Archive for November, 2010

Do I need to write my proposal, synopsis or outline for Publishers and Agents in 3rd person?

Hello, I have written a Non fiction book which is a personal biography of my particular experiences on a subject. I have written it from my point of view but do I need to write the proposal/synopsis/outline for publishers and agents in the 3rd person – so as an outsider? Many thanks in advance

What are the best how-to books for writing a novel?

I need some direction on how to finesse my skills regarding plot structure, character development, scene, dialogue, etc. I am wondering if anyone can recommend some of their favorite books on these areas of writing.

What are some good love thriller suspense books that have big twists at the end?

Please don’t give away anything. Murder and killing are good.

What are some of the best historical crime fiction sets of novels?

Such as the Judge Dee mysteries set in China. Help if you can, looking for good summer reading ..

The Lost Symbol

After a racy book on Jesus Christ’s descendancy, and an even racier tale of conspiracy in the Vatican City, here’s another one of the typical conspiracy theory, mostly Masonic culture related evenly racy book from Dan Brown’s kitty! Well not that I did not expect this to be yet another ancient mysteries’ tale which is what Dan is famous for, but this is yet story which happens just under a day; the time span of the story in the book is spread to show flashbacks and side events but the story follows a trail of one single day (in fact 12 hours only) in the life of Robert Langdon. Yes, an important aspect…Robert Langdon, the famous professor of symbology is back in his 3rd adventure! Only this time around, he is not travelling to other countries; this is based in his own country, Washington D.C. to be precise!! Dan Brown introduces a lesser known subject of Noetic Sciences which deals with a kind of inner consciousness, the usual Masonic stuff that legends are made up of and how they related to the founding fathers of America. So while Langdon is called for a lecture (which was never supposed to be), he is quickly sucked into a hyperventilated chase across town to unfold the mystery of a long lost Masonic symbol. Of course there is the usual balance of intrigue, murder, kidnapping, and a lot of history and hidden messages in the art strewn around the capital. The conspiracy theorist will find this interesting as it covers a lot on the government, covert Masonic rituals involving top officials, threatening to put the country in chaos, chases across the city to stop the villain Mal’akh to reveal the secrets of the Government worldwide using a modern weapon – the internet! Intending to be a thriller, there are moments of breathlessness in the sequences on one side and on some other occasions the author leaves you waiting. The continuity in the thrill is broken many times, however, by the look of it, the dry places were needed in the story to bring in the angle required. The incidents in the lab of Noetic Sciences, the “silent” escape in the darkness, are some occasions which are gripping!! One thing which I like about Dan Brown’s books is his writing style. The effect of Dan Brown’s writing style is very movie-like. They assume a fast action paced movie effect and makes you visualize the events unfolding. Now that Tom Hanks has become the face of Robert Langdon, one can easily place him in the story and the movie begins to form. People who have visited Washington D.C. would be able to picture the artifacts mentioned here – the Capitol building (its lesser known subterranean part of the building), the Washington Monument, House of the Temple etc. At least for someone who has never visited earlier (like me), at least I known now why Washington Monument was built and that it is seemingly hollow inside and not solid as earlier imagined! This writing is a good mingling of age old culture, puzzles, modern influences and modern settings. In many ways, I would say the Lost Symbol appears to be a new story, however, one could easily say it’s an ‘Angels & Demons” in the capital city. For once, a good read!

A Review of Club Expat: A Teenager’s Guide to Moving Overseas

There are few events that can shatter a teenager’s world more than a move overseas. Teenagers are in the stage of their lives where they are starting to get settled in. Teenage is when people make the bonds that would last them a lifetime. They are just taking their first real steps into life. Because of this, a move overseas will definitely produce negative reactions from a teenager. In the book Club Expat: A Teenager’s Guide to Moving Overseas, a teenager can learn how to deal with this monumental event. There are many works of fiction which tell stories of how a teenager copes with this type of event. These are interesting to read and may help teenagers with bits of advice, but ultimately, fiction will not really be the same as reality. There are also works of non-fiction which attempt to give teenagers advice regarding the topic. However, these works are rarely interesting enough to be read by teenagers. The manner of writing may be boring. Authors of such books also often emphasize their superior knowledge concerning such matters and, as a result, are shunned by teenagers today. In Club Expat: A Teenager’s Guide to Moving Overseas, the authors extract all of the good things that can be found in the two types of books, remove all of the mistakes, and emerge with a true gem that teenagers will love. The book Club Expat: A Teenager’s Guide to Moving Overseas is part biography and part travel guide. As though this combination weren’t lethal enough, it is sprinkled with bits of wisdom that a teenager can truly take to heart. One thing that is truly delightful about this book is the fact that Club Expat: A Teenager’s Guide to Moving Overseas can be considered as an allegory about life. It teaches teenagers how to truly prepare to face life and its challenges. Club Expat: A Teenager’s Guide to Moving Overseas tells the tale of the authors while giving quite a tour around the world and dispensing valuable advice for teenagers. They do not merely tell the tale from their perspective as many fiction works do. They give valuable advice which can be applicable to every teenager who is preparing to move overseas. This book will change the perspectives of many teenagers regarding moving overseas. From seeing moving overseas as an earth-shattering event, they will go on to see the move as an adventure. They will see it as a chance to experience new things and meet new people. They will see it as a chance to experience different cultures and go to whole new places. Even if a teenager has no imminent plans for moving, Club Expat: A Teenager’s Guide to Moving Overseas is still a great read. This is because of the fact that the authors wrote the book with a prose that is both witty and flawless. The insights that they provide about life makes sure that souls will be touch by every word. Surely, this gem of a book will remain in the hearts of those who read it. The best lesson that can be learned from this book is the lesson that no matter what life throws at you, you can adapt. There are certain things that you may not be able to do anything about so accepting changes and adapting to them can be the best decision you will make. That is the lesson behind the book Club Expat: A Teenager’s Guide to Moving Overseas.

Judging from the story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”, how does Ambrose Bierce, views war?

Full story here: http://eserver.org/fiction/occurrence-at-owl-creek.html Think about the statement about hanging and “the liberal military code”……Farquhar’s sentiments about the Southern cause, and the result of these sentiments……the action of the Federal scout who visits Farquhar I already know in my opinion, what do you guys thinks? (10 pts for best!)

14 years old and need some good books?

Ok so Im more into the adult type stories some of the young adult books dont intrest me very much. Also I’m very high into christian fiction books right now, and so I would love to have some suggestions about that or even some christian romance novels that would be great. But I just need some books that are fun to read and interesting. Also hopefully some of these suggestions I would be able to find in the library PLEASE HELP!!!!

free book summary?

hey….i need a free summary of the book WASHINGTON GOES TO WARby D. Brinkley…where can i find one?

Does anyone know of any good African American Books?

Adult or Young Adult