I’m certain nearly everyone who loves to read books and follows their favorite authors has heard those authors at some point say, “The character took control.” This is extremely common. In fact, with my own writing, if the characters don’t at some point take control and do unexpected things, then the book isn’t succeeding. The characters need to take on their own life for the author. If they aren’t doing that for the author, then they certainly aren’t coming to life for the reader. And that means the book has failed.
However, I want to talk about something a little more significant than a character suddenly revealing a lifelong passion for poisons, altering the plot and bringing in an added extra (darker?) layer to the character that you’d never considered. What I want to talk about is when the book takes control. Not just a character or set of characters, but the entire book. Continue reading
Let’s start with an introduction: Who is Ed McDonald?
Let’s start with an introduction: Who is Vivian Shaw?
Let’s start with an introduction: Who is Guy Adams?
This is the first novel in David Mack’s Dark Arts series, and I’m really looking forward to giving it a try. I think I’ve only read one other (urban) fantasy set during one of the World Wars — Andy Remic’s very good 
Elizabeth Bear‘s The Stone in the Skull begins a new trilogy set in the author’s critically-acclaimed Eternal Sky trilogy, and “takes readers over the dangerous mountain passes of the Steles of the Sky and south into the Lotus Kingdoms.” Now, I haven’t read the Eternal Sky trilogy, but I’ve heard many people say it’s great. Here’s the new book’s synopsis:
It’s been a long time since I last posted an “Upcoming” piece, but given how inconsistently I’ve been posting, I thought I’d bring that series back. First up, Myke Cole‘s first Tor.com short novel, The Armored Saint.
Let’s start with an introduction: Who is Dale Lucas?
Let’s start with an introduction: Who is Anna Smith Spark?
Civilian Reader 