GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY: Louis Corsair (author of Absolution)

I’m very happy to be here as Bob’s guest! What I wanted to talk about is a subject that becomes all too visible within the first few sentences of my novel, Absolution: The language. Because the protagonist, Raymond Adams, lived in the 1940s he speaks a certain way. Some of you will be reminded of those black and white film delights from the Studio Era of Hollywood, with their sharp dialogue that sometimes sounds funny now--like the way the word “baby” is used in Double Indemnity. One of my test readers pictured Humphrey Bogart whenever Adams said anything.



If you look at newsreels from those days you’ll note that not everyone spoke like the star of a noir film. For stylistic reasons I exaggerated a few components of my character’s speech. So you have an assortment of nouns that not everyone in the 1940s used, like “dame,” which refers to a woman. The intent of this is to bring the character closer to the hardboiled background he comes from. Also, it is thematically relevant.



One of my novel’s themes is that everything in this era is pretending to be something it is not--synthetic fruit flavors, I can’t believe it’s not butter, meat flavoring, serial killers, etc. Since Adams is in this era during the events in the novel, he too is pretending to be something he is not. I won’t give away what that is here.



Altering the language for stylistic reasons is not an uncommon practice. Look at any novel by Mark Twain and you’ll see the narrator’s voice is as much a part of the landscape as are the characters. The technique is meant to give the reader a taste of a place they cannot visit, like England or the American South.



The key is not to overdo it.



This is horribly vague. What I meant is that when using a special dialect to bring to life a character’s speech and internal monologue, it would be problematic to do it in a way that confuses the reader. I know what you’re thinking, because I’m thinking it too: How can you possibly know what is going to confuse every reader on the planet? You can’t. I sure can’t.



Let me try again. There is no simple rule of thumb--no catchy phrase--or shortcut that will help the writer determine how much is too much. And if you hear someone tell you that there is one, you should run. It is a lie. Writer-instinct has to guide you while you write. The only way to develop this instinct is to read other works of fiction, better if they are similar to your novel or short story. There are other things that help too. That’s why test readers come in handy, but they are limited--there is no clear representation for an entire nation of readers.



My approach was to flower the First Person narration with tidbits that are recognizable as 1940s speech. He’ll call someone a sap or threaten to let his friend squirt led pills on you (shoot you with his gun) or dismiss you by calling you “kid.” I was also careful not to include modern speech.



Nothing kills a period piece like reading a character use a modern expression like, get a life or talk to the hand. Since Detective Adams is a walking period piece, it would have been awkward for him to say something like “I got this” or “shit happens.”



This is an enormous effort. It makes sense for me to have made some mistakes along the way. You’ll forgive those, I’m sure. The intent was to execute what I described above.



You’ll forgive me, right?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Louis Corsair is an eight year veteran of the United States Army. Currently, he lives in Los Angeles, CA and attends Long Beach State University. He also works at the Peninsula Center Library in Palos Verdes, where books have become his family. To him, writing is more than a hobby or a passion; it is the only way to exist—at times life itself.

The idea for Absolution came to him after watching news of a murdered Adult film actor in Hollywood.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Absolution by Louis Corsair:



In 1947, a gangster murders private investigator Raymond Adams. In 2011, he's brought back to life for 24 hours to solve the supernatural murder of a Hollywood Adult film star.



When the son of a Pit Lord is murdered in Hollywood, the celestial beings in charge of the Four Realms ask Raymond Adams to figure who did it and find the victim's missing soul. Without memories of his life, he accepts the case to gain eternal peace. But the job is daunting:



24 hours to nab a killer...

24 hours to find a missing soul...

24 hours to unravel the victim's exotic private life...

24 hours to stop a plot to send the universe into chaos...



With only the help of a possessed cop and a medium, Adams must trek through a Hollywood underground filled with pornography, prostitutes, the homeless, and sadists, along with supernatural monsters. But can he solve the case when his own haunting memories keep surfacing, telling him exactly what kind of man he was in life?

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TOUR AND GIVEAWAY:

Be sure to stop back later this morning when I post my review of Absolution. In the meantime, don't forget to check out the details of where Louis will be next . . . and be sure to enter the GIVEAWAY for a paperback of Absolution, a keychain, a bookmark, a magnet, a hat, a magnifying glass, and a pair of shades.

Oh, and don't forget - Absolution is only $0.99/£0.77 for as long as the tour lasts, so get your copy today!

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eBook Review: Absolution by Louis Corsair

Louis Corsair's Absolution is an unusual novel, a 1940s pulp detective novel, transported to present day LA, and coloured with the trappings of an urban fantasy. It's an awkward mingling of genres that shouldn't work, but which he manages to pull off.



The story starts with a bang - literally - as Raymond Adams is shot dead in an investigation gone wrong. From there we're transported to a kind of limbo, complete with a supernatural attendant, before he's called upon to make a temporary return to the land of the living in order to investigate a supernatural death.



If I had one problem with the novel, it's that the mythology behind the tale (which is pretty heavy) is simply dropped on the reader. As a reader whose knowledge of all things spiritual pretty much begins with Dawkins and ends with Hitchens, I'm not sure how much of the mythology is canonical and how much is imagined, but I definitely felt lost for the first few chapters. Corsair offers enough tidbits for the reader to get by, but I do wonder if perhaps I missed something.



That one quibble aside, this is a story that works very well. There's just enough culture shock for Adams to ring true, without being too comical, and his deadpan gumshoe narration comes across as authentic. The range of characters is just as unsavoury as you'd expect from such a tale, complete with the proverbial stripper with a heart of gold to keep the detective on track. Jenn was definitely an interesting character, one who seemed to go along with all the weirdness a bit to easily, but who does get her WTF moment later on.



This is a genuine whodunit, an old fashioned mystery that keeps you guessing. The twists and turns are genuine ones, honestly presented to the reader as Adams comes in contact with them. There's no feeling that the author is holding back or cheating the reader, and the joy of working the case alongside Adams keeps the story going.



While there are some horrific moments, and some instances of questionable morals, Corsair is generally content to show and not tell. He's economical with his words, never wasting the narration on details that are not integral to the plot . . . or of interest to Adams.



All-in-all, an unusual novel that works better than I expected.

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The Insecure Writer's Support Group - June Edition

The Insecure Writer's Support Group in a once-monthly blog hop hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh. The idea is to provide authors with an avenue to share their doubts and concerns, and to offer one another encouragement and guidance. Every first Wednesday of the month we gather to connect with one another and share our insecurities.



My insecurity this month is entirely a vanity issue, but it does have far-reaching implications . . . and they are what, all too often, distract me from actually writing. It's all about names - real names, nicknames, and pen-names.



Under which name do I submit my manuscript?



To what name do I want to assign a legacy . . . be it good or bad?



Does the comfort of anonymity outweigh the pride of recognition?



Is it better to be freed from my inhibitions, or restrained within my better judgement?



Like I said, it's completely a vanity issue, but the implications and repercussions are forever. Part of me wants to publish under my real name and let friends, colleagues, family members do a double-take when they see the name on the shelves. I want them to wonder if it's really me, to buy it just in case it is, and then to reach out and let me know what they think. I want that recognition, that validation, and that acclaim.



On the other hand, part of me worries about what people might think. I wonder if they're going to read too much into the story or the characters and make assumptions about me. I don't want to have to face the awkward questions about why I wrote a character a certain way, why I adopted a certain theme . . . or just what the hell I was thinking when I wrote that!



For me, writing is an exercise in imagination, a complete and utter break from reality where I can tell whatever story I want, about whatever characters I want. I've written protagonists I would never want to meet in real life, and I've written villains that I take a guilty pleasure in admiring. I've written relationships that have completely shocked me, and I've written scenes that please me every time I reread them.



Yet, whenever I start thinking of the name issue, I find myself either becoming uncomfortably restrained, afraid to express what the story needs, or gleefully crossing all lines of good taste and propriety, simply because I can.



I keep telling myself to just finish the damn manuscript and think names later, but that little nagging doubt, that unanswerable question, seems to raise its head at the worst possible moments. One day I'm sure I'll get past it, make a decision, and then laugh at myself for every being so insecure . . . at least, I hope so. :)

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Waiting On Wednesday: Dark Currents by Jacqueline Carey

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Dark Currents by Jacqueline Carey



Jacqueline Carey, New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Kushiel’s Legacy novels, presents an all-new world featuring a woman caught between the normal and paranormal worlds, while enforcing order in both. Introducing Daisy Johanssen, reluctant hell-spawn… 



The Midwestern resort town of Pemkowet boasts a diverse population: eccentric locals, wealthy summer people, and tourists by the busload; not to mention fairies, sprites, vampires, naiads, ogres and a whole host of eldritch folk, presided over by Hel, a reclusive Norse goddess. 



To Daisy Johanssen, fathered by an incubus and raised by a single mother, it’s home. And as Hel’s enforcer and the designated liaison to the Pemkowet Police Department, it’s up to her to ensure relations between the mundane and eldritch communities run smoothly. 



But when a young man from a nearby college drowns—and signs point to eldritch involvement—the town’s booming paranormal tourism trade is at stake. Teamed up with her childhood crush, Officer Cody Fairfax, a sexy werewolf on the down-low, Daisy must solve the crime—and keep a tight rein on the darker side of her nature. For if she’s ever tempted to invoke her demonic birthright, it could accidentally unleash nothing less than Armageddon. (October 2, 2012)





I'm not generally a huge fan of urban fantasy, but I do like Carey's style very much, so I'll definitely be giving this one a shot.

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GUEST POST: Dance, Monkey, Dance by Keira Michelle Telford

Inspiration: where do you get yours? I used to joke that I had a monkey who would dance for me when I was feeling creatively deadlocked. Of course, that’s not true. Monkeys have a tendency to throw their feces at you, and that’s just not something I need in my life right now. I already have an incontinent guinea pig, and there’s nothing particularly inspirational about that.



So, instead of employing a monkey to entertain me, I try to find inspiration in more every day things. Like: movies, TV, music, and books. Quite simply, appreciating the art of others inspires me to work on my own art—The SILVER Series: a ten-book, dystopian adventure series, chronicling the (fictional) life of Ella ‘Silver’ Cross.



I watch several movies a month, have a handful of TV must-sees always scheduled on my PVR, and I listen to music while I write. But since I spend so much of my time writing, I don’t get a lot of opportunity to read. Like many other writers I’ve spoken to, I don’t like to read while I’m in the midst of writing a book in case I become too influenced by the work. Despite that, over the years, I’ve acquired a few solid favorites. In no particular order, here are my top five:





Fyodor Dostoevsky – Crime & Punishment

Justifiable homicide is a central theme in this book, and it’s one that I’ve explored myself in The SILVER Series. It’s a tough read, I’ll admit. The language is formal, and won’t be to everyone’s taste, but it’s a well-spun tale of murder, guilt, and internal torment. Some of Silver’s experiences might well be compared to those of Raskolnikov, Crime & Punishment’s morally-distressed protagonist. In Acheron, Maydevine convinces Silver that murder can be justifiable. In The Lost & Damned, she puts that to the test when she sets her mind to kill the city’s corrupt Governor. In A New Age Dawns, she might just go too far.





Dante Alighieri – The Divine Comedy 

To be fair, Inferno is my favorite part of this book. I don’t care so much for Purgatory or Paradise. The nine circles of hell fascinate me. In fact, references to Inferno can be found scattered throughout my work, not least of which is in the title of my first novel—Acheron. The river of pain leads to hell, and after traversing it, Virgil leads Dante on a tour of hell’s nine circles: Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Heresy, Violence, Fraud, and Treachery. This latter circle, the deepest in hell and reserved for traitors, plays an ongoing—albeit subtle—part in my work. When we first meet Silver, she’s just been banished for treason. That makes her a traitor, and would relegate her to the ninth circle. Links back to this—and to Inferno in general—can be found in chapter headings, dialogue, and even in the book’s epigram. And no, that’s not a typo in Maydevine’s last line of dialogue at the end of chapter ten...





Emilie Autumn – The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls

A self-pressed, semi-autobiographical novel by the Victoriandustrial musician, Emilie Autumn. It’s kind of graphic and brutal in a here’s-my-bleeding-heart sort of way. It deals with issues like bi-polar disorder, suicide, self-harm, sexual abuse, and rape. It’s dark, gritty, and pulls no punches in its vivid depictions of mental illness. Emilie Autumn might not be the most sophisticated writer, but you won’t really notice the weaknesses in her punctuation because you’ll be too absorbed in the horrors of her life. The book is littered with song lyrics, diary excerpts, and pictures—illustrations by EA herself, and photographs. It’s a fascinating read, and you might be disturbed to learn just how little the mental health system has changed from the Victorian era up till now. And, in the end, that’s her point.





Richard Dawkins – The God Delusion

This is the only non-fiction entry on my list. What I love about Richard Dawkins, is that he explains science in a way that makes it palatable for the masses. Even a layperson is able to digest the science of evolution, natural selection, and other biological processes, through his detailed explanations of them. I love science, and I fail to understand how any person living in the modern age can refute it. And since science (particularly biology) plays a huge part in my work, I make it my business to read as many of these books as possible. I’m still struggling with string theory, though. And the concept of non-linear time is still a hard one for me to grasp. However, the instant I learned that a single electron can be in two places at the same time (bi-location), and that it’s scientifically plausible that, at any given moment, you are simultaneously everywhere you could possibly be... well, let’s just say that it opened up a whole new world of possibilities for the future of The SILVER Series. Quite literally.





Samuel Beckett – Waiting for Godot

I don’t know if this technically counts as a book, since it’s a play, but when I first found out about it, I read it in book format. I still have it on my bookshelf. It’s personal to me because it reminds me of a time in my life when I was living in rural Wales with my father. I was sixteen years old, and our daily life bore a striking resemblance to the perpetual routine of nothingness endured by Dede and Gogo on that desolate mountaintop. For me, Waiting for Godot perfectly encapsulates the futility of our existence. You can’t make sense of it, because there’s no sense to be made. It brings to my mind the last lines from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, written by Richard O’Brien: “And crawling on the planet’s face, some insects called the human race. Lost in time, and lost in space. And meaning.”.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born and raised in Britain, Keira moved to British Columbia, Canada in 2006. She now shares a townhouse on the west coast with her husband and 9 guinea pigs, yes 9 guinea pigs.



Author of the post-apocalyptic romance novels called Silver.



The world might end, but love endures.



Visit Keira's websites at:

E-Mail: km_telford@yahoo.com

Website: www.keiramichelle.com

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

SILVER: Acheron (A River of Pain) by Keira Michelle Telford



Dishonorably discharged from the Hunter Division and banished for crimes she did not commit, Silver struggles to come to terms with her new prison-like surroundings: a segregated area of the city called the Fringe District, populated by murderers, thieves and rapists. 



Starving, and desperate for money, she reluctantly accepts the Police Division's invitation to enroll in a covert Bounty Hunter program: an initiative devised to infiltrate the criminal underworld of the Fringers, and to force the very worst warrant dodging law-breakers to meet their fate—death.



Unfortunately, Silver doesn't realize that the Police Division is about to up the ante. They need more than little snippets of information and arrests—they need someone to pull the trigger.



They need an executioner.

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Don't forget to check out the details of where Keira will be next.

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LAUNCH & GIVEAWAY: Kingdom by Anderson O’Donnell

Welcome to day one of Anderson O’Donnell’s “Kingdom” blog
tour!

First off, I want to thank each and every blogger who graciously
agreed to join the tour. And a special thank you to Hannah Richardson for
helping me organize this tour—she has been tremendous.

Now, about the tour itself: Beginning today, and running
through July 3rd, the Kingdom blog tour will feature reviews, interviews, guest
posts, giveaways, and a few other surprises—including an international
contest to win a Kindle Fire.

The blog tour is being conduced to promote Kingdom, a
dystopian, biopunk-thriller, and the first part of the Tiber City Trilogy.

Most people are familiar with the term “cyberpunk,” but
“biopunk” is harder to nail down. In many ways, biopunk is similar to the
cyberpunk genre, and shares many of the same themes and archetypes: the
dystopian future; the overreliance on technology; mega-corporations; a constant
and overwhelming flow of data; the anti-hero—these elements are integral parts
of both genres. And both genres are fueled, to some extent, by the sense of
rebellion and desire for individual freedom expressed by the original punk rock
revolution. But the main difference—the most important difference—is that while
cyberpunk focuses on invasive technological modification of the human body,
biopunk explores the dehumanizing consequences of biological modification, of
re-arranging our DNA in the pursuit of perfection.

And it’s these consequences that fuel the action in Kingdom.

Here’s a brief introduction to Kingdom: 

            In
a secret laboratory hidden under the desert, a covert bioengineering         project—codename “Exodus”—has discovered
the gene responsible for the             human
soul.

            Somewhere
in the neon sprawl outside the nation’s collapsing economic core,          a group of renegade monks are on the
verge of uncovering a secret that has        eluded
mankind for centuries.

            In
a glittering tower high above the urban decay, an ascendant U.S. Senator is           found dead—an apparent, yet
inexplicable, suicide.

            And
in the streets below, a young man races through an ultra modern            metropolis on the verge of a violent
revolution...closing in on the terrible             truth
behind Exodus—and one man’s dark vision for the future of mankind.

            Welcome
to Tiber City.

If you’re intrigued, you can grab a copy of Kingdom (paperback or Kindle format) over at Amazon. Or, if you’re still on the fence,
check out the first four chapters at my website, Tiber City Noir.

And, if you’re interested in entering the Tiber City Kindle
Fire Giveaway, you can enter the contest through the widget on the sites
hosting this tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks again for checking out the Kingdom blog tour.

Cheers,

Anderson

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Stacking The Shelves and Mailbox Monday

Stacking The Shelves is a new weekly meme being hosted by Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you've added to your shelves - physical and virtual, borrowed and bought. Mailbox Monday, meanwhile, is a similar meme being hosted by Sassy Brit at Alternate-Read.com this month (check out the Mailbox Monday blog to see who's hosting next month).

This weekend we went on a road trip to a few used bookstores we hadn't visited in a while. Managed to find a few hidden treasures that I'd been hunting for a while.

Beyond Rejection by Justin Leiber

Twilight of the Empire by Simon R. Green

Well of Darkness by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman

How about you . . . what did add to the shelves this week?

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