The day you complete the draft of your novel is so hard won

You may have been there, and know what I'm talking about. That moment when you finally complete the draft of your novel. Something that has consumed you longer than you recall. The sacrifices you made to make it happen. The long nights, the early mornings, the afternoons where you wanted to rest, but plots, story lines, characters, and yes - sequels, popped into your head. It happens most for me when I'm in bed, or having a well earned bath. You know - moments when you are supposed to be doing absolutely nothing. 

But you can't leave it there, no.

You have to do something about it. So the slumber ends, or the bath plug is pulled. You go back to the novel and work on it some more. I arrive at an expanse now - one that says 'hey, you got your life back', but I know this is only a temporary thing, a ceasefire between writer and its creation. Is there a point to all this? Well, maybe.

For me, for many of you, perhaps, you've reached a point where you say 'Yes, I'm done, I'm happy' (for now). Of course, you feel happy, feel proud. My latest 'work' clocked in at over 85000 words, and the previous one at 101,000. I've never worked on anything so hard in my life. With my first book, the semi-autobiographical 'Essence of Martial Arts', I learned so much about the process that with all the plethora of errors made, I resolved to make future books - should they ever be published - far better than that one. Isn't that the aim of writers, to better their previous works? Absolutely, we have to be committed to that. Should money come into it? I say no, because you have to write because you enjoy writing, telling stories, enlisting people's opinions on your creation.

 Money corrupts. Would I like to be living more comfortably? Of course. But as I ploughed through my book, things were not so bad, because I could slip into that world, any time I liked. It is far better a feeling than any drug I could take (not interested in that, never was, never will be!) or to indulge in some other past-time that leaves you, well, feeling cold, like a lover with you in the night, but departed by morning. So yes, I feel a bit lost since completing the draft, but there are other things to do, pay attention to, and work on. My family may even have me back for a while. When they tire of that (And they will) they will want me to go back to my writing.

 The draft has been completed, a small battle won. War is about to break out though - with myself (am I happy, truly happy with what I've done), with agents (they can slam a text out of existence because it doesn't meet a-b-c criteria) and publishers (remember how Harry Potter was thought of as 'a book about a boarding school...who would be interested in that?' Thankfully JK Rowling pressed on! Whatever your thoughts when you complete your first draft, I wish you happy writing.

Book Review #2: The Selection by Keira Cass

Book Review:The Selection by Keira Cass

Good, but lacking **something**.

Okay, so the premise of The Selection is very good. The cover is brilliantly enticing, and yet, within the first few pages, the dystopian world is 'ropey', to say the least. It may sound harsh, but calling your principal character 'America' and one of the others, 'Aspen', seems bizarre to me.

The author's name is Keira, and that's a beautiful name, befitting a princess. So would it have been a bad idea to maybe call America, Keira? This is a small gripe. The story, such as it is, moves along reasonably well, and in that sense, I think Keira Cass writes in a quite engaging manner.

I like the Cinderella premise, i.e. poor, but beautiful and refined girl makes good - but the story ends with sequel-itis in mind, so you wonder what is the point of the book, in and of itself...because it is not the complete story.

Prince Maxon seems at first a bit wooden and stuffy, but I suppose even if you are heir to the throne of Illea and you have 35 girls fawning after you...you would be. He develops better than any other character, for me, and then, just a few chapters before the end, he puts his crown firmly back on his head and lashes out at America...I lost all the likeability that had been built up for him.

The story could easily be four stars, but it could be two stars as well.

I give it three stars out of five because it does have potential, but has a lot of filler chapters where the intention must have been to spread it out to two or three books, which is a shame. If it is one story, then tell it like one, because stretching it out affects what could have been a truly great read.

As it is, it is just another in a long line of YA dystopian novels. There's no vampires, trolls, zombies...just the cast system of Illea and thirty five girls that make up The Selection. The love triangle seems...very strange, because to have one, America would have to love Aspen and Maxon, and for the Prince to be in love with America.

It is not clear how America or Maxon really feel. Even Aspen seems to have a bit of the caveman about him. Maybe that is the design of the main characters. I kind of feel that the dystopian world will be explored more in The Elite. I just don't know if I can stretch to that one to find out.

Nonetheless, a good try from Keira Cass.

Currently Reading: "The Selection" by Keira Cass

I'm reading The Selection by Keira Cass. I'm also reading Wizard's First Rule, Truckers, This Is Not a Test, Lords of the Rings (again), and many others.

 This one, from HarperTeen, has promise. It seems a bit of an X-Factor meets Hunger Games meets Don't Tell the Bride mash up, but it may come into it's own a bit later.

 The cover is fantastic, but that in itself shouldn't be the reason to buy it (it wasn't - I bought it on recommendation) but it's a big pull all the same. I've read so much YA in the past year that maybe, just maybe, I am a bit jaded on the sector, but this is shaping up to be a good read. More when I've completed it.

Book Review: Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout for Longevity

Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity by Shifu Yan Lei
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This utterly superb book not only beautifully details how to do the stretches, but has many pearls of wisdom littered throughout the book.

I don't think this book is aimed at beginners, though they could pick up much from this.

As a huge fan of Bruce Lee's 'Tao of Jeet Kune Do' and 'Fighting Method' books, it is no small matter finding a fine martial arts book.

The book is a work of art - but it has the substance to back it up and that is a major achievement.

Shifu Yan Lei is the real deal - you can tell that. So many 'master's prefix their name with such titles and in some cases, they are great at what they do. This man is a case in point.

If you are a martial artist, or just want tips to stay healthy and strong into old age (as opposed to just living to an old age) - buy and learn from this book.

Highly recommended.



View all my reviews

Dark Winter - Back cover is done!

Here's the back cover to the book. Thanks to the very awesome Ashley at The Bookish Brunette for her terrific work!!

http://www.bookish-brunette.com/

Book Review #1: "Anna Dressed in Blood" by Kendare Blake

Book Review: "Anna Dressed in Blood" by Kendare Blake

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Anna Dressed in Blood ***This Review contains spoilers***

They say 'don't judge a book by its cover' and that is so true, but what is also true that 'Anna Dressed In Blood' has one of the most strikingly awesome and at the same time, hauntingly beautiful covers that I've ever seen.

One thing writers have to do is make their star character as real as they can - so that you feel, what they feel. Another thing that is needed is a character to play off against, that is at least as interesting as the character of the title.

In this aspect, Kendare Blake has succeeded and then some. Anna is a truly terrifying ghost, but she's made more real to me not by her interactions with those she ***SPOILER ALERT*** ultimately kills (and who didn't cheer a lot when Mike got his comeuppance? Maybe I shouldn't be happy about that, but I was, as Cas says so honestly later in the book 'Mike was a d*ck').

The gore factor is rather high in this book, but that's okay - there is no need to spare readers of the 'gory details' because from the off, this book is about killing, and lots of it.

If the mystical story of the athame had not been so well built up, I am not sure I could 'buy' the fact it sends ghosts back to the nether world....but again, all the key points are told so well, you are just carried along with the story.

All the characters have a purpose, but it's Cas, our hero, and Anna - yes - our heroine - an anti-heroine' if you like, but still, the kind of girl I like :)

So Anna rips a few people apart and blood drips from her body, and she's got weird veins...also her dry clean bill must be horrendous - but she comes across as terrifying and yet you just can't fail to be attracted to her.

I totally buy the feelings Cas has for her, because they are two sides of the same coin - Anna kills because she can't help it - Cas kills because he simply has to. In both cases, it's in their blood.

This is not a 'young' YA book. I expect it would hit a 15 even an 18 certificate if it ever appeared in UK cinemas.

Thankfully, Kendare Blake has crafted a wicked tale that is not a case of 'Ooh! It's a ghost!' - no - the scares are more clever than that, and I honestly didn't see the twist until the end...which made the book even better.

It's such a pleasure to read a book that works on every single level - great story, believeable characters - and you will be rooting for Thomas, Carmel, and Cas's mom for different reasons to how you feel about Anna and Cas.

What will live with me is the vivid description of Anna. She's got her back to you on the cover, and be glad for that wise decision by the creator of the cover, because having read the book, you will be in no doubt what Anna looks like, and I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep without Anna's devilish stare pervading my sleep just before REM kicks in.

Kayako from The Grudge? Anna is MUCH more scary than that!

Bravo to Kendare Blake - I wait with great anticipation for 'Girl of Nightmares' in June 2013. 

New Cover Reveal: Dark Winter

Provisionally looking like a January 2013 release, I'm thrilled to show you the cover to my first YA novel, called 'Dark Winter'. This may seem a strange turn of events, because following the release of the totally non-YA-related martial arts book, The Essence of Martial Arts,  I initially planned to work on the follow-up to that.

I'm still teaching, of course, but the pull of writing something completely different from the MA arena was just too enticing.

Enough about that - this is the cover. Let me know what you think!