Book Review - Beyond the Red Carpet by Debbra Lynn

Sophia Vaughn is an aspiring screenwriter and moves to Tinseltown, Hollywood, to be close to the action. But like hundreds of others, initially finds film work hard to come by, and takes employment in a catering company, waitressing and serving, to makes ends meet, until her big break comes along.

   And it is at a drunken moviemaker’s decadent house party that she first comes across the man of her dreams, assistant director Marcus Donovan. She has never met anyone quite like Marcus before. When he stands close to her every cell in her body tingles, the hairs on her arms stand up, and Sophia is immediately convinced that Marcus is her one and only life partner.

   Marcus likes Sophia too well enough, and makes his play, and she can’t say no to him, and within days they set off for Las Vegas, and a small and hasty wedding. So begins Debbra Lynn’s impressive debut novel “Beyond the Red Carpet”.

   If you like stories based in Hollywood, full of wealthy and glamorous people and all that goes with it, you will love this. I have to confess it isn’t the kind of book I would usually pick up, but I found this a satisfying read. It is easy to get into, the pace is fast, the dialogue crisp and believable, and the story really rattles along, keeping the reader interested and making it a quick read. Part of the story is set in the present, and some in flashback, a device I have always enjoyed reading.

   And do Sophia and Marcus live together happily ever after? I couldn’t possibly say! You will have to get hold of a copy to find out and explore the many exciting twists and turns that are guaranteed to keep you interested till the very end. You won’t be disappointed. A promising debut, with a nice cover too. Recommended.

NOW SCHEDULING:

"The Inconvenient Unborn" Book Blog Tour running throughout March 2016.

If you have a bookblog why not take a look at this and access some great new content for your website?

Click here for more information on that.

Hope you'll get on board!!

Have fun,

David C.

The Inconvenient Unborn - Book Trailer.

Here's the book trailer for my forthcoming book, "The Inconvenient Unborn", which tells the story of two feuding families.

The story is mainly located on the south coast in and around Lymington, and is set in the near future.

It is due for release on March 1st 2016. Stay tuned for more information on that.

England in the near future - Though you may not like what you see.

352 pages, and it will be available in paperback and as an Ebook.

Horses and Dogs and Humans at Beaulieu Point-to-Point Horse Races in the New Forest - Boxing Day 2016

And the gorse in full flower at Christmas too! 

And despite the wet under foot conditons and the blustery day, a good time was had by all, even though my companion fell over in the muck!!!

Yes, I Am Now On Twitter  (At Long Last!!!)

Yes I am now on TWITTER - so why not follow me and I will probably follow you too - (I don't follow sex, violence, hatred or any sites that bear no relevance to Books and Publishing and Writing.

You will find me @thebookbloke.

Follow @thebookbloke

Tweets by @thebookbloke

Hope to see you there in the Twittersphere,

have a great day,

David C. 

First Person or Third Person?

When Writing or Reading Do You Have a Preference, and Why?

If you are a scribbler, which point of view (POV) do you prefer to write in, and if you are reader, do you have any preference when choosing books to read?

The reason I pose this question is because my friend, Anne, a voracious reader of chicklit, (she gets through a mountain of the stuff every month!) but will only ever buy books written in the third person. She detests stories written in the first, so much so that one of my recent books, Down into the Darkness, albeit a short one, she would not touch, when I mentioned it was written in the first person.

I found I quite enjoyed the change, and have even started writing another one that way, provisionally entitled ROWENA, though I suspect I shall always write my longer books in the third person, for it seems more natural to me. The first person choice appears to suit shorter stories and novellas much better, though I have no idea why that is.

I mentioned that Anne refused point blank to read DITD on Goodreads, and was quite surprised to receive several lovely letters (emails to you and me!) telling me that they absolutely adored first person books, and would only ever buy such things, and I should keep writing them, so clearly there is a big divide amongst some folk as to their preference.

It’s interesting that one of the most successful writers of today, Lee Child, when writing his eponymous hero, Jack Reacher, varies between telling the stories in the first and the third. I wonder what the thinking is behind that. Maybe he simply enjoys the change.

And also that John Irving, when presenting one of his tome-like books to his publisher, was told, or maybe more likely, advised, that it was okay, for a first draft, but it would have been much better if written in the first person, and could he please go away and re-write it accordingly, to which he blew out hard, and went off and duly did as requested, and of course the book went on to sell millions of copies. Perhaps afterwards he was glad he took their advice!

So, I pose this question to you today dear reader, or writer, which POV do you prefer, and why exactly is that?

Have a great day,

And night,

Have fun,

David Carter.

© David Carter 2015

Frankenstein:

Did you know that Mary Shelley was only eighteen when she began writing Frankenstein?

Amazing imagination!!! Wish I'd been there....

David C

Here's the link...  silly me!

Original John Sutton Painting of Appledore Quay

I have just added a lovely John Sutton original painting to my Ebay store and it is now up for sale.

Here's the pic:

and here's his signature on the picture:

and here's the link on ebay where you can find out so much more about this cracking original painting.

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!

David C.

Poppies, Paris and Poetry....

Here’s a pic of my well-worn poppy this year, and I know it’s a bit late, but better late than never, as the say. 

And especially fitting after the despicable events in Paris. I feel so sorry for all those young kids who went out on a Friday night (thought that was supposed to be a holy day, btw, but never mind!) to a music concert, and never came back. 

What kind of god could ever justify such a thing?

Makes no sense at all to me, and practically everyone else. 

Anyway, people of Paris, the whole civilised world is grieving with you, that’s for sure.

And here’s the topical poetry, and there’s a question for you to follow. You’ll know this piece, but do you know who wrote it? Answer in a tick.

Here are the important words first:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Yes it’s In Flanders Fields of course, and particularly apt it is this week, methinks, and it was written by?

Bet you didn’t know. I certainly didn’t.

Here’s the answer, courtesy of Wikipedia, and thank you for that.

"In Flanders Fields" is a war poem in the form of a rondeau, written during the First World War by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae.

He was inspired to write it on May 3, 1915, after presiding over the funeral of friend and fellow soldier Alexis Helmer, who died in the Second Battle of Ypres. According to legend, fellow soldiers retrieved the poem after McCrae, initially dissatisfied with his work, discarded it.

"In Flanders Fields" was first published on December 8 of that year in the London-based magazine Punch

It is one of the most popular and most quoted poems from the war.

So there you have it, John McCrae. I’ll remember that now.

Peace to all,

David.