by Jason Joyner | May 25, 2011 | Blog, Brandilyn Collins, bug spray anyone?, fiction, reviews, suspense
Glad to finally beat Blogger at its own game and get back into my own blog (being locked out for a day stinks).
Ahem.
I’m helping out with the CFBA Tour this week, and we’re featuring Brandilyn Collins and her latest suspense, Over The Edge.
Brandilyn Collins is a prolific writer (working on her 20th book) who has created a strong following of her Seatbelt Suspense (meaning: you’d better strap yourselves in). She’s a great fiction mentor as well, and her blog Forensics and Faith is a great resource for fiction writers.
Over The Edge follows Janessa McNeil, the wife of a prominent doctor and medical researcher at Stanford. She stays at home, taking care of their 9 year old daughter Lauren.
After fighting flu-like symptoms for several weeks, she wakes up one day with baffling symptoms: confusion, fatigue, weakness in her legs. She falls in the kitchen and can barely pull herself upright. Her joints ache and she gets episodes where she feels she’s suffocating.
Getting sick is bad enough, but she receives a mysterious phone call.
Someone claims to have infected her with Lyme disease.
Dr. McNeil is a leading researcher in the field of Lyme disease, and he’s published official reports denying the existence of chronic Lyme disease. Most experts believe Lyme disease can be cured with a month’s worth of antibiotics, but a group of patients and doctors contend there is a deeper possible infection. Janessa’s stalker wants her to convince her husband to change his mind, or he’ll continue infecting victims – starting with their daughter.
Janessa is faced with a huge challenge to overcome the marital issues they already battle, along with her worsening symptoms and the fear that a small tick could strike her daughter at any time. Her will is strong, but can her weakened body hold out?
—
Brandilyn is a master of suspense. She has proved it in many prior novels. She also has experience with this subject, because she has battled Lyme infection in the past. You can go to
her website and read her testimony of being healed from it.
The reader is sucked in from the first chapter, as we follow the stalker on his first contact with Janessa (or Jannie). She uses language strategically, and she certainly paints a picture of someone who is very sick. As a reader, you feel what Jannie is going through.
Unfortunately, the length of the book and the slow pace of actual action drag it down. Jannie is a sympathetic character, but it gets hard in the middle to constantly live in her viewpoint of confusion and sickness. She can’t do much, and it bogs things down. There is the occasional point of view of inspector Jud Maxwell, but these are too few to provide enough counter to the battle of her illness. Her husband is a very unsympathetic character, and his extreme callous behavior is a turn-off as well.
The last few chapters pick up the pace and bring the book home to a mostly satisfying conclusion. Her suspense skills are allowed to shine once there is mortal danger.
The book is a good read. Brandilyn is a skilled writer, and there are many positives. I have a few issues with this book though:
-
She’s done better. This just isn’t her best work.
-
She wants to educate people about the possibility of chronic Lyme disease. The agenda weighs the story down, especially during a few pages of explanation that become didactic over entertaining.
-
Jannie’s viewpoint when battling sickness is potent initially, but has a hard time carrying the middle of the book.
As a disclaimer, I should say that I am a physician assistant. I see the research that doesn’t support chronic Lyme. However, in hearing Brandilyn’s story and meeting a couple of patients who claim to have it, I don’t have a hard and fast opinion. I know medicine is growing in knowledge, and I’m not ready to discount it. Still, I understand the arguments of Dr. McNeil in a different light than the average reader. I’ve thought carefully about this review though, and I think my issues are not from the controversial subject itself.
Overall, fans of Brandilyn’s prior suspense will find a familiar read with episodes of her trademark roller coster rides. There is interesting information about an evolving field. As a health care provider, I am reminded to show empathy even if I don’t fully understand what the patient is dealing with. If you’re looking for a Brandilyn Collins book to start with, I would recommend Violet Dawn or Exposure as better examples of her skill and talent.
Legal mumbo jumbo: I received this book free from the publisher for review purposes, without obligation regarding my opinion. There you go lawyers.
—
by Jason Joyner | Apr 6, 2011 | Blog, bombs under the sofa, fiction, writing craft
No one likes getting stuck.
 |
| What is my next plot point??? |
<--Especially THAT kind of stuck. But I'm talking about getting stuck in a novel, not knowing how to move forward. I hit a standstill recently for two reasons. First, I found through some critique that I was heading down a path I didn’t want with a character. She was supposed to be nicer than what she was appearing. Also, I hit a plot point that has me a little tripped up.
I struggle getting out of these predicaments. I’m a streaky writer. If I can build up momentum, then I can keep plugging along. If I get thrown off track, then it kills that head of steam, and I have a hard time building it back up.
I know that I need to keep with consistency, to keep at it. It just gets tricky to maneuver in those circumstances. I’ve heard it said if you get stuck to “stick a bomb under the sofa.” I can see where that would be helpful. You just have to be ready to pick up the pieces when it goes off.
I’ll get past this choke point – I have several others. Hopefully I can find better ways to deal with this in the future.
My question to writer friends is: How do you get past being stuck in your WIP?
—
by Jason Joyner | Apr 6, 2011 | Blog, bombs under the sofa, fiction, writing craft
No one likes getting stuck.
 |
| What is my next plot point??? |
<–Especially THAT kind of stuck. But I’m talking about getting stuck in a novel, not knowing how to move forward. I hit a standstill recently for two reasons. First, I found through some critique that I was heading down a path I didn’t want with a character. She was supposed to be nicer than what she was appearing. Also, I hit a plot point that has me a little tripped up.
I struggle getting out of these predicaments. I’m a streaky writer. If I can build up momentum, then I can keep plugging along. If I get thrown off track, then it kills that head of steam, and I have a hard time building it back up.
I know that I need to keep with consistency, to keep at it. It just gets tricky to maneuver in those circumstances. I’ve heard it said if you get stuck to “stick a bomb under the sofa.” I can see where that would be helpful. You just have to be ready to pick up the pieces when it goes off.
I’ll get past this choke point – I have several others. Hopefully I can find better ways to deal with this in the future.
My question to writer friends is: How do you get past being stuck in your WIP?
—
by Jason Joyner | Mar 15, 2011 | Blog, calling for more asphalt, fiction, potholes, writing craft
|
| Didn’t see it coming! |
I don’t know about where you live, but where I live the potholes this time of year have been known to eat cars.
At least it felt like it that one time.
I hit a monster-sized pit on the right side of the road one time. I noticed in the glint in my headlights a hubcap careening off into a parking lot. I pulled over to see if I could find it. Walked around to the right side of the car.
I heard a loud “hissing” sound.
It wasn’t snake season, so I looked at my car. The pothole was so bad that it caused a flat tire. I limped my car to the closed tire store, parked it, and begged a ride home. It was ready for the nice repairmen in the morning.
I hit a pothole in my writing this week as well.
I hadn’t shown much of my latest work to my lovely wife. Seeing as I have a female protaganist, I asked her to read it with an eye for the female aspect, in case I wasn’t accurately writing the female mind (tall task, I know). She came back to me last week with a look on her face that said, “I’m sorry.”
She doesn’t like my main character.
She called her a “poop” actually. Didn’t see anything nice about her. I was a little shocked. Jenna is the woman I spend the most time with aside from my wife (writers are weird like that). I couldn’t see it. I read through chapters again, observing areas where I could change a few words. I really didn’t think of any major changes.
I guess I have a blind spot.
I have a couple of friends looking at it with a critical eye now, giving me suggestions on why Jenna is acting like such a meanie. It makes me realize that writing is an activity that can’t be totally isolated. Yes, I do most of the work with me and a keyboard. I still need other imput to help my blind side and avoid potholes. Hopefully I’ve got my story in with the right mechanic that can help diagnose any problems.
For my fellow writers out there – what are some of the potholes you’ve hit in your stories?
—
by Jason Joyner | Mar 15, 2011 | Blog, calling for more asphalt, fiction, potholes, writing craft
|
| Didn’t see it coming! |
I don’t know about where you live, but where I live the potholes this time of year have been known to eat cars.
At least it felt like it that one time.
I hit a monster-sized pit on the right side of the road one time. I noticed in the glint in my headlights a hubcap careening off into a parking lot. I pulled over to see if I could find it. Walked around to the right side of the car.
I heard a loud “hissing” sound.
It wasn’t snake season, so I looked at my car. The pothole was so bad that it caused a flat tire. I limped my car to the closed tire store, parked it, and begged a ride home. It was ready for the nice repairmen in the morning.
I hit a pothole in my writing this week as well.
I hadn’t shown much of my latest work to my lovely wife. Seeing as I have a female protaganist, I asked her to read it with an eye for the female aspect, in case I wasn’t accurately writing the female mind (tall task, I know). She came back to me last week with a look on her face that said, “I’m sorry.”
She doesn’t like my main character.
She called her a “poop” actually. Didn’t see anything nice about her. I was a little shocked. Jenna is the woman I spend the most time with aside from my wife (writers are weird like that). I couldn’t see it. I read through chapters again, observing areas where I could change a few words. I really didn’t think of any major changes.
I guess I have a blind spot.
I have a couple of friends looking at it with a critical eye now, giving me suggestions on why Jenna is acting like such a meanie. It makes me realize that writing is an activity that can’t be totally isolated. Yes, I do most of the work with me and a keyboard. I still need other imput to help my blind side and avoid potholes. Hopefully I’ve got my story in with the right mechanic that can help diagnose any problems.
For my fellow writers out there – what are some of the potholes you’ve hit in your stories?
—
by Jason Joyner | Feb 25, 2011 | arts, Blog, creativity, fiction, kernels that aren't popcorn, writing craft
Most people don’t wonder about a body floating in the water.
Unless you are a writer.
|
| The body is just to the left |
That’s the image that came to me many moons ago. I saw in my mind a body floating in the water, in the ocean to be specific. Then I saw a boat run into the body, and the shocked fisherman frightened by his find.
Did I mention the man was from Thailand?
This is how my work in progress started. An image in my head. I started asking questions. Who is this person? Why are they dead? How did they end up here?
I learned that it was Travis Dawson, and that he was a missionary in Thailand. I discovered he had a sister named Jenna who was in medical school. She was a spunky younger sister type, and she didn’t take too well to the news of her brother’s death. She was impulsive enough to jet off to Asia to try and figure out what happened. Oh, and her slacker friend Derek Stephens, who had done a backpacking trip in Thailand previously, decided to tag along.
I don’t know how other authors come up with their story ideas, but I usually have images that beg to be explored. Yesterday for the end of the CSFF Tour I talked about whether a writer has their basic thrust as message-first vs. art-first. The responses from Dona, Becky, and Morgan made me think about my own process.
You have the set-up for my novel above. I thought for a time that there would be an aspect of spiritual warfare between the Christian missionaries and the strongholds in SE Asia. That didn’t fit the story though. Then I saw how Jenna had been estranged from her faith due to family trials when younger, and she would be challenged in them while dealing with something bigger than she could handle in Thailand. Travis uncovered a human trafficking ring, and this lead to his death and would be a major challenge to Jenna.
It seems that I had the story kernel that wanted told at first, and the themes of faith and human trafficking came out from there. I believe there’s always a theme when we write – otherwise what is the point of writing? Even if a writer says there’s not, there is something of their worldview getting in there.
Both the message and art pathways are valid ways to begin, and both have their strengths and weaknesses. Like I said in yesterday’s post, a message driven book must have a strong story and sparkling writing to not be bogged down by the message. It may not appear organic. But the “let’s see where the muse takes us” approach can end up with a wishy-washy theme that doesn’t give a work of fiction the power only a story can bring.
What say my writing buddies? What is your approach, and why do you do it that way?
—
