Guest Post: On World-building

Many thanks to Adam Ortyl, author of Leah and the Jackhammer, for writing this wonderful guest post on world-building!  If you would like to check out his book here's the plot summary:

Leah lives in a harsh world. The golden age passed a thousand years ago, the magic of the world has almost dried up, and kids her age can really be jerks. She tries to make friends, but she's different, and the other kids know it. She has magic. They call her a demon.

Ostracized, Leah does what anyone else in her shoes would do: bring her stuffed bear to life. Despite having fun with her new (and only) friend, she knows something is still missing. After a traumatic run-in with some bullies, she finds something totally unexpected--a relic from the ancients called a Jackhammer.

Leah's Jackhammer is a powerful meckanical powered by a crystal that should not exist. When she's attacked by a creature that kidnaps her bear she has no choice but use the Jackhammer to follow the monster deep into the mines, or risk losing her one and only friend.

There is an ongoing Goodreads giveaway for this book here!

Guest Post:

If writing a story is like painting a picture, then world-building is the fine details; the highlights, and the glitter, the pipe-cleaners and the googly eyes. I don’t mean to say that world-building is the equivalent of a grade schoolers art project. No, world-building is what makes a story unique and tangible, it’s the glue.

Don’t use it enough and you can still have a pretty picture, but it might be somewhat bland.
Use it too much and you might have a glue covered glitter monster on your hands.

With world-building you need to find a healthy medium and add in those details where it really counts. If I had to give an arbitrary number of rules for world-building, they would be:

1. Be precise. Be detailed. When world-building, you want to contrast the story so, like the googly eyes, your details pop out. Don’t use a general description where a more specific one exists.
2. Use sparingly. If your world-building is full of rich details, you need to make sure it doesn’t wash out your story. Despite this post being about world-building, you always need to remember: Story comes first.
3. Building off of rule 2: The reader isn’t dumb. your world-building details are used sparingly because the reader can fill in the rest of the details.
4. Don’t info-dump. You all know what it is. Don’t do it. Every one of your sentences should be advancing the story or revealing character. Don’t give us a page describing all the delicious food at some fancy feast and where it all came from.
5. Don’t eat the glue. It isn’t good for you.

To round this post out, let me give an illustration. First we have just a simple paragraph of narrative. This is our painting; unadorned, simple, watercolor.

Harold strolled down the center of the rutted road, while dusty stone buildings passed by slowly to either side. The Duke’s men would be expecting him, so there was no use in trying to sneak in. Folks walked around him, farmers, merchants, and artisans, but Harold kept his head held high. His eyes locked on the gates to the Duke’s manor, and he wouldn’t look away until he stared the Duke in his eyes and told him his rule was through.

It got the job done, right? But it wasn’t anything special. It wasn’t devoid of detail either; you can see the dusty stone, you can see the flood of people in the road, you can imagine Harold’s stare. But you didn’t get a sense of the world, of something happening outside of Harold’s story.

Now lets look at updating this narrative with some pipe-cleaner world-building.

Harold strolled down the center of the rutted road. In between the stonecutters, and refineries he counted four blacksmiths on the short walk, each larger and louder than the last as they tried to attract the most customers. Harold liked the Grocian smithy the best. Not because it was the largest, but because it was the brightest by far, decorated with a rainbow of different colored brightsteel. A stone cutter shouldered his way past, leaving a dust impression on Harold’s shirt. Harold normally would have given that man a good wallop, but not now. He ignored him, and he ignored the flood of little miners and their annoying headlamps, and stared straight ahead at the Duke’s manor. Its sun-yellow Lourwich limestone walls were pulled from the earth right under his feet. It was from Lourwich. The man that lived there though, he was not one of them. He was something else and his rule was through.

What did you think? The story is still pretty much the same, but now it’s glittered all up. So what did we do here? We named the town. We hinted at it’s geographical location: In the mountains. We hinted at their prime source of commerce: mining, and that they possibly have a bustling economy. We hinted at the town’s diversity by signaling out the Grocian smithy, and hinted at Grocian culture by detailing their eccentric decorations, which contrasted with the culture in Lourwich. We learned a little bit about the people that live there: they are possibly rude, or too busy to step out of the way. But they are also prideful about their town and don’t like that the duke isn’t one of them.

What I did not do is info dump. The story kept moving the whole time, revealing either plot or character. I thought about giving you guys a info-dump example, but I didn’t want to put you to sleep!

So - that’s my take on world-building. It is the googly-eyed craft project of the writing world. Please note: I  didn’t eat any of the glue, despite how tasty it smelled.

Amazon  Author's Website  Twitter

Check out the Goodreads Giveaway!

Awesome Adaptations (42) Much Ado About Nothing

This meme celebrates an awesome adaptation related to a weekly category. Any format of adaptation (television series, film, web series, etc.) is acceptable as long as it is based in some form on a book. This meme is hosted by Alisa Selene at PictureMeReading. Check out her site and join in on the fun!

An Awesomely Magical Adaptation

Title: Much Ado About Nothing

Adapted from: Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

Well I'm taking kind of big liberty with this week's AA theme as there isn't any magic of the literal kind in Joss Whedon's film Much Ado About Nothing, but magic of the figurative kind in the acting, directing and vision behind this film.  Joss Whedon filmed it at his house, in a little over a week with his friends, and although it is a stripped down affair, that allows for a wonderful focus on the story and the words and the emotions.  The actors are so amazing in their roles and although Shakespeare's words didn't seem to run trippingly off every actor's tongue, the emotion behind them ran true, and the humor was very apparent as well.

The scenes with Benedick and Beatrice were the best part of course; witty banter executed brilliantly with a hard edge of disappointment or misunderstanding behind it.  And love.  Their journey in the play is the heart of the story and a beautiful romance, and Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof pulled it off so well.  Another performance that captured me was Sean Maher as the almost over-the-top villan Don John (the line is tread so carefully through the acting and directing), but he is wonderfully dark and dastardly and just plain fascinating.  I've never been so intrigued by Don John before!

This is a wonderful film - unpretentious and emotional and even more riveting when you think of how it was made.  Without the trappings of effects, the filmmaking and the acting are highlighted and it brings so much magic to Shakespeare's story.

Now I'm going to go back to listening to the sleek, musicalized version of "Sigh No More" from the film!  I love it!

Books to Music: Shrek "Who I'd Be"

An ogre always hides.
An ogre's fate is known.
An ogre always stays
in the dark and all alone.

Shrek the Musical is based on the animated movie which is based on the children's book by William Stieg, so I think it fits the whole books to music thing!  But I'm just song spotlighting "Who I'd Be" from the Broadway cast recording for my post today because I love the song a ridiculous amount of course, and then it's a lovely "I want" song which illustrates a lot of character.

For me, the songs in musicals that have a lot of longing, appeal to me the most and in "Who I'd Be", Shrek puts aside his cynicism a little to sing what he would like out of life instead of what he has. Our Shrek has a romantic heart underneath his gruff exterior, and his song is really very poignant because he's trapped by his exterior and other people's perception of him.  One of my favorite moments in this song is when he's singing of how he would hypothetically rescue a princess:

But standing guard

would be a beast.

I’d somehow overwhelm it.

I’d get the girl.

I’d take a breath,

and I’d remove my helmet.

We’d stand and stare.

We’d speak of love.

We’d feel the stars ascending.

We’d share a kiss.

I’d find my destiny.

I’d have a hero’s ending.

There's a dramatic pause between the first and second stanza where the music completely cuts out.  He removed his helmet - what is the princess's reaction??  Completely perfect because Shrek is accepted. It's so moving and then immediately poignantly sad because Shrek follows up by saying "it's not for me."

There is something else that appeals to me the most in musicals - when two or more characters (usually singing about different but complimentary things) are singing together in harmony.  And in this song Fiona and Donkey start singing towards the end.  Donkey seemed like he was added on kinda last minute, but I love Fiona's lyrics because the audience knows she's an ogre too, and both Shrek and Fiona want the same thing, but their attitude towards it is completely different.  Fiona believes she can have her happy ending, but Shrek doesn't.  It's so brilliant to juxtapose their thoughts that way in this song!  

The lyrics are witty, the melody is ... melodious, and the emotions of the characters comes through very strongly in this song.  It captures so much about the story all in 4 minutes!  Brilliant!

Review: Siege and Storm

Siege and Storm (Grisha #2)
by Leigh Bardugo

Plot Summary:

Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

Review:

I read Shadow and Bone a few months ago, so I thankfully didn't have to wait too long for the awesome sequel to that awesome book.  With the great characters introduced in the first book - well-rounded, idiosyncratic, and believable - there are even more stand out characters in this book!  Sturmhond, Tolya and Tamar are especially near and dear to my heart and introducing such unique personalities gave so much dimension to the story.  And even more dimension was added through the expanded world-building.  More was revealed of Ravka, through the land, the people, the religion, and their politics.  The political jockeying especially plays an important role in the decisions of the main characters making the story much more complex.  Because everyone has hard decisions to make and good and bad is never clear-cut or easy to judge.

Alina and Mal's story was just as touching and romantic as in Shadow and Bone but of course not easy, and the way the author develops their relationship - with such realistic reactions to the issues and problems they are facing - I thought the author's take on their evolving relationship was so astute and believable.  And there was certainly a lot of fodder for the Darkling fans (raises hand) - he is just as mysterious and ambiguous in his motivations.  And he's more dangerous, more seductive, and yet understanding, capable and intelligent.  Is he really so bad?  (I hope not!)  It definitely seems much more complex than that.

What I think is the best part of this second book is that it is so unpredictable.  There are so many unexpected twists and turns and more importantly the author is not afraid to give her characters some very difficult experiences.  No one is safe or completely trustworthy and it makes this novel that much more meaningful and engaging and just a rapturous delight of storytelling.

Amazon  Goodreads

Suspense Sundays (48) Banquo's Chair

Suspense was a radio series from 1942 to 1962.  I have a fondness for "Old Time Radio" as we call it now, and Suspense is my favorite show.  It sets up weird, dark, scary, or intriguing stories with a plot twist in the end, and all in half an hour.  For Suspense Sundays I'll give a short review of an episode.   {My archive list of episodes}

"Banquo's Chair"

Air date: June 1, 1943
Starring Hans Conreid, John Loder and Ian Wolfe

>>Episodes here<<

This is such a great episode, it's like a perfect ghost story!  Sir William Brent of the Yard is a brilliant detective who has never failed to catch his man.  Except in the case of the murder of Mrs. Ferguson.  Brent knows that the nephew murdered her for her money, but he has an airtight alibi.  He was in jail. But Brent is determined to get a confession out of him, so after two years, (two!) he comes up with a cunning plan.  He rented the manor home Mrs. Ferguson lived in and invited the nephew and a few friends for dinner on the anniversary of Mrs. Ferguson's death.  Brent tells his friends that he's hired an actress to play the ghost of Mrs. Ferguson and during dinner, the lights will go out and they will have to light candles.  And then "Mrs. Ferguson" is going to come out and everyone must pretend they don't see or hear her.  Guess how long it takes for the nephew to confess.

So if I was invited to a dinner party, and the host says - "Make sure you're armed." I'd say, "No thanks, I'll have dinner at home."  That's just me though.  While I've certainly been spoiled when it comes to how many ghost stories I've read and watched in my life and I saw the twist of this episode coming a mile away, I think the set-up and execution of the episode is so well done that I can forgive that, and appreciate the craftmanship of the story.  Just as much backstory as is necessary, the perfect amount of dialogue to show the nephew is a heartless, arrogant criminal, and the friend narrating the story, so Sir William Brent doesn't have to toot his own horn too much and we can appreciate what a fine detective he is.  I just don't know the explanation for the nephew's airtight alibi?  Presumably he had someone lie for him.  I guess.  Overall, a really great suspense story!

Review: Struck

Struck
by Jennifer Bosworth

Plot Summary:

Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.

Review:

The story starts just after a major, catastrophic earthquake struck Los Angeles and for someone who lives in L.A. that was a real downer.  I have to say - with no negative reflection on the quality of the book - it was a little difficult starting this read because it all hit too close to home.  Thankfully, because it takes place after the quake, the book largely deals with the recovery.  And this rehabilitating city that the author creates is very well-thought out and realistic.  The idea of religious fanaticism taking such a stronghold on weak, scared individuals makes sense.  And very smartly there is a counter to that sensibility - wild partying and living in the moment.  I feel like the world-building is so vivid and real that it made the dangers for the main characters equally so.

Mia Price is a great strong protagonist - she must take on all the responsibility in her family after the devastation, and in addition to feeling like a freak because of her attraction to lightning, she has a rather large chip on her shoulder and doesn't find it easy to trust or be compassionate.  Her romantic feelings for Jeremy (which is disappointingly immediate) is a little jarring because she so quickly rearranges her priorities to be with him, and although Jeremy is a great, mysterious character, I didn't really feel invested in their romance.  It was a little too superficial for me.  There is a great twist to Jeremy's character however that I really enjoyed.

With the second big storm coming, the story is framed by a countdown to this storm that works excellently to keep a fast pace, and a great sense of foreboding.  Because Jeremy has visions of the future and we are continually told what is going to happen, I loved how things were turned around in the end, and how expectations were twisted around with context.  Mia's family also goes through a great arc of emotions that I felt was very touching.  Overall, I think this is a great read, for the strong protagonist and the new interesting world-building of the lighting struck, that isn't wholly explained in my mind but leaves room for more in the series.

Amazon  Goodreads

Guest Post: Heart Versus Head

Thank you Author of The Jelly Bean Crisis, Jolene Stockman for sharing this guest post with my blog!

Heart versus Head

Do you know what you want to be when you grow up? Do you have a perfect plan? Some people know exactly what they want to do with their life. They pinpoint their passion and follow it with a laser-focus. Other people jump from path to path, finding their way and having adventures as they go. However you choose to carve out your life, one thing’s for sure: Whether you’re sixteen or sixty, you have the power to decide exactly what you want. And to change your mind anytime!

In my book The Jelly Bean Crisis, high-achieving teen Poppy suddenly realizes that her perfectly planned life may not be the life that will make her happy. She shocks her friends, family, and school by turning down a college scholarship and taking thirty days out to try everything. She’s determined to find her passion – wherever it might lead her!

I wrote The Jelly Bean Crisis as a fun coming of age story, a way to explore what happens when a perfect plan stops feeling quite so perfect. Imagine being able to take thirty days to find out what will really make you happy. What would you do? What could you try? It’s heart versus head – deciding whether to make your heart sing, or using your skills and talents to make smart choices (or can you have both?).

We live in a world where anything is possible: singers are discovered online, basement businesses make millions. Your dream life can be a blend of what you love, and what you’re good at. Be ready to jump in and try new things, and be okay with swapping an old dream for a brand new one. Like Poppy, finding ways to keep both your heart and head happy can be the best way to create a dream life!

Check out Jolene's site for cool 3D author tools! Resource Goodies

Amazon  Goodreads  Author's Website  Facebook  Twitter
Request a Review Copy of The Jelly Bean Crisis from the author here

Awesome Adaptations (41) Unspoken

This meme celebrates an awesome adaptation related to a weekly category. Any format of adaptation (television series, film, web series, etc.) is acceptable as long as it is based in some form on a book. This meme is hosted by Alisa Selene at PictureMeReading. Check out her site and join in on the fun!

Another Awesome Novel That Needs to be Adapted

Title: Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

I reviewed this book last year, and absolutely adored the combination of wit, Gothic romance and mystery.  I think this would make a fabulous film, especially with all the laugh out loud lines!  Casting-wise, I'm not very hip to all the young up and coming actors out there (now where did I put my false teeth) so I had to do a little search around for some actors that fit the descriptions of the characters - both in the book and in my head.  And I'm going to be a bit lazy and just cast the two main ones.  I usually advocate unknowns in the roles of movie adaptations though because it can showcase some exciting new talent.

It would be interesting to see how they pull off the inner dialogue between the mind-linked characters - though with how "The Host" did it, it will probably be pretty similar to that.

For the main character, Kami Glass, I came across a picture of Janel Parrish and I think she is so pretty!  She has done a bunch of contemporary young adult type TV shows, so I think she can play high school.  And I hope she can play smart and sassy and inquisitive, because that's pretty much Kami in a nutshell!   She could use a few more curves though, but hey, it's easy to gain weight! :D

Logan Lerman as Jared.  I haven't seen any of the Percy Jackson films, so I wasn't very familiar with Logan, until I saw a picture of him in a fancasting for another book, and thought he would make a great Jared!  Since he's Percy Jackson, I doubt he'd do another lead for a YA series, but it would be nice to see someone similar to him in the role: good-looking of course, but not un-approach-ably so, with boyish charm and someone who fits the age of the character!

Siege and Storm launch party!

Last night (or really this night as I am typing) was the launch party for Siege and Storm (Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo!  Out now folks, OUT NOW!  I had a blast at the party with fellow book enthusiasts and Ms. Leigh A. Bardugo (the A stands for awesome.  That may or may not be her real middle name.)  I've only been to a launch party for Legend by Marie Lu, and that was at a bookstore, so I was not sure what to expect from a launch party at the Hemingway Bar and Lounge, but it was an ingenious idea!  Especially because the bar is so gorgeous!  Literally wall to wall with books!  And lots of comfy chairs.

The entrance of the bar had a great photo set-up where we could take a picture in front of a backdrop similar to the book -and with props!  Then inside the bar proper, there were drinks to be had, books to be bought, and seats around the main little stage area.  My friend and I went to get drinks first (as you will) and they had lovely raspberry champagne on the house with cute little Siege and Storm flags.

David Peterson, the man who invented the language for the Game of Thrones TV series introduced Leigh and mentioned she had words named after her in the language.  Which I didn't know and apparently Leigh didn't either because she seemed really surprised and touched.  Of course the highlight was Leigh's speech which started with her reading from a diary she kept when she was a teenager.  She read an entry where she had written down the superpowers she wanted to have.  Flying, Invisibility, Mind Reading (with the ability to switch on and off of course, no one wants that all the time), Immortality ("with an escape clause") and the last: "The ability to write a book and get it published."

Leigh's speech after that was very inspiring.  How so many things seem attainable when you are young, but your optimism shrinks as you get older.  But with readers we can still feel that hope and experience those dreams that we so believed in when we were young.  I've never thought of it that way, but it is so true.  With all the terrible things that happens in the world today, books aren't just an escape but a way to connect with a part of ourselves that loved to imagine.  Which came so easily to us when we were young.  I couldn't be happier to be a book lover at that moment.  (Although holding "Siege and Storm" felt like a close second!)

Afterwards Leigh read a bit from Siege and Storm and there was also a short Q&A, in which Margaret Stohl asked if we would like to hear Leigh Bardugo sing (Answer: Yes) and Leigh sang the theme song to Charles in Charge.  Awesomely.  And then a giveaway of books and swag.  One prize was at least forty books, and they all went to one person!  So lucky!  There were some awesome books there!  And some of the authors were at the party and could have signed them!  Although I think I might have been hard pressed to choose between those books and another prize - that included Hebel designed Grisha jewelry!

The book signing was at the end, and there were lots of mingling (I suppose, I'm not very good at mingling) so my friend and I went and took a picture at the photo booth as our commemoration of the event.  With swords and cool hats!

It was a wonderful event, so full of enthusiasm for books, and for the Grisha series and for Leigh, and I was so glad to have been a part of it.  I hope for Ruin and Rising there will be a similar event!  And now that I know Hemingway Bar exists, I really must go and visit it again!

I posted more pictures and Vine videos on my twitter account: bookishwhimsy.  I'm a bit taken with Vine - the app where you create and share 6 second videos and I put three of them up.  Here's one of Leigh reading as the Darkling (with Margaret Stohl acting as her Sun Summoner).  Since it's 6 seconds, it's just one line really:

Review: Between Two Thorns

Between Two Thorns (The Split Worlds #1)
by Emma Newman

Plot Summary:

Something is wrong in Aquae Sulis, Bath’s secret mirror city.

The new season is starting and the Master of Ceremonies is missing. Max, an Arbiter of the Split Worlds Treaty, is assigned with the task of finding him with no one to help but a dislocated soul and a mad sorcerer.

There is a witness but his memories have been bound by magical chains only the enemy can break. A rebellious woman trying to escape her family may prove to be the ally Max needs.

But can she be trusted? And why does she want to give up eternal youth and the life of privilege she’s been born into?

Review:

This story weaves together three plot threads.  It starts with the mundane (human) Sam who is witness to something he should never have seen, next is Cathy who is from the mirror world and wants to leave behind the restraining Victorian values that world embraces, and then there is the mystery that Max, as Arbiter, must investigate because someone is wreaking havoc among the people who are in charge of policing the people in the mirror world.  The world-building is ambitious and detailed, and while I really enjoyed the ideas it set forth (especially the Victorian world that must be awfully restrictive when compared to the freedoms of today) I found the story frequently confusing, and it was only in the last third of the book, when Cathy was having a conversation with someone just as clueless as I was, that things started to become clearer.  I wish there had been more explanation in the beginning.

I also had a problem with how the story brings together the lives of the three main characters.  Points of view frequently shifted, and although I thought it was clever how some of the action all illuminated each other, often the pace of the story slowed and had to ramp up again.  It made it even more difficult to understand what was going on when I was switched to new characters.  I think this story would have benefited from a more straightforward plot devleopment.

But I did actually enjoy this story.  When the puzzle fitted together, I thought the story was pretty interesting and there were some really fun, eccentric characters that I wanted to see more of.  Cathy's grumpiness was a little too much sometimes for me, but it was explained well and made sense for the position she was put in.  It would have been much fun to see more of the odd pairings of Cathy, Sam, Max, and the Sorcerer - like if they had to work together more - which is why (in addition to the cliffhanger) I am interested in checking out the next book in this series.

I received this book from the publisher or author for a fair and honest review.  I was not compensated for this review.

Amazon  Goodreads

Suspense Sundays (47) A Friend to Alexander

Suspense was a radio series from 1942 to 1962.  I have a fondness for "Old Time Radio" as we call it now, and Suspense is my favorite show.  It sets up weird, dark, scary, or intriguing stories with a plot twist in the end, and all in half an hour.  For Suspense Sundays I'll give a short review of an episode.   {My archive list of episodes}

"A Friend to Alexander"

Air date: August 3, 1943
Starring Robert Young and Geraldine Fitzgerald

>>Episodes here<<

Harry Andrews has been having recurring dreams about Aaron Burr.  And Aaron is real annoying to him in these dreams - taunting and insulting and about to kill Harry's friend Alexander Hamilton.  In the dream, Harry equates Alexander to his dead brother who died killed by a drunk in a cemetery.  Eventually these dreams take over Harry and even his wife can't help him.  Harry decides to take on Aaron Burr in his dream with deadly results.

A haunting dream is a great premise for a suspense story, and when I started listening to this episode I thought for sure this dream was haunting Harry because he felt guilty over something - maybe he killed his brother.  But no, there is absolutely no pay off for why Harry's brother's death is included or even why he was in the cemetery.  At least there was no link that I was aware of.  Which was disappointing because then this whole story seemed rather too bizarre and pointless.  Why was any of it happening?  And why Aaron Burr, the traitor?  Well unless it was a veiled story that dealt with the war, the whole episode was very interesting to listen to, but disappointingly no answers are given in the end.

Review: Doctor Who: Beautiful Chaos + Giveaway

Doctor Who: Beautiful Chaos
by Gary Russell
#10 of The Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Collection

Plot Summary:

Wilfred Mott is very happy: his granddaughter, Donna is back home, catching up with family and gossiping about her journeys, and he has just discovered a new star and had it named after him.  He takes the Tenth Doctor with him to the naming ceremony.  But the Doctor soon discovers something else new, and worryingly bright, in the heavens - something that is heading for Earth.  It's an ancient force from the Dark Times.  And it is very, very angry...

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who this year, BBC Books will be reissuing eleven classic Doctor Who novels – one for each Doctor – from across their fiction range. Repackaged with new introductions, bold new covers, and 50th anniversary branding, they are not only a collectable set for fans, but a brilliant introduction to the depth and range of the Doctor Who list.

Review:

The story is framed by the ending of Season 4 and Donna's memory loss, but most of it actually takes place soon after "The Sontaran Stratagem."  This novel touchingly focuses on the Doctor's friendship with Donna and the relationships between Donna and her mother and grandfather.  While Donna's mum, Sylvia comes off pretty tetchy and unsympathetic in the TV show most times, this story gives her more heart and background, especially with the death of Donna's dad.  I really enjoyed reading more about the Noble family and how they are not perfect, but they do love each other and support each other even if one doesn't actually believe in what the other is doing.  I think the highlight of this book is the family aspect, especially because it draws the Doctor into it and it's always interesting to see him out of his element.

The evil from the Dark Times is a much updated (upgraded?) version of a villain from the Classic series (first seen in an adventure with the Fourth Doctor) and because the villain uses our new technologically savvy world as the means to take over the planet, the danger feels very real, and is used to good effect.  But the evil is so very powerful, that the Doctor's solution felt a little rushed over and confusing and it was easiest to just take the Doctor's plan for granted that it worked.  It's really not that big of a deal, because the story is so engaging from the start, and the focus on character development - with the Noble family, and the side characters that Gary Russell so deftly paints in a few scenes - made this such a fun adventure.  I am also really impressed by how well Gary captured Donna's sarcastic teasing, Wilf's general adorableness and the beauty and pathos in Wilf's love interest, Netty.  And it is lovely that this book provides closure (now somewhat unnecessarily) to Donna's ending in Season 4.

Amazon  Goodreads

I received this book from the publisher or author for a fair and honest review.  I was not compensated for this review.

Who-ology Trivia!

THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR'S RULES FOR COMPANIONS

Rule 1: 'The Doctor lies.'

Rule 7: 'Never run when you are scared.'

Rule 27: 'Never knowingly be serious.'

Rule 408: 'Time is not the boss of you.'

(p. 165)

~ Giveaway ~

With many thanks to the publisher and TLC Book Tours, I am offering a choice of ONE of FOUR of the Doctor Who books I'm reviewing for the Book Tour.  So with the Rafflecopter giveaway, the winner can pick EITHER

Beautiful Chaos by Gary Russell,
Festival of Death by Jonathan Morris,
Players by Terrance Dicks, or
Who-ology by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright (the official book of miscellany, celebrating 50 years of Doctor Who)

THIS GIVEAWAY IS INTERNATIONAL!

Please enter through the Rafflecopter form below.  The winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond with a mailing address before another winner is chosen.  The mailing address will be forwarded to the publisher who will send the winner their copy.  The contest runs until June 28th Midnight.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Excerpt: Disneylanders

Disneylanders
by Kate Abbott

Plot Summary:

In Disneylanders, 14-year-old Casey Allison, on the brink of starting high school, struggles to find a new identity on her family's annual summer vacation, but with the help of an outgoing boy she meets while waiting in line, she discovers that Disneyland is the one place where her overprotective parents let her have the freedom to grow up. Casey looks forward to her family's annual summer vacation to Disneyland to escape her anxieties about starting high school. This summer, however, her vacation forces her to confront her parents' ancient attitudes, getting dumped by her best friend, an intense crush, and a pack of gum-snapping girls who seem intent on ruining her vacation.

Book Excerpt:

My hands were shaking by the time the gates swung open for us to climb into the shiny seats, and I focused all my attention on getting in and stowing my bag away. My heart was pounding, and pulling down the harness was too tough for me to do successfully.

Bert, seeing me grasping at it, reached over me, and gently pulled it down over my head. He had been trying not to laugh, but finally failed as he caught my expression, then strapped himself in.

He was jiggling his harness when the train pulled away. It took off at a crawl and stopped over the water as annoyingly suspenseful music played in our ears. I shut my eyes and tried to focus on hearing only the waves lapping in the miniature ocean around us.

“Okay, now I’m nervous!” Bert said, rattling the harness that had already locked into place. “I can’t breathe!” He laughed a little, but it came out high-pitched, and a lot like he’d sounded a few minutes before when he was doing his impression of me.

I squinted at him. “Well, how do you think I’ve felt for the last half hour in line?” I was in the middle of a silent and quick prayer for our safety and my gumbo to stay inside me. When were we ever going to take off? They made us sit here, listening to the music, on top of the water and with the misters blowing at us.

“No, look what I did!” he said. I heard him sucking in air rapidly and laughing at the same time, so I peeked over the harness around my neck. He turned toward me, too, and I saw that his brown eyes weren’t so cool and relaxed now. Panic mixed with embarrassment — that was more like me, really, and I thought it looked pretty funny on Bert.

“What’s wrong?” Clearly he was strapped in, with no danger of falling out. He wasn’t wheezing — not like it was an asthma attack or anything. He was seriously freaked out, but seemed to think it was funny. Watching the calm and cool Bert so nervous made me a lot braver. I liked being so close to him, having an excuse to look at him close-up, although it would be more romantic if he were maybe looking back at me and not hyperventilating.

It was probably my obvious staring, but he suddenly looked straight into my eyes, and his clear, strong gaze made me radiate warmth from the center of my body. I was the only other person he’d ever share this exact moment with. How many girls would ever get to see Bert this totally uncool?

“I must have taken too-deep-of-a-breath or something…” he gasped, “before…” — he breathed in, and tugged on the handles — “it locked, and now it’s too-tight-and-I-can’t breathe!” A giant breath came out, and he laughed at the same time.

Okay, so maybe he wouldn’t want to remember this moment ever again — but I would. Who would have known that out of the two of us, he’d be the one gasping for no reason other than his own crazy excitement? I was actually the cool one, right now.

I bit my lip, but couldn’t stop my smile. “You’re fine.” I touched the cold, puffy padding around his neck, and overlapped my fingers with his, just a little. I couldn’t resist adding, “Maybe if you hadn’t been laughing at me while you locked your harness in — “ He squawked, so I said with more sympathy, “Look, all you have to do is stop gasping like that, sit up as straight as you can, and you’ll be okay.” He adjusted himself, complaining, but did stop thrashing around in his seat. His grip on the harness relaxed, and he looked at me with relief.

His eyes locked on mine. Now I was a little short of breath myself. I felt the tiny droplets of mist in the air around us, and breathed in his coconut sunscreen. I forgot about the ride and hoped we could stay here, exactly like this, when the speakers blasted on — “Get ready, screamers!” — and the countdown to launch sounded. For once, I didn’t close my eyes as we blasted off, although I did manage to make my head face forward, as all the warning signs told us to do. I stole a glance at Bert’s face as it transformed into total mouth-dropping thrill, as he raised his perfectly arched eyebrows and let out a “Whoo hoooooo!” while we careened into the distance.

For once I didn’t care as much what was going to come on the ride, as I did about who was sitting next to me right now. I peeked sideways at him through the first drops, which seemed endless, shrieking as my stomach seemed to fly up while we plummeted. I watched him as he started to mess with the harness during the slow, halting climb back up again mid-track.

“Having problems?”

“Oh, nothing much — only I can’t breathe again!” Bert clutched his hat between his knees, and his short hair was sticking straight up. He was trying to look directly under his chin at the harness, which made him look like a wild-haired, panicky turtle.

“You’re fine!” I yelled, as we made it over the peak and flew downward.

“You are not…going to let me…forget this…are you?” he said between the screams of the other riders.

“No waaaay!” I said, as we swung around a corner and flew over the water lapping at the edge of the boardwalk below. Bert’s eyes mirrored the sparkle of the boardwalk’s lights, the gold on his watch gleamed, and the glow beneath us illuminated his face. Far in the distance behind him, I could see the Matterhorn’s craggy top and the sleek peaks of Space Mountain, both a clean, bright white against the darkening sky.

It was all dazzling for a couple of seconds at 55 miles an hour. No, I’m definitely not going to let myself forget this, either, I vowed, as we careened up and down the last dips, grinning and screaming until our throats hurt.

Amazon Goodreads  Author's Website Twitter  Book Trailer 

Doctor Who book giveaway!

Although my first Doctor Who review (for Beautiful Chaos) goes up tomorrow, I wanted to participate in Armchair BEA's giveaway topic today, so I'm opening up the book giveaway a little early. 

~ Giveaway ~

With many thanks to the publisher, BBC Books and TLC Book Tours, I am offering a choice of ONE of FOUR of the Doctor Who books I'm reviewing for the Book Tour.  So with the Rafflecopter giveaway, the winner can pick EITHER

Beautiful Chaos by Gary Russell,
Festival of Death by Jonathan Morris,
Players by Terrance Dicks, or
Who-ology by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright (the official book of miscellany, celebrating 50 years of Doctor Who)

THIS GIVEAWAY IS INTERNATIONAL!

Please enter through the Rafflecopter form below.  The winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond with a mailing address before another winner is chosen.  The mailing address will be forwarded to the publisher who will send the winner their copy.  The contest runs until June 28th Midnight.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the other stops on the tour!

Other blogs will be offering giveaways for the books in the 50 Anniversary set, and for Who-ology!

Awesome Adaptations (40) The Hunger Games

This meme celebrates an awesome adaptation related to a weekly category. Any format of adaptation (television series, film, web series, etc.) is acceptable as long as it is based in some form on a book. This meme is hosted by Alisa Selene at PictureMeReading. Check out her site and join in on the fun!

An Awesome Adaptation with a Tough Heroine

Title: The Hunger Games

Adapted from: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

While the idea of pitting children against each other in a deadly fight for the sake of entertainment and as a punishment must breed tough characters for the sake of survival in the game,  Katniss is unique in her combination of abilities.  She's talented with a bow and arrow, but not particularly strong and not bloodthirsty enough to make her an obvious contender.  But her strong family bonds, her practical, sensible nature, and especially her intelligence makes her a tough heroine.

Katniss deals with many things in the book/movie and Jennifer Lawrence captures her focus and her tightly controlled emotions extremely well.  While the movie is an awesome adaptation overall of the story, I felt like Jennifer Lawrence's portrayal of Katniss really carried the film.  It's so important to have an actress realistically capture the tough and determined Katniss and also make sure the audience knows that she is also very compassionate and very much afraid.  That moment when Katniss is being brought to the field and looks at Cinna, almost shaking with fear, is such a powerful moment to me because it's a revelatory chink in Katniss's armor, and brings home the absolutely awful situation all the kids are in.  Of course the kids dying later also brings that home pretty vividly too.

While there are many tough heroines who are faced with hard social situations, in The Hunger Games, we have a heroine who is faced with the basic need to survive while also putting on a social facade, and all because she wanted to keep her sister safe.  There are many layers to Katniss, and I found the movie to have showcased her well, while also being a perfect visual introduction to the story and of course, I am eagerly anticipating the potential film awesomeness of "Catching Fire"!

Armchair BEA Introduction & the Classics

image credit: Nina of Nina Reads

Since I can't make it to BEA this year, I'm going to try and feel the book community love by participating on my blog through Armchair BEA! There are daily blogging topics, and for this post, I'm going to answer 5 of the Introduction questions posted here.


1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?

I started blogging a little over a year ago, and I didn't really know what I was getting into, I kinda just set up a blog and a layout and started posting the really short reviews I had written on Goodreads.  It seemed like it would be fun to maintain a book blog, which would help me keep track of the books I read and my thoughts on them.  Visiting other blogs and talking to other bloggers has been a great bonus, as I didn't realize how very much I liked seeing what other people were reading and sharing thoughts on great books.

2. What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2013? 

I'm currently reading "The Nine Fold Heaven" by Mingmei Yip which is a historical fiction novel set in 30's Shanghai.  Although I haven't gotten very far reading it, I really enjoyed the first book in the series "Skeleton Women" so I have high hopes for this.  One of my favorite reads from this year was "Shadow and Bone" by Leigh Bardugo (I was a little late to the bandwagon on this!) but I loved the story and the characters and I'm really looking forward to going to the "Siege and Storm" launch party next week!

3. If you could eat dinner with any author or character, who would it be and why? 

Well I will pick a character for this fantasy dinner - Mr. Rochester from "Jane Eyre"!  I would love to hear the entertaining stories he must have told Jane during their evening conversations, and as a gentleman I can imagine he would pull out chairs and be very mannered and attentive which would bring joy to my romantic heart. :)  And since he has seen a lot of the world, I think he would be very interesting to talk to.  I'm not much of a talker myself, so if I can get someone interesting started with a few questions and then sit back and absorb, that sounds like a great time to me!

4. What is your favorite part about the book blogging community? 

If I have to pick one thing, I think it is the enthusiasm for reading and for books.  I grew up in a family where I am pretty much the only reader, and I didn't really have friends who were keen on reading either.  I wasn't used to sharing what I was reading more than saying the title and author and if it was good or not.  English classes were great to listen to the teachers talk about the book, but generally classmates weren't too keen.  And how amazing it is, that after the isolation, you can come upon a community of like-minded enthusiasts on the internet and interact with them so easily?  I love book blogging, not because I love writing reviews, but because it's so great sharing my love of books with other readers!

5. Is there anything that you would like to see change in the coming years?

Well, there is one thing that I would love to have happen someday soon!  It's to have a free ebook version bundled with the physical copy of the book.  I like to buy books that I plan to reread, and if I can have it on my bookshelf, and on my kindle for travel, it would be so useful!

In addition to the Introduction, there is a genre topic, that for today is all about the Classics:

Today, tell us all the reasons why you love classic literature. What are your favorite classics? If you could give a list of classics to someone who claims to hate them to make them change their mind, what would be on it? How would you convince them to give classics a try? And why do you keep coming back to those old favorites?

I love classic literature because they are well-written, and they reward the reader's investment by their well-shaped characters, great plots and complexity.  Classics have endured and continued to attract readers because they are the best of the best in my opinion.

My favorite book is a Classic - "Jane Eyre", but I also love "Dracula" "Huckleberry Finn", "Vanity Fair", "Lord of the Flies", "To Kill a Mockingbird" and probably others I can't think of at the moment.

For someone who hates Classics, it will be hard to give them something that might change their mind, but something with a good pace and not too long like "Lord of the Flies" or "To Kill a Mockingbird" might do the trick.  Possibly the first Classic I ever read would be a good start too - "Tom Sawyer". These books have great, thought-provoking stories and should be a good introduction to the world of Classics literature.

Thanks for reading this post!  And if you would like to follow my blog, I will definitely follow back! :)

Review: Harbinger

Harbinger
by Sara Wilson Etienne

Plot Summary:

When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn't expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she's going crazy. Fast.

But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she's come home. She's even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.

Faye knows she's the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can't trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her - and the rest of the world too.

Rich, compelling writing will keep the pages turning in this riveting and tautly told psychological thriller.

Review:

I was immediately drawn to this book by the awesome book cover! So mysterious and foreboding!  The plot is also intriguing, with a paranormal mystery brewing.  The story sets a quick pace right from the start with a rather complex setting to establish.  The Earth is very damaged, and with the lack of resources, humans have divided into collectives to ration their resources, while people in the bigger cities mostly have to fend for themselves.  While the desperate condition the world is in is ultimately necessary to the story, I felt like it was glossed over so quickly, that keeping up with the changes the new society produced made the narrative sometimes very confusing.  It was hard as well to understand what was going on because the main character, Faye, often hears and sees things that aren't real.  So it's difficult to decipher what is actually contributing to the plot, and what is her hallucination.  This novel seemed to have a lot to say but everything was so rushed together that nothing ever really came together.  Definitely I felt compelled to keep reading because often I really had no idea what was going on.

I did like the idea of "family" that keeps Faye and her school fellows together and the little rebellions they tried to stage.  The story is complex and the characters each have their own distinct personalities.  Although sometimes the personalities felt a little stereotypical.  The romance between Kel and Faye felt a little flat, mostly because they were drawn together by things that happened in the past, and the circumstances of that weren't revealed until the end.  A lot of people are keeping secrets in this story, and I think it makes the story an interesting read, but overall I was disappointed by the disjointed storytelling, the perfunctory romance, and the ending which wrapped up a little too easily.

Amazon  Goodreads

Suspense Sundays (46) The Last Letter of Doctor Bronson

Suspense was a radio series from 1942 to 1962.  I have a fondness for "Old Time Radio" as we call it now, and Suspense is my favorite show.  It sets up weird, dark, scary, or intriguing stories with a plot twist in the end, and all in half an hour.  For Suspense Sundays I'll give a short review of an episode.   {My archive list of episodes}

"The Last Letter of Doctor Bronson"

Air date: July 27, 1943
Starring Laird Cregar and George Colouris

>>Episodes here<<

Dr. Bronson is obsessed with death and murder and has decided to conduct an experiment to explore what keeps people from murdering other people.  His hypothesis is that there are five blocks so he gets five subjects and eliminates all but one block for them, also giving them the motive and opportunity to kill him.  Of course he didn't take everything into account.

This episode has a very interesting idea behind it and it was fun to discover each of Dr. Bronson's blocks as he presented each experiment.  I really enjoyed the suspense and ingenuity of this story and yet it did seem obvious that there had to be a problem if you encountered someone with no blocks.  Yet I would like to think some people wouldn't kill just because they have no right to take another person's life - just because it's wrong.

And in case you are curious, here are Dr. Bronson's five blocks:
Fear of punishment, Religious belief, Owing a debt of gratitude, Loss of reputation, Squeamishness

Classics Retold Update

Sign-ups for Classics Retold ends tomorrow, so this is your last chance to join in on the fun in September and read that classic that's been taking up space on your bookshelf (or e-reader)!  I decided to compile a list of all the participants so far in my category: 19th Century and Gothic Classics, including a link to their introduction posts.  If I didn't add your introduction post to this list, please let me know and I will update it!  Thank you guys for participating!

Check out this post to sign-up!

Jane Austen

Emma 
Dee @ Dee's Book Blog [Introduction post]

Northanger Abbey
Mrs. Silverstein @ Reading on the F Train

Persuasion
Daphne @ Gone Pecan 
Paola & Alix @ A Novel Idea [Introduction post]

Pride and Prejudice 
Melissa @ Harley Bear Book Blog
Andrea @ Beauty but a Funny Girl

Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre 
Amy @ Book Goonie
Merin @ Read and Reviewed [Introduction post]

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sherlock Holmes 
Alisa @ Picture Me Reading
Alice @ Alice in Readerland [Introduction post]

Alexander Dumas

The Count of Monte Cristo
DoingDewey

The Three Musketeers
Cassi @ Bright Forest

Elizabeth Gaskell

Wives and Daughters 
Whitney @ She Is Too Fond of Books [Introduction post]

North and South 
Rachel @ Paper Cuts

Thomas Hardy

Tess of the D'Urbervilles

Amanda @ Off the Book

Victor Hugo

Les Miserables 
Tory @ The Sleeping Latte [Introduction post]

Gaston Leroux

The Phantom of the Opera 
Krista @ Krista's Picks

Mary Shelley

Frankenstein 
Faith @ StudentSpyglass 
Fi @ Bookish Outsider

Robert L Stevenson

Treasure Island 
InkSpired

H.G. Wells

The Invisible Man
Melydia @ Utter Randomonium

The Time Machine 
Charlene @ Bookish Whimsy [Introduction post]

And for another fun event to sign up for (this time in July) check out Love Triangles 101!

You love them or you hate them, but you probably want to talk about them!  So check out this post to sign up!

Book Excerpt: Ship of Haunts

Ship of Haunts: the other Titanic story
by Ellie Stevenson

Introduction from the author:

Ship of Haunts is a complex story with some controversial elements, set in several time periods (1912, the 1940s and 2012). It’s a novel about Titanic but it’s also a story about child migration. Lily, one of the two main characters, is reincarnated as a child migrant in 1940s Australia: a tough world for a girl on her own. But how did she even end up in Australia?

Available for $0.99 on Amazon from TODAY!
Also read "Watching Charlotte Brontë Die: and other surreal stories" by the author for free!

Extract from Ship of Haunts

Lily’s Story: 1948

Titanic was then, in 1912, but we were about to travel again. To a different place, in a different ship, in a different time. None of it choice. I blamed Mad.

Mad and a woman called Eula Weinhart. She was the one who started it all. I was in the scullery.

Weinhart walked in, she could hardly wait to get off the street and into the house. Not that I blamed her, the drains stank.

It was the third time she’d called in as many weeks. I was watching them through a gap in the door. Mad looked grim.

I was meant to be looking after Bart, the boy, but that was too bad, for once he’d have to fend for himself. Bart was younger, and Maddy’s son by her latest conquest. A different father to Lucie’s, of course. I was the niece, down from the north.

Weinhart sat on the only chair. Mad was expecting, but never mind that. Not that I knew it, not officially. Lucie had said, but she hadn’t meant to. She thought I’d laugh, instead, I cursed, I’d met the father. As it happened, he’d gone.

Leaving us rather short of money.

Weinhart smiled, it looked like an effort. ‘Have you thought anymore about what I’ve said?’ ‘About what, exactly?’ Maddy looked blank. She wasn’t going to make it easy for Weinhart.

‘About sending the girls and the boy to Australia. It’s an outdoor life, and the weather’s good. They’ll all get trained, learn proper skills that lead to jobs. No more fear of being out of work. They’re lucky to get this chance, Mrs Rawlins.’

Maddy coughed and doubled over. She was no more a wife than I was a queen.

‘I’m sure you’re aware of all the benefits,’ Weinhart said pointedly, casting her eyes at Maddy’s stomach. I blinked in surprise.

How the hell did she know about that?

I could see Maddy thinking, the cogs in her brain going round and round. About how her life could be so much better, just her and the baby. About how she’d have time, and a lot more freedom. Don’t do it, I thought, but my thoughts were wasted.

‘It can’t be easy,’ said Weinhart slowly. ‘A woman on her own, with three children. Apart from whatever… might happen in the future.’

The cow, I thought. The evil cow.

‘Lucie’s got a job,’ said Maddy quickly. ‘She works in the shop, she’s there right now.’

‘Oh, no I’m not,’ said a voice behind me and there was Lucie, holding some flowers. Today was Mad’s birthday, but I’d forgotten, with all the excitement. The flowers looked limp, as if she’d picked them. I turned back to listen.

‘That’s all to the good,’ said Weinhart firmly, ‘but it can’t be enough. And it’s hardly fair on the girl, now is it? We like our children to be young at The Halt, it helps them fit in, but that’s not a problem, not for your girls. Lucie and Lily deserve a chance, and so do you.

She’s good, I thought, she’s very good. I hated her for it.

Weinhart continued. ‘The boys particularly, love it out there. They’re out in the open air all day. Some of the boys get jobs on farms, and maybe, in time, even their own. If they work hard.’ She smiled at Maddy and my heart sank. I knew her words were taking root. I glared at the bitch from behind the door. She was wearing a scarf on top of her coat. I imagined pulling the scarf tight, watching her face shift from pink to purple. I imagined watching her eyes bulge. I glanced at Lucie.

‘Those flowers aren’t from the shop,’ I said.

‘Shh!’ said Lucie. ‘Maddy will hear you.’

Mad wasn’t listening. She was too busy hanging on Weinhart’s words.

‘I know you want what’s best, Mrs Rawlins. Best for the children, and best for you.’ Again she glanced at Maddy’s stomach. Maddy swayed and grabbed for the door.

‘Let her sit down you evil witch!’ hissed Lucie sharply.

Weinhart did. She leapt to her feet and pushed the chair across to Maddy.

‘Here, Mrs Rawlins, have this chair.’

‘While you have the kids?’ said Mad faintly. But she still took the seat.

Weinhart was making a move to go. ‘Don’t think too long, Mrs Rawlins,’ she warned. ‘There’s a ship leaving for Australia soon. The children could be on it, making a start on a brand new life. And so could you. Just think, Mrs Rawlins. But not for too long.’

She walked to the door and stumbled out, weaving her way between toys and weeds as she crossed the yard. She nearly tripped.

‘Good riddance!’ said Lucie, clutching the flowers. They looked pathetic.

‘I think it’s time you gave those to Mad.’ Lucie ignored me.

‘She’s going to say yes. Can you believe it?’

I could, unfortunately. Weinhart had left, but I knew she’d be back. I followed Lucie into the lane. ‘Never say die,’ I said, valiantly.

She turned round to face me. ‘Why would I want to go to Australia? Southampton’s my home. It’s all I know.’

‘We could run away,’ I offered quietly. ‘Just you and me, before she comes back.’

‘We can’t do that, I can’t leave Bart. And what would we live on if we did? Besides, I don’t even like you.’

‘Fine,’ I said. ‘It was just a thought.’

‘Well, don’t bother,’ said Lucie, sourly. ‘How do we stop her?’ She was talking about Weinhart.

‘We can’t,’ I said. ‘The only thing we can do is leave, before she comes back.’

‘I can’t,’ said Lucie. ‘I can’t just go.’

But she would of course, even if only to go on the ship. I reached across to take the flowers. ‘I’ll give those to Mad.’

‘Oh no you won’t,’ said Lucie then, swinging the flowers out of my reach. ‘I’m not that sure she deserves any flowers.’ Then she dropped the bundle into the gutter and walked away, getting smaller and smaller, until she’d gone. I stared at the flowers, scattered on the cobbles, they looked, I thought, like a bouquet for the dead.

Which, as it happened, is what they were.

Amazon (US)  Amazon (UK)  Goodreads   Twitter