You may or may not know that ReVamped is one of the featured titles for April's discussion over at the B&N Paranormal Forums. You can find them: here. And I'd meant to mention it earlier, but in a way, I'm glad I waited. Paul Goat Allen serves as the moderator for a couple of forums over at B&N. He's also a writer and reviewer in his own right.
Paul had a lot of nice things to say about Staked and ReVamped (which can be read here), but the blurbs he provided for the series left me grinning like one of the Joker's victims.
Blurb #1 (About the series):
"J.F. Lewis' Void City saga is like literary methamphetamine. The best thing to hit paranormal fantasy in years."
Blurb #2 (About me):
"In a genre full of up-and-coming luminaries, J.F. Lewis may be the brightest of them all."
Yeah. I'm gonna need treatment for sprained facial muscles if Batman doesn't show up with some anti-venom treatment soon. I just know it.
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Kinds Words and Interesting Topics
Colin Harvey was nice enough to review Staked over at Suite101.com and he's given me permission to quote a portion of the review:
"This debut novel is chock full of vampires, werewolves and witches in an imaginary city but the style and characterization set it apart from lesser competitors."
- Colin Harvey, Suite101.com
If you'd like to read the whole review, you'll have to jump on over here. He has some very kind things to say and he also calls 'em like he sees 'em. Colin takes me to task for an infodump at one point in the novel and he mentions some disatisfaction with Staked's ending, but all in all, I'd call it a good review and he obviously enjoyed the book.
A few days later, he made a very interesting post about "Cliffhangers vs Open Ended Books" which hits so close to the mark its scary on what I intended when I wrote Staked.
{Spoiler Alert: Some (okay almost every single person who has read the book) have interpretted the ending as a cliffhanger. I didn't intend it to be one, but I certainly understand that point of view.}
When I sold Staked, it was a one book deal. I wanted there to be more books about Eric, Tabitha, and Void City (and fortunately that dream comes true in March with the release of ReVamped... though Amazon is already shipping it) but I also wanted it to be able to stand alone if that dream never materialized... which brings me to a question: If you've already read Staked, how did you interpret the ending? Cliffhanger or Not.
I'd be interested to know. :)
Note: If you enjoy Colin's articles, you'll want to check out some of his fiction. I've linked to his website here.
"This debut novel is chock full of vampires, werewolves and witches in an imaginary city but the style and characterization set it apart from lesser competitors."
- Colin Harvey, Suite101.com
If you'd like to read the whole review, you'll have to jump on over here. He has some very kind things to say and he also calls 'em like he sees 'em. Colin takes me to task for an infodump at one point in the novel and he mentions some disatisfaction with Staked's ending, but all in all, I'd call it a good review and he obviously enjoyed the book.
A few days later, he made a very interesting post about "Cliffhangers vs Open Ended Books" which hits so close to the mark its scary on what I intended when I wrote Staked.
{Spoiler Alert: Some (okay almost every single person who has read the book) have interpretted the ending as a cliffhanger. I didn't intend it to be one, but I certainly understand that point of view.}
When I sold Staked, it was a one book deal. I wanted there to be more books about Eric, Tabitha, and Void City (and fortunately that dream comes true in March with the release of ReVamped... though Amazon is already shipping it) but I also wanted it to be able to stand alone if that dream never materialized... which brings me to a question: If you've already read Staked, how did you interpret the ending? Cliffhanger or Not.
I'd be interested to know. :)
Note: If you enjoy Colin's articles, you'll want to check out some of his fiction. I've linked to his website here.
Monday, February 9, 2009
The Jesus Geeks Podcast talks about Staked
Chris and Cliff over at the Jesus Geeks podcast talk about the controversy that sprang up around Staked, the first novel in my Void City series. I was tempted to provide a link here with the statement:
Jesus Geeks Approve Staked:
"This book is pure entertainment... It was a very good first novel."
Chris Martins, The Jesus Geeks Podcast
That's a bit disingenuous though. Chris did say he enjoyed the book and in fact he did make both of the above statements about Staked, but both Chris (of the Jesus Geeks) and John (of jesusgeek.info) had issues with the book, particularly the sexual content.
If you'd like to hear what they had to say, go take a listen: here.
One of the biggest things I took issue with was John's description of the sex scenes as pornographic. They clearly aren't. I left a few comments via voice mail explaining my position on the sexuality depicted in Staked on the Jesus Geeks comment line and Chris says he'll be playing them in a few weeks on a follow up episode.
I have to say that I truly appreciate Chris and John taking the time to read the book beforing commenting on it. Their comments, even the negative ones, were made in a respectful good-natured manner. Kudos, gentlemen! I appreciate it.
Jesus Geeks Approve Staked:
"This book is pure entertainment... It was a very good first novel."
Chris Martins, The Jesus Geeks Podcast
That's a bit disingenuous though. Chris did say he enjoyed the book and in fact he did make both of the above statements about Staked, but both Chris (of the Jesus Geeks) and John (of jesusgeek.info) had issues with the book, particularly the sexual content.
If you'd like to hear what they had to say, go take a listen: here.
One of the biggest things I took issue with was John's description of the sex scenes as pornographic. They clearly aren't. I left a few comments via voice mail explaining my position on the sexuality depicted in Staked on the Jesus Geeks comment line and Chris says he'll be playing them in a few weeks on a follow up episode.
I have to say that I truly appreciate Chris and John taking the time to read the book beforing commenting on it. Their comments, even the negative ones, were made in a respectful good-natured manner. Kudos, gentlemen! I appreciate it.
Friday, January 16, 2009
ReVamped Gets PW review
/happy dance
That's not the review, just my reaction to it.
In fact, please pardon me while I bury the lead.
Let me take you back to early 2008 when a soon-to-be-published author, yours truly, was frantic for reviews. I still am. I don't know if that ever goes away, but we're not talking about me now, we're talking about me then, the author who hadn't figured out how Google alerts worked, the author who is waiting for someone, anyone, to say something (again... ANYTHING) about his book.
Picture him, if you can. He wakes up each morning and does a Google search for variations of his own name, the title of his book, and the word "review." Then, in case the search hasn't picked them up, he goes to various review sites that he hopes will review his book and searches and pours and frets. He does the same thing at lunch and when he returns home from works and in the middle of the night...
Lets leave him there fretting. He looks amusing hunched over his laptop at Krystal fighting with their free wireless network, brow furrowed, as he squints through the glare. He's nowhere near as fun to watch once the Library Journal review comes out. He's still obsessive, but the frantic nature of his OCD has lessened.
One of those places I checked every week (if not every day) was Publishers Weekly. So imagine my surprise when this time around, I get this... before I'd even thought to look for it:
"ReVamped J.F. Lewis. Pocket, $15 paper (352p) ISBN 978-1-4391-0228-2
Vampire fans who like their blood and gore leavened with humor should enjoy the campy sequel to 2008's Staked. Eric Courtney, strip club owner and operator in Void City, is coming to terms with existence as a ghost vampire after dying in an explosion that totaled his place of business. His former fiancée, Marilyn, tells Eric that his best friend betrayed him, but the demon J'iliol'lth collects her soul before she can explain further. Worse yet, Eric's beloved Mustang somehow gets turned into a vampire. Eric accepts a commission from J'iliol'lth to find the Stone of Aeternem, which enables its holder to raise the dead, in exchange for immortality and the return of Marilyn's soul. The jokes are far from subtle, but Lewis's creativity elevates this above similar outings. (Mar.)"
I'm not sure what the pull quote would be, but I'm tickled pink to have the book favorably reviewed. :)
That's not the review, just my reaction to it.
In fact, please pardon me while I bury the lead.
Let me take you back to early 2008 when a soon-to-be-published author, yours truly, was frantic for reviews. I still am. I don't know if that ever goes away, but we're not talking about me now, we're talking about me then, the author who hadn't figured out how Google alerts worked, the author who is waiting for someone, anyone, to say something (again... ANYTHING) about his book.
Picture him, if you can. He wakes up each morning and does a Google search for variations of his own name, the title of his book, and the word "review." Then, in case the search hasn't picked them up, he goes to various review sites that he hopes will review his book and searches and pours and frets. He does the same thing at lunch and when he returns home from works and in the middle of the night...
Lets leave him there fretting. He looks amusing hunched over his laptop at Krystal fighting with their free wireless network, brow furrowed, as he squints through the glare. He's nowhere near as fun to watch once the Library Journal review comes out. He's still obsessive, but the frantic nature of his OCD has lessened.
One of those places I checked every week (if not every day) was Publishers Weekly. So imagine my surprise when this time around, I get this... before I'd even thought to look for it:
"ReVamped J.F. Lewis. Pocket, $15 paper (352p) ISBN 978-1-4391-0228-2
Vampire fans who like their blood and gore leavened with humor should enjoy the campy sequel to 2008's Staked. Eric Courtney, strip club owner and operator in Void City, is coming to terms with existence as a ghost vampire after dying in an explosion that totaled his place of business. His former fiancée, Marilyn, tells Eric that his best friend betrayed him, but the demon J'iliol'lth collects her soul before she can explain further. Worse yet, Eric's beloved Mustang somehow gets turned into a vampire. Eric accepts a commission from J'iliol'lth to find the Stone of Aeternem, which enables its holder to raise the dead, in exchange for immortality and the return of Marilyn's soul. The jokes are far from subtle, but Lewis's creativity elevates this above similar outings. (Mar.)"
I'm not sure what the pull quote would be, but I'm tickled pink to have the book favorably reviewed. :)
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The Somewhat Weekly J - AlphaOops: The Day Z Went First
Those of you who have read my comments on Webkinz or seen me toting my Lil' Kinz White Mouse, Stanton (or as Alethea calls it - Jeremy's Rat), around at conventions, already know that my sons play a very large role in my life. They can get their dad to sing lullabies and read everything from Frog & Toad (with special voices) to the latest issue of Ranger Rick aloud at bedtime. As a result, I'm always on the lookout for new cool stuff to read the boys at bedtime. We've read longer works: The Hobbit, Peter Pan, and even a little C.S. Lewis, but the favorites, the ones we always come back to, are shorter works. I love to read classics from my own childhood: Dr Seuss' Cat in the Hat, The Lorax... Little Bear. That sort of thing. But I am always on the lookout for cool intelligent kid-friendly works... and I've found one.I have to submit a new title to the list of what I consider to be masterworks of children's fiction: AlphaOops: The Day Z Went First by Alethea Kontis. Published in 2006 by Candlewick Press, this book's simple, yet brilliant premise is that Z is fed up with always going last. He stages a minor revolution allowing letters to go in any order they choose. Some are happy with their spot, but most are ready for a change and Alethea explores the ensuing chaos with an air of gleeful magic, a magic that is displayed with utter perfection by illustrator Bob Kolar.
I first read AlphaOops: The Day Z Went First aloud while standing out in front of my friend's car while he went to go pick up a painting he’d purchased from Ruth Thompson. Soon, my writer's group was crowded around the car, grinning from ear to ear and, much like my two boys, jockeying for position to get a better look at the pictures. Upon my return home, I read the book to the boys at naptime and then twice more at bedtime. It should be noted that at naptime the boys were not the only ones grinning at this priceless gem of alphabetical mayhem. The grownups paid attention too. Infact, I had to back up and start over for one adult (who shall remain nameless) because she’d missed a few pages.
In the two days since my return from Dragon*Con, I've read the book to my boys a dozen times and my four year old and seven year old have each read it to themselves too, though the four year still needs a little help on some of the pages. My oldest even took it to school for his "share", the modern equivalent of Show & Tell. The next book in the series, AlphaOops: H is for Halloween, has been scheduled for a Fall 2009 release by Candlewick Press and I have not looked forward to the release a children’s book so much since I heard a special about Henry Hikes to Fitchburg by D.B. Johnson and rushed out to grab a copy.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
STAKED gets good reviews...
I haven’t posted any reviews in awhile, so here goes:
“Staked will probably appeal to most readers who like Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden but wish that Harry would stop being so damn nice all the time.” -Amanda, LoveVampires.com
How’s that for a hearty endorsement? Read the rest of Amanda’s review here.
Oh! Oh! And my book made it to Vienna (yes, as in Austria)! I only know this because Amberkatze has posted a nice review on Amberkatze’s Book Blog. She was even cool enough to give away a copy of the book in a contest with a very cool concept. In Staked, a new vampire seldom knows the extent of his or her true powers. Sometimes, those who can change into an animal will only be able to change, for all time, into whatever they first attempt. Amber asks contestants to choose which animal they would pick. Enter her contest here.
As it that wasn’t enough, she interviewed me, too. Here’s that link.
Speaking of people who enjoy Staked…
FantasyGirl has an awesome review over at BestFantasyStories.com: “From the start I could tell this book would be something special. By page 8, I was proclaiming it a winner to my friends. I’m happy to report that I was correct.” Read the rest of the review here.
Proving that Staked can appeal to guys too, Frank Hagen posted a review at his blog. You see, he bought the book for his wife (because he’d read the Big Idea article John Scalzi was nice enough to post over on his Whatever blog), started reading it, and it hooked him. Read his review here and if you need any advice with C# Programming, Frank might be just the guy to help you out.
Rachel over at ourgaggleofgirls.com reviewed Staked last month and I *thought* that I blogged about it, but didn’t: “Once you get caught up in the world of Staked, you’re stuck in its thrall. There’s enough violence and death to keep the novel going, but not so much that you can’t read it before bed. Staked walks a great balance with the suspense and gore… it’s a balance one rarely sees in first novels.”
Read the rest of her review here at Our Gaggle of Girls or here at Boston Now.
Lastly, Lou Anders sent me an email to let me know that my “author debut party” was covered in the most recent Locus magazine. I ordered a few copies, but they're not here yet.
Next time… my WebKinz review! Be afraid. Be very afraid! (Okay, don’t be really afraid... They’re just WebKinz…)
J
“Staked will probably appeal to most readers who like Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden but wish that Harry would stop being so damn nice all the time.” -Amanda, LoveVampires.com
How’s that for a hearty endorsement? Read the rest of Amanda’s review here.
Oh! Oh! And my book made it to Vienna (yes, as in Austria)! I only know this because Amberkatze has posted a nice review on Amberkatze’s Book Blog. She was even cool enough to give away a copy of the book in a contest with a very cool concept. In Staked, a new vampire seldom knows the extent of his or her true powers. Sometimes, those who can change into an animal will only be able to change, for all time, into whatever they first attempt. Amber asks contestants to choose which animal they would pick. Enter her contest here.
As it that wasn’t enough, she interviewed me, too. Here’s that link.
Speaking of people who enjoy Staked…
FantasyGirl has an awesome review over at BestFantasyStories.com: “From the start I could tell this book would be something special. By page 8, I was proclaiming it a winner to my friends. I’m happy to report that I was correct.” Read the rest of the review here.
Proving that Staked can appeal to guys too, Frank Hagen posted a review at his blog. You see, he bought the book for his wife (because he’d read the Big Idea article John Scalzi was nice enough to post over on his Whatever blog), started reading it, and it hooked him. Read his review here and if you need any advice with C# Programming, Frank might be just the guy to help you out.
Rachel over at ourgaggleofgirls.com reviewed Staked last month and I *thought* that I blogged about it, but didn’t: “Once you get caught up in the world of Staked, you’re stuck in its thrall. There’s enough violence and death to keep the novel going, but not so much that you can’t read it before bed. Staked walks a great balance with the suspense and gore… it’s a balance one rarely sees in first novels.”
Read the rest of her review here at Our Gaggle of Girls or here at Boston Now.
Lastly, Lou Anders sent me an email to let me know that my “author debut party” was covered in the most recent Locus magazine. I ordered a few copies, but they're not here yet.
Next time… my WebKinz review! Be afraid. Be very afraid! (Okay, don’t be really afraid... They’re just WebKinz…)
J
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Another Good Review!
Check out my review from the Library Journal:
"Lewis, J.F. Staked. Pocket Bks: S. & S. Mar. 2008. c.352p. ISBN 978-1-4165-4780-8. pap. $14. FANTASY
The hero of Lewis's humorous debut is Eric, a vampire having a bad week, with a poor memory and raging blackouts. In the midst of a rough tantrum, he realizes he has torn off the head of a fellow undead, but he can't remember who the victim is or why he killed him. As the story continues, however, Eric proves to be a much nicer guy than the opening would suggest. With a host of interesting characters—the elderly human Marilyn, the greatest love of Eric's life; Tabitha, the stripper-turned-vampire who loves Eric; evangelical werewolf William, who erroneously believes Eric killed his son; and Roger, co-owner with Eric of the Demon Heart Strip Club—this is a fast-paced story with a heady mixture of humor, violence, and sex. Recommended for large fantasy collections."
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6529602.html
That seems like a pretty good review.
J
Monday, January 14, 2008
Book Review!
Every few weeks since the Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) of STAKED went out, I've been doing a Google search for "j f lewis" "staked" and "review". A few days ago, my search turned up my first book review! :)
"certainly impressive for a debut. The plot is reminiscent of the early, and best, of the Anita Blake novels." - Don D'Ammassa, Hugo nominated editor and author of multiple novels and short stories. To read the whole review, visit Don's Critical Mass website here.
I will say that this sort of thing is the most surreal part about getting published. When you're just getting started (like me), you get paid way less than minimum wage, with the hope that you might one day make more. When you get good feedback from folks who don't know you through anything but your words and they like it and they post about it... when you see your book showing up on people's wish lists or see it mentioned in their blogs... it really does feel like magic.
J
"certainly impressive for a debut. The plot is reminiscent of the early, and best, of the Anita Blake novels." - Don D'Ammassa, Hugo nominated editor and author of multiple novels and short stories. To read the whole review, visit Don's Critical Mass website here.
I will say that this sort of thing is the most surreal part about getting published. When you're just getting started (like me), you get paid way less than minimum wage, with the hope that you might one day make more. When you get good feedback from folks who don't know you through anything but your words and they like it and they post about it... when you see your book showing up on people's wish lists or see it mentioned in their blogs... it really does feel like magic.
J
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