We're bringing something a bit different to Writing in the Modern Age today. Awhile back, I had an idea for a new feature and I reached out to some author colleagues to see if they'd like to participate. I thought it might be nice to show readers a few books that have inspired authors. You might find it enlightening, and at least be able to answer the age old question, "What the heck do authors read?"
Writers are readers too! Most authors love to collect books for their vast personal libraries. The written word is fascinating to us, and many newer authors as well as those in the past have helped to shape who we are today.
Without further ado, our guest today is David Chandler, a talented dystopian, horror, dark fantasy and sci-fi author. Won't it be interesting to hear about a few books that have inspired him on his writing and publishing journey? Or some he recently read, and what he thinks about them?
Sounds pretty awesome to me. So, take it away, David!
1. Fool Moon (The Dresden Files) by Jim Butcher
Blurb:
Could a werewolf be loose in Chicago? Common sense says no. The grisly evidence says yes. So does Harry Dresden. And with his weird connections, he should know.
David's Thoughts:
Jim Butcher is an
amazing author. I like the idea of a magic user living in urban Chicago solving
crime and working hand-in-hand with the authorities. It's sort of
different.
2. Night Life (Nocturne City) by Caitlyn Kittredge
Blurb:
The first book in a thrilling, addictive
new series by a talented new voice in dark fantasy. Welcome to Nocturne
City, where werewolves, black magicians, and witches prowl the streets
at night…
Among them is Luna Wilder, a tough-as-nails police officer whose job is to keep the peace. As an Insoli werewolf, Luna travels without a pack and must rely on instinct alone. And she's just been assigned to find the ruthless killer behind a string of ritualistic murders―a killer with ties to an escaped demon found only in legend…until now.
But when she investigates prime suspect Dmitri Sandovsky, she can't resist his wolfish charms. Pack leader of a dangerous clan of Redbacks, Dimitri sends her animal instincts into overdrive and threatens her fiercely-guarded independence. But Luna and Dimiri will need to rely on each other as they're plunged into an ancient demon underworld and pitted against an expert black magician with the power to enslave them for eternity…
Among them is Luna Wilder, a tough-as-nails police officer whose job is to keep the peace. As an Insoli werewolf, Luna travels without a pack and must rely on instinct alone. And she's just been assigned to find the ruthless killer behind a string of ritualistic murders―a killer with ties to an escaped demon found only in legend…until now.
But when she investigates prime suspect Dmitri Sandovsky, she can't resist his wolfish charms. Pack leader of a dangerous clan of Redbacks, Dimitri sends her animal instincts into overdrive and threatens her fiercely-guarded independence. But Luna and Dimiri will need to rely on each other as they're plunged into an ancient demon underworld and pitted against an expert black magician with the power to enslave them for eternity…
David's Thoughts:
This novel was okay, though I don't know if I would name a female werewolf "Luna", but I suppose that is neither here nor there. Luna Wilder is a detective, with an attitude going around insulting people unnecessarily, which took away from the premise of the story.
3. It by Stephen King
Blurb:
“A landmark in American literature” (Chicago Sun-Times)—Stephen King’s #1 national bestseller about seven adults who return to their hometown to confront a nightmare they had first stumbled on as teenagers…an evil without a name: It.
Welcome to Derry, Maine. It’s a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry the haunting is real.
They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But the promise they made twenty-eight years ago calls them to reunite in the same place where, as teenagers, they battled an evil creature that preyed on the city’s children. Now, children are being murdered again and their repressed memories of that terrifying summer return as they prepare to once again battle the monster lurking in Derry’s sewers.
Readers of Stephen King know that Derry, Maine, is a place with a deep, dark hold on the author. It reappears in many of his books, including Bag of Bones, Hearts in Atlantis, and 11/22/63. But it all starts with It.
“Stephen King’s most mature work” (St. Petersburg Times), “It will overwhelm you… to be read in a well-lit room only” (Los Angeles Times).
David's Thoughts:
Stephen King was always
one of my favorite authors. Though he can be a little too long-winded in his
descriptions, he will always be the master of horror. This was especially
frightening, childhood friends reuniting to fight off Pennywise, the Clown...a
representative of everything they feared.
4. Teeth of Beasts (Skinners) by Marcus Pelegrimas
Blurb:
“Twilight fans hungering for more vampire/werewolf drama can look forward to Skinners.”
—USA Today
—USA Today
David's Thoughts:
I read the novel a few
times, and at first, I thought it was a vampire novel, but I had to read it a
few times just to get the general idea of the story arc. It was pretty good
overall.
5. Cold Days (The Dresden Files) by Jim Butcher
Blurb:
HARRY DRESDEN LIVES!!!
After being murdered by a mystery
assailant, navigating his way through the realm between life and death,
and being brought back to the mortal world, Harry realizes that maybe
death wasn’t all that bad. Because he is no longer Harry Dresden,
Chicago’s only professional wizard.
He is now Harry Dresden,
Winter Knight to Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness. After Harry had no
choice but to swear his fealty, Mab wasn’t about to let something as
petty as death steal away the prize she had sought for so long. And now,
her word is his command, no matter what she wants him to do, no matter
where she wants him to go, and no matter who she wants him to kill.
Guess which Mab wants first?
Of
course, it won’t be an ordinary, everyday assassination. Mab wants her
newest minion to pull off the impossible: kill an immortal. No problem
there, right? And to make matters worse, there exists a growing threat
to an unfathomable source of magic that could land Harry in the sort of
trouble that will make death look like a holiday.
Beset by
enemies new and old, Harry must gather his friends and allies, prevent
the annihilation of countless innocents, and find a way out of his
eternal subservience before his newfound powers claim the only thing he
has left to call his own…His soul.
David's Thoughts:
Jim Butcher does it
again. In this story arc, Harry Dresden is murdered, but brought back to life
in another realm (I guess you could call it that). I thought it was another
masterpiece. In fact, I'm still not done reading it.
Thank you, David!
And here is a little about David's latest book, The Hunter's Moon.
Book Blurb:
Colorado college detectives Malenski and Reinhart investigate the brutal slayings of two college students at an abandoned resort, which leads them into the research of Doctor Walter Gorman--a world-renowned microbiologist and genetics researcher working for an anti-terrorist task force in the United States Government. Gorman was in charge of a research project that involved the usage of the retrovirus S-12. The virus was designed to force the human body to produce a certain type of white blood cells, enhancing the immune system. But after exposing the virus to two lab assistants, Gorman later discovered that there was more to his research than he thought.
Purchase Links:
Universal Amazon: http://bookgoodies.com/a/B00N0YNAO6
CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/4964241
About the Author:
David Chandler has been
writing contemporary science fiction and fantasy since elementary school. He is
currently working on a novel series called Men of Renown. He is living in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Author Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidBookWriter
Amazon Author Page: amzn.to/1ZR1cSn
David's Books:
David Chandler has been
writing contemporary science fiction and fantasy since elementary school. He is
currently working on a novel series called Men of Renown. He is living in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Author Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidBookWriter
Amazon Author Page: amzn.to/1ZR1cSn
David's Books:
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