Listen up!

 It's finally here!

I have been listening to the brilliant rendition of my book The Strange Case of Eliza Doolittle by Peter Noble and I'm just delighted. I hope you will be, as well. This Sherlock Holmes novel available at all the usual suspects, including

Audible

Audiobooks

Amazon

...and other letters of the alphabet.

Review: Wayward Son

 As Chekhov once said, “If you hang a bowling ball on the wall in act one, you should fire it by act three.” Or maybe those aren’t his exact words. But it certainly applies to Steve Gobles’ Ed Runyon mysteries. Ed is a former NYC cop and a former small town Ohio cop who’s now set up as a private investigator in a town too small to support a P.I., and he’s got some anger issues which have a lot to do with his downward (or outward) mobility. 

He’s also got a tiny trailer in the middle of nowhere, girlfriend problems, and the enmity of a lot of local cops. He’s not the most together guy in the world. But by god he’s got a case. And a bowling ball.

The case is a missing teen-age boy, which is exactly the kind of case he was put on earth for. It may seem simple, but this case will throw everything but the kitchen sink at Ed, and he’ll have to fight tooth and nail to get this kid back home safe. 

That’s what sets Ed Runyon stories apart. It’s the reality of them. I don’t want to use the word “gritty” about them because it’s a word that’s been devalued by over-use, nor does it really apply. There are no mean streets in Mifflin County, Ohio, though there’s mean sleet. But Ed has true grit, and from the moment he takes the case the action roars along without taking a breath. 

And along the way, Ed the avowed loner develops a nascent support group as real as he is. This book is number two in a series. I look forward avidly to number three.

Eliza will be heard

I have had people ask me whether the audio version of The Strange Case of Eliza Doolittle will be available in Audible format.

Lo and behold, it is apparently available in that format for pre-order right now, at the low low price of $12.24, which is a savings of over 5 buckaroos.

I don't know how long it will be available at that price, so hie thee to:

Amazon

Or if you prefer,

Audible. 

The book is narrated by Peter Noble, who does a fantastic job. I really think you'll enjoy it.

Beneath the ice

Monet-The Break-up of the Ice

I want you to think of the book you're reading right now as a river, frozen in the night. You can read everything on the surface of the river. That means all the craft which were yesterday busily plying the river, which have now come to a halt, frozen in place. It means fallen branches and other riverside detritus, partly submerged in the ice. Most important it means the general shape of the river, sinuous and taut at the same time, easily followed and anticipated, at least until the river bends out of sight.

     Perhaps you can spot adventurers on the ice, those familiar enough with its depth to risk ice-fishing or skating along, carving out their initials with the blades of their skates.. It's not for everyone, but watching them explore can help you understand the river better.     

     You can also see something peculiar to you, which is your own reflection, your surroundings, your sky, yourself. You are part of the river, a vital part. You bring your positioning, your angle, your history, without which the river is not complete.

     Here's what you rarely glimpse, though, unless you happen to be a writer, versed in a special way of seeing the river of the book. What we see is the the river beneath the ice, still alive, still flowing, still breathing, still teeming with all the aquatic life. We see words not chosen, passages scrubbed, streams converging and parting, rising and falling. We can't see them crystal-clear, of course, but we are always conscious of the book as a living, ever-changing, ever-busy thing, and we understand how mud or sand or rock in the river-bed fashions the entire river, how the entire-eco-system blends.

    For the writer, a book is never a finished thing, it's always wriggling in the hand. Is there another way to accomplish this attitude? I can't answer that question yea or nay. I'm not even sure it's useful to the reader, no matter how dedicated. But one thing I'd like you to keep in mind: the book is ALIVE.