Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? I’m still waiting to hear from Medicaid about whether I’m still cripple and poor enough. Otherwise, I’m just super tired. So, today’s post is just a list of books I actually enjoyed reading this summer (June through August) in no particular order.
1. Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto. It was quick and fun. I figured it out pretty quick, but still enjoyed the story.
2. The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World by J. R. Dawson. You can see why here.
3. Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao. It was a bit different from what I usually read and I found it really enjoyable. A bit sad, but ultimately a happy-ish ending.
4. When the Tides Held the Moon by Vanessa Vida Kelley. Super predictable, but fun. The representation in this book is fairly stereotyped, so if you’re sensitive to stuff like that, be aware. Otherwise, it’s a fun merperson story.
5. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. J. Klune. Yes, yes, just yes. Go read it and the sequel. I love them both.
Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? I’m fine, just annoyed. On Friday, the Medicaid people sent one of their fearmongering letters saying they never received my renewal application (the one that was sent July 17th that they confirmed they got when I called on August 4th just to make sure they got it) and if I didn’t submit everything within 5 days, I’d be booted off. Five days and it’s a freaking 3 day weekend. So, I called on Friday and was told they had everything except the signature page, please just send that ASAP. Sent it right away. Called Tuesday to confirm they received it. They did. Everything is under review and now I get to keep waiting. They don’t have any ridiculous deadlines with serious threats to get back to me, though. Like, why can’t I get a response in 5 days or they lose their insurance? Anyway. It’s late, so I figured I’d give you a brief review of The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World by J. R. Dawson since I finished it! Why a quick one? Because I’m biased and therefore don’t give full reviews on books by friends.
Plot: it’s a take on Orpheus, but it’s kind of like there are three very different versions of the myth happening at once. Charlie and Sam, Nera and Charlie, and the Keeper and the thing in the dark. All three storylines have echoes of Orpheus and Eurydice in them, which is cool. Plus, there are doggies! So many puppers to cuddle. That alone makes this a great book in my opinion.
Characters: love, love, love Nera. Especially at the end when she has grown strong enough to put her own needs first instead of trying to cater to everyone else. Charlie is a lot, but given what she’s been through, that’s to be expected. All of the older people suck, but I think they’re supposed to. If they were well-adjusted individuals with healthy coping strategies, chances are Nera and Charlie would have those traits, then there wouldn’t be a story. The doggos are still the bestest part of the book!
Writing: the flow is really nice and I love how the remnants sections break things up. They provide a respite from the heaviness that comes with stories about grief and loss.
Overall, I gave The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World 5 out of 5 stars. Definitely recommend it if you’re into Greek mythology, enjoy stories about the journey through grief, or just REALLY like dogs like me.
Hello, hello! How’s everyone this lovely Wednesday? I’m still playing the waiting game. I’m also tired and generally blah, so this is a quick post to let you know that J.R. Dawson did it again! The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World was released at the end of July! I bought a hard copy because it’s so pretty! I also bought the ebook because it’s easier for me to read that way. But I definitely recommend a hard copy because the book cover deserves to be admired as it was meant to be. Anyway, I’m only a quarter of the way through and I’m loving it. I’ll probably end up doing a brief review when I’m done. I’m so happy for J.R. and her books!
Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing this wonderful Wednesday? Things here are fine. Mardi got groomed yesterday, so she’s a new pupper. That’s about all the interesting stuff going on right now. Anyway, I thought I would continue in the same vein as last week by sharing 5 more women authors. The only difference is that I am acquainted with these people. So, shameless friend/mentor promotion!
1. Nancy Holder. She doesn’t really need an introduction. Aside from being an amazing human being and writer, she’s an awesome mentor.
2. J.R. Dawson. Another wonderful human being and fabulous writer. She also encourages my love of demons with a twist. And my love of villains in general. And there’s the fact that we torture each other with FMA memes. I think I’ll keep her.
3. Renee S. DeCamillis. A fellow Capricorn and lover of sharp pointy things. She writes horror as well! This is a picture of her upcoming book. You should follow her for more information about it.
4. Theodora Goss. Another mentor and awesome writer. Along with some of my favorite novels, she also writes beautiful poetry.
5. R.M. Romero. A lovely person and wonderful writer. On top of gorgeous stories, her book covers are always entrancing.
Feel free to share your lovely lady authors here or on my social media pages! I’ll be back next week with the monthly book review.
Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this first Wednesday of August? It’s hot, so Dad has been lazy and watching TV. Since I have very little will power, that means I have also been lazy and watching TV. Though I did recently finish a beat sheet (Save the Cat! style) for the unnamed cozy mystery (the winner of the poll from a few weeks ago), so I’m going to start writing again. Soon. Anyway, it’s late as I’m writing this, so I decided to do a mini-review of J. R. Dawson’s The First Bright Thing. I don’t usually review the books of people I know (because bias), but I sincerely enjoyed this one so much that I decided a small review sans spoilers wouldn’t hurt.
Plot: the beginning is kind of a slow burn, but seeing the life of the circus and getting to know the characters makes it worth the wait. I loved the intertwining timelines and how the focus starts super wide, but gradually narrows down. It highlights the idea that if you focus on too much at once, you miss the chance to change the little things. And little things can have the biggest impact. It’s also cool how everything comes full circle in the end.
Characters: there are cripple characters! And not token cripples there to tug on heartstrings. They just exist. Like people. It’s cool. Rin is even disabled in a way. But aside from that, the main characters are all fleshed out and interesting. As a lover of villains, I admit I’m partial to the Circus King. He’s a jackass and not good despite what he thinks, but I still want to hug him and squeeze him until all his insides are squished together. And no, I don’t know why I’m like this.
Writing: I love how Dawson incorporates details about the circus and theater and Jewish life in this book. I learned quite a bit and nothing felt like an info dump. It flowed naturally, which I appreciate.
Overall, I gave The First Bright Thing 5 out of 5 stars. That’s rare, even for books by friends (maybe I’m a little harsh). But this one just gave me all the right feels. Now that I’ve read it, I can confidently say that if you like fantasy, circuses, and/or found family stories, you should try this one.
Howdy, howdy! Today, we’re interrupting our regularly scheduled programming to shamelessly promote my friend/fellow Stonecoast alum, J. R. Dawson! Yesterday (06/13), her book, The First Bright Thing, was released by Tor. I’m super excited for her, so I wanted to let my little part of the world know that this book exists and you should buy it. I’m currently only two chapters in, but I’m loving the atmosphere and characters so far. I’m so proud of you, J. R.! As far as where everyone can get the book, obvious choices include Amazon and Barnes & Noble, but also check out your local bookstores and libraries. You can find J. R.’s website here with access to her social media and information about tour dates, etc. And you can add the book to your GoodReads here. Go! Get the thing!
Blurb:
If you knew how dark tomorrow would be, what would you do with today?
The First Bright Thing by J. R. Dawson is a spellbinding debut for fans of The Night Circus and The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue.
Welcome to the Circus of the Fantasticals.
Ringmaster – Rin, to those who know her best – can jump to different moments in time as easily as her wife, Odette, soars from bar to bar on the trapeze. With the scars of World War I feeling more distant as the years pass, Rin is focusing on the brighter things in life. Like the circus she’s built and the magical misfits and outcasts – known as Sparks – who’ve made it their home. Every night, Rin and the Fantasticals enchant a Big Top packed full with audiences who need to see the impossible.
But while the present is bright, threats come at Rin from the past and the future. The future holds an impending war that the Sparks can see barrelling toward their Big Top and everyone in it. And Rin’s past creeps closer every day, a malevolent shadow Rin can’t fully escape. It takes the form of another Spark circus, with tents as black as midnight and a ringmaster who rules over his troupe with a dangerous power. Rin’s circus has something he wants, and he won’t stop until it’s his.
Hello, hello! Welcome to the year’s final guest post. This month, we have my friend and fellow Stonecoast alum, J. R. Dawson. In the following post, she discusses the importance of support and being believed in. It’s pretty awesome. Read on!
The lovely J. R. Dawson!
Marriage and Writing
When Shawna asked me to do a blog on her site, I didn’t know what I was going to write about. And then I got sick. And then the deadline came and I was sick and didn’t know what I was going to write about. I assumed I’d end up doing some kind of intro or motivational piece about how to keep on keepin’ on. But then I realized there was something I’d heard discussed a lot, had experienced myself, and had never really seen a blog post about.
I think it’s been simmering since I spoke to a beginning writer a year ago and he mentioned that his wife doesn’t believe in him. She bemuses the fact that he wants to write, but she doesn’t support him. It doesn’t pay the bills, it’s so hard to break through, and she didn’t think he was very good.
“Can you give me something to tell my wife so she won’t think I’m hopeless?” he said. “What can I tell her?”
And I said, “Tell her to support you.”
Spouses or partners don’t have to be writers, they don’t even have to like your writing, but if writing is your jam and it’s what you do, then what sort of partner isn’t going to back you up?
It seems like such a superficial fact, or maybe it’s giving too much power to this dude’s wife. But for real, if she’s not supporting him in this, what exactly is she supporting him in? It’s total disrespect to look at the person you’re supposed to love and say, “I don’t believe in you.”
Do you absolutely need a partner to succeed? Absolutely not. One of the most successful writers I’ve gotten to work with is a single mother. Some people purposefully do not want a partner, let alone a spouse. But for those of us who do enter into a pair, that other person has got to be behind us.
My past relationships are riddled with non-writers who thought I should give up, or writers who were in constant and violent competition with me.
Then eight years ago, I met my spouse.
He isn’t a writer (although he’s very talented and I think of him as one, he’s off doing other things). He didn’t necessarily love books when we met. And sometimes we argue over my descriptive style when he wants more active (and grammatically correct) scenes. But he has supported me emotionally the entire way.
Actually, the short story “Marley and Marley” came from him literally jumping into my writing room every ten minutes going, “Keep going! You can do it! This story is important!” My latest publication, “When We Flew Together Through the Ice,” was resurrected from an early grave because he believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself.
If writing is my heart, and my partner is supposed to love the deepest parts of me, how would he not love my act of writing?
When he proposed, I literally said to him, “This is not going away. I will always have one foot in our life and one foot in whatever project I’m working on.”
And he wholeheartedly agreed. “And so will I,” he said.
Could I still be a writer without him? Of course. But if I’m going to be with someone, that someone better damn well be with me. All of me.
And does that mean he has to be completely devoted to every move I make with pom poms ready at the go? No. But he can’t tell me, “I don’t believe you’re going to make it.”
My heart broke for the dude with the wife who said such a thing. I hope they figure out their business.
But I guess what I wanted to say, in this here blog, is that you as an artist need to surround yourself with people who will raise you up. And if someone is too close and is pulling you down, you deserve better.
We all deserve to be believed in.
J.R. Dawson holds her MFA from Stonecoast. She is an Active Member of SFWA and Codex. Living in Omaha, NE, with her pupper and husband, she enjoys working as a freelance teaching artist, writing science fiction adventures, and traveling to Disney World. Her short story “Marley and Marley” was in Rich Horton’s The Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2018, and her new story, “When We Flew Together Through the Ice,” is in the November/December 2018 issue of F&SF.
Shawna's Blog of Doom 