Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion

I noticed a recent up-tick in the sales of one of my earlier novels, The Last Apprentice. Inevitably, I learned that this increase was the handiwork of my nephew, who has been a fan for over a decade. After giving him a copy of my latest novel, The Simulator, he started telling his FB friends to read my books. However, he recommended that they start with The Last Apprentice, because he felt that title defined me as an author.

I was quite taken by that and never really thought that any one particular book defined me as an author. Then as I thought about it, made sense. Most actors/actresses often have a film that defines them as a contender for the big screen, and musicians often have a song or album that defines them as a contender for the charts, so why not authors?

What about you? Is there any particular book that defines you as an author, and if so, why?

My Rascals series define me as an author because the tales in both books are mostly true events of what I did as a seven-year-old. I made the stories fictitious and added fictitious characters to replace the real ones, and I also changed the endings.

My mother was mortified at some of the things I did as a child and would get very cross whenever I talked about them as an adult. That was until I published those stories. Now, she thinks they're hilarious because all of her friends have bought all of my four children's books, probably because of the slap-stick humour. Tee-hee. Now my mother brags to her pals in the retirement village and says her daughter really did those naughty things. LOL.

Star-Crossed Rascals: Adventures of Rascals, Polly and Gertie.

Rascals Sing at The Opera House (Star-Crossed Rascals #2).

Marcus wrote: "I noticed a recent up-tick in the sales of one of my earlier novels, The Last Apprentice. Inevitably, I learned that this increase was the handiwork of my nephew, who has been a fa..."

Marcus, why did that book define you? Just curious.

While I only have one book out currently-- I am working on a follow-up and have plans for later works in a slightly different genre-- I'll be interested to see what folks will say in the future.

My day job is in marketing, and the one thing I've learned is if given several choices for a piece of media, the client will inevitably choose the one that the agency feels least passionate about. :)

I'm curious whether that will ring true for fiction, as well.

Of all the books I have out right now (including those under a different name) the book that most defines me as a writer is World-Mart. I consider my writing thoughtful, provocative, and highly speculative, and WORLD-MART is all of those wrapped in a dark, gritty Orwellian package.

Patricia wrote: "Marcus, why did that book define you? Just curious."

I think the reason The Last Apprentice defined me as an author is because it was a tricky piece of writing. It takes place over 11,000 years ago, so everything is framed in the period of the characters. This includes the narratives and the dialog (damn, I miss writing that dialog!).

The characters perceive the “Gods of Olympus” as gods or deities, but the reader inevitably recognizes them as aliens – and this is done without using any modern terms. The entire story – including the narratives and descriptions – are framed entirely from the perspective of the period. So any description of the conflicts, tools, cities, gods, god’s chariots, etc., had to be limited to terms that were available in the period. I think it lends authenticity to the tale. It was indeed a tricky piece of writing.

The prologue states that the story is in fact true. It was based on an account from the last Great Marce of Atlantis, which was discovered in an ancient scroll that subsequently met its demise in a fire. With no proof of the scrolls, the incredible account of Odious had to be billed as fiction… A few readers actually contacted me and tried to get additional information on the ancient scrolls from which the tale was spun. The epigraphs for each chapter are direct quotes from Odious, Apprentice to the Great Marce of Atlantis – as transcribed from the scrolls.

The Last Apprentice was a 18-month (full-time) labor of love that resulted in my largest volume yet: 170,000 words.

Damn, I miss writing the dialog for that story!



The Last Apprentice

Marcus wrote: " Patricia wrote: "Marcus, why did that book define you? Just curious."

I think the reason The Last Apprentice defined me as an author is because it was a tricky piece of writing. It takes place..."

Thanks for that, Marcus. Sounds like a lot of hard work.

It is definitely the first book in my series LUNARA: SETH AND CHLOE. I am not a professional writer and I don't have any training, but I have received plenty of great reviews on it. I put a huge amount of hours into the book and I beleive that it showcases my natural ability to write and provide action, characterization, and setting that are fluid throughout the book. Now that I have a background in writing, it seems like second nature to write a great story.

I've had 41 books published, mostly under my own name, but a few early ones under a couple of other names, and I don't think it's a single book that defines me as a writer, it's a series. The Ivy Malone Mysteries, about an older woman who seems to have aged into invisibility and decides to make good use of this as a sleuth. This series has hit a chord with a lot of women (not always older ones) who write and tell me they also feel invisible. There are four books in the series now - hopefully I'll get Book #5 written this year. (That's my New Year's resolution.) The first book in the series, Invisible, is now a free download for Kindle and Nook. See it on Kindle at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002B3YBZO
Lorena McCourtney

Wow, Lorena, that sounds like an incredible concept for a book/series.

Being past the halfway point in life myself (assuming I don’t live past 108), I’m amazed how invisible I am on occasions when I work at the university. I swear I could walk off with the crown jewels and no one would notice.

Kudos!

Lorena it sounds like something my mom should read and I'm not being ageist. She is re-exploring the world now, after years of being mom and wife and I think it is the adventure she would like.

I understand that completely, Marcus. And in Bill Clintonesque style, the hard question is, "How do you define 'define'"? If I could leave only one book behind (of my 3) at my death, it would have to be my sci-fi one (called Name of Alt) because it basically reveals my entire philosophy on humankind and offers what little direction I feel like I can offer for our (mankind's) future. I also included SOME (little) humor in it, but not enough to compare to my other two books which are both humor-based, so it's an unfair "definition" of me as an author, yet it is the most revealing of the three books.

If/when I finish one called, "Flight Fortamente" of my upcoming "People Phenomenal" series, THAT one will nail my feelings about government and authority but, alas, we cannot combine all of our books into one, because if we could, wouldn't that be the true definition of the one book that defines us as authors? (Meh, rhetorical :)) ).

Enjoyed the post.

Kev

The books which have HELPED define me as an author are not my own but those of other authors who have inspired me, my writing style and outlook on the craft/life;

1. To Have and Have Not-Hemngway
2. Islands in the Stream-Hemingway
3. Death in MidSummer- Mishima/Hiraoka

Like Michael, I have several books which have helped define my approach and style.
1. Ulysses - James Joyce
2. Life: A User's Manual - Georges Perec
3. Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass - Reverend Charlie Dodgson

My novel set in an opera school was based on my experiences when I wanted to be an opera singer. I was lucky enough to get into an opera school and although I wasn't good enough to make it, the experience was invaluable.

Vissi d'arte

I think my latest, The Girl in the Boxdefines me because it has so much of me in it - my preoccupations, theories, attitudes. It was also based partly on a trip I took to Central America back in the seventies. Also, part of it takes place in the seventies and early eighties, and those are the years that defined me as a person - the years I am nostalgic for in some ways.

I've only got one book out, and two planned out for this year, so take this answer with that in mind...

Anyway, I hope all and none of my books define me as a writer.

In the sense of getting across what themes I care about, and my understanding and hopes of humanity, I hope all my books define me.

As for none of them, I don't want any of them to be the end-all-be-all of Keryl Raist as a writer. I hope I keep growing as a writer, and keep developing new and deeper understandings of both writing and people, which should lead to new and better fiction.

Sylvianna, the only one I have out, does give the readers a pretty good idea of what I care about in a story, and how much I love my characters. So there's the first definition of Keryl Raist. I'm hoping we'll see many more in the coming years.

Although I've had far more sales on my heroic epic fantasy trilogy 'Riothamus', I'd say that my poetry book 'Elemental' would best fit the definition of defining who I am as a writer. The poems in 'Elemental' were written over many decades and quite a few were the result of actual events in my life. My last four 'poems' in the book were an attempt to try to write in the style of dark-age Anglo-Saxon saga poetry.