Fires of Our Choosing

I've always found it challenging to write book reviews. Even when I was back in school, it was my least favorite kind of writing assignment. Obviously you had to put in something about the plot, just to prove to the teacher or professor you'd read the thing. But how much to summarize? And what in the world could I say about this story? I (was) a fifteen-year-old kid, (am) a first-time author. I have no idea what was going through the author's head when they wrote it, no appreciation for where they're coming from. As much skill can go into that sort of critique, at the end of the day I'm just one guy with an opinion, telling my experience of a story.

Fortunately for me, this time it's different. First, I'm doing this because I want to. No teacher to please, just an audience to inform. Second, I have a bit more of an appreciation for the author, and where he's coming from. Fires of Our Choosing is a terrific new book by a former classmate of mine, Eugene Cross. 

The book is a collection of several short stories, "literary fiction" style, full of beautifully-crafted characters and situations. The title is apt: we see the fiery passions - either expressed or suppressed - of nearly every character Cross creates. It's one thing to write a believable situation, quite another to write a believable character. Cross has excelled at both. It takes an extremely skilled author to make the reader really feel what the character is feeling. Cross has pulled that off in his very first book. 

One thing that struck me about each of his stories is that they all have a very strong sense of place. It probably helps that I've driven those stretches of Route 20, been to that pool hall (or one very much like it) on upper Peach Street, and seen what an Erie winter does to the land and the people around you. Cross is able to make those settings come alive.

I won't summarize the stories here. (It feels great to say that!) But any reader will get to them all soon enough. Even for my voracious reading habits, this was a page-turner.

Escaping the Storms

My vacation came at exactly the right time. We left Leesburg on the evening of June 29 - the night the derecho hit. We actually drove through the storm while we were heading west on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It hadn't developed its hurricane-force winds (thankfully), but Regina and Lea were treated to some early 4th of July fireworks. It was constant lightning from Breezewood all the way past the tunnel. Our apartment building escaped any major damage, but there were two large trees that came down within two feet of the living room window.

We had a wonderful holiday in Erie. Grandma and Grandpa got to spoil Lea for a few days. Lea got to swim in the lake, and took her first boat ride. (The Water Taxi is a great service!) The zoo is incredibly improved from when I was a child. Lea communed with the orangutan and was fascinated by the siamangs. And most importantly, Regina and I got to relax for a whole week, for the first time since before Lea was born. The only unfortunate part was the heat. Apparently Harrekh hasn't been the only place in a drought recently - potential water restrictions were looming the whole time I was in town.

The actual fireworks display on the 4th was amazing. Regina, Lea and I headed down to the Bayfront to watch the fireworks from Liberty Park. We picked our place perfectly - right next to the maritime museum. We got our view right behind the Brig Niagara. (The Niagara is a point of pride locally - it was the ship that won the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812).
I also got to take a side trip to Ohio to visit some very dear friends of mine. Thanks especially to T for the tips on khopesh combat - it's wonderful to have friends that know this sort of thing offhand.

I still have lots to say about Books 2 and 3, as well as my classmate Eugene Cross and his excellent book, Fires of Our Choosing. Stay tuned!

Back on Track

The last couple of months have been busy, busy, busy, both personally and professionally. Lea has progressed through the Terrible Twos at an impressive speed. My day job has moved back to its original location, with a resulting tangle in commute times. Just as the school year has ended, our workload has increased tremendously. To top off all of the disruptions, I've taken a much-needed vacation. For the first time in about five years, I've been off an entire week, spending most of my time with my parents in Erie, PA. More about that - and about another up-and-coming writer - in a future post. :)

Fortunately, during all of that mess, I've still had some time to plug away at Book 2: Exiles of Harrekh. The first draft (and more importantly, the main plot) is composed and typed. But I've realized that while the action in the Borderlands is there, the political situation in the Seat of Stars needs significantly more exposition. This is good news for fans of Aneth and Kharaz. We'll learn a lot more about Dela, as well.

Regina has been wonderfully patient through the whole thing. I can't wait for my First Editor to have a look at the finished manuscript!