by Jason Joyner | Jul 18, 2008 | Blog, fiction, reading, writing craft
Writers are well aware of the importance of first lines. If a reader can open your book and be hooked by the first line or the first paragraph, you’ve baited the hook very well. I’m reading Sol Stein’s Stein on Writing, and his first major chapter after the introduction deals with the critical nature of first lines.
I am also finishing up Try Darkness by James Scott Bell (stick around for my review next week). I think it has the best opening line I’ve read in a looooong time:
“The nun hit me in the mouth and said, ‘Get out of my house.'”
by Jason Joyner | Jul 10, 2008 | Blog, CFBA, fiction, reviews
The CFBA tour is highlighting the latest book from adventure writer Tom Morrisey, entitled Wind River.
The Wind River mountain range in western Wyoming is known for its wild beauty and abundant fishing. It is figuratively and literally a world away from Iraq. Ex-marine Ty Perkins returns to this wilderness paradise to escape demons from the Iraq war. He also returns to fulfill a promise to 86-year-old Soren Andeman, the older man who took him fishing when his own dad was dying.
Ty doesn’t realize that deadly secrets can be hidden in the idyllic scenery of the Wind River range, and as he helps a weakening Soren, he finds that “you can’t outrun the sins of the past.”
—
Tom Morrisey has excellent credentials for writing about adventure, the outdoors, and sportsmen. He is a mountaineer, aviator, shipwreck diver, and explorer, who holds a Full Cave certification from the National Speleological Society – Cave Diving Section. He writes for several travel/adventure magazines as well.
His first novels tapped into this wealth of knowledge. They were straight forward adventure and suspense novels involving diving and other adrenaline-laced activities. Then he took a turn with his last novel, In High Places (with my review here), using his experience of climbing as the setting for a tale of the heart; a relationship between a father and son.
Wind River continues this new direction, spinning a tale of forgiveness, confession, and justice to the tune of peaceful mountain lakes and the camaraderie of fly fishing between an old man and his protege. Morrisey skillfully combines his vast knowledge of the outdoors with a touching tale of relationship and even deeper themes to ponder.
Young ex-marine Ty Perkins struggles with consequences from his time in Iraq, even to the point of shunning his wife Angela. Some of the emotion conveyed here is very well written, portraying real life in a way that maintains a dignity about it. The struggles of Soren Andeman, a mountaineer who pioneered trails all over the Wind River range and who is now fighting is aging body for one last trip, is also deeply felt. The characters are deep pools for reflection and highly enjoyable.
Any fan of fly-fishing should delight in Morrisey’s care with details. The reader sees his extensive knowledge shine through, without losing anyone with too much detail. I live a few hundred miles from the setting of the book, and I can attest to his great touch in using the setting effectively in the story.
There were two aspects that caught my attention as drawbacks. The back cover paints a more suspenseful picture than the book actually gives. The blurb makes the book seem like it was more of a cross between his earlier pure suspense work and In High Places. It actually falls firmly in the shadow of High Places, which is not a bad thing at all, but I expected a little more jeopardy through the book. Morrisey does very well with the emotional suspense, but it isn’t as adrenaline fueled as I thought. There’s also a little letdown with some characters that are introduced for potential conflict that seem to fade away later in the book. I expected a little more out of them.
This is an excellent summer read, perfect for reading while cooling feet in a mountain stream or imagining you were there while on a noisy commute. Tom Morrisey is proving to be a writer of the heart as well as building quality suspense in the context of outdoor adventure. He is a writer that fans of fiction, both men and women, should pick up.
by Jason Joyner | Jul 10, 2008 | Blog, CFBA, fiction, reviews
The CFBA tour is highlighting the latest book from adventure writer Tom Morrisey, entitled Wind River.
The Wind River mountain range in western Wyoming is known for its wild beauty and abundant fishing. It is figuratively and literally a world away from Iraq. Ex-marine Ty Perkins returns to this wilderness paradise to escape demons from the Iraq war. He also returns to fulfill a promise to 86-year-old Soren Andeman, the older man who took him fishing when his own dad was dying.
Ty doesn’t realize that deadly secrets can be hidden in the idyllic scenery of the Wind River range, and as he helps a weakening Soren, he finds that “you can’t outrun the sins of the past.”
—
Tom Morrisey has excellent credentials for writing about adventure, the outdoors, and sportsmen. He is a mountaineer, aviator, shipwreck diver, and explorer, who holds a Full Cave certification from the National Speleological Society – Cave Diving Section. He writes for several travel/adventure magazines as well.
His first novels tapped into this wealth of knowledge. They were straight forward adventure and suspense novels involving diving and other adrenaline-laced activities. Then he took a turn with his last novel, In High Places (with my review here), using his experience of climbing as the setting for a tale of the heart; a relationship between a father and son.
Wind River continues this new direction, spinning a tale of forgiveness, confession, and justice to the tune of peaceful mountain lakes and the camaraderie of fly fishing between an old man and his protege. Morrisey skillfully combines his vast knowledge of the outdoors with a touching tale of relationship and even deeper themes to ponder.
Young ex-marine Ty Perkins struggles with consequences from his time in Iraq, even to the point of shunning his wife Angela. Some of the emotion conveyed here is very well written, portraying real life in a way that maintains a dignity about it. The struggles of Soren Andeman, a mountaineer who pioneered trails all over the Wind River range and who is now fighting is aging body for one last trip, is also deeply felt. The characters are deep pools for reflection and highly enjoyable.
Any fan of fly-fishing should delight in Morrisey’s care with details. The reader sees his extensive knowledge shine through, without losing anyone with too much detail. I live a few hundred miles from the setting of the book, and I can attest to his great touch in using the setting effectively in the story.
There were two aspects that caught my attention as drawbacks. The back cover paints a more suspenseful picture than the book actually gives. The blurb makes the book seem like it was more of a cross between his earlier pure suspense work and In High Places. It actually falls firmly in the shadow of High Places, which is not a bad thing at all, but I expected a little more jeopardy through the book. Morrisey does very well with the emotional suspense, but it isn’t as adrenaline fueled as I thought. There’s also a little letdown with some characters that are introduced for potential conflict that seem to fade away later in the book. I expected a little more out of them.
This is an excellent summer read, perfect for reading while cooling feet in a mountain stream or imagining you were there while on a noisy commute. Tom Morrisey is proving to be a writer of the heart as well as building quality suspense in the context of outdoor adventure. He is a writer that fans of fiction, both men and women, should pick up.
by Jason Joyner | Jul 7, 2008 | arts, Blog, CBA, CFBA, christian fiction
Welcome to a new week!
There’s a great way to start the new week off right as well, if you’re a fan of Christian fiction. I’ve been a member of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for 2 years now, and it has grown tremendously. There are books reviewed twice a week (not always here, of course), and there is a large community that talks about the latest in Christian fiction.
Now there’s been a new expansion that is quite remarkable. The leaders of CFBA have started the Christian Fiction Online Magazine. I knew this was coming for a little while, but I didn’t appreciate how much they had managed to put into this work. It is very impressive. From a cover story interview with Robert Liparulo to columns of fiction craft by Brandilyn Collins and funny stuff from Randy Ingermanson and Kristin Billerbeck, it is packed with content. You can browse in an alliterative delight, with categories of “Best,” “Buzz,” “Bizarre,” and “Biz” awaiting you.
So if you enjoy reading good fiction or are interested in writing yourself and want an online resource, make sure to check out CFOM. The editors have put in a lot of work and it is well worth your time.
by Jason Joyner | Jul 7, 2008 | arts, Blog, CBA, CFBA, christian fiction
Welcome to a new week!
There’s a great way to start the new week off right as well, if you’re a fan of Christian fiction. I’ve been a member of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for 2 years now, and it has grown tremendously. There are books reviewed twice a week (not always here, of course), and there is a large community that talks about the latest in Christian fiction.
Now there’s been a new expansion that is quite remarkable. The leaders of CFBA have started the Christian Fiction Online Magazine. I knew this was coming for a little while, but I didn’t appreciate how much they had managed to put into this work. It is very impressive. From a cover story interview with Robert Liparulo to columns of fiction craft by Brandilyn Collins and funny stuff from Randy Ingermanson and Kristin Billerbeck, it is packed with content. You can browse in an alliterative delight, with categories of “Best,” “Buzz,” “Bizarre,” and “Biz” awaiting you.
So if you enjoy reading good fiction or are interested in writing yourself and want an online resource, make sure to check out CFOM. The editors have put in a lot of work and it is well worth your time.
by Jason Joyner | Jul 4, 2008 | Blog, writing craft
As I was reviewing (yet again) some of my work, I saw with fresh eyes that there were certain phrases or words that I liked to use. I know everyone does this, and it is always something to work on as a writer. I came up with a little trick to help me with words I overuse.
For example, I found I was using flooded a lot. So I looked up Merrian Webster’s free thesaurus online (easily found at www.m-w.com). They list the meaning and synonyms and related words. I just cut and past the last two sections, like so:
Synonyms: deluge, drown, engulf, inundate, overflow, overwhelm, submerge, submerse, swamp
Related Words: overcome, overrun; flow, flush, gush, pour, sluice, spout, spurt, stream; douse, drench, soak, wet
I put it next to an spot where I had used flooded. Then all I have to do is use the “find” function with Alt-F to look for flooded or synonym or whatever I want. I’ve found it handy to pull up if I want to use flooded to quickly find another word to use.
Just something I thought might be helpful to someone else. Have fun writing, and have a great Independence Day!
by Jason Joyner | Jul 4, 2008 | Blog, writing craft
As I was reviewing (yet again) some of my work, I saw with fresh eyes that there were certain phrases or words that I liked to use. I know everyone does this, and it is always something to work on as a writer. I came up with a little trick to help me with words I overuse.
For example, I found I was using flooded a lot. So I looked up Merrian Webster’s free thesaurus online (easily found at www.m-w.com). They list the meaning and synonyms and related words. I just cut and past the last two sections, like so:
Synonyms: deluge, drown, engulf, inundate, overflow, overwhelm, submerge, submerse, swamp
Related Words: overcome, overrun; flow, flush, gush, pour, sluice, spout, spurt, stream; douse, drench, soak, wet
I put it next to an spot where I had used flooded. Then all I have to do is use the “find” function with Alt-F to look for flooded or synonym or whatever I want. I’ve found it handy to pull up if I want to use flooded to quickly find another word to use.
Just something I thought might be helpful to someone else. Have fun writing, and have a great Independence Day!
by Jason Joyner | Jun 30, 2008 | Blog, miscellaneous, parenting, praise
I hinted a while back that we are having a special addition in the fall. Here’s the first pictures of the newest member of our family! Aren’t the feet adorable?
We’re very excited. We’ve slowly gotten out of baby mode, so it will be a little challenge to go back into it. We have good helpers though. The boys have also come up with some interesting name suggestions, from “Sonic” to “Snake Eyes” (blame that one on G.I. Joe).
After the ultrasound, people around here were very curious about what we were having, seeing as we have three boys. I was proud to announce that we’re having a human. Of course, ultrasound pictures can sometimes look creepy, but take my word for it.
She is much cuter than the pictures suggest.
by Jason Joyner | Jun 30, 2008 | Blog, miscellaneous, parenting, praise
I hinted a while back that we are having a special addition in the fall. Here’s the first pictures of the newest member of our family! Aren’t the feet adorable?
We’re very excited. We’ve slowly gotten out of baby mode, so it will be a little challenge to go back into it. We have good helpers though. The boys have also come up with some interesting name suggestions, from “Sonic” to “Snake Eyes” (blame that one on G.I. Joe).
After the ultrasound, people around here were very curious about what we were having, seeing as we have three boys. I was proud to announce that we’re having a human. Of course, ultrasound pictures can sometimes look creepy, but take my word for it.
She is much cuter than the pictures suggest.
by Jason Joyner | Jun 26, 2008 | Blog, CSFF, reading, speculative fiction
Hey, it is that time of month again. No, not time to change your air conditioner filter or shave the dog. It is time for the Christian Sci-fi and Fantasy blog tour!
Too bad I goofed this month.
The focus is on Kathryn Mackel’s new book, The Vanished. It is in the Christian Chillers category. Yes, I suppose that is a new category. No, I am not making it up. And I happen to think the name is way cool…
(Anyway)
I thought I had requested a copy or ordered a copy or somesuch. Turns out I didn’t. Bummer. I did enjoy the one book of hers I read for a prior tour, Trackers, (you can read about it here). However, I don’t have any information about the book itself that is original.
Also, usually when I don’t read the book, I highlight other CSFF tour members who have informative posts on it. Well, it seems Becky Miller did that this time. Check out her posts to keep up to date with the best of the tour.
I can offer this teaser from Kathryn’s website, and I invite you to check out my tourmates below. Hopefully I’ll be back on board next month.
After a bomb explodes in a working-class neighborhood of Barcester, Massachusetts, Police sergeant Jason Logan fights to keep order and assist the injured while desperately waiting for aid to arrive. Is the mist from the bomb preventing ambulances and fire trucks from coming in? Or has something far more dire occurred?
As the hours tick by, Logan tracks the terrorist mastermind—whom he learns is not done wreaking havoc. Cut off from modern medical resources, nurse-practitioner Kaya de los Santos treats the injured and soothes the fearful, unaware that her teenaged son Ben is on the run from both the cops and the terrorist.
The vanished begin a battle for survival against enemies they’ve always known—and forces they’ve never even imagined.
Kathryn Mackel is one of the best things to happen to suspense fiction in a long time—and Vanished is her most intense book yet. This book kicks off a series that’s guaranteed to give you hours of white-knuckle reading. —Jim Denney, author of the Timebenders series and Answers to Satisfy the Soul
Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Jackie Castle
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Beth Goddard
Andrea Graham
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Terri Main
Margaret
Shannon McNear
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
John W. Otte
Deena Peterson
Rachelle
Steve Rice
Ashley Rutherford
Mirtika or Mir’s Here
Chawna Schroeder
Stuart Stockton
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Linda Wichman
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise
