Book Review: CUT SHORT by LEIGH RUSSELL

I have just finished reading the debut novel of new writer Leigh Russell. Cut Short is a tightly woven psychological crime thriller. The story introduces us, the reader, to DI Geraldine Steel; a women who likes to do things her own way, a trait that doesn't always endear Steel to her boss DCI Kathryn Gordon. When the body of a young woman is found, strangled, in the local park, DI Steel is put on the case to catch the killer dubbed The Woolsmarsh Strangler. What follows is a tense hunt. The action gains momentum from page to page, culminating in a satisfying ending.

If I have one criticism about the novel, it is this: I wanted to learn more about DI Geraldine Steel. I wanted a deeper glimpse into her personal life. To learn more about what makes her tick. Steel comes across as a woman who knows her own mind, a woman who likes to make her own decisions. Leigh Russell lets us into DI Steel's work life fully, nothing hidden. I felt that when Geraldine Steel entered her more personal life, the door was somewhat closed to us. I would like to have seen more of the softness behind the steel. Perhaps that is to come...

Although crime fiction is not a genre I usually read,the plot was easy to follow and the characters realistic. I found Cut Short enjoyable and look forward to catching up with DI Geraldine Steel again.

You can order Cut Short through amazon.co.uk.

Find Leigh Russell at leighrussell.blogspot.com

Testing the Water.

For a while now I haven't sent off any of my short stories into the great oblivion of the publishing world; mainly because I have been concentrating on drafting and re-drafting my novel, but also because I was getting a bit fed up and disheartened by the rejections I was constantly receiving. It made no difference how many times I told myself that even the Great Ones: Stephen King, J K Rowling etcetera etcetera, all got their fair share of rejections before hitting the Big Time. I still felt a bit of a failure and stopped sending things off, especially when I would receive comments from magazines such as 'quality writing, should have no trouble finding a market for your work'. So why didn't they publish the perishing thing?
Anyway, I've decided to start sending my work off again. I am going to try and send something off at least once a month. The first piece I have sent off - just two days ago - was a story I wrote about five years back and have always been proud of, called 'Mackenzie's Cottage'. A company called Rebel Books are producing an anthology for 2010. it will be a collection of supernatural tales, aimed at teenagers and young adults, so I thought I would give it a go. If successful I receive a free copy of the book and a share in any royalties. Plus, my name will get out there. The deadline isn't until November of this year...so quite a time to wait yet, but what have I got to lose.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.....

An Unnecessary Necessity.

I have just started on the fourth and - hopefully - final draft of my novel: Bathory. I want to think that I will be in a position to send it forth into the big bad world sometime at the beginning of 2010 (if time, work and life will allow); I will confess to being just a tad scared at the prospect. After all, it's my baby, and I've nursed it, and humoured it, for the last two years.

But I do have a bit of a dilemma. And this is it.....

I have written a prologue which takes the reader back into the dark barbaric years of the 16th century. I love this piece of writing. It is full of smoky gothic atmosphere. It sets the scene for the rest of the book which takes place in the here and now; the twenty-first century. But? Is it really necessary? The answer is no. Does the story make sense without it? The answer is yes, perfect sense.

Mmmmm.....

I know there are a lot of publishers out there who dislike The Prologue. Who think it is a waste of space; why not just start at Chapter One and have done with it?
I obviously want to give my book every sporting chance to appeal. So do I leave off the prologue?

On the other hand, doffing my writer's hat and donning my reader's hat, I love prologues (and epilogues come to that).

So what do I do?

I know you can't please all of the people all of the time, but I don't want to displease a few of the people a little of the time. Especially when those people may hold my future life as a writer in their ink-stained hands.

So, you can see the dilemma I'm in.

Do you like to read a novel with a prologue, or do you just want to jump, feet first, into the story?

Who the Dickens.........?

This week I nearly hyper-ventilated!! More than once!!!

On my way to work each morning I tune into the local radio station: Invicta FM. And each morning I listen to the show's quiz; Thousand Pound Minute. Every morning someone can phone in and have a go at answering ten questions in one minute; if they get all ten answers correct within the time limit, they win one thousand pounds - can't be bad. The questions range from general knowledge, to national headlines, to facts about Kent...the county we live in.

In my car, driving along, joining in, I usually get around seven to eight right.

On this particular morning I was flabbergasted!

The woman on the phone - Sarah from Folkestone - was doing okay. I think she'd answered nine out of the ten questions, and by my reckoning she was on to a winner. And then she was asked who wrote the story A Christmas Carol.
She didn't know.
She actually didn't know.
I was screaming at the radio Charles Dickens! Charles Dickens! How can you not know it's Charles Dickens? Everybody knows it's Charles Dickens!
That's when I started my first case of hyper-ventilation!
I couldn't believe Sarah from Folkestone didn't know the answer.
I thought the whole world and his wife knew the answer?
Oh how very wrong I was....
During dinner break, in the staff room, I threw the question into the air. Only about fifty percent of my colleagues knew the answer...and they're teachers! What hope do the kids they teach have?
But it got worse...
At home that evening I asked my hubby. He paused. He stammered. He thought about it -but he didn't know!! And he reads all the time (obviously not Dickens!).
I am married to a man that doesn't know that Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol. Shock! Horror!
Finally I turned to my fifteen year old daughter.
'Oh I know,' She said. 'It's some man...you know that man...can't quite remember his name...'
'He wrote Oliver Twist,' I said helpfully. 'And Great Expectations.'
'Ahh...' she replied. 'Charles Dickens.'
Bless her.
Charles Dickens indeed.

What is the world coming too.....?
...Shakespeare?
.......Shakespeare who?

...and now for a bit of culture!!

On Tuesday evening me and my daughter went to see Girls Aloud at Wembley Arena, London. It was utterly brilliant. The girls put on an excellent show; very girly, glittery and entertaining. We both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Promise I made, promise I made,
Starting to fade, starting to fade....

I know, not very gothic, but still a lot of fun!

To Dan Brown or not to Dan Brown....

Yesterday evening I went to the cinema to see Angels and Demons starring Tom Hanks. I was a bit dubious about seeing this movie as I am a big Dan Brown fan; Angels and Demons is by far my favourite of all his novels. But the film didn't disappoint. Okay, it didn't stick exactly to the book - what film ever does? - but it stuck enough to the storyline to satisfy me and, I'm sure, countless other Brown fans.

If indeed you are a Dan Brown fan....

Many are not.

But why?

I think his books well written, fast paced (which I love) with brilliant storylines, and thoroughly researched.

The added bonus of this recent movie, is, that it is perfectly easy to understand - even if you've not read the book. I don't think the same can be said for the Da Vinci Code. I enjoyed this film too, but my hubby and daughter (neither of whom had read the novels) found this first film confusing, but they both loved watching Angels and Demons. Hubby said it was the best film he'd seen in ages. We did come out of the cinema feeling as if we'd had our money's worth for once.

So? What do you think of Dan Brown? Do you love him or hate him?

Either way, his books are earning him cash!

Back to the World of the Blogger!

For any of you that's been wondering where I've been for the last few weeks, I will explain.

About a month ago I had a 'heated debate' with Orange; my internet provider, consequently, they 'terminated' my contract! I have finally set up a new contract with BT, but it took time, patience (which I haven't got a lot of when it comes to automated services and robotic disembodied voices), and a myriad of phone calls.

But here I am, back again.

One good thing that came out of me not being able to go online every five minutes, is, I got a lot of writing done on my novel. It's surprising how much more free time I found on my hands when I couldn't link to the internet; infact I hardly missed it.
My daughter on the other hand...well...you would have thought I'd chopped off a part of her body!!! She couldn't Facebook, MSN or surf the web; end of the world stuff!
I thought she was going to have a nervous breakdown.

But as from today, we're up and running again.

Can't quite work out if that's good or bad.....