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A review by mad_about_books
Best Seller by Susan May
5.0
William Barnes, author… obsessed? possessed? addicted?
Nem Stratton, child… young woman… forsaken? abandoned? lost?
Don't be fooled by labels and generalities. William and Nem are not necessarily what they first seem. Susan May doesn't put the best bits in your face. No, she works up to them by crafting a tale that you cannot put down. In the case of BEST SELLER, she is crafting two story lines in alternating chapters. I do not use 'crafting' lightly because without careful composition, it might have been difficult to keep each narrative moving forward and memorable.
Susan May has become one of my 'must read' authors over the past couple of years. She brings a fresh perspective to supernatural speculative fiction by mixing reality with subtle hints of otherworldliness. She drops a hint here and then another over there until you realize that something magical is happening, and not always in a good way.
In BEST SELLER, the word is 'luck.' We all know that famous Clint Eastwood line "… you've gotta ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?" I can't tell you how many times this line percolated into my thoughts while I was reading. There are ever so many widely used references to luck in literature, song, and everyday speech that this is a book literally for everybody. After all, who hasn't wished for a bit of that illusive thing?
Along with everybody, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever written a book, or thought about writing a book. There is much about the world of the writer here that has little to do with creating a manuscript and everything to do with the publishing of a product.
If you haven't yet read Susan May, this is a good place to take the plunge. Her works of fiction are not only entertaining and well written, they are informative as well. I look forward to reading her next "best seller."
Nem Stratton, child… young woman… forsaken? abandoned? lost?
Don't be fooled by labels and generalities. William and Nem are not necessarily what they first seem. Susan May doesn't put the best bits in your face. No, she works up to them by crafting a tale that you cannot put down. In the case of BEST SELLER, she is crafting two story lines in alternating chapters. I do not use 'crafting' lightly because without careful composition, it might have been difficult to keep each narrative moving forward and memorable.
Susan May has become one of my 'must read' authors over the past couple of years. She brings a fresh perspective to supernatural speculative fiction by mixing reality with subtle hints of otherworldliness. She drops a hint here and then another over there until you realize that something magical is happening, and not always in a good way.
In BEST SELLER, the word is 'luck.' We all know that famous Clint Eastwood line "… you've gotta ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?" I can't tell you how many times this line percolated into my thoughts while I was reading. There are ever so many widely used references to luck in literature, song, and everyday speech that this is a book literally for everybody. After all, who hasn't wished for a bit of that illusive thing?
Along with everybody, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever written a book, or thought about writing a book. There is much about the world of the writer here that has little to do with creating a manuscript and everything to do with the publishing of a product.
If you haven't yet read Susan May, this is a good place to take the plunge. Her works of fiction are not only entertaining and well written, they are informative as well. I look forward to reading her next "best seller."