Star Date: November 28th

So...I lied. I highly doubt that I'll have anything new out before the alleged upcoming apocalypse. I'm going to spend some time perfecting my art so that way my next piece of prose will really blow the haters away. I need to pump up my qualities if I'm going to be percieved as a kick a** artist (yes, I consider writing to be art).

In the mean time I'm going to enjoy this barren winter and fantasize about the autumn to come.

End Transmission.

A Thorough Review

Ah Nepotism, it's a beautiful thing.

My father wrote the following review for A Weekend with Friends. It is thorough and honest, and although he is my dad, he wouldn't lie about how he feels. We share a common belief that if you think something is written poorly you shouldn't lie and say that it's just fine because then the writer can't improve.

First of all I noticed the Author’s “Warning”:

• This short story contains material that is not suitable for all ages.
• Reader discretion is advised.
• When a quiet night in with friends results in a group of twenty-something’s playing hide-and-go-seek no one is safe.” 

 

This disclaimer piqued my interest!  After reading the sample page I decided I needed more. Besides, for a dollar, this purchase was bound to be just as entertaining as a RedBox selection, or Netflix pick.  I knew that once I spent my precious coin, there would be no refund. 

I am glad I spent the change.  This short story almost gave me a heart attack! I have paid more to ride roller coasters, and didn’t get as much bang for my buck!  This story scared me… I thought of real life monsters like: Alfred Packer, Jeffrey Dahmer and the “Trenchcoat Mafia” getting together on a Saturday night in the backwoods.  Mix in a bit of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or Behind the Mask and you have a perfect recipe for 16 pages of action packed, gore-house and pulp fiction!!!  The spooky thing is this story could really happen!  I hope no youngster’s get crazy revenge ideas that they can unleash on their classmates.

I loved the twists and turns…initially wondering who is in peril, and how soon?  I was fascinated by the story craft and the lure to keep pace with what was happening. 

The story seems pretty benign until page 6 and then, wow!

I will bet my dollar that most of the harsh critics enjoyed the book until the inexplicable horror and violence began to erupt in the text (page 6).

I was pleasantly surprised by the pace…I can see a movie in my mind.  I liked the details, like the focus on the car, with a nod to Stephen King’s “Christine” (page 2).  This author knows her pop culture!  What about the characters playing the video game “Dance Dance Revolution” as they prepare for violence? I would hate to meet these kids.

This story reads like a screenplay.  I love the power of the female (anti-) heroine! “Madeline felt a little bit of hate well up inside of her. It always pissed her off when girls assumed that she knew nothing about cars (pg 5).”

While reading this “short story,” I am reminded of the heart palpitations I felt when reading Poe: The Tell Tale Heart, or Cask of Amontillado! (I’ll bet Poe was called “sick” in his day, too!)

 

Before you agree with the critics, ask yourself: “Have you seen the movies kids are watching these days: REST STOP, The Strangers, Devils Rejects, or classics like (the original) Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, and Trip with Teacher?”  

This is a short gore house story (not a novel or book, but a “short story”) that only Quentin Tarantino has the right to defame, due to its use of non linear story arcs, honest, gritty brutality and happy endings.

Are these werewolves?  “We’re a wolf pack, taking out weaker species.”(pg 15)

When considering this purchase, realize that young people have moved beyond Laura Ingalls Wilder and on to Freddy Kruger.  Realize “Horror” as a situation that never ends, or having no definite ending.  Recognize “Terror”.  Terror ends, eventually.

I want a sequel!  To dismiss this short story as trash is not to understand literature.  Beyond the gore there exists a rich sentence structure, effective scene elaboration and style of narrative so clear and direct that a reader cannot help but visualize every scene in vivid detail.  Perhaps that is why this young author offends some readers, because the vision is so clear, undaunted and specific that the mind cannot help but feel guilty for enjoying the content!  Which, if you are like most humans you feel guilty and ashamed for enjoying the dark side of life? 

But, the dark side is there. Our youth have seen a greater glorification of violence in the recent few years than ever before.  Thank you to this young author for framing it in a fast paced piece of fiction that I can identify with…no matter how gory.   This is fiction.  If you want to defame violence for violence sake read the news.  If you want a quick trip into the dark, where you can turn the lights on again, read this story!

Within 16 pages, this author has crafted a fast paced, awful situation that seems ripped from the headlines, rather than crafted from innocent ignorance. Indeed there may be a lack of concise skill in narrative, but for a first offering, a short story, this piece of literature shocks like a shot of adrenaline to the heart!

Read it if you dare. But don’t be a fool. This is a GOREHOUSE story, a late night TV screenplay, and a neatly disguised commentary on our current culture from a young point of view.

If you care about one dollar more than you do about a cheap thrill, stay away from this book.

If you are above the age of 50, stick to 50 shades. 

This is a fast paced thrill ride through adolescent angst.  Read it if you dare!

So you decide if you want to read it or not.

Star Date: November 22

Hello to those in the Cyberverse, I realize that I haven't posted for quite some time, but I have been enjoying a long sabatical from being in the "public eye".

One might inquire, "What's new with you, crazy writer girl?" to which I would reply: Not a whole lot. I've been trying to work on my writing, however writer's block is a pain in the neck. I've been dealing with High School-esque drama at work that can only be likened to the mean-ness that occurs in the 1980's classic Heathers. Other than that, I've just been surviving.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

End Transmission.