It’s review week, and since Al is on vacation starting tomorrow, I decided to get an early start on the book reviews. Read Texas Cooking by Lisa Wingate yesterday and was totally won over!! This writer does it all right — the pacing, the woman’s inner journey, her failures and successes at love and work. She just didn’t take a misstep through the whole book. She pulled me in and her words worked on me emotionally, weaving that special magic that only truly excellent writing can do.
Got carried away, didn’t mean to write a review because that’s what I have to do next. I try not to use the word “weaving” in my reviews, anyway, lol, it’s a huge reviewing cliche. As I took notes for the review, I kept thinking about her craft (which I don’t discuss in reviews–reviews are for readers, not writers) and just how the heck she did that.
One thing that amazes me about successful writers is how their books can sometimes take place in a short span of time, say a week. And yet they have a complete novel that was never dull, never boring. One of the reasons for this is the depth they give to their characters. Wingate is astute psychologically and it shows. Her novel is a first person narrative, and that’s another thing I love about it. You really feel as if you’re in her character’s skin.
I read a lot of books. Over 100 so far this year. Sometimes I feel pretty jaded, particularly when it comes to romance novels. But then someone like Lisa Wingate comes along and reminds me all over again of the power of words. Particularly the right words put together in just the right way.
Anyway, the WIP is on hold until I get back from NYC. Not only do I have reviews to write this week, but I have an interview to conduct and an article to write. And then there’s the small matter of my husband being home all week. And the fact that I have lots of stuff to tie up before I leave for NYC. Like perfecting my pitches for editor Joan Marlow Golan…