Keeping Promises

It's pretty sad when you haven't posted at a particular blog in so long that you almost can't remember how to log in. Good thing Blogger is fairly friendly to the not-tech-savvy among its bloggers. Still, I had a little moment of near panic staring at the beautiful (if I do say so myself) page of this blog and thinking, "So how is it, again, that I get in here?" but -dah-da-dah-dum! I got in.

I guess you could say I'm awesome that way.

Or not.

Regardless of your opinion concerning my awesomeness, I'm BACK after what turned out to be another prolonged absence while I worked building name recognition for that "other" person who shares my face. But why? you ask? Why come back to this beautiful but sadly neglected blog? Surely all your regular readers jumped ship a long time ago!

Um, well, true.

So I guess the only answer I can give you is: I missed myself.

I've been working so hard to build the platform of my alter ego (that's way more super-hero sounding than pseudonym, don't you think?) that I've lost a bit of touch with me, S. R. Van Ness, the gal behind the tricky initials.

So here's what I'm up to.

I'm planning a come back, sort of like Debbie Gibson and Tiffany, but without the catchy pop tunes and the Broadway/Playboy stops in between tours. (huge sigh of relief)

Sure, I've stepped away from my name for a while, worked on building name recognition with another name in another genre, but while "she" (is it creepy to talk about my alter ego in the third person??) is doing her thing over there, I'm going to keep laying lines here. From time to time I'll drop by and practice setting the sails, preparing for that blessed day when I can carve my name on the mast of the WIP ship, hoist anchor, and catch that fantastical wind that drives the deepest heart of my writing life.

(By the way: my alter ego doesn't write fantasy. She writes romance.--- Oh, stop it. Not that kind of romance, silly. There's no Fabio, no Old Spice Guy -- there are real stories to be told in contemporary romance and I've -- er, she's -- got a few to tell. But she's leaving the fantasy to me. Which is awesome.)

I wrote 6000 words in my YA fantasy WIP this week, and that made me happy. Plus, my other self read and reviewed 2-1/2 books. Which brings me to a very uncomfortable subject.

One. Particular. Book. Review.

Well over a year ago I agreed to read a book for review. The author sent me the book, she even inscribed it to me and... I still haven't published my review. The reason? I was a novice at reviewing books and wasn't sure how to write about the things that bothered me about the book without sounding negative to this generous and talented author. And I didn't want to hurt her feelings.

However.

In the interim, while developing the platform for my pseudonym, I've become an avid reader of others' book review blogs and I've read and reviewed dozens of YA and romance books under my "other name." Of course, not all these books perfect and some (like one I'm reading now) were downright wastes of time. I've had to develop skills in diplomatic, but critical review. And I have. But always, niggling in the back of my mind, is the unfulfilled promise to review this one book.

This book has taunted me, really. It's whispered "You're a liar! You're a procrastinator! You're a poser!" in the night. (And a lot of the characters are vampires. That's not creepy.)

Okay, it doesn't really taunt me. Not audibly, anyway. But it probably should. Because I said I would review it, and I didn't.

Yet.

But the time has come. I feel I have a better frame of reference for discerning a writer's vision and qualifying the story against the writer's aptitude in his or her chosen genre than I did a year and a half ago. Therefore, one of my goals for this coming week, is to FINALLY publish the promised review for the first (but surprisingly not the last) Inspirational Vampire Novel (yes, you read that correctly) that I've had the curiosity and opportunity to read.

I hope I follow through. I hope you'll hold me accountable. And I hope I do a lot more with this bee-ooo-tiful (if I do say so myself) blog in the coming months. But---.

But I'm not promising anything, because honestly: after reading this post, would you take a promise from me seriously?

Exactly.

Now go read a book or something.

Book review: BREATHLESS by Dean Koontz

Simply put,

Breathless, a novel by Dean Koontz,

is a story of second chances.

But there is nothing “simple” about this cross-bred science fiction/fantasy novel of suspense.

Koontz is a master of creating a sense of place and, even with this story, set in multiple locales with multiple protagonists and antagonists, Koontz's gift is spot on. The plot thread seems tenuous at times as the reader is tossed into a new place--into the thoughts of a new character--. But as the subplots twist and turn in on one another, a pattern forms from Koontz's seemingly chaotic prose. Within this crazy-quilt of a story, themes are introduced and explored without the reader realizing how each subtle thread has grabbed hold of--or caressed-- her imagination. After reading the final page, however, the beauty of the pattern emerges; and its imprint is destined to last long after the book has been shelved.

Koontz’s obvious love of animals plays a huge role in this novel. Contrasting the purity of an animal’s motivations to the complexity of a human’s, Koontz uses creatures, both known and unknown, to personify the gifts of wonder, innocence, faith, and acceptance while he deftly portrays human reticence—and resilience—to mirror the truth and consequences of such gifts.

With a myriad cast of characters (including a veterinarian who was abused as a child, a special forces sniper-turned carpentry artist, a pure-hearted Irish Wolfhound, a corrupt and sadistic political aide, a do-gooder physicist, a poet and his wife, a homeless alcoholic with tendencies toward violence, and a pair of heretofore undiscovered creatures), Koontz explores the miracle of creation and the concept of eternity from each vantage point. Without stooping to proselytize tired theological arguments, Koontz places before the reader a Puzzle and a Riddle--questions with answers; pictures in pieces; parts of a greater whole--and leads the reader to grasp unspoken conclusions through the power of Story.

I instantly fell in love with several of this book’s characters, particularly those of a furrier species. But I must admit that there was one particular character that made me uncomfortable; a character whose storyline caused me to question if Koontz’s writing had been diverted, or corrupted, rather, from its artful course by the current trend in fiction toward sexually-driven villainy.

To be honest, the scenes visualized through Henry’s point of view made me squirm. I didn’t want to see into his sadistic, deviant mind; I didn’t want to hear thoughts about who he’d like to store in his potato cellar and why. For the longest time, I couldn’t figure out why Henry was included in the book at all. Near the end of the novel, when he finally does come into contact with another, kinder character, the scene is so brief that I ended the chapter thinking: “Really? That was the point of suffering through Henry’s madness with him? That’s it????” At that moment, Henry's inclusion seemed little more than a writer's device--or a sensationalist marketing tool. But, as is so often the case when you decide to trust an author, I was rewarded for making the choice to continue to suspend my disbelief for just a little while longer.

When I closed the book and took a moment to mix and digest all the various subplots and character arcs and resolutions, I realized that Henry was necessary. And that, as an artist who shows multiple dimensions of Theme, Dean Koontz had no choice but to include this character in his novel of second chances. Like viewing the negative of a photograph, we see, through sick, nasty Henry, that second chances are a GIFT—and when misinterpreted, or gained through ill means, it is not an authentic gift but, rather, a curse. I won’t include a spoiler other than to say: It doesn’t end well for Henry. And that made me happy.

As always, Dean Koontz kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the reading of this novel, but it wasn’t the intensity of the prose which moved me so much as the seed-pearls of wisdom and beauty so innocently--and seemingly randomly--placed. As my brain spun in an attempt to digest chaos theory, multiple storylines, and an overarching theme, I was both challenged and thoroughly entertained. As is almost always true with this amazing author’s work, Breathless made me think about deep and unsearchable things; things which are brought more clearly into focus only when fiction mirrors truth.

Yes, Breathless is a story about second chances. But it's also a tale of mystery and beauty; a complex weaving of concepts such as creation and eternity with those of wonder and innocent faith. It's a sparkling golden passage through a dark wood where, if the reader allows herself, she can be awed by the discovery of patterns of the Divine within apparent chaos.

No, there is nothing "simple" about this novel--but there is much that is True.

...and plenty to leave you BREATHLESS with wonder and wondering--long after you turn the final page.

Recommended Read: ANGEL'S DEN by Jamie Carie

It's not a big secret that I'm not a fan of historical fiction--but I do pick up a novel of that genre every once in a while. Especially if it is a new release from an author I trust.

Tuesday night I found Jamie Carie's Angel's Den. I got a few chapters in that night waiting for my daughter at her piano lesson and then picked it up yesterday during my lunch break at work, and again last night... 'til it was finished.

I trust Jamie Carie. Her novels have not yet disappointed me--and Angel's Den is no exception. Within the pages of Angel's Den I found no slugging of plot, no perfect (or perfectly evil) characters, no sermonizing--in other words, nothing to distract me from the artful storytelling I've come to expect from Jamie Carie's novels.

I respect Jamie Carie as an author. She isn't afraid to dig her claws into touchy subjects--a rarity in the CBA (aka Christian) arena of Historical Fiction. In Angel's Den Jamie explores spousal abuse (mental, physical, and sexual) and very clearly depicts the effects of such treatment on the abused. The female protagonist, Emma, is a sympathetic character and the reader aches for her while a deep seed of anger grows against the man who would continue to treat her with such degradation. Ms. Carie doesn't just stop with domestic abuse, however. She delves her characters, both protagonistic and antagonistic, into the realms of deception, adultery, and the desire to commit adultery. She touches on childhood traumas which result in mental fissures, and has her characters experience forgiveness in unconventional ways. Whereas the miracle of forgiveness is often portrayed in glossy, churchy purity within so many CBA novels, Jamie Carie shows the true struggle for her characters as each is faced with the ramifications of forgiveness being offered, refused, given or denied. No one in the story seeks and receives instant forgiveness, which I found refreshing--because forgiveness between human beings is a difficult and imperfect practice of the divine.

Ms. Carie doesn't hesitate to call her "good" characters to the carpet. I like that. My favorite line from the novel, found on page 142 and spoken compassionately by the character of Judge Littleton, reads:

"You might be real surprised how fragile your goodness is."

Now there's some truth we should all be reminded of--regularly; especially when gazing into the lives of those we see as "not good." I love that line.

My one complaint with this novel is the addition of an epilogue. Don't get me wrong: I HEARTILY RECOMMEND THIS TITLE. But... I felt the epilogue was superfluous. Unnecessary. (Like the addition of the word "unnecessary" after "superfluous.")I was completely satisfied with the open-ended hope at the end of chapter thirty-three on page 298. Without the epilogue, I still knew what would happen within the lives of the characters. I may not have known the specifics, such as the timeline of those happenings, but Ms. Carie layered her subplots well enough throughout the novel that I "knew" the epilogue without having to have it spelled out for me in a "7 Years Later" sum-up. The epilogue was... too neat for my personal taste. Feel free to disagree of course, but to have the two main characters sit down on the porch and, through one conversation, tie up every loose end seemed, to me, a tad unbelievable after such a vivid and credible story. I think the flow of the story would have been better served if the book stopped on page 298. That's just me.

Epilogue aside, however, I greatly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone, regardless of their faith affiliation. And isn't that the whole point? Cross the lines. Meet people where they are. Show skeptics that not all people of faith subscribe to the lie of perfection after salvation. Ms. Carie is a talented story weaver--one whose mirror reflects a scene of the past which translates into the addressing of a painful contemporary issue.

Congratulations to Jamie Carie and her most recent triumph, Angel's Den--a novel which takes the reader to some very dark places of the soul. Places where fiction mirrors truth.