It is getting colder in Cheyenne, Wyoming, but my writing has heated up. So far, during the month of November, I've added 12,000 words (representing several chapters) to Awen Tide, bringing it to 90K out of what will end up being around 120K. Or so.
Then, last Friday, November 6, we had our first significant snowfall of the year, getting 6 inches in 6 hours. The next day, the winds screamed in and blew it all away. Or mostly. But it sure was pretty while it lasted.
I also read a book. That might sound funny, but I rarely indulge my fiction fetish because I'm supposed to be either writing, researching, or chilling out watching streaming services. But while doing category research for Awen Rising ads on Amazon, I ran across Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House and, after reading the blurb, had to buy the darn thing. Then it took me a whole month to finish it, but dang, what a ride!
I was struck by Ms. Bardugo's writing style, which is very much like mine. Here is the review I left on Amazon, Book Bub, and Goodreads:
"While researching comps for my Urban Fantasy books, I read the blurb for each of the top 50 in my categories to ascertain similarities. Out of these, the one description that reeled me in was Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House. As a Gilmore Girls fan, I was intrigued by the references to [Yale's] Skull and Bones. Ninth House is all over that... and the other societies as well.
In the beginning, I was a bit confused with the non-linear POV changes between Alex and Darlington... and with the occasional inclusion of a page from Lethe House's manual. But Bardugo's easy, loping writing style kept me reading. Like Alex, I got caught up in drugs and that lifestyle as a teen. And though I was lucky enough to avoid any fatal consequences, I could totally relate to her and loved her as the main character. She is flawed, imperfect, stubborn, persevering, determined, and a total badass with heart and common sense.
I also appreciated the third-person POV, the fabulous insights into New Haven, Yale, and the societies, the moral dilemmas, the slow friendship between Pammie and Alex, the flashbacks, the twisted ending, and the setup for Book 2. Kudos, Ms. Bardugo!"
So, if you enjoy my books, and I'm guessing that if you're here, you do, you'll likely enjoy Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House. By the way, I haven't yet read her other books, but I'll soon plunge into Shadow and Bones on Netflix, the adaptation of her Grishaverse novels, and if I like that, will probably be buying those books as well.
OH, I almost forgot. If you would like to find new Fantasy and Sci-Fi authors to read and follow, you can do that while entering to win a $300 Amazon Gift Card AND support me at the same time. Here's the contest info. Just click to enter.
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| Click Here to Enter to Win a $300 Amazon Gift Card |
UNTIL NEXT TIME!
That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O. J. Barré
O. J. Barré is the author of the Awen Trilogy, a fun, fast, and epic urban fantasy set in 2042 Atlanta. Steeped in current, ancient, and future history twists, Book One, Awen Rising, debuted July 2019. Book Two, Awen Storm, released May 2020. Book Three, Awen Tide, will release in late 2022 or early 2023. All are (or will be) available in both paperback and ebook, and the hardback versions will be available soon.
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| Free For Subscribers O. J.'s Awen Prequel novelette, The Druids of Marduk, Part I, is also available as an ebook - for purchase on Amazon (or free by signing up for her newsletter). The second installment, The Druids of Marduk, Part II: UnderEarth, is an ebook novella on Amazon. Part III: AboveEarth, is scheduled for a 2022 release. |
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