Harry Dresden Review

Book Review: Dresden Files

Storm Front is the first in the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher.

Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is a real, honest to god Wizard. He finds lost items, does paranormal investigations, consulting, advice and his rates are reasonable He doesn’t do love potions, endless purses and he doesn’t do parties. But if you’re having a problem with some paranormal stuff like ghosts, vampires and trolls as well as fairies, Dresden’s your man. He charges a reasonable per diem and expenses.

He has a problem with any technology invented since 1940 and has been known to blow up cell phones just by handling them. So, he’s a hands on sort of Wizard who drives a beat up volkswagen around Chicago.

In the first of the series “Storm Front” his Chicago police department liaison calls him to a bloody scene. Not so unusual for Chicago perhaps but in this apartment the two participants in a carnal act are found dead; their hearts removed. But not by a madman with a sharp knife. The hearts had exploded from their hearts, ripped by some external force. Dresden suspects magic and is put on the job.

Bob, the spirit trapped in an ancient skull helps him with research in exchange for a few hours of freedom to float unseen into women’s bedrooms and baths. He’s a bit of a pervert but he does know his mystical stuff and he has a soft spot for Harry.

Not so the White Council; a regulatory commision made up of wizards and other members of the ‘friendly to human’ paranormal community. They watch over events and seem to have it in for Harry. Probably because Harry rarely follows the rules. Which results in a few unpleasant encounters.

Storm Front is the beginning.

Anthology Submission Night Marchers

Night Marchers

Wrote a ghost short story for submission to an anthology I learned about on twitter. I based it on the Hawaiian myth of the Night Marchers.

My daughter loves to listen to podcasts of scary stories so I ran it past her. She liked it and gave me some excellent ideas to improve the story. When I read the new and improved version she agreed I had fixed the issues. Now, when the woman meets her fate the build up is better. I believe the steeping period is over and I’ll go ahead and submit.

She’s still upset about the woman’s fate though. I told her shock has its value.

Agenting

Agenting

Arista Doyle and the Secret of the Bees is my latest focus. I want to have an agent fall in love with it and sign me up for a blockbuster deal. Yeah, I can dream, can’t I?

The book is edited, beta read and out to one last beta reader before I want to send it out into the world. I had sent it out in the late summer and got some response; no requests or offers but a few agents took the time to suggest ways to improve. I’m always open to such suggestions and I took them up on it. Hopefully, their advice will help me in the next round of agenting.

I am growing my following on Facebook and Instagram but Twitter seems to be the best for me. It’s fun and helpful to interact with other writers in an almost instantaneous exchange. Lots of good advice and my following is growing.

Right now I am promoting Eternal Diet and its sequel You Are What You Eat by posting quotes, passages and photos online. Between writing the sequel, promoting everything and keeping up with my social media I am busy! Oh, did I mention a new grandson and another one arriving soon?

My followers are great! And now is the time for me to make the next step up and get into a professional market. Eternal Diet is self published. NTMoH is not quite finished. Arista is my hope now for an agent. Wish me luck. #vampires #urbanfantasy

Writer’s Privilege’s

Authors are allowed to take poetic license. Rules of vampirism are open to interpretation. From a discussion between Gwen, Colin and Luc in Eternal Diet’s sequel “You Are What You Eat.”.

““Looks like a lot of stuff didn’t make it into the lore.” Gwen scoffed. “Maybe we should write a book. ‘The New Rules of Vampirism’ or something like that.””#vampire #writing #urbanfantasy

Review of James Herriot’s Book

Book Review: All Creatures Large and Small

The titles of the series by James Herriot was derived from a hymn by Mrs. Cecil Alexander, which ran: “All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Creatures Great and Small, All Things Wise and Wonderful, The Lord God Made Them All.”

The first book in the series is “All Creatures Great and Small.” 

All Creatures opens in the late 1930s where James Herriot, a newly made Veterinarian from Scotland is traveling to a small town [fictional Darroby] in North Yorkshire for a job interview. As can be expected, and knowing the Depression was only beginning to ebb, getting work in such a career was not easy. Herriot worries that his potential boss, Sigfried Farnon, is a loud suspicious German who will bully and abuse him. Not the case. Siegried is named such because his father was a Wagner fan. Farnon turns out to be quite an affable country Englishman who recently bought the surgery and needs assistance. Herriot gets the job.

Training in Edinburgh did not prepare Herriot for the rigors of large animal practice. Tractors and heavy machinery have not completely replaced the heavy cart horse and livestock’s needs have always been the same. Only the medicines will change. James finds himself rolling around on filthy barn floors with his hands slid inside a variety of animals’ orifices. Cold and dirty work which always seems to occur in the middle of the night.

Still, the absolute beauty of the countryside wins him over and he falls in love with the town, farms and people of Darrowby. His stories resound with his awe of the mountains as he takes small breaks on his rounds to wonder at the scenery. The farmers are, as people are all over, a mix of taciturn to companionable and most are generous and welcoming to the new vet. Many times he finds a rasher of bacon or freshly made bread from the struggling farmers sitting on the passenger seat as he leaves.

James Herriot’s books are a joy and open window into a people and lifestyle that I hope has not completely disappeared.

Eternal Diet Snippet

Gwen Meets Colin

Gonna post a snippet from Eternal Diet today. Gwen has just encountered Colin and asked if he was a vampire.

“You stupid girl!” he hissed. “You stupid, stupid girl!” He pushed her rudely away and stepped back. At five foot two [if she lied about a half inch] Gwen was not the tallest person, and she realized her perception of his height was wrong. He wasn’t so tall at all; he stood a tad under five foot eight. The unicolor black suit and slimness made him appear taller. How come that look doesn’t work for me? His light brown hair parted at the crown had escaped from the ribbon and fell across his face. Craggy cheeks dominated a diamond-shaped face with a razor-thin nose. His lips were curled, and she caught a flash of pristine white but crooked teeth. He stood staring at her, his body trembling, his hands raised as if to ward her off. “Oh, you stupid girl.”

Questions.

People occasionally ask me how I got the idea for Eternal Diet. There IS a story behind it.

For over 20 years I’ve worked in libraries. Sometimes when it got a little boring my coworkers and I would joke about the repetitious covers for certain genres. There is a reason hot, sexy romances are often called “bodice rippers.”

Vampire books are no exception. As we shelved the vampire books we got a laugh out of how many of the covers were depictions of incredibly beautiful and graceful people.

We began to speculate on the reason. Was it that Vampires chose other, beautiful people to turn? Or did an ordinary person become beautiful because of being turned? If so, what happened when something goes wrong, when the new Vampire is not quite up to par?

Enter the concept for Eternal Diet.

Follow me on Facebook and twitter as wbwilson

Moving On

Moving on

Soon I will be leaving North Carolina for the more southern clime of Florida. There I will re charge and save some money for my ultimate move to Hawaii. Had a large moving sale and made a little money. Amazing what people are not willing to pay for!

Anyway. This is at least the third time I have re-defined myself. At 64 I hope Hawaii, with two of my children and grandkids, will be it.