The Kink in My Writing Hose

You know when you're out watering your flowers and the dang hose kinks up? Nothing but a dribble of water taunts you and your withering begonias? Yeah. That's kind of how my writing's been lately. What to do?

Bleeding Heart

No, I haven't been playing around with chainsaws again, thank you very much. Today I'm going to do something that I usually do only during the last week of the year...a book review.

While I write many book reviews, I don't generally post them here. You can find my snarky comments on Goodreads or Novel Reviews. But (and I've always got a big but) I love to help out fledgling authors. Amber Stokes is a new kid on the block with her debut novel Bleeding Heart.

Amber Stokes

Here's a blurb ~

Five bleeding hearts. One profound journey.

Summer 1886

Sally Clay's livelihood has been snatched away, but in its place arises an opportunity to escape from her sordid past and an unrelenting, unwanted suitor. Boarding a train with a heartsick rancher and an enigmatic miner, she leaves Virginia City behind and heads to Northern California, waiting for the chance to make right what went wrong three long years before.

But the road to revenge is far from smooth. Sally soon learns that the jagged pieces of a broken heart can far too easily wound the hearts of others - and hers isn't the only heart that's broken. Tragedy and fear dog her steps as she flees from the redwood forests to the high desert and back again. Will her bleeding heart ever find a way and a place to heal?

A desperate soiled dove. Three men who come to care for her. One man determined to claim her.

All on a journey that will show them what true love really involves.

And here's my review ~

Looking for an Old West action-packed story? Have I found a book for you! Bleeding Heart is a rootin-tootin-shootin’ debut novel by Amber Stokes. There’s plenty of romance, the requisite gunfight and hanging, a marshal, saloons and yes, even a train ride.

The story takes place shortly after the Civil War. Heroine Sally Clay is desperate to leave behind her life in a brothel to chase after the man she loves. The thing is…the fella doesn’t really love her. It’s one mishap and adventure after another, keeping the reader in suspense of who Sally will end up with. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, wham! Yet another plot twist. I won’t give you a spoiler, but doggone if there was one surprise I totally did not see coming.

Sally is painfully aware of her sordid past, creating a very realistic guilt that makes her a believable character. She’s also impetuous, making bad decisions without even thinking about the consequences. Everywhere Sally looks for safety and love, she doesn’t find it.

The villain is someone you love to hate, although I’m not quite sure what his motivation is to have Sally for his own, other than perhaps he hates not getting his way. Basically, he’s a creepy stalker.

Love the sidekick Myghal. Full of good advice, solid, dependable. You’ll root for him, cry for him, and close the book with an immense amount of compassion for this character.

I thought I could trust the cook, Zachary Taylor, but then I wasn’t certain…turns out, well, you don’t really want me to tell you, do you?

Overall, this is a good summer read. There’s a big jump between part I and II, one I didn’t expect. I would’ve liked to see the action played out, though that would’ve made this a much longer book. Bleeding Heart has a whole lot of broken hearts all over the place, except for the reader’s—a solid debut novel for Amber Stokes. 

The Nectar of the gods

Agents and publishers come and go, but there's one thing a writer cannot survive without...java. Yeah, it's important to learn to show instead of tell, how to construct believably complex characters, and yada-yada, but the single most strategic skill a writer can master is how to brew a great cup of joe (and yes, I was a barista at one point in time so I'm not just talking smack).

The 5 Fundamental Principles of Superb Coffee Brewing

1. Don't cheap out; buy the good beans.
Scope out your neck of the woods for a shop that roasts their own beans, then buy them freshly roasted. I realize it's easier to grab a bag off a grocery store shelf, but do you know how long those beans have been sitting there? Since the dawn of time. Trust me.

2. Grind your own beans just before brewing.
Invest in a burr grinder and pulverize those delectable pods of tastiness right before you make your coffee. Coffee compounds deteriorate quickly when exposed to oxygen, so only grind as much as you will use.

3. Store your beans properly.
Keep your precious cargo in an airtight container away from the sun. The whole "should I freeze those beans or not?" is highly controversial, so I'm not even going to stick my toe in that piranha infested water. The most important thing is to keep them air tight.

4. Don't wimp out on the amount you grind.
Does anyone seriously like to drink church coffee? You know, the tan, hot water that's served in white styrofoam cups by blue-haired ladies in the church basement? Why would you do that to yourself? Grind up a goodly amount, and when you think it's just right, dump in a few more beans.

5. Perfect the technique.
Are you a french press devotee? A pour-over snob? A Mr. Coffee set-me-the-timer-and-shut-up kind of drinker? Whatever your method of coffee making is, own it and take the time to master it.

There you have it. Yes, you could toodle over to Starbucks and fork over cash for a cup each morning, but there's much to be said psychologically about the benefits of a coffee brewing ritual in the morning.

And for you tea drinkers out there, I hear you. You'll be getting your fair and balanced post in the future.

Tagxedo

Today is National Word Playground Day. Okay, so I made that up, but still, wouldn't you like to celebrate words by taking a few to the park and hopping on the metal spinny thing that the boys like to push at warp speed until you throw up?

If queasiness isn't your thing, you can still play over at TAGXEDO. Yeah, we've all done word clouds before, but this site gives you a lot more options. They self proclaim that they do "Word Clouds With Style".

So toodle on over and give it a whirl. It doesn't even have to be your writing. You can do a website, a famous speech, love letters, your grocery list, whatever. Run free, little children, and maybe strap on a helmet. I don't want any law suits.

Writing in the Hard Times

"When asked, 'How do you write?'

I invariably answer,

'one word at a time.'"

~ Stephen King

It's easy to write when life is all romping unicorns and your happy pants don't dig in at the waistband. Those are the times cranking out a few thousand words is easy.

But try writing when you just found out you've got cancer. Or your teenage daughter comes home and tells you she's pregnant. Or your husband packs his suitcases and walks out the door. Forever.

I'm not saying any of those things are going on in my life right now, but I guarantee you they're going on in someone's. How is a writer to write when the going gets tough?

There's no simple answer. Sorry, but I can't slap up a Top Three list and make everything better. There is one thing I know, however.

Just keep writing.

Writing when life gets gritty is often the most relatable for a reader. Everyone goes through turbulence and nose dives, and when an author bleeds their feelings onto the page, that's when a reader is going to connect in a very real, personal way.

Bonus!

Want to score a free signed copy of A HEART DECEIVED plus a Book Club Kit? Want to win some cutesy magnets? My author buddy Jessica Dotta is doing a giveaway in honor of the upcoming release of her debut book BORN OF PERSUASION. Enter the contest here.

Book Art

This Fun Friday I'm off having fun in Wisconsin. Never fear, though. I haven't forgotten my blog buddies. I'm not saying I'd like to have my book cut up like this, but it is pretty cool all the same...