A Dog's Life

Our daughter is visiting, and she left her dog with Christine, a sitter. Christine has been kind enough to send her daily updates of Rocket's adventures. Here is a recap of Rocket's day, published with Christine's permission.

When you had mentioned that he had lived in NYC, I figured it would be fun for him to see some of the sights of downtown.

Here he is sending me telepathy for us to get a move on.

It worked! He loved watching the action out of the car window and would look over occasionally at me. I think he wondered who I was and what a change of events it was from yesterday. We even heard Elton John singing Rocket's song on the radio. I swear I heard Rocket humming when it came to his part of the song.

Rocket was very excited by time we arrived and parked on the border of Little Tokyo & the Arts District. Here he is posing with bated breath in front of the city. Let's explore!

He took a breather in a little square in Little Tokyo. You can see the lanterns dancing above him.

Uh, well I think Rocket has found his inside "dawg" while cruising down the city streets. Word. He had to get a photo of the tags on the wall, and me being his new mija, I had to oblige. I saw him flash the secret paw sign when we passed a homeboy.

Rocket really enjoyed the art district area. We even stopped at a little café and sat and relaxed. I enjoyed soup and he enjoyed a small sliver of his Happy Hips Duck Breast.

Here is Rocket after our respite. Adventure over, it was time to go home.

A NAIL THROUGH THE HEART a novel by Timoth Hallinan

Timothy Hallinan is a terrific author. A NAIL THROUGH THE HEART, set in Bangkok, depicts the complete spectrum of human existence. The tale draws you into a city where veins of poverty and depravity pulse through a heart of beauty. Poke Rafferty, a travel writer fascinated by the city and its people, knows well the darkness but chooses the light, even while the shadows whisper and claw.

I can’t say the book is for everyone. The blackest human nature is clearly shown, and is neither whitewashed nor sensationalized. It’s simply a fact of life in Bangkok, and has to be dealt with. All I can say is that it’s been a long time since I had to finish a book in a single read. This one kept me up until 2:00 am, and the game was well worth the candle. My next purchase will be THE FOURTH WATCHER, the second in Mr. Hallinan’s Poke Rafferty series.

You can see summaries of all four stories at http://www.timothyhallinan.com/poke.html

Does your book have a strong romantic element?

If so, check out http://www.darkangelwritingandreviews.com/p/about-dark-angel-reviews-writing.html

Sherry over at Crescent Moon Press is open for submissions. Her ms requirements are clearly stated.

Been travelin'

Sorry I haven't posted anything lately, been traveling. Visited Boca Raton/Fort Lauderdale, Dallas, Montreal, and Orlando - in that order.

Will have a post about Tim Hallinan's terrific NAIL THROUGH THE HEART in a couple of days.

How POV Influences your Book

For starters, I like first person. Yes, there are readers who claim “I won’t read ‘I’ books.” I know one agent who will not rep first person books, period. First person limits the writer because everything is seen through one pair of eyes. Backstory, plot, characters all await to be revealed – to the Main Character and the Reader alike. To me, this is a good thing, for it allows the MC and the Reader to travel together on a journey of discovery.

The key to first person is the voice. If the Writer’s voice is compelling the Reader will be interested. A dull voice will not carry any story, but first person is acutely vulnerable to voice.

Third person frees the Writer from a single POV. Jumping from one character’s head to another can be a joy, if it’s done right. Here are a few tips from Sleuthfest to help keep you on track. First, when changing POV, Meg Gardiner offered this advice. “Don’t spend too much time away from the MC.” If you spend too much time with other characters, the Reader gets drawn away from the MC, and this may negatively impact the Reader’s experience.

Another third person trap is omniscient POV. The story shouldn’t be told as from a camera lens observing the action, but from inside the head of the scene's primary character. Changing POV allows the Writer to provide information to the Reader from different perspectives. But the Writer must take care to let the Reader know which character is commanding the scene. Chapter breaks or a few lines of white space can help the Reader know there is a shift in POV.

One way for a Writer to choose a writing technique is to read - a lot. Which method draws you in? Try the style for yourself. How does it work for you? How will it work for your Readers. One of the best pieces of advice I heard was from Dennis Lehane. "Write the book you would like to read."

Meg Gardiner

Snapped this photo when Meg stopped by the Broward County Bomb Squad exhibit. Can't say enough about her as a person and a writer. She is gracious, intelligent, friendly, and has a terrific sense of humor. Read her books, you won't be disappointed.

Dennis Lehane at Sleuthfest 2011. Dennis is not only a great writer, he offered some terrific insights into the world of his writing.