I snagged a great Kindle e-book a couple of days ago.
One of the great things about owning a Kindle is the opportunity to browse thousands and thousands of indie and self-published titles. Now, I'll say up front that most of these books are, to be blunt, crap. In many cases, there's a reason the authors chose to self-publish, that reason being no publisher on Earth would read past the first paragraph, let alone pony up a small fortune to see the awful thing lurch to life in print.
But they're not all bad. I can always tell before I'm done reading the second line of the book description, because the same writer who writes that wrote the book. If it's a confusing, wandering quagmire of cliches and purple prose, I move on.
But there are gems hidden amid the refuse. One such gem is Moon Dance (Vampire for Hire #1) by J. R. Rain..
It's only 99 cents. Yeah, I'm a tightwad. But J. R. Rain should really be asking more than a buck for Moon Dance.
I have a weakness for film-noir private eyes. I firmly believe the world should be black and white, stuck circa 1940. Fedoras. Rainswept streets at midnight. Dames.
So you're probably thinking Moon Dance is set in a world just like that, right?
Wrong. The protagonist is a working mom, with two small kids and a lot of laundry.
She's also spent the last six years as a vampire.
So no fedoras. Rainswept streets, maybe. But what the book has is the most important thing of all -- it's got the heart and soul of a gritty, unflinching PI novel.
I doff my hat -- a damp fedora, with two bullet holes -- to J. R. Rain, whoever they are, because not only do they know how to write, but they know how to write the stuff I like.
I'll post a full review when I'm done. Again, that's Moon Dance, by J.R. Rain.
One of the great things about owning a Kindle is the opportunity to browse thousands and thousands of indie and self-published titles. Now, I'll say up front that most of these books are, to be blunt, crap. In many cases, there's a reason the authors chose to self-publish, that reason being no publisher on Earth would read past the first paragraph, let alone pony up a small fortune to see the awful thing lurch to life in print.
But they're not all bad. I can always tell before I'm done reading the second line of the book description, because the same writer who writes that wrote the book. If it's a confusing, wandering quagmire of cliches and purple prose, I move on.
But there are gems hidden amid the refuse. One such gem is Moon Dance (Vampire for Hire #1) by J. R. Rain..
It's only 99 cents. Yeah, I'm a tightwad. But J. R. Rain should really be asking more than a buck for Moon Dance.
I have a weakness for film-noir private eyes. I firmly believe the world should be black and white, stuck circa 1940. Fedoras. Rainswept streets at midnight. Dames.
So you're probably thinking Moon Dance is set in a world just like that, right?
Wrong. The protagonist is a working mom, with two small kids and a lot of laundry.
She's also spent the last six years as a vampire.
So no fedoras. Rainswept streets, maybe. But what the book has is the most important thing of all -- it's got the heart and soul of a gritty, unflinching PI novel.
I doff my hat -- a damp fedora, with two bullet holes -- to J. R. Rain, whoever they are, because not only do they know how to write, but they know how to write the stuff I like.
I'll post a full review when I'm done. Again, that's Moon Dance, by J.R. Rain.
You've sold me on it!
ReplyDeleteOkay, I bought it, read it and loved it. Wow. You're right about it being worth a lot more. And why is this self-published? Sheesh. Publishers should be falling out of the trees looking for work of this quality.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I thought too, Ann. Glad you liked it!
ReplyDeleteGritty, P.I. noir is also a favorite of mine, especially when set amongst the paranormal (sans all that romancy crap that some writers feel required to insert into an otherwise respectable book). See Garrett, Taylor and some guy named Markhat for examples of the right way to write a protagonist for that genre...
ReplyDeleteBought it, will give it a shot. Thanks for the recommendation. :)
Saintly Brees
You're welcome, Saint! Hope you like it.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, have you tried the latest Garrett PI book by Glenn Cook yet? I'm having trouble getting through it. Not my favorite at all.
I have and I agree. Too much about Garrett's relationships and a weaker than normal plot line, IMHO. In past books, he kinda wrote Garrett into an unexciting corner. Looking at how this latest book ends (and no spoilers), perhaps Cook is looking to rectify that situation which would make it a more transitional work.
ReplyDeleteWe'll see. :)
Oh man -- I am going to be really hacked off if Garrett dumps Tinnie for Furious Tide of Light.
ReplyDeleteI haven't finished it yet, though, so there's still hope!