"Oh you're writing a book! What's it about?

Every time I mention that I am a writer and I am working on a book, they ask what the book is about. Most of the time, I explain that it's chick lit, but deeper. To give a better example, I'll show you the process that led to "The Ties That Bind".

 "Three college friends (two guys, one girl) that are in love with each other."

 This was my starting point. Then I attacked it from more of a love triangle set up and fleshed in the characters: 

"Candide: smart girl, looking for a more solid and dependable relationship with a guy in college.

 Mark: athletic, cocky jock, tends to be a womanizer and a bit of a cheater. When faced with a girl that resists his advances, he will try anything to get her.

 Josh: Mark's best friend, nerdy computer tech. Also looking for a serious relationship and tends to fall very hard for some of the girls he meets."

 Once I figured out the characters, I decided how I wanted to tell the story. I felt that the best way would be from   each character's point of view. So starting with Candide, I rotated each chapter with the character either telling their version of an event or a specific part of their relationships with the other characters. The difficulty lay in writing three different voices, and really bringing the characters to life. The bonus is you see how the distinct relationships between Candide/Mark, Josh/Candide, and Josh/Mark are affected by the collective relationship of all three.

 I think that showing the dynamic between people is essential in any love story or general story, because that is the foundation of any relationship. Most friendships and relationships are built on mutual interests and to see relationships form and dissolve through the eyes of the people involved is quite interesting. I also think that building strong characters helps the story mature and brings more to the table than a torrid physical steamfest.

 I'm not going to delve more into my particular book, as to leave you with some interest in the finished project, but I do want to explain how different my book is from most in that genre. I do hope you will buy it when it is released later in 2012, and walk away with a decent piece of literature.

 Happy Reading! -Alex

Catching Fire

This was a particularly hard review to write, especially when I try to make it viewable for all readers. I loved reading this book, and I spent an entire day reading it on my Kindle. That's how much time you should budget for it. A whole day.

The story picks up after Katniss returns from the Victors Tour, following the end of the Hunger Games. However, the tone throughout Panem has changed a lot and it seems that there is a growing unrest about the control that the Capitol has over the districts. The Hunger Games has hit the seventy-fifth year, meaning it is time for the third Quarter Quell, which celebrates the anniversary of the Capitol's defeat of the Districts with a special twist included in the Games. The directions for the Quarter Quell were created and appropriately labeled during the founding of the Hunger Games, so no one knows what will happen untill the envelope is opened and read. Usually there is an added obstacle or tribute requirement that is not normally in the regular Hunger Games. This time the instructions seem very sinister and suspicious. I found myself shouting at the Kindle and very worried about some of the characters. That is all I can say about the story without spoiling anything in the plot. All I can really say is the Panem that we were introduced to in "The Hunger Games" is changing, and we see just how much control the Capitol has over the districts. Happy Reading! -Alex