No, Thank-You... I Think

So I've been forced into a lot of thinking this weekend, largely due to a post by my friend and fellow author Gerard de Marigny. He put up a post about Mr. Konrath, the self-publishing sensation, and something he said.

We butted heads over the interpretation of Mr. Konrath's advice (I read it as being entirely more sinisterly self-serving that Mr. de Marigny, to his credit, did). It was, essentially, work your butt off and forget everything else - at all (friends, family, and if they loved you, they'd put up with your neglect.).

I most vehemently agree that any author should be working their behinds off in order to get themselves off the ground. I don't agree that one should have to sacrifice everything else all the time.

No downtime - needed to collect my thoughts, percolate ideas, eat, breathe and remind myself why I write? No time for friends or family? No, thank-you! Life was made for living and I adore writing. I don't want to turn it into something that I despise for taking my time away from all the good things I have.

But then, Mr. Konrath has sold millions of copies. I've managed to sell one paperback, and roughly 7 e-books, so what the hell would I know, right?

And that's what has me thinking. What more could I be doing right now?

On that note, I have a six book series to finish writing, and I'm not nearly as finished as I should be! On to work!

Higgler

One who sells provisions from door to door; one who buys fowls, butter, eggs, &c. in the country and brigs them to town to sell. [From] higgle, to beat down the price of a thing in a bargain; to sell provisions from door to door. Hence higgledy-piggledy, corrupted from higgle, higglers carrying a confused medley of provisions; in a disorderly manner.

- Daniel Fenning's Royal English Dictionary, 1775

NaNoWriMo and Stuff

Well, my start on NaNoWriMo turned out better than I expected, and about as well as I hoped. I managed 3 065 words yesterday, all before lunch. I'm hoping for much the same today.

It's a very depressing opening to a book, and so I ended up feeling sad after lunch. Then I watched some very funny comedy shows from Britain, and felt much better.

In other, much more interesting news, author friend Gerard de Marigny has released the next instalment of his Cris De Niro series. You can check it out here. I highly recommend you check it out. If you remember, I read and reviewed the first instalment and, if you remember, I enjoyed it.

So check it out, already!

Right, I should pack up and go write. Have a great Wednesday all!

Knight of the Grammar

A schoolmaster.

- Albert Hyamson's Dictionary of English Phrases, 1922

Knight of the pen, a clerk or author.

- Sir James Murray's New English Dictionary, 1909

Oooooh! I'm changing my official title to Knight of the Pen!

Book Review: The Watchmen of Ephraim

The Watchman of Ephraim by Gerard de Marigny

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Before I start this review, it's important to note, in the spirit of full disclosure, that I know and am friends with the author. Despite this fact, I promise you none of the claims made herein are in any way exaggerated.

This was a great read.

To be sure, there were some things that I didn't like so much. Mr. de Marigny makes no apologies for either his faith or his political orientation - and nor should he! However, as an extremely liberal cynical agnostic myself, some views expressed by the heroes of the story were a little discordant with my own.

If you are also an extremely liberal cynical agnostic, I can promise you, once you get passed those initial things, this story is absolutely great.

Being a friend with Mr. de Marigny, I also am friends with people we are mutually acquainted with. It was a wonderful inclusion to see some of the characters who share names with these people (especially the character of David Nicholls). This heightened my enjoyment of the book substantially. I'm still grinning over it. Though you might not know the real David Nicholls, guaranteed his portrayal in the book will make you smile as well. The bottle of scotch - a lovely touch, Gerard!

Onto the story itself. If you're concerned about picking up a book that is labelled "Christian Fiction," don't let that keep you from this title. The fact that the main character happens to be a devout Christian isn't really the main thrust of this narrative. It is simply a feature of the character, and informs his decisions just as any other personality trait would.

This isn't "Angels save the world" in the literal 'and the heavens opened and the Lords of Shouting declared war upon the enemies of God' sense. This is a political thriller, through and through.

That said, it's a pretty typical example of its genre. The plot is fairly predictable, and if you don't guess the mole the moment you meet him, then there is something wrong with your synapses.

There was one line which made me giggle when I'm sure it wasn't supposed to. It was something out an old Bond movie. "So, Mr. Bond, you have discovered my fiendishly clever disguise."

The word 'infidel' is used quite a bit as well. Some overly P.C. people might find it slightly Islamophobic. However, religious extremists exist in the world and there are Muslim extremists. It's a fact. It exists, so I can't cry foul over it at all. Besides, they are the enemy of the day. Just to level it out, the old foes - the Russians - make an appearance.

For all this, I found myself attached to the characters. De Niro's struggles over his deceased wife are very touching, as is his fierce protectiveness over his two sons. Also, I did tear up a bit when one of the characters died.

The writing is very solid. I've read much worse from trade published authors.

If you like political thrillers, you will like this book. I recommend it.

View all my reviews

And today's Forgotten English word/phrase is:

Wolf's Head:

An outlaw, meaning a person who might be killed with impugnity, like a wolf.

- Thomas Tayler's Law Glossary, 1856

Originally found in the phrase "to cry wolf's head."

- Sir Murray's New English Dictionary, 1928

Reading

Yesterday, my online friend Gerard de Marigny released his début book The Watchmen of Ephraim. It's a political thriller.

Not really my genre, actually, but I'm determined to read outside my genre more often. There's some stuff in other genres I could really use in mine. You should have my review of the book quite soon. I'm not giving anything away before hand.

If this book peaks your interest, you can buy the eBook version here. If you use a Kindle, go here instead. The paperback will be coming out March of this year, so keep an eye out for that as well.

I didn't write anything yesterday specifically because I downloaded the book at the first opportunity.

Today I'll spend reading as well.

Forgive me word count.

Today is T.H.'s birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, T.H.! You should know that you make my heart smile.

Must dash, but before I go, today's Forgotten English word of the day is:

Expugn:

Apparently a blend of expunge and impugn.

- Louise Pound's "Second Word List from Nebraska," c. 1916