Several years back, I attended a writers meeting at a nearby library. My hope was to find someone who’d be willing to read my first novel, which at the time was still grossly overlength and badly needed a fresh pair of eyes. If I could find someone else who wrote YA, we could do a beta reading exchange, and both benefit from it. At least, that’s what the little optimistic voice in my head kept saying. Sadly, when the authors in attendance split off into groups based on genre and age group, my name was the only one listed under “Young Adult.” Despite connecting with an awesome bunch of talented and friendly authors, I was still out of luck when it came to getting help with my book. Or so I thought.
On a desperate whim, I decided to reach out to the woman who’d organized the event. She wrote romance and chick lit – not even close to my category – but I knew she’d written at least two or three novels, which (combined) would be the equivalent length of mine. Plus she seemed super nice. Genre differences aside, maybe she’d be willing to do an exchange.
I was a ball of nervous energy as I sent the email. I’d tried to get help from other authors before, but no one seemed interested (who could blame them, considering the 150K word count), and at that length I certainly couldn’t afford a professional editor charging $3-4 per page. I’d been stuck on this same problem for years, and was beginning to feel hopeless.
When I started reading her reply, that feeling of hopelessness stabbed deeper. She didn’t currently have any books that she needed beta-ed. So, that was that. Then I read the next line: but she would be happy to read my book anyway. I couldn’t believe it. I think I might’ve cried a little.
Instead of just reading the book, this woman – Anna – did something even more amazing. She read it with her then ten-and-a-half-year-old son. They gave me feedback throughout the entire process, telling me what chapter they were on, what they liked, and what needed help. After they were finished, they gave me a list of notes that became my bible as I revised my novel for publication. It was more than I ever could have asked for.
In the time since then, Anna and I have become what she dubbed “writing partners.” Mismatched as we are – she writes romance and easy-going chick lit, I write dark stuff; I’m a planner, she’s a pantser – somehow it works. She began to write a new novel, and I got the opportunity to read it chapter by chapter, giving feedback on each freshly-minted scene. I’d never read something in real time before, right as the author was creating it, and it was pretty cool to be part of that experience.
It didn’t hurt that the book was hilarious, fast-paced, and had me rooting for the main character, Paige, all the way through. As Paige struggled with the ins and outs of getting started in the cut-throat real estate business, I saw my own battle to make it as a writer: the moments of elation, the moments of self-doubt, the moments of despair when giving up feels like the only sane course of action. Paige’s refusal to let those dark moments drag her down made me want to keep my head up and keep fighting too.
Several years down the road, I am still in that fight. Publishing my first novel – the one Anna and her son so generously helped me with – was a definite moment of triumph, but success still seems miles away. I haven’t found my audience yet, my sales are nonexistent, and my writing flame – once a roaring inferno in the pre-pandemic era – is barely a flicker these days.
What better time, then, for Paige to come back into my life, her adventures finally published for the world to enjoy? Reading this book is a fond trip down memory lane – making me laugh all over again at all of the horrible stuff Paige has to go through (the mentor from hell, constant babysitting, delusional clients, a haunted mansion no one wants to buy) , and also reminding me that she has to go through all that stuff to earn her success at the end of the story.
I don’t know what my own life story’s ending will look like, whether I’ll ever truly “make it” as a writer or not, but I sure am glad to have an awesome writing partner like Anna. And I am so totally, insanely proud of her for publishing her first book at long last.
So, it’s Halloween, AKA the one day a year I actually have a legitimate excuse to wear my werewolf masks (no the plural is not a typo – I have two masks, as well as a set of fuzzy ears, a pair of paws, and a tail). As you can probably tell from the above sentence, werewolves are kinda my thing. I’ve spent the last several months reading and watching all manner of lycanthropic entertainment. Now seems like a great time to give you guys the skinny (or should I say the hairy?) on the numerous fur-raising tales I’ve been dipping into!
Enjoy, and let the good times howl!
TV
Wolf Like Me (Peacock) This show was the whole reason I signed up for Peacock. It just looked SO good. And I am thrilled to say it more than lived up to expectations. The show centers around Mary (a werewolf with a tragic past), Gary (a widower struggling to raise a young daughter), and Emma (Gary’s daughter, who suffers from severe anxiety, depression, and panic attacks). Wolf Like Me is a beautifully written and performed story told in six bite-sized episodes. It is part rom-com, part drama, with a little bit of horror thrown in for good measure. You will fall in love with the characters, laughing out loud at some points and holding your breath at others. I devoured this show in about three days, then immediately rewatched the final episode because it was next-level good in terms of the emotional payoff. I have since showed the series to my mom, who also really enjoyed it. When we got to the last episode, I asked her if she was excited for the final installment. She said, “Yes and no.” She wanted to see how it all turned out, but also was sad that there would be no more episodes. It was definitely over too soon, and I can’t wait for season two, assuming we get one (I think we will!).
Wolfblood (Peacock) A cute British show for kids/tweens about a species of werewolf-like creatures struggling to keep their secret while dealing with all kinds of normal teen drama and various supernatural dilemmas. To be honest, this one is worth watching for the accents alone – you’ve got all manner of British, Welsh, Irish, Scottish, and more, and being an American, I could listen to those voices talk all day long. A few of the storylines would definitely be more of interest to younger viewers than adults, but overall I had so much fun watching seasons 1-3 (all they had on Peacock, though apparently there are 2 more seasons floating out there somewhere). The wolves were very obviously CG, but at least they were cute-looking. The characters were very well-drawn, with even people like the mean girls and the class bully getting backstories, so that no one was just one-dimensional, and everyone was a redeemable human (or wolf). By the end, I felt like they were family, and I was sad when it was time to say goodbye.
The Order (Netflix) The pacing is a bit manic on this college-set drama, rushing from one storyline to the next as if the writers thought the audience had super short attention spans or something. That said, the actors are likeable, and have good chemistry together, making me care about the characters and their problems. There were a lot of cool details, including the use of wolf pelts to create the werewolves (rather than the typical “infection by bite” mode) and a practical explanation for the purpose of werewolves and why they eat the hearts of their victims. I found this a refreshing change from the norm. Also of note: season one did a great job of making the werewolves scary by not showing too much. There’d be a paw, or a snout, or a massive silhouette, or even just someone reacting to what it looked like without the beast appearing on screen. The wolves do eventually show up in their entirety, but the build-up was nice. I’d like to see another season of this, especially as it ended on a cliffhanger, but I don’t know if there’s any chance of it actually happening.
Books
Bitten(Once Bitten, Twice Shy, Book One)by Noelle Marie
I found myself engaged by this story of a young woman whose life gets completely upended after she is bitten by a werewolf, witnesses her family being attacked (and presumably killed) by brutal assailants, and then finds herself kidnapped and held against her will by a group of werewolves “for her own protection.” I liked most of the characters, including the lead, Katherine, and many members of her pack as well as students at the special werewolf school she ends up attending. The whole “werewolf society” thing was cool. There was even an awesome, all-female pack that I desperately wanted Katherine to join.
The one thing that grated me about this book was the character of Bastian. I hated him and the way he treated Katherine, which to me read like abusive behavior. He bit her and turned her into a werewolf, jeopardizing her life and her family’s lives simply because his wolf was attracted to her and couldn’t “control himself.” Bastian follows this up by kidnapping Katherine, obsessively micromanaging every detail of her life (she is not allowed to go anywhere or do anything without his permission), peeing on her to mark her as territory (for her “protection”), saying nasty things like “I wish I’d never met you” and then later apologizing that he didn’t mean it, etc. I was cheering Katherine on whenever she did anything to defy him, and cringing whenever they had romantic moments. The reason for some of Bastian’s disgusting behavior is explained by the end of the book, but in my mind the explanation didn’t really do anything to excuse his actions. I want her to ditch his sorry butt.
Unleashed(Wolf Springs Chronicles, Book One)by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
This book stands out from the pack (pun intended!) because of the really creepy atmosphere. The main character, Kat, has just moved in with her grandfather outside the remote town of Wolf Springs. Their cabin is in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by woods. She is not allowed to go out by herself at night. She isn’t even allowed to step off the porch after dark. Strange noises emanate from the darkness – including screams and weird drumming/chanting from a nearby corporate retreat. A girl has been murdered prior to Kat’s arrival in Wolf Springs, and a second death occurs right after Kat moves in, heightening the fear level. Even the reveal about the existence of werewolves – which the reader should see coming, given the topic of the book – is handled in an eerie and believable way, adding to the creep factor.
Kat did frustrate me at times, taking actions that very obviously were not smart, just in order to move the plot along. Seriously, if people were getting murdered/mauled to death in the woods at night, and basically everyone on the planet had already warned you not to drive home alone, I don’t think you would forget or ignore this information just because of a fight with a guy.
Overall, though, I thought the book was well-written. I have mixed feelings about the end, as there was no resolution to any of the plot points. However, the chilling atmosphere and numerous mysteries kept me engaged, and I definitely want to read the next book in the series!
The Wolf Giftby Anne Rice
I’d never read an Anne Rice book before, and I must say I was very impressed with the writing. Beautiful descriptions, expert characterization, and a compelling tale of a newly-turned “man-wolf” made this a highly enjoyable read. I especially liked that the main werewolf, Reuben, used his gift to dispatch the most deplorable criminals imaginable (including child murderers and someone who was trying to light a homeless man on fire), making him like a really vicious superhero/vigilante. My main complaint would be that never at any point does he consider not killing his victims, even though he’s plenty strong enough to contain perpetrators with nonlethal force. The only other thing that bothered me was that Reuben’s main love interest, Laura, was the only character not particularly well fleshed out. They decided to move in together and spend the rest of their lives together after just barely meeting each other and having sex two times. Insta-love is a big no-no for me, but overall I really enjoyed the book. There are some beautiful philosophical passages as well as a few “science behind the transformation” tidbits which were refreshing because most authors don’t attempt to explain something like that in medical terms. I will definitely read the sequel at some point.
Mercy Thompson Series, Books 1-3 (Moon Called, Blood Bound, Iron Kissed) by Patricia Briggs
As you can tell by the fact that I read the first three books, I am hooked on this urban fantasy series about a Native American woman who can transform into a coyote at will. She also happens to be a mechanic and a total badass who was raised with werewolves and therefore does not take crap from them. So far, these books tend to involve murder mysteries that Mercy gets involved in due to her ties to the supernatural community, which includes fae, vampires, witches, and the aforementioned wolves. I thought the plot of the first book was a tad overly complicated, with possibly too many characters introduced. For a supposed loner, we find out that Mercy is actually close with her neighbor, Adam (the local wolf pack’s Alpha), and Adam’s daughter, Jesse, and Adam’s third in command, Warren, and Warren’s boyfriend, Kyle, and the local cop, Tony, and the fae guy Mercy bought her garage from, Zee, and the friendly-ish vampire, Stefan, and well, you get the picture – it’s a lot of people in her life, and that’s before the folks from her past get involved. So I was a little overwhelmed in book one, but I settled right into book two with all of the characters and relationships already established, and it’s been smooth sailing ever since. I love Mercy’s voice and her personality. Looking forward to book four and beyond!
Cry Wolf (Book One of the Alpha and Omega Series) by Patricia Briggs
I gave this book a chance because my library only had the first three Mercy Thompson installments (plus one from way later in the series, but no way am I reading them out of order). I read the audiobook version, which is not my preference, and may have colored my perception of the story. This book takes place in the Mercy Thompson universe, shortly after the events of Moon Called, so there are some spoilers for that one. The characters were okay, but not as compelling as the main characters in the Mercy books. The book cover did not mention that it was an abridged edition, but I felt like something might have been missing from the beginning. Anna and Charles, who have only just met, are already “mated” to each other in wolf form (meaning their wolves just instantly fell in love/lust/whatever). We didn’t get to see when this moment occurred, but we do know the two are virtual strangers, which made it uncomfortable for me that they were already bonded for life. Another case of insta-love that left me sour, because I think people need to spend a lot of time together before making a commitment like that, whether your wolf is horny or not. The story has some cool elements of magic and a really nice newly-turned werewolf who sadly doesn’t survive to the end of the book. The concept of what Anna is, an Omega wolf who can’t be controlled by an Alpha and has the power to calm other wolves, was interesting, but I didn’t love her character or Charles and therefore wasn’t super-invested in their romance.
Movies
Ginger Snaps
This one had been on my radar ever since I encountered it on someone’s top ten list of best werewolf movies. Given that decent werewolf movies are hard to come by, I was really looking forward to this, and it did not let me down. It was a well-written and well-acted film with a compelling storyline paralleling the brutal changes of becoming a wolf with the volatile body changes a teenage girl undergoes during puberty. I must say this is absolutely the goriest werewolf movie I’ve ever seen. A total blood and guts fest. It was a bit shocking. The other thing that caught me off guard was the amount of suicide imagery. One of the main characters, Ginger, is obsessed with death and the idea of killing herself, and the film is filled to the brim with every graphic image of self-inflicted death you could imagine. If you or the person you’d be watching it with are going through any kind of depression, I would not recommend this movie, as it could be a trigger. The special effects were good, and the final form of the beast is truly hideous. Nothing pretty about this film at all, but it is well-done and worth watching if you can stomach it.
I Am Lisa
Okay, the concept of this movie sounded great – a young woman is brutalized and left for dead in the woods by a group of nasty peers. Instead of dying, she is bitten by a werewolf and then uses her newfound abilities to exact revenge on the ones who attacked her. So yeah, it sounds bloody awesome, but sadly I just felt like the writing was terrible and I couldn’t get into it at all. A lot of the characters seemed flat, and people did not behave logically or with any clear motive. At one point Lisa (the werewolf) and her best friend wisely decide that they should leave town. They then continue to hang around in town as if the conversation never took place. I didn’t finish watching this movie, so maybe it got better in the final third, but life’s too short to watch something you’re not enjoying, so I decided not to keep pushing through.
Battledogs
Like the previous film, this one had a cool-sounding concept. The idea of using werewolves for military applications isn’t explored often enough, and I thought the plot might be cool if nothing else. I’m sorry to say this is a ridiculously bad movie. I think it knows it is a bad movie, and even embraces its own terribleness, and those kinds of movies can be fun to watch, especially with friends. There is no real development of plot or character, it’s all just one action scene after another, weak explanations for elements that just plain don’t make sense, etc. I probably would have finished this one, despite how much it sucked, but I grew uncomfortable with the fact that all the “hero” characters were white, and the two main “bad guys” were Black and Native American. (The lead baddie is actually played by our beloved Dennis Haysbert, who was so memorable as God on Lucifer. His talents were wasted here.) There was one Black character (portrayed by Ernie Hudson of Ghostbusters fame) helping the protagonists, but he got senselessly murdered halfway through the film. Shortly after that, I just kind of called it quits. If you like constant werewolf action and blatantly stupid writing, you might like this one.
I don’t have Disney+ at the moment, but at some point hopefully we’ll get it back and I can dive headfirst into Werewolf by Night. In the meantime, I bid you happy watching, happy reading, and a very happy Howl-o-ween!
For a REALLY long time, I didn’t have a Twitter account. I had no idea what I’d even do with one. Then my favorite TV show got cancelled, and Twitter seemed to be the main avenue for fans to protest this development and try to bring the show back. Being the devoted fangirl that I am, of course I had to fight against the unjust cancellation of something great (#SaveForever!), so I signed up for Twitter. And even though our campaign eventually failed (cue the heartbroken sobbing), I did have tons of fun connecting with other diehard fans of the show. Just knowing how many people loved Forever helped ease the pain of its loss.
In the years since then, I’ve continued to use Twitter to fight the good fangirl fight. Sometimes we won (#SaveLucifer, yeah baby!!!), other times we lost (I’m so sorry, Limitless – I tried!), but it was always amazing to have a voice and join forces with other fans in support of a common goal.
Having a Twitter account came in handy for other purposes, too. For example, I linked my Twitter to this blog, so whenever a new post goes up on here, my Twitter followers (all twelve of them!!) can see it. Being on Twitter also allowed me to participate in several Chicken Soup for the Soul book release parties, where I made some awesome connections with fellow CSS authors.
But the best was yet to come. In the process of trying to get some much-needed reviews for my novel, I contacted Crowvus Book Blog (https://crowvusbookblog.blogspot.com). To my delight, one of the authors, Judith Crow, agreed to read and review my book (you can read Judith’s review of Even Heroes here: https://crowvusbookblog.blogspot.com/2022/02/book-review-even-heroes-by-g-bassier.html). A few weeks later, Judith contacted me about a new program initiated by Crowvus: a Twitter account that would be curated by a different author each week. It would be a chance to get more exposure for my book, and network with other authors and readers. How could a girl say no to that? 🙂
Thus, for one crazy week back in the spring, I was the curator of the @WeeklyScribe Twitter account. To say it was an amazing experience would be an understatement. At first, I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to really do a great job and provide top-notch content. I was, after all, the first American to curate the account, the first person not associated with Crowvus to curate the account, and I think basically the second person to do it ever. So I wanted to really represent their brand in a respectable way and not do anything to horribly embarrass or offend anyone.
Initially I had a very strict schedule of Tweets laid out. I was going to do two or three posts on a specific topic each day. They were all pre-written. Once I dove in, however, I started to remember what Twitter immersion really feels like. My rigid plans quickly started to loosen up, and I really began to interact organically with other authors. I noticed that polls got a nice response, so I added a few more than I planned. And, while I made sure to post new content every day, I ended up finding more pleasure in reading other people’s Tweets and commenting, liking, following, and sometimes even Re-Tweeting.
I dove happily down the rabbit hole, responding to Tweets about plot, characterization, favorite books, indie publishing vs. traditional, editing habits, etc. I shared quotes and details about my novel, and eagerly read passages posted by other authors – their opening lines, banter between their characters, even silly things, like their main character’s favorite brand of soap.
This may not seem like a big deal to you, but as a writer, I’ve basically been wandering alone in the desert for three years. And suddenly, I was swimming in a lake of writing advice, shared experiences, and jokes about the dreaded synopsis that only other authors would understand. It was heaven! It reminded me just how much of a geek I am about writing. How I could talk about it all day long and well into the night. How it keeps my heart pumping in a world that sometimes feels dead.
I really, really needed that reminder.
In the months since my time as @WeeklyScribe, I have mostly crawled back into my cave, content to be a Twitter hermit. However, I do actually come out into the sunshine once in a while, and when I do, I enthusiastically start checking every hashtag to do with writing (my faves are #WritingCommunity and #writingquestion). And then I start reading those Tweets, and liking, and commenting, and following. I don’t want to lose that lifeline to people who “get” me, now that I’ve finally got it back.
Also, maybe even more significantly, this experience inspired me to start writing again. I am happy to report that I have completed the first chapter of a brand new novel, and Chapter Two is in progress. Slow progress, but progress nonetheless.
So, that was my week as @WeeklyScribe. If you are an author interested in curating the @WeeklyScribe account, I have three words for you: GO FOR IT!! You’ll be so glad you did. I know I was.
As promised, here’s a review of my cousin’s book, Knight’s Duty! Hopefully, this will be the first of many book reviews here on ATHF:
Knight’s Duty is a fast-paced adventure about a young woman named Arianna whose greatest dream is to become a Unicorn Knight. The Knights are an order of elite soldiers pledged to defend and serve the realm of Failyn. On her way to the capital city to test her mettle as a Knight, Arianna discovers that she seems to have magical powers – something no human is supposed to possess – and meets a lone unicorn who has just survived the death of her Knight – something no unicorn should be able to do.
As the pair teams up to unravel these mysteries, they begin to understand that something much bigger – and darker – is at play. A threat that endangers the lives of everyone in their realm.
This book has lots of action, highly polished writing, cool magic, some twists I definitely didn’t see coming (one small one near the beginning and one HUGE one near the end), and characters I could relate to and respect (it’s not every day you read about teenagers aspiring to serve their country as both humanitarians and warriors). The author also does a nice job of exploring emotional topics such as guilt, forbidden crushes, jealousy, and grief.
I knew this book had me hooked when I started reading in the early afternoon and before I even realized it, the house was pitch black aside from the glow of my Kindle screen. At that point I got up to turn some lights on…then went right back to reading! 😀
Knight’s Duty is a complete story but it also sets the reader up perfectly for the next installment. I am SO looking forward to Book 2. Good thing there’s a little teaser – and a really cool cover reveal – on the author’s Facebook page to help make the wait more bearable. Go check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorElaineB/ . And don’t forget to check out the book, too! The Kindle version only costs $0.99 and it’s also available in print form (for those who haven’t yet been bitten by the eBook bug).
I’m so proud of my cousin for writing this book, and so very happy she decided to share it with the world. The world is lucky to have it. 🙂
So go forth, enjoy, and support an indie author in the process!
Oh, and don’t forget to review! 🙂
~Gretchen
P.S. The unicorns in this book are intelligent, fiercely loyal, incredible fighters, and have personalities as unique and memorable as any human character. Unicorns rock!
as the HERO flies... 