pekkie tried so hard to capture on camera the night she witnessed the murder.

More enthralling than the mysteries are the characters themselves. Cavanagh gives readers All, the new and reckless (with his own safety) vet with a thing for Chief Gallia; Rain, the crooked and secretive mayor; Edith, the elderly guardian of the town; Ness, the flirtatious rookie officer, and her crush Ray Black Otter; and Morgana, a small, innocent kitten taken in by All and Jericho. Last but certainly not least we have Jericho himself, a wise—and occasionally wise-ass—cat who knows just which strings to pull in order to solve all the mysteries and combat the numerous negative influences threatening the small Oregon town.

Even the two sea monsters serve an intriguing role beyond their pivotal parts in the plot. In a way, these creatures act as a symbol for Pekkie’s husband and ex-boyfriend. They seem kind and tamable at first but are quick to turn into ravenous, blood-thirsty beasts once they trick you into getting too close to them. The parallel works in other ways but, due to the possibility of spoilers, I will leave my analyses at that. Suffice to say that whether or not Cavanagh consciously constructed this symbol, it raises the intelligence of the narrative to a level it may not have achieved otherwise.

This book grabbed me from page one and ripped me through a heart-racing narrative that makes me want to read more. Sometimes I was a little lost as this is the second book in a series. However, Cavanagh immediately catches new readers up without having to read the first book and without bogging down the story too severely. Of course, I still plan to read the first installation. It’s just nice to be able to pick up whichever book I come across and understand what’s happening.

Vivid imagery and not-so-subtle socio-politico-economic commentary piqued my interest early on, and these elements continued to captivate me throughout the story. Cavanagh handles the action scenes with a much better mastery of pace than in “Goblin’s Amends”. They are gripping, heart-pounding, and quick but not too quick.

Still, the story is not without its flaws.

I noticed several grammatical errors, including oddly-fragmented sentences, run-on sentences, and missing commas. I tried but could not justify these errors based on writing style or the context of the narrative. As a fellow writer, the editing issues distracted me. As a reader, however, I had to continue; Cavanagh depicts such an engaging world and relatable characters that I simply had to find out what happened.

The dialogue for the humans comes across rather stiff as well. There is, sometimes, an awkward lack of contractions. Nevertheless, these speech patterns work for animals like Jericho and Macaroni. I can’t put my finger on it but the formal speech for Jericho and the broken speech for Macaroni fit their respective speakers, a trend which continues for all the domestic and wild animals.

I had a hard time suspending disbelief for some events of the story, such as when a character had a “feeling” they should go somewhere. While that does happen in real life, it can be too coincidental in fiction. Cavanagh also introduces so many characters that, at times, I got confused as to who was whom. Not all the players maintain a significant role in this novella, though I caution against judging the story for it as it is part of a series. We all know that in one book a character will seem inconsequential but will then become the hero of the next. All we can do is wait and see what Cavanagh does with this vast population in upcoming installations.

The ending bewildered me. It got my blood pumping and I can’t wait for the next book. Still, the section titled “1935” felt out-of-place and I was confused about who most of the characters were. This issue is cleared up by the final paragraph, but I scratched my head for a while and had to re-read that section. I can’t discuss anything else without giving crucial plot points away, so I’ll let you read the book and assess the end for yourself.

If you love mystery, magic, sea monsters, and cats, I strongly recommend Of Cats and Sea Monsters. You’ll be glad it’s a quick read; you won’t be able to put the e-book away until you’re finished. I can’t wait to see what else Cavanagh has in store for All and Jericho.

To snag your copy for only $0.99, follow the ad below.

Here’s a bonus: the e-book concludes with a free copy of “Goblin’s Amends” from Summer of Magic.

Image retrieved from Help Grey Beat Cancer! GoFundMe page

Want another bonus? All of the July proceeds are going to the campaign “Help Grey Beat Cancer!” You don’t have to buy Cavanagh’s novella to support this cause. Just follow this link to the GoFundMe page and donate directly.

For more information about Wren Cavanagh, Notch Publishing, and future Jericho books, be sure to visit their website.

 

Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

Writing and Religion

A few weeks ago, I reviewed Samantha Ryan Chandler’s A Love Story: How God Pursued Me and Found Me, an Impossibly True Story. Later this summer I also plan to read and review Anne Rice’s Memnoch the Devil. For that reason, I think it’s time for me to broach a controversial subject: writing and religion.

Before I start, I should cover a couple matters. The first is a reminder to all my readers to conduct themselves civilly and maturely in the comments. I have not experienced any problems yet but I know that we are treading on uneasy ground with this topic, so I want people to remember that we encourage conversation and debate as long as everyone remains respectful.

Secondly, I want to provide a brief overview of my religious background and beliefs. I feel I should give you an idea about my beliefs so that you’ll understand where I’m coming from with this post. I’ll try not to ramble so bear with me:

My mother is non-religious but had many religious Southern relatives, so she has some knowledge of the Christian religion. As a child I had a children’s Bible, and Joseph’s story was my favorite in it. I knew it as “Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat”.
Image retrieved from this website
I grew up in a non-religious household within a county dominated by Christians. My parents wanted me to be open-minded, at least my mother did, and so I have learned about as many religions as I can since I was a child. I attended religious release at a local Christian church in elementary school. I have also studied the Bible as literature and I find parts of it interesting. I have also read about other religions such as Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and other polytheistic religions, etc. Through self-reflection and deep thought, I decided, as my parents did, that Christianity does not encompass my beliefs, nor does any other religion.

I call myself “agnostic” because my beliefs do not fully fall under any established religion. There’s no accurate term for my beliefs. The best way to describe me would be to call me “spiritual” rather than “religious.” I believe that there is something greater than us which has a plan for everyone, even if we do not understand what that plan is. I call this thing the “universe” but I’m not sure what exactly it is. I also believe that other deities exist within the universe, deities generated by our individual beliefs, and they are real for those whom believe in them. I think every religion has its good and bad points, its values and hypocrisies, and so they are all simultaneously right and wrong.

I could write an entire book on my beliefs and maybe I will someday. For now, I’m going to continue with the original point of this post, writing and religion.

If you look at the ALA’s most frequently challenged books lists, you’ll see that many books have been challenged for “religious viewpoint.” This reason has been used for everything from the Bible to Twilight.

It’s so common to challenge a book on this basis because everything ever written is going to violate/offend at least one person’s religious beliefs. Honestly, it’s unavoidable. Not everyone believes the exact same thing so odds are you’ll offend someone if even a shred of your beliefs leak into your writing.

With that in mind, should we as writers try and avoid including our beliefs in our work? Should we separate writing and religion?

My answer, as I often say with questions of censorship, is no.

Religion is a part of the human experience. For thousands of years it’s helped us navigate the world, first to explain natural phenomenon and then to answer philosophical questions such as why we’re here. We may now be able to hear the voices of more religions–and those with no religion at all–but that doesn’t mean religion overall will leave any time soon. We’ll never have a definitive answer to everything and so humans will continue to use religion to make sense of the chaos.

Does that mean it should appear in writing?

Writing and religion are as intertwined as writing and politics. Religion makes writing interesting. Writing conveys and critiques religion. Hints of the writers’ religious beliefs, or at least religious beliefs which have held any influence on them, appear in poetry, non-fiction, and fiction. Even fantasy can be heavily influenced by the writer’s beliefs. (Just read some analyses of C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia.)

Rick Riordan’s children books is based on Greek and other mythologies but, as far as I know, he is not polytheistic.
Image retrieved from the Percy Jackson wiki
I don’t think writers could remove everything that might be interpreted as religious influence even if we tried. Frankly, we slip in religious references without realizing it. I’m not Christian but it’s one of the religions I’ve encountered most, so it’s no surprise that once in a while I make subconscious symbolism based on the Holy Trinity or the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I also draw heavily from polytheistic religions in my writing, especially fantasy pieces.

We can’t control what people see in our work. There’s an argument for Christian influence on Harry Potter, influences which could also easily be interpreted as coming from older mythologies and beliefs that predate Christianity. (The power of three is such an influence.) We may not intend to use certain religious references in a story but a reader may see them anyway. After all, it doesn’t matter what we mean to say so much as what people actually take from our writing.

I don’t think we should use writing to force our beliefs on others. There’s a difference between conveying/critiquing religion and violating another person’s right to their beliefs by shoving yours down their throats. That’s one reason I like Chandler’s book. It delivers the word of God without trying to force conversion, using scripture to raise people up rather than tear them down and make them feel miserable for existing.

Writers don’t need to exclude religion from writing. In fact, we shouldn’t. Religion, like politics, can add tension, obstacles for our characters, and deeper levels of meaning. However, it doesn’t mean that we have free license to violate other people’s rights. Freedom of expression and freedom of religion are important, so long as we do not harm others in the process.

 

Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

The Writer Contest: Let There Be Light

Happy Friday! The weekend is almost here; I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Speaking of “light,” I have an interesting contest to tell you about that also serves as a writing prompt. It’s a contest presented by The Writer magazine called “Let There Be Light.”

I first learned about the contest from an ad in the August 2017 edition of the magazine. Information about the contest is also available on their website.

For now, here’s the basic rundown:

  • The short story you enter must be based on this prompt
    • “Write a 2,000-word fictional short story using any nuance, definition, or understanding of the word ‘light’.”
    • Some examples from the magazine include “I saw the light,” “Lighten the load,” and “Give the green light.”
  • Stories must be 2,000 words or less.
  • Entry fee: $25
  • Deadline is midnight Eastern Standard Time on August 21st, 2017.
  • Entries are only accepted through their entry form (see the link provided above).
  • First place prize: $1,000 and publication in The Writer
  • Second place prize: $500 and publication on their website
  • Third place prize: $250 and publication on their website
  • International (non-US) writers are allowed to enter.

The prompt sounds easy enough, right? Open-ended and leaves room for creativity?

Just be careful not to trick yourself into thinking it’s too easy. Writers are notorious procrastinators. While some of us thrive under pressure, not leaving ourselves enough time because we think something will be easy can kill our writing.

You should also remember that the most open-ended prompts are often the hardest. Without strict parameters, the imagination may try and wander down several different paths, leading to a story which is scatter-brained, incoherent, poorly-executed, and incomplete.

Don’t be deterred, though. Any one of you could submit a story and win. I’m looking forward to seeing a familiar name printed in The Writer.

Good luck to all who enter.

 

Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

Book Reviews: Summer of Magic Anthology

Today I’m returning to familiar territory for my review: fantasy. However, I’m travelling down an avenue with which I haven’t had much experience, i.e. urban fantasy. I’m no stranger to fantasy which incorporates technology and other modern elements, namely Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl and Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians, but Summer of Magic is arguably for more mature audiences.

An author of the anthology gave me an advanced reader copy of Summer of Magic in exchange for my honest review, and I’m happy she did. My imagination had departed from fantasy for far too long, and this collection helped bring it back.

Summer of Magic comprises seven short stories: “Uprising” by Andrew Dobell, “The First Imprint” by Lee Hayton, “Gypsy’s Ghost” by Andrea Drew, “Monster” by Art DeForest, “How to Fuel Your Revenge” by Nicole Zoltack, “Born of Ashes” by Jamie Davis, and “Goblin’s Amends” by Wren Cavanagh. From a secret society of magic-wielders in London to magical creatures working at a hospital, the anthology represents the entire gamut of possibilities offered by urban fantasy today.

Magic, action, and everyday social interactions play prominent roles but the humor became my favorite part of the collection.

 

Are you, like, a…Death Eater? –Andrew Dobell, “Uprising”

Zeus sniffed at the corpse, snarling slightly, and then raised a hind leg in a timeless salute. –Art DeForest, “Monster”

I have to admit that I take a special guilty pleasure in crossing off every one of those Cowboys-fan vampires. What can I say? I’m a Washington Redskins fan. –Nicole Zoltack, “How to Fuel Your Revenge”

I saw how you were looking at him, hey whatever rings your bell…panties damp yet? –Wren Cavanagh, “Goblin’s Amends”

 

This humor keeps the stories engaging, grounds them in today’s (first-world) society, and enhances the writers’ individual voices. It doesn’t hurt that any references to Harry Potter make me chuckle.

The anthology could do with some workshopping but it’s definitely worth a read for all urban fantasy fans.

Image retrieved from Amazon (link below)

The worlds depicted in Summer of Magic boast imaginative energy. While the stories take place in our world, the writers weave fantastical elements into the ordinary, sometimes in new ways and sometimes in manners more familiar to the reader. Whether it’s new magic like the coven in “Uprising” or retellings of old creatures like “Born of Ashes,” the treatments of these subjects capture the imagination and make you want more.

“Goblin’s Amends” brings a fascinating twist on mythical/legendary creatures. The story throws readers right into the magic with the unusual theft of a gold necklace. Next thing the reader knows, an injured harpy visits the ER and surprises all onlookers except for Dr. Sidra Luna and Nurse Cara Garay. As the narrative progresses, Cavanagh exposes more and more characters for the magical creatures they are. I started looking for the next to join their ranks—trust me, you’ll be guessing until the very end.

I would love to see Cavanagh continue developing this world and the interactions among its inhabitants further. From adoption to magical creature support groups and sociopolitical commentary, she hints at a much larger, complex universe in which any fantasy fan will easily get lost.

Unfortunately, that world-building also serves as the anthology’s downfall. For many of the stories, too much is attempted in a short amount of space. “Uprising” in particular has an issue with ambitious world-building leading to extraneous exposition and the sacrifice of good pacing.

“Uprising,” which takes place in modern-day London, follows a semi-celebrity magic-wielder, the coven she encounters, and the attacks launched against them by a group of murderous Nomads. This story, although rather lengthy, is merely a slice of the world which Dobell creates in The Magi Saga. At first, “Uprising” maintains a quick pace which matches the danger the characters face. The world and people who populate it kept my attention fairly well, especially the fan-boying coven member Richard, but the progression disappointed me. The plot is strong but between the exposition regarding characters’ backgrounds and the lack of suspense during later action scenes, I felt incomplete. In a way, I want to read more of The Magi Saga just to gain a more fulfilling view of Dobell’s world.

Other stories in the anthology have similar problems. “How to Fuel Your Revenge,” a heart-racing narrative about a vampire hunter, ends on a cliché. “Monster” only partially resolves the enthralling narrative of cunning, nature, and the struggle of man vs. werewolf. “Goblin’s Amends,” which reminds me of Gabriel García Márquez’s surreal “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” disappointingly rushes through the final action scene. “Gypsy’s Ghost,” which I was excited about because Gypsy is a freelance copywriter/medium, also wraps things up too quickly.

That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy these stories. Rather, I know these stories have a lot to offer and I don’t know if they’ve reached their full potential yet.

There are two stories with which I had few problems, “Born of Ashes” and “The First Imprint.”

“Born of Ashes” depicts two paramedics’ efforts to rescue and treat Unusuals—i.e. magical creatures—from a horrible car crash. It comes as part of Davis’s Extreme Medical Services series, and, as with the other stories, the author occasionally overuses exposition to help readers understand the world. Nevertheless, “Born of Ashes” stands as a gripping story on its own while also baiting the reader to check out the rest of the series.

“The First Imprint,” on the other hand, is a fully-fledged, self-sustained narrative. It takes readers on Bretta’s first solo job reading an “imprint,” which we would call a ghost or residual energy. While the plot is simple and straightforward, the emotional struggle it explores is not. The social dynamics among Bretta, her father, the widow, and the widow’s husband grabbed hold of me from page one and refused to let go. The ending left me very satisfied while also leaving open the possibility of more stories should Hayton choose to pursue this world.

Some Amazon reviews mention typos. However, these errors have since been corrected and, in all honesty, they didn’t detract from the storytelling in the first place.

The collection is worth a read for fans of urban fantasy. If nothing else, the variety of worlds shown will help budding writers learn what they do and do not want to explore when tying together magic, 21st-century technology, and modern sociopolitical struggles.

I look forward to reading more from these writers, and I plan to continue with the series represented in Summer of Magic.

To learn more about this and other books or contact Notch Publishing, you can follow this link. If you would like to read Summer of Magic and access its worlds for yourself, please click on the ad below.

What do you think of this anthology? Praise? Ideas for improvement? Have any suggestions for books I should review next? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

 

Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

The Importance of Naming Characters

What’s in a name? In literature, a lot. Naming characters involves layers upon layers of consideration: time period, ethnicity, race, religion, geographic location, personality, themes, hidden meanings, the character’s role in the story, etc. You must research name meanings, origins, and sometimes how people react to certain names. You even have to consider how the name sounds. That’s a lot of work for something that seems so trivial, right?

Yes and no.

We walk through our everyday lives, meeting new people and learning their names, without ever thinking about all the thought that their parents/guardians put into naming them. Nevertheless, people usually name their children with purpose.

That barista at Starbucks named Angela? Her parents were told that they couldn’t have kids and she was their miracle child, their angel. Your coworker Hugo? His mother loved the works of Victor Hugo and he was named after the author; he grew up to have a love for Hugo’s novels and secretly wants to be a writer himself. That boy in your son’s class who only goes by Junior? The paternal side of his family has a long tradition of sons named after their fathers with the sons called “Junior” and the fathers referred to as “Big Al.”

The same is true in literature. When I reviewed Anna James Watson’s Blackmail, I pointed out that “Tristan” and “Julian” both have roots in romantic literature. People best know “Tristan” for the Arthurian romance Tristan & Isolde, and “Julian” shares a root with one of the most famous female leads in tragic romance, Juliet.

Writers can use names to direct people’s views of a character or reveal a deeper meaning behind a narrative. J.K. Rowling is rather infamous for all the thought and creativity she puts into naming her characters.

Image retrieved from Pinterest

At the same time, though, you have to be careful. Sometimes attempting to add meaning while naming characters can have unrealistic, and often bitterly humorous, results. No Potterhead will ever overcome the urge to laugh at “Scorpius Malfoy” and “Albus Severus Potter.” Watson’s Tristan has a surname that I can’t get over: “Masters.” Considering he’s a rich boy with a need to feel in charge at all times, it’s too on-the-nose for my taste.

You also have to remember that sometimes people have the names they have for no special reason, and the same can be true for naming characters as well.

I recently named a character “Angie.” I didn’t put any real thought into it, it just popped onto the page as I was typing. Then, for whatever reason, I couldn’t get myself to think of a more “meaningful” name. Something inside me said that it was just this character’s name, that’s it. And you know what? Sometimes naming characters happens that way.

Some character names are best when they have a special meaning, some are best when they don’t, and often you have to straddle the line, giving the names meaning without going overboard. The process can be quite the headache but, if handled correctly, it will raise your writing to the next level.

Writing is a very personal endeavor, changing from writer to writer and from story to story, so I would like to know other writers’ opinions on this matter. Please share your thoughts on and experience with naming characters in the comments below.

 

Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011