Day 85: NaNoWriMo Project

Between You, Me and the Lamp Post

Day 85: NaNoWriMo Project

Anyone doing the NaNoWriMo project? It’s my first time and I’m not sure how I feel about it. Not only do I find it difficult to write on command but writing 50,000 words in one month seems like a daunting task.

We’re eleven days into the project and after a little over 22,000 words, my inspiration is failing me. As I said, I don’t do well writing on command.

When I sit down to write, I stare at my laptop screen and wonder what to say. I type a sentence and delete it. I write another and that one too gets rejected. However, let me start house chores, take a walk, sit in a coffee shop or lie in bed and the ideas come storming into my head.

I remember the day when I started my first novel ‘Waiting for Silverbird’.

I was at work, typing a manual for a military tank when I suddenly got this idea for a story. I started writing and the words flowed effortlessly onto the electronic paper. By the end of the day, the first chapter was completed.

Another thing that I don’t particularly like about the NaNoWriMo project is that at the end of November, writers are supposed to put their work online. This makes me wonder … what if someone sees my work and thinks … that’s a good idea. I can make it my own and make it better.

From what I understand, publishers don’t necessarily have to like a manuscript (they have editors to make the story better), but they have to like the idea, something original and that will sell.

Coming up with something original isn’t easy, it’s almost impossible. Look around at the local library, thousands of books about love, war, aliens, monsters, vampires, murderers, etc.

I can’t be sure, but I think for my new novel I have come up with something original. I’ve never read anything like it before, but then, I haven’t read every book that’s out there. Still, I feel confident about the story and as such, I feel a little hesitant putting it on NaNoWriMo for all to see.

Of course, everyone thinks that their story is the best, that they have a fish on the line that will mean their breakthrough into the publishing world. But what if that doesn’t happen? What if nobody wants to publish the book?

Those who have been published by respected publishing houses will say to keep going, to never give up. Every single one of them will tell you how they contacted literary agents and publishers and received one rejection letter after the other. But eventually found success.

I’ve been through the process a few times myself and I can tell you, it’s hard keeping your spirits up when one rejection letter follows another. For starters, it takes time and effort to contact literary agents. Then, there’s a waiting period. Some take only a matter of days to get back to a writer, others take a few weeks. 

Whenever I saw a reply from an agent in my inbox, I got my hopes up. Was this it? Did I finally find someone who was willing to take a chance on me? It never was. Eventually, I gave up.

Now it’s the NaNoWriMo project. Me, along with a few thousand others, are thinking and typing as if our lives depended on it. From what I understand a few writers have been discovered through the NaNoWriMo project. This time, I’m not giving up.

Day 28: Kingdom of the Blind – Louise Penny

Between You, Me and the Lamp Post

Day 28: Kingdom of the Blind – Louise Penny

I recently received a gift … two books: 'Kingdom of the Blind' by Louise Penny and 'Trust Me' by Hank Phillippi Ryan.

These were not the kind of books I would have selected, but since they were given to me I decided to read them. I started with 'Kingdom of the Blind.'

The book is set in Montreal, Quebec and it soon became clear that Louise Penny was indeed Canadian. This was a new experience for me. I usually read British authors and from time to time American. Never ever had I read a work from a Canadian author.

This was because many years ago I had read or rather tried to read a book by Margaret Atwood and I couldn’t get into it. Perhaps I was too young, perhaps it was the wrong time, I have no idea, but I didn’t like her writing at all. I never read a Canadian author again. I don’t think there are many Canadian authors, to begin with.

Louise Penny surprised me though. Her story grabbed me right from the beginning. There’s something deeply satisfying reading about a harsh Montreal winter in the middle of a hot Toronto summer.

Synopsis:

When a peculiar letter arrives inviting Armand Gamache to an abandoned farmhouse, the former head of the Sûreté du Québec discovers that a complete stranger has named him one of the executors of her will. Still on suspension, and frankly curious, Gamache accepts and soon learns that the other two executors are Myrna Landers, the bookseller from Three Pines, and a young builder.

None of them had ever met the elderly woman.

The will is so odd and includes bequests that are so wildly unlikely that Gamache and the others suspect the woman must have been delusional. But what if, Gamache begins to ask himself, she was perfectly sane?

When a body is found, the terms of the bizarre will suddenly seem less peculiar and far more menacing.

But it isn’t the only menace Gamache is facing.

The investigation into what happened six months ago―the events that led to his suspension―has dragged on, into the dead of winter. And while most of the opioids he allowed to slip through his hands, in order to bring down the cartels have been retrieved, there is one devastating exception.

Enough narcotic to kill thousands has disappeared into inner city Montreal. With the deadly drug about to hit the streets, Gamache races for answers.

As he uses increasingly audacious, even desperate, measures to retrieve the drug, Armand Gamache begins to see his own blind spots. And the terrible things hiding there.

So as I said, the story grabbed my attention from the beginning, held it all through the 500 something pages, and became a frantic page-turner near the end.

I will definitely read other books by Louise Penny and her central character Armand Gamache, Chief Inspector of the Surete du Quebec.

When Kingdom of the Blind was finished I started 'Trust Me' by Hank Phillippi Ryan.

Synopsis:

CAN YOU SPOT THE LIAR?

An accused killer insists she's innocent of a heinous murder.

A grieving journalist surfaces from the wreckage of her shattered life.

Their unlikely alliance leads to a dangerous cat and mouse game that will leave you breathless.

Who can you trust when you can't trust yourself?

Interesting, right? And yes, the story is interesting, but unfortunately, Hank Phillippi Ryan writes in the style of Stephen King. Allow me to explain … 

Many years ago I picked up 'Duma Key' by Stephen King, where the main character has lost his arm. He rages and rages against the loss of this arm for … I can’t remember, the first 40 pages or so. Eventually, I wanted to scream … “Alright already, I get it, you’re mad about your arm, get over it and get on with it.”

Hank Phillippi Ryan does the same thing. She suspects that a woman murdered her 2-year-old daughter and continues to spew her venom page after page after page. She herself has lost her husband and daughter in a car accident year ago and she's not coping with the loss.

So while the book is interesting, her hatred toward the suspected killer and her grief somewhat spoil the story.

I’ll continue reading because I want to know what happens and how it all ends, but I really hope the author eases up on her snipe remarks and prejudice. She wants the reader to think the woman killed her daughter, she wants to convince her readers, but she's overdoing it. It becomes annoying. 

I'll keep you posted on my findings ones the book is finished.

Day 117: My new best friend

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 117: My new best friend

I have a new best friend and now that we’ve met, I can’t believe it took me this long to make his acquaintance. I’ve been reading for decades, the bookstore being my home away from home, and yet I never paid him the slightest of attention. His name, James Patterson.

Those who are familiar with his work will probably gasp “You never read a James Patterson novel!” and to my shame, I must admit that I never did. I thought his books were not my cup of tea. I saw the movie “Along Came a Spider” of course, with Morgan Freeman portraying Alex Cross, but I had no interest in his other stories.

That all changed last Friday. I found myself in downtown Toronto with nothing to read. The nearest bookstore would have taken me a good 20-minute walk and I just didn’t have the time or the energy to go that far. So I popped into the nearest Drug Market and browsed book section.

There wasn’t much choice: the usual romance novels, fantasy and science-fiction, children’s books and some murder mystery stories. One of them was ‘The Store’ by James Patterson. I picked it up, flipped it over to read the synopsis and … hm, this sounded interesting. So I paid for it and walked out with it.

And OMG the story was so gripping that I couldn’t put the book down. If it had been possible I would have read the story cover to cover in one sitting. The further I got the more enthralled I became and near the end the building could have collapsed around me, the steak could have burned on the pan, I had to know how this ended.

The second story in the book was called ‘The End’ with Owen Taylor as the main character. At first, I didn’t like this story. It was a war story and not only do I have zero interest in war stories, it’s set in the middle east, which interests me even less. But I had paid for the book so I might as well read it.

It didn’t take long for me to get absorbed in the story and once again I found myself reaching for the book every chance I got. Near the end, I literally couldn’t put the book aside and so I stayed up until 2:45 a.m. to know how Owen Taylor fixed his problem. And I was not disappointed. The ending was superb, and so much so that I found myself cheering for this man.

All too often I buy a book and like the story, but near the end, it seems the author got fed up with writing and rushes the conclusion or the ending is completely unsatisfactory. That was not the case with ‘The Store’ or ‘The End’. Patterson wrapped both of them up nicely leaving the reader hungry for more.

And hungry for more I was. As soon as the book was finished I wanted to read another one of James Patterson's works. Having arrived at the bookstore (a proper bookstore this time) I was in for a surprise though … there were no less than five shelves of James Patterson books. Oh dear oh dear oh dear, now what was I gonna do? How would I make a choice? So I did the only thing I could do … eeny meeny miny moe and I picked the book where my finger came to a rest. The book turned out to be ‘Guilty Wives’. I’m only a few chapters in the book but I can already tell, this is another excellent story.

I guess it’s safe to say that James Patterson and I will have a long and happy relationship. 

www.connymanero.weebly.com

Day 88: Book Review – The Woman in the Window

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 88: Book Review – The Woman in the Window

I found myself with nothing to read last Friday. Among other presents Father Christmas had given me three books, I’d finished them all and so now what … Fortunately, I was downtown and within walking distance to Chapters Indigo, Canada’s largest book retailer.

Since the authors I follow had nothing new on the shelves, I browsed for something else to read and came across ‘The Woman in the Window’. I remembered seeing a poster for this book on the subway, I read the synopsis and I was intrigued.

Synopsis

Anna Fox lives alone—a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors.

Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, mother, their teenaged son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble and its shocking secrets are laid bare.

What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems.

The reviews weren’t bad either …

Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller!

For readers of Gillian Flynn and Tana French comes one of the decade’s most anticipated debuts, to be published in thirty-six languages around the world and already in development as a major film from Fox: a twisty, powerful Hitchcockian thriller about an agoraphobic woman who believes she witnessed a crime in a neighboring house.

“Good choice,” the cashier of the store smiled when I went to pay. “There’s been a lot of hype over this book.”

I left the store withe the book tucked under my arm, happy in the knowledge that I had made a good choice. Or so I thought …

No sooner did I start reading the book or I thought … what is this … this is rubbish. I kept on going though, if others had such good things to say about the book, then maybe the story would pick up. It didn’t. If anything, it got worse.

On Amazon I read the reviews …

“The Woman in the Window is one of those rare books that really is unputdownable. The writing is smooth and often remarkable. The way Finn plays off this totally original story against a background of film noir is both delightful and chilling.” (Stephen King)

“A dark, twisty confection with an irresistible film noir premise. Hitchcock would have snapped up the rights in a heartbeat.” (New York Times bestselling author Ruth Ware)

“Finn’s debut lives up to the hype … A riveting and mature first novel that stands out in a crowded genre.” (Library Journal)

After reading such lavish praise, I began to wonder what was wrong with me. If everybody loved this book, what did that say about my taste in literature?

Then again, I know from experience that these so-called critics can’t be trusted. What Stephen King and Ruth Ware had to say, you can’t really believe because they’re not going to criticize a  fellow writer. Good manner dictate that they must be supportive.

As for the so called professional reviewers … I never believe a word of what they say. Whether it’s a book, a movie or a play … they nearly always have nothing but good to say.

So, I had a look on Amazon what real readers had to say …

"I love a good domestic/psychological mystery. Lately I have been disappointed. This book seemed so promising, published with high praise from writers I trust like Gillian Flynn and Louise Penny. There were 5 star reviews by readers. What could go wrong.? As I read it an old song by the Who kept going through my head, “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”

"So boring. Kept waiting for the story to start.

I am 130 pages in and not sure if I will continue."

"The characters are not very likable or interesting and now I am losing interest. Not sure if I will continue or not, so many good reviews though so maybe it gets better."

There was another very detailed negative review, but that has since been removed so couldn’t copy that one.

In addition, there are indeed some very good 5-star reviews, which left me wondering … did those people read the same book I did? They called the story ‘riveting’, ‘thrilling’ and ‘twisted’. I found it childish and annoying.

The main character, Anna, is not exactly a sympathetic one. She suffers from agoraphobia and is an alcoholic. All she does all day is guzzle wine, whether for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a late night ‘snack’.

This alone bothered the hell out of me. Why did every wine she drinks have to be named and described? Did he get a fee from a liquor store to advertise alcohol? When someone smokes critics and people alike are quick to jump down the smokers’ throat, because oeh smoking causes lung cancer. But nobody seems the least bit bothered  by the constant drinking of characters in books and movies. Shouldn’t it be pointed out that alcohol causes high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke, not to mention liver cancer?

In addition to her alcoholism, Anna watches black and white movies. A. J. Finn obviously has a love for these old movies because the book is peppered with their titles and plots. Every single chapter has movie titles in it, or a reference to a well known person.

So, eventually I thought … to hell with it. Life's too short to waste it on this rubbish. I took ‘The Woman in the Window’ back to the bookstore and moved on to something else. Safe to say, I’ll never pick up another book from A. J. Finn again.

I find it absolutely baffling that so many manuscripts get rejected, yet this one got published. Does A. J. Finn have connections in the publishing industry?

As for the critics who praised this story … they should be prosecuted for misleading information and lying through their teeth.

My mistake - John Grisham's fault

We’re all familiar with the saying ‘Be careful what you wish for’, but apparently I also have to mind what I say. Just the other day I mentioned that my eyes are burning after spending a period of time on the computer. Was it perhaps time for an eye exam and new glasses?

No less than 24 hours later disaster struck … I lost my glasses. I could have kicked myself. The glasses were just 2,5 years old, had cost me over $500 and now they were gone.

My own fault really. For years, I used to take my belongings with me in a handbag or a shoulder bag. Recently, when I looked around I saw that more and more people favored a backpack, so I decided to give this a try. I was sold on it from day one. Not only was a backpack more comfortable to carry, there was plenty of room with several pouches for specific items such as comb and lipstick, cell phone, bank cards, and eye glasses.

Unfortunately, it was the eye glasses pouch that tricked me. In a way, I blame it on John Grisham. I was reading his latest book ‘Camino Island’ and I was so engrossed in the story that I didn’t notice that the train had arrived at St. George’s station. I hastily packed away the book, took off my glasses, put them in their case and slipped them in the eye glasses holder of the backpack. Or so I thought.

I must have missed the pouch because when I checked, I noticed that the glasses were not in the appropriate slot. I quickly went back to the station’s platform to see if I perhaps dropped them, but there was nothing there.

Since I’m as blind as a bat without glasses, I would have to organize new ones. Mentally I kicked myself over and over again. Not only do I not have medical insurance, I’m on a limited budget and new glasses were likely to cost me an arm and a leg.

Fortunately, I found an optometrist who could see me the next day and an optician with reasonable prices. Still, I have to wait for my new glasses for about a week and in the meantime, I have to make do with my old glasses. They’re about 5 years old, they don’t really suit my eyes, but they’re better than nothing.

Moral of the story … if I had taken a handbag instead of a backpack and read some boring book instead of John Grisham’s ‘Camino Island’ none of this would have happened. 

www.connymanero.weebly.com

FREE book - Lily

Just in time for Christmas, Lily is on special. You pay nothing, absolutely zero. 

Synopsis

There is a dark secret in Lily’s home. Her mother,
Marion Vermeer, has dangerous mood swings
directed at Lily with disastrous results.

Eager to get away from home, Lily falls in love with
the charming Edward who showers her with
the attention she craves. But there will be no fairy
tale ending for Lily. Too late she realizes
that she has replaced her domineering mother with a controlling and flawed husband. 

Unable to find work, Edward’s solution is to move his
young family to South Africa, a country in the midst
of violent, political turmoil. When her marriage is
in jeopardy and her son is threatened, can Lily reach
deep inside herself to discover her greatest strength? 

www.connymanero.weebly.com

Free - Voice of an Angel

Free this week only. 
Voice of an Angel.

Just in time for Christmas, I'm running a special on my books.
First up, Voice of an Angel.

https://www.amazon.com/Voice-Angel-amazing-talent-idea-ebook/dp/B009BQQ2U6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481563955&sr=8-1&keywords=conny+manero

Synopsis:

Talent agent, Jack Garrett, hears the voice of an angel drifting down from a balcony in Greenwich Village. Frustrated, he spends nights walking the streets trying to find his angel. Jessie Green is in a dead end job until she loses it, and quickly grabs an opportunity for a better life. With her best friend, Betty McGill, they both stumble into new but different careers with the help of serendipitous good luck. Through a web of unexpected circumstances, Jack and Jessie’s lives are about to collide with more than a few surprises. Will love get in the way of making their dreams come true? Jessie and Jack both have a lot to learn, but can they really trust each other? Voice of an Angel…where more than one dream can come true.

Grab your copy today.

Behind Closed Doors

Book reviewers often state that a book is ‘addictive’, a ‘page turner’, or so captivating that they read it in one sitting.

Personally, I take such statements with a grain of salt, especially the latter. Who has the kind of time to read a book in one sitting?

However, where it comes to ‘Behind Closed Doors’ by B. A. Paris, this statement comes close to the truth. No, I didn’t read the book in one sitting (although I wish I could have), I read it in 48 hours.

I didn’t read the review before buying the book because I don’t put much stock in what others think of this or that. Professional reviewers invariably praise a book to the heavens, while amateurs either praise or slam it (which is their good right).

Amateurs state:

When I began this book, it grabbed me. But then it was just constant sadism and I was feeling sick reading it...and the sadism didn't really advance the plot so it was gratuitous. I couldn't go on reading it but I did feel a need to find out how it ended, so I skipped to the final chapters. The ending was good

It's a frightening state of affairs when a book THIS BAD gets over 500 five star reviews. WHAT THE HELL PEOPLE?? The writing is atrocious-I've read stories by middle schoolers with more depth. The characters are ONE DIMENSIONAL and there is NO SUSPENSE because you know Jack's a psycho from day one. Oh, a psycho who gets kicks torturing women but doesn't lay a finger on the narrator...?? The entire premise is absurd. Don't waste your time!!!!!

I find the book too dismal for me to even read beyond the first half of it. Not interested in someone who mistreats people in this way. It may give lesser people ideas, not what I hoped for in this book.

Professionals state:

“This is one readers won’t be able to put down.” ―Booklist (starred review)

"A can’t-put-down psychological thriller.” ―Library Journal (starred review)

“This debut is guaranteed to haunt you...Warning: brace yourself.” ―Bustle (10 New Thrillers to Read This Summer)

“Making her smash debut, Paris [keeps] the suspense level high. In the same vein as Gone Girl or Girl on the Train, this is a can’t-put-down psychological thriller.” ―Library Journal

Not sure why Library Journal compares ‘Behind Closed Doors’ to ‘Gone Girl’ or ‘Girl on the Train’ because ‘Behind Closed Doors’ is nothing like the two other stories, other than they too are psychological thrillers.

Personally, I thought ‘Behind Closed Doors’ was excellent.

The beginning is captivating, the story is mesmerizing and the ending is superb.

All too often books fail in one of these categories. Some have a good start and a good ending, but the plot itself is weak. Other start off just fine, keep the readers’ attention, but the ending ruins the story.

In the case of ‘Behind Closed Doors,’ there is finally a story that doesn’t disappoint. Not on any level. Yes, the story is disturbing, and certain aspects will shock the reader, but one has to see these parts in context of the story.

As one reviewer stated … the story will make women everywhere look at their boyfriend/fiancé with renewed interest and give them something to think about.

www.connymanero.weebly.com

Love the Bright Foreigner - Book Review

 The story starts off alright. Ann Grange is suddenly widowed and her whole world falls apart.

After a year of grieving, and with the help of a friend, she returns to the land of the living and does so with determination. She opts for a new hairdo, new makeup and new clothes.

Thanks to her new look comes a new found confidence. A confidence that makes her an independent woman, rather than the pathetic sidekick she was when her husband was alive.

In a museum she meets Alex, a Greek, who sweeps her off her feet.

If Burgh wanted to sketch Alex as appealing, she failed horribly. Right from that first meeting, it’s clear that Alex is an asshole. It’s his way or the highway. Still, Ann (who he insists on calling Anna) falls for his charms hook, line and sinker.

A whirlwind romance follows, during which Alex reveals himself as not only an asshole, but an asshole with a temper.

At this point I started to wonder what Ann sees in him. He’s self-centered, super arrogant, flies off the handle when he encounters resistance, and unreasonably possessive.

To be fair to him, he knows that he’s an asshole, that he’s self-centered, arrogant, and possessive. And while he’s insanely jealous, he admits that she doesn’t have to expect fidelity from him. He will continue to sleep around if it suits him.

Once again I started to wonder just how tolerant Ann is. What woman would agree to have her man on the loose like a dog in heat, while he practically has her on a leash?

I also wondered if his money had anything to do with it. She states that money is not important, but Ann went from being rich to being VERY rich. Would she have felt the same if her beloved was a bank teller, an accountant or an insurance salesman with an average salary?

The story went horribly wrong about halfway in the book where Burch makes a colossal mistake. 

When Ann complains to her 27-year-old daughter Fay that Alex is too dominating, Fay boldly states that all women secretly want to be dominated.

Really? All women want to be dominated? This certainly was news to me. I for one most certainly do not want to be dominated and I know quite a few women who feel the same.

Very strange for Fay to make such a statement, as she is a successful business woman herself. Makes you wonder if a dominating male had to say to her “Quit your career and stay home to clean my house, cook my meals and polish my shoes” how such an order would have been greeted.

Next big surprise, after the wedding, Ann finds herself pregnant. This was really the straw that broke the camel’s back. This woman is in her 40s, her twin children are 27 and now she’s expecting a baby! Has the woman ever heard of birth control? At her age it’s just plain stupid to get knocked up.

All in all, a disappointing book. It made me wonder where the Anita Burgh was who defended women’s rights and gay rights in “The Broken Gate” and “The Heart’s Citadel”. Since her book “Lottery” was also a disappointment, I’ll think twice before buying another book from Burgh.