I Fell Into The Loveliest Hole

and its name is Jonathan Maberry. It all started with Patient Zero. To be honest, I was done with the zombie craze before it started and I seriously doubted anyone could remake it into something I'd enjoy reading. At the behest of a trusted fellow reader, I dove in and got lost in the captivating and horrible world of Maberry. From Patient Zero I moved on to The Dragon Factory and then King of Plagues. It is more than a little frightening that one person can think of so many different ways to convincingly endanger the entire world. Let us hope Maberry is not overly tempted by cookies, because if he ever goes to the dark side, we are all doomed.

Maberry's biggest strength is his lead, a commando-type with military and law enforcement background named Joe Ledger. Far from the stereotype one would associate with this sort of character, Ledger is the type of hero that springs to life in the reader's mind. He is smart and funny, intimidated by no one and not afraid to question authority or the status quo. He's the sort of character you enjoy watching kick in a door, grab a beer with mates after work, or fall in love. Maberry's books have high stakes, explosions, witty dialogue, diabolical villains, and just enough love/romance in the B plot to keep things spicy.

Ledger finds himself pulled away from his impending induction into the FBI Academy for recruitment into an off-the-radar government agency know as the Department of Military Science, or DMS. This organization is staffed by the best of the best in science, politics, military sciences, and technology from all over the world, and it operates slightly outside the system, avoiding bureaucratic red tape and inter-agency politics that can hinder organizations like Homeland Security and the FBI. Of these superstars, Ledger emerges as the leader and is given his own team to lead into all manner of raids and battles to save the world from bioterrorism unleashed in a multitude of imaginative ways.

Maberry's villains are convincing because no matter what ideology they subscribe to, the bottom line for them and all their minions boils down to profit and material wealth. Religious zeal, revenge, and world domination are side interests, which makes them much more believable than the 2-dimensional killers that lurk in the shadows of many novels, licking blood off their fingers and giggling over the fingernails they've collected from their victims.

Luckily, Maberry is prolific and new fans won't run out of material for quite some time. Many of his novels tend toward the horror genre, and I--being a sissy--have thus far kept to the military suspense novels featuring Ledger. Cautious buyers will be glad to find Maberry offers several short e-books available for free or 99 cents that give an excellent sampling of his writing and of Joe Ledger for little or no investment.

Every one of the three novels I've completed score Five Stars in my book, and the reader that recommended the series said it well in describing Maberry as "the new standard" for excellent writing.

Bargain Book Discovery!

I buy a lot of bargain books. I read very few of them, as my readers know, because usually they're not very good. Every now and then I find a new-to-me author that way and get all giddy because one can never really have enough reading material, right? Reviews on those kinds of books get me all excited because - well, come on - is it really all that shocking that best-sellers get Five Stars? Don't we all kind of root for the underdog (Phooey on you, President Snow!), especially as writers, because that could be us someday.

This is that kind of review. I wasn't familiar with Ryne Douglas Pearson when I checked All for One out of the Kindle library, and I didn't set my hopes too high. But suddenly I noticed I was thinking about this book when I wasn't reading it. Hmmm. I was missing out on important conversations going on around me while I was reading it. And I could give anyone willing to listen an accurate and detailed plot summary on demand. Holy Cow, this is a good book! Alright!!

All for One is murder mystery, but no one is really mourning the victim. The book opens over the body of the school bully, in the midst of a conspiracy among his classmates to hide the identity of the murderer. There is nothing YA about this story filled with five school children and their beloved teacher. This is a suspenseful whodunnit that grapples with difficult issues like the true nature of justice and isn't afraid to ask what if the world is a better place without the victim? The protagonist is artfully portrayed as a burnt-out cop who has given too much of himself and wrecked his life On The Job - without fading into a cliche. The different school children involved in the cover-up are well-developed characters with distinguishable personalities and lives, and they are never silly or childish. It is no small feat for an adult to write believably from the point of view of a child.

The icing on the cake is that Pearson has seven more novels available on Amazon, each for less than $5 on Kindle. And I intend to make my way through them all. Nicely played, Smuck & Underwood, whoever you are. You've netted Pearson a new fan. 4.5 stars!

The Business Book Every Writer Should Read

As I got serious about my writing, I started taking on all the requisite writing rituals. Minimum daily word quotas, designated writing times, specific writing exercises, and 30-day novel competitions. And I fell out of love with writing. Hated it, in fact, and began avoiding it at all costs, going more than a year without writing a single thing other than my grocery list. Something that used to be a natural high suddenly filled me with dread and self-loathing. All the other writers I knew could write thousands of words per day, why couldn't I? Worse still, the stuff they produced wasn't irredeemable crap that wasn't even worthy of the back of a shampoo bottle. What was I doing wrong?

Then I read Drive by Dan Pink, and the upside-down pieces of my writing world flopped back into place. Pink examines the science of motivation and shows that so much of what we consider standard-issue Motivation 101 guidelines don't work. The standard rewards and punishment motivation systems are based on an unfounded view of human nature: that we don't want to work and must be forced to do what needs to be done through bribes or pain avoidance. Pink looks primarily at the standard 9-to-5 workplace and traces the roots of this ideology back through the industrial age, then shows how innovative workplaces are revolutionizing their work models based on what does motivate people.

How does this relate to writing? Word quotas, for one, are the snarky boss in Office Space saying, "Yeah, I'm gonna need you to come in on Saturday, too." Not meeting your quota feels like not putting the cover on the TPS reports--what kind of writer are you if you let yourself get away with that? Slacker. Shame is your punishment. If, however, you do write your entire novel-in-a-month, then hey - put a badge on your fb page! You win bragging rights!

Think about it--all this assumes that writing is something you must do, something you don't want to do, and therefore you must be forced, or force yourself to do it. Is that how your writing career started? Not mine. I fell in love with writing because I loved great stories, and I found the world disappeared in the same way--more, even--when I was writing a great story as when I was reading one.

It turns out that the standard rules for motivation (which Pink refers to as "Motivation 2.0") are particularly destructive to creative processes. I think that as an industry, we've fought so hard against the idea that writing is a magical process where pixies will come and guide your hands to write The Next Great American Novel that we've distorted the reality that there is magic in the writing process. Writing is hard. Yes. It's time-consuming and takes a lot of practice, time, and study. Don't expect to skip your way to the Pulitzer or a Newbery. But it's not all drudgery, either. And if it is, you're doing it wrong.

We write to satisfy that inner drive. The drive to create and to do it well. The drive to produce something that is completely our own that other people will want to read. We write for the fulfillment that comes from realizing the end result is something greater than ourselves. Pink writes that what really drives people are Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose. That's exactly what writing is. The satisfaction of writing whatever you want, however you want, and doing it freakin' well. Not just well--Freakin' Well, baby. That's why I write. Screw word counts. I'm going for my daily dose of Kicking Literary Butt.

Get your hands on Catch Me - Five Stars

One of the two most delightful author discoveries I've made in the last five years has to be Lisa Gardner. Like most Good Reads, this one was recommended by a fellow Reader (with a capital R) - my good friend over at The Painted Turtle. Better yet, Gardner is prolific, with four different protagonists that each have their own series.

Catch Me, released last month, is a great place to jump in if you've never read Gardner. While the protagonist of the story is the new character Rosalind Carter, a police dispatch officer, all of Gardner's existing characters appears in some role. Sergeant Detective D.D. Warren plays the largest role, tasked with solving Rosalind's murder before it happens. Almost two years prior to the story opening, one of Rosalind's best friends was found murdered in her own home, with no signs of forced entry and not a mark on her body. Exactly one year later, Rosalind's other best friend was found murdered in the same way. As the date creeps nearer once again, Rosalind is convinced she's next. D.D. Warren is working to solve two very cold cases in order to prevent a third while juggling a very new and demanding position (further details omitted to avoid spoilers) and a not-entirely-welcome visit from her parents. Meanwhile, Rosalind is in training to win the fight of her life.

Gardner's trademark technique is to completely freak me out without ever resorting to graphic violence or gross-out details. She has a way of tapping into my deepest fears and weaving them into fantastical plots. She also hosts her annual Kill a Buddy, Maim a Friend contest, where you can enter a friend (or not) to be a character, and subsequently be killed off, in a future Gardner novel. Feel free to nominate me, friends; I nominated The Painted Turtle!

The Rhodaic Standard

A recent comment influenced me to delineate the standard to which I hold all all books, as a reader. As writers, we are taught to eschew all cliches, so I'll refer to this as The Rhodaic Standard, named for Rhodium, a precious metal more expensive than gold or platinum. At least according to wiki.answers, which has to be The Rhodaic Standard of research sources, right? Good.

Those who know me will not be surprised to learn that The Rhodaic Standard is anything written by Dean Koontz. Koontz has been publishing at least one novel every year for as long as I've been alive, most of them bestsellers. Having just finished his latest, 77 Shadow Street, I debated about writing a review. How does one critique Michelangelo? DaVinci? Ryan Reynolds? Since every good book deserves publicity, even if it is destined for best-sellerdom regardless, I shall now attempt to review 77 Shadow Street. *Spoiler alert* It gets 5 stars . . .

Once my beloved soul mate introduced me to Dean Koontz (not in the flesh, though that would be supremely awesome; unless I started jumping up and down and screaming and crying like some retro-hysterical Elvis fan, in which case it would be just humiliating) and I started searching for him in book stores, I was always puzzled when I found him in the Horror section. Being a big coward who cries big, fat tears when confronted with anything remotely horrorish (Stephen King books attempted: 4, finished: 1), I never found Koontz that horrific. Suspenseful, immensely so. Slightly science-fictionish, heavy on the science, with a liberal splash of the paranormal and trademark take on Good vs. Evil. There are certain things you can count on in a Koontz, but none of them fit very well into the Dewey Decimal System or onto a genre shelf. There is typically a dog of noble or even supernatural character, a child disabled or broken but wholly good and usually ultimately a savior in some way, and a hero that is essentially flawed but has the best of intentions. He almost never revisits a protagonist, Odd Thomas being the delightful exception to this rule.

Speaking of rules, 77 Shadow Street breaks a couple of them. First, it definitely fits into the Horror category. Perhaps hard-core King junkies will scoff at my reaction, but I was definitely creeped out by this book, especially when a fictional creepy-crawly squirmed across a window at the exact moment my real-life offspring absent-mindedly rapped one finger against a wall. She then apologized and coaxed me down off the ceiling. Second, while Koontz doesn't revisit a protagonist, per se, he revisits the scene in a unique way. The Moonlit Mind is a Kindle single that was released one month prior to 77 Shadow Street, and it features the Pendleton Manor - the setting for 77SS. The characters are different, and the timing relation isn't specified (for reasons that become clear in 77SS). Both tales are haunting and lip-smacking yummy. An additional plus (minus?) is that when the true villain was revealed in 77SS, I thought boy, it's a good thing Koontz made that up and it couldn't really happen, but then--knowing Koontz as I do--I took a quick side trip to Wikipedia and learned--yep--Fiction Based on Fact strikes again. *shudder*

As Koontz's go, Intensity had me chewing more fingernails, but 77 Shadow Street had me more intellectually involved with its higher stakes and more complex villains - and protagonists. I shan't include any real spoilers, but will ask you, my fellow writers, with this question: When is the last time your protagonist had to do something truly wrong in order to do what was right?

There are other artists on my list of Go-To's for Good Reads: Diana Gabaldon, Janet Evanovich, Sarah Graves, and Lisa Gardner, whose latest release, Catch Me, is up next.

One Second After by William R. Forstchen

Our local grade school has a fantastic 5th grade teacher who dedicates each month of the school year to one particular genre, i.e. biography, poetry, mystery, etc. Each month the kids choose a book from that month's genre and do some variation of a book report. Three of my four kids have been in her class so far, and every time there is one genre that leaves me scratching my head. Realistic Fiction. Somehow the things that happen in the books they read during this month just don't seem all that realistic to me. I suppose white rats could take over a classroom, and a group of children on a field trip to a farm may arrive to find the farmer murdered, but honestly - what are the odds?

One Second After, however, is All-Too-Realistic fiction. This would be a good book to read during "Things You're Not Worrying About But Should Be" month or "Ways In Which Our Government is Inept" month. If you're a believer in the Mayan calendar, you might choose to celebrate December 2012 by reading this book, but frankly, then it's probably too late and you'll just wish you'd read it during "Maybe There's Still Time to Prepare" month.

Forstchen's End of Days story doesn't include any of the stereotypical alien invasions, natural disasters, or World War III scenarios that Hollywood has reincarnated more times than the soul of a heathen Buddhist. Think it's hype from the over-active imagination of a doomsayer? The book's foreword is written by former House Speaker, Newt Gingrich, who stated, "Though this book is a work of fiction, it is also a work of fact, perhaps a 'future history,' . . . I know this from personal study, across decades, of the very real threat to American security that is posed by this particular weapon."

The weapon in question is know as "EMP" - short for electromagnetic pulse. By strategically detonating nuclear weapons above the atmosphere, it is possible to fry all electronic gadgets within a wide radius. Though none of the fallout would reach the surface, only a few detonations would cause planes, automobiles, phones, Kindles (the horror!) - everything remotely gadget-y across the country would cease to function immediately. One Second After shows how the silent moment when everything goes black could be more disastrous than any attack this country has ever seen, including 9/11 and Pearl Harbor.

Even better, this informed and intelligent novel is well-written. The hero is believable: at once noble and flawed, exhibiting a thoughtfulness and insight most of us would not have, but igniting into irrationality and unabashed self-centeredness when his child's life is on the line. Centuries of military and sociological history are beautifully woven into the plot, showing that what is to come can be predicted and prepared for by looking at what has come before. Clearly this knowledge also informed Forstchen as he wrote a plot that is so utterly believable it seems inevitable. Forstchen pulls no punches and the reader can shelve the idea that "everything will be ok; it's just a novel."

Lest readers be tempted to throw up their hands in despair and choose a sand face-plant rather than read an uncomfortable story, there are lessons offered by Forstchen in the course of the novel about preparing for disaster of any kind. Lessons learned by his characters that are not heavy-handed and don't overshadow the storyline, that is. Forstchen understands what Dean Koontz meant when he said, "First and foremost, I am an entertainer." Forstchen entertains, while also sounding an alarm that any voter, any parent, any person who likes to eat on a regular basis, and in particular--any decision-maker in a government position--should read, enjoy, and take heed.

Five Stars

Gridlock by Sean Black

Gridlock features bodyguard Ryan Lock and is the third in a series, though the first I've read from Sean Black. If Black and I were writing buds and met in a cafe for some Java and critique, this is what I would bring to the table:

What Works

Black does a fantastic job of making his leads two-dimensional and sympathetic. Lock is believable as a bodyguard who recognizes muscle mass as a liability (it slows movement) and describes bodyguarding as "organized running away." His female lead, who hires Lock for protection from a stalker, is a sympathetic character. This in and of itself is a testament to Black's ability. Raven Lane is stripper and porn star, which doesn't invite the average reader to invest much emotionally--present company included. By giving Raven a mentally-disabled brother for whom she is the self-sacrificial sole caregiver and painting her with a tough facade over a fragile interior, Raven becomes quite likable and the reader feels the tension when her life is threatened. Even Black's secondary characters have depth: Lock's playboy business partner who drives a "pimpmobile" strikes up a special friendship with Raven's Down's Syndrome brother, and Lock's fiancee pushes past her typical female reaction to her fiance guarding a porn star to declare "every woman has the right to feel safe in her own home," and stands behind it by offering Raven shelter in the beach home where Lock has set up their home base while on assignments. Like all good writers, Black pushes beyond stereotypes and that which is expected. His dialogue is also generally believable, a trick which is still quite elusive to me, but which I suspect stems from being a practiced student of human behavior.

What Needs Work

Around every story exists a gossamer veil known as Willing Suspension of Disbelief. It is a cloak we willing wrap around ourselves and the story we are about to partake--be it movie, campfire tale, or the written variety. Any matter of fantastical claims will be believed, so long as they make sense within the world the storyteller has created. This cloak, however, is much like a spider's web--it has incredible tensile strength but is thin and easily pierced. Anything that distracts the reader from the story pokes a hole in the veil and allows light from the real world to creep in. These holes are a writer's enemy, as the reader may well escape through them, damning our tale to an eternity collecting dust on the proverbial shelf. Black's word choices pierce the story like daggers, dragging attention away from his story and onto him, leaving him standing small and exposed behind the veil like the wizard of Dorothy's acquaintence.

First, I suspect that Black is British or of other European background, because of his curious word choices like "kerb," "Hallowe'en," and "torch"--rather than flashlight. The story is set in L.A. and the verbiage is jarring against that backdrop. If a story is set in a different location than the reader's world, then native word choices can strengthen the reader's experience. Tana French does this masterfully in her novels set in Ireland, like In the Woods. At times, though I suspect not in Black's case, a writer will use these word choices as part of their characterization. Lock is, after all, trained by the British military. This is a tricky technique and rarely done well. It only works if it is restricted to that character's speech and direct thoughts, not in the narration in general, unless the story is told in first person. Even with those restrictions, the technique must be applied with a light touch, or it becomes evident that the writer is cramming in as much authenticity as possible, leaving an effect as believable as the fishing nets decorating the walls of a seafood restaurant in Illinois. Writers should note Diana Gabaldon's The Outlandish Companion as a guide, which she points out is loaded with scads of historical research that never made it into her historical fiction novels because it didn't serve the story. Every word must justify its existence in terms of its ability to carry the story. Every word, no exceptions.

Which leads me to Black's other error in terms of word choice--a seductive error, but a lethal one nonetheless. Listen, I'm a shameless word-hussy, too, and no doubt my neighbor Colleen is still raising her eyebrow over my use of "gossamer" in the paragraphs above, but unusual words must be applied in the context of a story with great care. I don't get the sense Black is trying to appear smart and I'd bet he's just a big nerd like me that actually uses ridiculous words like "ebullient" in every day conversation. The only writer I've ever seen consistently pull this off in print in Dean Koontz, and since he's literally been publishing books for as long as I've been alive, the safest course of action is to save the fancy talk to deities who've populated the bestseller list for a few decades and not attempt it as mere mortals.

One Final Thought

I proceed with extreme caution to avoid any spoilers: another important aspect of the reader's relationship with the writer exists in the form of an unwritten, unspoken contract in which the writer promises all number of things, including consistencies in logic, not running the hero through with a blade on page 3 (George R. R. Martin notwithstanding), and tying up all loose ends. While it is important that writers push beyond the expected and make sure the plotline does not become overly predictable, there is a point where a line is crossed and the contract is breached in the name of novelty. It's arguable that Black may have crossed that line in this book, though each reader will have to decide for him/herself. Once the reader's trust is violated, it's virtually impossible to regain.

Gridlock is a bargain book at $3.99 for Kindle and is a good read. That Black has other novels available puts him in a key position to gain more readers from putting this book on special.