A Journey Through Books

Books have always been a major part of my life. I read in happy times and sad, and all those times in between. Sometimes I read to escape, other times for knowledge, most often for just the pure pleasure of reading.

I confess, I've not written a new blog post in simply ages. Sometimes life and writing get in the way. But in spite of numerous distractions I always find time to read. So I thought I'd share with you a list of those wonderful, exciting, interesting, awesome and great reads since my last blog post. These are books I've read, loved and hope you'll enjoy. The books are in the order in which I read them. All of them were great reads.



Broken Ferns (Lei Crime #4) by Toby Neal
Island Fire by Toby Neal
Fortune's Rocks by Anita Shreve
Sea Glass by Anita Shreve
Body Surfing by Anita Shreve
A Change in Altitude by Anita Shreve
Girl on a Wire by Gwenda Bond
The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve
The Linen Queen by Patricia Falvey
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Four: A Divergent Collection by Veronica Roth
The Visitors by Sally Beauman
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
The English Spy (Gabriel Allon, #15) by Daniel Silva
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The Empty Throne (Saxon Tales, #8) by Bernard Cornwell
Mila 18 by Leon Uris
The Shell Keeper (Lei Crime KW) by Christine Nolfi
Twisted Vine (Lei Crime, #5) by Toby Neal
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
The Beekeeper's Daughter by Santa Montefiore
Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
Peyton Place by Grace Metalious
Circling the Son by Paula McLain
The Storm of the Century by Al Roker*
Breaking Sky by Cort McCarthy
Shadow (Blue-Link, #1) by Maureen A. Miller
Dry Bones (Longmire, #11) by Craig Johnson
13 Hours in Benghazi by Mitchell Zuckoff*
Blue Asylum by Kathy Hepinstall

(* = Non-Fiction)

Note - Please forgive me if I left off any. There were so many books, I might have missed a few.

Whew! That was a lot of books read from April through December in 2015. Since the books were so numerous, I decided to list my 2016 reads in another post.

Keep reading, my bookish friends. And please feel free to list any of your favorite reads in the comments below.

A Tale of Two Stories

Flowers on my patio.

I just finished reading two books, both "tall tales" so unbelievable, so poorly written, so poorly edited that I wanted to throw them across the room. However, I was reading them on my new Kindle Fire, which my husband gave me on my birthday back in July. Let it be known, I love my Kindle Fire, so I couldn't bring myself to throw it across the room. On the the other hand ... yeah, on the other hand, I was very irritated after reading each of these books.

I buy a lot of books. In fact, I buy more books than I really should, but I love books. I'm passionate about books. Yes, I admit, I'm addicted to books. So here's the deal. I spent good money on both of those books and though the cost was minimal, I did feel a bit cheated.

Here's my beef. I keep hearing about how Indie books are crap. Yes, there are people out there who use that exact word or worse. These same people rave about how traditionally published books are edited by a zillion of the best editors out there, which makes those books superior. Then there are some Indies, or should I say self-published (as some insist they're not Indies, but self-published), who claim to spend tons of money to have their books edited by the best editors in the business and, therefore, their books are superior to those not edited by the best of the best. If you can afford a high-priced editor, that's great, though most of us Indies or self-pubs don't have that kind of money. But that's all neither here nor there.

Okay, there are great editors and not-so-great editors. I'm not attacking editors here, just saying that some are better than others. Also, some self-editors are better than some paid editors, but that really isn't my issue either. What I'm saying is, the best editor in the world can't "make a silk purse out of a sow's ear." If the story itself is crap, absurd, awful, terrible, you pick the word(s) you want to use, then the book falls short. In other words, the book itself is something not worth reading.

Now, as I was saying, I recently read two books, one by an Indie and one by a traditionally published author I've read through the years and have loved. Both books were so bad that I'm still steaming. Yes, that is steam coming out of my ears.

Here's the deal. If you are writing a book that has as its central theme, setting, what-have-you, around a true event (contemporary or historical) then get your facts right. A reader will probably (not always) accept your tall tale if you get the facts right. For the two books in question, the facts were so skewed they must have been written about a parallel universe.

I'll be the first to admit that fiction is not reality. Fiction is a story, make-believe, yes, a tall tale. But there is a difference here. I've read many a tall tale that was awesome. In my opinion, what makes a book great is when the reader can somehow identify with one or more elements of the story. Hopefully the hero or heroine is someone you can identify with or admire. Or maybe it's the setting that is so real, that the unbelievable characters seem to fit in okay.

The problem comes in when the facts are skewed beyond recognition, the characters are so unbelievable and/or have no redeeming features and the action is beyond the possible. That's when a book falls flat. That's when a reader feels cheated.

I will in future be even more selective of the books I decide to read. My time is precious and I don't want to waste a minute of it reading a book that leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth. As a reader, I expect a book to have some redeeming features. I expect a book to be edited, not necessarily to perfection, but at least enough to make it readable. I expect at least one character to have something about them that I admire, can identify with, or at least can have compassion for that poor soul. I expect the storyline to at least be something I can swallow.

If the book is science-fiction, paranormal or fantasy, then as a reader I expect unreality, magic, the fantastic. But if the book is a contemporary, and your story is set around something that really happened, then I expect some truths. The same goes with a historical. Get the facts right and a reader will accept your tall tale if it's not too unbelievable.

I have to say that I read a lot of books. Most are good or very good and many are excellent. I read books by Indie authors and traditionally published authors. I do not expect a book to be perfect, but I do expect a good read. I make allowances for a book not being in my favorite genre. In fact, I've read a lot of great books that are not what I normally would read. It's the story that makes it great.

Now I want to explain why I chose the above photo to illustrate this post. The yellow and gold flowers are mums, recognizable flowers you can buy at most any store that sells flowers. The purple and white flowers are wildflowers. They are both beautiful. In my mind, Indie books are the wildflowers and traditionally published books are the store-bought flowers. They are both beautiful, exquisite, meant to be enjoyed.

What I ask of all authors, myself included, is to write that beautiful flower of a book. Make it the best story that you can. Edit it (either self-edit or professionally edit) the best possible. If it's an eBook, then format it correctly. If you can't do it yourself, then get someone to help you. There are guidelines out there that walk you through every step of the formatting process. Granted some books will be edited or formatted better than others. I admit, it's all a learning process, but honestly try to get it right, or at least readable. Check all your facts. You might miss something, but if you get the basic facts right, your reader will most likely overlook the rest.  Then write the best story you possibly can.

Below are some books that I've read over the last year that particularly stand out in my mind. They may or may not be perfect in all respects, but every one of them was a great read. So here are some of them (listed in no particular order).

Wool (Omnibus Edition) by Hugh Howey
The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Emotional Waves by Maureen A. Miller
The Circle by R. G. Lawrence
Golden Boy by R. G. Lawrence
Judgement Tramp by J. D. Currie
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Desert Wives by Betty Webb
Mark of the Loon by Molly Greene
SEAL of My Dreams by Stephanie Bond, et. al.
One Small Fib by Jan Romes
Lucky Ducks by Jan Romes
Bluewater Killer by C. L. R. Dougherty
Runaway Twins by Pete Palamountain
Paper Roses by Amanda Cabot
Conor's Way by Laura Lee Guhrke
Sprig Muslin by Georgette Heyer
Come Back to Me by Melissa Foster
The Righteous (Righteous Series - Bks 1-3) by Michael Wallace
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Drinking with Dead Women Writers  by Elaine Abrose & A. K. Turner
The Independence of Carolyn Woltkowski by Benjamin X. Wretlind
Sullivan's War by Michael K. Rose
A Shore Thing (Otter Bay) by Marie Force
Dead Until Dark (A Sookie Stackhouse Novel) by Charlaine Harris
Mai Tai One On by Jill Marie Landis
Eyewall by H. W. "Buzz" Bernard

I'm sure I've left some out of the list above. This is by no means all the great books I've read over the past year. Sorry, but I didn't include any of the great short stories that I've been reading lately. I only wanted to list novels, novellas and anthologies in this list.

What am I reading now? Well, I'm almost always reading more than one book. So at this very moment I'm reading Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, which I read back in my college days and decided to reread. I'm also reading Sketches from the Spanish Mustang by Benjamin X. Wretlind, which is awesome.

I hope that other readers will comment below and add some of their recommended great reads. There are so many great books out there and not nearly enough time in which to read them all.

PLEASE NOTE: I did not, will not, ever leave a bad review anywhere for these two unnamed books.  Both had some redeeming features or I wouldn't have read them. I'm just very disappointed. They could have been so much better with a little more effort. As a rule, I don't write bad reviews on books. If I can't write a good/nice review, then I don't review the book. So please forgive me, but this time I just had to vent.

What Do You Like To Read?

Everyone has their own favorite genre of books they like to read. Sometimes that never changes and the reader sticks to the same type of books over and over again. Mind you, there's nothing wrong with that. Reading is a very personal thing and we all read what we like the best.

Others read a variety of books. I fit in that category. I read everything. Sometimes I get on a kick and read all I can get in a particular genre or subject. Yet my reading is often as changing as the weather and is maybe even influenced by the weather or the seasons. I love history so I read a lot of non-fiction history books, but at the same time I read a lot of historical fiction. Then again, I'm always a fan of contemporary fiction, romantic suspense, mystery/romance, paranormals, chick lit and even suspense/thrillers.

So now that Halloween is approaching I'm reading Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse Novels, starting with "Dead Until Dark." I read that one on my Kindle and finished it last night. What a great read! Of course, I'm a "True Blood" fan on TV, so it's about time that I read the books.

I read a lot of books on my Kindle. Some of the ebooks are by new indie authors. I love finding a new author to add to my favorite authors' list. A few indie books that I've read recently are "Eyewall" by H.W."Buzz" Bernard, "Murder on the Rocks" by Karen MacInerney, "Beneath the Honeysuckle Vine" by Marcia Lynn McClure, "Hot Tea" and "Sweet Tea" by Sheila Horgan, "Wading Home" by Rosalyn Story, "A Little Death in Dixie" by Lisa Turner and "Love at First Flight" by Marie Force. I thoroughly enjoyed every one of those books and recommend them all.

I'm usually reading more than one book at any given time. Always a history book, a paperback novel and something on my Kindle. I never leave home, even for a short excursion, without either a book or my Kindle. So I can honestly say I'm addicted to books.

When I used to live in Las Vegas, which which several years ago, I was a member of the "Cactus Rose" Chapter of Romance Writers of America. Then three of us broke off from "Cactus Rose" and started our own independent writers' group, "Desert Rogues." An assortment of writers came and went, but eventually there were four of us who stuck it out. Two of the four have gone on to be very successful writers: Ruth D. Kerce, who writes paranormal and contemporary erotica, and Michele Bardsley, who writes paranormal urban vampire books and romantic comedy.

Ruth Kerce's two latest short story erotica indie books are "Into the Storm" and "G-String Gentleman." Both are really fun to read if you're into something hot, hot, hot. Ruth also writes for Ellora's Cave and Changling Press. Her books are available online via Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes&Noble, Kobo, etc. and at bookstores everywhere.

Michele Bardsley's latest book, "Must Love Lycans" is a new Signet release. It's the latest in her Broken Heart Vampires Series. Michele's books often hit the best seller lists and are available both online and at bookstores everywhere.

Nancy Lynn, the third member of our "Desert Rogues" group, wrote "Whatever It Takes" which came out in paperback a few years ago. Nancy stopped writing for a few years, but I'm pleased to announce that she's back to writing again and "Whatever It Takes" will soon be re-released as an ebook. I'm looking forward to other books she'll be writing.

I was the fourth member of "Desert Rogues." I wrote "Outback Love" and "Firefall" but neither book was published back then. I was known as "The Queen of Partials" because I wrote the first 3-4 chapters of about a zillion books. I finally burned out and turned to painting, first acrylics and later oils. After painting well over 150 landscapes, still-lifes and a few figurative paintings, I finally burned out from painting. Though for several years my paintings were available and sold from art galleries in the Vegas area and in Florida.

Fortunately, with the ePub industry, I've been able to publish two of my books, "Outback Love," a contemporary romance novel set in the Australian Outback, and "Jetting Away," a short story prequel to "Outback Love." Both books can be read as stand-alones, but I like to think you'll want to read both. Retired now, I have lots of time to write. So one by one my books will be available online as ebooks via the usual venues: Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes&Noble, Kobo, Sony, Apple and Diesel. I hope that eventually some of my books will come out in paperback, but for now they'll just be offered as ebooks.

I'm currently working on "Moon Over Madness" a paranormal witch/vampire novella, which should be available by the beginning of October, in time for Halloween. I'm having a fun time writing that one. Half-witch, Chantel Deneuve, and vampire, Rio Martainne, have a very interesting relationship. My next book, "Murder on Sunday Beach," a cozy mystery/romance novel, is also in the works. Artist, Abby Love, and Deputy "Bo" Bodine are faced with solving a murder that has hit too close to home. This novel should be released  in early 2012.

I like to think you'll enjoy reading my books and will add my name to your list of favorite authors. I have lots of books that need to be written. So please keep checking back for my latest releases.

In the meantime, keep reading, both your old favorites and new authors like me. We authors have lots of stories to tell and need a bunch of dedicated readers to enjoy our books.

Many thanks to all my readers. Thanks for trying out a new and upcoming author.

I hope that in the comments section following that you'll mention books you've recently read and would like to recommend to others. We're all always looking for new books to read.