Six Days
I had the pleasure of reading Kelli Owen's Six Days back when it was going under a different title. I read it when there were different character names in it and some word choices that have been changed.
But the thought regarding the novel at the time never swayed... this novel was going to see the light of day.
That times has come.
Being released from Maelstrom, a line of Thunderstorm Publishing, Kelli Owen's Six Days is her debut novel. But holy hell, what a debut.
Like many of you that visit my blog, I'm an avid reader, though I used to be able to consume a lot more than I do now. I've read a ton of first novels; some writers I stuck with and watched as they improved their skills. Their later novels became much more fluid and graceful.
Others? Well... not so much.
Six Days does not read like a first novel. You know what I'm talking about. In many ways, it's like a first date. There's usually some awkwardness, you fumble over certain things here and there, and at the end, you're not completely satisfied because it didn't live up to what you had built up in your mind ahead of time.
I can assure you - this is not the case with Six Days.
In a past life, Kelli has reviewed and edited for... oh hell, the list of names you would recognize is staggering. The list of names she's reviewed that you wouldn't recognize is equally as impressive. Because of her experience, she learned what worked and what didn't. Over the thousands of pages she's read, she has developed a firm grasp of what creates tension and pace and keeps the reader moving forward for more.
As I watched her do the final edits on Six Days, from time to time she would stop and a smile would come over her face. I think in those times she finally started to understand what she had created. She started to be proud of it. She started to believe the compliments of her peers and associates.
She should know better than to think we would just blow smoke in false praise of her efforts. After all, she would never in a million years do that to us.
It's one hell of a novel, debut be damned.
Pre-ordering takes place on October 1 over at: Thunderstorm Books It's only going to take place for a single day and if you miss out, that's it.
There's only one first novel from a writer. Don't miss out on this one.
••••
What have I been up to?
Well, I'll tell ya. Been struggling with the day job/business stuff in a major way and that's really been eating up a lot of time, energy and emotions. Economy's down and so is business. Hanging on by fingernails doesn't come close to describing it. But hey, change is supposed to be good, when one door closes another opens and please feel free to insert any additional number of clichés here, thank you very much.
There should be two pieces (at least) of short fiction coming out later this year. I'll announce that as the time gets closer.
Working on a story at the moment that's due November 1. This one is going to be a lot of fun (promise it won't make you cry either, Qwee... okay, maybe just a little).
And though I'm horribly behind schedule, I've been making notes and am ready to plunge into this Big Mac novel that Kelli and I have spoken about. Though I have another non-genre novel that keeps whispering to me at the oddest times.
Current reads: Sarah Court by Craig Davidson. Amazing prose.
Current music: 22-20's, Gaslight Anthem, and Mumford & Sons.
Be good... talk to you all soon.
But the thought regarding the novel at the time never swayed... this novel was going to see the light of day.
That times has come.
Being released from Maelstrom, a line of Thunderstorm Publishing, Kelli Owen's Six Days is her debut novel. But holy hell, what a debut.
Like many of you that visit my blog, I'm an avid reader, though I used to be able to consume a lot more than I do now. I've read a ton of first novels; some writers I stuck with and watched as they improved their skills. Their later novels became much more fluid and graceful.
Others? Well... not so much.
Six Days does not read like a first novel. You know what I'm talking about. In many ways, it's like a first date. There's usually some awkwardness, you fumble over certain things here and there, and at the end, you're not completely satisfied because it didn't live up to what you had built up in your mind ahead of time.
I can assure you - this is not the case with Six Days.
In a past life, Kelli has reviewed and edited for... oh hell, the list of names you would recognize is staggering. The list of names she's reviewed that you wouldn't recognize is equally as impressive. Because of her experience, she learned what worked and what didn't. Over the thousands of pages she's read, she has developed a firm grasp of what creates tension and pace and keeps the reader moving forward for more.
As I watched her do the final edits on Six Days, from time to time she would stop and a smile would come over her face. I think in those times she finally started to understand what she had created. She started to be proud of it. She started to believe the compliments of her peers and associates.
She should know better than to think we would just blow smoke in false praise of her efforts. After all, she would never in a million years do that to us.
It's one hell of a novel, debut be damned.
Pre-ordering takes place on October 1 over at: Thunderstorm Books It's only going to take place for a single day and if you miss out, that's it.
There's only one first novel from a writer. Don't miss out on this one.
••••
What have I been up to?
Well, I'll tell ya. Been struggling with the day job/business stuff in a major way and that's really been eating up a lot of time, energy and emotions. Economy's down and so is business. Hanging on by fingernails doesn't come close to describing it. But hey, change is supposed to be good, when one door closes another opens and please feel free to insert any additional number of clichés here, thank you very much.
There should be two pieces (at least) of short fiction coming out later this year. I'll announce that as the time gets closer.
Working on a story at the moment that's due November 1. This one is going to be a lot of fun (promise it won't make you cry either, Qwee... okay, maybe just a little).
And though I'm horribly behind schedule, I've been making notes and am ready to plunge into this Big Mac novel that Kelli and I have spoken about. Though I have another non-genre novel that keeps whispering to me at the oddest times.
Current reads: Sarah Court by Craig Davidson. Amazing prose.
Current music: 22-20's, Gaslight Anthem, and Mumford & Sons.
Be good... talk to you all soon.
posted by Bob at 9/27/2010
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