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Guest Post From Benjamin Wallace: Writer By Night!

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Today it is my pleasure to welcome Benjamin Wallace to my blog, I reviewed Ben’s book “Dumb White Husband Vs. The Grocery Store” a while a go.  Like me Ben is a writer with a “Day Job”, and Ben discusses how he gets his writing done.  I’m taking notes, because I think I can learn a lesson or two.

Please everyone welcome Ben to the Electronic Scrapbook!

Writer by Night

 People constantly ask me how I find the time to write. I tell them I’m a writer by night.

Writer by night. Browse around Twitter a bit and you’ll see this phrase in more than a few bios. It’s kind of romantic isn’t it? As if quill and parchment sit before the impassioned author as the flame of a candle flicks and the muse strums a lire over the literary genius’ shoulder. 

I’m a writer by night.

 There is no power on Earth that can make me a morning person. If I woke up early to write, my works would be filled with senselessly violent scenes that explored the different sounds a coffee urn would make if it was used to punch someone in the face. And, while that specific scene will now make it into one of my books, such a singular focus on coffee pot face-punching would not make for a lasting career.

I can’t write during the day. That’s when I’m at what has now become known as my day job. They want me to do stuff that isn’t my stuff. And, since they still keep the lights on and bellies full, I can hardly protest. It is still the day job that I shouldn’t quit.

My evenings are dedicated to my family for two reasons. 1) Because they’re pretty cool. I’ve got three kids and they all have stories about what they did during the day, they have pictures that they’ve colored for me and they have new theories about super heroes that, if they don’t share, will cause them to explode. 2) Hollywood has convinced me that if I don’t spend time with them they will all grow up to be criminals or I will have to endure some formulaic life swap with another man to truly appreciate the life I already have. I don’t have time for any life swapping. 

So, I’m a writer by night. I tuck in the kids, feed the dogs, yell at the kids to get back into bed, disappear into a home office (which I share with the dogs), step back out to tell the kids to get back into bed and type until I’m exhausted, stopping only to tell the kids to get back into bed. Should the lire-playing muse ever visit me I have no doubt that I would yell at her and threaten to shove the lire places if she didn’t knock off the racket.

Sometimes when I tell people this they still don’t understand it. So, I tell them that I’ve learned a lot being a writer by night. But, there are some things I haven’t learned. I haven’t learned who the next American Idol is. I haven’t learned which bar has the best happy hour. I haven’t learned what the producers/writers/key grips of Lost have been up to. I haven’t learned a thing about what hours the gym is open. Though I probably have learned about the internet video where the dog is dressed as a Wampa. (I’m only human)

Writer by night means writer by night. There’re a lot of us out there. And we love to talk about it. So ask us. But don’t ask us what the score was, who won a Grammy, or if we caught so and so on Letterman/Kimmel/The Daily Show. We don’t know. We were busy writing. By night.   

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Benjamin Wallace is the author of the bestselling action/adventure comedies Post-Apocalyptic Nomadic Warriors (A Duck and Cover Adventure) and Tortugas Rising as well as the Dumb White Husband short stories. You can learn more at benjaminwallacebooks.com or follow him on twitter @BenMWallace

Books of 2011 # 29 – Off the Grid by Nick Rosen

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I’ve often dreamed of being a digital nomad.  Nothing but me, some tech and the wide world, living off-grid.  This book had an obvious appeal, and covered those people who do actually do that, rather than like me day dream about it!  An enjoyable little escape, it look at those peoples real lives and how breaking the connection from “society” has changed their lives.

Off the Grid

Off the Grid by Nick Rosen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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Books of 2011 # 30 – Short Lean Cuts by Alex M Pruteanu

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This was a memorable book for me, not least because I know the author. It was his first book, and it was an interesting read, the author was also kind enough to come on to this site for a Q&A session, which can be found here.

Short Lean Cuts

Short Lean Cuts by Alex M. Pruteanu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This tale is no three little pigs nursery rhyme, or Babe. This is closer to Piggy in Lord of the Flies.

Looking at the darker side of life and characters this book is as strong and shocking as it is well written. Dark in places it is probably not going to be everyone’s cup of tea but it does come recommended.

View all my reviews

Books of 2011 # 31 – Dinosaur in a Haystack by Stephen Jay Gould

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It’s been exceptionally difficult to fill a list of 31 books, from a total of the 72 that I’ve read this year.  The stand-out reads, those who won’t be appearing until the end of the month were relatively easy but the lower orders (if you like), were more difficult.  So anyway coming in at the end of the order is a classic.  I love science-fact, and Stephen Jay Gould stands out amongst his peers.  He passed away in 2002, but had an immense impact on the science community and also in my years as a science student.  I also particularly love the cover on this one in particular.

Dinosaur in a HaystackDinosaur in a Haystack by Stephen Jay Gould
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love these collections of natural history essays that Stephen Jay Gould wrote back in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Some are a little dated now, but the majority stand up well to the test of time, and also take me back to a time when I was just entering my own career as a biologist / naturalist. How times have changed, and how they’ve stayed the same!

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Movember

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Movember is about raising awareness of male cancer. In particular the unmentionables; testicular and prostrate cancer.

For the past month I’ve been cultivating some facial hair, a moustache to be specific. Not wanting this to be just a plain moustache I went for something a little more overstated. I believe it’s known as a “biker”, in moustache growing circles but some of my work colleagues are keen to refer to it as the 70’s porn star look.

Either way it’s raised £115 for cancer charities. Many thanks to everyone who has been kind enough to sponsor me.

Back To The Classics Book Challenge 2012

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I was surfing twitter and the interwebs earlier this week and came across a new blog:  Sarah Reads Too Much.  She was proposing a challenge to read a number of classics within certain catagories during 2012.

As I wrote the other day, I read a lot of books during 2011 and was looking for something a bit different in 2012 as a challenge.  There are a number of classics, that I want to read, some that I have already, the books sitting on my shelves and have never gotten around to reading, others that I’ll have to get hold of a copy, but again ones that I’ve always wanted to read.

Anyway here are the categories:

  • Any 19th Century Classic
  • Any 20th Century Classic
  • Reread a classic of your choice
  • A Classic Play
  • Classic Mystery/Horror/Crime Fiction
  • Classic Romance
  • Read a Classic that has been translated from its original language to your language   – To clarify, if your native language is NOT English, you may read any classic originally written in English that has been translated into your native language. 
  • Classic Award Winner  – To clarify, the book should be a classic which has won any established literary award. 
  • Read a Classic set in a Country that you (realistically speaking) will not visit during your lifetime  – To Clarify, this does not have to be a country that you hope to visit either.  Countries that no longer exist or have never existed count.

And here are my provisional choices (I might change some as I think more on this, but these are my gut reactions based on books that I’ve always wanted to read, or have on my shelves and have never gotten around to reading, and are all regarded in one way or another as classics):

  • Any 19th Century Classic:
    • Walden – Henry David Thoreau
  • Any 20th Century Classic
    • Watership Down – Richard Adams
  • Reread a classic of your choice
    • The Jungle Book – Rudyard Kipling or The Hobbit J R R Tolkien
  • A Classic Play
    • The Seagull – Anton Chekhov
  • Classic Mystery/Horror/Crime Fiction
    • At The Mountains of Madness – H P Lovecraft
  • Classic Romance
    • Romeo and Juliet – William Shakespeare
  • Classic translation
    • Around the World In Eighty Days – Jules Verne
  • Classic Award Winner
    • The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemmingway (Pulitzer 1953) 
  • Read a Classic set in a Country that you (realistically speaking) will not visit during your lifetime
    • The Island of Dr Moreau – H G Wells (not sure if this counts as a country that has “never existed”, so might have to rethink this one).
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Coming in December – My Big Book Year

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So a Big Book Year, what’s that all about? “A Big Year”, refers to the life of a birdwatcher, it’s a year in which a bird watcher will try and see the largest number of species that they can, often within a confined geographic area. As a naturalist I’m familiar with this concept, with friends disappearing off for long periods of time, evenings, weekends, chasing the next number or species on their list, but what’s that got to do with books?

Well, this year I set a target via Good Reads to read thirty books in 2011. I reached this target in less than six months, which I was amazed at, the most books I’ve ever knowingly read before in a year is thirty-seven books, so reaching my target so early meant revising that target upward, so I doubled it to sixty. I reached that target a month or so ago, now I’m just seeing where I get to by year end. At the time of writing I’m at seventy-two books and reading!

But this year has been so much more than numbers, I’ve discovered so many “new” authors. It’s made me think as to why this year has been different. Well first probably because I got a kindle at the start of the year, which has made reading more accessible for me, you can carry thousands of books in one small device, rather than one or two paperbacks where ever you go. Second because I’ve been writing much more myself, and “hanging out” with other writers in various social media circles; Twitter, Google+ etc. I’ve also been “featuring” many more book reviews and guest posts on my blog, I’ve been participating in “virtual tours” for authors. Reading their books, reviewing them and then having them on my blog for an interview or a guest post. As a result I’ve also had a lot of “free” books, those given to me for review. In fact much of this has over taken my writing. I think I’ve written less of the current work in progress than I would have liked, but what I have written has been influenced by the other things going on and as a result has been a better result.

 

I’m planning to go back over my year on my blog during December, pick out my top thirty-one books in ascending order, with my top pick coming on New Years Eve. There are some more guest posts planned, and at least one “virtual tour”.


Expand Below the Line if you want to see the Seventy-Two books read to date in order!

Continue reading “Coming in December – My Big Book Year” →

Book Review: Carnival for the Dead by David Hewson

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Once again David Hewson transports his readers to the magical city of Venice, Italy. It is Teresa Lupo, Chief Forensic Pathologist for the Questura in Rome who takes the lead on this occasion whilst colleagues Falcone, Peroni and Costa are on secret assignment.

Lupo has travelled to Venice to look for her Aunt Sofia who has mysteriously disappeared, leaving little explanation as to why, or her current whereabouts. It is the time of the Carnival, as Teresa tries to find her Aunt, and a series of events unfold that lead the reader on a tableau of adventure across the great city of islands, and where those dressed in Carnival costume may not be all they appear to be.

 This is the tenth novel in the “Costa” series, and the third time that David Hewson has taken us to Venice (The Lizard’s Bite & The Cemetery of Secrets, being the other two, and it is nice to see some homage to both of those novels within the pages of this latest one).

It is rare that a book makes me change my plans or keeps me reading up late into the night these days, but Carnival for the Dead has done both of those things over the last three days. Keeping me turning the pages and setting the standard for crime novels, this story unfolds a tale of mystery, history and culture set in one of the worlds great cities.

 The history is well researched and the author manages to weave the history and culture into the pages, bringing the story to life. It brings a depth and colour to the pages that it is easy to picture oneself in the great city, with the same sights, sounds and smells as the characters on the pages.

 David Hewson is a master storyteller, and this book is no exception, it is one of his best and finest to date and this series has been getting better and better.

 If you are looking for a great story, and want to transport yourself to another place, then I strongly recommend this book.

 

5 out of 5 Stars – I Loved It!

 

 

About the author (taken from the dust jacket):

 

David Hewson was a journalist working most recently for the Sunday Time, The Time and the Independent. The author of nine novels in the highly acclaimed Detective Nic Costa series set in Rome which are currently being adapted for TC, he has also written thrillers set in Seville, the US and Venice. The author live in Kent.

 

On Amazon and Home Delivery Network

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Amazon and I have had a parting of the ways today.
 
Yesterday I was supposed to receive a book that I pre-ordered over six months ago.  Unfortunately Amazon dispatched it via the ever unreliable Home Delivery Network (HDNL).  Amazon seem to have a preference for using this courier, presumably because they get a good rate for doing so, however HDNL are pretty unreliable.  They have repeatedly failed to deliver parcels when they are supposed to, and have (as they managed to do again yesterday) claim to have delivered it when they haven't, i.e. they lie, or don't even bother and just say you were out, and then you have to go to the depot and collect your parcel, i.e. they lie.  In fact more often than not they seem to be able to do something other than actually deliver the parcel.
 
When Amazon use HDNL you get a tracking number, nothing new there but obviously this means that you can see where and when you parcel is (or at least allegedly is).  I checked for mine yesterday morning and it said that my parcel was out for delivery.  Great.  At 5pm it was still out for delivery.  At 630pm it had apparently been delivered (at 5.25pm), through our letterbox (incredibly precise that tracking isn't it!), but surprise, surprise no parcel, not through our letterbox, or hidden in our garden or left with a neighbour or anywhere that I could see.
 
I emailed Amazon, and got a very prompt reply, with promise of dispatching a replacement, they apparently understand my frustrations with HDNL, but there is nothing they can do about that.  Er hang on a minute, how about not using them?  Getting another courier?
 
Skip to today.  Parcel has been delivered, but no explanation as to where it has been or why it was reported as having been delivered yesterday (at 5.25pm through our letterbox).  My only thought can be that the courier put it through the wrong letterbox somewhere else, and that person out of kindness delivered it to us?
 
As Amazon are going to send me a replacement I went onto the website to cancel it, I don't want two items after all, but it's too late as it's too far into the dispatch process for them to do anything about it, so I've emailed the person in customer service who helped me yesterday to see if there is anything they can do.  I suspect probably not, which means I will have to return the second parcel when it arrives or refuse delivery.  Basically more hassle for me.  All because Amazon use HDNL.
 
So I am cancelling my amazon prime membership, I'm not getting value for money, and I'm certainly only getting more hassle from HDNL each time Amazon use them.  I've also cancelled the ten pre-orders I had with amazon, I'll get those items somewhere else.  If I have to pay a little more it will be worth it, to not have the hassle of HDNL.  From now on the only thing that I will order from Amazon will be kindle books.  Now I know I might change my mind, particularly with Christmas approaching, but certainly I will be thinking twice about using amazon from now on.
 
Thing is, it isn't just me.  Go on the amazon.co.uk forums and see the number of other people who are having problems with HDNL (or Yodel, as they also describe themselves), there are 1000's of them, so why do amazon persist in using them, particularly if it's costing them customers?
 
It also isn't just Amazon parcels that I have had problems with, other companies use HDNL, and when I have bought things from them I have had similar experiences.  Guess what?  I no longer use those companies, and in all cases I have never gone back to them.
 
So Amazon, how about it?  End your contract with HDNL?  Keep my custom?