Bookstores

Does anyone here watch Bones?

I was catching up on the latest season when I heard something that really caught my attention.

"Bookstores are the hubs of true, complex critical thought."

Temperance Brennan has a point!

When I was younger, book stores were always a sort of magical place. You could learn things you didn't even know you were searching for. You could experience new things in rapid, rabid succession. There was a freedom in bookstores that didn't exist in the library.

Looking around today, there's only one bookstore and it's not really convenient to get to. Books are such an important part of life, it's almost impossible to imagine that some day we might not have access to these vital intersections of ideas.

I remember the first bookstore I ever shopped at was a small, second-hand affair in a strip-mall. It was dark and dusty and only had the one window at the front of the shop. You could buy books there, used of course, and then sell them back when you were finished for a ten percent return on the original cost of the book. It was the perfect revolving door of reading and I loved it. I would carry home brown paper grocery bags full of books, read each one, then take the majority back for someone else to enjoy. If I happened to fall in love with one, which occurred once out of every thirty books or so, I could simply keep that book.

The key really was the ten percent return. If I bought a used paperback for lets say ninety-nine cents, and it originally cost $4.99, I would get a forty-nine cent return on my original investment. Since the stock was always circulating, there was never a shortage of things to pick up and I really felt there was value in trading them back in for others to read. Of course, this trade in price only worked if you wanted store credit to buy more books. If you wanted to simply sell them for cash, you got ten percent of the actual price you paid for the book. It was a pretty great system.

I haven't seen a store like that in years. Where else could you find erotica stashed next to Shakespeare? What other place could you meet a wide range of people, even as a child? Where else could you have discussions, sometimes heated, over the change in authors behind some beloved franchise?

I really wish we could bring back the small trade-in friendly bookshop. Anyone still have one by them?

Wolfe on Women

"It has been many years since any woman has slept under this roof. Not that I disapprove of them, except when they attempt to function as domestic animals. When they stick to the vocations for which they are best adapted, such as chicanery, sophistry, self-adornment, cajolery, mystification and incubation, they are sometimes splendid creatures."

- Nero Wolfe, The Rubber Band (1936) pg. 94

"Not like women? They are astounding and successful animals."

-Nero Wolfe, Too Many Cooks (1938) p. 107

Wolfe has always seemed remarkable to me. I've been enthralled with the way he views one whole half of the species. There is a second, better example of this train of thought, in a later book. I'm working my way through another rereading, this time meticulously hunting for that quote.

I finally found it but forgot to write down which book, "Orchids were his concubines, insipid, expensive, parasitic and temperamental." I think Archie actually says it, but the thought is the same: Wolfe has flowers so that he can avoid having a woman.

The main impression that you get from Wolfe is that he doesn't hate women, he merely disapproves of their abilities insofar as they interfere with his life. Even his cleaning staff are a troupe of males. I was recently reading Over My Dead Body and it was such an interesting avenue for his disdain to explore. Now that he has a "shapely responsibility" to consider, he doesn't seem to change his thoughts in the slightest. It probably doesn't help that this particular example is a walking example of his prejudices.

In any case, this mentality just fascinated me since it was obviously designed by a man who didn't appear to hate women (Rex Stout). More so, this came about in an era where women were not often seen as capable of anything, certainly not something complicated like mystification. This was such a unique view to have at this point in time, because even though it is clear that Wolfe wants women nowhere near his home, he still respects their inherent danger.

This led me to have a really interesting thought, on the nature of women as Wolfe might see them in the light of the 21st century.

Women are feline by nature. If they are born with domestic inclinations, then they may be quite happy with a domesticated existence, much like the indoor house cat. They might enjoy the freedom of being an outdoor cat, running around before always returning home to familiar surroundings. If they are born feral, you will only get yourself hurt trying to capture them. If they are born wild like a lioness, they can never truly be domesticated. They can have their spirit broken and become even more dangerous. Once you have failed to dominate this apex predator, you can never turn your back on them.

Experience, Guided By Intellegence

I have read the new Nero Wolfe novels, which continued the story after Rex Stout passed away. They are interesting stories, and anyone who loves Wolfe wants him to continue having adventures, but it's just not quite the same.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote Sherlock Holmes, and he was brilliant. Millions of others have borrowed him since Sir Arthur made him public domain, and he remains brilliant. I believe this is because as smart as Holmes was, he was not smart about people. Writing a character that understands humanity and chooses to keep himself insulated through staff, blubber and scheduling requires a passionate love for not only the character but his fellow man as well.

Wolfe is not thorny because he hates, he is thorny because he loves. He often comments that his pounds are insulation against feelings. He must remain aloof because his romantic nature would drive him to ruin, and likely has in the past.

The newer books lack this heart. They are pastiches, wonderful pastiches, and credit is due to anyone who takes up the mantle of a character they did not create, and therefore cannot know intimately. I often think that is why Sherlock is so easy to scribe for. We did know know him well, and thus, he can be the shell for a variety of fillings.

Wolfe does not share that expansiveness. We know him. But we do not know him as well as Rex Stout did. The same problem applies to Archie. New efforts have made Archie sound false. In reading the prequel story, all I could think the entire time was, "No. This is not Archie." I just feel that the Wolfe we read in the new novels is a zombie. The body is there, the actions correct, the schedule maintained, but the heart, the life, is missing.

I hesitate to mention brains so closely after a zombie comment, but I think that's the other problem. Rex Stout was a genius and a chameleon, living many lives during his time on this planet. He could write Wolfe because he knew, intimately, how Wolfe, a difficult genius, would behave. Writing the life of a genius is a difficult task, but writing for a genius that is not your own creation may be impossible. I believe that is why the newer novels focus so heavily on Archie Goodwin, the 'every-man' character. And while Archie is a great foil and narrator, respectfully, he is not why I read Nero Wolfe.

Author's Note:
I want to end with a statement that this is in no way a criticism of the new author that took over the Nero Wolfe novels. I applaud the effort and I am thankful Wolfe is allowed to live on, regardless of how. Please, read these books if you get a chance, they are definitely worth your time. This post was merely trying to explain a certain sadness I felt recently when reading the newer work.

http://ow.ly/U751u

Semi-Live Interview with A.J. Trevors, author of The Gaia Chronicles

A.J. Trevors is an up and coming author from Melbourne, who has be gracious enough to grant an interview. We American girls are suckers for an accent, and even more for a good book! Read on to learn about this writer and his newest creation The Gaia Chronicles: Birth of Hope!

Hope: I always like to ease in, so are you a night owl or an early bird when it comes to writing?

Actually, I’m both! When I first started writing this book, I woke up at 7am and wrote until 9.30am before I left my home for uni. However, I realised that this tired me out quickly and was a detriment to my studies. So I switched to writing at night during my second and third year of writing, usually writing from 8pm to 10pm before knocking out at night.

Next up, top three favorite movies or tv shows?

Oh there are too many. Let’s see…

1. Game of Thrones (duh!)
2. Batman: The Dark Knight
3. Dead Poets Society (R.I.P Robin Williams!)

How about your top three authors and why?

1. Brent Weeks (Author of the Night Angel Trilogy) = The first author that eased me into dark fantasy. Despite the fact that his books draw on fantasy aspects, the situation surrounding his characters reflect the malaise of real life e.g. prostitution, child beggars, politics, war etc. whilst you can’t help but fall in love with his characters and the relationship they share with each other.

2. George RR. Martin (Author of the Game of Thrones Series) = What is there not to like about this gregarious old man and his awesome writing? The epitome of how a fantasy epic should be written, with lots of twists, complicated character relationships, politics, awesome battles and a storyline that kills off it’s main characters, with equally able support characters then taking the limelight. The suspense of wanting to know which character is going to die next and growth of existing characters serves the series well.

3. Daniel Silva (Author of the Gabriel Allon series) = The undisputed star of the new wave of action thriller novels, with a mysterious main protagonist backed by an able support crew consisting of some of the most shadiest organisations in the world. Daniel Silva has a direct and curt style of writing, focusing more on delivering a story than building the world that is presented in the book. What happens is that you get a fast-paced novel that keeps your heart beating wildly all the way to the end.

What was the first book you really loved reading and what did you love about it?

I can barely remember what it was! I think it was Huckleberry Fin. I can’t really recall what it was about but the book was my ‘baptism’, so to speak, into a higher category of novels that were more complex in storyline, with more depth and substance, definitely different from the Jane and Peter kid stories I read when I was younger.

Are your stories written for mature readers, young adults, both? Would it be ok to hand this book to a 12 year old?

Most of my stories so far have been written for a general audience. I have two novellas that had been published before Gaia, which are “Stab in the Back”, an action thriller, and “Phae and the Sun Chariot”, a fantasy themed novel. They both contain content that is appropriate for all ages.

I know you're at university, what are you studying? Is it a challenge finding time to write?

I’m currently doing a commerce degree, majoring in accounting and finance (I know it’s weird!) but my passion has always been writing and telling stories. It is sometimes a challenge to find the time to write but I believe that if you passionate at something, there is always time to explore your interests and try to make a career out of it. You are only happy if you do something you love. We live life only once. We might as well live it happy, you know?

What would you say The Gaia Chronicles: Birth of Hope is about?

If you can look past all the cool summoning of monsters, the battles and the strange new world built into the novel, I would say that Gaia is a novel about people. It’s about relationships and the struggle that brings between two people. It’s about hate and how that can bring down even the most righteous of people. Above all, it’s about Damien and how he copes with the responsibility of being the ‘hero’ when he knows that he is just a simple boy at heart yearning to live a simple live devoid of war.

Do you plan on this being a trilogy? If so, how long will your readers have to wait to find out what happens next?

Yes! It will be a trilogy. The next book is already in the works and I am hoping to release it by the end of 2017.

Have you written anything else, and where can we find it?

I have written two novellas. One is an action thriller entitled Stab in the Back and the other is a fantasy entitled Phae and the Sun Chariot. Both can be found in the iBookstore and on Smashwords.

Will you be participating in any promotional deals, such as Kindle Unlimited or free chapters?

Throughout the month of November, I will be providing teasers in the form of excerpts from the novel. Kindle Unlimited is an interesting deal I would love to explore in the future. Also, the novel will be cheaper if you pre-order the book in November.

Do you have a newsletter, website, Facebook, Twitter, smoke signals, psychic morse code transmitter? What is the best way for your fans to stay informed?

To stay informed, please do follow my Facebook page (facebook.com/andyjamestrevors). I also have Twitter feeds as an author (twitter.com/andyjamestrevor) and for the novel (twitter.com/gaiascifi). These feeds will provide my future readers immediate information on book promos, preorder and release dates!

When and where will The Gaia Chronicles be available?

The Gaia Chronicles will be available for pre order the 15th of January 2016.

Pre-order price is at $2.99 whilst the price after release on 1st of February 2016 is $4.99.

Do make sure to preorder early to obtain the discount! :D

Timeless Characters and First Loves

Something very interesting happens at the beginning of "The League of Frightened Men" by Rex Stout. Archie Goodwin is discussing his inability to read books.

He scans the newspaper, and most days reads it thoroughly. But with books, he finds them to be pointless, "...there's nothing alive about it, it's all dead and gone...". This of course made me wonder how he would feel now, with his character still in print, still being read and loved by millions (or possibly just me?), but still quite vibrant and full of sparks.

I think it's great how you can read any Rex Stout book featuring Nero and Archie, and without much effort, you are instantly transported to a world you feel at home in. Obviously there is an element of nostalgia. But there is more: the feel of the words, pictures they summon, the emotions they create.

The memories are not limited to what's between the pages, but also what's between the lines -  our own memories from previous readings. This got me thinking about the past and the first time I read this particular book.

I remember finding it on my grandparents' attic bookshelf. They weren't big on keeping "popular" books around the house. Often the editions were rare, valuable or collectible. But this one slightly scuffed paperback was resting on a lower shelf, alone, and fairly unimportant looking. Still, it peeked out and seemed to say, "It's alright, I'm not anything fancy, you can pick me up and you won't get in trouble. Give us a try."

I studied the cover and consulted the copyright page. It was from Great Britain, an edition from the 1970's. I made my way downstairs and politely asked my grandmother, "May I please read this? I found it upstairs. It didn't look important, so I thought it might be ok? I'll put it back when I'm done, I promise!"

Taking it from me she smiled at the cover, as if it were a lost friend, rediscovered. She expressed puzzlement that I had found it upstairs. "All of these were moved, I thought. But certainly, go ahead and read it if you like. Now, Oreo or chocolate chip?"

I would later learn the rest had been moved to my grandparents' room so my grandmother could read them while she was recovering from some ailment. This lone text had apparently been separated from its brethren during their migration from attic to bedroom. After explaining that I should deposit it with her when I finished it, she sent me off to the back room with cookies and my discovery.

Unfortunately, the reasons for my being there that day are gone from my mental files, but I know it was raining. That probably explained why I happened to be hunting for something to do or read in the first place.

I know she was babysitting me for some reason, which was unusual. I don't remember how old I was, but given that the cookie stage ran out at my grandparents' house sometime around eight or nine, I must have been a bit younger than that. I recall that I could still fit my entire body into one square cushion of the old, brown, corduroy sofa.

There I sat. I opened the soft paper cover, displayed a slightly yellowing first page, and just like that... my life had irrevocably changed.

Over the course of that plate of cookies and probably three or four hours of reading, I met Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. I had been introduced to Fritz Brenner and his magical cooking skills. I had cautiously greeted Inspector Cramer. I heard about Theodore Horstmann and the ten-thousand orchids. I had been invited into the old Brownstone on West 35th Street in New York City. I had toured the office, the dining room, the kitchen, the front room, the elevator and briefly spied the bedrooms, I had made the acquaintance of dozens of new words such as Odontoglossum and Cattleya and gullery. This was especially fascinating, as I thought I already knew all of the words I would ever need.

By the time I put the book down, dusk had come, the rain had stopped and I was breathless with excitement. I knew that there were more of these books somewhere and now I needed more. I had to know if every book was as beautiful, if every story was - as Wolfe would say - satisfactory. But it was almost dinner time and I would be leaving soon. I handed the book back to my grandmother, who immediately put it with her (unknown to me) treasured collection. My adventure suspended.

Thankfully, the suspension did not last long. The very next day, I went to the library, with my mother as my escort. I was free to choose my selection, as always. I made my way immediately to the S's and scooped up all five of the books they had available. I still didn't know how many there were, but even those five seemed like a bounty.

I was so used to characters that only had one story, or perhaps two. I had read a few serials, but most of the time the library would have one book in a series (the most recent) and little else. When I consulted my mother over my choices, she smiled and said, "I remember reading these." That alone was encouragement enough. If two generations of my family could smile at the covers; the silent recommendation spoke volumes to me.

I read all of them. I had to request books from libraries all over the state. In the days before email, I can only imagine the long distance charges and faxes that had to be exchanged. But it was worth it. In time, I came to own all of the stories; books, anthologies, omnibuses. This was almost two decades ago now, but I still read them.

I have plenty of other things I read, mostly only once or twice. I read new books all the time and I think I have over a thousand ebooks on my Kindle, roughly half of which are still waiting for attention. But never confuse quantity for quality, especially in literature.

There are very few authors that merit re-reading in my world. Neal Stephenson's novels, Night of the Avenging Blowfish by John Welter (which I highly recommend), all of the different Nancy Drew series, Dave Barry, a few others. Most of these I reread once or twice a year, when the mood strikes.

Then there is Rex Stout. Almost without fail, I cycle through over 70 Nero Wolfe short story trios and novels - which takes about a month - in order of publication. I probably do this anywhere from half a dozen to a dozen times a year. I still find words that I don't know occasionally, scenes that I find a deeper meaning in, little flourishes I somehow missed. For what they are, that alone is unexpected and magical. They are just that good.

TL;DR -
What was the first book that had an impact on you?
What was the first book you can remember being attached to?
What was the most important book you read as a child?
What was the book that led you to love reading or writing?

- Hope

Comment here, or on Twitter @nonsteader

I would love to know, and I look forward to hearing from you!!

#FreebieFriday here at the Non-Steader!

Go here TODAY October 16th, 2015

- http://amzn.com/B014OKNOZE

and get a free copy of

In honor of #FreebieFriday!

Today, I'm giving away free copies of my book over at Amazon. Please give it a read! If you like it, maybe pretty please post a review. That would be super.

Thanks!

http://ow.ly/ThkB6

#raopoetryday 10.7.15 "I belong to my books."

Did you know that today is Random Acts of Poetry Day?
According to the website:http://www.tweetspeakpoetry.com/random-acts-of-poetry-day/

Random Acts of Poetry Day is celebrated on the first Wednesday in October. In 2015, that’s October 7.

So let's be excited and celebrate by writing a poem and tweeting it! They would like you to paint it or chalk it on sidewalk, but since I'm getting over a cold, hopefully they'll be satisfied with a lovely background image of a painting and a promise that I will print it out and post it up somewhere!

(Special thanks to @SouthernBelleGaming for helping me with the graphic as always! And special thanks to @QuietQuitter for the beautiful painting in the background!)

http://ow.ly/T7vhB

What are you reading?

It's that time of the month again. I have reached the end of the Nero Wolfe books. Now I must begin again. Starting with Fer-De-Lance - the very first Nero Wolfe.

You really should check it out, nothing is better than Wolfe ordering over one hundred golf clubs, which apparently you could have delivered in 1934, and then informing the sales rep that he only wanted to observe one in action, and see the selection. That poor guy...

Top 10 Video Games for Authors (and everyone)

My favorite Trivial Pursuit, for example.

I'm a huge fan of games, be it board, console, PC or other. One of the pluses about being a gamer is the ability to really take off into a world that is not your own, live another life. Games have the ability to communicate those stories, just as books do. What is being a writer, after all, if not a storyteller? Writing is a skill that we take years to develop in most cases. We hear from an early age that reading is essential to our craft, that the more we read the better we will become at capturing our stories, be they fiction or non-fiction. Lately, books have gotten cheaper, and people read more on computer screens than paper. But in making that shift to reading on the screen, we should remember that there is another new medium that should not be forgotten. Video games.

We think of them usually as a few mindless hours to distract a child or a fun way to kill time. Some make money streaming their games for others to watch (reminiscent of the days we used to go over to our friend's houses to gather around one N64, PS or dual each other at Pong) or record their gameplay for uploads to YouTube. These mostly focus on the technical skill of the game, how to beat a boss, how to kill faster, more efficient travel, tips and tricks. But playing a game yourself, especially a well-crafted game, with a story you can get invested in, that can be a transformative experience. There are some games that suck you in just as deftly as a well-written novel.

Modern video games have the potential to be just as epic, enthralling and engaging as the storytellers of old. Modern writers should consider playing games to see if there's anything they could absorb that may make them more effective storytellers. Most importantly, they can be an important bridge to the older forms of storytelling which relied more on verbal and visual communication, less on written words. Video games are the visual and verbal storytellers of our time. They are the modern equivalent of the shaman dancing around the fire, the old fisherman with his tall tales of giant creatures, the mother soothing her children with fairy tales. They are showing us who we are, and who we have the potential to be. Like any good story, video games fill a void within us.

Therefore, since it is #NationalVideoGameDay, I'll be giving you my:

Top 10 Video Games for Authors

Please keep in mind, these are not reviews, they are merely opinion. Some of these may be based loosely on books. This list is not based on gameplay, difficulty or personal choice, simply on quality and depth of story.

Honorable Mentions:

Silent Hill Series, Resident Evil Series, Prince of Persia (They made movies.)

10. Alan Wake, Alan Wake’s American Nightmare (Steam)

9. Thief (Amazon)

8. This War of Mine (Steam)

7. Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments (Amazon)

6. Fallout Series (Steam)

5. Witcher Series (Steam)

4. Uncharted Series (Amazon)

3. Assassin’s Creed Series (Amazon)

2. Gone Home (Steam)

1. Bioshock Trilogy (Bioshock, Bioshock 2, Bioshock Infinite) (Steam & Amazon)