"Heat Wave" by Richard Castle - When Art imitates Art

I thought I had stepped into a 21st century Pleasantville. As my local library was undergoing renovations, perhaps construction crews had opened up a door into the TV universe? Sounds like a plot about a library for a book found in a library.

Yes, I am being ridiculous.

As my eyes scoped out the displaced shelves of the room under reconstruction, one of the new books on the back shelf got my attention: "Heat Wave" by Richard Castle.

The mystery writer, Richard Castle, is a real guy. I had been hooked on the TV show, Castle, and looked forward to another season starting this September 2010. Seeing the book, I thought, Maybe the show is based on Life?
On the back side of the book jacket, I was surprised to see a large photo of Nathan Fillion, which the writeup claimed was the Richard Castle and boasted of his success with his Derrick Storm novels. Castle had killed off this hero and began a new series, Nikki Heat, the NYPD homicide detective shadowed by Pulitzer prize winning writer, Jameson Rook, who was researching his next set of articles on New York's finest.

Rook? Castle? Hah! Checkmate!

This book was not Art imitating Life. Or Life imitating Art. It was Art imitating Art.

I read the book and found it as enjoyable as the show. At the time in my corner of the universe, I was going through a heat wave of my own - 105 degrees F - so I could relate.

"Heat Wave" has its own book trailer on YouTube:



And now a movie in 2011?



Here are a few other reviews I found online:


* Heat Wave by Richard Castle – Book Review

* Richard Castle's 'Heat Wave' novel: Not bad!


What's next? Derrick Storm novels? Gathering Storm? Unholy Storm? .... Final Storm?

Don't that beat all?

Cover from Barnes & Noble
For an interactive peek at the book, check out amazon: Heat Wave

Winds of Destiny - eBook review

Show, don’t tell. This is the pithy advice given to writers.

Many American history classes tell the story of the Puritans, their search for religious freedom, and their subsequent immigration to the New World. Jayne Bullock’s novel Winds of Destiny shows the story, which many history book writers only tell.

The times during England’s Civil War are seen through the eyes of a spirited and adventurous heroine, Catherine Grafton, the Catholic daughter of a landlord. A Puritan family, the Ringolds, rescues the heroine from a providential mishap. Her adventurous spirit beckons her on a journey with them, which takes her beyond the point of no return to her old life.

The author has thoroughly researched this tumultuous period, showing the details and the settings of the times. The writing brings to life the regional dialects of the characters.

The book is quite relevant for today, in many ways.

First, it can give us a better understanding of American history. What were the struggles of people of conscious in a land that did not tolerate religious freedom? What events in mother England drove the Puritans to such places like America?

Second, Jayne conveys the message of tolerance and understanding, much like the parable of the Good Samaritan. The heroine finds compassion from an unlikely source - those who are “the wrong religion.”

And last, in the uncertainty of the 1640s, Providence takes the heroine on a journey she could not have foreseen. Likewise, are not these uncertain times in twenty-first century America?

Since I have been researching life in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance in Europe, I was most interested in Jayne’s historical novel during such times. I liked this story because she humanized this period as narrated in the first person of the heroine. I would recommend this book not only to those who love a good yarn of adventure and romance, but to Anglophiles as well. It covers the few decades in the seventeenth century when England actually became a republic, which is fascinating.

eBook can be purchased at: synergebooks.com/ebook_windsofdestiny.html

Pages: 175
Words: 106,473
Reading Time: 304-425 minutes


Lord, be my rock of safety, the stronghold that saves me. For the honor of your name, lead me and guide me.
Psalm 30:3-4

Review - Eva Galuska and the Christmas Carp: A Novella

Halloween is over! Now thinking about Christmas?

Last year I had purchased the novella by Kathleen Clauson - "Eva Galuska and the Christmas Carp." It is a great Christmas book.

In 2008, I wrote the following review at authorsden.com -

Kathleen Clauson’s writing first got my attention on AuthorsDen with one of her short stories “Night Owl”. I read her excerpt from “Eva Galuska and the Christmas Carp: A Novella” and was intrigued. Then, I recently purchased the novella and read it.

The story is full of detail and rich with description of superstitions and traditions - especially around Christmas - in the lives of immigrants and their children, who settled in the great melting pot of the Chicago area. It takes place in modern times, and yet the Old World influences them as they pursue their American dreams.

In a short time, I got to care about the characters and got to know them. I experienced their life, their culture, their short-comings, their triumphs, and a unique slice of Americana. I regretted when the story ended, for I wanted to know more, especially some of the mystery about Eva Galuska.

A parallel is Earl Hamner’s “The Homecoming”, another tale spun about Christmas. This novella became “The Waltons.” Who knows? There is a basis for a script in “Eva Galuska and the Christmas Carp.”


Link:

www.authorsden.com/visit/viewwork.asp?id=27766&AuthorID=89736