Three Personal Surprises & a Bit of Growth

I've never been a big fan of typical fantasy genre stories. Vampires, witches, werewolves, and zombies--especially zombies--always seemed so ridiculous that I could not "get into" the stories. I never even got past the first chapter in any such book until recently.

Surprise #1: My attitude about fantasy stories changed in late 2011. It began with beta-reading a book, Flank Hawk, by Terry Irvin, II. I was shocked by fantastic character development that had me hooked from the second page on. Mythical creatures simply blended seamlessly into the fast-paced adventure of Krish in a world that made perfect sense. My eyes were opened to new possibilities in the fantasy genre. Thank you, Terry. Flank Hawk is currently on the market in multiple formats offered by Gryphonwood Press. It’s well worth the small investment and reading time.

 

Flank-Hawk-Terry-W-Ervin

Surprise #2:  This one came when I beta-read Calista's Court for Susan Hulcher (remember that name...the “force is strong” with this one!)  Her main character captured my empathy instantly. I wanted to rescue this young girl in the first few pages. As the story progressed, I found myself again led into a mythical realm, unlike any I would normally choose to read. It was magnificent. Even her gargoyles showed strong personalities that interlaced perfectly with the tale. Susan’s manuscript is currently winding its way through the literary submission swamp and will emerge soon to take its rightful place in readers’ hands.

 

 

Surprise #3:  My final personal growth came with The Secrets of Albion Falls by Sass Cadeaux. Amazing story by an amazing storyteller! Again, I found myself sucked into a story unlike any I would have chosen as recently as eighteen months ago. Author Cadeaux ripped me through a blender of emotions from anger to smiles, hope to desperation, compassion to contempt, culminating in one of the most satisfying surprise endings I have enjoyed in ANY genre. Her book just went on the market as an e-book through Amazon last week. Look it up!

 

The Secrets of Albion Falls by Sass Cadeaux

Why blog about these three books?

This blog is not about the books. It’s about personal growth as a reader AND as a writer.

 

I hate change, always have. Yet, I readily admit, I am thrilled to have had my eyes opened by these outstanding tales. Creativity, character evolution, plot growth--these three books illustrate how ALL books should be written. They begin with a strong hook, progress through carefully crafted shifts in pace, provide back-story in metered releases throughout the tale and end in a crescendo of excitement. Oh yeah, they also leave you pining for the inevitable sequels!

But, most important, after reading each of these books, my own inspiration for writing surged. Inspiration knows no genre. Motivation to become excellent derives from touching shoulders with others who have achieved excellence. Each of these improbable (at least, improbable for me to have read) fantasy stories built my confidence, desire and enthusiasm. Genre didn't matter. Quality did!

Who knows? After this bit of growth, maybe I’ll step out of my comfort zone more often. (My wife just looked over my shoulder as I wrote that and said, “You! Step out of your comfort zone? That’ll be a cold day in...!”)

 

I’ll show her. I...I...I’m going to read a vampire story! Yeah, that’s what I’ll do!