Bridget Whelan

What an excellent guide this is: it’s friendly, and full of excellent advice. Laid out as if it really were a creative writing school, with three ‘terms’, although I went through it in just a month. Each chapter has an introduction, examples, and an exercise at the end.

The suggestions start with fairly straightforward tasks such as generating titles or writing alternatives to cliches and well-worn metaphors. I did do one or two of these exercises, but mostly just read.

As the book progresses, the exercises become more complicated and thought-provoking. I’ve read many writing books, so inevitably there was much in this book that was familiar to me; but that didn’t matter, because the bulk of each section was the author’s ideas and suggestions. She gives advice for creating realistic characters, for poetic writing for the most reluctant, for using alliteration, writing dialogue, using humour, and much more.

Even though I didn’t take full advantage of this, it’s a book I will dip into again, and which I would recommend highly to anyone wanting some help with getting start in writing, or inspiration for making their writing better. I would suggest spending perhaps a week or longer on each of the thirty chapters even though I didn't myself.… (altro)

2.5 Stars. The review that follows is a partial one. To view the full review, please visit:
http://tbqspersonalbookpalace.blogspot.com/2011/11/review-good-confession.html

Cathleen Brogan thought life was going well; she is married to the love of her life, Mick, they have two

beautiful daughters, and while they might not live in the lap of luxury they aren't on the streets begging

for food either. But when her husband suddenly gets sick, she never expected the worst to

happen....Burying Mick is one of the hardest things Cathleen has ever done. Now how is she to go on

with her life?

The one good thing, if you can call it that, that comes from Mick's untimely death is the reappearance

of his cousin, a priest, who was more a brother to Mick than even his own brother. Father Jerry

Brogan was even the man that married Cathleen and Mick all those years ago. Since that day, they've

not seen him, but upon hearing the news, he leaves Italy (where he was currently stationed) to make

Mick's funeral in England. His last gift to his friend and non-blood brother is to speak at his funeral.

As a priest, as well as a family member, it is understandable for him to stay around to try and help the

grieving widow out. But the thoughts and feelings that Jerry has for Cathleen are anything but pure and

innocent, and when she lets him know that she feels the same, he is torn over what to do. Does he

honor his vows to the priesthood or allow himself the one thing he's always wanted: companionship and

love?

....
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This review is property of TBQ's Book Palace.… (altro)