August 2021 - Gary David Gillen

Buried Book by DM Pulley

Buried Book by DM Pulley.

Introduction

In Buried Book by DM Pulley, nine-year-old Jasper Leary finds his missing mother’s childhood diary in 1952. He searches for her using the clues in the diary, but faces encounters he never knew existed. His travels take him from his uncle’s farm in Michigan to downtown Detroit and to an Indian Reservation. Will he find her alive or dead?

Summary

The Buried Book by DM Pulley starts with Jasper Leary’s mom taking him to his Uncle’s farm. Jasper is nine-years-old and lives with his mom, Althea, in Detroit, Michigan. Uncle Leo’s farm is in Burtchville, Michigan. It’s 1952. She leaves Jasper at the farm and promises to return after she takes care of some important things. Althea doesn’t trust her husband Wendell to watch after Jasper.

The farmhouse is small. Jasper shares a bed with his twelve-year-old cousin Wayne. Uncle Leo and Aunt Velma have their bedroom. Jasper learns the farm life, does his chores, and goes to school. He has issues with Wayne. As the days go by, he wanders around the farm, looking for answers about his mom’s disappearance. He finds the burned-out family house of Althea and Leo. Inside a drawer, he finds young Althea’s diary.

Jasper uses clues from the diary to search for his mother. He travels to a rough neighborhood in Detroit and an Indian Reservation. What he discovers surprises him.

Recommendation

I liked The Buried Book by DM Pulley. Jasper is an interesting viewpoint character, and I thought the mystery surrounding his mother fits together well. The life on the farm sections was detailed and exciting. I wondered about the age of Jasper. His thoughts read to me like an older child. I don’t see a nine-year-old being as independent and resilient as depicted in the novel. The bus driver’s scene surprised me. It didn’t seem to fit with the story to me. The mob connection to the Indian Reservation seemed to cliché to me. I felt that the strengths of the story overweighed my concerns.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Buried Book by DM Pulley.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29105591-the-buried-book

No Ones Home by DM Pulley

In No One’s Home by DM Pulley, the Spielman family buys a mansion named Rawlingswood in Shaker Heights, Ohio, in this ghost suspense thriller. Will the Spielman’s survive the mansion, unlike the four families that preceded them?

Unclaimed Victim by D.M. Pulley connects the stories of Ethel from March 1938 and Kris from April 1999 through the Torso Killer of Cleveland. They are targets. Can they survive? Link to review.

Unclaimed Victim by D.M. Pulley

This is the link to my review of The Dead Key by D.M. Pulley.

The Dead Key by D M Pulley

Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson

Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson, Book #3.5 of the Stormlight Archive

Introduction

Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson is a long novella set in between Oathbringer (Book 3 of the Stormlight Archive) and Rhythm of War (Book 4 of the Stormlight Archive). The novella follows the mission of shipowner Rysn Ftori and Windrunner Lopen which was not detailed in either novel. Rysn and Lopen must uncover the secrets of the lost island of Akinah or it will doom Roshar.

Summary

Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson has two viewpoint characters, Rysn and Lopen. They are minor characters from the series that get a starring role in this novella. In the prologue of the book, a ghost ship appears off the coast of Aimia. Something odd is going on in those waters.

Rysn is a shipowner. She was paralyzed from the waist down and uses a wheelchair. Her pet is Chiri-Chiri who is a larkin, a type of flying crustacean. Chiri-Chiri is sick and Rysn learns that the larkin must return to its home, Akinah, an island off the coast of Aimia, to be healed. Rysn meets with Queen Navani Kholin to arrange an expedition to the lost city of Akinah. Queen Navani agrees because she thinks there is an unknown oathgate in the lost city that would help them in the war effort against the Voidbringers.

Lopen is part of the group that Kaladin assembles to go on the expedition to Akinah with Rysn. Lopen is an original member of the Bridge Four crew and is Herdazian. He is an optimist, always looking for the positive in life and he uses humor to lighten the mood of any group he is in. He lost his left arm, so he understands the challenges Rysn faces overcoming her disability. Lopen became a Windrunner and regrew his arm using his new powers.

Kaladin also assigns to the expedition: Huio, Lopen’s reserved cousin who Kaladin hopes will balance Lopen’s exuberance; Cord, the Horneater daughter of Rock, and she is also a cook like him; and Rushu, an ardent who is researching using fabrials on a ship.

They sail on the ship Wondersail to discover the secrets of the lost city of Akinah.

Recommendation

Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson has two minor characters from The Stormlight Archive shine with their own story. It was fun to see Rysn and Lopen lead an expedition and solve problems. The action in the story was swift and the plot was complete. I liked the development of the secondary characters’ interrelationships. Huio, Cord, and Rushu have their moments. I wanted more but this story was not novel length and I appreciate the story as written.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54511226-dawnshard

My review of Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson. In book four of the Stormlight Archive, the war between humans and Voidbringers intensifies.

Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson

My review of Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson. In book three of the Stormlight Archive, Dalinar learns the truth of his past through his flashbacks.

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

My review of Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson, a collection with nine stories that are part of the cosmere universe. An overarching plot, which he calls the cosmere interrelated many of the author’s works. He set the stories of the cosmere on a group of worlds that are connected by magical means. He set six stories on the worlds of his published novels, and three stories are about worlds that have not had a novel-length story treatment. All the stories in this collection are excellent.

Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson

Writing Progress Report August 2021

Writing Progress Report August 2021.

This is my Writing Progress Report August 2021.

On July 31, 2021, I took a hike from Public Square up Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, once known as Millionaire Row. This picture is of the Mather Mansion.

Writing Progress from July 2021.

I wrote three blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my writing progress report for July 2021, linked below.

Writing Progress Report July 2021

In July 2021, I submitted Chapter 12 of my novel titled Cuba Liberto to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.

In July 2021, I submitted my story Tau Ceti Journal to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.

I completed the first draft of my novel Assassin in New Marl City in July 2018, totaling 99,981 words and 36 chapters. Completed pre-second draft (30 chapters long) in December 2018 at 89,072 words. Finished the second draft edits in December 2019 to complete the second draft edit. I started writing a new chapter 1 in February 2020 and finished it in April 2020. The third draft will have 32 Chapters, and I finished the third draft edits on Chapter 3 in July 2020.

Writing Progress from July 2021 Continued

I made five posts on my Goodreads account in July 2021.

In the past, I submitted the stories; Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, and Grognard to magazines.

The seven Flash Fiction Stories I have submitted in 2020 were Space-Dog Confession, Sleeping Sickness, Caliburnus, and Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, Wormhole Generator, Runs with Scissors, and Principled Rogue to magazines.

Magazine submissions for 2021 are 4 unique stories submitted 4 times, with 0 accepted, 0 pending, and 4 rejections.

Events from July 2021.

The Cleveland Inkubator Writing Conference 2021 was a virtual event using Zoom between July 11, 2021, to July 25, 2021. Over the two weeks, they presented forty-two workshops, panels, and special events. I attended two panels, one craft talk, and one workshop (which was held over two days).

I enjoyed the programs that I attended at the Cleveland Inkubator and plan to attend in person in 2022. My highlights were D.M. Pulley’s Writing Multiple Stories Workshop and Marie Vibbert’s talk about submitting short stories. I thought using Zoom worked well. At the in-person conference, you must pick one of four talks in three different time slots on the Saturday of the conference. Being spread over two weeks enabled me to pick the talks that I wanted to see. I appreciated the flexibility but will like to go back to the in-person conference next year.

Literary Cleveland sponsors the event. Literary Cleveland’s mission is to create and nurture a vibrant literary arts community in Northeast Ohio. The group sponsors writing workshops, author interviews, and a monthly group meeting mixer.

http://www.litcleveland.org/

Writing Goals for August 2021.

I plan to write four blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my Writing Progress Report for August 2021.

The title of the novel I am working on is Cuba Liberto. The first draft of the piece was a screenplay. My plan for the rewrite is 26 Chapters. I plan to complete writing Chapter 13 in August 2021 and submit it to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.

In August 2021, I plan to submit a story to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.

I plan to submit a story to the critters workshop in August 2021.

In August and September 2021, I plan to split Chapter 1 of Assassin in New Marl City into two chapters. I plan to work on these chapters and then submit both chapters to the SEL Wednesday Writing Workshop in October 2021.

I plan to work on third draft edits for Assassin in New Marl City using comments from the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio. In October 2021, I plan to complete third draft edits for renumbered Chapters 3 and 4.

Submit the stories Space-Dog Confession, Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, Grognard, LARP Film noir, Sleeping Sickness, Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, and Caliburnus. to other short fiction magazines.

Polish and submit the stories White Bracer, Mage Squad, I Shall Not Return, Prisoner of Tarnal, and Kay-Eye for submission to short fiction magazines.

Writing Goals for August 2021 continued.

In August 2021, I plan to make five posts on my Goodreads account.

Put the novel Assassin in New Marl City into the writing program, Scrivener.

Buy an e-book cover for Assassin in New Marl City from Fiveer.

Planned Events for August 2021.

Marcon Columbus had dates posted for May 7 to May 9, 2021. I have attended this con many times and would like to attend it in 2021. They officially moved Marcon to occur from September 2, 2021, to September 6, 2021. I plan to attend on September 4, 2021.

http://marcon.org/

They scheduled Washington Capclave as an in-person event for October 1 to October 3, 2021. The Washington Science Fiction Association holds the conference at the Hilton in Rockville, Maryland. I would like to attend the conference.

https://www.capclave.org/capclave/capclave21/