7 Quick Takes

 

1.  So I didn't post Small Success Thursday on Thursday as I didn't want it to crowd an already written post.  So here's your link to participate in yesterday's celebration of everyday victories over minutia, schedules, clutter, exercise, resisting the urge to hunt down your children's hidden stashes of Easter Chocolate, etc.     Stop over at Catholicmom.com and visit by clicking here.

2. This week is Prom week for our second oldest.  She and I went shopping and found her whole outfit.  She's going with friends tonight, but I'm posting the "selfie" she did for Facebook so you can see, she looks lovely and happy, all you could ask for.  

 

 

3.  What am I reading?  Well, this week I finished rereading Watership Down, and polished off A Kitchen House.  The former was a dream, the later, not so much.  Now I'm working on a book my husband gave me, "How the Irish Saved Civilization."  Can't pour out what I don't put in.  Which leads to the next part of this post. 

4.  What's in a review?   I belong to the community of Catholicmom.com and as such sometimes get books to read and review.  In January, I received Daughters in Danger by Elayne Bennett. I wanted this particular one, given I have 6 daughters and one is going off to college. 


I read it in February and prepared to post it when we got to March.   It is now April.   I am posting the review here and at Amazon, I wanted to give 4 or 5 stars because I know the blood, sweat, time and energy that goes into writing a book, I know no one ever feels good when they get something other than 4 or 5 stars, I wanted to really dig into the topic.

The Good: 
Bennett's assessment of the multiple threats facing children growing up in the cyber age is spot on. Her work and writing indicates a sincere desire to help arm today's youth with the tools to maintain their innate dignity and security, and she has twenty years of serving at risk populations to back up her solutions. Her message is good, we must do better by our daughters as a matter of justice, if not love.

 



 I know the culture we must raise them in has serious threats that must be vigilantly met, and the author has the history and background chops to really dig into this topic. She gives good qualitative examples of the problem torn from the headlines of recent years, I remembered most of these cases and understand the problem of how to teach our girls to be alert, to be aware, and to be savvy not just about the world but themselves.
The Mixed and the Frustrating:
However, her solutions would be better received if they were bolstered by quantitative research, which it would seem she could add given her 20 years of running a nationwide program that reaches out and seeks to help at risk children. I kept waiting for the stats, they came but late in the book. The stats bolster what she asserts and if she were to illustrate from the 2 decades of providing community based support the before and after or the outcomes 5, 10 years out, of those who participated and those who didn't, statistically speaking, she could win people easily. I also think, the politics of the issues, while facts, unintentionally distract and detract from her presentation. Stick to what you do and why, reveal why it works, make the case for why it should continue.

I still agree with her premise and the promise of this book. I believe to help all teens thrive, we need to engage them on a personal level, to teach them that they must have respect for their minds, hearts and bodies if they want to break out of the shackles of low expectations that can often plague girls in particular and foster a cycle of poverty hard to break.

If they gave half stars, I would feel more comfortable, 3.5. 

Final Opinion: 

My impression was that the final chapter should have been the outline for the structure of the book, to give it a sharper focus, because the book gives good stories, outlines the problems young women face today, and provides suggestions for solutions, but those strong points are marred by the method of presentation which feels bloggy in style, jumping topics. I wanted more meat to the bones of the argument being put forth, and I felt it could have been given, so it frustrated me as a former educator of at risk students, I wanted to delve into it deeper. This should be a better book given the hard work being done and being proposed, the daughters in danger deserve our attention.

5.  I follow an  Archeology site as part of ongoing research for Penelope. They found a statue of Demeter in Turkey owing to two people doing an illegal excavation.  You can read the story here.


I thought it cool, you have to wonder, how many other treasures are lurking under our feet around the world? 

6.  This weekend, in addition to Prom, we have two teens running in a 5K, two birthday parties --one of which we're hosting, and the normal every week stuff that tends to crowd up the weekend.  Next week is 1st Communion, and then we get into the super crazy part of May, with Confirmation, exams, graduations, a birthday, Mother's day and still the ordinary stuff that makes up life.   Writing may become more scarce as a result. 

7.  I missed the sign up sheet for swimming lessons, which always fill up early around here, with sign ups being some time in March, but I always forget to think Swimming and Summer until some time in April.   So I'm now searching for a place to sign up the 7, 8, 10 and 12 year old for lessons, the 14 year old to learn lifeguard skills, and the 3 and 5 year old to start water safety.   Some day I'll remember that every season is best planned two months before, but I'm almost always playing catch up.  

Quick Takes Friday

1.   Family!

 I got to see my mom this week!  So writing was light, as  it should be. 

Of course, we didn't think to take a picture until it was time to go.  But time with Mom always zooms.  We had to snatch visits in between laundry, serving meals, convincing the daughter with a broken arm she couldn't do tricycle races down the hill, hyperventilating about school being 10 days away, teaching a 15 year old about makeup, getting haircuts, ordering some books for high schoolers, finding books lost during summer, insisting that yes, you all have to start getting back to bed at civilized hours and supporting a 20 year old through his temporary job at the fair that runs 7:30 am to 12 midnight. We did rebel a bit and leave the teens in charge to get lunch out. 

2.  Book Launching:

First, I've learned a few things.  Don't watch the Amazon ranking too much, it will drive you nuts. One minute you're ranked 28th in Alternative History (highest ranking I received that I know about) and the next, you're unranked and 118,677 overall. 

  Just write, revise, review and promote.  Most authors want reviews and will thus do swaps, but there's a thing about reviews, don't agree to one you wouldn't want. I had to back down from a book I wouldn't/couldn't read.  Not a fun moment, a rookie mistake.  Still looking for reviewers for Helen and hoping some readers will rank her on Amazon.  

3.  Speaking of Reviews:  Creative Minority Report  did a review of my book yesterday, but I'd already posted twice and didn't want it to get lost in the shuffle.  Every review is a gift of real time and effort and I want to properly acknowledge anyone who takes the time to write one. Here's the link to my longtime blogging friend, Matt Archbold.  Thank you.

4.  School Supplies

I've bought crayons and three ring binders long enough to wonder how far to the moon I could get stacking all of them end to end.  People have asked how do you do it?  I make a spread sheet.  Then I go to the store. Then I get frustrated at some point or off list or can't find what's on the list or forgot where I was on the list, buy too much, go home, sort and make two more trips to get it all done.  That's how I roll. 

5.  She Who Must Not Be Trimmed

This week, my daughter took her senior portrait for high school.  I got a bit misty when I saw her.  I also made her get 2 1/2 inches cut --truthfully, I wanted 5.  I asked for 3.  2 1/2 was the compromise. I think she altered it to 2 when they went back to get her hair washed.  She's still annoyed.  I live in fear of searching for a graduation gown.   When does this get easy?  It does get easy right?  At some point?  Stop that laughing.  I hear you.

6.  What An I Reading?

Right now, I'm really enjoying Stephen King's On Writing.  In addition to fleshing out things I've heard over the years about the craft, (no adverbs, head hopping, passive voice), he's quite funny in detailing the story arc of his own life in episodic fashion. 

7.  What am I Writing?

Well, I'm working on learning how to use Scrivener while drafting The Book of Penelope.  She's revealing herself slowly (very Penelope like) and I'm collecting supplemental material.   One of the things I've collected is Proverbs 31.

The Wife of Noble Character

^10 [b]A wife of noble character who can find?
    She is worth far more than rubies.
¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
    and lacks nothing of value.
¹² She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.
¹³ She selects wool and flax
    and works with eager hands.
¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
    bringing her food from afar.
¹⁵ She gets up while it is still night;
    she provides food for her family
    and portions for her female servants.
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
    out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
    her arms are strong for her tasks.
¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
    and her lamp does not go out at night.
¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
    and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
    and extends her hands to the needy.
²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
    for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
²² She makes coverings for her bed;
    she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
    where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
    and supplies the merchants with sashes.
²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
    she can laugh at the days to come.
²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
    and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹ “Many women do noble things,
    but you surpass them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
³¹ Honor her for all that her hands have done,
    and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

 

This is Penelope in a nutshell, her actions reveal her character, not her words. Penelope is a woman of few words, which makes crafting her so that the reader can know her, difficult.  How do you convey a contemplative spirit without telling? Telling in a story is dull dull dull and a writing no-no!   

 

I'm researching weddings of the time, so I can create the three day feast that normally took place and was set in three places, the home of the woman, then a separate place, sacred, and then the home of the man.  It should also reveal something about Penelope and Odysseus, as all weddings do reveal not merely  something about the individual actors involved, but about their relationship in specific.  That's a fun bit of writing I get to do, and I have no idea how to do it yet. 

A Review and a Preview

 I don't want this blog to become simply a "Hey! I wrote a book! Buy it NOW SHAM WOW!" type of experience.  

However, I must give credit and acknowledgement to those bloggers who take the time to read and review The Book of Helen.  Yesterday, I had company visit, a friend I hadn't seen in 15 years, who spent the summer with her husband and two of her five children, biking across country to raise money for Mercy Housing. I am in awe of her family's faith and the way they are living it out.  It was good to see her and it made Sunday a day of refreshment, as I always find seeing friends to be a source of great strengthening and joy. 

So it wasn't until the evening that I had time to really take in the review by Larry D of Acts of the Apostasy, or Karina Fabian's splash page on Fabian Space.  Larry D gave an honest appraisal of a rookie season book and I agree, I could have delved into the details of the historical period more.   They weren't what interested me but I am willing to be more deliberate in my next book, to make sure I anchor more of the story of the book in the gravel and bronze and wood of the place, and let less of it be monopolized by a single character's point of view.  

Historical fiction must deal with the details, and not merely story, otherwise it is simply period stylized fantasy fiction.   Because the characters I lived with were mythic in origin, I did not in the creation of the world around them, focus too intensively on the sinew of the time, but I never want to pull the reader out of the story.  I want them to feast on the experience, and that means serving up the whole meal of the arc of the tale, so I'm hitting the books harder for the Book of Penelope and hoping Larry D will be a beta reader for the next tale so his eagle eye can catch any momentary time slips in language.   I also love his phrase, Greek chick lit, as well as his exposition about some of the deeper themes touched on in the course of the book.  I hoped The Book of Helen would be about more than Helen stories, and based on his review, I succeeded. 

Karina Fabian is an accomplished prolific writer of fantasy, sci-fi and humor/horror. She is a writing machine with a quick wit and powerful Catholic imagination.  I have read her novella Greater Treasures, and enjoyed it immensely.  Vern the dragon detective caught between two worlds is a very enjoyable creature as the narrator.  She used my profile and synopsis to give a fellow Museitup author a push before publication.  Thank you.  

Both writers have lives outside of the internet (shocking I know), and I am grateful to each for giving of their time and space on the internet, to provide my book a little push in publicity and some thoughtful analysis before its slated publishing date of August 9th.  SHAM WOW SHERRY signing off.