New books
This week, half done
Hello, Write Edge readers! Only 15 days until Christmas — are you ready for the holidays? :>
Even during this time of year, it’s important to keep our life’s passions in mind. I’ve started work on something big — every writer’s ultimate dream — but I don’t always get to spend time at my computer on it. Some days I bang out 1000 words or more. Today it was barely 100. But I still fight for every minute I can; even a hundred words gives me the confidence to move forward. That’s what today’s motivational quote is about confidence. Check it out:
“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”—Henry David Thoreau
I’ve posted this week’s short fiction. When I first saw the prompt, I thought of espionage and intrigue. In the end, I decided to go with something a little simpler. Here’s an excerpt:
She might have been content to stay too, had he not raised a hand against her. Again. And again. By the fourth or fifth time, Jamie knew she’d had enough. She would get out. She didn’t need a Cosmo quiz to tell her what kind of relationship she was in.
Read the whole story now on The Write Edge Writing Workshop!
I’m sure you’re all wondering about the title of today’s post, and it has to do with my book review. After more than a decade, author Markus Zusak of The Book Thief fame, came back with a new novel that released in October. As many of you who read his previous work, I’ve been dying to know what he would come up with next and now that I have my hands on it I’m reading it one patient page at a time.
At a whopping 540 pages in hardback, this is the longest book in a while that I’ve read. I don’t think I’ll have all of it done by Wednesday, so I decided to go with something new: a half review. Because the book will at least be half done by then. Find out on Wednesday on The Write Edge Bookshelf what I thought of the first half of the book.
Finally, at the end of the week, I’ll share some thoughts with you about a theater performance we saw over the weekend that included one of the kids. For my latest adventures in parenting, come back on Friday to Growth Chart.
Have a lovely week, readers, and be sure to stay warm and dry!
E.R.G.
This entry was posted in Book reviews, Creative writing, Kids growing up, New books, Novel in Progress, Parenting, Parenting challenges, Short stories, Ten-year-olds, twelve-year-olds, weekly fiction, Writing Prompts, Young children.
Book review now up!
Hello, Write Edge readers! I’ve posted my book review for you. Here’s the opening to my post on House of Gold by Natasha Solomons:
A powerful European family finds itself bowing under the weight of war. Family members will find themselves on opposite sides of the lines in ideology as well as geography, and they will face hardships unlike any they’ve ever experienced. Author Natasha Solomons offers readers a studied look at how war affects the rich and famous in her unnecessarily drawn-out novel House of Gold.
Read the whole review now on The Write Edge Bookshelf!
Have a good night, readers!
E.R.G.
This entry was posted in Book reviews, New authors, New books and tagged Austria, England, historical fiction, House of Gold, London, Natasha Solomons, World War I, \.
The cold, and warmth, of December
Hello, Write Edge readers. We’ve officially started the last month of the calendar year. Unfortunately, for my family, we start it with the loss of someone special. My 97-year-old grandfather proved himself to be a stalwart of circumstances — he escaped increasing tensions in Pakistan during the time of its partition from India — and of family. He didn’t hesitate to reprimand where necessary but was also always quick with a joke. I loved him dearly, even more for the fact that he was my last living grandparent.
Despite the coldness of losing a loved one, I choose to derive warmth from his example and from the outpouring of support from family and friends near and far. Somehow, in these colder months, that support means more.
I also have a renewed purpose to write and share my stories with the world. As this week’s motivational quote explains, we have to make the most of every opportunity and every moment available to us:
“Be bold. Shake it up. This is your opportunity to do something really special. The world does not need another mediocre book.”—Susan Breen, author, Maggie Dove series
As for this week’s short fiction, admittedly I struggled a little bit with it. For the first time in two weeks, I sat down to my computer today and wrote. My fingers are skittering across the keys a little, and the words don’t flow as well as they did before we got the news about my grandfather.
Also, I could have written about pain and loss, and I may yet still. But when I saw the writing prompt I eventually chose, I decided to try to find the joy in my writing again. I think I may have done that. This one is for you superhero fans, Marvel and DC comics alike:
The new members residents moved in, one at a time or in twos and threes. Most of them shifted into their new homes by cover of darkness. None of them wanted to engage in any awkward conversations with others. “Didn’t you used to respond to a signal in the sky?” “Were those bracelets really indestructible?” “Did the hammer have its own magic, or was it magic because you used to wield it?”
Read the whole story now on The Write Edge Writing Workshop!
On Wednesday I’ll share a new book review with you. This week I’ll let you know what I thought of House of Gold by Natasha Solomons. Come back to The Write Edge Bookshelf for the review!
At the end of the week, I’ll give you a brand new post on parenting. It’s back to the zany adventures of my tween and my 10-year-old :>. Check out the latest Spurts this Friday on Growth Chart!
Give a loved one a hug this week, readers, and stay warm.
E.R.G.
This entry was posted in Book reviews, Creative writing, Kids growing up, New authors, New books, Parenting, Parenting challenges, Short stories, Ten-year-olds, twelve-year-olds, weekly fiction, Writing Prompts, Young children and tagged Book review, DC Comics, House of Gold, Marvel Comics, Natasha Solomons, superheroes.
