My book review of Melinda Curtis’s new title for writers, Frankly My Dear: Creating Unforgettable Characters. This “craft” book on the art of fiction is a unique approach (as far as I’m aware), steeped in current psychology, to instruct, inform, and enable novelists to create believable, unforgettable, and consistent characters whose reactions to conflict ring true to readers. 5 stars!
As you may have guessed by my recent release’s title, Pleasance’s First Love, the story is a Second Chances trope. Come on in and sit a spell while I share a bit about this trope, what it is, and why it’s a favorite among romance readers. First love, second chances. Some romances aren’t meant to be….others will always deserve another chance.
My honest evaluation of Deeanne Gist’s 2013 publication, IT HAPPENED AT THE FAIR, a Christian Historical Romance Novel set in 1893 Chicago’s World Columbian Exhibition. I present my Top 5 reasons for rating this title with 5 stars! Includes public domain photographs of the fair’s buildings, original Ferris Wheel, inside an exhibition hall, and more.
4.5 (out of 5) stars for this nonfiction American history title by Sean McLachlan. I listened to the audio (Audible) version and read the kindle version–both of which are well done and present the legends and factual history surrounding Jesse and Frank James and their association with the Youngers, the James-Younger Gang.
In my opinion, the history was presented fairly, properly documented and researched, and provides amateur historians like me with the foundation necessary to create a frame of reference for the fiction I so enjoy reading. As an author, the short format (just over 2 hours listening time, or 62 print pages with historic photographs) provides the most comprehension for the smallest investment; a win-win offering.
Victorian attitudes, being what they were, separated the sexes. Women should be nurturers, mothers, wives, and homemakers. Men should be protectors, breadwinners, and if either partner in marriage were to engage in business or education, it would be he.
Many single women hoping to find a spouse between 1865 and 1869 attended college. Ambitious women enrolled in schools across the eastern portion of the states were seeking to become doctors, lawyers, and journalists. Unfortunately for these ladies, men viewed female college graduates as poor homemakers, and the few eligible bachelors around kept their distance from educated ladies.
~ Object: Matrimony, The Risky Business of Mail-Order Matchmaking on the Western Frontier, by Chris Enss, p 36
