My Book Review of The Midget's House by Anita Bartholomew:
I loved this book. Now I might have been a bit pre-disposed to enjoy it considering it’s full of things that interest me: ghosts, history and circus performers, but there is enough charm and grace in the book to entrance any reader.
The book essentially tells the story of two women, Marisa, who is starting her life over after loss, and the ghostly Lucinda, whose truth has been lost in time. Their stories interweave in a fascinating tale of mystery, ghosts, romance, and circus history until they collide in a tense conclusion.
The perspective of this novel is told from two points-of views, Marisa’s and Lucinda’s, and shifts the reader back and forth from the modern day to the early 20th century. Now this change could have easily become disjointed, but the author makes the transition seamless, and as a reader I flowed through the story effortlessly. Both Marisa and Lucinda are compelling characters -never seeming helpless or weak, even when they faced adversity- and you are naturally pulled into their captivating parallel stories.
The book is also rich in alluring backdrops of setting and description. Both worlds come to life exquisitely as the book takes you on a charismatic journey through modern Florida and the bygone era of the heydays of carnivals and circuses. This lovely detailing keeps the book’s pace flowing perfectly until the end.
The Midget’s House is an easy and enthusiastic recommend
Magnus Opum by Jonathan Gould is whimsical fantasy novel, that trips along the path fantastic. It takes a quiet approach to its storytelling, but also regales the reader with a frothy sprinkling of satire and wit.
The book begins with an unlikely hero, Magnus Mandalora, an unassuming character from Lower Kertoob. An unexpected event turns his life askew and sends him off into the world. He embarks on a spy mission of sorts, finds friends and unlikely allies, and uncovers enemies, danger and escapades galore.
The narrative style follows the traditional epic quest, but folds in an absurdist quality, balancing the plot on a decidedly quirky edge. The characters are both amusing and appealing, and carry the reader blithely along on the adventure. On the surface the story portrays itself as a conventional, if fanciful, fantasy, with a touch of light farce, but by its end has flipped a few fantasy traditions on their head.
I enjoyed reading this book very much with its clever turn of phrase and endearing characters. It never renders too much idiosyncrasy, or becomes overburdened with cuteness. It strikes a perfect balance of odd and sincere and I give it an enthusiastic recommend.
Today, another author joins us for interview.Please welcome Caddy Rowland, author of The Gastien Series...
1. Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.
Well, I have been published for less than a year. I had always wanted to write a novel, but put it on hold. You know, that “someday” file. Then, two years ago, I got breast cancer. It was caught really early, so I am completely cured, but getting cancer taught me that “someday” can easily never come. After I had finished up with radiation and started to get my strength back, I decided to go for it.
2. Can you tell us about your book, Gastien Part 1: The Cost of the Dream?
It is the first book in The Gastien Series (there will be five). This book is really Gastien’s coming of age, and his struggle to stay alive on the streets of Paris. It takes place in late nineteenth century Paris. That was during the height of Impressionism in painting. Gastien is from a farm, the eldest son of a cruel, abusive father. He leaves home at eighteen to become a painter and, no matter what the cost, have his own studio. Peasants owning property was almost impossible in those days. Because he suffered physical and mental abuse, he would like to feel something besides pain, but does not want to get close to anyone. He decides to become a very skilled lover. That way he can finally feel pleasure. He heard his father using his mother and how it made her cry, so he vows to also make it wonderful for the women he partners with. That was unheard of in those days, so he would become a very desirable lover by the wives and daughters of the upper classes.
There is a lot of darkness and struggle in the book. Gastien vowed to stop at nothing to get his dream. When promoting the book, I like to say: Sometimes the “impossible” is possible. But the cost can be extremely high.
3. What motivated you to write Gastien’s story?
I am also a painter, so that era has always interested me. I did some past life regression and ended up back during that timeframe in Paris. Reading about that whole bohemian artist era in Paris is fascinating! People think we are decadent now, but we are nothing compared to Montmartre and everything that was legal there! And what a time to be painting! The camera had been invented so artists were forced to think in new ways. Just reproducing realism had lost its glow. In order to stay needed artists had to show things in new ways.
4. What do you find most appealing about writing historical fiction?
I get lost in the period. It is such fun learning about the things people did not have, and about what things were considered acceptable and not acceptable. It is great fun to add historical events to fictional ones. I hope it gives the reader a sense of belonging to another time.
5. What’s the hardest part of the writing process for you?
I need to work on weaving in historical events and facts better instead of dumping too much information at once. I would say that is hardest for me.
6. How much research do you do for your books?
I spend just as much time researching as I do writing the story. I use the internet and various books. I had three books that I used a lot for the first two books in the series.
7. What was the best advice you ever received as a writer?
To go indie. I did not realize that the majority of new authors were doing that. What freedom!
8. Who has inspired you as an author?
I don’t have specific authors that inspire my writing, but I do have certain ones I love to read. They tend to be male for some reason. I liked Harold Robbins, Sidney Sheldon, John Steinbeck, and George Orwell (1984 is my favorite novel).
All of these authors wrote raw, gritty stories that were not always pretty. Some were very graphic and angst ridden. I like a story that causes strong reaction. I don’t write pretty, I write real. I also write for a reader who likes characters who are at times hated, and yet loved. Readers who do not expect a certain formula, but want to be entertained and moved.
I also really love William Burroughs, an old beatnik writer. His novels are very surreal. Not for those looking for realism, the writing is like an abstract painting.
9. What’s next for you?
Well, Gastien Part 2: From Dream to Destiny came out in December and I am currently working on the third book in the series. The name of it is Tristan Michel: Bloodline of Passion. I hope to have it out in May. Then I will write books four and five. After that, who knows? I have several novels pounding on my brain.
Today, I'm playing host again, this time to author Monica Leonelle as she makes her way around the internet on a blog tour for her book Socialpunk (the first novel in the series). There are also prizes to won; to enter just use the Rafflecopter widget located on the bottom of this post.
So here you go, an introduction to Socialpunk:
Socialpunk by Monica Leonelle
Ima would give anything to escape The Dome and learn what’s beyond its barriers, but the Chicago government has kept all its citizens on lockdown ever since the Scorched Years left most of the world a desert wasteland. When a mysterious group of hooded figures enters the city unexpectedly, Ima uncovers a plot to destroy The Dome and is given the choice between escaping to a new, dangerous city or staying behind and fighting a battle she can never win.
Excerpt from Socialpunk
Prologue:
After playing God for six years with the world he created, he couldn’t control any of his subjects, none at all. Over the years, he had watched them evolve and become the sum of their own choices rather than the sum of his; and for that, he regretted ever giving them life.
A small, blinking red light from just inside his eyelid reminded him of the news they sent him earlier that morning. The company had cancelled his funding and would shut down his project within three months. According to them, the project cost too much and took up too much space, and the inconclusive results couldn’t be published reputably, now or in the future.
Six years of his work, tens of thousands of lives at stake—and he could do nothing to save any of it. He bowed his head, letting his chin rest on the rim of his breakfast smoothie. The smoothie reeked of powder—crushed pills—but he supposed he had better get used to it. He wouldn’t be able to afford the luxury of real food after they canned him.
He closed his eyes and called up the camera view of one of his favorites, number 3281. She fascinated him; he couldn’t deny it. When he had designed her, her pre-teen rebelliousness lit fire in her eyes. A survivor, he’d thought. He’d meant for her to have it all—to grow up, to get married to the love of her life, and to have a beautiful family of her own someday.
But he had only given her sadness so far. Instead of creating a strict father, he had given her an abusive one. Instead of creating a loving boyfriend, he had given her a friend who could never love her. And instead of creating a strong, proud mother, he had given her a meek one, who watched the whole thing unfold and did nothing about it.
He looked at his last and final creation sitting in the chair across from him—his own son, not awakened yet. The law forbade him to have any children of his own, so this boy would substitute.
But he had done the unthinkable with this creation—he had bestowed on it his own thoughts, emotions, and decision-making processes. He’d given the boy his own mind, his own physical characteristics, his own wants and desires.
He had never done so with any of the others because of the dangers of investing too heavily in any one of his subjects. But who could he kid? He had not stayed objective thus far, watching some of his subjects more closely than others, wishing for the happiness of some at the expense of others. He had become an abomination, a monster of his own doing, who had created subjects only to watch them suffer.
He couldn’t forgive himself; not now, not ever. His eyes lingered on the vial that sat next to his breakfast smoothie, that he’d stowed away for the day when they destroyed all his work, his entire world. He would save it, tuck it away for now, for as long as he could protect them. When things spun out of his control, he would drink it and end himself the way he had ended them.
In the ancient stories, gods frequently gave their sons as gifts. Now, he would give his son as a gift to her, number 3281. So she could be happy in her last months on earth, before they destroyed her with the rest of them.
Author Bio:
Monica Leonelle is a well-known digital media strategist and the author of three novels. She blogs at Prose on Fire (http://proseonfire.com) and shares her writing and social media knowledge with other bloggers and authors through her Free Writer Toolkit (http://proseonfire.com/free-writer-toolkit).
"It's Friday night at the local roadside diner when Roy stops in to fuel
up for a night of gambling. He's got a bankroll, and the knockout at the
bar just let him buy her a drink. It's boom or bust and the night is
just getting started. Is Roy a high roller, or is someone else about to
show him up?"
The short story Half and Half by Betsy Miller is a quick, entertaining read and was a nice introduction to the author. The story had an engaging style and well penned characters that come to life with verve and slightly dodgy dispositions.
The tale is a bit of a half and half itself, with its skilful plot part crime tale, part human nature narrative. The author mixes all the elements well and comes up with a satisfying tale for the reader. There’s also a nice twist to make things interesting.
In all, it was a great story, a fast read, and I look forward to reading more from the author. I can easily recommend it.
