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This week: Queen of the Night by J.A. Jance Edited by: Vivian  
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One of my favorite authors is J.A. Jance. I've reviewed several of her novels, and one of the most recent is Queen of the Night, published by Harper-Collins, the fall of 2010. The ISBN, if you need it is 978-0-06-123924-3. Queen of the Night is the most recent thriller in the Walker family series.
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Review of Queen of the Night
Since J.A. Jance is one of my favorite authors, opening a new novel by her is like opening a gift. I never know for sure what lies inside the cover, but I know I'll enjoy it.
Queen of the Night continues the Walker family saga with bits and pieces of Native American lore scattered throughout. Two cases intersect and mingle as Dr. Lani Walker and Dan Pardee, part of a border patrol unit called the Shadow Wolves, work to protect a young girl. The child, alone, witnessed the monster murder her mother and three others.
The second case involves the investigation by Lani's adoptive father (retired detective Brandon Walker) of a cold case, the unsolved murder of an Arizona State University coed. In the midst of the two mysteries, Walker's wife relives visits of a dead man, the man who tortured and nearly killed her and previously trained another criminal to finish the job of destroying her and her family.
As usual, Jance doesn't have just one plot, one simple story for readers. She joins the past and present and the lives of different people to weave her spell. Even though in her thrillers she sometimes includes some graphic terror, she keeps me reading more, wanting the novel never to end. Her characters live and breathe on the page. I feel I know Lani, her mother Diana Ladd, Brandon, and the newcomers, Dan and the small girl Angie.
One thread I find throughout Queen of the Night, other than Jance's underlying sense of Native America, is her understanding of families and the special connection of family members who indeed love each other.
I can hardly wait to open J.A. Jance's next novel. |
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Words from Our Readers
Last issue I tried to "show" the difference between telling and showing. I hoped people would "see" the difference and be able to adapt the information so they could begin to show more in their writing and tell less. Oh, my, I'm not sure what happened. I decided to allow the comments to speak for themselves, except the ones emailed to me. One point I do want to make: "Telling a good story" is not the same as telling in writing. Also, some times writers have to "tell" brief sections. However, the majority of any writing needs to be "showing." I don't know if some people just want to argue or if I'm not making my thoughts clear or if some people just don't "get it." Thankfully some readers understand what I'm trying to share.
Raine 
Showing doesn't necessarily take more words than telling. In fact, done right with strong words instead of a list of adjectives and adverbs, showing "tells" the story in more depth, with fewer useless words.
tracikenworth
I've always thought of myself as a storyteller, but in truth, I want to be more of an author according to your newsletter.
peace
good response!
shadowedheart
I must say that I truly agree with your explanations of "storyteller" vs "writer". In my honest opinion, a storyteller has it a whole lot easier than we writers do! However, if, in that case, a storyteller has it easier, does it not also mean that a writer must possess more skills and or talent? Yes, I think I'd much rather be considered a "Writer/Author".
Lothmorwel
I take it you got a look of people asserting that 'telling' was good and shouldn't be altered and resented the 'showing' lesson. If these guys really do like to read such things, then that's fine, but I am with you on this point - 'telling' is boring, stilted, bitty and not engaging. If people don't like to hear this about their work then they aren't willing to improve. I LOVE it when people point our errors and 'telling' - how can I improve if someone takes the 'easy' option and just says - 'I like your style'.
sawilson
Viv,
Thank you for standing up for the article that you wrote. I loved both of the articles; "show, don't tell" and "Storyteller or writer/author" As writers we often have our feelings setting on our shoulders, where we really need to place those feelings are in our pockets, look at the criticism as a positive regardless of how negative the criticism may be. The review is one person's opinion, accept it, ignore it, improve, keep writing, and move on. The point is if a writer, author or storyteller doesn't write or share with others, then the story will never be heard. Thank you again for sharing your articles, often we don't like the honest truth, but we do need to hear it.
Adriana Noir
Very well said, Vivian. 
BIG BAD WOLF Feeling Thankful 
There's always something new to learn.
Budroe
Viv:
The trouble with this invective is that it becomes a "safe" bit of pablum for the inexperienced reviewer, critic, editor, etc. to use to downgrade the value of a writer's work without the added necessity to "prove" their statement. Such dilution of this important advice lessens the critic as much, if not more than, the writer and the writing. It's use today has become almost useless because of its abuse through recent time. How do we change that?
Budroe
kim
A good discussion all around. I always think of Chekhov when this discussion comes up.
"Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass."
~Anton Chekhov
When showing vs telling you can let the tiny details work for you to push your story forward, set the proper tone, and reveal details about your characters with out stepping in between the reader and the story.
The fact that the moon is shining may or may not be important to your plot. But a reader will wonder how that glass got broken and they'll shiver with dread and anticipation seeing the glint of broken glass.
Zeke 
Tell me, is there any market for storytellers these days?
Camar
Thank-you very much. Unfortunately I did not get a chance to see the first newsletter (as I am a newbie) but as a poet who wants to be a writer, you have given me a great base from which to start.
radhikam
I want to be a storyteller, because writers can even be the kid who is passing around rude notes at school.
chopstixd
We all tell stories. Everyday people use everyday narratives to help make sense of increasingly complex lives. The difference between Aunt Martha's stories and writer's stories is Aunt Martha will go on-and-on-and-on about Sherry at work assuming her audience knows enough about Sherry and her work environment. Writers tell their stories through characters. Connecting unknown readers to their characters and developing both characters and plot, events forcing characters to act, is no easy trick.
Ere
Thanks for this and this is interesting. I'm still unclear about the distinction between "writers" and "storytellers". Are they mutually exclusive, can one be both? This intrigues me, as I've had a reviewer who commented on the excellence of my writing end with a "well, you seem to be more of a writer, and I'm more of a storyteller." Reading your piece, I'm even more unsure than ever whether that was a compliment or an insult. Anyway, attached is a sample piece of mine- what's the verdict, writer or storyteller?
salliemoffitt
I prefer to use the method that conveys my message best. When showing is done properly, it can SHOW a character's actions in fewer words than telling. Telling is necessary, too. They are both tools in the writer's toolbox, along with metaphor, similes, foreshadowing, etc. Great writing utilizing as many tools as it can.
Thanks, Vivian, for clarifying the differences between authors and storytellers. Newsletters of this type show why some writers succeed, while others linger in no-reader land.
Keep pushing us writers to improve our craft!  Sallie
bertiebrite hoping for peace
You know, for the longest time I thought a story teller was a writer and vice-versa. I didn't know I was wrong and always said I loved to tell a good story in my works and therefore thought I was a good story teller. Oh well, live and learn.
Joto-Kai 
People wouldn't argue with Show Don't Tell if they understood a higher principle of advice: Only apply it when it applies! Surely, everybody knows that when SDT applies, it is essential! (I guess not?)
Will Dee
Which do you want to be: storyteller or author/writer? I would like to be them all. But as a relatively new writer I am leaning toward author/writer. My biggest challenge as mention in your article is showing not telling. For example, if I was to write about a dance routine, How would I show without telling about the dance routine. I did send this person an email giving an example of how a dance routine could be shown.
Thank you for joining me again this week. I hope you enjoyed a break from the "heavy" editorials with the review of J.A. Jance's novel. I'll be back in another four weeks, and who knows what tempest I'll unleash in the For Authors teapot.
Viv |
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For Authors: April 13, 2011 Issue [#4295]
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