Sheila's Guests and Reviews

I've read several of Steve O'Brien's novels already and thoroughly enjoyed them ( Elijah's Coin , Bullet Work , Redemption Day ), so I was delighted to hear he has a new novel just out--Dead Money--and I'm really looking forward to reading it. Meanwhile I'm even more delighted to have the author visiting my blog today, so read on to learn more about murder, and murderers at the Ritz... You're in for a treat. Welcome Steve O'Brien. Imagine you are working in the lobby bar of the Ritz Carlton. Two fashionably dressed men share a table and a silver canister of salted nuts. Balancing the tray, you approach to deliver their drinks. The conversation you overhear goes like this:                 “I need her to die. And die quickly,” the older man says.                 “What you propose will work. But--” The younger one pauses ...

I'm delighted to welcome Steve O'Brien, author of Elijah's Coin and Bullet Work , to my blog again today. Steve is answering the question: How Long Did It Take To Write? Definitely an interesting question, and I really enjoyed reading his answer. Over to you Steve. One of my favorite remarks comes from violin virtuoso, Itzhak Perlman. And it was only two words. Perlman is regarded as the preeminent violinist of the 20th Century--at his craft, a man without peers. Following a performance in Vienna, an adoring fan came up to Itzhak and gushed about how fantastic the performance had been. Then the fan said to Perlman “I would give my whole life to be able to play the violin like you did tonight.” Perlman smiled and said, “I have.” The remark is so true. Despite the enormous natural talent he possesses, Perlman practices and rehearses at a frenetic pace. To get to where he is artistically took total dedication and “his entire life.” I won’t pretend to have near the writing abi...

Steve O'Brien's Young Adult novel, Elijah's Coin, was a fascinating read with some serious lessons revolving round the curious Elijah who gives a special coin to a wounded young man. You can read my review of Elijah's Coin on Gather by clicking on the link. I'm delighted to welcome Steve to my blog today to tell us more about his book and where the idea to write it came from. Steve O’Brien is a lawyer and fiction writer. His first book Elijah’s Coin received nine literary awards. Bullet Work, his second novel, will be released in Spring 2011 Over to you Steve: The concept for Elijah’s Coin is an adaptation of historical Jewish writings about the prophet Elijah and his use of coins as symbols of transformation. In one story Elijah meets two brothers, one is wealthy and the other is quite poor. The wealthy brother rebukes Elijah, while the poverty stricken brother takes Elijah in and gives him food and shelter. Elijah gives the poor man several coins and asks him...

Last week was a bad week. My Mum went back to England after two months here with us. The house feels empty and quiet. Even the washing machine's finally finished its job. Meanwhile my husband reminded me that I need to go back to work if we're ever to earn enough to retire. I'd rather write, but it doesn't pay the bills. Last week did have its good points though. A.F. Stewart wrote a lovely review of Refracted on her blog, and it's a really cool blog too--well worth a visit. Erin O'Riordan posted another lovely review of Refracted on David Weisman's blog (he's got a fascinating post on "leveraging Facebook" there today). It's definitely cool to see Refracted included in a list or Favorite Weird Indie Fiction of 2010, and to be mentioned in the same post as Peter Joseph Swanson ... Wow! He's one of the first indie authors I ever met when I joined Gather all those moons ago. So now it's on to this week, catching up on a gazillio...

My Mum's been delightedly reading the Warriors books and is way ahead of me. You can tell she's a cat-lover, but I'll catch up soon. First I had these other books on my to-read shelf, and really enjoyed them. (As usual, click on the link to find my reviews on Gather.) Elijah's Coin, by Steve O'Brien : I'll be hosting a guest post from the author on my blog soon. Elijah's Coin is certainly an intriguing read--like a cross between the Shack and Pay it Forward. I certainly enjoyed it, and, if you come back to my blog soon, you'll find out what inspired Steve O'Brien to write it. The Last Druid, by P.L. Crompton : I'll be dreaming druids and Romans now I've finished reading this. I loved it. A wonderfully evocative tale of England at the end of Roman rule, told in a way that really draws the reader in. Idiot America, by Charles P Pierce : Given a choice between laughing and crying, I'd recommend laughter. Charles Pierce's account of the ...