Create instead of criticize / Happenings In The Outhouse 03-Jan-2020

I've never really been one to criticize a creative work (i.e. movie, TV show, book, painting, music).  It either worked or it didn't.  It's something I feel in my gut.  Typically, my criteria is simple: did it entertain me?

Take any of the negative controversy over The Last Jedi.  Sure, there are parts of it that made me scratch my head.  But I enjoyed it.  Heck, it was Star Wars for crying out loud!  I also found Solo: A Star Wars Story as equally entertaining and enjoyable.

It always amazes me the ones who criticize a creative work, and they have never been brave enough to create their own work.  It's possible they're afraid of the same criticism they've bestowed upon others.

I have two words of advice for all the creatives out there: be brave.

Go out there in the new year, the new decade, and create something new.

Book review of "Guest of Honor" on Kim Cox's blog

Kim Cox is an accomplished author of paranormal romance and suspense.

She recently posted a positive review of my novella Guest of Honor on her blog. Please click here for a full copy of the review.

She calls it a "short read with a surprise ending."  Also, one of my favorite quotes, "hang on to your seat and enjoy the ride."

Again, here's the link to her full review of Guest of Honor.

Be sure to also check out her various book series at Kim Cox Author.com

5-Star review of "Day of the Vikings" by J.F. Penn

Right off the bat, in the opening chapter, I thought I was reading a Clive Cussler novel by the way Penn beautifully took us into the past, into the ancient Vikings era.

Then, we are thrust into the modern era and take an interesting tour of the British Museum by Blake Daniel and Dr. Morgan Sierra (heroine of the other ARKANE series).  In a short period of time, there's an explosion, followed by a battle of good vs. evil that is reminiscent of Dan Brown, and Blake also reveals his unique psychic ability.

I highly recommend this book.  It's a quick, fast-paced read that will have you screaming for more--and there is more!  The way Penn skillfully describes the British Museum, it's like you're walking through it yourself, examining this exhibit here and that exhibit there.  Also, I've read many books with psychic powers at the center, and I must say, the power Blake possesses is very unique.  You will not be disappointed.

Be sure to check out J. F. Penn's "Day Of The Vikings"

5-star review of "Write. Publish. Repeat." by Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant

I've read a lot of books on publishing, and most are either not worth the space they're printed on or it's just a retelling of someone else's work.

"Write. Publish. Repeat." by Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant is not in that realm.  Not only do they give practical advice for indie authors, the advice is proven.  It's not theory.  Because of it, I find myself changing how I'm doing things with my books.

This book is not a get-rich-quick scheme.  Like they say many times throughout the books, writing takes a lot of hard work.  You will not achieve overnight success.  But over time, if you write . . . publish . . . and repeat it all over again, success has a way of finding you.

Be sure to add "Write. Publish. Repeat." to your library today.  I give it five out of five stars--I even rank it up there with On Writing by Stephen King and even The Elements of Style by Strunk and White.  Let Write, Publish, and Repeat be the mantra for your successful writing career.

Book review: A Dance of Cloaks by David Dalglish (4 out of 5 stars)

A month ago, I won a Goodreads contest where I recieved an ARC (advance reading copy) of David Dalglish's A Dance of Cloaks.  This is the first in his Shadowdance series.  It is a fantasy book, in much the same vein as George R. R. Martin, R. A. Salvatore, and Brandon Sanderson.  If you like fantasy books, Dalglish is a young writer you'll want to check out.

Here is my Goodreads review - I gave it 4 out of 5 stars:

I will try make this as spoiler free as possible.

First, the prologue was like something straight out of Game of Thrones.  I then wanted to know much more about the character Aaron Felhorn--and you got much, much more about him throughout the book.  His character growth was astonishing to read.

For those who love their fighting scenes to be blow-by-blow, much like R. A. Salvatore, then you will not be disappointed.  For me, these scenes wore on me.  At times, there also seemed to be too many point-of-view characters, and even those characters seemed to be thin.

This is the first of a trilogy, and even though I do give it a 4-star rating, Dalglish has produced a gritty world like one of Martin's Game of Thrones world or Sanderson's first Mistborn book.  The highlight of the book was the planning of the takeover of the Kensgold, a one-day event where the three kings of the Trifect meet to discuss trade agreements.

And the ending led me to want more of this story.  Well done, David Dalglish.

Here is a link to the Amazon Kindle store for A Dance of Cloaks by David Dalglish.

Book review: Writers of the Future Volume 29 (5 out of 5 stars)

Ever wonder who the best new writers to watch for? Look no further than the Writers of the Future Volume 29..

I purchased this book because I wanted an idea as to what stories were accepted, as I too have been submitting to the quarterly Writers of the Future contest.

Like most anthologies or short story collections, not all stories connected with me. But, what few I didn't like someone else undoubtedly will, and the ones I liked outweighted the ones that didn't. Hence the 5-star rating.

Among some of my favorites were "Cop for a Day" by Chrome Oxide (love that pen name!), "War Hero" by Brian Trent, "Master Belladino's Mask" by Marina J. Lostetter, and the grand-prize winning "Twelve Seconds" by Tina Gower.

Aside from the wonderful stories, the illustrations were well-worth the price of admission.

Tucked within the book were also essays by Dave Wolverton, L. Ron Hubbard, and others. Hubbard's "The Manuscript Factory" was sheer brilliant, and Nnedi Okorafor's "The Sport of Writing" put a unique perspective on the craft of writing.

Link to the Amazon Kindle page: Writers of the Future Volume 29