Escaping the Bad Guys With a Spiritual Twist

Read Dorothy Gilman's Incident at Badamya this week, a very nice teen, coming of age suspense novel. Still, I got a big laugh out of it for a serious novel set in Asia just before the Korean War. The Communist Chinese are inciting revolt in Burma just as Gen Ferris' missionary father kills himself and tells her to find her way to America via Rangoon. The laugh came when I pulled the book from my to-read pile, a brand new novel with a price of $4.95 on the cover. I'm not even going to guess how long it was gathering dust on my shelf.

Of course, Dorothy Gillman isn't known for her YA books. I've only seen her marketed as adult fiction...with ladies of a "certain" age as her main characters. The adventures of Mrs. Pollifax is her most famous series. I prefer Madam Karitska, the Clarvoyent Countess mysteries. Incident at Badamya is one of her several stand alone novels. Of course, they are all mostly out of print and not in e-format. I think they're worth a little time in digging up a couple if you're looking for well-crafted mystery/suspense/adventure/light romance novel. Not many other books measure up to Gilman's writing.

After her father kills himself, Gen Ferris must find her way through insurgent lines to return to her aunt in America, but she is captured on her way to the river ferry that'd take her to Rangoon. The river ferry doesn't land in her village as usual, but when she tries to catch it coming back down the river, she's captured by the Red Chinese. She is trapped behind enemy lines with some other European captives. Suspense builds as she and her bickering fellow prisoners figured out how to escape. Of course, nothing goes as planned.

The book gives the reader a sense of traditional Burmese country life, before the place became Myanmar. The Buddist mysticisim, though different from her usual European turn, gives a thought provoking and educational aura to the book. You'll also get a feel for the rhythms of Burmese life from her multi-sense descriptions.

Unfortunately, Gilman can't be found in e-format. You can read more about the book on Amazon. Used paperbacks are still available.

~~~~~~~~~~~

My Writing Rut

Rendezvous surprised me again. Couldn't wait for Britt Kelly and Gillen, the gargoyle, to meet again. Dreamed of this big emotional scene of gore oozing every where. Got it written. Three pages of matter of fact back story, explanation of why Gillen is wounded, and some emotion, but not much. What a let down. But then, Britt's rather stern of purpose, when she isn't mad. 

Today shot down my chance of a big demon fight, but I'm going back to the chapter tomorrow. To see if, the Markham's from Docket's Diggings can fit into the flow. [Noticing Jamilla. Cassy Mae is long gone from the town, and I assume her grandmother is too. Nothing like having life-force sucking demons controlling your town.]

Got another Five Star Review for There Be Demons:

starsThere are no Elf kind here!

ByDavid A Foucheyon May 1, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

Whats not to like about a rollicking good story involving Teens teaming with Gargoyles to fight invading Demons? It was fun to see her use Gargoyles as the supernatural helpers of mortals in protecting the Mortal Lands from Demon-kind instead of the usual Elves, Fairies and Dwarves. Was a nice change of pace.

The review kind of made me sad. I'm still thinking of revising one of my Far Isles Half-Elven manuscripts--Dark Solstice. Mariah is still my second-favorite character, and she's been sitting in my computer since I published Vengeance.

Golden Oldies: Books that Do and Don't Stand the Test of Time: Review of "I Know What You Did Last Summer" & More

Nothing like showing up late for the party. I always feel like that when I pick up a Lois Duncan book at a used book store. Yeah, reading one of her books is usually one, full of dread party. Recently read I Know What You Did Last Summer, a chilling, suspenseful book without any gore. -- Guess the 1997 "blockbuster" movie wasn't a slasher movie ... even though I didn't see it.

The plot centers around four clueless teens who think they can bury a bad decision if they don't talk about it. Unfortunately, such decisions rise like zombies and develop a life of their own. -- No, Last Summer isn't a zombie story. In this case, someone has figured out their secret and stalks them, as he seeks retribution for a hit and run death.

Duncan has a lean style, but manages to tie up all the loose ends in a relatively short book. What didn't work for me: The characters didn't seem to grow. They remained much the same at the end of the book as at the beginning ... though they did give up their pact to remain silent  and face the music.  

What really worked for me was the way Duncan mixed flash backs to show the difference a year can make in someone's life. The opening scenes of panic hook the reader and attach them to the story ... as Jill, probably the most important character, must confront actions she'd rather bury in the deep recesses of her mind as well as a love she can't give up.

Duncan winds up the tension in the book by using different viewpoints to create a feeling of dread. Each chapter gives judicious pieces of information about the secret in flashbacks with the story unfolding in standard mystery fashion. The flashbacks also delineate the character of the teens.  

[Lois Duncan. I Know What You Did Last Summer. 

New York: Laurel Leaf, Random House, 1973.]

Trade ... though I should probably keep and study it

Read an Ellis Peters [Brother Cadfael] mystery set in modern times: The Will and the Deed.  The book was copyrighted in 1960 and had a nice plot/villain twist. But, today it felt unbelievable. Not only did the technology feel off to this Luddite ... but inflation made the amount of money involved silly as a motive for murder.

Trade ... though it'll probably end up with Friends of the Library

Inflation has influenced publishing. I've always wondered if larger/ longer books were a result of the higher prices books now cost. Like, the writer's cost is the least important part of a publisher's expenses.

This comment comes up because I again revisited Tamora Pierce's Tortall. This time: Mastiff, A Tortall Legend, the third book in the Beka Cooper trilogy. The hardback's so heavy it made my thumbs hurt, but still kept reading until after two AM to finish it ... even though I've read it at least three times.

The fact that I own the book in hardback tells you how good I think the book is.

Last but not least, I read Dorothy Gilman's Caravan about getting lost in the Sahara before WWI. The books a fascinating exercise in breaking the "rule" of telling a story. The revenge of the narrator is as downplayed as it's brilliant

I'll probably trade it since I'm trying to clear some room on my bookshelves.  

###

Just what I need is an interruption in my writing schedule ... especially since critiques are starting to come in on "Troublesome Neighbors". But ... an editor asked me for a revision. Yeah, I'm going to do it ... even though only a token payment is involved.

Hard Hook, Soft Hook

The Read ... presented a different opening hook than the ones I've found in more recent books -- a soft hook.  I think I mentioned I found a used copy of Dorothy Gilman's Kaleidoscope published back in 2002 [maybe her last published book].  Now, I never cared much for her Mrs. Pollifax spy character but read the first The Clairvoyant Countess (Madame Karitska) several times.  [My favorite book of hers is The Nun in the Closet.]

More important, Ms. Gilman was chosen as this year's Grand Master (2010) at the Edgar Awards.  All in all, I'd say this is an author to pay attention to.  That said, I must say, Gilman's books don't fit the mold of the books I've been buying lately.

The hook feels passive when compared to current openings.  "Madame Karitska, leaving the shabby brownstone on Eighth Street, gave only a cursory glance at the sign in the first-floor window that read MADAME KARITSKA, READINGS.  It was ironic, she thought as she stepped into the bright noon sunshine, how a talent that had earned her whippings as a child, and for which she had never before accepted money, had led her so firmly to this street a year ago, and to this brownstone, to place the sign in the window that at last admitted her gift of clairvoyance."

A lot of info was packed in there, but I wonder if a working editor would sharpen the old red pencil and trim/change the opening paragraph.

More important than the opening hook being softer is the fact the structure of the whole book differs.  Today, publishing blogs from all sectors mention story arcs.  Imagine a covered esplanade with arches letting in the sunshine leading you from one point to another.

Gilman works with entwined threads of vignettes of Madame Karitska's clients, some pertinent to the continuing story and some one time happenings.  I often felt like Gilman was trailing a number of red herrings behind her.  Teasing the reader to guess which vignette adds pertinent plot info and which just adds color to the skein. 

I wonder if the book could still be published -- even though I enjoyed it immensely.  No danger made the reader care about the main character.  No plot offered a great puzzle to solve.  Indeed, Karitska is mostly a passive observer -- though she does get her ankle kicked by one of the villains in the book when he is arrested.  Karitska supplies the information, and the police solve the crimes.  The book, in this sense, almost feels like real life.

Progress ... Have been working on motivations.  Ye New Critiquer faulted me [rightly] for being too obtuse.  Now I've been going back and revising ... mostly beginning chapters.  For Kaffy Anne [Voices of Ghost Creek], I've been foreshadowing her ability to sense ghosts.  For Britt [There Be Demons], I've been adding more indications about what she wants to happen [and ain't].

For Emma, her expectations of bad luck are delivered right in the first chapter without anyone telling me I need to do more.

Trivia ... Bid for a critique on Nashville Relief.  Someone bid $5.00 higher minutes before midnight ended the auction.  I think I was asleep.  ...  Little green demon's saying:  Now you can keep your charity closer to home.