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book reviews |
Born of Circumstance, Bred for Revenge Multi-volume author, Rhani D’Chae introduces us to Shadow of the Drill: A Gritty and Violent Thriller. A brutal experience transforms an unproven young tough into a ruthless killing machine. For fifteen years he waited, building his body into an unstoppable weapon so that vengeance would be had through the strength of his will and the power of his hands. On the bloodstained streets of a northwestern city, the enforcer known as the Drill stalks his prey. Judge, Jury, and Executioner; he seeks out those who target the weak, condemning them to the kind of justice that has made him a legend. Amazon cover Goodreads cover I am quite blown away by this book. There is an amazing depth of character for all the actors in this story! Rhani breaks one of my pet peeves of head-hopping, but she does it so very well. I can’t hold it against her. This is a steamy action thriller! The milieu is faithfully captured, the mean streets have never been meaner, the strippers are never off the stage, and the action leaves me breathless! This is one of the seamier sides of society that few of us ever stare into. But Rhani has brought these people to life in a way that reveals the humanity shared by us all. We all want success, security, and acceptance. A darkly honest and wonderful picture of the human condition, Shadow of the Drill gets 5 stars! I have it on good authority that a sequel is in the works. You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Drill-Born-Circumstance-Revenge-ebook https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shadow-Drill-Born-Circumstance-Revenge-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17823252-shadow-of-the-drill You can follow Rhani D’Chae: https://twitter.com/rhanidchae https://rhanidchae.wordpress.com/ action, fiction, thriller, suspense, enforcers, strippers, mystery, Copyright © 2017 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction
104 Comments
Rhani D'Chae
12/12/2017 08:51:00 pm
Hi Mark, thanks for the great review. I'm so glad you liked the book. Did I tell you that the sequal will be out soon? I'm bringing everyone back, but they won't all make it through. Who will it be? Hmmm... 🤔
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Mark
12/12/2017 09:22:24 pm
Rhani, you're killing me with the suspense! Let me guess, hmm, It can't be Charlene or Rudy, they are such major characters. It is going to have to be Tawnee, she is such a pain in the butt. Don't tell me if I am right, I like surprises!
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Rhani D'Chae
12/13/2017 12:31:39 am
Okay, I won't tell you. But I will tell you that there's going to be a few that don't make it through. I'm trying to keep the books fairly true to life, and there was never any guarantee that you would see the same faces on the street on Tuesday that you saw on Monday.
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Mark
12/13/2017 12:40:43 am
You had mentioned to me previously that this book was based, in part, on someone you knew. Would you care to share a little more?
Rhani D'Chae
12/13/2017 02:18:32 am
Sure. When I was much younger, I lived in Decker's world. In the book, I've combined various factors from different towns that I lived in. Rudy's nightclub is drawn from the Oklahoma City, Portland, and Tacoma clubs I worked in. Decker and Rudy are a blend of two or three enforcers that I knew, and the girls that dance at the Toybox are pretty much all people that I've worked with over the years.
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Mark L Schultz
12/13/2017 12:12:55 pm
No wonder you could describe everything so well. Quite amazing. What inspired you to write originally?
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AJ Chastain
12/14/2017 01:08:49 am
It's cool when an author writes about things they have personal experience with. I think it helps 'em make everything more real.
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Mark L Schultz
12/14/2017 10:51:54 am
I agree AJ, thanks for popping in. Are you a writer?
Rhani D'Chae
12/14/2017 12:08:35 pm
AJ, hi. Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving a comment. I'm guessing you like to read. Do you also write?
AJ Chastain
12/14/2017 07:14:53 pm
No, I don't write. I once thought I was a poet, but...not so much. I do like to read though.
Mark L Schultz
12/14/2017 07:21:38 pm
I am glad you stopped by, AJ. For clarity, this is my website. I love to read also, it has been a lifelong source of pleasure and entertainment. What are your favorite genres to read?
AJ Chastain
12/15/2017 06:45:05 pm
Mark, great to meet you. I like thrillers & action books. Stuff like Jack Reacher.
Rhani D'Chae
12/13/2017 12:57:19 pm
I was always an avid reader, growing up. I always had paperbacks scattered around the house and I would read whichever book was in the area I was in. I think I started writing because I loved reading so much. Falling into fictional worlds was such a joy to me, and I think I just wanted to open some of those doors for other readers. I had stories to tell, and I thought that if one of my stories could reach someone the way that the books I'd read had reached me, that would be an awesome thing. I love writing, and I'm excited to finally be putting my stories out there.
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Mark L Schultz
12/13/2017 03:54:42 pm
That is great! I was a big reader as a child also. But I have never had this urge to write, sometimes I wish I did. Do you have a favorite book? One that you enjoy reading over and over?
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Rhani D'Chae
12/13/2017 06:37:43 pm
Oh, several! Lol Pretty much anything by steven King or John Saul. Pillars of the earth, by Ken Follett is a HUGE farorite of mine, as are the books in The Asian Saga, by James Clavell.
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Mark L Schultz
12/13/2017 07:10:51 pm
I haven't read King, Saul or Follett. But I read several of Clavell's books in college and just after. Tai-Pan, King Rat, Shogun, and Noble House. I think Shogun was my favorite.
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Rhani D'Chae
12/14/2017 12:15:07 am
My personal favorite was Taipan, which I think was the first one in the series. The only one I haven't finished is Gai-Jin. But I began reading it right when my sight was really starting to fail, and it was very hard to focus on what I was reading. Shogun was my next favorite.
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Mark L Schultz
12/14/2017 10:53:44 am
When did you start to lose your vision?
Rhani D'Chae
12/14/2017 07:19:08 pm
About seven years ago, I think. Just a little at first, but now it's pretty bad. I get shots in my eyes that treat most of my issues. They also are standard treatment for the macular degeneration that I just found out I had. 😅
Mark
5/18/2021 09:15:07 pm
Hi Monie, we are glad you popped in. You obviously have good taste.
Mark L Schultz
12/14/2017 08:04:18 pm
That really does sound pretty bad. My wife was coming down with Glaucoma, I think, and was able to get laser surgery and they put new lenses in to correct her astigmatism at the same time.
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Rhani D'Chae
12/14/2017 10:37:22 pm
I have glaucoma, and had cataracts also. So I also have new lenses. I did write a Star Trek story when I was 13 or so, but it was horrid! I didn't do any more writing for a lot of years. Not til I was in my early twenties.
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Mark L Schultz
12/15/2017 01:33:30 am
So you tried your hand at fan fiction, that is really cool. Which version was it set in? Do you remember much about it?
Sharon Loska
12/15/2017 12:11:46 am
I've read Shadow of the drill and I thought it was a really good book. I do know the author, so I had some behind the scenes knowledge, but I really liked the book. Very intense.
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Mark L Schultz
12/15/2017 01:35:31 am
Thanks for popping in Sharon, I am really glad you are here to share about SOTD. Have you known Rhani a long time? Is there a chance you might be in her book in some part?
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Sharon
12/15/2017 02:56:25 pm
We met about 20 years ago. We found out that we are related through a strange twist of fate. Lol I'm pretty sure I'm not in her book, but she tends to look at everyone she knows as character fodder, so I'm sure I'll end up in one of her books sooner or later.
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Mary Lu Scholl
5/24/2021 09:08:00 am
You have a good attitude about your possible presence add a character. I tell people to be careful or they may end up dead in my next book...
Mark L Schultz
12/15/2017 03:23:20 pm
That is pretty funny! A long lost relative thing. Are you a writer also? What kind of books do you write?
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Sharon
12/17/2017 12:02:04 pm
I haven't written since college, but there are times I wish I'd kept up with it. I got married, started a family, and life just got in the way of art. I do like to read though.
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MARK SCHULTZ
12/17/2017 03:26:56 pm
Sharon, you made the right choice. Young family always comes first. If they are grown, perhaps now is your opportunity to renew that interest.
Sharon
12/21/2017 12:43:09 am
I think I'd like to try scifi or maybe a mystery. I might try to write, I haven't really thought about it.
Mark Schultz
12/21/2017 11:17:14 am
If you have a book inside you crying to get out I hope you do just that. Write that book. There are never too many books! Have you thought about combining both of those genres?
Rhani D'Chae
12/21/2017 06:11:41 pm
Sharon, I've been telling you for years that you should get back into writing, and now you're hearing it from someone else. Jot down a few ideas, pick one that sounds good, and give it a try. And if that one doesn't work, pick another one. Lol
Mark Schultz
12/21/2017 06:49:59 pm
Good advice Rhani! I would add one bit more. If the thought of a book is overwhelming, then start with short stories. There are lots of competitions out there, and you could get some good advice.
Mark
5/24/2021 10:40:02 am
Thanks for dropping in and leaving a comment, Mary. As a cozy mystery author are you thinking of writing in a different genre? I do enjoy your books and have reviewed several here on my website for full disclosure.
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Mark Schultz
12/15/2017 07:25:24 pm
So AJ, I like action also, but not as much as Scifi and Fantasy, but it runs a close second. Time travel and dragons are a couple of my favorite topics.
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AJ Chastain
12/21/2017 02:00:17 am
I bought a copy of the book, and I've read a fair bit of it. It's pretty good and I can see why it got the reviews it did.
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Mark Schultz
12/21/2017 11:15:01 am
Did you buy Shadow of the Drill? Thank you for that. I love supporting authors, buying their book and leaving a review is most encouraging to the author.
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AJ Chastain
12/21/2017 12:35:32 pm
This will sound dumb, but my favorite all-time book was a kids book called double trouble for Rupert. It was fairly short, and not particularly deep, but it was so much fun to read. Rupert and his friends got into so much stupid, kid type trouble that I laughed all the way through every time I read it. Maybe if I read it today it would just seem dumb, but back then I thought it was a great book.
Rhani D'Chae
12/21/2017 06:17:56 pm
AJ, thank you so much! I'm glad that you are enjoying what you've read so far. My boys can be a bit rambunctious, but they mean well. Lol
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Mark Schultz
12/21/2017 03:10:52 pm
Nothing dumb about that AJ. A good book can be a joy for a long time. What book would you recommend to a good friend now?
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AJ Chastain
12/26/2017 01:15:27 pm
I really pretty good broke a while back called The Last Soldier. I'd recommend that one to a friend.
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Mark Schultz
12/26/2017 01:27:37 pm
What kind of book was that? What made it so memorable for you?
AJ Chastain
12/26/2017 05:40:04 pm
I really hate Autocorrect. I'm glad you knew what I was trying to say. The book was a futuristic story about what our world could might be if we aren't careful. I don't normally read that kind of thing, but I saw some tweets about it and it looked good. I really like the author's writing style and the book was pretty dramatic. There were a couple of parts that went a little over the top for me but I think most readers would like those parts too.
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Mark Schultz
12/26/2017 06:20:14 pm
That sounds like an interesting book. I read a YA dystopian story not long ago by another PNW author, Tessa Clare; she wrote a wonderful First person POV story called "The Divinty Bureau". I really enjoyed it! Here is the link to the review: http://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/divinity-bureau-by-tessa-clare @tessaclaretdb
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Mark
5/17/2021 06:47:15 pm
How long have you been writing fiction?
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Rhani
5/17/2021 08:07:54 pm
I've been creating and killing people for a very long time. Lol I started writing when I was quite young and went back to it when I could over the years.
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Mark
5/18/2021 06:36:18 am
I have heard many authors say they must not stop writing because the noise in their head gets too loud. The characters want to have their turn in the spotlight. 5/18/2021 01:17:17 pm
The sequel is titled Winter of the Drill, and puts my character, Rudy, in conflict with an enemy he didn't know he had.
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Mark
5/18/2021 01:24:01 pm
Computers and technology are great when they work and absolute horrors when they don't. I bought a new laptop a few weeks ago and am still setting it up. I bought an archiving program two years ago because I wanted to be able to transfer several gigabytes of files to the new computer. That struggle has yet to be completed successfully. I have managed to get old files but none of my latest work.
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Shadow of the Drill came about because of a name. I was writing a book and I wanted a character with a one word name. Something simple that people (characters) would immediately recognize and react to. Kind of like how we all get the same mental picture when we hear the name Rambo.
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Mark
5/18/2021 05:00:04 pm
Your muse did a good job of narrating the story and you were excellent in getting it all down.
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4Wills Publishing did the cover. The have done a couple of my covers, and I love the one they did for One Dyke Cozy!
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Mark
5/18/2021 09:12:09 pm
There is no mistaking the message of the Amazon cover. Not for the squeamish to be certain.
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I would love to see any of my books as graphic novels and have been looking for someone to possibly do that, but I haven't found anyone yet.
Mark
5/19/2021 08:14:39 am
The names are good and work well. Some authors put a lot of work into character names. The authors want the names to be authentic to the period of their story. There are websites who have lists of popular baby names for different periods and even geography at times.
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My author page? I guess I forgot about it. Lol I have a very hard time doing anything online, because of my vision, or lack thereof. By the time I finish filling out the forms to get a book published on Amazon, I usually have an eye strain induced migraine. At that point, all I want is a gallon of tequila and ten or twelve bottles of aspirin. Top that off with the fact that I'm old and have a memory like a sieve, and things like my author page tend to fall through the cracks. This is why I need to find a good marketer who can handle some of this stuff for me.
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Mark
5/19/2021 02:26:38 pm
I forgot about your vision issues for a moment. That makes a lot of sense. I do have a list of book promoters among the other lists of service providers on my Twitter home page. Click on the three dots under the banner picture.
I will look into those suggestions you gave me about keywords. I hate doing research of any kind because of the reading involved, but I will give it a shot.
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Mark
5/19/2021 03:42:28 pm
I am reminded of something lawyers are purported to say, "you can't beat a station wagon full of nuns." Everyone has inherent biases, even judges. Not many like to wade through a lot of blood and gore. There are no two ways about it. If you received good scores that is a win.
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5/19/2021 06:54:19 pm
Cozy was a definite departure for me. Only one death and actual humor sprinkled here and there. Lol
Mark
5/19/2021 07:30:06 pm
The basement, huh? I wonder who is looking for ideas? Nobody we know, I hope. ;-) Many have a morbid curiosity about violence, people watch car wrecks and gather around fights, until the shooting starts.
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I'm very lucky that people want to visit the dark worlds that I've created. Hopefully, that will continue. Lol
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Mark
5/20/2021 07:51:49 am
Some people do well in KU, many do not. You are right, KU demands exclusivity for several months, at least. You cannot place your book on any other platform during that time.
You are absolutely right about the contracts and the legalese. Very scary stuff! I also found out that if, for example, a publisher took Shadow, it might be in the contract that I could not write anything in any other genre under the name Rhani D'Chae. Also, any other thrillers (which seems to be how Shadow is most often categorized) that they choose not to publish could not be self published for the duration of the contract. There are so many ways for an author to get the short end of the stick.
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Mark
5/20/2021 11:54:45 am
You have made some excellent points. The lack of marketing is probably the first big shock for a first-time, traditionally-published author.
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I am sure that things have changed with Amazon's marketing programs, and so on. But I've never used any of that so I really wouldn't know if things have changed or not.
Mark
5/20/2021 01:57:49 pm
I really dislike when a software program goes through a major update. Many things are no longer in the same place as before. I have had to change the theme on my website three times now. It has been awhile since the last change, so I am about due for another shock.
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I do subscribe to a few newsletters, mainly to be supportive of those authors. I take a look when the headline catches my attention, but I don't make a habit of trying to read them, for obvious reasons. Lol
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Mark
5/20/2021 07:11:23 pm
I subscribe to quite a few newsletters just to see what authors are doing. I also subscribe to several graphic novel authors and they do quite a bit of crowdfunding.
Mark
5/21/2021 11:10:43 am
MailChimp is popular with a lot of authors, until the mailing list reaches a certain size, then their price goes up. Some stay with MailChimp and some switch. Writers have blogged about this topic of course.
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Winter is being published and handled by Fresh Ink Group. This will be the first time that an indie publisher has taken my work, and I'm curious to see how it goes.
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Mark
5/21/2021 12:39:20 pm
That is exciting, you are trying something new. How did you find and choose Fresh Ink Group or did they approach you?
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That was a funny shirt!
Mark
5/21/2021 02:44:12 pm
That T-shirt was very funny.
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Beem from Fresh Ink wrote one of my favorite Shadow reviews. I loved it! 😁
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Mark
5/21/2021 05:08:22 pm
Beem is a great guy!
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The 1st edition of Shadow really sucked. Lol But I think the rewrite is pretty good. Yes, I do think it would hold up to a book in the same genre, published by a major publisher.
Mark
5/22/2021 06:59:56 am
That is a new one for me. Not being a member of a book club organization I am unaware of the inner workings. I can easily imagine that the owners want members to be involved in all aspects financially.
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I have thought about doing POD books, but I've never considered doing them in large print. That probably sounds strange, coming from me, but I guess I just didn't think about it.
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Mark
5/22/2021 01:51:51 pm
That makes sense to me that you haven't thought about a large-print book. Those are good reasons.
I haven't really thought about libraries. I am not sure why, I just haven't. But I will definitely look into it, thank you for the link.
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Mark
5/22/2021 05:14:33 pm
I have another link for you: https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2019/08/07/build-your-own-audio-sound-booth
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I don't have a "favorite" anything. Lol I like intense, hard-hitting fiction that holds my attention. I prefer stuff that would be rated R, if it was a film, and I'm particularly happy when main characters don't make it through the book. Ben's girlfriend in The Stand comes to mind. Life is often brutal, and people die. I'm okay with that.
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Mark
5/22/2021 07:32:36 pm
I have another indie author you might like. Michael Allan Scott, a client BTW, has written some very brutal books. I think you will enjoy them, I have reviewed several on my website.
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The 1st of my main/semi-main characters dies in Winter. Hopefully you won't be too devastated. Lol
Mark
5/23/2021 08:03:22 am
I better have some tissues close by when I read that, in case my eyes start to sweat. ;-)
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Writing can be very healing for me. I live with healrh/physical issues, and some days are much harder than others. On those days, I open up a WIP and kill someone. That always makes me feel better. 😁
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Mark
5/23/2021 12:01:26 pm
I can see Dr. Dracula writing a prescription for you, "Kill a fictional character, call me in the morning if you don't feel better."
Yes, I get that prescription often. Lol
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Mark
5/23/2021 03:22:41 pm
Shadow is intense and it has a very gritty, organic feeling to it. You certainly succeeded in conveying that.
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I've never done NaNoWriMo. I have friends who do it faithfully, but it's just not something I've ever been interested in.
Mark
5/23/2021 06:08:08 pm
Your vision limitations make sense for not doing it. 50k words in 30 days works out to less than 2,000 words a day. It only has to be a first draft, but I can see that easily taking more than 15 minutes.
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I always have to cut stuff. I am definitely an overwriter because I want my characters and situations to be as fully formed as possible.
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Mark
5/23/2021 07:57:22 pm
A lot of of writers are like you. They wind up cutting stuff to meet a word count.
When I am cutting stuff, I can't whatever I have to so that the bookcan be where I want it to be. I usually chop a little of everything so that it reads smoother and is not as long.
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Mark
5/24/2021 07:53:35 am
That makes sense, every word has to earn its place on the page. If it doesn't move the story in the right direction it needs to go away for now.
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I definitely prefer action beats. For me, they are a natural part of helping my readers fall into what is happening on the page.
Mark
5/24/2021 11:33:31 am
I prefer action beats also. Dialogue tags have their place. They can be used to slow the pace or just to solidify a moment. They are greatly overused by many authors. I actually prefer to see an author use said for most of the tags, rather than the author breaking out the thesaurus to liven things up. Too much of that forces me out of the story and I start examining their word choices. The proofreading hat never comes all the way off.
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Shadow introduces Decker to readers and explains that the assault of a girl who holds an important place in his heart set him on the path to becoming the Drill.
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Mark
5/24/2021 01:05:59 pm
That covers it pretty well. You didn't give away any spoilers also. Well done.
I can't believe it's closing time already, the time went so fast!
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Who am I?An avid reader, typobuster, and the Hyper-Speller. I am a husband, father, and grandfather. Archives
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"I'm very pleased with all your efforts. Twitter promotion and proofreading were beyond what I expected with a book review. Your suggestions throughout the process of refining both books helped me immensely. I look forward to working with you again." A.E.H Veenman “Dial QR for Murder” and “Prepped for the Kill”
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