Summer reading…
Summer arrived at a perfect time in my publishing journey this year…right after three novel-writing marathons when I need some serious R&R, which included the writing plus corresponding edits for A.B. Carolan’s Mind Games (just published by Carrick Publishing) and my sequel to Rembrandt’s Angel titled Son of Thunder (soon to be published by Penmore Press). “Whoa! That’s only two marathons,” you say. No, I also finished the sequel to The Last Humans and will submit it to Black Opal Books; it’s title is The Last Humans: A New Dawn. (Carol Shetler is editor/beta-reader for most of my books before I submit them—kudos to her for always doing a great job that generally keeps me on the good side of editors after submission.)
I do a lot more reading in summer anyway, and this summer I’ll probably do more. You might realize I’m still writing a bit of short fiction too (one of those stories might motivate me for yet another novel)—that’s R&R too, but the true R&R comes from reading, and always has. I read a lot more than I write.
In the beach scenes accompanying this post, you won’t see my Kindle or books, but they’re with me. I love natural settings when I read. It’s great to hear the waves and beach-goers off in the distance. Every so often, my eyes leave the printed page to enjoy the scenery too. What kind of books do I read in that kind of environment?
The answer is a bit nebulous: Almost anything that catches my fancy! I’m still working on several ebooks stored on my Kindle (I’ve reviewed a few of those lately)—“working” isn’t the right word, of course; “enjoying” is more appropriate. (You can peruse my recent reviews to find some summer reading for yourself.) I also enjoy print books. On a recent trip to the NJ shore where these pics were taken (thanks to my wife), I started Patrick Radden Keefe’s Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Island. I had also started Angela Stent’s Putin’s World: Russia Against the West and with the Rest, but I thought it was a wee bit too heavy to lug around, so I’ll read it at home. I’m also working on Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s biopic; he’s an interesting and smart fellow who has done a lot for one so young. Print books are gifts; ebooks I buy myself.
Although Keefe’s book is a true story written in novelistic fashion, you can see that I do both non-fiction and fiction. Historical fiction is a bridge between the two (two of my all-time favorite’s are Follett’s Eye of the Needle and Forsyth’s Day of the Jackal, which I classify as historical fiction—you might disagree).
I’ve been reading most of my life. Agatha and Asimov were read under the covers when I was a kid, my flashlight disturbing the family cat’s slumbers. Burroughs and Haggard were also much more interesting than the drivel they had us read in school (Silas Marner? Ugh!). I even made my way through Michener’s Hawaii—now there’s historical fiction par excellence…fascinating!
I believe a reading life can lead to a writing life. It doesn’t have to do so, of course, but let’s turn it around: I can’t imagine being a writer without first having been an avid reader. Of course, reading, especially in the summertime, provides quality R&R for anyone, especially for this old writer after his novel-writing marathons. I wonder how many more of those I can run? Of course, the speed isn’t all that important, but eventually getting across the finish line is.
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Comments are always welcome.
Rembrandt’s Angel. “One Yard inspector had called her Miss Marple. The nickname stuck in spite of her discouraging it, but she had never dealt with homicides.” Ex-MI6 agent and current Scotland Yard Inspector Esther Brookstone becomes obsessed with recovering a Rembrandt painting stolen by the Nazis in World War II. Interpol agent and paramour Bastiann van Coevorden tries to control her obsession and keep her safe. Their quest to recover the painting leads them to an international conspiracy that threatens Europe. Published by Penmore Press, this mystery/thriller is available in ebook and print format from Amazon and as an ebook version from Smashwords and its affiliated retailers (iBooks, B&N, Kobo, etc.) Also available from the publisher or your local bookstore (if they don’t have it, ask for it). A sequel is coming.
Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!
