Literary Links to Love II

Women's Equality Day 2011 - a post I wrote for "Mommies Magazine"

On a related note: "Four Approaches to Female Characters in Historical Fiction and Fantasy" by J. Nelson Leith

Review of non-fiction Unsinkable by Abby Sunderland - a guest post I wrote for Ocean Dreams

Short American Psychological Association article on vampires and their ability to hypnotize (link is now dead)

Wake Me Up When September Ends For All Hallow's Read - Guest post for Jill-Elizabeth

The Erotica Anthology now has three reviews on Smashwords! It has been pointed out to me, though, that's it's actually a collection and not an anthology. I wrote the whole thing.

Holy Cow, It’s Almost September! or Five Books to Get You in the Mood for School

Guest Post By Jill-Elizabeth

I don’t know about you, but I can’t even believe it is almost September…where did the summer go? It seems like it was just Memorial Day, like summer was just beginning, like the weather was just starting to warm up to the perfect sit-in-a-hammock temperature. And yet here we are, the end of August, the night coming on earlier every day, the weather cooling down at night to actually require – gasp, shudder – long sleeves!

It’s been a little while since I’ve been in school myself, but I’ve never entirely lost that whole ugh-it’s-September feeling – and not just because I’ve spent the last few years helping get small people ready for their own back-to-school days. I love Fall, don’t get me wrong – leaves changing colors, cooler weather, crisp air that smells like apples. But there’s still something sad about the days getting shorter and the calendar getting busier. I may not miss the heat or the bugs or the chaos of summer, but I definitely do miss the laziness of the days.

But as with everything, there’s always some silver lining. Fall brings school, sure, but it also brings a whole slew of new back-to-school reading. So in honor of that, I bring you a few back to school books for your consideration – and by “school books” I mean quite literally books about schools. Cool schools. The kind that I rather would have liked to attend. At least one will be obvious; the others may surprise you (and tell you more than you’d like to know about the contents of my head). But they’re all great and worth a look!

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling: By now, Hogwarts must be the most famous school in the world, right? I will admit, it made me rather sorry I never got to enjoy the miracle of British boarding school – at least, the miracle of non-Muggle British boarding school. There’s not a lot to say that hasn’t already been said – and if there is someone out there reading this who is not already familiar with Harry and his world, well, I’m not sure where exactly I’d begin anyway. I understand Harry has made a lot of educators talk – some in his favor (“kids actually read these books”), some against (“these books are the tool of the devil”). Personally, I tend to fall wholeheartedly on the former end of the spectrum. And if you know a child in need of reading encouragement, you can do a lot worse than Harry and friends…

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart: Take four special kids (and by “special” of course I mean utterly fantastically unique), add in a “school” program tailored to maximize those utterly fantastically unique abilities and a narcoleptic leader and what do you have? Stewart’s own take on the good-kids-must-defeat-evil-adults genre, of course. The series opens strongly; I was particularly fond of the initial “entrance”-testing, which I’m sad to report I would likely not have passed. Then again, given the troubles the kids find themselves in throughout the course of the book, maybe that is an entirely good thing. I will admit that I found the second and third books a little derivative, but there is still good stuff going on throughout to warrant a read.

The Fiction Class by Susan Breen: It’s not exactly your typical “school” book, but it is a great story for adults looking to get back into the swing of education by taking a class. A fiction class. The Fiction Class tells the tale of Arabella Hicks (poor dear – blame her mother for her name; she does), a frustrated writer who has been struggling with her novel – and her mother – forever, and who teaches a weekly fiction writing class for prospective authors. The book is organized along with the class syllabus; the story shifts between chapters devoted to Arabella’s class and her personal life. Eventually, of course, the two overlap. Much hilarity ensues – along with much frustration, poignancy, and a painful-but-crucial realization or two. It’s proof positive that learning can be fun – and funny.

Midnight for Charlie Bone (The Charlie Bone Books) by Jennie Nimmo: Charlie Bone is like Harry Potter, only not as famous (and not an orphan). But his adventures are equally as enjoyable. Bloor’s Academy is full of creepy management and horrid students, but I still think it’d be rather cool to be a descendant of the Red King and to spend your days trying to figure out exactly what your legacy – and those weird noises and locked doors signified. Charlie and his fellow students find themselves embroiled in the classic war of good-vs.-evil – albeit with some new and intriguing twists. And they still have to do homework. Hardly seems fair, does it?

The Charm School by Nelson DeMille: Okay, this one probably doesn’t belong here because it’s really a cold-war spy thriller from one of the masters of the genre. But still, it IS about a school – the eponymous “charm school” is a training ground for Soviet agents who will be sent to infiltrate the United States. I know it’s not exactly the traditional kind of “school” most people who enjoy attending, but I find the idea of a total-immersion social experience training camp to be rather fascinating. And this one is all wrapped up in a fantastically entertaining (and sometimes more than a little terrifying) package. Who wouldn’t love that? J

A former corporate attorney and government relations/health policy executive, Jill-Elizabeth walked away from that world (well, skipped actually) and toward a more literary life (equally challenging, but infinitely more enjoyable). If you enjoyed this review, please visit her at Jill-Elizabeth.com, the official home of All Things Jill-Elizabeth – that is, all of the teehees, musings, rants, book reviews, writing exercises, and witticisms of her burgeoning writing career.

Autumn leaves and Hogwarts images - Creative Commons license

Top Ten Supernatural Series That Haven’t Made it Big But Should

A guest post by Jill-Elizabeth:

I know, I know – everyone has favorites. Vampires, werewolves, fairies, ghosts – they are everywhere… Here are a few of my favorites. You won’t find the “major” powerhouse series – Twilight, Harry Potter, True Blood/Sookie Stackhouse. Everyone knows those. These are the ones that, in my mind, are due to make it big but just haven’t yet. Check them out – I promise you won’t be sorry!

WARNING: SOME SPOILER INFORMATION REFERENCED IN THE SUMMARIES; NOTHING MAJOR, BUT THERE IS SOME...

1. The Dresden Files (first book: Storm Front) by Jim Butcher: Harry Dresden, the only professional wizard in Chicago, advertises in the phonebook. He is chronically broke, perpetually straddling the line between who he wants to be and who he has to be, and eternally seems to be the last man standing between us regular people and The Things That Go Bump In The Night. The series had a brief, one-season life on Sci-Fi Network – it is a crying shame it was not renewed, because there is tremendous good stuff here.

2. The Parasol Protectorate (first book: Soulless) by Gail Carriger: At last, a heroine with style, with chutzpah, and with a parasol… Alexia Tarabotti is a Victorian lady, despite what her over-the-top mother thinks, with a secret – she has no soul. This secret grants her the ability to walk a line between vampires and werewolves that no one else can manage, and she does it with grace, aplomb, and a best friend with a penchant for silly hats.

3. Nightside books (first book: Something from the Nightside) – Simon R. Green: John Taylor is a private investigator who straddles “regular” London and the Nightside, the city’s dark underbelly where it is always the darkest hour before the dawn. There is some truly gruesome stuff here – the Nightside is not for the faint of heart – and John wanders rather freely between the light and the dark in his own quest for life, livelihood, and redemption.

4. The Negotiator trilogy (first book: Heart of Stone) by C.E. Murphy: Of all the supernatural creatures out there, gargoyles have gotten one of the rawest deals – until now. Murphy’s series is fabulous, featuring an unusual cast of characters to say the least, led by what may be fiction’s only gargoyle hero and – more unusual yet – its only lawyer heroine.

5. Prospero’s Daughter trilogy (first book: Prospero Lost) by L. Jagi Lamplighter: Who doesn’t love a good interpretation of a classic? Lamplighter’s take on the Shakespearean Tempest characters is a lovely journey through classicism, mysticism, and lyricism. The third book in the series is due out in September 2011, and not a moment too soon.

6. Sandman Slim novels (first book: Sandman Slim) by Richard Kadrey: Wow, talk about an anti-hero! The eponymous Sandman Slim (also known as James Stark) escapes Hell itself to avenge his murdered girlfriend and to hunt down the “friends” who framed him and brought about her death. This is another one that is not for the faint of heart; you will find yourself rooting for Jim even when he is at his darkest though, because there is always someone worse lurking just around the corner…

7. October Daye books (first book: Rosemary and Rue) by Seanan McGuire: Talk about your run of bad luck… In the first book in the series, October gets transformed into a fish, loses her family, and spends over a decade living in a pond in the botanical gardens – and that’s pretty much just the backstory. The first book in the series focuses on her reorientation into her “real” life; the series keeps moving her toward revenge for her initial rough run as well as the series of unfortunate events she encounters along the way.

8. Women of the Otherworld
(first book: Bitten) by Kelley Armstrong: I am the first one to admit that I don’t love all of the books in this series, but the first four or five are great. Of all of the eponymous women, Elena Michaels – star of the first two (and repeat player in a number of the other) books – is by far my favorite. Elena is a female werewolf. Her attempts to live a “normal” life and deny who and what she is (and why) are engaging and at times heart-breaking. And I challenge any woman who reads the books to not fall in love with Clayton Danvers…

9. Kate Daniels books (first book: Magic Bites) by Ilona Andrews: With a novel take on the vampire mythology (they are mindless creatures “piloted” by necromancers), more unusual were-animals than you can shake a stick at, and a butt-kicking heroine who can take care of herself AND everyone around her, this fast-paced series is a great and fun addition to the genre.

10. Fever Series (first book: Darkfever) by Karen Marie Moning: The series is all about transition - from sunny Georgia to rainy Dublin; from sweet light innocent MacKayla to dark vengeful bitter Mac. Moning's take on the au courant fairy-tale is not necessarily the most original out there, but is certainly one of the more engaging.

A former corporate attorney and government relations/health policy executive, Jill-Elizabeth walked away from that world (well, skipped actually) and toward a more literary life (equally challenging, but infinitely more enjoyable). If you enjoyed this review, please visit her at Jill-Elizabeth.com, the official home of All Things Jill-Elizabeth – that is, all of the teehees, musings, rants, book reviews, writing exercises, and witticisms of her burgeoning writing career.