L.E. DeLano's Blog, page 2

My Letter “J” pick for the A to Z book challenge was JUST FOR THE SUMMER by Abby Jimenez. I’ve seen her books everywhere, of course, but this is the first of hers that I read. It will definitely not be the last. Wow, did I love this book. So much.

Justin makes a post on Reddit one day and shares that he is, in fact, cursed. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soulmate after they break up with him. Emma happens to be perusing the site, comes across his post and instantly messages him to say “Hey, me too!” He replies, they begin to commiserate, that turns to some really fun banter, and before you know it, they’re facetiming and texting every day.

Emma, along with her best friend Maddie, is a traveling nurse whose current contract is up. Justin hatches a plan: they should both date and break up, thereby breaking their own curses. Emma gets Maddie on board, they move to Minnesota on a new nursing contract for the summer, and Emma and Justin plan four whole dates and one obligatory kiss before they go their separate ways.

This, of course, doesn’t go as planned because they start falling for each other, and hard. And I fell in love with their love just as hard. Life, unfortunately gets in the way in the form of Emma’s childhood trauma revisiting and a wretched complication in Justin’s life that neither of them are prepared for. This leads to some solid punches in the feels between the laughter – lots of laughter – and a slow burn that keeps derailing any plan for intimacy to a hilarious level. This book was a blazing five stars. I only wish it had gone on forever.

My letter “I” pick for the A to Z Reading challenge was INTERABLED by Shane and Hannah Burcaw. I’ve been following this couple on YouTube for a few years (you can find them at “Squirmy and Grubs”) and have really grown to love their honesty, optimism, and most of all their great sense of humor.

Shane Burcaw was born with a genetic disorder called Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which leads to his muscles and control deteriorating, and capped his growth at just over four feet tall. He’s wheelchair-bound but he hasn’t let any of that stop him. He’s authored a few books, heads his own non-profit organization, and has been a guest speaker for years. He’s been married to Hannah since 2020 and they dated for five years previous to that. As you can imagine, their online comments are a mixed bag of supportive, empathetic people, and jerks who can’t believe someone with Shane’s level of disability landed a well-spoken, funny, hot wife. Shane and Hannah take it all with a lot of grace, campaigning endlessly for disability rights and openly discussing their life as an interabled couple.

This book not only delves into their story (and some of it will be a repeat if you follow their channel), but also interviews other interabled couples about their lives and experiences. It’s heartfelt, frequently hilarious, and even a bit R-rated at times. Getting to know these couples was a real pleasure, and a real eye-opener, as well. I’m giving this book four stars only because I wish they had more original material from Shane and Hannah.

My letter “H” pick for the A to Z Reading Challenge was HITCHHIKERS by Ben H. Winters. This was an Audible original story and while only novella length, it packed one hell of a punch.

The story centers around Annie, a girl who grew up hard, escaped a bad life, found a dream of a guy, and is now taking classes toward a degree and cheerfully planning her wedding. At the opening of the story her fiancé, Greg, is staring out the window at a creepy old woman who has been sitting in her odd-looking car and staking out their house for hours. Greg doesn’t like the look of her, but Annie—who knows a thing or two about having a rough life—feels sympathy and believes the woman may be homeless and living out of her car.

Remember when I said Annie had a dream of a guy? Well, not so much a dream as a brewing nightmare. Greg is a lawyer, and he swept her off her feet by love-bombing her validation-starved soul. Then he moved her in and started bankrolling their wedding, her studies, and her entire life—and he won’t let her forget it for a moment. He’s got passive-aggressiveness down to an art and cheerfully disparages her as a helpless female—just the way he likes it.

The old woman disappears that night only to reappear the following day, sneaking into their house while Greg is at work and Annie is taking out the trash. In the kitchen the old woman confronts Annie with a very large knife and begs her to listen—just listen. It turns out the crazy old lady is none other than her own self from seventy years in the future and she’s come back with a frantic and ominous warning: get away from Greg. Now. And all those little red flags she’s ignoring about his controlling behavior and occasionally bad temper? They all get worse, so much worse as the years go by until Annie is abused, isolated from all friends and family, and trapped. Older Annie (whom young Annie takes to calling “A”) begs her to get in the car and escape, but Annie (despite the feeling of truth in her gut about all these accusations) balks. “A” leaves reluctantly. Later, Greg gets pissed that Annie let a homeless woman into his house and gets particularly nasty – this time with violence. Annie flees and “A” (who saw this coming) is right there in the driveway waiting to rescue her.

From that point on in the story it’s a whirlwind of escape and making plans to see to Annie’s safety and future (which will re-write “A’s” life as well). The ending is completely unexpected and really ties things up in a thrilling, hair-tingling way. I’m giving this one four and a half stars only because I wish it had been longer.

My letter “G” pick for the A to Z Reading Challenge was GILD by Raven Kennedy, a Romantasy re-telling of the King Midas story.

This isn’t so much of a re-telling as it follows none of the original myth, but instead puts an entirely new spin on the tale that is fascinating and pulls you in quickly. Of course, when your book starts with an orgy, that’s certain to gain attention. Our lead character, Auren isn’t involved, nor does she see any action in this book, so if you read Romantasy for the smut factor you’ll need to wait for the next book in this series.

That being said, this book does not disappoint. Auren has been living in a gilded cage for the last ten years – quite literally. She is the favored saddle (aka concubine) of King Midas, who so treasures her that he used his touch of gold (which can also render things pliant, like cloth) to gild Auren to where her skin and hair have a soft, golden glow. He protects her from harm by keeping her in a cage, except for when important visitors arrive and he wants to parade her in front of them.

Auren is fine with this – mostly. She grew up rough, stolen from her family as a child and forced into a life on the streets (with all the horrible things a pretty, young girl on the streets can expect). Being safe is all she’s ever wanted, and Midas loves her as much as she loves him . . she thinks.

When Midas makes a power move to take over a neighboring kingdom, Auren is sent to join him only to be kidnapped by pirates, then rescued from them by the army of the highly-feared Fourth Kingdom. Their commander is an instant surprise. Due to her own secret bloodline, Auren recognizes him as Fae. The Fae were driven out of the world over a century ago, though their magic still exists in some human bloodlines due to interbreeding. Rip, the commander, takes a special interest in Auren, and unlike Midas’s charming, shiny-blonde exterior, Rip is dark, muscular, and broody. You can guess where this relationship is going if you’ve ever read Romantasy.

I can’t get into plot points without major spoilers but suffice it to say the world-building is top-notch and the story has captivating twists (even though I guessed one early on). The series is five books and I’m currently devouring book three, I liked them so much. Still, book one moves at a slower pace and takes a while to unfold. That’s my only gripe. This author has a way with metaphor, painting with words and lush phrases that make the story all the richer. Four and a half stars.

My letter “F” pick for this year’s A to Z Book Challenge was THE FINNISH GUIDE TO HAPPINESS by Melanie Dower. This is an Audible Original, so if you have a subscription, it’s a free listen.

Melanie is an ex-pat New Zealander who moved to Finland with her husband when he was offered a job in Helsinki. Despite the colder weather (and the abject beauty of the home country she left behind), she has found great peace and contentment among the Finns. Finland is consistently rated as one of the happiest nations on the planet by several measurable variables, as well as the affirmation of their own population.

Some of this is based on their government. Taxes are higher than a lot of countries, but they also have excellent healthcare, government subsidized child care, robust support programs for at-risk citizens, and a strong commitment to environmental conservation and sustainability efforts.

Aside from that, the Finns have a shared commitment to the common good. Schools (including colleges and universities) are paid for because education betters them all as a nation. Fines for breaking laws are assigned on a sliding scale by income. In fact, a Finnish millionaire once paid a $130,000 speeding ticket (based on his generous income) and when interviewed, he stated that he wasn’t angry about it. He did break the law, and the money would go toward schools and parks and other subsidized programs. I cannot imagine a millionaire in America doing anything but suing the hell out of someone for a fine like that.

Finns also embrace simplicity, believe in responsible consumption – gifting away excess items in their homes and unused clothing regularly, eating fresh and local as much as possible, and spending a lot of time out of doors (even in freezing weather as long as it’s not a blizzard). They also cultivate a culture of resilience, raising their children to be problem solvers for themselves as much as possible. A lot of this sounds like good, common sense, but it’s not in practice much in our own lives, unfortunately.

This was a quick, but somewhat enlightening read, so I’ll give it three and a half stars.

Welcome to one of my favorite almost forgotten reads. ARIEL by Steven R. Boyett was first published in 1983, and I came across a worn copy at a garage sale I went to in college. The premise looked interesting: suddenly, and for no discernable reason, the world wakes up one morning in a post-apocalyptic scenario. Electricity? Gone. Batteries? Nope. Cars and other mechanical items? Still nope. But guess what? Magical creatures now roam the streets and skies, and most of them want you dead or for dinner.

Pete (our main character) is a teenager when all this hits, and loses his entire family not long after to the new world order, which (like most apocalyptic stories) shows us that human beings are the worst threat you’ll face, despite the manticores and harpies you may encounter. One day not long after the big change, Pete stumbles upon a young unicorn named Ariel who – surprisingly – can speak, though it’s only toddler-ish baby words. Together, they set off to travel the world, knowing that staying in one place too long only invites trouble. Along the way, the grow up together (Ariel’s language matures to adult level), and become such close friends that the term “soulmates” comes to mind.

The story shows them facing numerous bad guys and rescuing each other from perilous scenarios, leaving them shaken or wounded, but always pulling each other through. Then the inseparable duo finally meets its ultimate opponent: a girl close to Pete’s age. A cute, scrappy girl. Ariel expresses a good deal of animosity toward their new traveling companion and the girl’s burgeoning relationship with Pete, and for good reason. It turns out that (as described in several myths and legends), you can’t touch or even get close to a unicorn unless you are a virgin. I’m sure you can see where this is inevitably headed. When it gets there, it’s heartbreaking on every level, but completely understandable. In gaining the close human relationship he so desperately needs and craves, Pete has to give up part of his soul.

This book was a favorite re-read of mine for many years, and when someone brought up unicorns in books the other day, it jogged my memory. I was thrilled to find the book had been re-released in 2009, and a sequel set thirty years after the first book is also out. I’ll be devouring both very soon. Here’s the link, if you want to give it a read:

BUY IT HERE

My letter “E” pick for this year’s A to Z Reading Challenge was THE EVENT, a sweet but predictable romance by Whitney Dineen. This is book one of her Creek Water series, set in the charming small town of Creek Water, Missouri. Emmeline Frothingham left her small town for her dream career in NYC, only to lose it all after a night of tequila and bad decisions at her company’s big gala event that ends her career and sends her back to her small home town with a baby. Her exceedingly quirky (to the point of ridiculous at times) family rallies around her and makes up a story about a dead fiancé, hoping to throw off the town gossip and the mean girls at the country club, all of whom bully the living hell out of Emmie.

One bright spot in this new life she’s forging is an old flame from high school, Zach, who has a great big secret. I’d love to tell you the twist will leave you gasping, but the heavy foreshadowing at the beginning of the book has you figuring out the twist within those first few chapters. This was a light, sweet, predictable, and easy read. The banter between Zach and Emmie is fun (even if the author has a weird obsession with describing Emmie’s swollen post-partum boobs and breast feeding over and over again). Zach is a snarky guy with a great sense of humor, and her family was funny, if more than a bit outlandish. I’ll give this one three stars for trying.

My letter “D” pick for this year’s A to Z Reading Challenge was THE DRAGON SQUISHER, a delightful Middle Grade fantasy by Scott McCormick.

Where do I begin? It hooked me from the opening sentence: “Dragons smell like farts.”

Then it proceeded to reel me in further with: “Before I can begin my tale, you need to know about the king’s panties.” Those were magical panties to be specific, and they (and the king) were controlled by a powerful wizard wearing the cuff links of doom who eventually gets his arms chopped off and banished to a dark realm, setting up an epic Lord of the Rings-ish spoof about the war with the Gorks, who want to bring back the evil Lord S’moron. And there begins the tale of fourteen-year-old Nigel, an unrepentant troublemaker who gets banished to military school after a prank gone wrong along with his village nemesis, an annoyingly perfect guy named Lance.

From there, Nigel continues to get in trouble – usually dragging Lance with him – to the point that they do nothing but dig latrines when not stuffed in a dark dungeon cell. The two form a bond and become true friends. Eventually, the military academy gets tired of their shenanigans and banishes the boys from the kingdom with orders to find a powerful magic relic to redeem themselves. There are three problems with this. (A) no one knows what the relic is, (B) or where it is, and (C) the boys are penniless and can only support themselves by shoveling various forms of animal dung. The adventure gets rolling not long after that, and I won’t drop any spoilers on the rest of this genius, hilarious, and heartfelt plot.

This book had me laughing to the point of tears pretty much all the way through and was an absolute joy to read. Any middle-schooler (or any person older than that, for that matter) will LOVE this colorful, lighthearted fantasy, and I’m giving bonus points for the warm supportive LGBTQA inclusion. This is book one of a series, and I cannot wait to start book two. If you have an Audible membership, the audiobook is free right now and features a masterful performance by voice actor Adam Fuller that elevates the story even further. This is a solid, blazing five star read.

Have you heard of the objective correlative? Those are two big words, I know, but they can be critical in terms of fleshing out your writing. In short, an objective correlative is certain information given to the reader in terms of setting, plot, and mood can more readily elicit a desired emotional response than direct statement. In other words:

The objective correlative creates an emotional connection between the character and the surrounding environmentIt allows readers to experience the same emotions as the characterIt helps writers show emotions instead of telling readers how a character feels

Some examples of this would be:

An overcast sky and an entirely too silent forest to build a sense of forebodingYour main character is feeling restricted by her parents, so you mention that her parents are like her least favorite coat that’s too small and restricts her arm movement.A significant scar on the protagonist that reminds them of an important plot point or significant life event (“She clenched her fist around the scar in her palm.”)A withered rose in a vase next to the bed of someone critically ill to give a picture of pending death

An objective correlative can help you paint a scene or layer an important message over the action or dialogue. When you begin the drafting process, be sure to look for places in your manuscript where you can subtly add in these touches versus spelling the message or feeling out in backstory or narrative. Be selective about this – the key is being subtle. You want it to register with your reader but not seem too obviously planted for effect.

Give the objective correlative a shot on your next pass through your novel – it may lead you into all sorts of interesting places.

My letter “C” pick for this year’s A to Z Book Challenge was THE CALL OF WILD by Jack London. I try to add in at least a couple of classics to the yearly reading challenge, and since it’s been solid winter weather in Pennsylvania, I figured this was a good pick.

Jack London spent some time in the gold fields of the Klondike and Alaska during the gold rush of 1897. He had stake in several successful gold mines and liked to say he “found himself” during his time in Alaska. Eventually, he rafted 2000 miles down the Yukon River to California, where he settled in to write this book in 1903. I give you this background because there is no way London could have captured the grit, the cold, the bone-deep weariness of a miner’s life (and a sled dog’s life) in the Klondike without having lived it himself.

The story is told from the POV of Buck, a St. Bernard and Shepherd mix who was once a pampered member of a family household, only to be stolen, sold, and shipped off to Alaska to be a sled dog for various parties. While up north he’s caged, beaten, overworked, starved, and despite all that, he – like the author – feels a stirring in his soul while in the wilds of the Klondike. Eventually, he’s rescued by a much kinder man named John Thornton, whom he bonds with. Together, they, a couple of partners, and a pack of sled dogs find a successful claim and from that point, Buck has a lot of free time, which he uses by running with a local wolf. When John Thornton and the others are murdered by the indigenous Yeehat tribe, Buck challenges the alpha of the wolf pack and wins, taking on the role of leader for the pack. Buck eventually becomes known as the “Ghost Dog” by the Yeehats, as he returns to John’s cabin every year and wreaks havoc on the Yeehat tribe.

Telling the story from the dog’s point of view is an instant gut-punch to the reader. Sure, the miners suffered hardship, but it really brings it home to see the harsh conditions – and the deeply moving beauty of the land – through Buck’s eyes. I have a serious urge to travel to Alaska (but in the summertime!). This book is more than a hundred years old and stands the test of time. I’m going four stars as it rambles a bit but still a book I’d read again and again.