Every day we see many of the same names in the best sellers' list of
mystery authors. But there are so many other really great authors out there, many
of which are right here on this blog, by the way. There are so many “yet to be discovered”
authors and I think we need to pass the word when we find one. So, that’s what I’d like to do today.
I recently read a book by a new author that I really
enjoyed. The book is called IDENTITY: LOST. The author is Pascal Marco and this is his debut novel. The story is about a young boy in Chicago who witnesses a murder. He goes into witness protection with his family in Phoenix,
Arizona. Flash forward twenty years. He is now a ruthless District Attorney and he comes in
contact with the killers. That’s all I’m going to tell you about the plot, but it was definitely one of those books I had trouble putting down.
I would classify this book as a legal thriller and although Pascal is not an
attorney, he obviously did his research. However, in the beginning, I
questioned his legal expertise. Later on, he brought it all
together and it not only worked but added to the story. There also seemed to be
too many coincidences in the story, but they turned out to be all a part of the
plot. I should have just read the book and not picked it apart. Unfortunately, since I've become a writer, I read differently. I think it’s
a curse of the trade. We know what the pitfalls are and we see them when we
write as well as when we read. So, if you’re an author, just read this book for
enjoyment. Pascal does his job and does it well.
If you are an author, do you read books differently than you did before you started writing? If you are not an author, how much to you scrutinize the writing? And do coincidences in novels bother you?
If you are an author, do you read books differently than you did before you started writing? If you are not an author, how much to you scrutinize the writing? And do coincidences in novels bother you?
Teresa Burrell
To write is to be whatever you want. . .
www.teresaburrell.com
To write is to be whatever you want. . .
www.teresaburrell.com
Thanks for pointing out that you got past some things that bothered you...but shouldn't have. I think most writers become more-critical readers because we see (and question) the underlying structure of the story. It's what I miss most about my pre-novelist days—the ability to completely lose myself in a story.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this intriguing-looking book by a new author, Teresa! I'll be looking for it.
ReplyDeleteSince I started editing fiction years ago, I've become increasingly picky about what I read for pleasure, and will put a book down a lot faster than I used to. I guard my personal reading time jealously and really want to be swept away by a book. If I find too many things that jolt me out of the story, it's no longer entertainment, so I reject it and look for another one to read instead. Yeah, it's a bit of a curse. LOL
I was warned that my full immersion into a novel would stop the more I wrote. I thought I was smart enough to flip the switch and move easily between my writer side, a long-distance swimmer, always looking for technique and errors, and my reader side, who loves to simply float on her back and allow the water to carry her anywhere and everywhere.
ReplyDeleteAs it turned out, someone removed the switch when I wasn't looking.
I'm puzzled. I took your recommendation, Teresa, and went directly to Amazon to look at it. The $9.99 price made me look at the reviews.The quality of writing in the negative reviews made me change my mind about spending $9.99. These are smart people with well-founded opinions.
ReplyDeleteYes, since I write whodunits I set my own standards high, and Jodie as my editor has pushed them even higher. Too many coincidences make me sneer. Typos and grammatical glitches bother me. (My own really bother me.)Lame dialogue is the worst flaw.
I decided not to spend my money on this book. Also I've made a decision not to write negative reviews just for the thrill of being mean and clever. I want to promote good books instead.
Yes, the price is high, another problem with having a publisher. They set the prices and I think it often hurts new authors. But I'm with you, I won't spend $10 for a digital book.
ReplyDeleteI bought mine on Audible with one of my credits, which made it a very reasonable price for an audio book.