Definitely saving the world
one book at a time!
I got a sweet review from Teagan over at Bookwenches. She gave me 4.5 stars. I’ll quote part of the review:
Captured is such a pleasant surprise, that I find myself rethinking my previous feelings about romantic science fiction. I love science fiction, and I love romance but have never sought out the two together due to previous reading in this category that did nothing for me. Ms. Barrett has completely changed my mind. Captured is well-written, well thought out, and will have the reader in its grip throughout. When I started the book, it was a bit alarming since the writing pulled me in and made me think how I would feel if I was in Mari’s place. Her terror came across the pages but her level-headed thinking quickly made her survival instincts kick in. I love a strong female character.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone that is looking for an entertaining and heartfelt romantic science fiction. I am already a fan of Ms. Barrett, and she has just solidified that. I look forward to reading more of her work.
I had this really bad dream that a reviewer put Captured on her do-not-buy list because she said my heroine, Mari, was TSTL. I woke up this morning and I couldn’t remember if I’d actually read that or if I dreamed it and it’s bugged me all day long. I am not especially fond of heroines who are TSTL and to my knowledge I’ve never written one. Of course, I also dreamed my husband said he wanted a separation for God only knows what reason, so I took off my wedding ring and threw it at him and I would have punched him in the side of his head, but the phone rang in real life…so I didn’t. Lucky him.
Watched Inglorious Bastards tonight - violent, irreverent, classic Quentin Tarantino. A for acting, B- for plot.
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What a nice comment on your book. I know you enjoyed reading that Teagan is looking forward to reading your next book. Keep writing. Loved your story about your dreams.
Thanks, Gwen! Yes, I hope I dreamed that comment about my book!
Oooh. Don’t ya just loooove a great review? Congrats on that. I just watched Inglorious Basterds the other night too. It was kind of fun and quirky along with the violence. Typical of Tarrantino. Have to say I enjoyed it.
My problem with Inglorious Bastards is that it began with such promise - ‘we in the Naaazi killin’ buisness’…Amazing!!! And the ending was fabulous,
When Shoshanna escaped, as a Jew who grew up expecting to hear the thud of jack-boots every single night, I felt it on a visceral level. Plus I felt awful for the French dairy farmer who had to think of his own daughters. At least he tried.
In the end, Shoshanna had her revenge, but Brad Pitt’s guys kinda pulled a TSTL and that was the one thing that bothered me. I don’t think they would have been so stupid as to trust an amateur.
Yeah, I know what you mean. It really began with a bang and I would have liked to see more of the Basterds and less of some of the other little vingettes but I WAS cheering Shoshanna on in this. The guy who played the ‘jew hunter’ was creepily good in the part he played, I thought. I loved seeing him ‘get it’.
The Jew-hunter was my nightmare come to life. The actor was amazing. A monster appearing in such a pleasant, cheerful human form. Hannah Arendt - the banality of evil.
I don’t know why it is that more writers don’t craft villains like this one. The cheerful demeanor and relatively nice looking. This guy was all the more frightening because he was likeable in this weird way. I believe there was only one moment when you see his true insanity.
Because the truth is, I think you need to see it. It’s the visual imagery that packs such a punch. You can write a villain who has a placid, normal demeanor, but it’s hard to flesh him or her out. I actually think this type of villain makes a bigger impression on film than in a book.
Not so sure I agree with that. I believe there are plenty of writers out there who are capable of crafting a terrifying villain who doesn’t necessarily have warts on his nose and rotten teeth. Tami Hoag writes some of the best looking creepy villains I’ve ever read. It CAN be done but it’s just not done often enough IMO.
You have a great take on this. While I completely agree that it can be done, I react physically to the subtle visual cues a great villain, i.e., actor, gives off. Reading about the villain is different - it takes a very skilled author to get the same reaction from me. Do you remember the book…let me think…American Gigolo? That book did it more so than the movie with Richard Gere. Also, oh, gosh, what was that book that was later made into a movie with Christian Slater as the serial killer? The villain in that book made me sick.
Wow, I’m loving this discussion. Thinking about villains like Christian Bale’s pscho killer from American Psycho for one and Anthony Hopkin’s perfect portrayal of Hannibal Lector. Non creepy looking people yet there was a craziness the peeked out from time to time that made us catch out breaths. Totally difficult to achieve in a book but what I wouldn’t GIVE to be able to write a villain like that. One who just bleeds into the pages. Lisa Gardner also crafts an awesomelly gorgeous but terrifying villian. Her serial killer in The Perfect Husband sent chills up my spine. Handsome guy who marries the pretty cheerleader and kills on the side.
Yes, villains who get into your head. Very creepy. I think the reason visual is more real to me is because I can look in their eyes. As they say, the eyes are the window to the soul…
Heath Ledger managed to do it in Batman - and I don’t even like the Batman series. He made a better villaiin than the Joker does in the comics because he made the Joker less of a comic book character and more of a tortured soul.