New novel.

 This is book two in the Blood Born Tales. This novel is almost done. I'm just putting the finishing touches on it. Blood Dream will most likely be Edited and published in the summer time.

what is the best vampire novel?

What is the greatest vampire novel ever written? I pondered this question for a while, and this is my conclusion.
No disrespect to Bram Stoker’s classic tale, but I feel the best vampire novel has been written by Anne Rice. No, not Interview With a Vampire, even though Interview is one of the biggest top selling vampire works to date. Also, that book was an eye opener for me as a young man. I changed the day I read Interview. However, I feel strongly that the greatest work of vampire lore is Blood and Gold. Blood and Gold is the amazing tale of Marius, one I had longed to read ever since Pandora was released. I knew the story of the Ancient One was going to be amazing, and it was. Anne Rice’s wonderful, vivid recounting of Italy was breathtaking. As someone recently said to me, “Anne Rice writes the novels but it is we that live them.” She gives us pictures in our minds that she has created. That is how we live them.

I would be remiss if I didn’t bring up a great little short story written back in 1982 called "Master of Rampling Gate". I recently came across this little treasure and was thrilled to read what felt like classic Anne Rice. It brought me back to the first time I had discovered her in a little bookshop in Seattle so many years ago. "Master of Rampling Gate" is not easy to find but if you have a Kindle you can read it that way. The download comes with several entertaining Anne Rice videos and historical facts. I highly recommend reading it.  

The Wolf Gift by Anne Rice

Most of you know what novelist are meaningful to me. Well one of those novelist happens to be Anne Rice. Anne Rice is getting ready to release her new book, one I think will be as exciting and fun to read as any by this amazing and talented writer. The book is called The Wolf Gift. I have a good feeling about this piece of work as it is her return to a style of writing that is unmatched by anyone else in the field.

So everyone of my blog go out and get this wonderful work of what I can only imagine is a fantastic mix of historically charged lore and images of the great American city, San Francisco.

The Wolf Gift will be released in February in book stores everywhere and on Kindle. I myself have and love Kindle books, but I will be getting this novel in hardback. I purchase all my Anne Rice novels in hardback. All are autographed and displayed in my writing room.

Shakespeare, time to re-experience.

 “The undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns.” No, not a line from Star Trek VI, it’s William Shakespeare.  

            It has been said that every writer must at some point return to what he loves, and what I love is Shakespeare. Anyone that knows me well could tell you that the writings of William Shakespeare have always been important in my life. His plays made me the bleeding heart romantic that I am today.

By the time I was half way through my high school education, I had read almost every play written by Shakespeare. I drew on his writings then and I still draw on them now. I may not be the greatest poet or writer the world has ever known, but the influence of his work has made me better. You can find small quotes, here and there in my writing. Sometimes the scene just aches for a little poetry.

If you had Shakespeare forced on you in school and all you’re thinking right now is how crazy you think I sound, please do yourself a favor and read Hamlet just once. Shakespeare is for the experienced in life. Those who have never loved and lost or faced death have a harder time embracing the joy of the writing. I love it and I think you will too.    

Development

When I begin to write a novel, short story or novella, I first try a come up with a character people can relate to. I write about people that are close to me, people that have aspects that mean something to me. This allows me to write deep, personal relationships that feel natural. The characters are not completely fictional to me. I connect to them as if they were the people that I have known for so long. Unfortunately this does have a down side. If I create an important character in a story, and if something happens in my personal life to change my view of that person, it can make it very difficult for me to keep writing about that character. At times it could be downright impossible, but it’s my process and it works well for me.

Now I’m not saying this is what every writer does or should do. What I’m saying is that every writer reveals him or herself in his or her work in some way or another. Writing is a window into one’s soul. I don’t recall who first wrote that, but truer words were never written.

First person in

Someone asked me why I prefer to write in first person rather than third person in my novels. Well I am most definitely a fan of using both, however I believe that, if written well, first person narratives can connect you to a character so much deeper than third person. You can feel more emotion and motivation as the tale is told directly to you, instead of through the omnipotent third person.

One great example of this is Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is an amazing tale told from the point of view of a teenage girl living in a post apocalyptic society. The character Katniss Everdeen is one of the most well told characters of the last few years. Seeing her world though her eyes is an incredible experience, one I suggest everyone should take. This is told in first person and because of this you feel the pain, torment, love and loss that she endures in this violent and jarring, high-charged novel.

Now I have talked about James Patterson before, so I will not really get into him much. I would like to say that his character, Alex Cross, is a great example of first person narrative. Patricia Cornwell is another strong first person author. Her character, Kay Scarpetta, is a fantastic, strong, female character that anyone could relate to.

The true master of the first person narrative is, of course, Anne Rice. The way she can make you feel when you read through the eyes of her characters is amazing. Her craft has been honed to a fine point and has been an inspiration to me, and I am sure to others as well.

On Writing

I strongly believe that to be able to write, or write well, there is one thing that is needed above all others…you must read. Now I don’t mean just read what novels fit into the genre of work that you are writing. No, you must read everything you can get your hands on. Be it cheesy romance novels, mysteries or fantasy. All novels provide inspiration.

When you read, pay attention to how other writers approached their chapters. For example Patricia Cornwell is fantastic at opening her chapters. She sets up the feel of a room so well. You not only feel what’s around her characters, you feel the weather and you feel the energy. Now James Patterson gets right to it. He is great at telling more with less, and that is a true skill, one I myself am still working on. He’s a true master at his craft.