Book Review: Eversion

In the 1800s, a sailing ship crashes off the coast of Norway. In the 1900s, a Zepellin explores an icy canyon in Antarctica. In the far future, a spaceship sets out for an alien artifact. Each excursion goes horribly wrong. And on every journey, Dr. Silas Coade is the physician, but only Silas seems to realize that these events keep repeating themselves. And it's up to him to figure out why and how. And how to stop it all from happening again.

Nataliya describes the way this novel begins so well that I'm just going to quote her:

This starts more like if “Moby Dick” had a literary baby with “Groundhog Day” while cheating on Jules Verne...

Who knew that the astrophysicist author best known for high tech sci-fi could dive deep into such mundane earthly matters as 19th century nautical fiction?

This is a difficult book to review, for I don't wish to spoil it for anyone. As you can glean from the blurb and Nataliya's quote, Dr. Silas Coade is the ship's physician on ill-fated expeditions across time. Through his exchanges with the crew and passengers aboard these ships, a host of clues are presented, but Silas is oblivious to them at first. As they come together, Silas is forced to confront the truth, but his reluctance to do so will doom him and the others to disaster.

That's all I can say about the plot.

I enjoyed each expedition across time as Reynolds varied the details and the unfolding of events. The interaction between the characters rang true to their time period with Ada being a bit of fresh air each time. Figuring out some of the clues wasn't too difficult as the narrative moved from one timeline to the next, but the big reveal caught me by surprise. And once revealed, the story still had enough mileage to stay glued to it.

Overall, an entertaining sci-fi mystery adventure. Would make for a good movie.

4.5 stars

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Book Review: Fearless Writing

Find the courage to create your best writing life. Whether you're a fledgling writer or a veteran with years of experience, fearlessness—that elusive blend of self-acceptance, confidence, and curiosity—is the defining quality of those who find fulfillment and success. Truly fearless authors banish writer's blocks with ease, receive critiques gracefully, and infuse their passion for the craft into every word they write. Filled with insightful wisdom and practical advice, Fearless Writing teaches you how to thrive as a writer, no matter your genre or career path. You'll learn how to:

• Find and enter a Flow state in which writing is a natural, deeply satisfying process.
• Quiet both internal and external critics and embrace the inherent value in your work.
• Use love, emotional engagement, and curiosity as the guiding principles for what you write and how you share it with others.
• Overcome rejection, procrastination, and other obstacles that stifle your creativity.

From the blank page to the first draft, and from querying to marketing, the writing life is filled with challenges, roadblocks, and new experiences. With Fearless Writing, you'll find the inner strength to embark on a bold journey—and build a lifelong career in the process.

I took a class based on this book a few years ago through Writers Digest University. It was handled remotely with assignments that went along with the lessons. The assignments were there to reinforce the lessons. And Mr. Kenower provided feedback on the assignments.

I loved it. It provided the spark I needed to finish my second novel, Gateway to Empire. I knew that I needed to have a copy with me on my desk at all times.

The book blurb does a great job outlining what's in this book, so I won't rehash it. I will point out that each chapter addresses some aspect of the writing or publishing process. Kenower always provides an anecdote that fits the chapter's subject which reinforces his overall argument. I'll admit that I wasn't necessarily 100% convinced by every chapter's example in and of itself, but Kenower was at least consistent with his argument, and it made the argument presented in the book as a whole more solid.

I found myself reading it this year because I'm back in that dark place that I was before. That shouldn't be interpreted as a condemnation of the effectiveness of this book. The problem is all mine. I've suffered from recurring bouts of low self-esteem and depression my entire life, and my experiences with publishing haven't helped in the least. In fact, they've contributed to a feedback loop that constantly inhibits my ability to sit down and write. "Why do I bother?" is a constant refrain in my head.

But in Fearless Writing, Kenower offers the right pep talk to break me out of that vicious cycle. And I'm good for a while, but something invariably comes along to mess me up. So I will be reading this book again and again until it becomes second nature. I don't know if I'll ever succeed in defeating my personal demons, but I know I won't if I don't try.

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