How Did the Osmosis Process Fare in 2011?

We've talked about the importance of reading fiction to train ourselves as writers--to get that osmosis thing going. Personally, I find it hard to squeeze in time to read each year.  I  certainly cannot read books in the volume that I did as a kid when I had no responsibilities. 

But this year I did manage to read 14 fiction titles, which is good for me--that's a lot of reading scheduled around a jam-packed life.  I hope to make it 15 by year's end.

Not much surprise as to the categories they fell into.  My favorite books to read are historical fiction, but I must rule out a lot that are romance driven, which considerably depletes the field of available titles.  So I only read 4 books under the historical fiction category. 

Seven of the titles were suspense--this is my fallback category for reading pleasure.  I like the suspense genre, especially since I can usually read a suspense novel without being battered over the head with a romance thread.  Rounding out the reads were a contemporary romance (very funny), an old and very long classic, and a middle grade novel.

Out of the two primary genres--historical fiction and suspense, two suspense titles I read stood out from all the others.  Those two were John Gilstrap's Threat Warning and James Scott Bell's Try Dying.  Two books which the writers wrote so well it seemed effortless (and I'm sure the authors would disagree with that effortless bit!).  They were a pure pleasure to read and the osmosis got a definite boost while reading these two works.

What about the other books?  The other 5 suspense novels I have literally already forgotten so they would have to go into the indifferent category.  As to the historicals:  One was very disappointing, the other 3 did have some take-away value, just not enough to vault them to the top of the ranks in my reading pile for 2011.

So osmosis did get a bit of a workout in 2011.  Here's hoping for a lot of great novel discoveries in 2012.

Highest Recommendation: Threat Warning by John Gilstrap

I just finished reading John Gilstrap's thriller, Threat Warning, and my rating is

5++ out of 5 stars

John Gilstrap, author and one of the team members over at my favorite blog, The Kill Zone (http://killzoneauthors.blogspo,t.com/) released a new novel in July, Threat Warning. 

It is a thriller that features hero Jonathan Graves and a nerve-wracking plot to wreak havoc in the states that goes much deeper than he at first thinks. 

I love it when the tension in a book is so strong it wears me out.  You will be captivated from beginning to end. 

Mr. Gilstrap handles difficult-to-write scenes (intense sustained action, for example) with seeming ease.  His characters are well defined and true to human nature (read as, all over the place logically and emotionally when under stress) and he educates you a lot besides.  Since I got my Kindle in January, I have never highlighted within a book as much as I did while reading this novel.

Honestly, I don't think I have liked a book this much since reading Nancy Turner's These Is My Words probably five or six years ago.  I would actually like to buy a print copy of this novel to mark up and study for craft.

It was an extremely intense read.  I say that because it is an in your face reminder of how unstable the world often feels, but it is made better by a solid hero you can root for (and would be glad to have on your side).  Nevertheless, it is so intense it's probably not the type of book I'd want to pick up and read once a week.

The other warning is just a bit of language (not much) and if you like a genteel read, this book is definitely not for you.  But if you like it high on the action and low on the smarmy, this is a most excellent choice.

It's funny.  I never set out to read in the thriller genre.  My main love has and always will be historical fiction.  But since it's difficult to find historical fiction that isn't too girlie (at least in CBA fic), the thriller genre has become a natural substitute for what's lacking in the historical arena.

If you need a weekend of intense diversion; if you want to read a book that re-invigorates you to get back to your computer and get working on your own novel; if you just want to be flat-out entertained; if you want to reaffirm that the good guys still win, then Threat Warning is for you.

Here's a link to it at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Threat-Warning-John-Gilstrap/dp/0786024925

The Editorial Letter

I like to pass along articles and posts when I come across good ones regarding the realm of publishing. If you've ever wondered what it's like to receive an editorial letter from your editor at the publishing house, take a look at John Gilstrap's post over at The Kill Zone. You can find it here:

http://www.killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/2010/11/art-of-editorial-letter.html

The most significant thing that struck me when reading this blog post is that in its very essence, this editorial letter is comprised of exactly the kind of feedback you receive from a good crit partner. I don't know what others would say, but I think that this applies especially when you are blessed with a crit partner who reads your WHOLE manuscript and makes comments.

While much great feedback can and is obtained by reading a manuscript piece-meal, there is no substitute for the critical eye of someone going over your manuscript in its entirety. I have been blessed to have had critters who graciously did that for me and I found it invaluable. Ladies, you know who you are and I thank you for it.

I know it is often a struggle for people to find critiquing partnerships, but this is why finding a good critter is so essential.

I appreciate Mr. Gilstrap's willingness to share bits of the publication journey with readers. It is very helpful.